The Green Bay Packers and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark have a mutual interest in getting a new contract done, but both sides have an unexpected but major hurdle blocking progress.
During an interview Tuesday, Clark told Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal and ESPN Milwaukee that the uncertainties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic have complicated negotiations on a new deal with the Packers.
“I just think with everything that’s going on with COVID-19, and everybody not knowing if there’s going to be a season and what’s going to happen next year, all of that is affecting the contract and everything,” Clark told Wilde.
Clark, a first-round pick of the Packers in 2016, is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2020. Now a dominant interior defender at only 24 years old, Clark is due for a massive payday. While there was growing optimism that a deal could get done this summer or at some point during the regular season, the coronavirus – and how it may affect the 2020 season and the financials of the league in the immediate future – could stunt progress as players and teams prepare for the worst.
On the financial side, it’s increasingly possible the 2021 salary cap will need a massive adjustment based on lost revenue across the league from the 2020 season. The Packers are already entering a tricky situation cap-wise, especially with Clark and four other important veterans – David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, Kevin King and Aaron Jones – all scheduled to be free agents after 2020. A shrunken cap would only complicate the process of bringing a majority of them back.
Clark and Bakhtiari will likely require massive deals to sign long term.
Clark confirmed to Wilde that his side and the Packers have talked about a new deal during this offseason. With the coronavirus still spreading across the country, more patience is required.
“I don’t really have a timeline on it of when I want it to get done,” Clark told Wilde. “I understand the business and I understand everything that’s going on. So I’m just being patient with everything and just working every day.”
A first-time Pro Bowler in 2019, Clark produced six sacks and finished second in the NFL among interior defenders in total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He doesn’t turn 25 until October.
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