The Green Bay Packers are making headlines with a surprising shift in their offseason strategy—one that has an undrafted free agent earning more guaranteed money than a draft pick.
According to cap expert Ken Ingalls, UCF edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly inked a deal with $247,500 in guarantees, topping the $206,532 guaranteed to the team's final draft choice, kicker Trey Smack. That’s right: an undrafted rookie is getting a bigger financial commitment from the front office than a player actually selected in the draft.
Kelly isn't the only one benefiting from this new approach. Offensive lineman Josh Gesky and receiver J. Michael Sturdivant each received $200,000 in guarantees, while linebacker TJ Quinn landed $150,000. For context, both Gesky and Sturdivant came within a hair of Smack's guarantee total—a rarity in the NFL, where draft picks traditionally command higher financial commitments.
This marks a notable pivot for the Packers, who have historically been conservative spenders in undrafted free agency, even as they’ve maintained a 21-year streak of rostering at least one undrafted rookie. Compare that to last year, when the highest-paid undrafted rookie was nose tackle Nazir Stackhouse at $165,000 in guarantees, and only two others—linebacker Jamon Johnson and safety Johnathan Baldwin—cracked $115,000.
Why the change? Money talks, and it signals investment. But it’s also worth noting that the Packers were willing to burn $1 million this offseason on kicker Brandon McManus, who is now a free agent. So while Kelly’s quarter-million-dollar guarantee doesn’t guarantee a roster spot, it does show that Green Bay is willing to put real cash behind players they believe in.
In total, the Packers guaranteed over $1 million to their undrafted free agent class this year—nearly double the 2025 total. Per player, that averages out to about $113,000 in guarantees, compared to less than $48,000 last season. For a team known for building through the draft, this aggressive UDFA spending is a new look—and one that could pay off big on the field.