Packers Free Agency: Baron Browning Could Be Worth Risk

The Green Bay Packers struggled to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season, ranking 26th in the league in pass rush win rate at just 35 percent, according to ESPN.
With their pass rush clearly a weak spot, they’ll be looking to make moves this offseason to improve in the trenches. One name that could be on their radar in free agency is edge rusher Baron Browning.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst’s history in free agency has been signing young players rather than past-their-prime veterans. At just 25 years old, Browning has shown flashes of brilliance but has been held back by a series of injuries.
After being traded from the Denver Broncos to the Arizona Cardinals just ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, Browning will hit free agency in 2025, making him a potential target for the Packers as they look to boost their pass rush.
“I think you’re always looking. With pass rushers, you can never have enough,” Gutekunst said a few days after the playoff loss to the Eagles. “And I thought there were times this year we did that, we were able to rush with four. I think every team in the league, that’s how you’d prefer to do it – rush with four and affect the quarterback. There were periods of time where we didn’t do that well enough. I think everybody understands that affects your football team.”
While the Packers finished 10th in sack percentage in Year 1 under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, the consistency was lacking.
“I’m really excited to see what he does with our defense moving forward and whatever new pieces we might add,” Gutekunst said.
Could Browning, who had two sacks and four tackles for losses in eight games for the Cardinals, be that new piece?
Browning’s injury history is a story of frustration. As a third-round pick in 2021, he missed three games due to back spasms. Then in 2022, a hip injury kept him out for a game, and back issues sidelined him for another.
He got hit with a knee issue in 2023, needing arthroscopic surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus, which landed him on the PUP list to start the season. As if that wasn’t enough, he also suffered a concussion in Week 17. In 2024, the injuries kept coming. Browning was placed on injured reserve for four weeks with a foot injury and missed another game after sustaining a neck injury.
His ability to generate pressure when on the field is clear, but it’s his inability to stay on the field that’s held him back from being a consistently dominant force. If he can find a way to stay healthy, Browning could be a serious weapon for the Packers’ defense because he’s also got an extensive background in coverage.
“Baron’s an interesting case,” Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort said after acquiring Browning. “Baron came out of Ohio State and he played some off-the-ball linebacker (and) really didn’t play on the line of scrimmage. Goes to the draft process and Baron is a very talented athlete. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s explosive.
“Denver did a great job of finding a home for him. He kind of settled into outside linebacker. … We think he fits schematically what we try to do defensively. We think he’s got three-down ability to play both the run and the pass.”
Now, let’s dive into the stats to see what the Packers could be getting if they take a chance on Browning.
As a rookie in 2021, he played mostly as an off-the-ball linebacker. In 14 games (nine starts), he had 58 tackles, zero sacks, two tackles for losses and two passes defensed. Browning moved to the line of scrimmage in 2022, when he had five sacks and eight TFLs in 14 games (eight starts) and 4.5 sacks and four tackles for losses in 10 games (nine starts) in 2023.
Browning’s production took a bit of a dip in 2024 with two sacks and five tackles for losses in 13 games (three starts). Injuries once again held him back, but when he was on the field, he still flashed that disruptive potential.
According to Pro Football Focus, 93 edge defenders played at least 200 pass-rushing snaps. Browning ranked 12th in pass-rush win rate at 16.4 percent, which was just behind Will Anderson and just ahead of Danielle Hunter.
“If you watch the tape, I feel like I've been rushing the pass at a high level, even though I haven't had the production I want this season,” Browning said after the trade. “But I know it's coming. I'm trusting the process and continuing to approach work every day with the same mindset to get better.”
During the final five games, Browning had two sacks and 16 pressures, according to PFF. Former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness had 20 pressures the entire season.
So, what does Browning’s career stat line look like?
Over 51 games, he’s accumulated 128 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble and recovered another. That works out to about 3.8 tackles and a half-sack per game.
Making the full-time transition from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher in 2022, Browning’s development has been a bit of a rollercoaster. But when he’s on, he can impact a game. The Packers need a pass rusher who can consistently collapse the pocket, and Browning has the tools to be that player – if he can stay on the field long enough to make it happen.
As Browning heads into free agency, the Packers will need to weigh the risks of his injury history against the rewards of his talent. If he can finally shake the injury bug, he could be exactly what the Packers’ pass rush has been missing.
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