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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Green Bay Packers entered the 2026 NFL free agency period already in the middle of a significant roster retooling.
The franchise has been active on multiple fronts, trimming salary, exploring defensive upgrades, and adding new pieces to the secondary.
One such addition was veteran cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, a move that immediately raised questions about how the depth chart would shake out.
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On Tuesday, the situation became clearer.
Reports confirmed the Packers informed cornerback Nate Hobbs that he will be released, just one year after signing a four-year, $48 million contract with the team. The move is notable not just because of Hobbs’ relatively recent signing, but because it underscores how aggressively Green Bay is recalibrating its roster heading into the 2026 season.
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When the Packers signed Hobbs in March 2025, the expectation was that the former Las Vegas Raiders defensive back would help stabilize the secondary. The deal was worth $48 million with $16 million guaranteed, placing him among the better-paid cornerbacks at the time.
But the partnership never fully clicked.
A fifth-round pick out of Illinois in the 2021 NFL Draft, Hobbs appeared in just 11 games and made five starts during the 2025 campaign. The 26-year-old finished the year with 27 total tackles and two passes defended while playing nearly 50% of the team’s defensive snaps.
A knee injury late in the season ultimately landed him on injured reserve, further limiting his ability to establish a consistent role in the defense.
For a player signed to be a key contributor, the return simply wasn’t there.
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Several factors appear to have driven the decision.
First, the Packers faced a looming $6.25 million roster bonus due early in the league year. Releasing Hobbs allows the team to avoid that payout and free up valuable cap space moving forward.
Second, Green Bay’s defensive backfield has begun to shift. Younger players have emerged, and the addition of St-Juste gives the team another option at boundary corner.
Still, while free agency often produces surprises, the Hobbs experiment in Green Bay ended faster than most expected.
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