Nate Hobbs, Green Bay Packers
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Ja'Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals is pushed out of bounds by Nate Hobbs #21 of the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on October 12, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers made a move at the cornerback that they felt would go a long way towards fixing the secondary issues. Nate Hobbs was signed in free agency to a four-year, $48 million contract.
Originally, fans were excited about the Hobbs addition. He had shown flashes of being a high-level cornerback. Those flashes did not translate into consistency with the Packers.
Hobbs dealt with lingering injury issues throughout the 2025 season. He didn’t make much of an impact and most of the impact he did make was a negative.
Throughout the course of his first year in Green Bay, Hobbs played in 11 games. He recorded 27 total tackles to go along with two defended passes.
After just one season, it was clear that the 26-year-old cornerback wasn’t a long-term fit for the Packers. Brian Gutekunst and the front office decided to cut him after just 11 games.
Green Bay Packers Legend Roasts Nate Hobbs After His Release
Following the decision to release Hobbs, Green Bay shared a post on X thanking him for his one season with the Packers.
“Thank you Nate!” the post read.
Always known for being vocal on social media, former Green Bay superstar offensive lineman David Bakhtiari didn’t hold back his thoughts on the move. He responded to the Packers’ post, roasting Hobbs for being cut after just one season.
“For….???” he wrote.
Those sentiments echo what many Green Bay fans were feeling about Hobbs’ lone season with the team. At the end of the day, the move to sign the veteran cornerback was a huge swing and miss from Gutekunst and the front office.
The Packers Have Already Replaced Nate Hobbs
In free agency, the Packers made a move to bring in another cornerback who will likely replace Hobbs in 2026. They agreed to terms on a two-year, $10 million contract with Benjamin St-Juste.
Just like Hobbs, St-Juste is far from a guarantee to work out in Green Bay. However, he is on a much more team-friendly contract with far less expectations. It would be difficult for him to be worse than Hobbs was in 2025.
St-Juste is coming off of a 2025 season with the Los Angeles Chargers that saw him play in 16 games. He racked up 37 total tackles to go along with an interception and seven defended passes.
Standing in at 6-foor-3 and 200 pounds, St-Juste will bring size to the cornerback room for the Packers. Whether or not he will end up developing into a starter in Green Bay remains to be seen, but moving on from Hobbs was a no-brainer decision.
It’s worth noting that Hobbs was released with a post-June 1 designation, which means he will remain on the 90-man roster until June 2. The move to release him will clear up $8.8 million of cap space for 2026.