Packers Quietly Give Productive Veteran a Contract Extension

The Green Bay Packers have not given tight end Tucker Kraft a contract extension. Devonte Wyatt hasn’t received one, either.

Instead – and quite quietly – the Green Bay Packers and linebacker Isaiah McDuffie agreed to a one-year contract extension this week. McDuffie was set to play this season under an expiring contract. Instead, the extension will keep him tied to the team that drafted him through the 2027 season.

OverTheCap.com had the details, with the date of signing being July 9.

McDuffie was a sixth-round pick by the Packers in 2021. He signed a two-year, $8 million contract just before the start of free agency in 2025. After playing one season under that contract, the Packers tacked on another year.

As part of the initial extension, McDuffie was going to play the upcoming season with a base salary of $2.4 million and per-game roster bonuses worth another $450,000. Including the $750,000 roster bonus he collected on the third day of the league-year in March, his cap charge for 2026 was set to be $4.975 million.

The extension, which includes a $1.5 million signing bonus, trims McDuffie’s base salary to $1.4 million and keeps the $450,000 of roster bonuses. His new cap charge for the upcoming season is $4.725 million.

In 2027, he is scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.9 million with another $750,000 roster bonus and the per-game roster bonuses increased to $600,000. His cap charge will be $5.1 million, with $4.35 million in savings if the Packers decide to move on.

Here’s Why It’s Important

With McDuffie slated to enter his contract season, it seemed possible he could be on the trade block at the end of training camp. Trading McDuffie would have freed up some cap space, provided additional assets and cleared the way for 2024 third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper to be the next man up at linebacker.

That possibility almost certainly is off the table now. The old deal included a $750,000 roster bonus and the new deal included the $1.5 million signing bonus. That’s $2.25 million already in McDuffie’s pocket that the Packers almost certainly wouldn’t toss aside, even with $1.2 million in cap savings possible.

McDuffie started 29 games the last two seasons in former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 scheme, which included three off-the-ball linebackers in the base defense. New coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s 3-4 scheme includes two off-the-ball linebackers, with McDuffie the odd man out behind Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin.

Still, McDuffie will provide valuable depth. Including tackles on special teams, McDuffie the last three seasons had 86 tackles in 2023, 97 tackles in 2024 and 92 tackles in 2025. He is a reliable player and experienced with the green dot, which will be worn by Franklin.

McDuffie is one of 25 defensive players – not just linebackers – with three consecutive seasons of at least 85 tackles.

Last season, McDuffie played 505 defensive snaps, making him one of 64 linebackers to hit that number. According to Pro Football Focus, he tied for fifth in missed-tackle percentage (five misses; 5.4 percent). He also was sixth with 7.8 yards allowed per completion.

In 2025, he had the first interception of his career during the midseason home win against the Vikings. He added a half-sack in that game.

McDuffie has 10-plus tackles in nine career games. That includes wins at the Giants and Lions in a span of 11 days last season.

Looking Ahead for Isaiah McDuffie

The last four seasons, McDuffie has missed only one game while starting 38. He’s been practically impervious to injury, which made it odd to not see him on the field for the offseason practices. Instead, he spent OTAs and minicamp rehabbing an undisclosed injury.

“This will just be motivation for the offseason,” he said after the season-ending loss to the Bears. “It’s going to be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s definitely going to be motivation going into the offseason.”

For the most part, Green Bay’s linebacker corps will be under contract through the 2027 season. Next season, Franklin will be playing the final season under the amended deal he signed after being acquired by the Packers, Cooper will be playing the final season of the deal he signed as a second-round pick in 2024 and Hopper will be playing the final season of the deal he received as a third-round pick in 2024.

Nick Niemann and Kristian Welch, who have made their living on special teams, re-signed with the team in free agency and will be free agents after the upcoming season.

If McDuffie plays out the contract, that would be seven seasons with the team. According to Stathead, only 10 off-the-ball linebackers have played more seasons in Green Bay, led by Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke with 15.

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