With the mid-June signing of Adrian Amos in New York, one Green Bay Packers safety just inherited a little more pressure on him going into the season. That player is Darnell Savage.
A former first-round pick, Savage came out of Maryland playing good ball. He kept that trend rolling into his second season in 2020. So much so, he was soon regarded as one of the top young defensive talents in the game. This gave the fanbase tons to be excited about regarding his future.
But just as the hype train was picking up some serious speed, came some difficult stretches.
Savage would end up regressing for two straight years since finishing the 2020 season on a very high note. This is clearly shown by his games started alone. In 2021 he played in all 17, even during the regression. In 2022, he only started 13 games.
His play worried the Packers enough that picking up his fifth-year option was a difficult decision. Not something you’re looking for out of a former first-round pick.
Green Bay Packers Need to Start Darnell Savage the Whole Year
With the possibility of resigning Amos now gone, there should be no question Darnell Savage needs to have a starting position for all 17 games. That said, he seems to be playing ball and understands his current situation with the team.
After the Packers picked up the former Terrapin’s fifth-year option, Savage was willing to restructure the deal and save the team millions in cap space. Always appreciated.
However, this didn’t change his free agency status. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent starting in 2024. This means he’s basically on a one-year deal. Not exactly something players love to have, so more added stress is going to naturally be there.
Even through all this uncertainty, Savage is still stepping up in the locker room, taking on more leadership responsibility.
A lot of Green Bay Packer fans were ecstatic when they selected Savage back in 2019. I know I was. He oozed talent and seemed to fit right in with the direction of the defense. However, like most things in the NFL, change can happen in a hurry.
Savage has a big year ahead of him. He’s got added pressure from multiple different angles, but he’s showing the team and the fanbase he can take that in stride, and strive to get better.
There will be plenty of people betting on a big year from Darnell Savage, and you can put me squarely in that group.
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