The Green Bay Packers could quickly regret the contract they gave defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in free agency. While they signed Hargrave to a two-year deal, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report predicts that he will be a bust in his first year of the deal.
Moton notes that Hargrave is overpaid and too old to be trusted to have the production the Packers need.
“The Packers grossly overpaid for a player they had seen twice the previous season,” wrote Moton. “Green Bay filled a need by signing Hargrave, but he’s well past his prime and has had minimal impact on the pass rush since his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign.”
The Packers defensive front was a bit of a weakness last year, so the team is relying on Hargrave to improve the group.
Green Bay Packers Defensive Tackle Javon Hargrave is Predicted to be a Bust in 2026
GettyJavon Hargrave signed with the Green Bay Packers.
Last year, the team went into the season expecting to see Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, and Devonte Wyatt as their top three snap earners. Wyatt got hurt halfway through the year and missed eight games. Meanwhile, Wooden did not live up to what the Packers wanted, and they traded him.
Brooks will be back, and Wyatt should be healthy, but the team needs someone to play the 622 snaps that Wooden did last season. The team drafted Chris McClellan in addition to signing Hargrave. Still, McClellan is a third-round pick.
He could make an impact as a rookie, but it is unlikely to happen right away. At the very least, the team is going to need Hargrave to take the majority of the starter snaps in the first couple of weeks of the season.
If Wyatt can prove to be healthy, Brooks can take a step forward, and McClellan can get on the field as a rookie, then the team would not need much of a contribution from Hargrave. Right now, they are still leaning on the veteran.
Packers Are Hoping for One More Strong Season From Javon Hargrave
Hargrave is not a complete dud, and he brings veteran experience that many across the NFL cannot. However, while entering his 11th year in the league has its benefits, the experience can be offset by losing a step.
Hargrave was a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers and spent his first four NFL seasons there. He had 14.5 sacks in four years, but mostly played in a rotational role due to Pittsburgh’s defensive talent.
Then, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and started to come into his own. He had 4.5 sacks in his first year with the team. However, he jumped to 7.5 sacks in 2021, and then had 11 sacks in 2022. This remains his career-high.
He completed his best three-year stretch with a seven-sack season playing for the San Francisco 49ers. The run from 2021 to 2023 featured 25.5 sacks. Hargrave was also on teams that made Super Bowl appearances in 2022 and 2023.
However, he suffered a season-ending triceps injury in 2024 and only played in three games. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, but only recorded 3.5 sacks.
The Packers are hoping that Hargrave took one season to get back into shape and get over his season that was lost. However, there is just as good a reason to believe that his age and injury status are signs of the end for the veteran.
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