The Green Bay Packers are reuniting with one of their former draft picks after losing another defensive lineman to a season-ending injury in Week 17.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire, the Packers claimed defensive tackle Jonathan Ford — a seventh-round pick for them in 2022 — off waivers from the Chicago Bears on Monday, December 29, adding more depth to their injured defensive interior.
Ford spent the better part of his first three seasons with the Packers, but he did not play any games for them before the Bears signed him off their practice squad last December. He went on to play in each of the Bears’ final four games of the 2024 regular season as well as eight of their games in 2025, tallying 13 total tackles with one tackle for a loss.
The Bears had waived Ford last week to clear room for rookie guard Luke Newman to return from injured reserve to their 53-man roster ahead of Week 17’s road matchup.
The Packers (9-6-1) — who are locked in as the NFC’s No. 7 playoff seed — will wrap the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings (8-8) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 4.
Jordon Riley Suffered Season-Ending Injury vs. Ravens
Ford’s return comes after the Packers lost another one of their defensive tackles, Jordon Riley, to a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 17’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Packers had signed Riley off the New York Giants‘ practice squad after losing star Devonte Wyatt to a season-ending injury in early December. Ultimately, he played more snaps than expected, logging 64 defensive snaps in four games before his new injury.
With Riley now out for the season, though, the Packers needed more help for their line. Ford could receive a chance to contribute, but he might just be a depth option to offer support behind Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks and sixth-round rookie Warren Brinson.
Even still, Ford seems to have a better shot at playing than rookie Nazir Stackhouse, whom the Packers have made a healthy scratch every week since Week 13’s win.
Packers Had Several Others Injuries in Ravens Loss
While the Packers have already acted to find a suitable replacement for Riley in their lineup, he is not the only player who suffered an injury against the Ravens in Week 17.
Packers cornerback Kamal Hadden also suffered a brutal ankle injury early in the third quarter against the Ravens, prompting the team to immediately rule him out for the rest of the game. The next day, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that both Hadden and Riley would miss the rest of the season with their respective injuries.
“Unfortunate for them, and our team,” LaFleur told reporters on Sunday, December 28.
The Packers also had three other players exit the game against the Ravens with injuries: veteran cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee), safety and special-teamer Zayne Anderson (ankle) and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (concussion). The statuses of the first two are still unknown, while Wicks is in the league’s concussion protocol until he clears it.
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