The Green Bay Packers elevated safety Omar Brown from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 17. The move was announced Saturday, making Brown available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.
Brown is being elevated for the second straight week. The move is in response to the Packers’ injury situation at safety, where rookie Evan Williams is out with a quad injury and rookie Javon Bullard is questionable to play with an ankle injury that has cost him the last two games.
Brown will provide depth behind Xavier McKinney and Zayne Anderson, who started together at safety last week. If Bullard returns, the Packers would have McKinney, Bullard, Anderson, Brown and rookie Kitan Oladapo as available options at safety against the Vikings.
The Packers originally signed Brown to the practice squad on Aug. 29. He made his NFL debut last week against the New Orleans Saints, playing eight snaps on defense and six more on special teams in the 34-0 win.
Brown, who made a pre-draft visit to Green Bay, first signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent. He played in 52 games during his collegiate career and was an All-Big Ten pick for Nebraska in 2023.
All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Brown has just one elevation left. On Monday, Brown will revert to the practice squad.
The Packers elevated at least one player during each of the first nine weeks. This is the third time in the last three weeks that the Packers elevated a defensive back.
Elevations by week
Week 1: RB Ellis Merriweather
Week 2: QB Sean Clifford
Week 3: QB Sean Clifford, CB Robert Rochell
Week 4: CB Robert Rochell, CB Kamal Hadden
Week 5: FB Andrew Beck
Week 6: FB Andrew Beck
Week 7: FB Andrew Beck
Week 8: CB Robert Rochell
Week 9: CB Kamal Hadden
Week 14: CB Kalen King
Week 16: S Omar Brown
Week 17: S Omar Brown