Packers Restructure McKinney's Contract for Cap Relief

0:00Welcome to NFL News Today. Two minutes of updates that matter to NFL fans, hit subscribe and stay connected. The Green Bay Packers just made their first big move to free up salary cap space for the 2026 season. They are restructuring safety Xavier McKinney's contract by turning much of his 2026 pay into a signing bonus. This spreads the money over future years and creates immediate relief under the cap. Details show they are converting most of his base salary plus an $8,500,000 roster bonus due next week. That could push at least $5,777,500 off this year's cap hit. In the max version, his base drops to the $1,215,000 league minimum for vets, shifting over $11,535,000 into a bonus he gets right away. Fans and analysts see this as smart planning since McKinney is one of the top safeties in the league. He earned second team all pro honors in 2025 after a first team nod the year before. At age 28 heading

1:06into next season, his play should hold up well. The team can spread that bonus over two to five years, maybe adding void years to push more cap room further out. Without a new deal, it might leave about $7 million in dead money on the 2028 cap if he hits free agency after 2027. Packers brass likely plan to extend him soon, given his $14,650,000 base set for 2027 and a cap hit around $22,700,000. This keeps them solid at safety long term without big risks. This episode is brought to you in partnership with our sponsor. What is cooler than cool? A pillow that plays your sound, S-O-L-L-I-SOLYPILLOW.COM.