Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has an important decision to make by next month: whether or not to part ways with cornerback Nate Hobbs. The Packers wouldn’t save a lot of cap space by moving on from Hobbs, but he may be a man without a role if he stays in Green Bay. We analyze the difficult choice Gutekunst has and why the Packers may part ways with Hobbs, on from one of their big free agent signings of 2025 after just one season.

Will the Packers Part Ways with Nate Hobbs? A Disappointing First Season

The Packers inked Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract during free agency last offseason. The move came as a surprise to many. Hobbs spent four seasons with the Raiders and never started more than 11 games in a season. He played most effectively in the slot, but the Packers believed he could move to the boundary and be effective there.

Hobbs never was a ball hawk with the Raiders. He made just three total interceptions in his first four NFL seasons.

Unfortunately for Hobbs, injuries derailed his first season with Green Bay. He suffered a knee injury during the preseason and opted for surgery hoping he could return in time for the season opener. He was not ready, however. During the season, he missed a total of six games due to other injuries that had him struggling to stay in the lineup and far from 100 percent when he was able to be on the field.

Hobbs played 11 games and started five for the Packers. He made 27 total tackles, broke up two passes and made two tackles for loss.

According to pro-football-reference.com, opposing quarterbacks completed 65.5 percent of their passes when throwing to receivers covered by Hobbs and had a quarterback rating of 111.1. According to Pro Football Focus, Hobbs played the run well but was average at best in pass coverage.

A Man Without a Home

The big issue with Hobbs will be where they should play him. Hobbs appears to be a man without a home. He has played his best football as a slot corner, but the Packers have Javon Bullard in the slot and Bullard has played well. Keisean Nixon is also better in the slot than on the boundary although he struggled through an uneven season as the team’s top cornerback in 2025.

The Packers signed Hobbs with the belief that he could play on the boundary. Hobbs struggled on the boundary, but how much of that was due to the injuries that he dealt with all season?

If he can’t play well enough to contribute on the boundary, Hobbs’ value to the team would be greatly reduced. He would become an inadequate depth player on the boundary or the team’s third best option in the slot. The Packers could certainly find less expensive alternatives to fill those roles.

Will the Packers Part Ways with Nate Hobbs? Follow the Money

The Packers won’t save a lot of money be parting ways with Hobbs this offseason. They would save only $838,235 by releasing him outright. If they release him with a post-June 1st designation, they could save as much as $8.8 million with $4 million in dead cap space for this season.

The key deadline comes on March 13th. If Hobbs remains on the Packers roster on that date, he is owed a $6 million roster bonus. The Packers will not want to pay this bonus for a player who they feel doesn’t have a position or role on the team. If Gutekunst decides to move on from Hobbs, he will make the decision before the bonus is due.

Ultimately, the decision will come down to whether the Packers still feel Hobbs can play on the boundary and at least be one of the team’s top three boundary cornerbacks. The other players on top of the depth chart right now are Nixon and Carrington Valentine. The Packers are also expected to draft a cornerback probably on day two of the draft as the team doesn’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

We’ll see how Gutekunst proceeds next month. But right now, Hobbs seems like a man without a clear-cut role in the Green Bay defense.

 

 

 

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