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Packers Bring Back Fan Favorite DT Who Won Two Super Bowls, Name Him Week 1 Starter on the Initial Depth Chart

“I can’t even put into words how I felt when I got the call from Coach LaFleur. Coming back to Green Bay makes me truly happy — to put on the Green & Gold, the colors that have lifted multiple Lombardi Trophies. Being listed as a Week 1 starter on the initial depth chart surprised me, but I’ll be ready and play my heart out for this jersey,” Mike Pennel said.

After a brief free-agency stint elsewhere, Pennel — an undrafted nose tackle who began his NFL career with the Packers — was acquired in a low-cost late-round pick swap that brings a system-fit run anchor back to Lambeau. The reunion hands Green Bay a ready-made interior piece who already understands the scheme, minimizing the playbook ramp-up ahead of Week 1.

The team’s first depth chart lists Pennel alongside Devonte Wyatt as the starting defensive tackles, with T.J. Slaton and Karl Brooks on the second line. The roles are clear: Pennel profiles as a 1-tech/shade run stopper who preserves gap integrity for the linebackers, while Wyatt works primarily at 3-tech to generate interior disruption. On third-and-long, Brooks and Slaton could see an uptick in snaps to juice the pass rush.

Before the move back, Pennel admitted the call caught him off guard mid-routine — and the biggest hassle was simply having to move again. Even so, he emphasized that everything “worked out the right way,” returning to the place where his NFL journey started and bringing with him two Super Bowl rings earned during his years away.

Pennel’s Green Bay homecoming is about more than depth: it’s a cultural fit. With a familiar voice in the room and a proven early-down anchor on the field, the Packers expect the interior to clamp down on the run and set the table for heavier pressure packages off the edge — Green & Gold business from the very first snap.

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Former Packers 1,400-Yard Back Released — Begs for One More Shot in Green Bay
Minneapolis, MN NFL rosters are always in flux when training camp approaches, but few moves make fans look twice like the latest headline out of Minneapolis. A name Green Bay knows by heart suddenly hit the open market—and almost instantly, calls for a reunion rippled through Titletown. The report slipped out quietly: a veteran running back was released after a grind-it-out year in a new uniform. A journey once defined by winter-tough finishes and a bond with the Lambeau faithful just took another sharp turn. Only a few seasons ago, he was the heartbeat of Matt LaFleur’s offense in the biggest moments. Aaron Jones—the spark plug of so many December drives—brought burst, balance, and a blue-collar relentlessness that felt unmistakably “Green Bay.” In 2019 and 2020, he stacked back-to-back 1,400+ scrimmage-yard seasons, piling up touchdowns and carving out a place in Packers lore. “Green Bay will always be home. I gave everything for this city, and I’d do it again. Give me the chance to finish what I started,” Jones wrote—his message racing across social media and stirring the hearts of Packers fans. Drafted by Green Bay in 2017, Jones grew into a cornerstone under LaFleur, then departed in free agency to chase a bigger role. But at his most recent stop, nagging injuries and a crowded rotation kept him from finding the same rhythm. Now, after eight uneven games up north, he’s waiting on a fresh start—or better yet, the perfect ending back where he became a star. The Packers’ depth chart has playmakers and a new lead back in place, but plenty of analysts and fans are asking the same question: could a reunion be the timely piece for those grueling, late-season yards? The answer likely comes down to roster needs, the right price, and a front office willing to bet on the heart of a player who knows Lambeau in his bones. For Jones, the dream is simple: one more chance to run with the Packers—and to finish the story on Lombardi Avenue the way he always imagined.