Packers Rumors: Ex-Browns LB Christian Kirksey Agrees to 2-Year, $16M Contract

The Green Bay Packers and linebacker Christian Kirksey reportedly agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract Monday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network received word of the deal from Kirksey's agency. 

Kirksey, 27, spent his first six NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns before being released earlier this month. He has been limited to just nine games over the last two seasons because of injury.

A team captain in Cleveland, Kirksey maintained a leadership role despite missing the majority of the last two years.

"Right now, when I am not on the field, I want to just be that voice still and encourage my teammates," Kirksey said after undergoing season-ending surgery for a torn pectoral tendon. "I do not want to check out and worry about just myself. I still have to worry about my brothers."

The Packers will hope buying relatively low on Kirksey will help fortify a defense that was revamped last offseason, particularly by the signing of Za'Darius Smith. Kirksey should help solidify the middle of the unit. In his last full healthy season, Kirksey had 138 total tackles—his second straight year over the 100-tackle mark.

The signing reunites Kirksey with Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who was the Browns' head coach when Cleveland drafted the linebacker in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. Cleveland fired Pettine following a 3-13 campaign in 2015, and he joined the Green Bay coaching staff in 2018.

Kirksey also met with the Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills before deciding on the deal with the Packers, according to Rapoport.