The Green Bay Packers will have some hard decisions to make as they get ready to narrow the roster down to 53. After three stellar weeks with the team, backup defensive back Kamal Hadden is making any decision about him all but certain.
Hadden signed with the Packers in 2024 after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and subsequently waived. He spent most of his first year on the practice squad, and then had a rough 2025.
Although Hadden did play in 10 games for the Packers, his season ended after the defensive back suffered a brutal injury against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, when he broke his tibia and fibula and dislocated his ankle.
Originally a cornerback, Hadden has actually spent a lot of his time in training camp this year serving as a backup safety to Javon Bullard. While Bullard works his way back from an ankle injury, Hadden has been used primarily in the slot, where Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has deployed his safeties at times in the preseason.
Last week against the Denver Broncos, Hadden showed what he was capable of.
Kamal Hadden's case for making the Packers' roster is clear
In the game, Hadden finished with five tackles, two of which were for a loss. Although it's just preseason, Pro Football Focus credited him with a 79.8 overall grade and a 77.3 grade in coverage. With the caveat that it's only preseason, that is some strong play for Hadden, who showed he was unafraid of getting involved in the run game yet again and making some stops.
While Hadden is turning heads in the game, he faces his toughest hurdles on the depth chart. The Packers' safety room is probably its strongest position on the defense, if not the entire team. Star Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and a rising player in Bullard are all cemented on the roster.
Hadden joining the safety group over the cornerbacks unit means he's competing with some really talented players. However, even though it's a crowded room, it'd be really hard to see the Packers cutting him now.
Not only would he probably not make it through waivers to sign with the practice squad, but on a human level, he's done everything you could ask of a player. He came back from a brutal injury, switched positions to the deepest on the team, and has done nothing but perform when he's put in.
From an NFL perspective, you just don't get rid of guys like that. From a Packers' perspective, the secondary has been so suspect over the years that Hadden's play is more than worthy of a spot on the team, even if it means carrying an extra safety.
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