Packers Add Former Iowa Tight End to Practice Squad

The Green Bay Packers have added a tight end to their practice squad, signing former Iowa player Shaun Beyer. What about Micah Abernathy?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Unofficially, the Green Bay Packers have filled their 16-man practice squad with the addition of tight end Shaun Beyer on Thursday.

Beyer was an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2021 who spent training camp and all of his rookie season on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. Denver released him in May, and he signed with Minnesota but was let go in the Vikings’ 80-man cutdown on Aug. 22.

With the Packers, he’ll do the dirty work on the practice field behind Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis.

Officially with Beyer, the Packers have 15 spots filled on their practice squad. The 16th will go to safety Micah Abernathy, whom the Packers released on Wednesday to sign veteran Rudy Ford. He cleared waivers on Thursday, clearing the path to his return.

Beyer, who missed most of the 2018 season with a knee injury, caught 18 passes for 275 yards (15.3 average) and one touchdown in 35 career games. As a senior in 2020, Beyer grabbed 11 passes for 158 yards and his lone career score, a 16-yarder vs. Illinois.

While he didn’t catch many passes, he was a reliable blocker. That comes from his high school wrestling background.

“Growing up with wrestling, you just have great body awareness and balance,” he told Stampede Blue before the 2021 draft. “Just knowing how to move someone the way that you want and control their body is what you get out of wrestling. Being able to translate that onto the football field... I mean it’s blocking someone. You are trying to control and move players in blocking so it definitely helps, for sure.”

At the Hawkeyes’ pro day before the 2021 draft, Beyer measured 6-foot-4 7/8 and 250 pounds. He ran his 40 in 4.81 seconds and put up 22 reps on the 225-pound bench press.

With the Hawkeyes, Beyer bided his time behind the likes of George Kittle, Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson.

“I know a lot of people are comparing me to Noah, size-wise and speed and what-not,” Beyer told Hawk Central in 2019. But I really like the way T.J. plays and attacks. I’d really like to be a mix of both.”

At Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kennedy High School, he was an all-state receiver. He made the move to tight end during his redshirt season of 2016.

With Beyer and Abernathy, the Packers’ practice squad would be full. A source on Wednesday said kicker Ramiz Ahmed would be signed. On Thursday, general manager Brian Gutekunst said “the plan is to bring Ramiz back” as insurance for veteran Mason Crosby, who is coming off offseason knee surgery. To sign Abernathy and Ahmed would require the release of one player.

Abernathy was a great story. He was out of football until earning a starting job with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. The Packers signed him after injuries struck the safety corps. More than just a camp body to help the team get through a rough patch, he briefly made the 53-man roster with an interception against the Saints and almost another one against the Chiefs.

“Talk about a guy that took advantage of his opportunities,” Gutekunst said. “It really goes to show a guy that had some opportunities early in his career and it didn’t work out for him, and just getting himself prepared with the USFL and all the different league he played in, because he got here really late and hit the ground running. Every time he got an opportunity, he certainly took advantage of it.”

Packers Practice Squad Set

Here is the full 16-man practice squad, which includes receiver Juwann Winfree and cornerback Benjie Franklin.

Quarterback Danny Etling

Running back Tyler Goodson

Running back Patrick Taylor

Receiver Travis Fulgham

Receiver Juwann Winfree

Tight end Shaun Beyer

Offensive tackle Caleb Jones

Defensive tackle Jack Heflin

Defensive tackle Chris Slayton

Outside linebacker Kobe Jones

Outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton

Inside linebacker Ray Wilborn

Cornerback Rico Gafford

Cornerback Kiondre Thomas

Cornerback Benjie Franklin

Safety Micah Abernathy