The Packers spent Thursday looking for help at two spots that suddenly need attention: tight end and long snapper.
Matt LaFleur said before practice that Green Bay would be bringing in a group of long snappers because Matt Orzech is working through a short-term calf injury. With Orzech unavailable, center Sean Rhyan has handled emergency duty, but the Packers appear to want a more experienced option in place sooner rather than later. When the NFL transaction wire came out, three long snappers showed up on the list for Green Bay - and so did seven pass-catchers, a much bigger group than expected.
The pass-catching workout list included four wide receivers and three tight ends, even though the Packers just added a tight end on Tuesday. At receiver, the current injury situation is light, with Brendan Rice sidelined by a hamstring issue. And with camp bodies always needed on a 91-man offseason roster, there’s no reason to read too much into Green Bay continuing to cycle through that room.
Among the receivers the Packers checked out was Elijhah Badger, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a UDFA last year, never landed on an NFL practice squad after being waived, and later joined the UFL. He finished second in that league in receiving yards with the Orlando Storm and also worked out for the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.
Elijah Cooks also got a look. A former Nevada teammate of Romeo Doubs, Cooks was waived by the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, his third NFL stop.
He has appeared in 11 regular-season games, all with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023-2024, and caught three passes for 38 yards. His NFL résumé also includes 118 offensive snaps and 46 special teams snaps.
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala is another name on the list. He wasn’t a big producer in college, finishing with 82 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns across five seasons that began at UCF and ended at UCLA.
He does bring return experience, though, with 14 kick returns and 13 punt returns in college. This was his first reported NFL tryout.
Kaden Prather rounded out the receiver group. A rookie seventh-round pick last year, he was waived by the Buffalo Bills with an injury settlement in late August. After joining the Louisville Kings in the UFL, he finished 35th in the league in receiving yards with nine catches for 148 yards over nine games and ranked sixth on the team in receiving.
Tight end is where the urgency really stands out. Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave are both dealing with injuries, leaving Green Bay with Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney, Luke Lachey, Messiah Swinson, R.J.
Maryland and Thomas Yassmin, who is on an international exemption. That’s why the Packers are continuing to churn the position, and this was already their second group of tight ends brought in after they worked out three on Monday, including Yassmin.
McCallan Castles is a familiar face. The Packers released him before the draft after he had signed to their practice squad last November amid a wave of injuries at tight end. He still hasn’t played in an NFL regular-season game entering his third pro season, but Green Bay may value the short-term familiarity.
Brandon Frazier is a rookie UDFA who spent four days with the Atlanta Falcons in May before being waived. At Auburn, he played six seasons and totaled 25 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
Briley Moore’s last NFL action came in 2022, and since then he has bounced around spring league teams. This spring he was with the DC Defenders and caught 13 passes for 167 yards and four touchdowns. The UFL hasn’t been especially kind to tight ends, either, with All-UFL tight end Tyler Neville putting up 13 receptions for 125 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
The long snapper search is the simplest part of the day. The Packers don’t have one in practice, so they’re trying to find a body.
Cal Adomitis is the most experienced of the group. A former college All-American at Pittsburgh, he has played 58 NFL games over the last four seasons and has started at long snapper for both the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. He most recently got a shot with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers before being released on June 11.
John Ferlmann was a four-year college starter, with one season at Arizona State and three at Ohio State, and was named a second-team All-Big Ten Conference player in 2025. The rookie UDFA had rookie minicamp looks with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs but has not been signed to an NFL roster.
Brent Matiscik is the brother of Jacksonville Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik, who has made the Pro Bowl the last three years and has been named first-team All-Pro twice (2023, 2025) and second-team All-Pro once (2024). Brent originally signed with the Cleveland Browns as a rookie UDFA in 2025 before being waived, then later worked out with the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals in 2025, when Jonathan Gannon was coaching the Cardinals and serving as Packers defensive coordinator.
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