The NFL’s salary‑cap landscape is shifting, with teams receiving roughly $25 million per year in cap increases and many spending 10 % over cap in cash. The new strategy is to lock in key players early, as the Philadelphia Eagles have done for five years.
For Green Bay, the priority is a long‑term deal for receiver Christian Watson, who is eligible for an extension despite a recent one‑year extension. Watson is a year away from free agency, and the Packers want to secure him before Alec Pierce, the sixth‑best free agent in 2026, potentially triggers a bidding war that could inflate market prices.