The Green Bay Packers added quarterback Cam Miller, D.J. Johnson and S John Saunders Jr. to the practice squad on Tuesday and released Kahlef Hailassie in the same set of moves. Brian Gutekunst announced the transactions, giving Green Bay a reshaped developmental group with Miller at the center of the day’s most notable addition.
The reason Miller draws the most attention is simple: he comes with a clear path through the NFL and a role that fits what a practice squad quarterback is supposed to do. He will wear No. 17 for the Packers, and the move gives Green Bay another arm to develop behind the active roster while the club sorts out its depth for the weeks ahead.
Miller was originally selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and spent almost his entire rookie season on their practice squad. He later signed to the Miami Dolphins’ active roster for the final game of the season but was not active on gameday, then was released by Miami at the end of training camp. That kind of route can leave a quarterback short on live reps, but it also means a team is betting on traits rather than polish alone.
Those traits were built at North Dakota State, where Miller played five seasons from 2020-24, started 56 games and helped lead the program to two NCAA Division I FCS national championships. He also broke school career records for total offensive yards, completion percentage, completions and passing yards, which helps explain why another team was willing to keep looking even after the stops and starts of his first pro season. Green Bay did not explain the timing of the addition, but the move shows the Packers wanted a quarterback with both draft pedigree and a heavy college workload on hand.
The rest of Tuesday’s work was smaller but still pointed. Johnson and Saunders joined Miller on the practice squad, with Johnson set to wear No. 46 and Saunders No. 35. Saunders had spent time on the practice squads of the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns this season, while Green Bay’s release of Hailassie cleared the spot that made the day’s shuffle possible. For now, Miller’s next step is straightforward: settle in as No. 17 and compete for a place in the Packers’ developmental quarterback picture.
