The Big Question Concerning Green Bay Packers DT Kenny Clark
By GilMartin
The Green Bay Packers signed defensive tackle Kenny Clark to a rare third contract with the team last July. The deal was announced as a three-year, $64 million contract that provided the former first-round pick a $17.5 million signing bonus. If he plays out all three years of it, he will remain with the Packers through the end of the 2027 season.
But Clark suffered through a disappointing 2024 campaign. He saw his sack total go down to one after recording a career-high 7.5 in 2023. The UCLA alum also saw his quarterback hits go down to five from 16 the previous season and his tackles for loss cut from nine to just four. The only meaningful area in which Clark’s statistics went up was fumble recoveries. He had two in 2024 after recording none the previous year.
The key question surrounding Clark is whether the 29-year-old just suffered through an off season or if he’s reached the point where his body is slowing down, and he will no longer be able to play at the Pro Bowl level we saw from him throughout most of the NFL career.
There are several factors that can account for Clark’s reduced production. The most obvious was the change in the Green Bay defense. For the first time since Clark joined the Packers in 2016, the team employed a four-man defensive line. Prior to that, Clark thrived in the middle of a 3-4 base defense.
The arrival of Jeff Hafley meant a big change in the way the defensive line played. There were fewer reads for the linemen to make. Instead, they were expected to be more aggressive off the snap of the ball and attack.
Before the season, Clark was confident the new system would suit his skill set well. “I’ve always been a technical guy, but it’s going to give that mentality to just cut it loose more within the defense,” Clark said. “That suits my game well … especially with my get-off and how I play technique.”
Perhaps the adjustment to Hafley’s defense was a reason for Clark’s reduced productivity. The system was also designed for the linemen to penetrate the line of scrimmage to allow the linebackers to make more plays. That may also have impacted Clark’s statistical drop off.
It’s also possible Clark was playing through some injuries that slowed him down although he did not miss a game in 2024.
The concern, however, is that while Clark is not old for an NFL player at 29, he has had a lot of wear and tear on his body. He has now played nine seasons with the Packers and played in 140 regular season games. In the regular season alone, he has been on the field for 6,286 snaps on defense and 369 more on special teams. Defensive linemen are hit on every play and that’s a lot of wear and tear on the human body.
Clark has been durable throughout his career and has never missed more than three regular season games in any one season. He has not missed a game since 2020, four straight seasons of durable performances and he earned Pro Bowl honors in two of those campaigns.
If Clark bounces back and plays well in 2025, then 2024 will just be remembered as an off year for the big defensive tackle. But if he does not return to form, his future in Green Bay could be in doubt beyond the coming season.
The way his new deal is structured, Clark will have a cap hit of $20.365 million this season according to spotrac.com. But that number goes up to $31.365 million in 2026, assuming the Packers don’t restructure or renegotiate a new deal with Clark.
Clark has provided the Packers with strong play at defensive tackle for many years now. For nearly all of his career, he’s been the team’s best defensive lineman. Hopefully, he proves that 2024 was just a bad season for him and not the beginning of the end of his career.
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Comments (33)
KenEllis
March 01, 2025 at 10:09 am
There seems to be some implicit criticism of the decision to re-sign Clark to a third contract that resulted in Kenny having the highest-cap hit among interior defensive lineman in the NFL in 2024.
But was the Clark re-signing really all that worse than making Jaire the highest-paid CB in the NFL after he hurt his shoulder, paying Gary like a Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett after he tore his ACL, or giving De'Vondre Campbell a big deal after a single productive season?
TKWorldWide
March 01, 2025 at 11:02 am
Among all the defensive lineman named Kenny Clark from UCLA, he’s the best of the lot.
Bitternotsour
March 01, 2025 at 03:24 pm
all of those were at market rate deals, second guess them or not. none overpaid, all of them with the knowledge of what they provided in the locker room and fit in Green Bay. This isn't fantasy.
TarynsEyes
March 01, 2025 at 10:30 am
Clark can more likely play to a level of acceptance with an outlier game here and there, but he's been playing a long time for his age, and he is actually older than his years, football wise. I think the third contract was a 'what you did and not what you still can' mentality.
TKWorldWide
March 01, 2025 at 11:00 am
Could be!
greengold
March 03, 2025 at 01:45 pm
True. Plus, the Packers have had 3 DCs in LaFleur's tenure - thanks a lot MARK MURPHY!!! - and Clark has changed significantly from his best seasons of 2018 & 2019 when he was a true NT. Pettine used him as such under Joe Philbin. In his first year under LaFleur, 2019, he earned his first Pro Bowl honors.
From that point on, he transitioned into the Joe Barry era, where he lost weight, and affected the QB more in hits and pressures, but wound up as more of a 3T.
The Packers have 3Ts up the yang. What would have been most beneficial for the Packers would have been asking him to add more weight and strength this offseason to handle more 1T/2T duties. he was a force against the run in 2017 -2019, earning his highest Tackles totals. 23 TFL in that 3 year stretch. He's only had 27 in the last 5.
You're right, TarynsEyes. Outlier games. He's simply been used differently since TJ Slaton was drafted. Instead of working a rotation with both Clark and Slaton, they played them together, and never really ever added yet another true 1T to rotate into the mix.
What did that leave us? 4 players fighting for 3T snaps, and just one, again, taking all the 1T/2T snaps.
IMO, the best use of Kenny Clark's strengths would be returning him to more 1T/2T positioning on our DL. Clark's highest PFF grade was in 2018 where his Overall Grade was 90.2. His grades the past two years Overall were 70.4 and 60.0.
Clark's RUN D has SUCKED since these changes were made, and his TACKLING SUCKS EVEN WORSE.
Kenny Clark posted a RDEF grade of 58.4 last season, and a Tackling grade of 51.8... For the love of all that is good, LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE DOING to players, Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst, and PACKERS MANAGEMENT!!!
Get MARK MURPHY OUT OF GREEN BAY ON GREASED RAILS, Please!!!! Enough of this.
stockholder
March 01, 2025 at 11:05 am
Kenny Clark isn't a question mark.
Per cut and paste=
He's still often double-teamed by opposing teams.
In fact, he's one of the most-
double-teamed interior defensive linemen in football.
TarynsEyes
March 01, 2025 at 11:21 am
The best Lineman on a team is usually double-teamed, but it can also speak to the lesser level of the others, and not always the superior play of the one. This is not to say Clark isn't worthy of a double team, but probably not as mandated as one assumes.
jannesbjornson
March 02, 2025 at 10:19 am
The key is beating the Double teams.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 03, 2025 at 03:33 am
The key is, and has always been, to get Kenny help. As much as pundits like to overuse the phrase "put the whole team on his back and carry them," that's not how it works. A double team necessarily leaves a hole somewhere else. That needs to be exploited.
Guam
March 01, 2025 at 11:22 am
Gute likes big guys in the early rounds and Clark probably has only one or maybe two more years in Green Bay. This draft is supposed to be deep in DTs and I won't be surprised if Gute takes a DT at #1. I think the need at CB is greater, but thankfully I'm not the guy doing the drafting!
SicSemperTyrannis
March 03, 2025 at 03:35 am
An effective pass rush helps the secondary a great deal. Hopefully both are addressed in free agency, and Gutey can pick BPA in the draft.
Gman1976
March 01, 2025 at 12:01 pm
I read somewhere that he was seeking medical treatment, but no specific injury was specified. KC is great when healthy, but when he gets dinged, he becomes a regular player. This the draft to find his replacement and build a stout line. Maybe Gutz will sign and draft this position of need.
Leatherhead
March 01, 2025 at 12:03 pm
He's our best defensive lineman. Also our oldest and most expensive.
When he's not one of our four best, it'll be time to move on. That day isn't here yet.
TarynsEyes
March 01, 2025 at 12:43 pm
The expected and actual play of the others could make that bar, one of the best four, a lower than needed one.
I fear many look at Clark from a fan's eyes, and not the eyes of what is. He's still a viable player for this team, but the D-line needs upgrading. This is not to say get rid of him, but the time to start moving on, in a serious manner, should be in the works.
PhantomII
March 01, 2025 at 02:17 pm
KC has never had an equal DL next to him since Mike left. A big mistake by Gute. I also heard KC is seeking a DNA therapy in Europe for a lingering issue. Either way.....this draft class is deep at good DL and we should take 2 early. GPG
PhantomII
March 01, 2025 at 02:36 pm
A great way to test this is draft 1-DL early in this draft.....and 1- later......either way we should get better by doing so. I'm heavy in favor of a FA or trade for a legit WR1 and FA DE or DL to improve both Offense and Defense with a known quality piece we desperately need.
lou
March 01, 2025 at 12:34 pm
He was a surprise #1 pick under the radar by Ted Thompson who delivered like a #1 pick you hope for, class act/always posts/3 Pro Bowl selections over 9 solid seasons and still only 29 years old. My guess for a less productive 2024 season is the toe injury was turf toe which is extremely painful. Everyone recalls how tough the Steeler's version of Ray Nitschke Jack Lambert was, turf toe ended his career at 31.
LeotisHarris
March 01, 2025 at 03:03 pm
Yup. left big toe took Lambert out.
I hooked my left little toe on the leg of the footstool earlier this week. It's limited my mobility and may force me into early retirement, or I might just pull a Ronnie Lott on it.
Leatherhead
March 01, 2025 at 05:51 pm
I have a toe story. I'm playing basketball, and this big, fat, horse of a human came down on my toe, hard.
Subsequently, I developed an ingrown toenail. So I went to a local clinic and the doctor said she could fix it. She was nice, and kind of a little hotty, and I was thinking that after she fixed my toe, I might offer to reward her with some dinner.
Then she started digging under my toenail with a really sharp thing, and she dug and she dug and she dug and by the time she was finished, I didn't even like her anymore.
The End.
Leatherhead
March 01, 2025 at 02:14 pm
Our four interior linemen are Clark, Wyatt, Wooden, and Slaton. We could bring back Slayton for $5M and we'd have the same starting interior Dline as the #6 scoring defense in the league did last year. Or you could let Slaton walk and replace him.
I don't understand the logic of "the draft is deep in DTs, so we should get Clark's replacement". If the draft is deep, why you need a player at the top? I would think that "deep draft" means there are guys available in later rounds who normally would go earlier.
stockholder
March 01, 2025 at 03:59 pm
I'm all for Free Agency here.
Don't look at the draft Position.
Look at the player.
PhantomII
March 01, 2025 at 04:37 pm
We need difference makers at every level....We don't have one on the front 4.
Leatherhead
March 01, 2025 at 05:43 pm
Then how were we 2nd in the league in yards/rush defense? I mean....how?
We could resign Slaton, Wilson, and McDuffie for less than $12M and we'd essentially be bringing back all the key people from last year's #6 scoring defense, with a year of experience under the system.
stockholder
March 01, 2025 at 06:11 pm
I would resign slaton.
PhantomII
March 01, 2025 at 10:28 pm
Run stuffers are not sexy. GB got good at it this season. We need a lot more pressure on their QB....so we need pocket pushers/ line penetrators either from DE / DT
SicSemperTyrannis
March 03, 2025 at 03:44 am
Not only can Gutey do that, there's also cap space for FA.
LambeauPlain
March 01, 2025 at 03:53 pm
Draft the best available player at DL, CB, OL, WR on your board, in that order in the first 4 rounds.
Then draft quality depth from BAP at any position to finish up. (except P and K...assuming McManus is resigned)
This team is not that far away.
Leatherhead
March 01, 2025 at 05:45 pm
Always interesting to me that every season ends with a weak offensive effort and we then decide to fix that by drafting defenders first.
I agree we aren't far away. MY belief is that we need to improve the offense. Better blocking, more firepower.
brenner
March 01, 2025 at 11:16 pm
Need put Clark back at the nose and let Wyatt play the 3. I'd like for them to get Kenneth grant in the draft also
Since'75
March 02, 2025 at 07:14 am
Signing your own drafted player to a 3rd contract...is rare.
The reason it's rare is because it's high risk, and we are seeing why.
Don't give me a list of excuses, excuses are reserved for losers.
The reality is, the Packers gave him top money so you want some return on investment.
Clark was ranked 85th in def. lineman according to PFF.
This is a recurring pattern with the Packers, overpaying and substandard ROI.
Rashan Gary: Ranked 36th overall, 65th in pass rush grade.
Jordan Love is tied for 2nd highest paid QB at 55 million.
We'll see how that works out and if it bears fruit.
But for right now....that is a ton of cash for someone who hasn't won anything yet.
Some are paid for what they've done in the past, some are paid for potential, like Love.
*****
Off the cuff....the Packers made Alexander the highest paid corner in the league. Now it's being reported they are trying to trade him, for what, a 4th or 5th round pick?
Lphill
March 03, 2025 at 03:51 pm
Durable player yes but all these years he’s not a household name , overpaid for little production, maybe reduce his snap count if his body is tired .
Ihappydirt
March 03, 2025 at 09:00 pm
He had a foot injury almost the whole year, do people not remember that? It's dang hard to play D Line, especially double-teamed, with a foot injury. He should be better this year. If not, then it will be time to renegotiate.