There is a lot of ground to cover for the Green Bay Packers before Week 1 arrives. GM Brian Gutekunst and his staff will make a number of crucial decisions that will influence the team's chances of ending their Super Bowl drought. Quite a few players who start the preseason with Green Bay won't survive to play a single snap in the regular season for head coach Matt LaFleur.
There are a number of undrafted free agents who will go to training camp with the team without having a real chance to make the Week 1 roster. That is not what this piece will focus on. Instead, the following three players will qualify as surprise cuts before the advent of the regular season.
Each player has made a meaningful mark on either the Packers or another NFL team during their pro careers. Unfortunately for each, they will no get a chance to positively influence Green Bay in 2025.
1. Sean Clifford
Sean Clifford has played two NFL games during his career but he will not get a chance to push that total to three with the Packers next season. The team's obviously scouring the free agent market for signal-callers who can offer the franchise more long-term upside.
Barring injury, the franchise will head into Week 1 with just to quarterbacks on the active roster. Jordan Love will be the starter and Malik Willis is firmly entrenched as the team's backup. At best, Clifford is hoping to hang on to his spot as the third option.
The Packers know exactly what Clifford can and cannot do at this stage in his career. They understand he can't be anything more than an average backup. That lack of upside won't be enough to keep him on the 53-man roster in the regular season.
Clifford might be able to squeeze out a spot on the team's practice squad for one more year but there's a strong chance he won't even manage that meager feat. Look for the Packers to keep an unproven signal caller with more natural talent in the mix. The idea will be to groom that player into a more valuable asset than Clifford can ever be.
2. Travis Glover
Parting ways with offensive lineman Travis Glover in the preseason will raise some eyebrows around the NFL. The Packers generally exercise a lot of patience with their recent draft picks. Cutting a sixth-round pick from the 2024 Draft will represent a departure from the franchise's usual course of action.
The simple truth is that Glover's limited action against the Eagles in the playoffs last year showed just how far away he is from being a competent NFL lineman. He possesses an interesting athletic profile, but his technique is far below what's required to succeed in Green Bay's offensive scheme.
The Packers could easily justify keeping him in their developmental pipeline for another season or two but it's more likely they will see a lineman come lose from another team that represents a better combination of potential and ability to play right away.
Glover can be a good practice squad edition for the Packers or another team but he isn't worth a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
3. Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman was an interesting low-cost, free agent acquisition for the Packers ahead of the draft. Unfortunately for the veteran wide receiver, the team elected to select Matthew Golden in Round 1. That puts Hardman on thin ice with the franchise in the preseason.
Green Bay suddenly finds itself with one of the most crowded wide receiver rooms in the NFL. Cutting Hardman might not be enough to create the space required to build a harmonious position group. If he wants to make the team he'll need to prove his value on special teams and as a receiver in LaFleur's regular rotation.
The chances of Hardman beating out someone like Dontayvion Wicks for targets in 2025 are pretty remote. Hardman might like his chances to hang around while Christian Watson receovers from his knee injury but Green Bay has better options to fill that role.
It's important to remember that the Packers didn't give Hardman significant guarantees when they signed him. It will be relatively easy for their to part ways with him without suffering any negative salary cap ramifications. Hardman should be able to find a roster spot before Week 1 arrives but it probably won't be with the Packers.