The Green Bay Packers have reportedly released rookie tight end Colt Lyerla, but that’s far from the end of the story.
According to Paul Imig of FOX Sports, Lyerlas was told he will be waived by the Packers and if/once he clears waivers, he will put on injured reserve, thus ending his rookie season.
Lyerla was a controversial Undrafted free agent signing by Packers general manager Ted Thompson. His draft stock plummeted after he left the University of Oregon football team. He once claimed the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was a government conspiracy and later pled no contest to charges of cocaine possession.
These incidents saw Lyerla go from a player once considered a possible first round pick to an outcast who went undrafted.
Off-field issues aside, Lyerla has natural athletic talent and displayed some of that ability in training camp. When you consider the fact that Green Bay wants to stash him on injured reserve, it shows they believe he can still contribute to the team despite the recent emergence of fellow rookie Richard Rodgers.
Unfortunately for Lyerla, that won’t be in 2014.
——————
Kris Burke is a sports writer covering the Green Bay Packers for AllGreenBayPackers.com and WTMJ in Milwaukee. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) and his work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke
——————
Would’ve liked to have seen him on the field this year…
Honestly, this might be the best thing for both the team and Colt. TE’s rarely if ever make an impact in their first year, and we have an abundance of TE’s as it is. Now Colt will land on IR and have a year to learn everything he needs to know. He will be limited physically, but that won’t get in the way of him developing IMO.
Hopefully he makes it past waivers and the Packers can IR him. I would really like to see him get a real shot to make the team. Go Pack! Since ’61