The Green Bay Packers signed wide receiver Coleman Owen to their 53-man roster Saturday ahead of Sunday’s NFC North game against the Detroit Lions.
Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber first reported the move. Packers reporter Easton Butler shared it on X, writing, “The Packers signed WR Coleman Owen to the 53, per @BillHuberNFL.”
The Packers entered the week with only 50 players on the active roster. They also plan to activate running back Josh Jacobs, who had been on a roster exemption after coming off the exempt list.
Roster moves must be finalized by 3 p.m. Central time to count for the game.
Owen, who is 5-foot-10 and 181 pounds, joined the Packers’ practice squad on Sept. 30 after time with the Indianapolis Colts. The team elevated him for last Sunday’s 23-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
In that game, Owen handled punt returns after Skyy Moore went down. He fielded three punts cleanly, with two fair catches and one return of 16 yards. He did not catch any passes.
Moore landed on injured reserve Oct. 17 with a high-ankle sprain. Under NFL rules, that means he must miss at least four games.
Wide receiver Bo Melton is listed as questionable for the Lions with a back injury. He missed practice Wednesday and Thursday but returned in a limited role Friday.
Owen went undrafted in 2025 out of Ohio University after five seasons at Northern Arizona. The Colts signed him as a free agent that May. He spent most of his rookie year on their practice squad and appeared in two games.
With Indianapolis, Owen recorded five kickoff returns for 141 yards, an average of 28.2 yards, and one punt return for 2 yards. He had no receptions.
At Ohio in 2024, he started all 14 games and finished with 78 receptions for 1,245 yards and eight touchdowns. The yardage total set a single-season school record. He also returned 17 punts for 132 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown, and earned first-team All-MAC honors.
The Packers signed Owen after Jayden Reed suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2. Reed went on injured reserve Sept. 30.
Owen’s promotion gives him a permanent spot on the active roster rather than a temporary elevation from the practice squad. That should allow him more consistent opportunities on special teams and potentially on offense.
The Packers, at 4-2, travel to face the 3-2 Lions. With Moore sidelined, Owen figures to continue seeing work in the return game if Melton is limited.
Special teams coordinator Cam Achord said earlier in the week that Owen “did a really good job” against Dallas and showed no hesitation fielding punts.
The move addresses depth at a position hit by injuries. Owen’s college production and clean debut on returns give the Packers a reliable option as they prepare for Detroit.
