Paul Bretl | 3/28/2025
Green Bay, Wis. — The Packers are bringing back a familiar face. The team announced on Friday that they are signing linebacker Kristian Welch.
Welch spent the 2023 season with the Packers and was a core special teams contributor. That year, from Week 4 through the NFC divisional playoff round, Welch played 237 snaps, or nearly 49 percent of all the Packers’ special teams snaps–the fourth-highest rate on the team. Welch was a regular contributor across four different phases, finished third on the team in tackles, and among 188 eligible players across the NFL, Welch’s special teams grade from PFF ranked 39th.
“Special teams a lot of times is just being–like wanting it more than the other guy,” said Welch last summer. “So the fundamentals, the details are all part of that, the scheme. Really it starts with your effort. Your ability to out-technique your opponent basically.
“It comes down to me being able to block that guy more than he wants to go make the play. And then beating them with technique within the umbrella of the scheme.”
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Welch was on the Packers’ 90-man roster through training camp and the preseason last summer before being released during roster cutdowns. Welch would initially land with Denver but also spent time with Baltimore in 2024 as well.
“It was tough,” said Matt LaFleur last summer about releasing Welch. “He did everything he could have possibly done. He was making plays. It showed up in every game and I thought he got better throughout the course, going into the OTAs, from where he started to where he is now. He is a much better football player.
“Certainly he’s made his mark in this league on teams, and I’m sure he’ll continue to do that for a long time to come. But I thought he really showed his ability to go in there and play on the defensive side of the ball. That gave us a lot of confidence. He’s a very smart guy, very tough, competitive, everything that you want from a football player, in particular that position. A really good communicator. So, again, it’s tough.
Ultimately, last season’s linebacker room was too crowded for Welch to carve out a roster spot, even though he had the ability to contribute. However, as we take an early look at the state of the linebacker room, there is a more clear path for Welch to make the 53-man this season, with Eric Wilson—another core special teams player—now in Minnesota.
“I honestly love that part about special teams,” added Welch about playing multiple phases. “Each phase has it’s own challenges, right? It’s like a very unique thing in football. It’s just fun. I think it just presents a different challenge than kind of any other phase in the game and just being able to understand each little nuance and get the techniques of a punt set down. And then get the techniques of a punt coverage down. And then being able to tackle in open space. All these things kind of bring it together and that’s what I really just enjoy, honestly, especially in the NFL.”
Special teams is going to be Welch’s bread and butter, but defensively, last summer in Jeff Hafley’s defense, he got work as the middle linebacker with the third defense and made several plays in that role. This included coming away with two interceptions and a pass breakups in three preseason games.
“At the end of the day you just have to be you,” said Welch. “You can’t–you have to be confident in the player that you are. What you bring to the team and doing that best is what’s going to suit the team best.”