The Green Bay Packers lose their versatile "Swiss Army knife." Bo Melton's ability to play receiver, corner, and special teams makes his injury a significant playoff blow.
The Green Bay Packers have lost the services of Bo Melton for the rest of his campaign. He will not be available to help he Packers in heir wild card game against the Chicago Bears this weekend, and he won't be able to help the team should they move forward in the playoffs.
Melton was hurt in the regular season finale last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. It was a knee injury that he suffered, and while head coach Matt LaFleur said that it's not a long-term concern, the Packers are being forced to place Melton on the injured reserve.
What that means is that he'll have to miss the next four games. As such, if the Packers make a run to the Super bowl, he won't be available.
Typically, when announcement like this happens, the position the individual played is mentioned alongside their status.
For instance, for the average player, the lede of this article would be "The Green Bay Packers have lost the services of cornerback Bo Melton."
The thing is, Melton is not a "normal" NFL player in the sense that the Packers have asked him to do so many things.
Melton was actually selected as a wide receiver out of Rutgers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was cut before the 2022 season started and wound up on Seattle's practice squad.
The Packers signed Melton to their active roster in December of 2022 as they were looking for help on special teams. He went through camp in the fall of 2023 but was released during final roster cuts and wound up on the practice squad.
The Pack played yo-yo with him as he went between the practice squad and the active roster multiple times. He was "called up" and given a chance as a wideout late in the 2023 season against the Minnesota Vikings, and in that game, he caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
He's been an active player on the bottom of the Packers' roster since, and the team has loved his versatility. In fact, the Pack converted him to corner ahead of the 2025 season and they've used him in multiple roles throughout the 16 games that he played in.
Melton has played corner, wide receiver and special teams.
"He'll be on IR, unfortunately," LaFleur said Wednesday. "That's a big loss for us. Swiss Army knife. There's nothing he can't do. I love the energy he brings to our football team. A great competitor. The moment is never too big. It's unfortunate."
Melton has caught four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown this season. He's notched four tackles on defense and has even rushed five times for 35 yards on jets sweeps. He's also returned 19 kickoffs for 467 yards, which averages out to a decent 24.58 yards per return.
That's not bad for a former seventh round pick and practice squad player.
Melton has never been a star and he likely never will be one, but he's been a reliable player for the Packers and he would have been a vital piece of the overall puzzle against the Bears in the wild card round.
Losing him for this potential playoff run is absolutely a big deal for the Packers.