The Green Bay Packers improved to 5-1-1 with Sunday’s 35-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and are cruising through a soft part of their schedule. With another winnable game against the Carolina Panthers coming up on Sunday, the Packers have a chance to stay atop the NFC, but it appears they’ll have to take on Carolina shorthanded.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur revealed that linebacker Nick Niemann suffered a “potentially long term” pectoral injury in Sunday’s win. While Niemann may not be a household name to Packers fans, his absence creates a hole in the team that could open the door for Krisian Welch to get his job back as soon as Week 9’s matchup at Lambeau Field.
Packers’ Injury Opens Door for Kristian Welch to Revive His Career
Niemann hasn’t played a big role on the Packers, but he still was a contributor on special teams. The 28-year-old’s stats of 11 total tackles won’t jump off the page; however, Pro Football Focus paints a different picture as the free agent pickup from the Los Angeles Chargers posted an 83.0 grade on 115 special teams snaps this season.
Grading 30th among qualifying special teamers this season, Niemann served a useful if not under-the-radar purpose for the Packers. But his emergence also came at the expense of Welch, who was one of the Packers' top special teams players just two years ago.
A local product out of Iola, WI, Welch has carved out a niche on special teams during his career, including an 80.8 grade on 200 snaps for the Baltimore Ravens during his rookie season in 2020. He spent two more years in Baltimore before joining the Green Bay Packers in 2023 and posted a 75.1 grade on 237 special teams snaps before failing to make the team out of training camp in 2024.
Welch returned to the Packers this preseason and played well with an 80.5 grade on 54 special teams snaps, but it wasn’t enough to save his job. After being released during the team’s roster cuts, Welch signed with the practice squad the following day, but hasn’t played a snap as Niemann has filled his role.
With Niemann on the shelf, Welch has a chance to redeem himself and regain the trust of the coaches. If he can perform well, it could wind up being an upgrade on a special teams unit that has been under fire throughout the season and give the 27-year-old a second life with the Packers.