The Green Bay Packers are adding one of the stars of the USFL to the team’s 90-man roster ahead of training camp.
According to Bill Huber of SI.com, the Packers are signing tight end Sal Cannella, who led the USFL in receiving yards by a tight end and was named to the All-USFL team in 2022.
Cannella, 25, was one of four players to try out for the Packers on Wednesday. He previously played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears.
Cannella (6-5, 230) went undrafted out of Auburn in 2020. He’ll fill the 90th roster spot in Green Bay.
As a member of the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL in 2020, Cannella caught 34 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns. He finished sixth among all USFL players in catches and 11th in receiving yards, and he also set the league’s record for receiving yards in a game by a tight end with 154.
In Green Bay, Cannella should get a legitimate opportunity to compete for a roster spot at tight end, a position lacking depth and where starter Robert Tonyan is still recovering from an ACL injury.
At Auburn’s pro day in 2020, Cannella ran the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds, hit 33.5″ in the vertical, finished the three-cone drill in 7.15 seconds and put up 20 reps on the bench press.