Packers Will Regret Overpaying Veteran Sooner Than Expected

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Green Bay entered this offseason with a glaring hole at cornerback. While nabbing Nate Hobbs might look like a smart play on paper, there’s plenty of reason to worry that Brian Gutekunst may have written a check his new defensive back can’t cash.

The Packers aren’t breaking the bank with Hobbs’ four-year, $48 million contract, but it’s still significant money for a team that barely dipped its toes in free agency. Along with guard Aaron Banks, Hobbs represents one of just two major financial commitments Green Bay made in the open market.

There’s a silver lining here – the Packers built themselves an escape hatch. If Hobbs flops in 2025, they can cut bait before the 2026 season, though it’ll cost them $12 million in dead cap space.

They might need that exit strategy sooner than they think.

The irony is thick here. Green Bay went shopping for cornerback help largely because Jaire Alexander couldn’t stay on the field – yet they’ve signed a player with an equally concerning injury history. Hobbs played fewer than 50% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps last season while battling various injuries. Nothing about a change of scenery suggests he’ll suddenly become more durable in Wisconsin’s climate.

His availability record should’ve set off alarm bells in the Packers’ front office. Never playing more than 11 games in any regular season should’ve given Green Bay serious leverage to negotiate a more team-friendly deal.

Position Puzzle Further Complicates Hobbs Signing

Even when healthy, questions linger about where Hobbs fits in Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme. Though he entered the NFL as a boundary corner, he’s primarily worked from the slot over the past two seasons with the Raiders.

The problem? Green Bay already has solid slot coverage. Javon Bullard and Evan Williams both handled inside responsibilities well in 2024. What the Packers desperately needed was consistent outside corner play opposite Alexander – especially when their star cornerback missed time.

Some NFL insiders suggest Hobbs will bounce between positions next season – perhaps starting outside on early downs before sliding inside on obvious passing situations. This would let Hafley deploy his three best corners simultaneously when matchups demand it.

But this begs the question – why pay premium dollars for this kind of positional ambiguity? A more straightforward approach would’ve been targeting a true outside cornerback who could provide consistent boundary coverage. Those players aren’t abundant, but several were available in free agency.

The Packers might be wise to add another cornerback before training camp begins. Taking a flyer on someone like Asante Samuel Jr. could prove transformative for Green Bay’s defense – though his own injury concerns make that another dice roll.

In isolation, gambling on Hobbs’ talent makes sense for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. The bigger issue is that this move wasn’t part of a broader defensive overhaul. They’re putting enormous faith in a player who’s never demonstrated he can stay healthy for a full NFL campaign.

The strategy appears to be pairing Hobbs with Alexander on the outside, hoping between them they can cobble together consistent cornerback play. That’s a questionable allocation of resources. Alexander already commands one of the NFL’s highest cornerback salaries – adding another high-priced but unreliable player at the same position feels like Gutekunst doubling down at the wrong table.

Sure, Hobbs might finally have a healthy season. If that happens, the Packers would only need to worry about his scheme fit and positional flexibility. But Green Bay’s front office should’ve aimed for a cornerback with fewer red flags. When you’re paying $12 million annually, you should be buying certainty, not question marks.