The Green Bay Packers have brought in the son of NFL royalty, claiming wide receiver Brenden Rice off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders while also cutting DT James Ester in a corresponding move.
If his last name sounds familiar to Packers fans, it should. Brenden Rice is the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, a three-time Super Bowl winner who was also named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice. He was also named a 10-time First-team All-Pro.
His son Brenden's career trajectory hasn't quite worked out that way. He has spent time with multiple organizations while trying to find a more permanent home. Before the start of his NFL career, the younger Rice played college football for both the Colorado Buffaloes and USC Trojans before being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Rice played two seasons for the Buffaloes before entering the transfer portal in 2022, joining USC. The Hamilton High School graduate also announced in 2023 that he was forgoing his remaining year of college eligibility to enter the Draft.
After being selected by the Chargers, Rice was waived in 2025 amid their final round of roster cuts after appearing in three total games with the franchise. He signed with the practice squads of both the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks within a month of each other; the seventh-round draft choice would be released by both teams.
The day after being released from Seattle, he signed with the practice squad of the Raiders, and later signed a reserve/future contract. He's yet to record a single reception at the NFL level.
The Green Bay Packers have brought in the son of NFL royalty, claiming wide receiver Brenden Rice off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders while also cutting DT James Ester in a corresponding move. If his last name sounds familiar to Packers fans, it should.