GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Three-time Super Bowl champion Mecole Hardman and former first-round pick Isaiah Simmons were among the players released Tuesday by the Green Bay Packers, sources told ESPN.
The Packers took fliers on both Hardman and Simmons this offseason, but neither showed enough in the preseason and training camp to crack the 53-man roster.
Green Bay invested little in either player, giving Hardman a $150,000 signing bonus and Simmons $167,500. Both signed one-year veteran minimum deals that contained no other guarantees.
Hardman got opportunities as both a receiver and kick returner with the Packers but couldn't replicate what he had done during his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught the game-winning touchdown from Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVIII after the 2023 season. Hardman also earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner in his 2019 rookie season.
Simmons, the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Arizona Cardinals, was competing for one of the linebacker spots on Green Bay's roster. The versatile Simmons had bounced between linebacker and safety with Arizona and the New York Giants, but the Packers hoped that by keeping at one position he could find a role.
NFL teams are required to reduce their preseason rosters to 53 players on Tuesday for the start of the regular season.