Jonathan Owens spent most of training camp running with Darnell Savage as the Green Bay Packers’ No. 1 tandem at safety.
Now, Owens is replacing Savage on the starting unit.
Savage aggravated a calf injury on Sunday at Denver and was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. Owens, who replaced Savage when he originally sustained the injury at Las Vegas and again at Denver, figures to earn his first starting assignment when the Packers host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
“Someone has to step up,” Owens said. “That’s pretty much what the NFL is. The next man has to come in and perform as a starter does. Just ready for the opportunity.”
Owens and Olympic legend Simone Biles were married just before Owens signed with the Packers in free agency. That’s just a part of a unique path to Green Bay.
Owens went undrafted out of Missouri Western in 2018. About a month after signing with the Arizona Cardinals as a college free agent, he suffered a torn ACL during OTAs. After sitting out all of 2018, he signed to the Houston Texans’ practice squad in September 2019.
And that’s where he stayed for the next three seasons, logging 14 appearances and two starts in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, he started all 17 games and recorded 125 tackles.
This offseason, he signed a one-year contract with the Packers. Ultimately, incumbent starter Rudy Ford beat out Owens for the starting job.
Now, for at least the next four weeks, Owens has his chance.
“It’s always exciting but you have to approach every game the same way,” he said. “Every game, I expected to be in there in case something does happen. I prepare the same way. It’s all about going out there and doing your job and making plays.”
Having played 31 snaps against the Raiders and 32 against the Broncos, Owens will take a pretty good rhythm into his first start of the season.
“I’ve put in enough on the field to where the coaches do trust me. That’s a good feeling,” he said. “You have to get comfortable within the different schemes, but it just comes down to reacting and playing fast, and knowing what to do is the biggest part. I’m a pretty smart guy, so I always make sure I know my job and try to know what everyone has to do. Just ready.”
Against the Broncos, Owens made one tackle. A third-down holding penalty prolonged a drive that resulted in a touchdown that put the Packers in a 16-3 hole.
“I thought he stepped in and did a nice job, and we’re going to need that moving forward,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think the timing of some of those third-down penalties, they’re critical penalties to extend drives. It’s just trying to play with great fundamentals, great technique and trust in your help when you have it.”
Owens is part of a banged-up secondary. Savage and cornerback Eric Stokes were placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, and cornerback Jaire Alexander has missed three of the last four games.
Whoever’s on the field on Sunday will need to be at his best against Vikings star Kirk Cousins, who is closing in on having the third-most passing yards by a quarterback in his first 150 games in NFL history.
“It’s always been a next-up mentality,” he said. “You always have to prepare as if you’re going to play every time you dress so, whenever something does happen, no one skips a beat.”
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