While coach Matt LaFleur believed he was headed to Baltimore, former Green Bay Packers linebacker Kristian Welch signed with the Denver Broncos on Thursday. And this isn’t a practice squad gig — Welch, who had a standout preseason in Green Bay — is now on the 53-man roster in Denver.
The Packers released Welch, a Wisconsin native, during final cuts on Tuesday. An NFL veteran with special teams value, Welch sought out a better opportunity and found it in Denver.
Welch played in 14 games for the Packers last season and then signed a one-year deal to return in 2024. He did everything possible to earn a 53-man roster spot this season, producing three takeaways, but the Packers’ deep roster created difficult cuts.
It’s certainly possible his preseason performance against the Broncos — which included an interception and a tackle for loss — helped get him to Denver’s 53-man roster. In the preseason finale, Welch intercepted another pass and made a clean special teams tackle. He led the team in tackles and also had a fumble recovery.
The Broncos’ corresponding roster move was releasing rookie linebacker Levelle Bailey.
Of the players released by the Packers during final cuts, six found opportunities elsewhere: Welch signed with the Broncos, Grant DuBose was claimed by the Miami Dolphins, Royce Newman was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Royce Newman was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Samori Toure signed with the Chicago Bears practice squad Michael Pratt signed with the Buccaneers practice squad.