You know times are tough when a writer for another team suggests they should poach someone off the New York Giants practice squad. We're talking about a player who can't get onto a 2-9 roster that sits with the second pick in the 2026 draft. On the surface that sounds like a stretch, but the situation comes with some context.
The Giants might have taken a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, but it came with a strong reminder that Big Blue has something the Cheeseheads don't: capable return men. Through the first 11 weeks of the season, the playoff-hopeful Packers have one of, if not the worst, punt return units in the league. They have a strong offense and defense, but if they're serious about contending, they can't continue to ignore the third phase. And that's where the G-Men come in.
Packers writer Wendell Ferreira from A to Z Sports took a look at the team’s ongoing punt return issues and is calling on Big Blue's special teams ace, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, to save the day:
I'm begging the Packers to sign Ihmir Smith-Marsette off the Giants' PS. https://t.co/Tiy3mt6z1d
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) November 17, 2025
Ihmir Smith-Marsette could be surprising add for Packers' playoff push
It could not get much worse for Green Bay’s returners right now. Daire Carragher pointed out that among the 45 players with at least three punt returns this season, the Packers sit in the bottom three spots. That’s not exactly the clean sweep that inspires confidence. But as a non-fan, it is objectively hilarious.
For reference, that’s their No. 1 wide receiver (Romeo Doubs), No. 1 cornerback (Keisean Nixon), and 2025 first-round pick (Matthew Golden) returning punts — which is less than ideal in the first place. So a player like ISM makes a lot of sense.
He has yet to make an appearance in 2025, but in 2024, Smith-Marsette played in 15 games, returning 29 punts for 228 yards (7.9 average) and 11 kickoffs for 381 yards and a touchdown.
The 26-year-old has had quite the NFL journey since being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2021 Draft. He was waived that preseason, and since then, he’s bounced from Chicago to Kansas City to Carolina before landing in East Rutherford in 2024.
Smith-Marsette was fighting for a roster spot with veteran Gunner Olszewski and undrafted free agent Dalen Cambre in the offseason, ultimately losing out to Olszewski and landing on the practice squad after his release.
The practice squad is fair game for any team looking for help, and if the Packers come calling, Smith-Marsette wouldn’t be all that surprising to poach. He’s already played for five teams in four years and has quietly delivered when given chances. If Green Bay is serious about fixing its return unit, it might be time to give a forgotten specialist his sixth shot.