Packers Claim Brenden Rice From Raiders, Cut James Ester

The Green Bay Packers claimed wide receiver Brenden Rice off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, adding the 24-year-old to their roster after a rapid series of stops across the league. In a corresponding move, the Packers cut defensive tackle James Ester, according to NFL transactions.

Rice’s addition marks the fifth NFL team for the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice in less than two years. He entered the league as a seventh-round pick in 2024, selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 225 overall pick. He later signed a four-year contract worth $4.1 million with the Chargers, but was waived out of the preseason and spent time on practice squads with the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Raiders before Green Bay’s claim.

In the 2024 regular season, Rice was active for three games with Los Angeles but did not record a reception. He was also on special teams during that stretch. After the season, the Raiders signed Rice in December and waived him again this week after previously moving him through the practice-squad rotation. Early in 2026, Los Angeles had added him to its offseason roster plans with a reserve/future contract,...