Packer Central

Packers Sign 13 to Practice Squad; Here’s How They Fit

The Green Bay Packers have their 53-man roster and now they’re on their way to filling their practice squad. The first steps were taken on Wednesday.

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers quarterback Sean Clifford (6) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Sean Clifford (6) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Led by the return of quarterback Sean Clifford, the Green Bay Packers filled 13 spots on what will be a 17-man practice squad on Wednesday.

Here is how those players will fit.

QB Sean Clifford

Clifford, who served as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jordan Love last year, will be the No. 3 behind Love and Malik Willis, who was acquired in a trade with the Titans. General manager Brian Gutekunst called the performance of the young quarterbacks, Clifford and Michael Pratt (who signed to Tampa Bay’s practice squad) “underwhelming.”

While Gutekunst anticipates Willis being ready to be the backup on Sept. 6 against the Eagles, Clifford could be in the running to be the early-season backup.

“I think we have confidence in him,” LaFleur said before practice. “I told Sean, I think we’ve seen him play better than all the things we saw throughout the course of the offseason, I would say, from training camp and in those preseason games.

“He’s just got to get back to really the core fundamentals that allow you to play the game fast. Reading with your feet is one of those. But we certainly still have a lot of confidence in Sean. It’s just the circumstance we’re in right now.”

RB Nate McCrary, RB Ellis Merriweather

The Packers kept three running backs: Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and rookie MarShawn Lloyd, who got two touches during the preseason before suffering a hamstring injury.

Coach Matt LaFleur likes how those players performance in case Lloyd isn’t ready for Week 1. Lloyd rode a stationary bike during the portion of Wednesday’s practice that was open to reporters.

WR Julian Hicks, Jalen Wayne

After losing Grant DuBose to the Dolphins on waivers, Hicks and Wayne will work on the practice squad behind Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath.

Wayne is the cousin of NFL legend Reggie Wayne while Hicks earned a spot as a tryout player at the rookie camp.

“I’m super-fired up for Grant,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, it was a blessing and a curse to have so many tough decision”

G/T Donovan Jennings, G/C Lecitus Smith

Talk about two opposite stories. Smith was a sixth-round pick in 2022 who started two games as a rookie. He initially landed a spot on the offseason roster at the post-draft rookie camp. Jennings went undrafted and signed with the Packers with $100,000 of his 2024 salary guaranteed.

TE Messiah Swinson

The Packers kept only three tight ends on the 53-man roster after putting Tyler Davis on season-ending injured reserve, so Swinson could be the next man up in a hurry if something were to happen to Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft or Ben Sims.

DE Deslin Alexandre

With Brenton Cox and Arron Mosby making the 53, the Packers kept six defensive ends. Alexandre will be charged with rushing the passer on the practice field.

DT James Ester

The Packers were loaded at defensive tackle – Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, TJ Slaton, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden played all 17 games together last year. So, a spot on the practice squad is a good accomplishment.

CB Kalen King, CB Robert Rochell

Rochell was a fourth-round pick in 2022. King was a seventh-round pick in 2024. Both players had good training camps. Given the importance of the cornerback position, the Packers were fortunate to get both players back.

K Alex Hale (NFL International Player Pathway program)

Hale will serve as the backup to rookie kicker Brayden Narveson, who was claimed off waivers from the Titans. As an IPP player, he is a practice squad exemption and won’t count on the 16-player limit.

The other four players will come from outside the organization. With so many players cut by teams around the league this week, the practice squad could be fluid to start the season as the Packers bring in some of those players for tryouts.

“This is a really tough three, four days for everybody involved,” Gutekunst said. “It’s not easy to go through this process and make these decisions, but more importantly, you’ve got a lot of young men in there who’ve put in a ton of work into this and to tell them, you don’t want to move on, but just by rules you have to. So, it’s really tough, so it’s good to get on the other side of it. At the same time, nothing really stops.”

The Packers lost three players on waivers: guard Royce Newman to the Titans, safety Anthony Johnson to the Giants and receiver Grant DuBose to the Dolphins.

“There’s always less guys claimed than you think,” Gutekunst said. “Certainly, I thought with the preseasons that Anthony had, that Kristian (Welch) had, that Grant had, I thought they played really well in the preseason and they’re not rookie players, so there’s a little bit more tape, a little bit more information on those guys, that they would have a chance to get claimed.

“Royce as well. He’s played, he’s got a lot of tape in this league.et Veran offensive lineman who can play multiple spots are hard to find, and Royce is one of those guys. You always think those are the guys we thought would have the opportunity to get claimed and picked up. But you’re always hopeful that you’re able to get them back and recruit them to the practice squad.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.