Green Bay Packers Bring Back Defensive Back Johnathan Baldwin To Their Practice Squad

The Green Bay Packers have brought back former UNLV Rebels defensive back Johnathan Baldwin. The team had signed him as an undrafted free agent, then retained him for the entirety of training camp and the 2025 NFL Preseason. He played significant snaps and was productive during the preseason. However, despite being projected by most to make the team's 53-man roster, he was released this past Tuesday before the NFL deadline for final cuts to get the roster down to 53 players.

The Packers and those around Packers' camp raved about Baldwin all summer. They loved his versatility on defense, so it's no surprise they brought him back into the building. He can now only be signed by another team if they want to sign him to their 53-man roster. Signing on with the Green Bay practice squad will give him the opportunity to develop his skills and hopefully work his way back up to the main roster.

When the Packers signed Baldwin, they gave him more guaranteed money than their seventh-round pick and immediately changed his position designation from safety to cornerback. They obviously really liked him and had a plan in place when bringing him in.

During the preseason, he looked good and showed off that versatility they had been talking about since rookie minicamp. Not only did he play significant snaps on both defense and special teams, but when on defense, they used him all over the field. He was used as a deep safety back in coverage, he stepped up into the box to help against the run, he often stepped up as the slot corner, and we even saw him blitz a few times. During the preseason, he played well and was productive, making 12 tackles.

This is a great opportunity for Baldwin to hone his craft and show why he belongs in the NFL. Quite frankly, it was a shock that they even cut him to begin with. The signing is also a great opportunity for the Green Bay Packers. Now they get to keep him in the building and continue to help him transition from a safety to a cornerback.

Despite being used all over the field in the preseason, it seems clear that they ultimately want him to be a nickel corner. There is a chance they just didn't feel that he was quite ready to fill that role at the NFL level yet after playing safety throughout his college career. We expect to see him back on an NFL field at some point in the future within the next year or so.

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