The Green Bay Packers are riding high after winning their first two games, coming on the heels of an offseason where there were plenty of changes. Several former Packers filled out change of address forms to join new teams this spring, and some players who left Green Bay earlier than 2025 are still trying to get in their new team's good graces.
While some moves may be for the best, others haven’t had the desired effect. Former Packers safety Darnell Savage signed a three-year, $21.5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the spring of 2024. Now two games into this season, he’s already looking for a new job as the Jaguars released him on Tuesday afternoon, according to a team announcement.
Former Packers S Darnell Savage at Crossroads After Release By Jaguars
A first-round pick by the Packers in the 2019 NFL draft, Savage spent five seasons in Green Bay, appearing in 72 games and making 302 total tackles, nine interceptions, and 32 pass defenses. While he was on the field for over 700 defensive snaps in all five seasons, he was wildly inconsistent in coverage, grading as high as 76.3 during his rookie season to 43.8 during the 2022 campaign, according to Pro Football Focus.
After a solid final year in Green Bay with a 75.5 overall grade and 74.2 coverage grade, Savage chased the money and ran into a rough situation in Jacksonville. A quadriceps injury late in the season didn’t help the cause, but Savage posted a 46.9 overall grade and a 41.5 coverage grade on 764 defensive snaps in 2024, prompting the Jaguars to sign Eric Murray in free agency this spring.
With Andrew Wingard winning the other starting safety spot, Savage was a backup with Antonio Johnson and rookie Rayuan Lane III, posting a 38.9 overall grade and 43.1 coverage grade in the first two games.
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco also theorized that his status as a signing by former Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke may have also played a role as the new regime led by GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Cohen have cut or traded eight notable players since they took over in March.
Savage will now look for a new job, but it’s hard to say where a team could be interested. With so many injuries over the course of the year, adding a first-round pick could be enticing. At the same time, a player who lost his job after two weeks may also not be on many many radars, producing an interesting crossroads for a former Packer.