The Green Bay Packers announced on Saturday that they have signed linebacker Kristian Welch to the active roster. Welch has been on the Packers’ practice squad this season and hasn’t been activated for a single game. Previously, he played 14 games for the 2023 Packers before Green Bay released him at the cutdown deadline in 2024, leading to him seeing action in 15 games with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens last season.

Welch is up for linebacker Nick Niemann, who left last week’s game with a pectoral injury. Today, he was placed on the injured reserve, the corresponding roster move that the Packers needed to do to add Welch to the 53-man roster.

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Interestingly, Green Bay did not release 10th offensive lineman Donovan Jennings or backup kicker Lukas Havrisik, who were both inactive last week despite not being listed with an injury.

The Packers also activated Aaron Mosby from the practice squad to the gameday roster for the third time this season. Mosby’s gameday callups are now exhausted for the remainder of the season, as he’s stepped up to play the special teams roles that usually go to the injured Lukas Van Ness.

Van Ness, along with receiver Dontayvion Wicks, is ruled out against the Carolina Panthers tomorrow. Kicker Brandon McManus (quad) and linebacker Quay Walker (calf) are listed as questionable.

Neither of today’s moves makes it clear how the team feels about the status of McManus and Walker, as the team held onto Havrisik and already needed to call up Welch to replace Niemann on special teams. If Walker is out, though, the Packers will be down to just four linebackers for the game: Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper and now Welch.