Rashan Gary took a pay cut to facilitate his trade to the Cowboys

Rashan Gary’s contract with the Packers this season called for him to make $19.5 million, none of it guaranteed. Before the Cowboys would agree to trade for Gary, he had to agree to take less.

Gary agreed to a pay cut that will see him make $16 million this year, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He’ll also get $16 million in 2027, whereas his old contract had his 2027 pay at $22.5 million.

The Cowboys structured the new contract with an option and void years, so Gary’s salary cap hit is only $5.44 million this year and $8.24 million in 2027. Then his cap hit will grow in 2028, even if he’s no longer on the team at that point.

The good news for Gary is that he got a $13.2 million signing bonus in the deal, which is guaranteed money he didn’t have on his old contract.

The Cowboys sent a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Packers to acquire Gary, a deal Dallas surely would not have been willing to make without the revised contract.