The Green Bay Packers will be missing their No. 3 sack leader, DT Devonte Wyatt, for a while, likely the rest of the 2025 season, after a fractured ankle during a 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
Per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, "The Packers have signed defensive lineman Jordon Riley off the Giants practice squad," moving "right to the 53-man roster, presumably to take Devonte Wyatt’s spot." Riley, one of the NIL era of College Football's first three-time transfers, spent the first three years of his career on the New York Giants. He didn't make much of an impact, bouncing on and off the practice squad.
In Green Bay, Riley is getting immediate opportunities, if not guarantees, to see the field. But make no mistake about it, Packer fans: the former seventh-round pick is a roster-filler who will be getting an opportunity until Wyatt returns, whenever that may be.
Riley isn't the preferred option, either. That'd be Warren Brinson, who has a big fan in Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
Matt LaFleur Feels Warren Brinson Earned His Opportunity
LaFleur spoke to the Wyatt injury crisis and the Brinson backup plan on Wednesday ahead of an NFC North clash with the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field this Sunday. LaFleur praised defensive line coach/run game coordinator DeMarcus Covington, assistant defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase, and defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis' work with Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse this season.
“He’s earned more opportunity. [Those coaches] all do a great job with that room, and so he’s earned those opps," LaFleur said. “Certainly, [Wyatt] is a guy that’s going to be pretty tough to replace. I think it just falls on everybody else kind of raising the level of their game.”
Take PFF grades with the requisite grain of salt, but the unit will certainly need to elevate their game. The grades in the room (and rankings, for those who have played enough snaps to qualify) are not pretty.
Player | Grade | DT Rank |
|---|---|---|
Colby Wooden | 60.5 | 57/129 |
Karl Brooks | 56.7 | 72/129 |
Devonte Wyatt | 52.9 | 91/129 |
Warren Brinson | 50.8 | n/a |
Nazir Stackhouse | 46.0 | n/a |
The Packers will be facing a Bears offense that's ranked No. 6 in yards per game and No. 7 in yardage in a few days. Green Bay will also be facing a No. 2-ranked Chicago rushing attack. This was a tough time to face a Wyatt injury, but Brinson looks up to the task.
Riley is a depth piece who would step up in case of another injury. But after coming from a Giants team that's likely looking at big turnover this offseason, Riley is simply trying out for his next job. That could come with the Packers, but that wasn't the point of his signing.