quay walker trade proposal
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Quay Walker of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after recording a sack in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field on November 24, 2024.
The Green Bay Packers are set to have 20 players hit the free agent market on March 11. There’s a chance some will be re-signed to new deals, while others will be suiting up for new teams come September.
What ultimately determines who they sign or re-sign will come down to how they handle their cap situation. Currently, the Packers rank 22nd in the league at $4.3 million over the cap, per Spotrac.
That potentially puts a player like linebacker Quay Walker in line to be playing elsewhere in 2026.
Quay Walker Could End Up In AFC East
Walker had a club option worth $14.7 million for 2026, but that was likely too steep given Green Bay’s cap constraints.
That’s why Bleacher Reports’ Alex Ballentine listed Walker as the “perfect” free-agent signing for the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
“Matt Milano showed his age quite often in Buffalo last season. He’s hitting free agency as a soon-to-be 31-year-old whose name recognition is more valuable than his play at this point,” Ballentine wrote.
Milano, who will be entering his 10th NFL season in 2026, has built a strong career since being drafted No. 163 overall in 2017. He has compiled 14 sacks, 66 tackles for loss, 47 quarterback hits and 10 interceptions.
However, as Ballentine points out, this is about Buffalo getting younger.
“Landing Quay Walker would give the Bills a younger, more athletic upgrade in the middle of the defense. That would allow for an easier transition away from Sean McDermott’s defense in 2026. Walker would be a good running mate for Terrel Bernard, giving them two linebackers in their prime.”
Walker turns 26 on May 8, meaning his prime years are still ahead. The former No. 22 overall pick has recorded nine career sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits and one interception across four NFL seasons.
Packers Still Could Re-Sign Quay Walker
As mentioned, Walker won’t come cheap, so to speak. His projected market value sits at $8.3 million annually, with an estimated three-year, $24.8 million contract.
Interestingly, that range is comparable to Bills linebacker Bernard, who signed a four-year, $42.1 million extension with Buffalo last offseason.
That isn’t awful by any means — it just depends on the Packers cap situation.
And the Bills for that matter.
The Packers aren’t the only team facing cap pressure. The Bills sit just behind Green Bay at 23rd in the league, $5.8 million over the cap.
If anything, the Packers likely aren’t completely out of the race to bring Walker back. They were simply wise not to exercise the $14.7 million club option, which would have made him one of the highest-paid inside linebackers in football.
For what it’s worth, Walker tallied a career-high 128 total tackles in 2025 and has consistently produced during his four seasons in Green Bay.
“Over the course of his four seasons in Green Bay, Walker has become one of only a handful of Packers since the 1970s to register 100+ tackles in three straight seasons,” Nick Volkatis of Packers Talk wrote. “All a testament to his durability, instincts, and relentlessness around the ball.”