On Friday, the Green Bay Packers made several moves that completed their 17-man practice squad for the first time this season. They placed running back Nate McCrary on the practice squad injured list, which effectively removes him from the squad count. McCrary’s specific injury has not been revealed.
With McCrary’s spot freed up, the Packers had three open slots on the practice squad. They filled these positions by signing running back La’Mical Perine, fullback Andrew Beck, and cornerback Kamal Hadden.
Perine, a former fourth-round pick of the New York Jets, has played for six teams over five seasons. Despite a promising start with 64 carries for 232 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie year, he has appeared in only seven games since the 2020 season. With AJ Dillon on injured reserve and rookie MarShawn Lloyd sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Packers are in need of additional running back depth.
Conversely, fullback/tight end Andrew Beck brings a wealth of experience, having played in 66 regular-season games and started 22 of them—12 of which were with the Houston Texans last year. Beck is a strong candidate for a future promotion from the practice squad, given his extensive experience with 994 special teams snaps throughout his NFL career. It’s common for the Packers under Matt LaFleur to maintain four tight end-type players on the active roster, but currently, the team only has three.
Hadden, a rookie from the 2024 draft, was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round but was waived during the final roster cuts. He is now the third cornerback added to the practice squad, which may make the position a bit congested, but he will have a chance to vie for the sixth cornerback spot this season.
Kudos to general manager Brian Gutekunst for securing a draft pick at no cost in August. This move helps recoup value after trading the team’s 2025 seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for quarterback Malik Willis.
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