In 12 days, the Green Bay Packers will need to cut their roster down from a maximum of 90 players to a maximum of 53. Some of the decisions for cuts will be easy enough — getting rid of players who have shown clearly through the training camp and preseason that they're not what the Packers need. But others will be a lot more challenging.
For two rookies who have missed the entirety of training camp with injuries, the Packers will have very little concrete information to go on. Some fans are assuming that means they should be on the chopping block, but GM Brian Gutekunst's latest comments show that's far from a given.
Brian Gutekunst wouldn't say that time is running out for a couple #Packers draft picks, but it is running short.https://t.co/0Wtd0My7sz
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 14, 2025
Brian Gutenkunst Gives Lifeline to Packers Rookies Collin Oliver and John Williams
According to SI's Bill Huber, Gutekunst's answer to whether time was running out for Collin Oliver and John Williams was "I don't think so, no." Huber goes on to emphasize the unavoidable ticking clock of cutdown day, but these comments still shine a positive light. Both rookies opened training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and neither has seen a live practice rep.
It's maybe less surprising that Oliver would get some extra leeway. As a fifth-round pick he has some draft capital behind him, and doing some light individual work at practice makes it seem like he could be on his way to recovering from his hamstring injury.
Williams, a seventh-round pick dealing with an unspecified back injury, hasn't even been able to do that much. He's been strictly an observer, and the team has provided nothing resembling a timeline for his return. Gutekunst has previously addressed Williams' as a "serious injury," mentioning him in the same breath as Christian Watson. So perhaps, to Williams' benefit, this is exactly what has been expected through training camp.
The other thing we can consider is exactly what "time running out" could mean. As an injured seventh-round pick, Williams would have a very good chance of clearing waivers so the Packers could sign him to the practice squad or place him on IR. He'd be unlikely to make much of an impact as a rookie anyway.
Fans will be hoping for more from Oliver, though. It's unclear exactly what position he'll line up at, since he hasn't practiced yet, but his versatility and physical tools make him a high-upside player worth being patient on. Risking losing him on the waiver wire would be tough to swallow, and if Gutekunst isn't too concerned with this absence, he's someone who could hang on at the back end of the 53-man roster until he gets healthy.
These may seem like small roster decisions in the grand scheme of things, but over the course of a long NFL season (especially if the Packers go as deep into the playoffs as fans are hoping), depth can be a difference-maker. Balancing having players ready to step up and see playing time if needed with rookies whose potential may take some time to develop is an art, and it's one Gutekunst tends to excel at.