The Green Bay Packers have several key players entering the final year of their current contracts in 2026. One of them is defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. Wyatt will play this season on his fifth-year option that Packers GM Brian Gutekunst picked up last offseason. But now, Gute must decide whether Wyatt has done enough to earn a long-term deal with the Packers or if 2026 will be his final season in Green and Gold. So will the Packers sign Devonte Wyatt to a new contract?

Will the Packers Sign Devonte Wyatt to a New Contract? His Career So Far

The Packers selected Wyatt in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 28th overall pick. The Georgia alum was the Packers second pick in that draft after they took his college teammate, Quay Walker, earlier in round one.

Wyatt’s career started slowly. He didn’t start any games as a rookie and started just five total games over his next two seasons. Wyatt did provide the Packers with some pass rush from the interior of the defensive line, but his play against the run was inconsistent and that prevented him from becoming a full-time starter.

His best statistical season came in 2023. That year, Wyatt recorded a career best 5.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

Wyatt became a starter in 2025. He played 10 games and started all of them. Wyatt sacked opposing quarterbacks four times, recorded seven quarterback hits and six tackles for loss. Unfortunately, Wyatt suffered a fractured fibula in Week 13 and was lost for the season. The Packers pass rush clearly fell off when Wyatt was no longer in the lineup.

Reasons to Extend Wyatt

Wyatt gives the Packers push from the interior of the defensive line which is a rare commodity in the NFL. He adds another dimension to the defense. While everybody discusses the decline of the Packers defense after Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending injury, the falloff actually started when Wyatt got hurt.

Parsons appreciated what Wyatt brought to the defense and recognized it goes beyond Wyatt’s personal stats. “He makes my life easier,” Parsons explained. “He understands how to rush, how to play, his play style. I just think he brings guys along.”

Later in the season, Parsons described the impact Wyatt’s loss had on the team. “You guys see the difference he makes when he got back out in the field. I mean, he’s a player you can’t replace. We’re gonna have to ask a lot of young guys to step up,” Parsons said just after Wyatt suffered his season-ending injury. “It’s going be challenging but we’re gonna have to really dial into our details and our fundamentals and try to replace someone that’s unreplaceable. That’s the reality.”

Signing Wyatt makes sense for the Packers if he returns this season and his level of play remains at least as good as it was before the injury.

Will the Packers Sign Devonte Wyatt to a New Contract? Reasons to Hesitate

One obvious reason the Packers could wait to sign Wyatt to a new contract is health related. Wyatt’s injury was major and they will want to see that he can still play at a high level before committing to him for several more seasons.

Wyatt has made many big plays and his game matured in 2025, but he would still be considered an inconsistent player by most scouts. Last season was the first time in his four-year NFL career that he played more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps in games he played in. He played 60 percent of snaps on defense for the Packers in 2025. His play against the run is also considered up and down although he did improve in that area last season.

Another factor that may make the Packers hesitate is age. Wyatt was an older draftee. While he is only entering his fifth NFL season, he is already 28 years old and would be 29 at the start of any extension the Packers sign him to.

Gutekunst has usually been reluctant to sign players over 30 to new contracts. The exceptions were Pro Bowl players like David Bakhatiri and Kenny Clark. Neither of those deals worked out as the Packers had hoped largely due to injuries. Players tend to be more susceptible to injuries as they get older and their body suffers more wear and tear.

Ultimately, Gutekunst will likely take a wait-and-see approach with Wyatt. If he returns to action and plays well, he could be offered an extension. But there are other players, like Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft, who will likely be a higher priority for the Packers this offseason.

 

 

 

Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

Click here for more great Packers coverage

Check out our YouTube channel here