The Packers lack the cap space to spend big, so it’s necessary to be selective in terms of who returns and who doesn’t. Fortunately, the unrestricted free agent class for the Packers seems pretty straightforward. There are no mysteries here regarding the players. Many of the nine are established players who have been remarkably consistent, whether for better or worse, throughout their careers in Green Bay. This past season only solidified this fact for most of the nine. No projections needed.
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2025 season evaluation for the team’s nine unrestricted free agents, ordered by playing time:
Lieutenant Rasheed Walker
NFL teams are hungry for some semblance of competition at offensive tackle, so Walker likely has a strong market and the opportunity to cash in on a big deal in free agency. Walker, a seventh-round pick in 2022, ended up starting 48 of the Packers’ last 52 games at left tackle. But the 2025 season should serve as a warning for interested teams. While reliable at times in pass protection, Walker is very volatile overall, is below average as a run blocker, and is susceptible to penalty attacks and blown protections. The inconsistency is infuriating because Walker shows periods of excellence as a pass blocker. He had multiple penalties in three games in 2025, and his performance in Chicago during the postseason was bench-worthy. According to PFF, Walker gave up more pressure, had more penalties and regressed quite sharply as a pass blocker in 2025, a contract year. He’s going to start someone at left tackle in 2026, probably on a big multi-year deal, but there’s a good chance the buying team will overpay and then regret it down the road.
LB Pier Walker
Produced another typical Quay Walker season. He rarely left the field, was a reliable down-and-down tackler and made a handful of impactful tackles each game, but he was also unpredictable against the run and often a huge liability as a zone coverage player. According to PFF, Walker missed just nine tackles, tying his career-high, and set a new career high with 46 stops, or a tackle that led to an offensive breakdown. But he also allowed a career-worst six touchdown passes in coverage, earned a below-average grade against the run and didn’t force a fumble or create an interception for the second straight season. Now, four years later, Walker is who he is as a player. This reality leaves the Packers with a big decision to make. Do they really want to pay a price near the top of the market for a mediocre off-ball linebacker who doesn’t create game-changing plays? It is clear that the team has a more charitable view of Walker than outsiders, and he was elected team captain. But the Packers could be inclined to let another team pay Walker in free agency and move forward with Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper at linebacker in 2026.
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OL Sean Rhyan
In a wild 2025 season, Rhyan played extensively at right guard, left guard and center. He was capable, but mostly unexceptional, regardless of where he played. At times, Rhyan can be an excellent physical presence and a reliable pass blocker, but inconsistency from game to game is a real problem. Consider this: Rhyan had eight games with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 70.0 or better and eight more games with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 45.0 or worse. His run blocking was solid on the inside three points. The transition to center was virtually painless, but the Packers will have to decide if he’s a legitimate long-term starting option there. Rhyan appears to have avoided a major long-term injury after going down late in the loss to Chicago. You have the possibility of returning, but it is not a guarantee.
WR Romeo Doubs
If Saturday night was for Doubs in a Packers uniform, he certainly came out strong, catching eight passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Doubs was steady on third and fourth down, making an incredible one-handed catch and helping prevent two disastrous fumbles by his teammates. How was the 2025 season overall? Including the postseason, Doubs finished the year catching 67 percent of his targets, averaging 13.5 yards per reception and producing six red zone touchdown receptions, all typical numbers for him all season. He averaged 1.86 yards per route run, a career high, and dropped just four passes (although he finished 13 of 30 in contested receptions). His final stretch (Week 16-17, Wild Card Round) was fantastic, giving Doubs a real boost heading into free agency. Given the Packers’ recent investments at receiver, including two draft picks in 2025 and Christian Watson’s extension, Doubs is likely the odd man out. Expect Doubs to sign a nice deal elsewhere (10-12 million per year?) and for Matthew Golden to eventually take over Doubs’ role as the go-to X receiver in this offense.
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DE Kingsley Enagbare
Enagbare played at least 450 defensive snaps for the fourth consecutive season and was remarkably consistent in terms of production: 25 pressures, 23 stops. Enagbare has created between 25-27 pressures and 18-23 stops each year since entering the NFL in 2022. In terms of a rotational edge rusher who can start in a pinch, Enagbare is a reliable and consistent option. Will it ever be a game destroyer? No, but for what he is as a former fifth-rounder, Enagbare has been a success and will have a legitimate chance to return depending on his market elsewhere. Micah Parsons’ injury and Rashan Gary’s unknown future on the roster could encourage the Packers to prioritize bringing back Enagbare, who could easily play another 500 snaps in 2026.
TE John FitzPatrick
While neither a dominant in-line blocker nor a pass catcher, FitzPatrick proved capable at both duties in 2025, and was a big part of the post-Tucker Kraft tight end scheme until he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Chicago on December 20. FitzPatrick was on the field for about 50 percent of the offense’s snaps from Weeks 11 to 16. He now faces a long road to recovery. While open market interest will have to wait, there is a chance FitzPatrick could return to Green Bay on a cheap one-year deal for 2026.
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Quarterback Malik Willis
No impending free agent in Green Bay made more money than Willis during the 2025 season. A young rehabbing quarterback purchased by the Packers for nothing more than a seventh-round pick to start in 2024, Willis became one of the game’s most dynamic backups in 2025, and his start against the Ravens, in which he produced three touchdowns and over 300 total yards, solidified Willis as one of the most attractive quarterbacks. who will reach free agency. He is an electric runner and has shown that he can be an efficient and capable passer within the right offensive structure. His numbers in a small sample in 2025 were impressive: 85.7 completion percentage, 12.1 yards per attempt and 145.5 passer rating. Plus, he won’t turn 27 until March. Willis will most likely get a lucrative multi-year contract with a legitimate chance to be a starter on a team in 2026. The Packers will miss him as a reliable backup, but will welcome the mid-round compensatory pick in 2027.
LB Kristian Welch
Welch was signed off the practice squad and played in eight games as a primary member of the special team after Nick Niemann went down in Week 8. Welch was on the field for 87 special teams snaps, producing three total tackles and finishing with a 75.7 special teams grade at PFF. An ankle injury suffered in Week 16 ended his season. The Wisconsin native is a solid, reliable special teams option. He might come back with another cheap deal.
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LB Nick Niemann
A pectoral injury suffered in Week 8 halted what could have been a Pro Bowl-caliber season for the veteran special teams player. Through eight weeks and seven games, Niemann had an NFL-high 11 total tackles (10 solo, one assisted), covering kicks and punts, and led the Packers in overall PFF special teams grade (83.0). He returned to play in the Packers’ postseason loss in Chicago, adding an assisted tackle. Unfortunately, Niemann may only be remembered in Green Bay for allowing a two-point conversion while pinning Colston Loveland in the fourth quarter Saturday night. He was in the game only because of injuries, and the Bears attacked. The assumption here is that the Packers would love to have him back at the right price.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Evaluating the 2025 Season for Packers’ 9 Unrestricted Free Agents in 2026