Packers Sign Championship-Winning Receiver After Workout

The Green Bay Packers have signed Jadon Janke, who was a starter on South Dakota State’s national championship teams in 2022 and 2023.

SDSU's wide receiver Jadon Janke (1) celebrates a touchdown. Janke has signed with the Green Bay Packers. / Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – As reported by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Green Bay Packers have signed receiver Jadon Janke.

Janke parlayed a Wednesday morning workout into a contract, a source said.

Janke played alongside Tucker Kraft and undrafted rookie running back Amar Johnson at South Dakota State. Janke finished his career with 170 receptions for 2,800 yards (16.5 average) and 30 touchdowns. As a sixth-year senior in 2023, he caught 57 passes for 946 yards (16.6 average) and 10 touchdowns. He scored 25 touchdowns during his final three seasons.

He also averaged 19.3 yards per kickoff return in part-time duty in 2019, 2021 and 2022. In 2022, he averaged 10.7 yards per punt return.

Before the 2024 NFL draft, he measured 6-foot-2 1/8 and 212 pounds and ran his 40 in 4.53 seconds. He went undrafted and signed with the Houston Texans. Also signing with the Texans was his twin brother, fellow receiver Jaxon Janke. Ultimately, Jadon Janke was released by Houston and caught one pass for 6 yards for the Dolphins in the preseason.

“It doesn’t really feel real to me right now,” Jadon told Medium after they signed with Houston. “It’s God’s plan. He wanted us to stay together and He knew we could make an impact together like we’ve been doing our whole lives,” Jaxon added.

They led Madison (S.D.) High School to a state championship, with Jadon rushing for 1,343 yards and 21 touchdowns.

“It’s just been great having a twin brother along the road with me,” Jadon told The Argus Leader. “It just makes it that much more special, because we grew up wanting to win a state championship – we didn’t think three would even be possible. I’m just really happy with how it turned out and I wouldn’t change anything.”

They also won FCS national championships together in 2022 and 2023, with Jadon Janke catching five passes for 55 yards and one touchdown in the 2023 title game to close his college career.

Washington quarterback Will Rogers also was part of the workout.

The Packers drafted two receivers this year, Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third round. Plus, they signed Mecole Hardman in free agency. Along with returning practice-squad players Julian Hicks and Cornelius Johnson, the Packers have 12 receivers on their roster.

“Both those guys came on a visit here and got to know them over basically 24 hours, eating dinner and putting them on the board and just getting to know the guys,” passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable said of Golden and Williams on Wednesday. “So, first and foremost, we always talk about the person. I thought we got two tremendous guys that are just going to be great fits and assets to our building. Taking out the football part, the character was there.

“On the visit, you could just feel it was going to be a great fit for the Green Bay receiver way. We’re excited it’s going to be about both of them. Collectively as a staff and the management upstairs, they did a good job of figuring out what we were looking for in a guy and the needs and I feel like we got both the guys that we wanted.”

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