The Green Bay Packers will head into free agency with some spending power, but if they want even more financial flexibility, they have a few levers to pull.
Earlier this offseason, the NFL announced that the 2025 salary cap will land between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, an increase of about $24 million from last season.
On the surface, that sounds like a huge boost for Green Bay’s spending ability. But in reality, it won’t make as big of an impact as you’d think.
That’s because Rashan Gary’s cap hit jumps by $14.6 million, and Xavier McKinney’s increases by $10 million. Those two deals alone soak up most of the cap increase.
The good news is Green Bay’s dead cap space is plummeting. After eating a brutal $66 million in dead money in 2024, that number falls to just $18.3 million this season. That’s a massive improvement, and as a result, Packers cap expert Ken Ingalls now projects Green Bay to have around $29 million in effective cap space—about $7 million more than initially expected.
Still, the Packers need more room to maneuver. They’re looking for significant upgrades in free agency, and that means tough roster decisions are ahead.
Here are four players Green Bay should release before free agency begins to free up even more cap space.
Matt Orzech
The Packers need to take another hard look at their special teams unit, and that includes long snapper Matt Orzech.
Orzech was serviceable last season, but serviceable isn’t good enough—especially when roster spots and cap space are at a premium.
Green Bay manipulated his roster status multiple times throughout the year, waiving and re-signing him without much concern that another team would swoop in. That alone says a lot about how they view his value.
Now, Orzech carries a $1.17 million cap hit for 2025—a number the Packers can erase entirely by releasing him.
It’s a small move, but every dollar counts when a team is looking to improve across the board. Green Bay should scour the market for an upgrade, explore cheaper alternatives, and free up some cash in the process. There’s no reason to overpay for mediocrity at a specialist position.
Jaire Alexander
If the Packers want to make a big financial move, releasing Jaire Alexander is the biggest lever they can pull this offseason.
Alexander carries a $24.956 million cap hit for 2025, making him the third-highest-paid player on the roster. That’s a huge number for a player who hasn’t been available nearly enough.
In the last four seasons, Alexander has played seven or fewer games in three of them. Injuries have derailed his career, and his inability to stay on the field is a major issue—especially when Green Bay is paying him like one of the top corners in the NFL.
The frustration isn’t just among fans. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, players and coaches have grown irritated with Alexander, believing he could have played through some of his injuries.
Even general manager Brian Gutekunst has been noticeably noncommittal when asked about Alexander’s future—both right after the season ended and again this week. The writing may already be on the wall.
The Packers can’t move on cleanly, but they can create cap space by cutting ties.
- Releasing Alexander would cost them $18.1 million in dead cap space this season, but they would free up $6.8 million immediately.
- More importantly, it would remove his massive $27.4 million cap hit for 2026, giving them long-term flexibility.
Green Bay has a difficult choice to make. Keeping Alexander means betting on his health and hoping for a bounce-back year. Releasing him means swallowing some short-term pain for long-term relief.
The NFL is full of hard business decisions, and this one might be the toughest call the Packers make this offseason.
Trey Hill
The next two names on this list aren’t about making franchise-altering moves—they’re small, calculated salary cap maneuvers that could help free up a little extra flexibility for the Packers.
Green Bay signed center Trey Hill to a reserve/futures contract following the 2024 season—a one-year, $1.1 million deal that they can erase entirely by releasing him.
Hill, a 2021 sixth-round pick by the Bengals, actually saw decent playing time as a rookie, even starting three games.
But since then his snaps have fallen off a cliff. Over the last three seasons combined, he’s played a grand total of seven offensive snaps.
The Packers need to address the center position this offseason, but Hill ain’t it. If they find themselves needing to squeeze out another $1 million in cap space to make a bigger move, his roster spot should be an easy sacrifice.
Ben Sims
The tight end position is one of the few spots on the roster where Green Bay has long-term stability heading into 2025.
Tucker Kraft looks like a star in the making—a full-time player who can block, catch, and contribute in every phase of the offense. He’s the guy at the position moving forward.
Luke Musgrave, the presumed starter last season, dealt with an ankle injury that sidelined him for most of the year, but he returned late and remains one of the best athletes in the tight end room. With two years left on his deal, he’s firmly in Green Bay’s plans.
That leaves Ben Sims as the third tight end.
Sims is a fine depth piece—a serviceable special teams player who can fill in when needed, but not someone Green Bay wants playing significant offensive snaps.
The good news for the Packers is that he only carries a $1.03 million cap hit for 2025.
The better news is they can wipe that number off the books entirely if they decide to release him.
This isn’t a move Green Bay needs to make—Sims is cheap depth at a position that doesn’t need major reshuffling. But if cap space gets tight, he’s another lever they can pull to free up a little extra room.
