The extension effectively extends the accounting structure of Willis’s contract through the 2029 season, even though his new competitive commitment with the Packers runs through the 2028 campaign.

Willis originally signed a four-year, $5.16 million rookie contract with Tennessee in July 2022, a deal that carried a $1.29 million annual average value and positioned him as a developmental quarterback piece before his trade to Green Bay in August 2024.

Rather than letting him enter free agency in 2026, the Packers elected to extend the agreement with a new three-year, $30 million deal, adjusting how money is distributed and accounted for against the salary cap in upcoming seasons.

Under the revised structure, a significant portion of Willis’s 2026 base salary has been converted into a signing bonus, a common mechanism used to generate immediate cap relief.

That signing bonus is then prorated across the remaining contract years, with additional void seasons added strictly for salary cap accounting purposes.

Those void years extend the contract on paper through the 2029 season, though Willis is not contractually obligated to remain with the team beyond 2028.

Before the extension, Willis was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season, with no 2026 cap hit but leaving Green Bay without his services amid ongoing quarterback depth needs.

Following the adjustment, his 2026 cap hit is set at approximately $7.5 million, creating meaningful breathing room for the Packers as they continue shaping the roster around Jordan Love.

A similar strategy applies to the 2027 and 2028 seasons, as Willis’s base salary remains team-friendly while bonus proration smooths out his overall cap impact.

Schefter reports that the Packers added one void year for the 2029 season, strictly to spread out the cap charge.

If Willis remains on the roster through the end of the 2028 season, that void year automatically triggers, accelerating remaining prorated money into future cap cycles.

From a guarantees standpoint, the extension includes approximately $18 million in total guaranteed money.

Roughly $12 million of that total was fully guaranteed at signing, including signing bonus allocations and portions of his early base salaries.

Importantly, Green Bay retains a clean financial exit, as the Packers could release or trade Willis before June 1, 2028, with only $2 million in dead cap.

That scenario would create more than $8 million in salary cap savings, a flexibility point that remains fully intact after the extension.

Willis, represented by Athletes First agent David Mulugheta, reportedly prioritized team competitiveness and continued development over testing free agency, given his recent success as a backup and desire to build on a strong 2025 season.

As Schefter notes, Willis now ranks among Green Bay’s higher cap hits entering the 2026 season, remaining one of the Packers’ most financially significant players at quarterback.

In practical terms, the contract now runs through 2029 only on paper, while the Packers preserve full control over Willis’s long-term future.

For Green Bay, the extension aligns cap strategy with competitive planning, keeping Willis central today while protecting flexibility for tomorrow.