Cory's Corner: Big Year For Quay Walker
Without a fifth-year option, the Packers former first round pick is staring at plenty of pressure entering 2025.
Quay Walker will be under the microscope this coming year.
The Packers didn’t pick up his fifth-year option and now he is entering 2025 with a huge question mark for 2026.
What’s even tougher for this situation is that Edgerrin Cooper has come on so strong since he put the entire league on notice in his rookie season last year.
Can Walker be the dynamic defensive leader that the Packers drafted in the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft? I think he can, but he also has to realize that he has to stop playing hero ball.
And after seeing Cooper playing incredible last year, is he fine with being the second-best middle linebacker on the team?
“Coop’s been flying around,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Cooper, who started four games and tallied 3 1⁄2 sacks last year. “You can see the instincts, the range. He’s not afraid to stick his nose in there.”
Walker was ejected twice in his rookie season. He shoved a member of the Bills practice squad, then he shoved a member of the Lions medical staff. Watching Walker’s tape, there is too much hesitation as opposed to trusting his athletic ability and instincts.
“I just do too much thinking,” Walker said this past season.
He also has been known to overpursue and he isn’t good at seeing misdirection.
“Walker has elite range but needs to trust his keys more,” said NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. “He reacts a beat late — the instincts haven’t caught up to the body yet.”
And that’s just the thing. How long are the Packers willing to wait? And that’s why the Packers weren’t willing to give him a fifth-year option. They just want to see a bit more.
Does that mean that Walker has been inadequate? Not in the least. He has shown tremendous athleticism, but he isn’t playing with the same confidence that got him drafted in the first round.
Walker is in prove-it mode right now. He has to prove that he will not be caught out of position, make big plays and stop overthinking.
The Packers have said that they want him back for 2026, but they don’t want the same guy back that makes the same mistakes.
This could be the perfect season for Walker and the Packers defense. If everything comes together at the same time, this defense is going to click very fast.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (19)
Savage57
July 19, 2025 at 06:49 am
Walker's going to play like his hair's on fire this season, then stick it to the Packers for not exercising the 5th year option.
I see him signing with the Vikings next year because headcase.
GregC
July 19, 2025 at 07:01 am
You're saying Walker is a head case? Based on what? The coaches say he's very professional.
egbertsouse
July 19, 2025 at 07:08 am
Yeah, it’s completely normal to attack a member of the other team’s medical staff.
Snap the ball
July 20, 2025 at 12:24 am
He’s not leaving Green Bay.
He’s a tackling machine.
GregC
July 19, 2025 at 06:59 am
Cory does not mention the real reason Walker didn't receive the fifth year option: The price is too high due to off-ball linebackers like Walker being lumped in with 3-4 outside linebackers, who are highly paid as pass rushers. Cory also doesn't mention that Walker had a really good stretch of play late last season, where he seemed to finally put everything together.
I'm looking forward to watching him and Edgerrin Cooper this year.
PhantomII
July 19, 2025 at 09:05 am
A 1st round pick that took 4 years to flash for a few games.....Yes....that sounds very familiar.....
It would be nice to have 2 Elite LB's....
jvole
July 20, 2025 at 09:41 am
I think Hafley did a better job than Barry at figuring out Walker's strengths. He's not good at dealing with blockers and backs coming directly at him. Instinctive penetration, nope, his angles are bad. Delayed blitzes and disciplined, angled gap filling. Also running down people from behind.
ricky
July 19, 2025 at 07:08 am
Not being an elite athlete is less important than being an instinctive football player. But being an elite athlete with excellent instincts is what you want. I've been harping on this for a while, but this team needs to draft football players, not physical specimens they hope can be molded into elite players. Walker is my prime example, but Van Ness is rapidly falling into that category. Right now, we're hoping the third year for him is when he really shows up. But he was supposed to make a second year "leap" and didn't. The clock is ticking for both of these guys.
What also makes me nervous is the tendency of some players who are in contract years to suddenly blossom, only to regress once the ink has dried on their new, much more lucrative contract. The question being, if "the light comes on", does that really mean someone is home? Have they really arrived, or are they simply fighting for a contract, and once they get that, feel they can relax?
TKWorldWide
July 19, 2025 at 08:26 am
Ok, cool, but instincts without elite athletic ability results in guys like McDuffie. Not a bad player to have on the roster, but doesn’t tilt the field, either.
I agree Cooper has it all (instincts/quick reactions/high RAS) and I don’t think it’s blind optimism to say that Walker was really putting it together last year so hopefully he can hit the ground running this season.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
July 19, 2025 at 01:32 pm
You need to watch some film on LVN. The guy can play and does what hes asked to do well. 7 sacks and 14 tackles for loss through 2 years with minimal snaps is nothing to laugh at. He just doesnt play enough. Not to mention, he's had to learn 2 completely different defenses in 2 years and played through a broken thumb last year. As for Quay, as far as Im concerned, he gets a clean slate for his first 2 years having to play under Joe Barry's complete incompetence. It took Quay less than 1 season with real coaching to start looking like a serious player. These two along with Devonte Wyatt are all about to shine this year.
TarynsEyes
July 19, 2025 at 03:45 pm
Can we really put all the blame of having different OC's? Doesn't some of the blame fall on the player, he is supposed to be a professional, and should be able to adapt. I understand there are changes, but the fundamentals are still just that. I think the different OC is more a cop-out than a legit reason for a player's play.
justjan
July 21, 2025 at 09:47 am
DC
stockholder
July 19, 2025 at 07:16 am
"The fifth-year option on Walker would have been $14.751 million.
Compare that to what they paid Campbell, and others make.
Campbell's was - A five-year deal, worth $50 million.
Quay is 25. Forget the make or break.
This is all about the cap and staying healthy.
Quay is a good LB and this team knows it.
pantz_bURp
July 19, 2025 at 08:42 am
I hope Walker has an excellent season and then a HOF career with the Pack.
I want to be driving with my gal in Green Bay years from now. We take a right on Quay Way...
PB
PackEyedOptimist
July 19, 2025 at 10:12 am
"Quay" is such a problematic word.
It means "wharf" (though traditionally, more specifically, a wharf which is parallel to the shore). The "proper" pronunciation in both England and the U.S. is "kee" (like the Florida Keys), but many Americans, including Mr. Walker, pronounce it "kway."
Perhaps Mr. Walker will become the "key" to the defense this year.
TarynsEyes
July 19, 2025 at 10:32 am
The waiting room at the maternity ward doesn't compare to the waiting/delivery room of the Packers.
Leatherhead
July 19, 2025 at 12:15 pm
I sorted last year's defense by how many tackles a guy got in on, and Quay Walker led the #6 defense in solo tackles AND combo tackles. He was 2nd in tackles for loss. And he did all this in 13 games.
We should enjoy having Walker on the field with Cooper this year. That's a good pair.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
July 19, 2025 at 01:26 pm
100% agree LH. Quay's a good player. Quay, Cooper, X Mckinney, and E Williams give the Packers a middle of the defense thats as stout as any in football.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
July 19, 2025 at 01:23 pm
Im expecting big things from Quay this year. I give him a pass for his early struggles having to play his first 2 years under Joe Barry. Barry didnt get the best out of any of these players. I dont think its a coincidence that it took less than 1 season with real coaching for Quay to turn it around.