The Green Bay Packers could watch the competition for the last wide receiver spot heat up in training camp.
Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Savion Williams are locks to make the team, while Skyy Moore will probably get the fifth slot because of his value on special teams. That would potentially leave one spot up for grabs. Undrafted rookie J. Michael Sturdivant, Will Shepard, Isaiah Neyer, Bo Melton, and Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, will be competing for it.
Sturdivant may have the biggest upside of the bunch, but the team's brass appears to be high on Melton even though he's failed to deliver the past three years. Either way, this could be one of the closest position battles in Packers training camp. The margin for error will be slim, which is why Rice couldn't have hit a speed bump at the worst possible time.
The Packers placed Brenden Rice on the NFI list after Day 1 of training camp
On Wednesday, the Packers activated guard Aaron Banks and defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse from the physically unable to perform list. They also placed wide receiver Brenden Rice on the non-football injury list, but the injury and its severity weren't disclosed.
Banks dealt with a myriad of ailments last year, so having him back for the start of training camp is huge. Similarly, Stackhouse offers depth at defensive tackle and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot.
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On the other hand, Rice will miss valuable time. Granted, he can be activated at any time, but there's also a chance he'll miss substantial practice time. Either way, he's at risk of falling behind in the competition for the WR6 job.
An undrafted free agent in 2024, Rice spent his rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers and suited up for one game. He had a brief stint with the New England Patriots before bolting for the Seattle Seahawks. The former USC Trojan then signed with the Las Vegas Raiders to end 2025. However, he was waived this past May and claimed by Green Bay just a couple of days later.
Brenden Rice has an uphill battle to make the Packers roster
The truth is that Rice was always a long shot to make the team. Sure, he could come back from the PUP list and make an impression, but even that may not be enough to stick around in Titletown.
Make no mistake, Rice deserves credit for not throwing in the towel after getting cut four times, but there's a reason he's had trouble latching onto a team the past two years: He simply may not be good enough, or at least not good enough to spend a whole season on an active NFL roster.
Heck, at this point in Rice's career, landing on a practice squad with the Packers or another team may be the best-case scenario.
You should never say never, and crazier things have happened, but Rice's odds of staying in Green Bay beyond this summer don't look great.
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