Green Bay Packers release punter Pat O'Donnell
Ahead of the NFL’s roster deadline, the Green Bay Packers released punter Pat O’Donnell on Monday, the team announced.
O’Donnell played just one season for the Packers in 2022. He posted a 44.5-yard gross average and a 38.9-yard net average on 52 punts with 24 downed inside the 20 last year.
Prior to his stint with Green Bay, O’Donnell was with the Chicago Bears for eight seasons. The Miami Hurricanes standout was a sixth-round pick for the Bears in the 2014 NFL Draft.
On ESPN’s projected 53-man roster for the Packers, O’Donnell was listed as the team’s punter. It’s not clear what the team’s move will be at the position now that they chose to release him. He signed a two-year deal for $4 million last March. So far in his career, O’Donnell has made over $13.2 million in salary earnings. He’s free to join a new team for the 2023 season now that he’s received his release.
The Packers have until the deadline, which hits at 4 p.m. ET, to whittle the roster down from 90 men to 53 men, meaning some hard decisions are still ahead. Once the roster deadline passes, the team can designate an additional 16 players for the practice squad.
Green Bay begins the 2023 regular season with a road game versus the Chicago Bears on Sept. 10. The team went 2-1 during the preseason with wins versus Cincinnati and Seattle, and a loss to New England.
Clifford to backup Love for Packers
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur announced on Thursday that quarterback Sean Clifford will serve as the team’s backup behind starter Jordan Love. Clifford was battling for the position with former FIU quarterback Alex McGough.
The former fifth-round pick out of Penn State has 345 passing yards, two interceptions and one touchdown so far this preseason for the Packers. In his most recent outing, a loss versus the Patriots, he went 13-for-19 with 137 yards.
Clifford struggled initially in his NFL debut versus the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing a pick-six to Tycen Anderson. He also threw another interception to Anderson later in the game. But he rebounded nicely in the second quarter, making a nice run, then tossing a six-yard touchdown toss to Tyler Davis right before halftime, to give the Packers the lead.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pound quarterback went No. 149 overall to the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft.