Julius Peppers is reportedly intent on playing in 2016.
Peppers wasn’t so sure when the season ended. He was noncommittal about 2016 following the loss to Arizona.
That changed in a couple weeks’ time, as the stench of another playoff defeat wore off. Peppers told Jason Cole that he hopes to play in 2016, even if it’s not with the Green Bay Packers.
Why wouldn’t it be with the Packers?
We suspect it will be, but if the Packers want to save some money, then Peppers is a prime candidate to be released.
He’s scheduled to make $7 million in 2016, with a cap hit of $10.5 million. If the Packers released him, they’d be on the hook for $2.5 million in dead money, but gain $8 million in cap space.
The good news if you’re a Peppers fan is the Packers don’t need extra cap space. They already have more than $20 million available.
Peppers played they second-most snaps among the Packers’ outside linebackers in 2015. He was often atrocious against the run, but led the team with 10.5 sacks. If the Packers can further limit his role to passing downs, Peppers could be well worth his salary in 2016.