Packers Promote Galeai to Improve Outside Linebacker Depth

Whitney Mercilus on Tuesday joined fellow outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith, Randy Ramsey and Chauncey Rivers on the Green Bay Packers’ injured reserve.

Mercilus suffered a torn biceps during Sunday’s victory over Seattle. It was a big loss. He provided instant credibility as the top reserve behind Preston Smith and Rashan Gary. In six games with Houston to start the season, Mercilus had five pressures in 110 pass-rushing opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus. In four games with Green Bay, he had 10 pressures in 80 pass-rushing opportunities. He was second on the team in pass-rush win rate, according to Pro Football Focus.

The next man up is Tipa Galeai, who was promoted from the practice squad.

Galeai spent his first two seasons at TCU before transferring to Utah State. After sitting out the 2017 season, Galeai recorded 10.5 sacks, 14 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles as a junior in 2018 and five sacks and nine tackles for losses as a senior in 2019. He went undrafted in 2020 and signed with the Packers. He had spent his one-and-a-half seasons in the NFL on Green Bay’s practice squad. He played in one game – the 2020 opener at Minnesota in which he played nine snaps.

“I’m extremely excited that he’s back” on the practice squad, outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said in September. “He’s just got to put weight on. He’s probably got to put on another 10 or 15 pounds, but his pass rush is just a knack to him. He’s got a feel for it. He’s got really good quickness. You look in our room, he’s our DPR or situational pass rush-type guy, but he still needs to add a little bit more weight. All the drop stuff comes easy to him. It’s just the run stuff, you’ve got to put weight on because you don’t feel as comfortable when you have a Za’Darius and a Rashan and Preston and Garvin. Those type guys that are just big, physical guys.”

Smith compared the 6-foot-5, 229-pounder to Dee Ford, who had 10 sacks in 2016 and 13 sacks and a league-leading seven forced fumbles in 2018 when Smith was on the Chiefs’ staff. Not that Smith was projecting Galeai as a Pro Bowler, but his quickness gives him an edge as a pass rusher.

“Not saying he’s Dee but these undersized guys can be some hard guys to block,” Smith said. “We’ve just got to add weight on him, add some strength, but I’m extremely excited to have Tipa back. I just love guys that love football and that work. We call him the fly in the wine. That sucker’s all over the damned place in practice, games, all over. I can work with those guys all day because it means something to them.”

Also back is outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton, who was signed to the practice squad. Hamilton was signed off Tampa Bay’s practice squad on Sept. 17 and played in three games. He was released on Saturday when the Packers brought back Aaron Rodgers from the COVID-19 list.

In other practice squad moves, Green Bay signed running back Kerrith Whyte and released defensive lineman Auzoyah Alufohai. With Aaron Jones knee injury, White gives the Packers a fourth running back behind AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor and fellow practice squad member Ryquel Armstead.