The Green Bay Packers' 2025 preseason slate will begin when they welcome the New York Jets to Lambeau Field on Saturday evening. There have been a handful of positional battles happening throughout the Packers' training camp, and this weekend's showdown will give Green Bay fans their first peek at how the various competitions are unfolding.
Of all the training camp battles taking place, the action in the wide receiver room has Packers fans intrigued the most.
The returning WR group of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks is talented; however, none of those names consistently proved that they could be a WR1 last season. That resulted in the Packers drafting rookie wideouts Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, as well as signing veteran pass-catcher Mecole Hardman in free agency.
With plenty of new cooks in the kitchen, it was always obvious that certain names would be left on the outside looking in after training camp started. Even though the Packers still have a few weeks to finalize their 53-man roster, they already began trimming the fat in their WR room with a cut on Tuesday.
Packers Release WR Sam Brown Jr. Before Preseason Opener
The Athletic's Matt Schneidman is reporting that the Packers have waived WR Sam Brown Jr. with an injury designation due to a groin injury that has recently plagued him.
Packers waived/injured WR Sam Brown Jr. and signed OL Lecitus Smith.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 5, 2025
If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Brown will be added to the Packers' injured reserve list and could be in jeopardy of missing the entire 2025 campaign. Having said that, Green Bay can also reach an injury settlement if Brown believes he'll be healthy enough to play at some point this season, which is a move that would see him paid for any medical expenses and projected missed time.
Assuming it is the end of his tenure, Brown's time in Green Bay was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it situation. The 22-year-old playmaker was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL draft, after spending his collegiate career split between West Virginia, Houston, and Miami (FL).
As the NFL preseason continues, it'll be interesting to see if another team is willing to roll the dice on Brown before August is over. The Savannah, GA native displayed some decent potential while playing with Houston and Miami throughout the last three seasons, converting 139 receptions into 1,795 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 35 games during that stretch.
Brown's future will depend on whether or not he's projected to return to the field this season. If not, it might be quite some time before Packers fans are provided clarity regarding the now-former Green Bay WR's outlook.