A league source confirmed on Sunday that the Green Bay Packers and nose tackle Kenny Clark had reached an agreement on a three-year, $64 million extension. Clark will receive $29 million in 2024; he currently has a contract that runs through 2027.
NFL Network was the first to report the news.
Clark, 28, was about to enter the last year of his deal. In2023, he achieved a career high with 7.5 sacks and led the team with nine tackles for loss, tying for the lead. He was named to his third Pro Bowl after yet another successful season. During the previous season, Clark was a key member of an interior defensive line that accumulated 17.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.
He became a player when the Packers selected him with the 27th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. In his eight seasons in Green Bay, Clark has racked up 34 sacks and 216 solo tackles. He missed only one game in the last three seasons.
Clark was one of the Packers players eligible for an extension. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love, who passed for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2023, is approaching the final year of his contract and available to negotiate an extension.
In 2023, the Packers had a 9-8 record and lost to the 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.
significance of Clark’s extension
With quarterback Aaron Rodgers gone, the team has seen significant change, with Clark having the longest contract of any player. Clark’s new average yearly compensation of almost $21.3 million is only the 12th highest among interior defensive lineman, according to Over The Cap.
It’s a raise from $17.5 million per year for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Green Bay has emphasized sacks, tackles for loss, and possibly more chaos in the backfield under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley than it did under former coach Joe Barry. In the center of the defensive line, nobody has shown to be more capable of doing that than Clark, thus the Packers are looking to him to perform both now and in the future, which is reflected in his new contract. – Beat reporter for the Packers, Matt Schneidman
(Photo: Perry Knotts / Getty Images)
