This gives Green Bay five roster-caliber linebackers going into next season: Franklin, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty\u2019Ron Hopper and now Niemann. Previously, it was common for the Packers to just roster four off-ball linebackers when they ran 3-4 defenses, which is what new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is expected to run in Green Bay. The fact that Niemann was brought back might be a sign that the team will continue to keep five off-ball linebackers on the roster, which they did under Jeff Hafley (and probably at the request of Rich Bisaccia, too).<\/p>\n
Niemann was basically a special-teams-only player for the Packers, the only one the team consistently rostered throughout the 2025 season. The other player who might fit this mold is \u201cdefensive end\u201d Arron Mosby, but even he wasn\u2019t brought up to the 53-man roster until Week 10.<\/p>\n
Niemann was picked up by the Packers after the cutdown deadline, following his release from the Houston Texans. He signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Texans but never played a regular-season snap with the team. After cashing in his signing bonus in Houston, Niemann played on a $1.17 million base salary with Green Bay in 2025.<\/p>\n
Niemann played 114 special teams snaps for the Packers over seven games before suffering a pectoral injury. He was activated from the injured reserve for the playoffs, when he saw his first defensive snap of the season on the two-point conversion attempt that the Chicago Bears connected on (because Edgerrin Cooper went down with an injury).<\/p>\n