Here’s What Packers’ Last-Minute Roster Moves Mean for Wild Card at Bears

The Green Bay Packers will play the Chicago Bears at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Here’s what the roster moves made at the 3 p.m. deadline mean for their wild-card showdown.

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) knocks the ball away from Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed in 2023. | Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

CHICAGO – The Green Bay Packers on Saturday put the finishing touches on their gameday roster for Saturday night’s NFC wild-card game at the Chicago Bears.

Here’s a look at the transactions that were made as well as the ones that were not made, including one interesting non-move.

Elevated: WR Isaiah Neyor

The top of the Packers’ depth chart is strong with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden.

However, Dontayvion Wicks was inactive last week due to a concussion, was questionable on the final injury report for this game and was downgraded to out on Friday. Plus, Bo Melton and Savion Williams recently landed on injured reserve.

With practice-squad receiver Will Sheppard landing on injured reserve, the only real option to elevate was rookie Isaiah Neyor, an undrafted rookie with impressive physical tools but has not played in any regular-season games. During the preseason, he was targeted in four games but did not make any catches.

At 6-foot-4 1/4 and 218 pounds with 4.40 speed in the 40 – his Relative Athletic Score of 9.90 was the fourth-highest among this year’s receivers – Neyor is a high-upside prospect. 

After catching eight passes during his first two seasons at Wyoming, he caught 44 passes for 878 yards in 2021. He led the Mountain West with 12 touchdown receptions and 20.0 yards per catch. He transferred to Texas but tore his ACL, then spent his final year at Nebraska. He tallied 34 receptions for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

“I just want to show them that I can make plays,” he said during training camp. “Anything that the team needs me to do – whether it’s blocking, whether it’s going on special teams, whether it’s making big catches – whatever it is, I want to be able to provide that for the team.”

Jakobie Keeney-James, who was signed to the 53-man roster for the rest-the-starters game against the Vikings last week, remains on the roster.

Not Elevated: TE Drake Dabney

With Josh Whyle in the concussion protocol, the Packers went with two tight ends when they lost at Chicago in Week 16. When John FitzPatrick suffered a torn Achilles, the Packers were left with Luke Musgrave flying solo.

The Packers will tempt fate again, opting to roll the dice on Musgrave and Whyle staying healthy because, in a bit of a surprise, they did not elevate rookie Drake Dabney from the practice squad.

The last couple games, Green Bay was back to three with Musgrave, Whyle and Dabney, who was elevated from the practice squad for Week 17 against the Ravens and Week 18 against the Vikings. With coach Matt LaFleur resting his premier players at Minnesota, Dabney played 45 snaps – 88.2 percent – and caught one pass.

The Packers brought back Messiah Swinson to the practice squad this week. An undrafted free agent in 2024, he competed for a roster spot with the Packers each of the last two years. After being released by Green Bay this year, he served practice squad stints with the 49ers and Cardinals. He is a big blocker with familiarity in the offense.

Of course, the Packers can always lean on offensive tackle Darian Kinnard to play some tight end snaps, as they have since Tucker Kraft tore his ACL, though he’s obviously not a receiving threat.

Not Elevated: LB Jamon Johnson

Undrafted rookie Jamon Johnson got his big chance against the Vikings. With Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper getting the day off, Johnson played all 67 defensive snaps (plus 14 on special teams) and recorded a game-high 10 tackles and added one pass breakup.

That the Packers didn’t make a move probably signals that special-teams ace Nick Niemann will be the fifth linebacker behind Cooper, Walker, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper. Niemann had 11 tackles on special teams in eight games before he suffered a torn pectoral. He was activated from injured reserve this week.

“That’s kind of how I made a name for myself in the league to begin with,” he said recently. ”And then getting a role to where Rich (Bisaccia) and me and the rest of our unit were getting in a groove figuring out how guys work and play together, we were just hitting our strides. That was good.

“To have goals and to know what I can do on special teams and was trying to strive for that, and then it stops, but this is about the team. I would much rather make a run as a team in the playoffs than having a good year personally. So, I’m seeing this as glass half full.

Bears Roster Moves

The Bears made some roster moves at the Saturday deadline, as well.

We have activated Kyler Gordon from IR and elevated Nikola Kalinic and Jalen Reeves-Maybin from the practice squad

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 10, 2026

Notably, defensive back Kyler Gordon was activated from injured reserve. With C.J. Gardner-Johnson out with a concussion, Gordon presumably will be the Bears’ nickel defender.

He’s played in only three games this season. He suffered a groin injury before the Week 14 game at Lambeau Field and was placed on injured reserve.

Gordon intercepted three passes as a rookie in 2022 and added two more in 2023.

“Just a very experienced veteran that’s played primarily inside,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I know he’s only played in three games this year, but we’ve gone against him a bunch. I just think he’s a really good football player. It definitely alleviates some of the stress, I would say, if they don’t have Chauncey.”

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