Is A.J. Hawk’s Future In Green Bay?

Last week, Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk listed his house for sale. Last Sunday, A.J. Hawk played zero snaps on the defensive side of the ball. Yesterday, Hawk’s agent, Mike McCartney (not to be confused with Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy) said the linebacker would be open to the idea of a trade.

“A.J. is a pro’s pro and wants to do his part to help the team win, and his first priority is to be the best Packer he can,” McCartney told Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press Gazette. “But if some team called and wanted him to play on all three downs, I think he’d be excited about that.”

Following this trifecta of events, it would be easy to believe Hawk’s days in Green Bay are numbered. Add in the $10 million in salary Hawk is owed next year and it’s safe to assume a change is on the way.

However, it’s debatable what that change will look like. Rumors have swirled that Hawk will be traded, but when is the last time Packers general manager Ted Thompson traded a player during the season? Thompson is fiercely loyal to his draft picks – just ask Justin Harrell – so trading Hawk before the October 19 trade deadline is unlikely to happen.

Will A.J. Hawk suit up for the Green and Gold next season? Unless he is willing to take a pay cut, that’s looking unlikely as well. Although he’s never lived up to the expectations of the fifth pick in the 2006 NFL draft, he’s still a good linebacker. If he’s not willing to renegotiate next year’s 10 million (and I would argue putting his house up for sale is a pretty clear indicator of his plans), I think Hawk will be playing for another team.

All signs point to Hawk playing for another team, but I don’t expect any changes this season.