Ex Green Bay 5× Pro Bowl running back agrees to pay cut to return and help team overcome injury crisis

Green Bay, WI – 2025 The Chicago Bears’ search for immediate wide-receiver help almost netted them a youngster from inside the NFC North. But the Green Bay Packers weren’t about to let him walk. According to multiple reports, the Bears sought to sign Will Sheppard off Green Bay’s practice squad—an NFL-legal “poach” that would have placed him directly on Chicago’s 53-man roster. League rules allow such moves only to the active roster (not another practice squad), and a poached player must count on the new team’s 53 for three games (with a three-week salary guarantee). Instead, the Packers moved decisively on Tuesday—promoting Sheppard to their own active roster. The call-up keeps the 23-year-old in house and removes the risk of losing him to a division rival at a moment of need.  Who is the “hidden gem”? Sheppard is a 6-3 receiver who starred at Vanderbilt and later Colorado before turning pro. Green Bay signed him July 22, 2025, waived him during final cuts, and then re-signed him to the practice squad on Aug. 27. He’s been wearing No. 82 in camp and preseason.  For the Packers, the promotion is about protecting an asset and fortifying depth while injuries ebb and flow—particularly with recent shuffling at wideout early in the season. For Sheppard, it’s a chance to stick on Sundays, likely beginning on special teams and as a situational chain-mover while he competes for offensive snaps behind the established rotation. If he converts his preseason flashes into game-day production, Green Bay may have uncovered a developmental receiver who can help now and grow into a larger role down the line.