What to know: Packers sign IOL Michael Jordan to practice squad, release TE Austin Allen
By Paul Bretl
After having interior offensive lineman Michael Jordan in for a workout on Monday, along with three other players, the Green Bay Packers announced that they signed him to the practice squad.
The corresponding move to make room for Jordan was releasing tight end Austin Allen. With the addition of Ben Sims to the 53-man roster following roster cutdowns, who ended up playing nine snaps against Chicago, largely in a blocking role, the Packers gained a little more flexibility with the tight end position as a whole.
Jordan is a former 2019 fourth-round pick out of Ohio State by Cincinnati and has started 29 games over his career. His first two years were played with Cincinnati and the last two with Carolina. Over his career, Jordan has played 2,136 career snaps, with nearly all of them coming at left guard. He played only 54 snaps last season, but in his first three years he saw significant playing time.
In 2021 with the Panthers, Jordan allowed six sacks and 32 pressures. For what it’s worth, in run-blocking grade, Jordan ranked 70th out of 85 eligible guards. He ranked 81st in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric that season as well.
The addition of Jordan is to provide the Packers with additional interior offensive line depth for practices. Although the Packers are flush with offensive tackle depth, they do not have much of that along the interior. Outside of their three preferred starters, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, and Jon Runyan, only Sean Rhyan and Royce Newman are the only other true interior options on the 53-man.
Of course, Zach Tom is an option to move inside if an injury struck, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers would prefer to keep him at right tackle, given how well he has looked there. Prior to the addition of Jordan, along with being thin at guard and center options on the 53-man roster, there also weren’t any interior offensive lineman options on the practice squad.