Breaking: Former Packers player claimed by the Browns on waivers

Tyler Coyle played against Cleveland just one week ago, and he is now a Brown.

Tyler Coyle, a former safety for the Green Bay Packers, was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns on Friday. To what extent do the Browns know Coyle? In the team’s opening preseason game last week, the safety only saw 14 defensive snaps.

After being passed over from Purdue thru UConn and then undrafted, Coyle spent two years of his professional career with the Dallas Cowboys. Coyle signed a contract with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers in 2023, but the team quickly combined with the XFL to become the UFL and become Coyle’s free agent.

Coyle was added to Green Bay’s practice squad during the last week of the regular season, and he stayed on the roster for the duration of the playoffs. Coyle signed a reserve-futures contract with the team at the end of the season.

Even as a practice squad call-up, Coyle never participated in a regular season or postseason game with the Packers. Since his lone NFL game appearance in 2022 with the Cowboys, he has not participated in a regular season match.

The Browns removed previous draft pick Brady Breeze, who was released with an injury designation, to make way for Coyle. With 11 tackles, including one sack, in the first preseason game, Breeze actually led Cleveland in tackles. Against the Browns, Coyle had three tackles, two of which were solo stops.

Coyle was cut on Wednesday, along with former Wisconsin Badgers long snapper Peter Bowden, to make room on the roster for the Packers to sign linebacker Chris Russell and running back Nate McCrary. Injuries at the positions of linebacker and running back are beginning to affect the team’s depth. Having rested their starters for this week’s game against the Denver Broncos, Green Bay needed extra men at those positions.