Packers make a slew of roster moves thinking about the 2025 season

The Green Bay Packers are already thinking about next season. On Monday, one day after the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the team announced that it has signed 12 players to future deals. All of them finished the 2024 season on the practice squad.

Future signings:

• DE Deslin Alexandre
• S Omar Brown
• DT James Ester
• CB Kamal Hadden
• K Alex Hale (International Pathway Program)
• G Marquis Hayes
• WR Julian Hicks
• G Donovan Jennings
• WR Cornelius Johnson
• CB Kalen King
• DE Jeremiah Martin
• TE Messiah Swinson

Players on the practice squad who haven't been signed:

• LB Michael Barrett
• RB Deshaun Fenwick
• G Michael Jordan
• WR Alex McGough
• RB Ellis Merriweather (injured list)

Quarterback Sean Clifford spent most of the 2024 season on the practice squad, but the team promoted him to the active roster in the final week. It was a one-year deal, so it expires, but he is slated to be an exclusive-rights free agent.

Future deals are an NFL tool to allow free agents to sign contracts with new teams even though the 2025 New League Year only starts in March.

These deals only take effect in March, but the Packers are safe that these players will be a part of the offseason 90-man roster.

They already had 40 players under contract, so now the roster has 52 players—only 51 roster spots have been occupied, though, since Alex Hale has a roster exemption as part of the International Pathway Program. Free agency, draft, and undrafted free agency will be the main tools to round out the group ahead of the offseason program.

Practice squad elevations in 2024:

• FB Andrew Beck (3) > later released
• CB Robert Rochell (3) > later promoted to the 53-man roster
• S Omar Brown (3)
• QB Sean Clifford (2) > later promoted to the 53-man roster
• CB Kamal Hadden (2)
• RB Ellis Merriweather (1) > on practice squad/injured list
• CB Kalen King (1)
• LB Michael Barrett (1)