Cowboys take gamble on former first-round star as Packers ship out Rashan Gary
Trade sends Rashan Gary from Green Bay to Dallas
The Green Bay Packers have agreed to trade defensive end Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a Day 3 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, according to reporting from Dianna Russini and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
The move brings an end to Gary’s tenure in Green Bay and gives Dallas another experienced edge rusher as teams reshape their rosters during the NFL offseason.
Gary, 28, entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft after playing college football at Michigan. Over the years he developed into one of the key pieces of the Packers’ defensive front and eventually became the longest-tenured player on the team’s roster.
Salary cap savings behind the decision
Financial considerations played a major role in the decision.
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Gary signed a four year, 96 million dollar contract extension during the 2023 season. With two seasons still remaining on that deal, trading him now creates roughly 11 million dollars in salary cap space for Green Bay this year, according to salary cap data from Over the Cap.
His cap hit for the upcoming season was projected to be around 28 million dollars, the second highest figure on the Packers roster behind quarterback Jordan Love.
Moving Gary therefore gives the organization additional financial flexibility as it evaluates how to allocate resources across the roster.
Production dropped sharply late in the season
Gary’s performance in 2025 also factored into the decision.
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Early in the season he was among the league’s most productive pass rushers. Through the first eight weeks he recorded 7.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss, placing him near the top of the NFL leaderboard in both categories.
However, according to statistics cited by The Athletic and data from TruMedia, Gary did not record a single sack between Week 10 and Week 18. During that stretch his pressure rate ranked 39th among edge rushers who logged at least 100 pass rush snaps.
Despite the decline in production, Gary was not listed on the injury report during that period.
Gutekunst previously defended Gary’s impact
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had publicly supported Gary earlier in the offseason.
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Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Gutekunst said the defender’s impact remained significant.
“Sixty pressures, 7.5 sacks, that’s tough to replace,” Gutekunst said.
The general manager’s comments reflected the value Gary had previously brought to the Packers pass rush before the team ultimately decided to move forward with the trade.
End of Gary’s time in Green Bay
Gary briefly hinted at his departure in a social media post on Friday before deleting the message, signaling that his time with the Packers had come to an end.
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The trade marks the conclusion of a chapter that began when Green Bay selected him in the first round of the 2019 draft.
For the Cowboys, the deal represents an opportunity to add an experienced edge rusher with a history of disruptive play, while the Packers gain additional cap flexibility as they continue reshaping their roster during the offseason.
Sources: The Athletic
