The Packers are still sorting through their roster with the season opener looming, and Friday brought another notable change. Green Bay released wide receiver Bo Melton, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, trimming a receiver group that had already been one of the team’s more interesting decisions heading into Week 1.
Melton had made Green Bay’s initial 53-man roster when the Packers kept six receivers. That group originally included Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Skyy Moore, Melton and undrafted rookie J. Michael Sturdivant, with Savion Williams starting the year on injured reserve.
Packers have released WR Bo Melton.
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2026
The move also comes after Melton had been listed as a backup to Watson on the Packers’ unofficial depth chart and as the No. 2 kickoff return option behind Skyy Moore. He appeared in 16 games last season, finished with a career-high four special-teams tackles and averaged 24.6 yards on 19 kickoff returns.
Green Bay brought Melton back in April after he spent the previous three seasons with the organization, giving him another shot to stick in Matt LaFleur’s offense and special-teams plans. That opportunity is now gone, at least for the moment.
The release leaves Watson, Reed, Golden, Moore and Sturdivant as the available receivers, with Williams still on injured reserve. Golden, the first-round pick, is expected to have an immediate role, while Watson’s return from injury gives Jordan Love another major target as the Packers prepare for a Minnesota defense led by Brian Flores.
Green Bay still has bigger availability issues elsewhere, too. Josh Jacobs remains on the commissioner’s exempt list and is ineligible to practice or play, which leaves MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson to handle the running back load. Johnson was acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers after Jacobs was placed on the exempt list, and the rookie could end up with an expanded role.
The offensive line is also a concern, with Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bewele among the players dealing with injuries. On top of that, DE Micah Parsons remains on the PUP list and is unavailable for the opener.
The Packers will meet the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET, and Love may be working with a version of the offense that looks different from the one Green Bay first put together for Week 1.
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