Green Bay Packers rookie suddenly retires following rookie minicamp

Per a statement by the Packers, the team claimed defensive lineman Spencer Waege off waivers after the San Francisco 49ers waived him last week:

Waege (6-5, 295), a first-year player out of North Dakota State, was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023. He was released at the end of training camp, but signed to the 49ers’ practice squad on Nov. 15, 2023, where he spent the rest of the season.

In college, Waege was a three-year starter and a two-time All-American and All-Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive end. He will wear No. 64 for the Packers.

Trente Jones is on the reserve/retire list

The Packers needed to add a player after they placed undrafted rookie Trente Jones on the reserve/retired list. Many Packers fan sites thought he had a chance to make the team this fall. As discussed by Robin Adams with Wisconsin Sports Heroics, Jones was named an undrafted player to watch in training camp:

In an article that named one undrafted free agent from each NFC team that fans should watch, PFF’s Thomas Valentine identified Trente Jones out of Michigan as the one for the Packers. He wrote:

“The Packers have made developing offensive linemen into something of an art form in recent seasons. Jones has had limited game time at Michigan but earned an 81.1 pass-blocking grade for his work in 2023, splitting his time between left tackle, right tackle and as an extra offensive lineman, but could kick inside to guard on the Packers roster.”

Jones will certainly have his work cut out for him on his journey to make the Packers’ final roster. However, he is joining a position group that is very young and has plenty of jobs up for grabs after losing three offensive linemen to free agency/cap casualty.

It’s unusual for a rookie to retire after completing rookie minicamp. As of this publishing, it’s unclear why Jones decided to retire. The Packers must have liked what they saw out of Jones because they chose to keep his rights should Jones return to the NFL.