The Green Bay Packers have released veteran inside linebacker Ty Summers, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky.
The writing on the wall came early for Summers. With the hiring of Rich Bisaccia meaning a new focus on special teams, Summers – a core player on special teams during his first three seasons – was never running with the No. 1 units.
Defensively, the Packers re-signed All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell and used a first-round pick on Quay Walker. Along with the growth of second-year player Isaiah McDuffie and two seasons of steady play by Krys Barnes, Summers was buried on the defensive depth chart, as well.
“My whole history, my whole life, has always been about competing,” he said last summer. “I’ve never had it easy. My dad played at Howard Payne University. I looked up to that and I wanted to be like him, and he always pushed me to get to this level. Whether it was dealing with injuries or dealing with guys that are elite next to me that I have to compete with, it always forced me to have to reach another level and improve my game. So, I feel like that was a big aspect leading into this situation here, it’s the same thing. Everyone’s great and we’re all out here competing for a job, but the biggest thing I’ve recognized in the whole struggle is that it’s not necessarily about me against you because we’re on the same team.”
Summers led the Packers with 12 tackles on special teams in 2020. He had only five last season, when Green Bay finished 32nd in Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings.
Summers was a seventh-round pick in 2019. He played in 46 games and started once on defense. For his career, he played 908 snaps on special teams. But his 4.51 time in the 40 and sturdy 241-pound frame never quite translated.
The Packers had 79 players on their roster for Thursday night’s preseason loss to the Chiefs. They must be down to 53 by 3 p.m. Tuesday. The Packers will practice on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday this week.
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