Rashan Gary, the former top recruit nationally in the 2016 class, has made good on his first-round prowess. The Packers signed the star defender to a four-year extension on Monday morning. Gary is guaranteed $96 million, and can make up to $107 million if he hits all his incentive bonuses.
The Packers selected Gary with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 draft, and he has more than lived up to the billing. Gary has 27 sacks thus far in his career with an additional 28 TFLs and 62 QB hits. Gary caught fire last season before a torn ligament ended his campaign early, but the pass rusher looks to have rebounded well this season. Gary has 4.5 sacks this season but was playing on a snap count early in the year and faces consistent double teams.
As his pay suggests, Gary has emerged as one of the league’s premier pass rushers. His freakish athleticism has been well-documented going back to high school, but Gary has always been a passionate player. His energy and charisma have been documented early in the season when Gary was mic’d up for a dominant performance in week three. Gary was moved to tears after a strong win in which he was awarded a game ball, showing exactly how much he cares about winning and his teammates.
Though this is great news for local Wolverine fans, this means that the Lions will continue to face Gary twice a year for the next four seasons. Darn.