In a strange turn of events on Friday, Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary posted what appeared to be a farewell message on Instagram, seemingly announcing his departure.
However, just as the message began circulating widely online, reports surfaced claiming that Gary’s Instagram account had been hacked and that the Packers had not informed him of any plans to release or trade him.
Despite the explanation, many around the league remain skeptical of the situation.
Confusion Grows After Rashan Gary Blames Hacked Account for Farewell Post
Gary’s performance had dipped over the last few seasons, and he was widely expected to be released this offseason. By PFSN’s NFL EDGE Impact Metric, Gary ranked 41st in 2025. In 2023 and 2024, he ranked 39th and 32nd, respectively. All three of those seasons earned C+ grades, playable, but far short of the expectations from his four-year, $96 million contract.
As a result, many expected him to be moved before the start of the season.
Things appeared to be heading in that direction when Gary posted a farewell message Friday afternoon in a now-deleted post on Instagram, expressing gratitude to teammates and fans.
“On to my next stop — nowhere near done yet,” Gary wrote.
However, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky later reported that the Green Bay Packers had not informed Gary he would be released or traded, and that his Instagram account had been hacked.
But many around the league struggled to believe the explanation.
“Lying to save face >>>>,” wrote Packers analyst Peter Bukowski.
What made the claim harder for many to believe is that when social media accounts are hacked, the perpetrators typically post links to crypto-related scams. Posting a long, heartfelt farewell message to a team is far less common.
“Hate when my Instagram gets hacked and the guy posts a long heartfelt sincere goodbye to the city that drafted me,” wrote Sports writer Tyler Brooke.
“Surely the hacker would release a whole goodbye letter to Green Bay instead of crypto scams,” added DaWindyCity Productions.
“Hacked with a full goodbye post??” Cole DeRuse of @hbtCHIEFS commented.
Gary logged 7.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons and has never recorded a double-digit sack campaign, failing to break into the tier of elite pass rushers, even after the addition of stars like Micah Parsons around the league raised the bar for the position.
Releasing Gary would have freed up about $11 million in cap space for the Packers, but the team has seemingly decided not to move on from him for now.
“This is the most Rashan Gary way for this to go…,” wrote Packers reporter Andy Herman.
“‘I was hacked’ in 2026,” wrote analyst Tom Downey.
“Not the ‘I was hacked’ gimmick 😭😭,” @cheeseheadtv wrote.
Gary was drafted 12th overall by the Packers in the 2019 NFL Draft and has appeared in 106 games with 76 starts, recording 46.5 sacks, 111 quarterback hits, and 46 tackles for loss.
He is entering the third year of his deal and is set to carry a $28 million cap hit.
