Packers release Rick Wagner and Christian Kirksey, clear ceiling space leading to free agency



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Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

Like a number of clubs, the Green Bay Packers are currently tasked with trying to get under what will likely be a lower salary cap as the 2021 offseason approaches. The NFL has announced this. week that the minimum cap will be $ 180 million next year, which is a little less than last season’s $ 198 million. Given this drop, teams will need to carefully review their roster and cut ties with a few cap drops.

It’s already started happening throughout the league and Green Bay is the last, announcing the exit linebacker Christian Kirksey and offensive tackle Rick Wagner on Friday.

The two only spent one season with the club before their release, signing with the Packers in the last offseason. Wagner, who signed a two-year, $ 11 million contract, played all 16 games (nine starts) for Green Bay in 2020 and was part of a unit that was tied at No.2 in the NFL with the fewer bags allowed (21). Meanwhile, Kirksey, who signed a two-year, $ 13 million contract in 2020, has totaled 77 tackles and two sacks in his 11 games.

As we noted above, this is largely a series of moves by the Packers that are aimed at clearing valuable space for the salary cap. By switching between the two, Green Bay is clearing about $ 10 million in salary cap space while sitting down with just $ 3.75 million in dead cap. This is just the latest salary cap-driven move for the Packers, who also recently restructured left tackle David Bakhtiari’s contract to free up around $ 8.5 million in space.

From there Kirksey and Wagner will head to the free agent pool and seek a longer term destination, unlike what Green Bay has turned out to be in the last calendar year.



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