The Green Bay Packers decided to shake up their wide receiver depth on the practice squad entering September's final week.
The Packers cut ties with veteran wideout/kick returner Mecole Hardman on Tuesday, which was surprising given that they signed him to a one-year, $6 million deal in the offseason to fill a specific role. He hadn't appeared in a regular-season game yet, and now he has an opportunity at a fresh start.
Although Hardman couldn't capitalize on his practice squad opportunity, the Packers haven't wasted any time moving on. Green Bay has since brought in former Detroit Lions receiver Jakobie Keeney-James, per Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber, who has an intriguing skillset that could be worth developing on the practice squad.
Packers Might Have Found Practice Squad Gem in Jakobie Keeney-James
The 5-foot-11 wide receiver went undrafted following the 2025 NFL draft despite having a solid collegiate career at Eastern Washington (5 years) and UMass (1 year).
During the 2024 season with the Minutemen, Keeney-Jones eclipsed his production at Eastern Washington (61 recs for 825 yards and 4 touchdowns), as he posted 50 receptions for 839 yards and six TDs.
Keeney-James has speed to burn as he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his pro day, which is nothing to scoff at. And as you can imagine, teams gravitated towards that, as you can utilize that speed on offense or special teams. The Lions were the team to take a flier on him, and now it's time for the Packers to roll the dice on his potential.
Detroit tried out Keeney-James on kick returns during their preseason opener in the Hall of Fame, where he averaged 24.3 yards per return (three attempts). Even though that isn’t the most impressive kick return average, knowing that he can play special teams gives him a chance to see the field in Green Bay or anywhere in the league. He also has good WR skills, as Keeney-James is a good route runner and displays strong hands at the catch point.
Meanwhile, the Packers’ punt and kick return units have been rather disappointing. Green Bay is ranked 29th in yards per punt return (5.1) and 19th in yards per kick return (24.9). If the Packers can find that right player to fill that role, they could take advantage of the league’s new kickoff rules, which have promoted more returns.
Keeney-James could be that player, but he first has to prove himself during practice and stand out in a crowded Packers’ wide receiver room that has a couple of speedsters (Matthew Golden and Christian Watson – when healthy).