Five Things To Know About The Packers' Signing And Sudden Release Of Jeremiah Martin
The Green Bay Packers made a flurry of moves to bolster their defensive depth as the 2025 offseason got underway, including the signing of defensive end Jeremiah Martin. This move, announced by General Manager Brian Gutekunst, was initially seen as a low-risk, high-reward addition to the defensive line, but the story took a quick turn. As of late December 2025, the narrative around Martin’s time in Green Bay is less about his potential and more about the swift, business-side of the NFL, following a subsequent injury-related roster move.
The signing was part of the annual wave of reserve/future contracts designed to fill out the 90-man roster for the upcoming training camp. Martin, a physical defensive end with experience from multiple teams, was poised to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster or the practice squad. However, the dream of wearing the Green and Gold was short-lived, concluding just before the main offseason program began due to an injury settlement.
Jeremiah Martin: Player Profile and Career Summary
Jeremiah Martin is an American professional football defensive end (DE) who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. His journey through the league has been characterized by raw talent and the constant grind of fighting for a roster spot. Here is a brief look at his professional and collegiate background:
- Full Name: Jeremiah Martin
- Position: Defensive End (DE) / Edge Rusher
- Born: July 10, 2000
- Hometown: San Bernardino, California
- Height: 6’4” (193 cm)
- Weight: 265 lbs (120 kg)
- College: Texas A&M (2018–2020), University of Washington (2021–2022)
- NFL Draft: Undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft
- Collegiate Career Highlights: Played five seasons, accumulating 9.5 sacks, 41 solo tackles, and 18 assists between Texas A&M and Washington.
- Previous NFL Teams: Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears (Practice Squads/Camp)
- Packers Tenure: Signed reserve/future contract on January 13, 2025.
The Reserve/Future Contract: Details of the Green Bay Signing
The Green Bay Packers officially signed Jeremiah Martin to a reserve/future contract on January 13, 2025. This type of contract is a standard practice for NFL teams at the end of the regular season, allowing them to secure players for the next league year who were not on the active roster when the season concluded. These players typically come from the practice squad of any team or were free agents.
The contract details, while standard for a player in his position, offered Martin a path to compete in the 2025 training camp:
- Contract Term: 1 year
- Total Value: $840,000
- Average Salary: $840,000
- 2025 Salary Cap Charge: Estimated at $78,000 for the Packers, reflecting the non-guaranteed nature of the deal.
For General Manager Brian Gutekunst, these signings are crucial for generating competition. The strategy is to find diamonds in the rough—young, high-motor players who can potentially blossom into rotational pieces or provide valuable depth during the rigorous training camp and preseason schedule. Martin, a physical defensive lineman with a good college pedigree from the SEC (Texas A&M) and the Pac-12 (Washington), fit the mold of a high-upside developmental player for the Packers' defensive scheme.
The Sudden Roster Move: Waived with an Injury Settlement
Despite the optimism surrounding his January signing, Jeremiah Martin's tenure with the Green Bay Packers came to an abrupt end just before the official start of the summer offseason program. The Packers waived Martin with an injury designation on May 29, 2025. This move is significant because it indicates an injury occurred, preventing him from participating fully in the team's organized team activities (OTAs) or minicamps.
The situation was finalized on June 2, 2025, when Martin was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement. This is a common transaction in the NFL. When a player is waived with an injury designation and goes unclaimed, they revert to the team's injured reserve (IR). The team and player then negotiate an injury settlement, which pays the player a lump sum for the amount of time they are expected to be sidelined. Once the settlement is reached, the player is released from IR and becomes a free agent, free to sign with any other team after the settlement period expires.
While the exact nature of the injury remains undisclosed, the move freed up a roster spot for the Packers and allowed Martin to seek treatment and potentially sign with a new team later in the season.
The Impact on the Packers' Defensive Line Competition
Martin’s departure, though unfortunate, did not significantly alter the overall outlook for the Green Bay Packers' defensive line and edge rusher competition heading into the 2025 season. The Packers have a deep and competitive group, making it a tough roster to crack for any reserve/future signing. Key entities in the competition include established players and recent draft picks:
- Edge Rushers: The team relies heavily on a rotation featuring stars like Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, with younger players like Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare expected to take on larger roles.
- Defensive Line: The interior defensive line competition is also fierce, with players like Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and T.J. Slaton leading the way. The defensive coaching staff, including new Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley, emphasizes a high-motor, aggressive approach that demands full health and immediate impact from rotational pieces.
Players signed via reserve/future contracts, such as Martin, are fighting for one of the last defensive line spots on the 53-man roster or a coveted spot on the 16-man practice squad. Martin’s brief tenure highlights the high-stakes, day-to-day nature of NFL roster management, where one injury can quickly change a player's trajectory.
What’s Next for Jeremiah Martin?
Following his release via injury settlement in June 2025, Jeremiah Martin is now a free agent. This means he is eligible to sign with any of the 32 NFL teams once his injury settlement period has passed. Given his age and collegiate production, he remains a viable candidate for a team looking to add a developmental defensive end with a high motor to their practice squad or training camp roster later in the year.
The path for undrafted players like Martin is often a challenging one, involving multiple short stints with various teams. His goal will be to fully recover and showcase his skills to a new organization, hoping to secure a spot that allows him to contribute to an active roster. For the Green Bay Packers, the roster spot was quickly filled as they continued to fine-tune their defensive unit for the upcoming season, a testament to the continuous churn of the NFL offseason.
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