The Green Bay Packers announced two roster moves on Saturday, July 26 in signing running back Israel Abanikanda and cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr..
The cornerback initially signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans at the start of May, but was officially added to the Packers 91-player roster on a day before they made their announcement. Hollis Jr. will wear No. 41 for Green Bay.
The Packers have an inexperienced secondary beyond Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine. Adding yet another young player to the cornerback room was accepted by some fans, but not all of them are sold on the signing. Some made their stance clear in wanting an old Packer to return to Green Bay.
“That’s not the corner we wanted though… BRING RASUL HOME,” one fan wrote.
“This is not Rasul Douglas,” another commented.
Before Green Bay traded him on Oct. 31, 2023, Douglas recorded 23 solo tackles, six assists, six passes defensed, and one interception in the season. He’s now a free agent and most recently declined an offer with the Miami Dolphins.
Since Douglas is now 30 years old, other fans are seeing the rookie signing as a positive for the Packers.
“Bringing in competition for camp is always a good thing. And we are probably not signing Rasul due to his age,” a fan wrote.
The combination of Hollis Jr. going undrafted and signing in the midst of Green Bay’s secondary reformation, though, caused the opposing group of fans to believe the Packers are grasping at straws, blatantly writing, “packers are desperate!!!!” and “Grasping for corners.”
At Northwestern from 2021 to 2023, Hollis Jr. posted 48 solo tackles, 25 assists tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, eight passes defensed, and two interceptions. He transferred to West Virginia for his senior season in 2024 and had 27 solo tackles, 19 assists, and a personal season-high six passes defensed.
“Hollis Jr. is a long and physical cornerback from West Virginia, boasting a [six-foot], 203-pound frame that provides the ideal size to contend with bigger receivers and tight ends at the NFL level,” his scouting report read.
