The Green Bay Packers did not get the result they were looking for in Week 1, as they suffered a fourth-quarter collapse against the Minnesota Vikings that eventually resulted in a 39-22 defeat. As a result, the Packers went back to the drawing board in an effort to fix their mistakes for their upcoming action.
One move Green Bay made that turned heads was bringing in defensive tackle Zxavian Harris for a workout. Harris, of course, has been stuck in limbo after his failed move to return to college football, with the league sending out a memo reminding teams that he is ineligible to try out, visit, or sign with any NFL teams this season. The Packers, by hosting Harris for a workout, violated those rules, but according to one insider, it doesn’t sound like the team will be facing discipline for its actions.
Packers Not Expected to Be Punished for Zxavian Harris Workout
Harris has been the subject of intense media attention over the past few weeks for his decision to attempt to return to college football after failing to find a home in the NFL. After going undrafted earlier this year, Harris latched on with the New Orleans Saints, but he ended up getting waived by the team early in August.
With teams not exactly lining up to sign him, Harris decided to try and make a bold move, claiming he intended to exercise his fifth year of NCAA eligibility and return to college to play for the LSU Tigers. Harris’ decision was the subject of much controversy, but he was initially granted the ability to do so.
LSU opted not to add Harris to its roster ahead of its first game of the season, though, leaving him in limbo. He has now attempted to find his way back into the NFL, with the Packers hosting him for a workout. Obviously, that goes against the league’s protocols when it comes to handling this unique situation, but since the aforementioned memo went out a day after Green Bay hosted Harris, NFL insider Tom Pelissero revealed in his column “The Sweep” that the league is not expected to punish the team for its actions.
The Packers are not expected to be disciplined for working out DT Zxavian Harris one day before the league sent a memo clarifying that Harris and TE Dae’Quan Wright are ineligible to try out, visit, or sign with any NFL team during the 2026 season after attempting to return to college football and play for LSU,” Pelissero wrote.
Packers Dodge a Bullet With Zxavian Harris Workout
The Packers obviously didn’t have a choice, but it didn’t seem like they were intent on signing Harris after this workout, so getting punished for simply bringing him to town would have been a tough pill to swallow. Since the league hadn’t totally clarified its stance on Harris’ future in the NFL this season, though, it is giving Green Bay a pass for the time being.
As a result, the team will have to find other ways to upgrade its roster in an attempt to get back on track. The good news for the Packers is that, on paper at least, they have an easier matchup in Week 2 against the New York Jets. As we saw last week, though, nothing is ever guaranteed in the NFL, so if Green Bay wants to get its first win of the season, it is going to have to play much better than it did against Minnesota.
Insider Reveals Expected Punishment for Packers After Controversial Move