Packers Release Veteran Punter O’Donnell

The Green Bay Packers released veteran Pat O’Donnell on Monday, a source confirmed, opening the door for Irish-born Daniel Whelan to be the team’s Week 1 punter.

The news was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Whelan outkicked O’Donnell for most of training camp and had a superb preseason finale vs. Seattle. Based solely on kicking the ball with hangtime and distance, Whelan was the obvious option.

“He’s done a heck of a job since we’ve gotten him,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Whelan. “He definitely has a big time leg. And it’s great. You want competition at every position, because it’s going to push us to be better.”

However, O’Donnell’s one of the best directional punters in the NFL. Last season, he placed 24 punts inside the 20 vs. one touchback – one of the best ratios in the NFL. He’s also been the holder on kicks throughout his nine years in the NFL. That experience and the $650,000 roster bonus paid at the start of the league-year seemed to be in his favor as the Packers transition from Mason Crosby to rookie kicker Anders Carlson.

It did not, though. The going-young Packers are opting for the big leg, even if it means a rookie punter holding for a rookie kicker.

The Packers will have a new battery. Matt Orzech (presumably) will win the snapping job, Whelan (presumably) will win the punting job and Carlson (presumably) has won the kicking job.

Most of the Packers’ transactions on their way to a 53-man roster will be made on Tuesday. In the case of O’Donnell, that’s general manager Brian Gutekunst getting a veteran player on the market before the market is flooded with other specialists.