Re-sign, let go and prediction: Packers LB Eric Wilson

Paul Bretl | 2/14/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the coming weeks, I will take a closer look at the Packers pending free agents in my ‘Re-sign or Let Go and Prediction’ series.

For each free agent I will make a case as to why the Packers should re-sign them and I’ll also discuss why the Packers would let them walk and play elsewhere. Then at the end, I’ll make my prediction.

This will be my third offseason doing this series and through the first two, I’ve gotten 24 of the 27 predictions correct.

Up next, let’s take a closer look at whether or not linebacker Eric Wilson will return for the 2025 season. If you missed our first free agency preview on Isaiah McDuffie, you can find that here.

Why the Packers will re-sign Eric Wilson

This past season was already Wilson’s third with the Packers as he repeatedly signs one-year deals to remain with the Packers. His role on defense increased slightly from 2022 to 2023 as needed, but he was often a key figure at the linebacker position, playing 559 snaps this past year.

He’s been a reliable tackler, was quite effective as a pass rusher, and has been a nice complement to Isaiah McDuffie off the bench, who’s at his best against the run, while Wilson was often tasked with handling the more obvious passing situations when needed.

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In addition to the defensive contributions, Wilson has led the Packers in special teams snaps for each of the last two years, and for what it’s worth, he’s graded out well in that regard by PFF’s grading system. Out of the six phases on the special teams unit, Wilson is a steady contributor in five of them.

“The No. 1 thing with Eric, he’s in supreme physical condition,” said Rich Bisaccia. “I think he never loses focus in practice because he’s tired for any reason. He never loses focus in the game. He’s able to play multiple positions. He never loses focus whether it’s in practice or in a game, never loses concentration and he’s able to just do all those things at a really high level.”

So for those reasons alone, I think that would be enough to justify why the Packers would re-sign him. Wilson provides experienced depth off the bench–a reliable presence that the team can lean on if needed–and he’s a core special teams contributor.

But here might be the biggest reason the Packers bring back Wilson: who is the backup Mike linebacker without him?

When Quay Walker missed time last season, we saw Wilson not only step into that role but fill it quite well. There is a lot that falls on the Mike linebacker’s plate. That player is responsible for relaying the play to the rest of the defenders, along with signaling coverages, making sure everyone is aligned correctly, making adjustments based on the offensive alignment, and so much more. All of which has to be done in those few seconds before the ball is snapped.

“When you have to tell everybody else what they’re doing and then go out and execute your job, I know that might not seem hard, but that’s not easy,” Jeff Hafley said of the Mike linebacker role. “Some of our calls can be kind of lengthy. So for him to make a tackle, get up, shake off whatever has happened, gather everybody up, tell everybody the call, hear something else, I might tell him what I think is coming to tell this guy or that guy and then line up and make a close call.

“I mean, there’s a lot that goes into that and I think he’s a veteran guy who brings a calmness and I think he’s had success doing that.”

With how good Edgerrin Cooper has been as the Will linebacker, I would think you let him continue to be really good at that job. Perhaps long-term, Ty’Ron Hopper could be a viable option here, but going from playing almost no defensive snaps as a rookie to the backup quarterback of the defense in one year seems like a big jump. And spoiler alert: I don’t think Isaiah McDuffie is coming back.

Why the Packers won’t re-sign Eric Wilson

As I just highlighted, I think for many pure football reasons, bringing Wilson back makes a lot of sense for the Packers. However, contracts and salary cap hits are apart of this equation as well.

While I would guess that the Packers would like to have Wilson back, with Walker, Cooper, and Hopper already on the roster, GM Brian Gutekunst isn’t going to overpay either for potentially the fourth linebacker on the depth chart.

It’s certainly possible that with the added defensive snaps Wilson put on tape this season, particularly when he filled in as the Mike, that another team could have some interest in bringing him in. And contract value for Wilson isn’t only about how much he’s making per year, but the length of the deal, two or three years, for example, could be a differentiator as well.

In addition to that, Wilson will turn 31 years old this season, and while often tasked with helping out in coverage, he did allow a completion rate of 83% in 2024, nearly 10.0 yards per catch, and quarterbacks had a passer rating when targeting him of 106.8. Also, out of 279 coverage snaps, Wilson had just two plays on the ball all season.

This could be one of those instances where the Packers have their firm line in the sand–probably another one-year deal–and if Wilson is offered more elsewhere, Gutekunst then pivots to find another Wilson-like addition in free agency. A younger veteran presence with experience on both defense and teams who comes with a minimal cap impact on a one-year deal.

Again, with Walker, Cooper, and Hopper, this isn’t a position the Packers are going to overpay at.

Prediction: Packers re-sign Eric Wilson

I think for the special teams ability that Wilson brings to the table, and perhaps more importantly, Wilson’s ability to be the backup Mike linebacker, are the primary reasons that he returns for another season with the Packers.

I mentioned in my McDuffie prediction that re-signing him could potentially elongate Hopper’s learning curve, but I don’t see that being an issue with Wilson, who is at a different point in his career than McDuffie is. By the end of last season, Wilson was the fourth linebacker on the depth chart from a defensive perspective, so if the Packers believe Hopper is ready to step into a larger role this upcoming season, I don’t believe Wilson being on the roster stops that from happening.

As far as Wilson’s contract goes and potentially earning more elsewhere, all it takes is one team to really want him to pry him away from the Packers–and for all the reasons discussed, that team could very well be out there. But having said that, I think Wilson’s value is greater to the Packers than just about any other team, and the contract will reflect that.

“Eric, he’s just a consistent person,” said Matt LaFleur late in the season. “He’s very regimented in terms of his approach. I think that you don’t look like that if you’re not disciplined. He’s just consistent. That’s the best way I can describe him. He just goes out there and executes, and he does it in two phases of the game, he does it on defense and then on teams as well.”

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