Brenden Rice, Son of Jerry Rice, Signs with Packers, Lands on 5th Team in 2 Years
After playing for four organizations in less than two years, Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Fame legend Jerry Rice, is getting another shot, this time with the Green Bay Packers, who claimed him off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday.
Coming out of Hamilton High School in Arizona, Rice arrived at Colorado as a three-star recruit before transferring to USC in 2022.
Playing in Lincoln Riley's offense with future No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, Rice developed into one of the Pac-12's most dangerous vertical threats, piling up 644 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on just 37 catches (17.4 yards per catch) in his senior year, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors.
At 6-foot-3 and around 210 pounds, Rice entered the 2024 NFL Draft with intriguing traits, and an even more intriguing lineage. But the draft process exposed concerns about polish, route detail, and separation ability, causing him to slide to the seventh round, where the Los Angeles Chargers selected him with the No. 225 overall pick.
Since then, Rice has bounced around, appearing in three games as a rookie with the Chargers before practice squad stints with the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Raiders, with Green Bay now being his fifth NFL stop in the last two years.
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On the surface, it’s easy to see how this could become another short-lived stop for Rice. But there may actually be a real opportunity for him to carve out a meaningful depth role in Green Bay.
The Packers have invested heavily in youth around quarterback Jordan Love, but they still lack a true alpha wide receiver who has fully separated from the pack.
Christian Watson remains one of the NFL's most explosive athletes, though injuries have repeatedly interrupted his development.
Jayden Reed has emerged as a versatile slot weapon and recently signed a three-year, $50 million extension with the team.
Rookie Matthew Golden brings blazing speed, while Savion Williams and Bo Melton have both shown flashes as well.
However, while the team did recently sign former second-round pick Skyy Moore, they also lost receivers Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Malik Heath in the offseason.
Those three alone accounted for nearly 140 targets last year, headlined by Doubs, who led the team with 55 catches for 724 yards and six touchdowns.
In other words, there are meaningful snaps and opportunities still available in Green Bay.
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The Packers’ offense under Matt LaFleur thrives on rotation, matchup versatility, and receivers willing to block and win physically.
Rice may never become the route artist his father was, but he does fit Green Bay's appetite for size, physicality, and boundary toughness.
The Packers don’t need Rice to become a star overnight. They just need him to become dependable, which is a far more realistic goal at this stage in his career.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 7:19 PM.