The NFL scouting combine has taken centerstage this week, meaning it won't be long before the Green Bay Packers' offseason kicks into overdrive. There are plenty of needs for the Packers to address after being bounced by the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round, and upgrading the special teams situation should be high on general manager Brian Gutekunst's to-do list.
The Packers' special teams unit already looks different at the end of February. Rich Bisaccia stepped down from his ST coordinator role on Feb. 17, and it looks like Green Bay will walk away from one of his former pupils, opting not to tender upcoming restricted free agent Zayne Anderson, per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman.
As a result, Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent when the market opens in less than two weeks, making it likely that his time in Titletown is over.
Packers Ditch Special Teamer Zayne Anderson Before Free Agency
Anderson is used in special team situations more frequently than on defense, so it isn't shocking that the Packers didn't jump to tender him. Those types of players are easily replaceable, and there's a good chance that the team wasn't comfortable with paying him more than the $1.03 million cap hit he played on last season, per Spotrac.
After brief stops with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, Anderson was claimed off waivers by the Packers ahead of the 2023 season. He's since played 40 games with two starts in a Green Bay uniform, as 145 snaps came on offense compared to 590 with Bisaccia's former unit.
Most of Anderson's defensive opportunities (123) came in 2024, when he recorded one interception, two broken-up passes, and 13 solo tackles. Instead of using him in a similar role last season, the Packers limited his time in the secondary, with all but two of his defensive snaps coming in their Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Bisaccia and former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley knew Anderson well, but now that the duo is gone, the veteran safety didn't have anyone to vouch for him. He's an unknown commodity to new DC Jonathan Gannon, and there's no telling if Anderson would be a fit for the next Green Bay special teams coordinator's system.
Of course, this isn't to say that an eventual return isn't impossible. If Anderson can't find a landing spot in the first few months of free agency, there's always the chance that the Packers will invite him to compete for a special teams spot in training camp. His familiarity with the team could land him that opportunity, even if Bisaccia and Hafley are long gone.
Either way, it looks like Anderson's time with the Packers is over for now. That's just the reality of the NFL offseason when a player doesn't align with a team's vision. It's time to move on and wish the 29-year-old all the best as Green Bay focuses on the rest of its offseason.