The Green Bay Packers continue to fine-tune the bottom of their roster as they navigate the late stages of the 2025 season. On Tuesday, the team made a series of moves that reshaped their practice squad, headlined by the release of two players and the addition of a well-traveled cornerback.
Let’s unpack what happened - and what it might mean moving forward.
Will Sheppard waived, practice squad door opens
The Packers waived wide receiver Will Sheppard from the 53-man roster, a move that could be more procedural than permanent. If Sheppard clears waivers, the expectation is that he’ll rejoin the team via the practice squad. But to make that possible, Green Bay first had to clear space - their 17-man unit was full after kicker Lucas Havrisik was re-signed last week.
That’s where Tuesday’s decisions came in.
Two out, one in: Packers shuffle the deck
To make room, the Packers released wide receiver Michael Woods II and cornerback Tyron Herring. In their place, Green Bay signed cornerback Shemar Bartholomew, a player who’s been on the team’s radar since early November.
Woods had been with the Packers since Week 10 and was likely a short-term depth piece. If Sheppard returns, he’ll slot into the same role, becoming the third receiver on the practice squad alongside Isaiah Neyor and Jakobie Keeney-James.
As for Herring, his time in Green Bay has been a bit of a whirlwind. After going undrafted out of Delaware in 2025, he initially joined the Packers during training camp but didn’t make the final cut. He bounced to the Patriots’ practice squad for a few weeks before Green Bay brought him back in Week 9 - a reaction to the Titans poaching cornerback Micah Robinson, a 2025 draft pick the Packers had hoped to develop.
The release of Herring, combined with the addition of Bartholomew, suggests the Packers are looking for more long-term upside at the cornerback spot.
Enter Shemar Bartholomew: NFL journeyman with upside
Bartholomew’s path to Green Bay has been anything but linear. After going undrafted in 2024, he signed with the New York Jets and was waived during final cuts.
The Carolina Panthers then claimed him - beating out three other teams in the process (the Chargers, Saints, and Chiefs also submitted claims). He stuck on the Panthers’ 53-man roster through the 2024 season, appearing in five games and logging 34 special teams snaps and 17 on defense.
But 2025 has been a different story. Bartholomew was waived during this year’s roster cutdowns, briefly rejoined Carolina’s practice squad for a single day, and then hit the open market. Since then, he’s been something of a league-wide auditionee, working out for no fewer than a dozen teams - including the Texans, Giants, Bills, Colts, Cardinals, Browns, Raiders, Broncos, Buccaneers, Saints, 49ers, and yes, the Packers.
That’s a lot of frequent flyer miles for a young cornerback still trying to find a permanent home.
Green Bay passed on signing him after his first workout in November, but they clearly kept him on the radar. With Herring out and Robinson now in Tennessee, the Packers were thin at cornerback on the practice squad. Bartholomew now becomes the sixth cornerback in the building, and possibly a candidate for a reserve/futures contract once the season wraps.
Reading between the lines: A look toward 2026?
There’s reason to believe this move isn’t just about depth for December practices. With Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs both working their way back from injuries, the Packers might feel comfortable enough with their top-end cornerback health to make a longer-term evaluation. Bartholomew brings more special teams experience than Herring and has flashed enough talent to warrant multiple teams giving him a look.
If Green Bay is already thinking about their post-season futures contracts - those league-minimum deals that allow teams to retain practice squad players into the offseason - Bartholomew may simply be the guy they’d rather invest in.
Current Packers practice squad (1 spot open)
Here’s how the practice squad looks now, with one open slot likely earmarked for Sheppard - assuming he clears waivers:
- QB: Clayton Tune
- RB: Pierre Strong Jr.
- WR: Isaiah Neyor, Jakobie Keeney-James
- TE: McCallan Castles, Drake Dabney
- OT: Brant Banks
- OG: Dalton Cooper
- OC: Lecitus Smith
- DE: None
- DT: James Ester, Dante Barnett (international exemption)
- LB: Jamon Johnson
- CB: Shemar Bartholomew
- S: Johnathan Baldwin, Jaylin Simpson
- K: Lucas Havrisik
- P: None
- LS: None
With the roster fluid and the postseason push heating up, these back-end moves may not grab headlines - but they matter. The Packers are building for depth now and development later, and Bartholomew’s addition is the latest example of that forward-thinking approach.