The Green Bay Packers have finalized their initial 53-man roster for the 2025 season, with GM Brian Gutekunst cutting the squad down from 90 as Green Bay turns their attention towards Detroit in the regular season opener.
Here are some quick thoughts on the various decisions the Packers made regarding their roster on Tuesday:
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— Isaiah Simmons’ release was both surprising and not surprising at the same time. The way he had played on defense in two of the three preseason games did not bode well for his status on the team, but he had been a starting gunner throughout the summer, and it seemed like his special teams value would keep him on the roster, regardless of his defensive struggles.
— Kristian Welch also failed to make the team, meaning the Packers kept only four off-ball linebackers on the 53, which is somewhat surprising as Gutekunst spoke openly this spring about the need to have more linebackers on the roster after switching to a 4-3 scheme.
— With both Simmons and veteran receiver Mecole Hardman released, there will be no De’Vondre-Campbell-style reclamation project for the Packers in 2025.
— Malik Heath won the battle for the final receiver spot with Hardman, whose release invites questions as to who will return punts for Green Bay next weekend. It could be a positive sign for Jayden Reed’s availability as he recovers from injury, or perhaps the Packers will scour the waiver wire to add a return specialist.
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— As expected, neither Sean Clifford or Taylor Elgersma made the team, as the Packers go with just two quarterbacks on the 53. The next question is whether either of them is brought back on the practice squad, or if Green Bay adds an arm from outside, with plenty of QBs being released around the league.
— With defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse making the team, the Packers are on course to extend their streak of at least one undrafted rookie being on the 53 in Week 1 to 21 years, an impressive run that the team is clearly proud of. The former Georgia defender could earn playing time as a rotational nose tackle for Green Bay in 2025.
— Green Bay made some interesting cornerback choices, with Bo Melton making it after transitioning from wide receiver this offseason, along with seventh-round rookie Micah Robinson and Kamal Hadden. That meant Kalen King, who ended the preseason well with a strong performance against the Seahawks, was not kept on the 53, while Corey Ballentine, who was recently re-signed and has played extensive snaps for the team in previous seasons, was also released.
— The Packers kept six cornerbacks, and Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said the Packers wanted to make sure they had “depth” at corner with Nate Hobbs still recovering from surgery on his knee. Could that mean bad news for Hobbs’ Week 1 availability?
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— Green Bay made use of the various mechanisms to store injured players, including the two new injured reserve spots which allow players to return at some point during the season, which were used on MarShawn and Jacob Monk. Monk’s injury was fortunate for Donovan Jennings, who made the roster but would likely not have otherwise.
— After missing all of training camp, Christian Watson, John Williams and Collin Oliver all start the year on the PUP list, while Omar Brown, who has only recently been released from an Indianapolis hospital after suffering a scary lung injury, goes on season-ending IR, indicating the Packers would like him around for 2026.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Quick takeaways from Packers cutdowns: Surprising cuts and tough calls