It isn’t often that Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur calls out an individual player, and when he does, it’s usually with a supportive tone. That wasn’t the case when he was asked about one of the team’s recently released players, however.
On Tuesday, November 15, the Packers announced that they had released second-year running back Kylin Hill. It was a surprising move considering he had just been activated off of injured reserve after recovering from a torn ACL he had suffered halfway through his rookie season.
When asked about why Hill was released later that day during his press conference, LaFleur didn’t hold back.
“There are standards and expectations that are placed on every member of this team that we expect guys to live up to, LaFleur said. “He’s in a loaded room but regardless of your role big or small, we expect guys to come to work and be supportive.”
Considering how reserved coaches are in press conferences, LaFleur’s comments indicated that something serious must have happened to warrant his release. The Packers head coach was much more supportive when talking about second-year receiver Amari Rodgers, who was also released by the team.
Kylin Hill’s Football Career
It’s an unfortunate end to Hill’s time in Green Bay, especially considering he had a very real chance at establishing himself as the team’s third running back in a rotation.
Hill was a 4-star recruit at running back coming out of Columbia, Mississippi. He received FBS offers from programs including Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Nebraska, but decided to stay in his home state to play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
The young running back played four seasons for the SEC program, and heading into his senior year he was one of the more intriguing running backs in the country. He was coming off a strong junior campaign, being named second-team All-SEC while rushing for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns.
However, because of the COVID-shortened season, Hill decided to opt out of his senior year after three games to prepare for the NFL draft. He had to wait a while during draft weekend, but was picked up by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Hill showed flashes as a rookie, even getting involved in the offense despite playing behind two phenomenal running backs in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. However, his season was cut short after suffering a torn ACL against the Arizona Cardinals on a kickoff return gone wrong.
It took an entire year before Hill was activated from injured reserve, but now his time in Green Bay has come to an abrupt end.
Who Will Be RB3 in Green Bay?
With Jones and Dillon making up one of the best backfield duos in the league, the third running back spot is now open for the taking. Fortunately for Patrick Taylor, he appears to be the incumbent selection after being called up from the practice squad.
Taylor went undrafted back in 2020 coming out of Memphis, but at 6’2″ and 217 pounds he is an imposing figure at running back. With injuries at the position in 2021, Taylor got an opportunity to see the field for the first time in his NFL career, rushing 23 times for 89 yards and a touchdown in nine games.
The Packers could make a call to add another running back, but for the time being it appears that Taylor has secured the RB3 role behind Jones and Dillon.
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Matt LaFleur Calls Out Recently Released Packers Running Back