With the salary cap expected to be lowered during a single season, the Green Bay Packers are poised to push the dollars for years to come in an effort to maximize their ability to earn now.
CEO Brian Gutekunst said Monday that he does not know the exact salary cap for 2021, but the Packers have a “good idea of where it will be” and expect it to “go down,” which complicates things for a team with so much money already committed to next year’s limit.
In response to the challenge, Gutekunst is willing to restructure existing contracts and push through limit commitments for years to help packers keep their roster together and remain a Super Bowl candidate.
“We’ve done it in the past, we’re sure we’ll have to do it this year,” Gutekunst said Monday. “The situation in which our football team is now, I think we have a goal in mind. And if there is a chance to take some risks to help us win now, we are definitely in that mode. “
Even if the salary cap reaches the $ 180-185 million range, the Packers still exceed the cap and will have to make several adjustments just to operate during this low season. The wage cap is likely to fall to $ 175 million, although current projections appear a little more optimistic based on 2020 earnings.
Gutekunst still expects a significant drop and said he does not expect the limit to stay close to the level.
“I’m waiting for it to go down, so we plan it,” Gutekunst said.
Like the Packers, another 31 NFL teams will likely have to endure the proverbial salary cap that can hit the road for a year or two to meet a 2021 reduction cap.
“Viously, obviously with this year’s situation, I think most teams will throw money at trying to keep their teams together, and we certainly won’t be any different,” Gutekunst said.
The Packers will have options to create space. As Ken Ingalls pointed out in our list, veterans Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, David Bakhtiari, Billy Turner, Za’Darius Smith and Adrian Amos have contracts that could be restructured to open a significant limit in 2021. If you do , this will ease the tension of the limit this year, but commit more guaranteed money and limit future limit commitments.
For example, the Packers will almost certainly turn a significant portion of the next Bakhtiari roster bonus into a signature bonus, freeing up limit space now, but also requiring money to be distributed during their new offer, adding money to futures. limits.
When asked about repeating parts of the Rodgers deal, Gutekunst mostly avoided giving a direct answer, but works with the assumption that several veteran players will need rework or payments to make it all work out in 2021.
The Packers could also release veterans like Rick Wagner, Dean Lowry, Preston Smith or Christian Kirksey to create more cap with no future obligations.
The coming months will be critical for shaping the list in 2021 and understanding the team’s long-term plans for next year, but Gutekunst said his team is comfortable with what’s ahead and is willing to make a “tough decision” on your list.
“It’s a unique year, it’s very challenging, obviously we’re not the only team that has these challenges,” Gutekunst said. “I feel very comfortable. We’ve been working on this all year, preparing for what’s going to happen over the next three or four months.”