It’s Time For Green Bay To Let Quay Walker Rush the Quarterback

Quay Walker has faced his share of adversity with the Green Bay Packers since they drafted him in 2022.

He hasn’t exactly been a prolific linebacker in coverage, allowing at least a 93 passer rating in each of his first four seasons. Among 65 linebackers with at least 100 coverage snaps in 2025, Walker has surrendered the 17th-highest passer rating (119.9) — the highest mark among Packers linebackers and the second-highest on the team, trailing only Nate Hobbs.

Walker is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is slated to be an unrestricted free agent in March, although Brian Gutekunst has expressed his desire to keep him in Green Bay long-term.

Still, there are currently 16 off-ball linebackers earning at least $10 million per year. Considering Walker will be a four-year starter by the time he hypothetically hits free agency, he’s likely to ask for a contract in that range at minimum, which would probably be an overpay, especially considering Ty’Ron Hopper could provide similar or slightly better results in coverage at a fraction of the cost.

Still, there’s one part of Walker’s game where he’s genuinely disruptive. The way fans see him might be completely different if the Packers just let him loose and focused on what he does best: rush the passer.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting the Packers should turn him into a full-time edge rusher. I wrote about a similar dynamic last year regarding Edgerrin Cooper, and the same idea applies here. Both players are great at shooting the gaps, but neither has a developed arsenal of pass-rush moves needed to succeed as a traditional edge rusher in the NFL. They’re also both smaller than the 260 lb. archetype the Packers prefer at the position.

Walker has logged 37 pass-rush snaps this season — the most on the team among players outside the defensive line and edge rushers. Still, that number feels too low. Among all linebackers, he ranks 17th in pass-rush attempts, but he’s in the top five in both hurries and sacks, and 12th in total pressures. Moreover, his 36.4% pass-rush win rate on true pass sets also ranks third among 48 linebackers with at least 15 pass-rush attempts.

Walker posted a team-high 71.4% pass-rush win rate against the Arizona Cardinals. On true pass sets, he generated four pressures, one sack, one hurry, and two quarterback hits. He tied

Green Bay’s ability to present Walker as a threat can force offenses into mistakes. Against the Minnesota Vikings last year, Sam Darnold assigned Aaron Jones as an extra blocker on the A-gap to account for Walker’s pressure. Walker then dropped back, and Keisean Nixon came untouched off the edge for a strip sack, resulting in a turnover.

Walker’s high motor and quickness often prove too much for interior linemen to handle. He’s that athletic freak you want close to the line of scrimmage, because chances are he’s going to get to the ball fast and turn a potential gain into a negative play for the offense.

The off-ball coverage limitations make it tough for Green Bay to commit to re-signing Walker. Still, if they can find a way to optimize his abilities as a blitzer and mix up how they deploy him in coverage, he could become a solution at the second level. We have three years of tape on him, so we know what he is at this point, but he has the traits to be a successful pass-rushing linebacker for years to come — whether in Green Bay or elsewhere.