‘He Is the Exact Example of the Kind of Guys We Want’

Kenny Clark was just 20 years old when he was drafted by the Packers. He “became a man here” as a foundational member of the team that just signed him to a contract extension.

Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark agreed to a three-year, $64 million contract extension Sunday that includes a $17.5 million signing bonus. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin /

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With a three-year contract extension worth $64 million and including a $17.5 million signing bonus, there are expectations on Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

“Oh, he don’t know it yet, but it’s going to be a veteran dinner,” Brooks said. “No more rookie dinner; we’re going to do it on him. Christmas and all that, we’re looking forward to it. He don’t know yet but I’m going to let him know.”

Relayed what Brooks said, Clark burst out in laughter.

“I’ll give them the Christmas but that dinner, I don’t know,” Clark said. “That dinner, I don’t know but they’ll get a good Christmas present this year, for sure.”

There have been expectations on Clark from the moment he arrived in Green Bay as a first-round pick in 2016. He immediately lived up those expectations. He lived up to them again when he signed his first contract extension during training camp in 2020.

At the ripe old age of 28 – he’ll turn 29 on Oct. 4, a couple days before a Week 5 game at the Rams – Clark is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, a threat against the run and the pass, and an unquestioned team leader.

The only player on the roster to be selected by the late Ted Thompson, Clark is everything the Packers could have hoped for.

And more.

“Kenny’s just a pro’s pro,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the start of training camp on Monday. “He puts the right things first and the main thing’s the main thing for Kenny. He loves football. To play as long as he has at the level that he has, you’ve got to love it. He certainly loves football and he’s an unselfish team guy. He’s all about winning. He is the exact example of the kind of guys we want in that locker room.”

The Packers, led by Russ Ball, and Clark’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, had been talking since the Scouting Combine. With Clark entering his final season under contract, it was practically a no-brainer to do an extension with a player who set a career high with 7.5 sacks last year.

“It was something we thought was important. Certainly, I’m sure he thought it was important, as well,” Gutekunst said. “Again, not only is he an elite player but he’s an elite locker-room guy. It just made a ton of sense. Quite frankly, for a third contract guy – which we don’t do a ton of – he’s a very young player. He’s played a lot of snaps and he’s played a lot of football but he’s a very young player. You guys have been around him.

“He’s kind of built to last,” Gutekunst continued, knocking on the wooden podium. “Hopefully, that is the case.”

Third-contract players are rare in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and David Bakhtiari got third deals; Davante Adams and Aaron Jones did not.

“It was huge for me because I truly wanted to be one of those guys,” Clark said. “I look up to guys who have been here – A-Rod, Clay (Matthews), D-Bak and all those guys who played and played at a high level, got third contracts here and are really legends here. For an organization like this, it was huge for me to stay here and get this contract – be well compensated but still be here and be a part of this.”

After every draft, Gutekunst tells the rookies to find someone in the locker room that has “done it the right way” and had sustained success. For a young defensive line, Clark is the easy role model.

“Kenny means a lot,” defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt said. A first-round pick in 2022, Wyatt said Clark was the first player who called and the first person who made him feel like he was “part of this team and part of this family.”

He added: “He’s been here for a long time, been a leader, been consistent. I’m happy for him. It’s well-deserved what he got. To me, I feel like he should’ve got more, but I’m really happy for him. He means a lot to me and this team. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

Said Brooks, a sixth-round pick last year: “It’s well-deserved. He’s a leader in our room. Ever since I came in, I was watching him and taking notes and soaking everything in. He’s a leader by example and he deserves everything that’s coming his way. Just happy for him and proud of him.”

If Clark plays out the contract, which extends through the 2027 season, he will have pocketed more than $146 million. The fear for every general manager is drafting a player, only for the person to be changed by fame and fortune.

That never was Clark. As he enters Year 9, Clark isn’t just the most-tenured player on the roster or one of the most valuable. He’s an impact player on the field and a role model in the locker room.

“That’s just me, man. That’s just me since I was a kid,” Clark said. “Just love football, love putting in the work. It’s a game that’s done so much for me and my family. It would be a shame for me to cheat it. I just love this game. I love being around my teammates. Love everything about the Packers organization. It’s just a great opportunity.”

Clark admitted to being stressed when contract talks didn’t come to an immediate resolution. Green Bay might not be for everybody, but it is for Clark.

“I got here when I was 20 years old,” Clark said. “I kind of grew up here, became a man here. This town, the people here, everybody has welcomed me with open arms from the jump. I’m super-appreciative. I’m appreciative of Brian and Russ and all those guys and Matt (LaFleur) for giving me this responsibility and giving me this contract. I’ve got to keep putting in the work.”

Clark said he hopes to retire as a member of the Packers.

“It’s home, for real,” he said.

He’ll be 32 when this extension expires. Already recognized as one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL, he believes he’ll be further unleashed in the new defensive scheme.

Meanwhile, Clark has been with teams that reached NFC Championship Games in 2019 and 2020 and had chances in 2021 and 2023. Clark will be a fulcrum of a defense that too often has been the missing link but could be primed to reach a near gear this year.

“I’m just going to continue to work, continue to chase greatness and continue to be a staple here,” Clark said. “It’s a lot more goals that I’ve got to accomplish. I’m still only 28, so there’s a lot more I can accomplish for sure.”

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