Packers make 5 roster moves going into wild card action

The Green Bay Packers announced on Tuesday that the team has released backup quarterback Clayton Tune, who had -7 net passing yards against the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 18 regular-season finale that almost exclusively saw the Packers’ backup players receive playing time. Earlier on Tuesday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur admitted that starting quarterback Jordan Love, who didn’t play a snap in the game, received a “normal” amount of snaps throughout the week of prep for the Vikings, so it appears that Tune went into that game relatively cold. Love, who served as the team’s backup against Minnesota because backup quarterback Malik Willis (shoulder/hamstring) was out with an injury, was going to hand the ball off every single play had he been forced into action, according to LaFleur.

Instead of Tune, it looks like Green Bay’s emergency third quarterback for the playoffs will be Desmond Ridder, who was signed to the team’s practice squad last week. Today, the Packers promoted him to the 53-man roster.

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Interestingly, Ridder was on the street and therefore has been available for the Packers during three different periods this year:

• August 26th – September 16th

• October 4th – November 27th

• December 12th – December 31st

At any of those points, Green Bay could have dumped Tune in favor of Ridder, but the team chose to ride out the Tune train. As a reminder, Tune was in training camp for the Cincinnati Bengals, so at the start of the season, the Packers could have simply chosen to bring in Ridder, a 26-year-old former third-round pick, over Tune as their practice squad quarterback, but elected to go the Tune route.

For what it’s worth, LaFleur said that Willis is expected to play this week, so Ridder will likely not be active on gameday, despite being on the 53-man roster. Ridder can potentially enter the game, though, as the NFL has a third quarterback rule, which states that an inactive member (not on the gameday 48) of the 53-man roster can play if two quarterbacks are pulled and do not return to action for the remainder of the game. Previously, LaFleur has said that running back Josh Jacobs and receiver Jayden Reed are the team’s emergency quarterbacks, if it comes down to a fourth option under center this week.

Beyond the 53-man roster changes, the Packers also brought back receiver Julian Hicks and tight end Messiah Swinson to the practice squad. Hicks was brought in as an undrafted free agent for Green Bay this year and was released at the cutdown deadline this summer. Swinson was a 2024 undrafted free agent who got his start with the Packers, but was poached by the Carolina Panthers during the 2024 regular season from Green Bay’s practice squad and has since had stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals’ practice squads. Swinson was just released by the Cardinals on December 30th.

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There might be a real chance that Swinson, a blocking tight end, plays on Saturday. Right now, the Packers only have two tight ends on the 53-man roster, Luke Musgrave and Josh Whyle, as Tucker Kraft, John FitzPatrick and McCallan Castles are all on the team’s injury lists, while Ben Sims was waiver claimed by the Vikings around midseason. It will likely be one of Swinson or Drake Dabney, who was signed to the practice squad in Week 10 and was elevated for action in Weeks 17 and 18, who will serve as the team’s third tight end against the Bears.

Green Bay also added receiver Kisean Johnson to the practice squad. Johnson was given the number six jersey, which was previously worn by Tune, so it appears that Tune will not be returning to the Packers.

Over the last week or so, the Packers have made close to 30 total roster moves. Below is what the roster situation looks like after all of the injuries and shake-ups that happened in response to injuries:

Quarterback

• Jordan Love

• Malik Willis

• Desmond Ridder

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Running Back

• Josh Jacobs

• Emanuel Wilson

• Chris Brooks

• Pierre Strong Jr. (practice squad)

• Damien Martinez (practice squad)

• MarShawn Lloyd (injured reserve)

Receiver

• Romeo Doubs

• Christian Watson

• Jayden Reed

• Dontayvion Wicks

• Matthew Golden

• Jakobie Keeney-James

• Will Sheppard (practice squad)

• Isaiah Neyor (practice squad)

• Julian Hicks (practice squad)

• Kisean Johnson (practice squad)

• Savion Williams (injured reserve)

Tight End

• Luke Musgrave

• Josh Whyle

• Drake Dabney (practice squad)

• Messiah Swinson (practice squad)

• Tucker Kraft (injured reserve)

• John FitzPatrick (injured reserve)

• McCallan Castles (practice squad – injury list)

Offensive Line

• Rasheed Walker

• Aaron Banks

• Sean Rhyan

• Anthony Belton

• Zach Tom

• Jordan Morgan

• Darian Kinnard

• Jacon Monk

• Lecitus Smith

• John Williams (injured reserve – designated to return)

• Brant Banks (practice squad)

• Dalton Cooper (practice squad)

• Karsen Barnhart (practice squad)

• Elgton Jenkins (injured reserve)

• Travis Glover (injured reserve)

• Donovan Jennings (injured reserve)

Defensive End

• Rashan Gary

• Lukas Van Ness

• Kingsley Enagbare

• Brenton Cox Jr.

• Barryn Sorrell

• Collin Oliver

• Arron Mosby

• Micah Parsons (injured reserve)

Defensive Tackle

• Colby Wooden

• Karl Brooks

• Warren Brinson

• Nazir Stackhouse

• Jonathan Ford

• James Ester (practice squad)

• Dante Barnett (practice squad – international exemption)

• Devonte Wyatt (injured reserve)

• Jordon Riley (injured reserve)

Linebacker

• Quay Walker

• Edgerrin Cooper

• Isaiah McDuffie

• Ty’Ron Hopper

• Nick Niemann (injured reserve – designated to return)

• Jamon Johnson (practice squad)

• Kristian Welch (injured reserve)

Cornerback

• Keisean Nixon

• Carrington Valentine

• Trevon Diggs

• Bo Melton

• Jaylin Simpson

• Shemar Bartholomew

• Tyron Herring (practice squad)

• Nate Hobbs (injured reserve)

• Kamal Hadden (injured reserve)

Safety

• Xavier McKinney

• Evan Williams

• Javon Bullard

• Kitan Oladapo

• Johnathan Baldwin

• Mark Perry (practice squad)

• Zayne Anderson (injured reserve)

Kicker

• Brandon McManus

Punter

• Daniel Whelan

• Lucas Havrisik (practice squad)

Long Snapper

• Matt Orzech

Green Bay is given the ability to call up two players from the practice squad this week to the pool of gameday eligible players (55 total, including the full 53-man roster), which will end up being cut to 48 active players on gameday against the Bears. As it stands now, I would assume that it will be a tight end (either Dabney or Swinson) and linebacker Jamon Johnson, if and only if linebacker Nick Niemann isn’t called up to the 53-man roster from the injured reserve. The team’s active roster and practice squads have now been filled.