The Green Bay Packers are shorthanded along the defensive line after Devonte Wyatt suffered a severe ankle injury in a Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions. With Wyatt out for the season, it opened up an opportunity for other interior defenders to take his place, including Nazir Stackhouse.
Stackhouse figured to get a big opportunity as the Packers hosted the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon. But those plans were flipped upside down when Green Bay declared him a healthy scratch in favor of recently signed defensive tackle Jordon Riley before kickoff, according to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman.
While the Georgia product had to watch Sunday’s game in street clothes, his issues go beyond Week 14 as the Packers' plans for the former undrafted free agent may have changed drastically after the decision to keep him on the sideline.
Packers’ Surprise Scratch Raises Questions About Nazir Stackhouse’s Future
Sunday's absence was the first time Stackhouse has been a healthy scratch this season. But the decision to do it over Riley is a curious one, with the latter only signed to the Packers’ practice squad since Dec. 3 and is already getting a chance to make an impact.
Riley has more experience than Stackhouse, but he profiles as a pass-rush specialist. Even that term should be used loosely, as Pro Football Focus has credited him with just two pressures on 167 career pass-rushing snaps with the New York Giants, and he’s posted an underwhelming pass-rush grade of 51.6 and 55.5 in his first two seasons in the NFL. With run defense grades of 32.3 and 30.1 in those seasons, it appears Riley may just be the Packers trying to pull a lever and see if something sticks.
But looking at Stackhouse, Riley may have cleared a low bar. Stackhouse has already surpassed Riley’s career total in pressures with three on 47 career pass-rushing snaps. But his 6-foot-3, 320-pound frame was also expected to stop the run. That hasn’t happened with just two run stops on 67 rush defense snaps, and the Packers may have opted to give Riley snaps as a pass rusher and use Karl Brooks (56.2 run defense grade, six run stops this season) more against one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL.
In a perfect world, this is how Stackhouse probably wants this to end. He sits out this week, the Packers see what they have in Riley, and Stackhouse can win his job back during next week’s practice. But it also brings into question how the Packers will use him down the stretch.
It’s possible Sunday’s decision could be the beginning of a series of healthy scratches as Stackhouse works behind the scenes and continues his development as a former UDFA. The Packers may also not trust him to stop the run, which is a problem considering they’ll see the Bears again in Week 16 and could run into them again during the playoffs.
As a player who’s easy to cut, it could also create a bigger concern down the line as Stackhouse fights for a job during the 2026 season. He has two years after this season left on his contract, but he's yet to do enough to guarantee being kept through the offseason.
Needless to say, Sunday could have been the first domino to trigger those events and put Stackhouse on high alert.