GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay Packers got down to the 53-player roster limit in spectacular fashion on Sunday.
There were roster cuts, of course. There also were three trades and a don't-call-it-a-suspension suspension for Josh Jacobs .
Here are the winners and losers from a Cutdown Day that might not be matched for a long time.
Congratulations. Not quite 1,700 players were selected for NFL rosters on Sunday. It's a remarkable accomplishment. From QB1 to DB9, it takes a unique combination of talent, toughness and mindset to make it in the NFL.
They aren't losers because they were released. That would be a callous perspective. Imagine working for most of your life toward a goal, giving it your all and being told you're not quite good enough. Blood, sweat and tears for a broken dream.
On the bright side, many of the players who were released will wind up on the practice squad. Maybe a couple will wind up on some other team's roster.
But, for many, their NFL dream died on Sunday. They'll return home, start working out and preparing for their next opportunity - one that might never come. What a cruel, cruel reality.
Kyle McCord went from being released and winding up back on Green Bay's practice squad to being the No. 2 quarterback for the Dolphins. After leading the Packers to a come-from-behind victory against Arizona on Friday night, he's one turned ankle from running Miami 's offense in a real game.
He also got a big bump in pay. The minimum salary for a practice-squad player with McCord's lack of experience is $13,750 per week. That's $247,000 for the 18- week season. The minimum salary for a first-year player on the 53-man roster is $1.05 million.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) hands the ball off to running back Marshawn Lloyd at Denver. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In his first two seasons in the NFL, MarShawn Lloyd played in one game. He touched the ball seven times in 10 snaps against the Colts in Week 2 of the 2024 season before an avalanche of injuries sidelined him for the next 32 games.
Now, after a healthy training camp and with Josh Jacobs landing on the Commissioner's Exempt List, he's the team's starting running back.
He's ready for the challenge.
"Honestly, I'm a baller," he said. "I'm a baller. Honestly, you just got to be ready whenever your number's called. I feel like the way my body's feeling, it's football. You know, there's games I had in college where I had a lot of carries. It's just football. You got to be ready for whatever."
Kaleb Johnson was buried on Pittsburgh 's depth chart. In fact, last year's third-round draft pick was so far down the depth chart that he was behind former Packers seventh-round pick Lew Nichols .
Now, after averaging just 2.5 yards per carry as a rookie, Johnson - an All-American at Iowa in 2024 - has a chance to rekindle his career, reach his immense potential and be a real X-factor for a championship-contending team. The Packers acquired him for a 2028 sixth-round pick. He'll have a chance to contribute immediately, which could not be said in Pittsburgh.
Pierre Strong's strong training camp on offense and special teams had him in position to be the No. 3 back if Josh Jacobs were to be suspended. Instead, he was cast aside for a player who was tossed aside in Pittsburgh after just one season.
Always believe in yourself. | https://x.com/jmike_04/status/2094206297872683159
This says it all.
J. Michael Sturdivant went from undrafted free agent to the Packers' 53-man roster, thanks in large part to his superb performance against Arizona.
One of Green Bay's backup receivers is Bo Melton , who in four NFL seasons has 28 receptions, including four last year. Another is Skyy Moore , who in four NFL seasons has 48 receptions, including five the last two years.
It's certainly not out of the question that Sturdivant might play meaningful snaps sooner than later.
After catching six passes for 112 yards against the Cardinals, he said it would be a "dream come true" to make the roster.
"You dream of making it to the NFL your whole life," he said. "Honestly, you put all the work in to make it happen, so it would be a great feeling. But it's not the end goal. My dream wasn't just to make the team for a day. It's going to be a good feeling but, at the end of the day, we're going to have a season to tackle."
The Rams kept five tight ends on their 53-man roster. Mark Redman was No. 6. Now, after being acquired for a 2028 seventh-round pick, he's No. 4 in Green Bay with a shot to quickly carve out a meaningful role because of his size and strength as a blocker.
A seventh-round pick in 2025 who missed his rookie season with a back injury, John Williams won a spot on the roster because of his potential as a left tackle and versatile backup. Other O-line winners were tackle/guard Travis Glover and guard/center Donovan Jennings , who emerged from the bubble with roster spots.
John Williams won the roster spot at the expense of Darian Kinnard, a valuable backup who received a $1 million signing bonus to re-sign with the Packers in free agency.
Anthony Campbell's story is the stuff of legend. Imagine being not good enough to play in college - he played 56 snaps and had one tackle in two seasons at Miami - but being good enough to make Green Bay's roster.
It is a credit to general manager Brian Gutekunst and his scouts, defensive line coaches DeMarcus Covington and Vince Oghobaase and, of course, Campbell for having the incredible perseverance necessary to not take no for an answer.
Jonathan Ford was a seventh-round draft pick by the Packers in 2022. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad and didn't play in a game. He spent his second season on the practice squad and didn't play in a game. He opened the 2024 season on the practice squad and didn't play in a game until he was poached by the Bears late in the season.
Ford returned to Green Bay at the end of last season and made a good impression in Week 18 against the Vikings and the playoffs against the Bears. This summer, Ford won a roster spot and might be a Week 1 starter, depending on the personnel grouping.
"I really thought once I left here that first time, that was it," he said last week. "When I got the call back, it was like, wow, something I didn't expect. The fact that I'm back here and making plays at the organization that drafted me and gave me the opportunity is beautiful."
Receiver J. Michael Sturdivant extended Green Bay's streak to 22 consecutive years with at least one undrafted rookie making the 53-man roster. Last year, it was Nazir Stackhouse who extended the streak to 21 years.
Stackhouse is a good player. It wasn't as if he didn't take a Year 2 jump. He just wasn't good enough to beat out Jonathan Ford. It'll be interesting to see if he lands elsewhere.
After missing the end of last season with a serious ankle injury, Hadden returned early in training camp - with a vengeance. Hadden will provide quality depth at cornerback, in the slot and be a presence on special teams with his athleticism, energy and mentality.
"I just feel like I've just got so much more that I can show," he said this week. "If I really take control and take heed of everything that comes with the nickel position and learning it more and deeper - like, I only just started playing it, and I know a lot, but there's so much that I could have did more in the game, so many plays that I left out there in game, and so many plays that I left in practice.
"But every day, I'm getting better at one little thing, whether it's technique, leverage or anything. Man, I just know that I could be better, and I know I could have a lot more plays to be made out there and things like that. So, I don't really think that I did much. Nothing for me is guaranteed."
Mark Perry would have been a story almost as good as Anthony Campbell's had he made the roster. He went undrafted in 2024 and has bounced around the league. The Packers were his sixth team - and he has never been on a 53-man roster or played in a game.
Perry ran with the No. 2 defense from the first day of OTAs to the last day of training camp. However, the Packers released him on Sunday, probably so they could keep J. Michael Sturdivant as a seventh receiver.
He'll probably wind up on the practice squad with a chance to play in a game.
Cal Adomitis is another example of a player who did everything right but it wasn't enough.
With incumbent snapper Matt Orzech on PUP throughout training camp, Adomitis was the snapper as rookie Trey Smack got in a groove. That's probably coincidental, but the fact is Adomitis had a good camp. At worst, he should be the No. 1 snapper on any team's ready list.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi as Winners and Losers From Wheeling-and-Dealing Packers Roster Cuts .
