The Green Bay Packers are making another addition to their wide receiver corps after completing their first two-day block of OTA practices earlier this week.
The Packers signed former Miami undrafted rookie wide receiver Sam Brown Jr. on Thursday and waived defensive lineman Jeremiah Martin with an injury designation in a corresponding roster move that allowed them to stay at the 90-man roster limit.
Brown played with Packers first-round rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden for two seasons at Houston in 2022 and 2023 before they each transferred to different schools for the 2024 season. During their time together with the Cougars, Brown also had more receiving production than Golden, catching 103 passes for 1,286 yards in 23 games while the eventual first-rounder tallied 76 receptions for 988 yards in 20 games.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber, the Packers showed pre-draft interest in Brown earlier this year and decided to sign him after a Thursday morning workout.
Following Brown’s signing, the Packers now have 13 receivers signed to their 90-man roster, including returning starters Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed, offseason veteran free-agent signing Mecole Hardman Jr. and 2025 third-round pick Savion Williams.
Jeremiah Martin Joined Packers Late in 2024 Season
The Packers have one less defensive end vying for a role in the rotation after Thursday’s roster moves. While Martin had not gotten much of a chance to state his case, an injury — the nature of which the team did not disclose — knocked him firmly out of contention.
Martin originally signed with the Packers’ practice squad last December amid the 2024 season, but the team never presented him with an elevation opportunity to fortify their edge-rushing rotation. Nevertheless, the Packers made Martin one of the first players they signed to a reserve/future contract once their run ended in the 2025 NFL playoffs.
Some of their intrigue likely tied back to Martin’s final season at Washington in college. In 13 games in the outside linebacker role, he notched 41 total tackles with 8.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. His collegiate success did not translate to the NFL in his previous stops with Cleveland and New York, but it did grant him the chance to hone his skills in the UFL — for two different squads — before Green Bay called him.
Now, Martin will have to prioritize his recovery before seeking out his next opportunity in the NFL. While the extent of his injury is not known, he could potentially earn a spot on a team’s training camp roster if he manages to recover from his injury before July.
Can Sam Brown Jr. Stand Out in Crowded WR Room?
Brown’s athleticism makes him an interesting addition for the Packers, though he did not leap to a new level of production after his transfer from Houston, as Golden did.
In his lone season at Miami, Brown averaged a career-high 14.1 yards per reception, but he also finished fourth in receptions (36), fifth in receiving yards (509) and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (two) for the Hurricanes offense. Then again, the Canes also spread the ball out quite a bit with 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward under center.
The bigger problem for Brown’s roster pursuit is the logjam at wide receiver, though.
While it is not unusual for a team to carry double-digit wideouts on its roster at this stage in the offseason, the quality of the Packers’ current receivers has raised questions about how they will proceed as they work toward the start of the 2025 regular season.
The Packers return not only Doubs and Reed but also Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath, all of whom contributed to their 2024 rotation. As mentioned, they also signed Hardman and drafted Golden and Williams this offseason, giving them nine legitimate roster contenders without enough spots to go around.
Now, Watson’s recovery from last year’s knee injury could force him to begin the season on the injured reserve list if he is not ready for the regular season, but there are still too many experienced or draft-pick receivers in the mix to give everyone an active-roster spot — and that bodes poorely for guys like Brown, angling for a spot of their own.
