Will Sheppard entered the Green Bay Packers’ preseason finale knowing his NFL future could depend on every opportunity he received.
His approach was to stop worrying about those stakes.
“Really just going out there and not forcing the issue. Really letting the game come to me,” Sheppard said in a postgame interview with NBC26. “I think things are better when you have that mindset of not really chasing it and letting the game play out how it’s going to play out and just making the most of those opportunities you do get.”
Sheppard made the most of nearly every one.
The former Colorado wide receiver caught three passes for 26 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, during Green Bay’s 42-38 comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He then delivered the biggest play of the night by returning a punt 81 yards for another score.
Sheppard finished the preseason with nine receptions for 73 yards and two receiving touchdowns. More importantly for a receiver battling near the bottom of the depth chart, he demonstrated that he can provide additional value on special teams.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur suggested afterward that putting Sheppard back to return the punt was not a random preseason experiment.
“I believed he had it in him,” LaFleur said. “That’s why he was back there.”
Sheppard credited the return unit for creating a clear path to the end zone.
“Everybody did their job, stayed on their blocks and made it really easy for me,” Sheppard said. “All I had to do was take two steps right and get vertical. It was me and the punter, and somebody else was blocking for me. I knew at that moment it was going to be a touchdown.”
It was the first punt-return touchdown of Sheppard’s career. His previous longest return was approximately 40 yards during college.
The performance continued an encouraging second year in Green Bay. Sheppard spent most of the 2025 season on the Packers’ practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on Nov. 26. He did not appear in a regular-season game, but Green Bay kept him in its developmental system and gave him another opportunity this summer.
Now the decision belongs to the Packers.
Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig could return to a familiar role
Sheppard is not the only former Colorado player sitting near the roster line.
Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig is trying to earn a place in Jacksonville’s secondary after spending most of the 2025 season on the Jaguars’ practice squad. He was elevated for three games and contributed on defense and special teams.
Silmon-Craig continued making plays this preseason, including a four-tackle performance highlighted by Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Jacksonville’s depth in the secondary, however, could leave him outside the initial 53-man roster.
That would not necessarily end his time with the Jaguars. Silmon-Craig already knows the system and has regular-season experience. If waived and not claimed by another team, he would be a logical candidate to return to Jacksonville’s practice squad.
Rookie defensive back Preston Hodge faces a similar situation. Travis Hunter and B.J. Green II will certainly remain on Jacksonville’s roster, while Silmon-Craig and Hodge appear more likely to compete for practice-squad positions. However, there could be a whole lot of Duuuuuuval chants throughout Boulder this season if all goes well for these former Coach Prime players.
Several former Buffaloes remain in contention
Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland, LaJohntay Wester in Baltimore and Jimmy Horn Jr. in Carolina appear positioned to remain with their respective teams. Xavier Weaver remains under contract with Arizona but was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Several players from Colorado’s 2025 team face more uncertain outcomes. Defensive tackle Amari McNeill is competing in Kansas City, receiver Sincere Brown is with the Los Angeles Chargers, offensive lineman Xavier Hill is with the New York Jets and defensive lineman Anquin Barnes Jr. is with the New York Giants.
Edge rusher Arden Walker was claimed by Green Bay late in the preseason and had limited time to make his case.
Some will make an initial 53-man roster. Others could clear waivers and receive practice-squad invitations, either from their current organizations or another NFL team.
For Sheppard, all that remains is the wait.
“It could be stressful,” Sheppard said. “But I think just going home and relaxing, taking my mind off football and whatever happens next happens next.”
Whatever Green Bay ultimately decides, two touchdowns and an endorsement from LaFleur ensured Sheppard gave the Packers plenty to consider.
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