The NFL salary‑cap landscape is shifting, with teams adding roughly $25 million per year 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 extension for receiver Christian Watson, who is eligible for a deal despite a recent one‑year extension. Securing Watson before Alec Pierce, the sixth‑best free agent in 2026, signs a multi‑year contract would protect the Packers from a market surge that could inflate prices.