GREEN BAY, Wisc. — In their continuous effort to find as much salary-cap relief as feasibly possible, the Green Bay Packers intend to release starting inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell when the new league year begins on Wednesday, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
By waiting until Wednesday, the Packers can designate his release as a post-June 1 cut, allowing them to create even more cap savings to potentially allocate toward free agency. Releasing Campbell will free up $10.57 dollars, placing the Packers just north of $23 million dollars under the cap with more likely coming.
Campbell, who turns 31 years old in July, has gradually regressed over the past two seasons. Acquired by general manager Brian Gutekunst during mandatory mini-camp in 2021, Campbell finished the season earning All-Pro honors, becoming the first Packers linebacker to do so since Ray Nitschke. His efforts earned a five-year, $50 million dollar contract extension the following off-season, cementing him as a centerpiece of the defense for the foreseeable future. However, the typically durable Campbell responded to the lucrative contract by missing 10 games since signing.
He missed four games in 2022 with a knee injury and six more games this past season with ankle and neck injuries. In his first six seasons in the league—four of which were spent with the Atlanta Falcons—he missed just five games.
With his lack of availability has come a steep drop-off in performance. According to Pro Football Focus, Campbell has missed 11 and 10 tackles in 2022 and 2023, respectively, after just four in his first season with the Packers.
Campbell arrived in Green Bay just months after the team hired Joe Barry to be the team’s defensive coordinator. With Barry being dismissed in January, the Packers brought in Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as his successor. With Hafley comes the expectation that the Packers are switching to a 4-3 defense—a scheme they haven’t weaponized since 2008. In this defense, more dependency will be placed on Quay Walker, who was the team’s starting inside linebacker even with Campbell in the mix.
Barring any big-name additions via free agency or an infusion of young blood through the draft, the Packers could also lean on Isaiah McDuffie to play significant snaps. It wouldn’t be foreign territory—it was McDuffie whom Campbell was losing snaps to down the stretch of last season.
McDuffie, a former sixth-round pick, is familiar with Hafley going back to their days at Boston College. McDuffie spent one season playing under Hafley, finishing the 2020 campaign ranked fifth nationally in total tackles. His running mate, Max Richardson, finished 11th.
Sans Campbell, the middle linebacker position skyrockets to the top of the list of needs for the Packers, right next to safety. Walker and Christian Young, a former safety, are the only two players currently housed on the depth chart. Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch are scheduled to enter unrestricted free agency this week, though, the Packers are expected to retain Wilson, one of their top special-teamers.
Campbell finishes a three-year stint with the Packers after having accumulated 317 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and four interceptions.
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