Blink, and you probably missed a big Green Bay Packers update. It was a chaotic cutdown day.
The Packers made three trades. Yes, three. They also made several other notable roster moves, which included placing Micah Parsons on the PUP list. The NFL has reportedly placed Josh Jacobs on the commissioner exempt list.
It was a dizzying day. Here's a breakdown of the most notable stories as the Packers put together their initial 53-man roster.
4 takeaways from an eventful roster cutdown day for Packers
1. Josh Jacobs placed on the commissioner exempt list
The NFL has placed Josh Jacobs on the commissioner exempt list. It remains to be seen whether he will face a suspension, but for now, Jacobs can't practice with the team or play in any games. Earlier this week, Jacobs was formally charged with two misdemeanors.
It adds more uncertainty for the Packers, as we don't know how much time Jacobs will miss.
Green Bay bolstered its running back depth by reportedly trading for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson, who joins MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks on the 53-man roster. The Packers waived Pierre Strong Jr.
2. Packers make three trades on cutdown day
The Packers made three trades on Sunday.
Along with the trade for Johnson, Green Bay also acquired tight end Mark Redman from the Los Angeles Rams and sent quarterback Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins. Both were smart pieces of business.
Redman cost the Packers a 2028 sixth-round pick, while the McCord deal landed them a 2028 sixth-rounder.
The Packers took advantage of the Rams' deep tight end room. Redman could be a hidden gem and is the blocker they desperately needed at the position. He joins Tucker Kraft, recent addition Jonnu Smith, and Josh Whyle in a revamped tight end room.
3. Packers use the PUP and IR designations
As expected, the Packers have placed edge rusher Micah Parsons, tight end Luke Musgrave, and defensive tackle Jordon Riley on the Reserve/PUP list. They were sidelined for all of training camp and must now miss a minimum of four games. Parsons believes he could return by Week 6, although that's on the optimistic end.
The Packers placed wide receiver Savion Williams and edge rusher Collin Oliver on injured reserve with a designation to return. They must also miss at least four games before being able to return.
4. Packers make multiple surprise moves
Making three trades is surprising enough, but the Packers delivered a few other unexpected moves.
Brian Gutekunst rarely moves on from draft picks in Year 1. He did on Sunday, cutting sixth-round pick Domani Jackson. The rookie cornerback could re-sign to the practice squad if he clears waivers, where he'll get time to develop. The Alabama product has the potential to become a talented player, and he even received high praise from former Packer Ha Ha Clinton-Dix this offseason, but the Packers had no choice.
Jackson missed a ton of time due to offseason surgery before struggling in the preseason finale. He needs time to develop on the practice squad.
The Packers surprisingly only kept four edge rushers without Parsons and Olliver. They surprisingly didn't keep undrafted rookie Nyjalik Kelly, who turned heads in the preseason and could draw interest from other teams on waivers. Perhaps the Packers have an incoming move up their sleeve.
Other surprises from the 53-man roster:
- Offensive lineman Travis Glover made the roster ahead of Darian Kinnard. The Packers kept 10 linemen.
- Despite only keeping four edge rushers, Green Bay has rostered seven interior defensive linemen. Whether that holds until Week 1 remains to be seen.
- Two camp standouts made the roster: wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant and defensive tackle Anthony Campbell. Sturdivant extends the Packers' streak of keeping an undrafted rookie on the initial roster to 22 years.
- Despite missing all of camp, long snapper Matt Orzech makes the roster ahead of Cal Adomitis. The Packers will hope there are no issues with the field-goal unit after Trey Smack went perfect in the preseason with Adomitis snapping the ball. A head-scratching move.
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