The Green Bay Packers have officially ended their relationship with tight end McCallan Castles, waiving the 26-year-old from injured reserve with an injury settlement after he was cut with an injury designation during final roster reductions.
Castles, a South Lake Tahoe native born Dec. 3, 1999, never appeared in a regular-season NFL game. The Packers first signed him to the practice squad on Nov. 4, 2025, after previous stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams.
He spent the rest of that season in Green Bay, briefly landing on the practice-squad injured list in early January, then signed a reserve/future contract on Jan. 12.
Green Bay waived him April 17, 2026, as part of a small pre-draft roster trim that also included cornerback Tyron Herring and linebacker Jamon Johnson. Injuries at tight end brought him back.
On Aug. 4, with Luke Lachey and RJ Maryland waived injured and Luke Musgrave on the physically unable to perform list, the Packers signed Castles to a one-year deal worth $885,000.
He appeared in all three preseason games but did not record a catch. When the Packers cut the roster to 53 on Aug. 30, Castles was waived/injured along with Thomas Yassmin. He reverted to injured reserve and was then released with a settlement the next day, ending the contract and allowing him to seek work elsewhere if healthy.
Reports described the injury as undisclosed and not expected to keep him out long.
The move was straightforward roster math. Green Bay kept Tucker Kraft, Jonnu Smith and Josh Whyle, with Mark Redman pending a physical and Musgrave still on PUP. Depth pieces Drake Dabney and Messiah Swinson were also released.
Castles, listed around 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, had been a developmental body rather than a lock for the active roster.
College production never fully translated. After time at California and UC Davis, where he earned All-Big Sky honors, Castles finished at Tennessee in 2023 with 22 receptions, 283 yards and five touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2024 and has bounced among practice squads since.
For Packers fans, the transaction is a footnote to a crowded tight-end room and a reminder of how thin the line is between camp invite and the 53.
For Castles, the settlement closes a second stint in Green Bay and puts him back on the market as a free agent heading into the 2026 season, still searching for a first regular-season snap.
Be the first to comment