The Green Bay Packers are taking a chance on another one of the Chicago Bears’ discarded young players following their early exit from the 2024 NFL playoffs.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst formally announced the signing of another seven players to reserve/future contracts for the 2025 NFL offseason on January 14, including former Bears undrafted rookie defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr.
Randolph — a former Illinois standout — signed the Bears after going undrafted last spring and competed for a spot in their interior defensive line rotation during 2024 training camp, but Chicago waived him ahead of the 53-man roster cutdown deadline. He will now have a chance to contend for a place with the Packers for the 2025 season — if he can hold onto his roster spot through the Packers’ upcoming offseason changes.
The Packers also signed center Trey Hill, cornerbacks Isaiah Dunn and Kaleb Hayes, defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera, tight end Johnny Lumpkin and wide receiver Tulu Griffin to futures contracts on Thursday, bringing their 90-man offseason roster up to 58 total players after the team announced 12 other futures signings on Monday.
Kalen King Stands Out From Initial Futures Signings
The Packers re-signed several members of their 2024 practice squad in their first batch of futures signings, but rookie cornerback Kalen King might be the biggest standout.
King — a 2024 seventh-round pick for the Packers — stood out in his first NFL training camp last summer and recorded nine tackles and a forced fumble in the preseason, but Green Bay left him off its initial 53-man roster and instead stashed him on the practice squad. While King did receive an elevation to the game-day roster in Week 14, he did not play any snaps for the Packers in the 34-31 road loss to the Detroit Lions.
King’s return is not only notable because the Packers drafted him but also because they are facing an uncertain cornerback picture for the 2025 season. Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine will both become free agents in March without extensions and the future of All-Pro starter Jaire Alexander remains up in the air after an injury-hampered year. He has some developing to do, but don’t be surprised if he makes it back to camp in 2025.
The Packers also signed futures deals on Monday with cornerback Kamal Hadden, defensive linemen James Ester, Deslin Alexandre and Jeremiah Martin, guards Donovan Jennings and Marquis Hayes, placekicker Alex Hale, tight end Messiah Swinson and wide receivers Cornelius Johnson and Julian Hicks.
Could Tulu Griffin Vie for Packers’ Kick Return Role?
Fans should take most NFL reserve/future signings with a grain of salt. While there are plenty of players who sign futures deals that make it back to camp or even secure a spot on either the practice squad or active roster each spot, teams often treat them as cheap roster placeholders and are willing to cut them when they make more meaningful roster additions through trades, free agency or the annual NFL draft during the offseason.
That said, Tulu Griffin could become a futures signing to watch for the Packers in 2025 if they have to find a replacement for two-time All-Pro kick returner Keisean Nixon.
While Nixon has another two years left on his contract, he asserted in his end-of-year locker clean-out on Monday that he no longer wants to play the kick returner role for the Packers that has earned him league-wide acclaim over the past three seasons. He added that he wants to pursue their No. 1 cornerback job, which he feels he cannot play if the Packers continue to use him as a return specialist during the 2025 season.
“I want to be CB1. CB1 is not doing kick returns,” Nixon said Monday, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “That’s just what it is.”
If the Packers give Nixon what he wants, they will need a new kick returner in 2025, and Griffin has some experience in that realm. He averaged 30.4 yards per return on an impressive 54 career kick returns during his four seasons at Mississippi State, finishing 2021 and 2022 with at least 32 yards per return and more than 10 kicks returned. He also returned one kick for a touchdown in each season, showcasing an electric ability.
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