Who are the newcomers to Packers roster ahead of 2025 regular season finale?

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The Green Bay Packers made seven roster moves on Tuesday, adding healthy bodies to the 53-man roster and practice squad before Matt LaFleur's team takes on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Sunday's regular season finale.

To make room for the four newcomers, the Packers placed cornerback Kamal Hadden (ankle) and defensive tackle Jordon Riley on injured reserve and released defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna.

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Get to know the new players below:

DL Jonathan Ford

 David Banks-Imagn Images

Aug 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jonathan Ford (64) after the game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

A 2022 seventh-round pick of the Packers, Ford (6-5, 338) returns after spending two seasons and playing in 12 games with the Chicago Bears over the last two seasons. The Bears waived Ford on Saturday, and the Packers were awarded him off waivers on Monday. The big man is officially back on the 53-man roster after passing his physical on Tuesday. Ford is returning to a desperate defensive line that needs a capable run defender at defensive tackle. With Riley on injured reserve and Bohanna released, the Packers will need Ford and rookie Nazir Stackhouse to hold up in some big spots against the run in the regular season finale and the postseason.

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CB Jaylin Simpson

Auburn Tigers defensive back Jaylin Simpson (36) celebrates before being called for defensive pass interference call during the first quarter as Auburn Tigers take on New Mexico State Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.

Auburn Tigers defensive back Jaylin Simpson (36) celebrates before being called for defensive pass interference call during the first quarter as Auburn Tigers take on New Mexico State Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.

Simpson is a newcomer to the 53-man roster, but he's been on the practice squad since the start of the regular season. A fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2024 draft, Simpson has never appeared in a regular season game at the NFL level. The Packers elevated him from the practice squad in Week 13 but he did not play. At Auburn, Simpson (6-0, 180) played both in the slot and at safety, giving him valuable versatility in the secondary as the Packers approach the regular season finale. During his final collegiate season in 2023, Simpson played almost 300 snaps as a deep free safety and almost 200 in the slot, and he earned a 87.5 coverage grade from PFF.

From his NFL.com draft profile: "Long defensive back with speed, athleticism and ball skills that might have teams posting him in the cornerback column instead of at safety. Simpson has started at both positions but might be caught between the two. He doesn’t support the run well enough to instill confidence as a last line of defense and he can be a little tardy to get his hips flipped in one-on-one transitions as a corner. Simpson does pedal and match receivers in space, balancing his eyes between route progressions and the quarterback as a high safety. He also contests catches with good success. He’s a good football player with explosive traits, but teams will need to have a plan for how to use him."

Jaylin Simpson RAS

Jaylin Simpson RAS

CB Shemar Bartholomew

Like Simpson, Bartholomew (6-0, 200) was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. He's been in Green Bay since Dec. 5. After going undrafted out of Georgia State in 2024, Bartholomew spent time with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings, and he played in five games for the Panthers last season. He played 34 snaps on special teams and saw action on defense in just one game. This past preseason, Bartholomew played 82 snaps on defense for the Panthers, all as a perimeter cornerback. He allowed six catches and three touchdown passes on 10 targets into his coverage. Bartholomew has no slot experience in the NFL.

Shemar Bartholomew RAS

Shemar Bartholomew RAS

RB Damien Martinez

The Packers signed Martinez (6-0, 217) to the practice squad. A seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, Martinez has not appeared in a regular season game. He played in all three preseason games for the Seahawks, rushing 24 times for 84 yards and a touchdown, including a 24-yard rushing day against the Packers in the preseason finale. At the college level, Martinez produced back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and scored 26 career rushing touchdowns. He was excellent for Miami in 2024, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt and forcing 42 missed tackles, per PFF. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry, forced 56 missed tackles and had 39 runs of at least 10 yards for Oregon State in 2023. Martinez is still only 21 years old.

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From his NFL.com draft profile: "Productive three-year starter with an impressive blend of power, dexterity and decisiveness. First and foremost, Martinez is truly a “big back” who proves he can find yards after contact on most carries. He lacks speed to win outside but does a nice job creating alternate routes using vision and agility when it’s congested inside. Despite a lack of breakaway speed, Martinez averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 514 career totes. He can catch passes here and there but could be best dialed in as a complementary banger capable of taking on the lion’s share of the carries if needed."

Damien Martinez RAS

Damien Martinez RAS

The Packers hosted tryouts for six players on Tuesday, including Martinez. The others: running back Micah Bernard (Utah), defensive back JaTravis Broughton (TCU), defensive back Mello Dotson (Kansas), linebacker Joel Dublanko (Cincinnati) and linebacker Curtis Jacobs (Penn State).

Green Bay still has one spot open on the 53-man roster and practice squad, so at least two more additions are possible this week.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Who are the newcomers to Packers roster ahead of 2025 regular season finale?

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