The Green Bay Packers signed two lucrative free-agent contracts that improved their depth on both sides of the ball.
Josh Jacobs, a running back, and safety Xavier McKinney, a safety, were reportedly signed by the Packers to four-year, $68 million contracts.
Green Bay had $25.8 million in cap space before those transactions, according to Over The Cap. The news that running back Aaron Jones, who was supposed to have a $17.5 million salary charge in 2024, would be released following the signing of Jacobs, brought some relief to the organization.
When the veteran left tackle David Bakhtiari was released on Monday, the Packers cleared a significant amount off their books. Bakhtiari would have had a $40.5 million cap hit if he had been a member of the team at the beginning of the season.
After playing with the Las Vegas Raiders for the first five years of his career, Jacobs moves to Green Bay. In 2022, he had the most rushing yards (1,653) in the NFL. Despite playing in just 13 games in 2023, he finished with 805 yards.
As he joins a young offense lead by quarterback Jordan Love, who is starting his second season as a full-time starter, the Packers are hopeful the 26-year-old will find his form again.
After playing with the New York Giants for his first four years, McKinney is coming off of his finest season. Along with three interceptions and a forced fumble, he scored career highs of 116 total tackles, 11 passes defended, and two fumble recoveries.
After Monday’s trades, the Packers are in an even better position to contend for a second consecutive postseason trip.
