The Green Bay Packers announced on Wednesday that linebacker Nick Niemann, a special teams ace who had been on the injured reserve, was activated to the 53-man roster for the playoffs. The team didn’t need to make a release on the active roster because cornerback-receiver Bo Melton went on the injured reserve today with the knee injury that he suffered last week against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers also placed receiver Will Sheppard on the practice squad injury list, essentially the practice squad’s
version of injured reserve, and signed defensive lineman Anthony Campbell today, too. Sheppard was previously activated for Green Bay’s Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions, but it was Jakobie Keeney-James who was brought up for game action against the Vikings. Sheppard may still be viewed as the Packers’ top option on the practice squad at the position, with Keeney-James simply being the healthy option last week (and for the remainder of 2025 campaign).
Over the last 13 days, because of all of the reshuffling that he needed to happen because of injuries, here are the roster moves the Packers have made:
- Place LB Kristian Welch on injured reserve
- Claim DT Jonathan Ford off waivers
- Promote CB Shemar Bartholomew from practice squad
- Promote CB Jaylin Simpson from practice squad
- Sign RB Damien Martinez to practice squad
- Release DT Quinton Bohanna
- Promote S Jonathan Baldwin from practice squad
- Promote QB Clayton Tune from practice squad
- Sign OL Karsen Barnhart to practice squad
- Sign CB Tyron Herring to practice squad
- Sign QB Desmond Ridder to practice squad
- Place S Zayne Anderson on injured reserve
- Place CB Nate Hobbs on injured reserve
- Claim CB Trevon Diggs off waivers
- Sign S Mark Perry to practice squad
- Place TE McCallan Castles on practice squad injured list
- Promote WR Jakobie Keeney-James from practice squad
- Promote OL Lecitus Smith from practice squad
- Place OL Donovan Jennings on injured reserve
- Place WR Savion Williams on injured reserve
- Promote QB Desmond Ridder from practice squad
- Sign WR Julian Hicks to practice squad
- Sign WR Kisean Johnson to practice squad
- Sign TE Messiah Swinson to practice squad
- Release QB Clayton Tune
- Activate LB Nick Niemann from injured reserve
- Place CB Bo Melton on injured reserve
- Sign DT Anthony Campbell to practice squad
- Place WR Will Sheppard on practice squad injured list
That’s 29 moves in 13 days, not including the gameday elevations for tight end Drake Dabney and linebacker Jamon Johnson in Week 18 and Dabney and quarterback Clayton Tune in Week 17. If you want to count those, the Packers have had to make 33 moves in 13 days to keep this ship afloat for the postseason.
