Rasheed Walker
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NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported Green Bay Packers' Rasheed Walker has interest from the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.
Projections have Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker becoming one of the highest-paid left tackles in 2026 free agency. On Monday, NFL insider Jason La Canfora had an update on which teams might want to offer Walker an expensive deal.
Although free agency doesn’t start until March 10, Canfora reported Walker has interest from two contenders. They are the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.
“Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker, a coveted free agent, is expected to be among the highest paid players in the league next month,” Canfora wrote. “With interest from contending teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots, Walker’s steady play and size make him a top target this offseason.
“With the NFL’s league year approaching, multiple teams are eyeing him as a potential solution to their offensive line needs.”
The Packers selected Walker at No. 249 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Over the past three years, he has developed into a reliable starting left tackle.
With a lot of other pending free agents and limited cap space, pundits don’t expect the Packers to retain Walker.
Why Chiefs, Patriots Could Pursue Rasheed Walker
With Walker expected to get a major payday, it makes sense to connect the left tackle to teams with the most cap space.
The Patriots hold the 10th-most cap space according to Spotrac. New England could also use a tackle upgrade after rookie Will Campbell struggled during the second half of last season. Campbell performed particularly poorly in the playoffs, especially the Super Bowl.
With Walker added, Campbell can slide inside to guard.
“I know what (head coach Mike) Vrabel said about keeping Campbell on the blindside,” one GM told Canfora, “but what did you expect him to say?”
The Chiefs don’t have much cap room. At more than $14 million over the cap, the Chiefs sit at 27th in cap space.
But Kansas City has such a need at left tackle the team could try to make room for Walker.
“With Patrick Mahomes coming off season-ending surgery, league sources said fortifying the offensive line is a massive priority for the franchise,” Canfora wrote. “Their recent drafting has been hit or miss, and multiple GMs suggested Chiefs coach Andy Reid would prefer a proven upgrade.
“Reid has been willing to spend very big for free-agent offensive linemen in the past.”
Projecting Walker’s NFL Free Agency Value
Free agency projections tend to be a little all over the place this time of year. That’s because it’s difficult to judge exactly what teams might want to spend on a particular player.
It only takes one team to badly want a free agent to skyrocket his value.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper predicted Walker to sign a four-year, $82 million deal. That sounds quite expensive, but that’s what starting left tackles go for in free agency.
Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. signed for that exact amount in free agency with the Tennessee Titans last year. Like Walker, Moore developed into a starter during his rookie deal. Although he was a fourth-rounder, Moore was also a Day 3 selection.
The Packers likely won’t keep Walker, but they already have a potential replacement. In 2024, the Packers drafted tackle Jordan Morgan in the first round. While Morgan might not be an immediate upgrade over Walker, Morgan has a higher ceiling.
It’s likely the Packers will not want to continue blocking their 2024 first-rounder from a starting job. That could especially be true if re-signing Walker means the Packers not having the cap space to bring back a different key veteran.