A few years ago, the San Francisco 49ers signed veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a pricey four-year, $84 million contract.
Now, the Green Bay Packers are falling into the same trap by giving him a pricey deal at his age.
Hargrave was excellent in his first season with San Francisco. The 2023 campaign saw him record seven sacks and make the Pro Bowl as it seemed like he was going to be a key fixture on the defensive line going forward.
He suffered a triceps injury early in the 2024 season, which ended his year early, and it didn't come as a huge shock when the 49ers decided to release him so they were not on the hook for the rest of his contract.
Hargrave ended up signing a two-year, $30 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings and was able to stay fairly healthy as he played in 16 games but recorded only 3.5 sacks. Minnesota decided to release him this offseason, and the Packers didn't waste any time scooping him up.
Green Bay is on the hook for $13 million, and given Hargrave's age (he just turned 33 years old), it's questionable whether he will be worth it.
Hargrave does have a solid track record as he has made the Pro Bowl two times and has definitely been a solid player in his career. Yet, it's only natural for a player to decline at this stage in his career, so the Packers are taking a risk that San Francisco became well aware of.
After the Niners moved on from Hargrave, they've had to figure out how to rebuild the interior of the defensive line. Drafting Alfred Collins and C.J. West last year helped, but San Francisco had to rely on a combination of those rookies and more experienced players like Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis.
Elliott has been signed by the Tennessee Titans, and the 49ers do not seem like they are bringing back Davis, but they did make a big trade with the Dallas Cowboys for Osa Odighizuwa, which should help stabilize the interior of the line and has the added benefit of making Cowboys fans spin out a bit.
Maybe Hargrave will have a resurgence and play great for the Packers, but the Niners have been down that road before and know that contracts with him can age rather poorly in the long run.