Packers Cut Ties With $48 Million Ex-Starter After Just 1 Season: Report
The Green Bay Packers saw cornerback Nate Hobbs as a starting cornerback when they signed him to a $48 million contract. But after just one season, the cornerback’s tenure in Green Bay is coming to an end.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported the Packers are releasing Hobbs on Tuesday. The team is designating the move as a post-June 1 release, which maximizes the team’s cap savings.
According to OvertheCap, the Packers will have about $8.84 million in cap savings with the Hobbs cut. That will become available in June.
The Packers will incur a $4 million dead cap hit with the move. However, if the team had released Hobbs with a pre-June 1 cut, there would have been a $12 million dead cap hit and savings of under $1 million against the cap.
Hobbs started his first five games with the Packers last season. During that stretch, he posted 19 combined tackles with one pass defense.
But he missed Week 1 and four other games in the middle of the season because of knee injuries. After returning a second time from a knee issue, Hobbs landed on injured reserve at the end of December.
In 11 games overall with the Packers, Hobbs registered 27 combined tackles, including two for loss, with two pass defenses.
Packers Release CB Nate Hobbs With Post-June 1 Designation: Report
It’s not super surprising the Packers elected to part ways with Hobbs this week. But it’s disappointing nonetheless.
The team had big hopes for Hobbs, as evident by the 4-year deal he received in free agency last season.
But the knee injuries spoiled his 2025 campaign, along with his Packers tenure.
Hobbs began his career as a fifth-round pick for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2021 NFL Draft. Over four seasons with the Raiders, he mostly started but did serve as a backup occasionally as well.
In four years with Las Vegas, Hobbs recorded 281 combined tackles, including 14 for loss. He also had 19 pass defenses and three interceptions.
Hobbs only played a quarter of his contract in Green Bay. But Demovsky reported the Packers paid him $17.88 million for the 2025 season. Green Bay releasing him on March 10 allows the team to avoid paying him the $6.25 million roster bonus he was owed next week.
Because of knee injury and poor play, Hobbs lined up for a career-low 358 defensive snaps in 2025.
How Packers Replace Hobbs
Before releasing the $48 million cornerback, the Packers already added his likely replacement.
Early Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Packers signed ex-Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Benjamin St-Juste to a deal worth up to $10.5 million.
St-Juste was the first outside free agent the Packers added this offseason.
He will join a Green Bay cornerback group that will also see starters Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine return. Nixon started every game for the Packers last season. Valentine replaced Hobbs in the lineup, starting 11 contests.
Green Bay’s defense finished 11th in passing yards allowed and 12th in passing touchdowns yielded. However, the secondary could benefit from more game-changing plays.
The Packers were ranked 28th in interceptions with only seven.
In the postseason, the Packers recorded two interceptions versus Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. However, the unit also allowed 361 passing yards and helped allow the Bears to erase an 18-point deficit.
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