The Most Important Packers: No. 18 — DL Javon Hargrave
The Green Bay Packers endured a highly disappointing 2025 season, finishing 9-8-1 and blowing a 21-3 Wild Card lead to Chicago despite a star-studded roster. Coach Matt LaFleur's team suffered five straight losses to end the year, often collapsing from double-digit leads in the final minutes, a trend players called "embarrassing." Entering 2026 with a tough outlook due to free agency losses, the Packers hope veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, signed for two years and $23 million, can provide a much-needed boost. Hargrave, a two-time Pro Bowler with 49 career sacks, reunites with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, under whom he had his most productive years in Philadelphia. His arrival is crucial after Green Bay's run defense significantly declined following the departure of key defensive linemen.
The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. And perhaps no one did less with more than Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur.
Green Bay headed into the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top rosters, then traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons 10 days before the year began. Suddenly, Packer Nation was dreaming of their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.
Instead, Green Bay went a remarkably unsatisfying 9-8-1 overall and was the NFC’s No. 7 seed for a third consecutive year. The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.
“No way you should lose games in this league when you’re up that much,” running back Josh Jacobs said.
Green Bay, which began the year 9-3-1, finished the season with five straight losses. The Packers now enter 2026 with the league’s fourth-longest losing streak.
Collapsing late in games was the story of Green Bay’s 2025 campaign.
Green Bay had double digit leads in the final minutes twice against Chicago and also vs. Cleveland and somehow went 0-3 in those games. The Packers’ odds of losing all three contests were 1-in-250,000, yet they somehow did it.
“That (expletive), it’s starting to get damn-near embarrassing,” safety Javon Bullard said.
Rebounding won’t be easy as the Packers were hit hard in free agency and didn't have a first round draft pick.
Green Bay’s first training camp practice is July 29. Between now and then I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2026 campaign.
At No. 18 is defensive lineman Javon Hargrave.
The 33-year-old Hargrave had 3.5 sacks and 31 pressures for Minnesota last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Hargrave ranked 17th in pass-rush win rate (12.4%) among defensive linemen with at least 100 pass rushing snaps.
Hargrave earned a 68.5 overall defensive grade from PFF, which ranked 34th among 134 qualified interior defensive lineman. His PFF pass-rush grade of 70.8 ranked 30th among interior defensive lineman and his run-defense grade of 57.3 ranked 54th at the position.
Hargrave also had 31 total pressures, 24 hurries, three quarterback hits and forced one fumble.
Minnesota had salary cap woes, though, after the season and released Hargrave, which saved the Vikings $10.9 million in salary cap space.
Hargrave, a third round draft choice by Pittsburgh in 2016, is a two-time Pro Bowler (2021, 2023) with 49 career sacks.
Hargrave had 14.5 sacks during four highly productive seasons with the Steelers.
Hargrave then had three terrific seasons in Philadelphia, where Jonathan Gannon — the Packers’ defensive coordinator — was the Eagles’ coordinator for two years. Hargrave had 23.0 sacks during his three years in Philadelphia, including a career-high 11.0 in 2022, and helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl.
Hargrave then spent two seasons in San Francisco, helped the 49ers reach the 2023 Super Bowl, and played with Minnesota in 2025.
In addition to his 49.0 career sacks, Hargrave enters 2026 with 432 career tackles, 5.0 forced fumbles, 5.0 fumble recoveries and eight passes defensed.
Less than an hour after Minnesota released Hargrave, he signed with the Packers. And it’s easy to see why Hargrave chose Green Bay.
First, the Packers gave him a two-year, $23 million contract. Second, while Hargrave has been productive wherever he’s been, his best years came with Gannon in Philadelphia.
“I love J.G. Great coach and friend,” Hargrave told Packers On SI in March. “Kept up with him over the years, so that was a big thing, too.”
Since the start of free agency in 2025, Green Bay has lost defensive tackles T.J. Slaton (signed with Cincinnati), Kenny Clark (trade) and Colby Wooden (trade). That’s a big reason the Packers fell from No. 7 against the run in 2024 (99.4 yards per game) to 18th last season (117.7).
The Packers hoping Hargrave has enough left in the tank to help them improve in that area and provide some pass rush.
“He’s a good player. When we had the ability to acquire him or the chance to acquire him, team-first guy, loves football, smart, and he works his butt off and he’s tough as nails. So, anybody that kind of checks those boxes, you want to acquire them if you can. He checked all those boxes. I’m excited to get back with him.” — Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon on Hargrave
“One thing about Hargrave is he's still hungry at his veteran years right now. I believe he still has a lot of ball left in him. Playing ball for this long, he's learned a lot of things from a technique standpoint, the nuances of the game, from a shade, zero, nose, three-technique. I mean, he's played in a lot of different systems and he's been very successful. So, I'm looking forward to working with him. He'll do some good things for us.” — defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase on Hargrave
“I think I fit great. Veteran leadership and just being one of the oldest of the group, just bringing what I know, what I’ve learned through the years. There’s so much talent on this team and on the D-line, I just try to input and help them in as many ways as I can.” — Hargrave on what his role will be