According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the Green Bay Packers will be picking up edge rusher Lukas Van Ness’ fifth-year option, which means he will make $13.8 million in guaranteed money in 2027. This was an expected move, as the edge rusher market has moved in recent years, putting Van Ness’ 2027 figure in the borderline starter range. For example, former Packers edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare, who hit free agency and signed with the New York Jets this offseason, is expected to be the Jets’
third edge rusher despite being on a one-year, $10 million contract for the upcoming season.
Van Ness is expected to start this year, now that Enagbare and Rashan Gary, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, are out of the rotation. The assumption is that Van Ness will be starting opposite of Micah Parsons once Parsons returns to the starting lineup following his ACL recovery journey. Behind them will be Dani Dennis-Sutton, a 2026 fourth-round pick, Barryn Sorrell, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and Collin Oliver, a 2025 fifth-round pick, on top of Brenton Cox Jr. and Arron Mosby, who have been contributors at different points in their careers.
Van Ness, still only 24 years old, was taken 13th overall in the 2023 draft. Over his first three years of his career, he’s been able to play 43 games. The only games he’s missed were in 2025 due to a nagging foot injury. For his career, he’s recorded 8.5 sacks and 17 TFLs while playing 1,056 defensive snaps. His snap count percentage has increased every year that he’s been in the league, as he played 33 percent of defensive snaps in 2023 as a rookie, jumping to 39 percent in 2024 and then 45 percent in 2025.
