The Packers don't make a ton of noise in July, but they made a little bit of it on Monday when they locked up linebacker Isaiah McDuffie on a new deal. It's not a splashy free-agent signing or a first-round extension, but it's the kind of move that keeps a defense from falling apart in October, and Adam Schefter was on it immediately.
Packers announced a contract extension for linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.
McDuffie is a 2021 sixth-round pick out of Boston College who spent his first year buried on the depth chart before clawing his way into the lineup. By 2024 he was starting all 17 games and finishing second on the team in tackles. Last season he stuck around for all 17 games again, made 12 starts, and put up 92 tackles, a sack and a pick, according to the Packers' own team site. That's not a star's stat line, but it's exactly the kind of steady, unglamorous production that keeps a linebacker room from having a hole in it.
Schefter didn't stop at the announcement. He followed up almost immediately with the actual numbers, which is his signature move on these low-key extensions that would otherwise get buried under the rest of the league's offseason news.
Terms update:
Per ESPN, the extension runs through 2027 and is worth $8.8 million over the two remaining seasons, with $1 million more available in play-time incentives. The new-money value comes in around $4.85 million, with $1.5 million fully guaranteed via signing bonus, and it actually lowers McDuffie's 2026 cap number from $4.975 million down to $4.725 million while adding a $2.9 million base salary for 2027 with roster and workout bonuses stacked on top. It's team-friendly, but it's real guaranteed money for a guy who wasn't a lock to be on the roster four years ago.
None of this moves the needle nationally, but it matters plenty in Green Bay. The Packers are dealing with a defensive coordinator change this offseason, and keeping a guy who already knows the room, plays special teams, and doesn't need to be coached up on the little things is exactly the kind of continuity a new staff wants. McDuffie was never going to be the face of this defense, but locking him up before he could hit the open market is a quiet win for a front office that's had to make a lot of louder, pricier decisions this summer.