Packers Elevating Rookie Safety for Sunday vs. Chargers

The Green Bay Packers are elevating undrafted rookie safety Benny Sapp III to their gameday roster for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

It will be Sapp’s NFL debut.

For Sapp, this isn’t the finish line but it’s one heck of a milestone. A hot recruit from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., due to the combination of talent and genetics – his father, Benny Sapp, played eight NFL seasons – Sapp suffered three season-ending knee injuries in high school.

Thanks in part to his family’s move to Minnesota and his father’s history with the Vikings, Sapp landed a scholarship at the University of Minnesota. He spent two years there, then transferred to Northern Iowa for his final three seasons. In 2022, he earned FCS All-American honors.

Sapp went undrafted and landed with the Packers. On his final snap of the final preseason game, Sapp’s end-zone interception preserved Green Bay’s victory over the Seahawks.

Afterward, in the auxiliary locker room that’s connected to the main locker room, Sapp was swarmed by reporters and teammates. Former starting cornerback Rasul Douglas was among the most excited.

“Hopefully, it’s here but I know that I proved that I can play in the NFL, no matter the circumstances that I had in the past,” Sapp said. “I walk by faith. I really don’t care what’s going on in front of me, I’m just going to keep pushing. I’m going to keep stacking days. Whenever that day comes, I’m going to be ready to suit up.”

That day is Sunday.

With Darnell Savage on injured reserve and Rudy Ford expected to be inactive, the Packers are down to veteran Jonathan Owens and rookie Anthony Johnson as the presumptive starters. Special-teams leader Dallin Leavitt and Zayne Anderson as the other safeties on the 53.

With Savage on IR and Ford inactive against the Rams two weeks ago, the Packers elevated Innis Gaines to the gameday roster. The Packers, however, released Gaines this week. So, Sapp is the next man up.

“I learned a lot about how to be a pro,” Sapp said at the end of camp. “It wasn’t fun at first because you’ve got to learn the system but, once you put the time in and everything, man, it felt all worth it. Staying up those nights, watching the game in your hotel room, asking your coach – nothing is a dumb question – it felt great. Just being prepared for this moment and it came, and I was ready.”