Packers Are Signing OT Jared Veldheer... Again
Jared Veldheer is once again a Green Bay Packer.
By JerseyAl
In an interesting little twist, thanks to Covid rules, Jared Veldheer, who started for Bryan Bulaga in last year's divisional Championship game against Seattle, will be available to play if needed this week against the Rams. WhHile there's always a possibility the Packers start Veldheer, I think it's much more likely he's the swing tackle backup if anything happens to Turner or Wagner.
OT Jared Veldheer, who started for the Colts' on Saturday, is now signing with the Packers, per source.
Veldheer will be the first player in NFL history to play two postseason games for two playoff teams. He is allowed to sign with GB because he was on the Colts' practice squad.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2021
According to Bill Huber, he spoke to a source who told him, "Veldheer went through COVID testing in Indianapolis on Monday, then hopped in a car for the six-hour drive to Green Bay."
Like Snacks last week, Veldheer is eligible to play this weekend thanks to a change in the rules the NFL instituted in December, as reported here by Tom Pelissero:
The NFL informed clubs today that players who are current in the league’s COVID testing cadence will be permitted to join or try out for a new club without having to start a new six-day entry testing period, per source — a big deal as teams backfill roster holes down the stretch.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 19, 2020
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of many hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He is also a recovering Mason Crosby truther. Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.
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Comments (29)
Oppy
January 11, 2021 at 05:22 pm
Kinda crazy when it's framed in the context of a player who could play post season games for two different teams in the same year.
chaka
January 12, 2021 at 08:29 pm
It will be changed for next year. I doubt the NFL anticipated that.
flackcatcher
January 11, 2021 at 05:39 pm
Gute must have a guy going over the fine print in the Rule book. First Snacks now Veldheer. Gute is really something. Glad he's the Packer GM...
10ve 💚
January 11, 2021 at 05:50 pm
Not fine print... this is well known fact even for those like me who follow the NFL as a fan.
10ve 💚
January 11, 2021 at 06:00 pm
Welcome back to Green Bay Jared!
Jared
January 11, 2021 at 07:35 pm
Thanks
Starrbrite
January 11, 2021 at 06:32 pm
That’s outstanding ! I saw Veldheer in the playoff game with Colts and he looked good; this can only help. I have been hesitant to applaud Gutey, but he has won me over with the recent additions of “Snacks” and now Veldheer. I was always in favor of signing Zadarius, but had a bitter taste after we drafted Jordan.....feeling better now.
Bearmeat
January 11, 2021 at 07:28 pm
It's an NFL first. Covid exemption. Way cool. And he will definitely help if we have an OT injury. Welcome back!
He went to Jared!!! lol.
PackfanNY
January 11, 2021 at 07:16 pm
Excellent addition. Very shrewd. Even better since I think he has some familiarity with our playbook or at least his teammates since he was around last season. Can’t hurt.
MarkinMadison
January 11, 2021 at 07:17 pm
Anybody who wants to complain about this move - you're hopeless.
Cheesey51
January 11, 2021 at 07:24 pm
During Andrew Mertig and Kyle Fellows Pack-a -Day podcast when David
Bak down, Andrew mentioned calling up Jared immediately. Guess Gutey heard him. Turns out he was on the practice squad and moved up to games of week 16-17 and playoff loss to the Bills. Now he's back with the packers. What a move by GM Gutey . Way to shore up a potential weak link
GO-Pack-Go
TheVOR
January 11, 2021 at 07:43 pm
Great move by the Packers, great move! Already mostly knows the offense, we already know he can play.
Packers0808
January 11, 2021 at 08:30 pm
Remember reading here in a couple of comments when Bak went down to call this Jared fella up! Good call!
PatrickGB
January 11, 2021 at 08:36 pm
I guess the Packers don’t trust Yosh Nijman at LT. At least not for the playoffs.
JerseyAl
January 11, 2021 at 09:06 pm
It would be foolish to trust a guy with practically zero live game experience playing tackle in the NFL.
MarkinMadison
January 12, 2021 at 08:59 am
He's been in the system for two years now. He played 14 snaps this year. Snaps for other non-starters (who played at least one snap): Wagner 610, Runyan 160, Taylor 63, Braden 4. In a year where this OL has shuffled a lot, he has barely gotten on the field.
Dzehren
January 11, 2021 at 08:49 pm
First player in NFL history to play 2 playoff games for 2 different teams in the same season.
Tundraboy
January 12, 2021 at 12:38 am
Yes ALL in.
mnbadger
January 12, 2021 at 12:58 pm
He hasn't played yet, and let's hope we stay healthy and he doesn't have to play until mop up time in Tampa! GPG!
Tundraboy
January 11, 2021 at 09:07 pm
Great move. We're now as loaded as we can possibly be going into the big games. GPG
Rossonero
January 11, 2021 at 09:13 pm
Excellent signing by Gutekunst! He brings experience, familiarity with this offense and has proven himself. I was hoping we'd get him and now we have. Very happy with Gutekunst. First Snacks and now him. Packers front office is going all in.
BRING ON THE RAMS!
Bure9620
January 11, 2021 at 09:23 pm
Very smart signing. I doubt Veldeer plays Saturday. This is more of a break glass in case of emergency option. Wagner has been a bit banged up. The Packers likely roll out the same 5 as last week but if Wagner goes down or Turner is not playing well at Tackle Veldeer is a solid vet presence. Gute is ALL in
CoachDino
January 12, 2021 at 05:20 am
IDK though I sure hope moves like this had been identified months ago and now that the need and scenario arises they acted on it. We give Gute all the credit but I sure hope there is a staff and a very robust process for staying on top of rules and player availability. Then again who knows.
He might of been picked up with the hope not to play him. As so it seems they deemed Wagner the better option than JV in 2020/21. But Wagner is banged up and if not at 90-100% JV might get in there sooner rather than later. Couple nice breaks with Snacks and JV becoming available and affordable.
As mentioned, JV has history with the playbook.
porupack
January 12, 2021 at 07:09 am
Glad Gute is dialed into CHTV! Smart CHTV base here, as a number of the CHTV posters called for Valdheer. Great insurance move, as there is recent familiarity.
While this is very prudent for COVID year, in general, allowing such restocking late in the season, or especially in playoffs can really harm the overall league as playoff contenders can pillage other rosters of non-contenders, and the core team identity will further erode, as well as the real drama and stakes of the off-season investments. So, great for this year, but I hope the league maintains trade and acquisition date restrictions in 2021 and beyond. The current free agency and CBA has already generated high team turnover, in comparison to earlier eras when players defined the team's personality for long time, if not their whole careers. Not that this era is worse for the free agency advantages, just that I'd not want to see it eroded further, and players can be acquired and dispensed further.
Alad
January 12, 2021 at 07:42 am
Good post, thanks!
frankthefork
January 12, 2021 at 11:06 am
Gutey... we love the signing; thanks. Jared looked great last week: imo he could line up as a TE or FB on Aaron Donald and chip him in the ribs. GPG. Bring back OUR trophy.
Irish_Cheesehead
January 12, 2021 at 12:29 pm
Wow! Didn’t think this was possible. No rest for Gute!
HawkPacker
January 12, 2021 at 04:02 pm
It's great having Snacks and Jared on board. Aren't Raven Greene and Swervin Ervin supposed to be available to us about now? I thought they were injured about 4 weeks back or so and were thought to be able to return in around 3 weeks. Anyone hear anything about their availability?
89Chewy
January 13, 2021 at 01:28 am
I see the Pack using brute force in this game. We will run, run, and run some more. Donald is the best Dlineman in the game, but his tongue will be dragging on the ground in the fourth after having to tackle our three headed monster in the backfield. I predict 18 carries for AJones, 13 for Jamal, and 7 for AJ. I'm so effing psyched, i can't wait!!!