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It’s not often that a rookie retires before they ever step onto the field for an NFL team, but it happened to the Green Bay Packers on Monday. The Packers placed un-drafted free agent offensive lineman Trente Jones on the reserved/retired list, seemingly ending his career.
The club then replaced him with defensive lineman Spencer Waege (WAY-jee) on the 90-man roster, claiming him off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. The Packers will keep Jones’ contract rights in case he does return to football, but he won’t count as a rostered player. The reason for his retirement is currently unknown.
This is a fairly significant shakeup with organized team activities starting on May 20th. Jones was a good candidate to make waves as a diamond in the rough this offseason, as he boasts an accomplished NCAA resume. The 23-year-old started 13 games for Michigan, appearing at both tackle spots. Jones also received a favorable scouting report, via Lance Zeirlein of NFL.com.
“Jones is highly athletic, with the ability to bend and drive opponents off the spot or stall the rush with his punch and cinch,” Zierlein said. “He has the talent to play in all blocking schemes, but there might be concerns about why he failed to establish himself as a full-time starter at Michigan.”
With the loss of Jones, Green Bay decided to compensate by bolstering the line of the other side of the ball. Who is Waege, and how much of an impact will he make with the Packers?
Waege will have to work hard to make the Packers’ 53-man roster
Waege is a 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive end out of North Dakota State. He was signed by the Niners as an undrafted free agent on May 12th last year and went on to play 54 snaps in the preseason, batting down one pass and assisting on one tackle. Waege was released at the end of training camp but then signed to San Francisco’s practice squad on November 15th, where he remained the rest of the season.
In college, Waege started three seasons for the Bison, garnering All-American and All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors twice. In total, he recorded 42 tackles for a loss with 20.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two blocked kicks, and four pass breakups across five seasons.
Waege missed the majority of the 2021 season with an ACL injury, so he technically only played four full seasons. The 25-year-old’s best campaign was in 2022 when he recorded 42 pressures, 17.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 quarterback sacks.
Whether the Packers use him as an edge rusher or nose tackle, it’ll be hard for Waege to make the 53-man roster. Green Bay boasts several more experienced veterans on the defensive line, such as Kenny Clark, Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, and Devonte Wyatt.
With that being said, there are unexpected preseason stars that pop up every year. While Waege faces an uphill battle, he doesn’t have any truly elite players at his position group to battle for playing time with. Regardless, the preseason will be a crucial time for him to show off his talents.
More must-reads:
- NFC's worst offseason moves: Cowboys, Falcons slip with boneheaded decisions
- NFLPA finalizing proposal for major change to offseason schedule
- The 'Most receiving yards in a season' quiz
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