Packers leaning into good vibes by bringing back fan favorite

Sometimes, effort pays off. Consider when former New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson chased down Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey and tackled him at the 1-yard line, preventing a 100-yard interception return from being a touchdown, or when Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones chased down linebacker Kwon Alexander like a hawk.

Those Herculean efforts are what separate great players from good ones, and those type of plays can also make the difference between making a roster and being released.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Eric WIlson may not be a household name, but he became beloved in Green Bay for the effort he showed on a kick return that almost ended in disaster during the Packers postseason run. Although Green Bay lost the game, Wilson's effort may have helped him win a new contract.

Packers LB Eric Wilson confirms decision to re-sign with Green Bay

On Thursday, Wilson confirmed that he will return to play for the Packers for the 2024 season.

During the 2023 season, Wilson showed why he has managed to carve out a seven-year career in the NFL after being an undrafted free agent in the 2017 NFL Draft. The most memorable play of Wilson's tenure came during Green Bay's 24-21 Divisional Round loss against the San Francisco 49ers. Trailing 21-14 in the third quarter, a 73-yard kick return by All-Pro Keisean Nixon almost ended in disaster, as Nixon fumbled the ball. Wilson managed to track down the ball and recovered it, which set Green Bay in position to score.

The Green Bay Packers reportedly wanted to bring back Wilson earlier this month, but it can be hard to the intentions of any front office during the offseason. The Packers have made some shrewd business decisions this offseason. General manager Brian Gutekunst recently said that running back Aaron Jones was "the heartbeat" of the team. Then, he proceeded to cut out the team's proverbial heart. Jones was replaced by former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who, coincidentally, was also called the "heart and soul" of his previous team.

But, in Wilson's case, the Packers proved to be genuine in retaining a player that became a fan favorite in Green Bay.

Packers teammates have already shared their enthusiasm hearing the news, with fellow linebacker Rashan Gary commenting under Wilson's announcement with cheese emojis, a symbol synonymous with Green Bay fandom.

The 29-year-old linebacker has bounced around the league as an undrafted free agent in the 2017 NFL Draft. Wilson has played a rotational role and contributed on special teams since he was signed from the New Orleans Saints practice squad during the 2022 season. Although he hasn't started a game for Green Bay, Wilson has played in 30 games and led the team in special teams snaps (308) during the 2023 season. He saw his snap count on defense increase to 121 defensive snaps, roughly 11 percent of the team's total. The last time Wilson played more than 1,000 snaps on defense was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. That season, he compiled three interceptions, a forced fumble, and three sacks.

In addition to retaining Wilson, the Packers also decided to re-sign two other internal free agents: cornerback Keisean Nixon and tight end Tyler Davis.