As the Green Bay Packers get ready for training camp, general manager Brian Gutekunst will be listening to trade offers for veterans, even fan favorites like Kenny Clark.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine broke down Green Bay’s top trade targets before training camp kicks off. The list included a fan favorite in AJ Dillon, and a struggling offensive lineman in Royce Newman.
Ballentine also laid out a scenario where the Packers move on from Clark.
“…Clark was right around the age that Davante Adams was when the Packers traded him to the Raiders,” Ballentine wrote. “If Clark’s terms for a new contract are too rich for what the Packers want to pay, it could make sense for them to move on and re-stock their draft pick coffers.”
The Packers have historically been willing to move on from established stars. Clark could be the next one to leave Green Bay if the two can’t figure out a deal.
Latest on Kenny Clark’s Contract
Fortunately for Packers fans, it seems like Clark and the team are on the same page.
Clark spoke briefly with reporters about contract negotiations during offseason workouts. Although he didn’t dive into specifics, he sounded optimistic about a deal getting done.
“There’s been talks,” Clark said. “They’re still ongoing, they’re still talking though.”
When asked about wanting to stay in Green Bay, Clark quickly responded with “100 percent,” talking about how much he loved the team and his teammates.
That being said, the Packers are going to have to be willing to shell out big money for Clark. At 28 years old, Clark is already a three-time Pro Bowler coming off of the best season of his career. He finished the 2023 season with a career-high 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three pass breakups.
Clark could be asking for a similar deal to what Christian Wilkins received this offseason from the Las Vegas Raiders. The team gave out a four-year, $110 million deal with nearly $85 million guaranteed.
There’s a chance that Clark could take a slight hometown discount. However, around $20-25 million annual should be the minimum that he should be asking for during contract negotiations.
Green Bay’s Other Big Contract Situation
Clark is waiting patiently for another big payday. However, he’s not the only Packers player currently in contract negotiations with the team.
Jordan Love faces the most unique contract extension talks in the NFL right now. A former first-round pick, he finally got his opportunity to be the full-time starter in 2023.
Although the season didn’t get off to a great start, Love turned things around in the second half of the year to vault himself into the discussion as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. He finished the season with 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while adding another four touchdowns on the ground.
The big question the Packers face is what to offer Love. After such a strong finish to the year, the Packers quarterback could demand a top-market contract. However, there’s the risk that Love just had a hot streak, and that he could come back down to Earth in 2024.
Brian Gutekunst doesn’t seem worried about that, however. He’s made it clear that he wants a deal to get done before training camp.
“We’re in those conversations right now,” Gutekunst said in June. “The nice part about this is none of these things are always easy or fast, but both parties want the same thing. We’d like to get this done before training camp for sure. Both parties want to get a contract extension done.”
If the Packers are able to lock in long-term deals for Clark and Love before training camp, then the team can start turning their attention towards a Super Bowl run in 2024.
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