The Green Bay Packers made a notable practice squad shuffle on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, adding quarterback Cam Miller, D.J. Johnson and John Saunders Jr. while releasing Kahlef Hailassie. It is the kind of roster move that can look routine on paper but immediately changes the back-end depth chart.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transactions Tuesday, and the Packers clearly used the opportunity to reshape their reserve options at multiple spots. Miller brings a quarterback addition, Johnson adds another body up front, and Saunders Jr. gives Green Bay another defensive back to work with.
Cam Miller arrives after a winding start to his NFL career
Miller was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 215 overall pick. Before that, he spent five seasons at North Dakota State from 2020-24, starting 56 games and helping build the kind of experience NFL teams value in a developmental quarterback.
His early pro path has already been a little unusual. Miller spent almost his entire rookie season on the Raiders' practice squad before being signed to the Miami Dolphins' active roster for the final game of the season. For Green Bay, that background suggests a player who has already had to adapt quickly to different environments and roles.
At 6-1, 215, Miller now enters a practice squad room where the Packers are clearly looking for flexibility. Even if he is not expected to change the immediate pecking order, the move gives the team another quarterback option to develop and evaluate.
Why Johnson and Saunders Jr. matter in the shuffle
Johnson, listed at 6-4, 260, was a third-round pick, No. 80 overall, in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has 31 games and five starts on his record, with 60 tackles, 25 solo stops, four tackles for a loss, a half-sack, one QB hit, two passes defensed, one fumble recovery and two tackles on special teams.
That kind of production tells you why he remains a name worth keeping close. He is not arriving as a mystery player; he has already shown enough in the league to suggest he can still provide value if the Packers need depth and physicality on the edge.
Saunders Jr. also adds a recent NFL trail to the practice squad. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins on May 9, 2025, spent the first two months of his rookie year on Miami's practice squad, moved to the New England Patriots' active roster and later returned to a practice squad. He is listed at 6-2, 211, and Green Bay has clearly decided his experience is worth another look.
Hailassie is the player moved out
The corresponding release of Kahlef Hailassie is the other important part of the story. Practice squad moves are never only about arrivals; they also reveal which positions a team believes it needs to refresh most urgently.
In this case, the Packers have chosen to add three players and make room by moving on from one defensive back. That suggests a deliberate shift in how Green Bay wants to manage its reserve depth as the season moves into its next phase.
For now, the key takeaway is straightforward: Brian Gutekunst and the Packers have acted decisively. Cam Miller, D.J. Johnson and John Saunders Jr. are in, Kahlef Hailassie is out, and the practice squad looks different immediately.
