GREEN BAY – A wry smile forms on Kristian Welch's face when asked about the end of Packers training camp and the NFL's roster reduction to 53 players looming on the other side.
Do you ever feel pressure?
Welch laughs because his wife Maddie has asked him the same question over the course of his five seasons. His friends back home in Iola, Wis., and Iowa City, too.
As a former undrafted free agent, Kristian Welch ponders the inquiry for a second. Perhaps to an extent, he admits, but the 27-year-old linebacker has been guided by two principles – control what you can control and leave the rest up to the good Lord above.
That's been Welch's recipe for surviving the hardest day of the NFL calendar en route to playing in 79 games (including playoffs). The former Iowa standout has been on the roster bubble virtually every year in the NFL, narrowly missing his bid at Green Bay's roster last summer.
"I've been at it long enough to be on the good side of it and the not-so-great side. I keep that same mindset," Welch said. "Have I slipped? Maybe. Everybody has doubts that creep in maybe in their head here or there, but my faith is in Christ. That's the backbone of my faith. At the end of the day, I'll be OK. I'll be good either way."
After capping the preseason with a 20-7 win over Seattle on Saturday, Welch and numerous other Packers players now anxiously await the decisions the front office will make to trim the 90-man roster to 53 by 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
The switch to the regular season comes after four tireless months of training, studying the playbook, installing plays, practicing on Nitschke Field and ultimately playing three preseason games.
Among those competing for roster spots are 12 first-year players like guard Donovan Jennings, who spent his entire rookie season on Green Bay's practice squad in 2024.
"It would mean a lot to me personally, my family, all the hard work and dedication I've put in," said Jennings about what it would mean to make the active roster. "That's all I've wanted this whole time was to make this team and contribute in any way that I can."
Another item of note heading into Tuesday is the Packers' streak of 20 consecutive years of at least one undrafted rookie making the Week 1 roster.
Green Bay didn't carry an undrafted rookie on its initial 53 last summer but the streak endured after the Packers claimed kicker Brayden Narveson off waivers from Tennessee.
Two years ago, however, Green Bay had four undrafted rookies make the initial roster: defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr., running back Emanuel Wilson, receiver Malik Heath and tight end Ben Sims, all of whom remain with the Packers.
There are 14 in-house candidates this year, including former Georgia defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse.
"All I can do is be thankful for the opportunity and I feel I did good," Stackhouse said. "I'm just glad I was able to showcase my talents, showcase what I can provide for the team with the opportunities they gave me."
Among the mechanisms the Packers can utilize to reduce their roster is injured reserve and physically unable to perform lists.
Green Bay has three candidates for the active physically unable to perform list: receiver Christian Watson, defensive lineman Collin Oliver and offensive lineman John Williams, all of whom did not practice during training camp.
The Packers also can place up to two players on IR with a designation to return later this season. They used the option on former seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford last summer.
Over the course of the year, teams are allowed to designate up to eight players to return from IR and up to 10 if they make the postseason. Players on IR must miss a minimum of four games.
Of course, roster adjustments could come at any time, as the busiest day of the year beckons on the waiver wire. In addition to claiming Narveson last year, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst pulled off a trade with the Titans to acquire backup quarterback Malik Willis.
Willis wound up starting for Green Bay two weeks into the season, after Jordan Love suffered a knee injury in the opener against Philadelphia.
"It's very unfortunate, especially how much work guys put in and you see it every day, how much better guys get," said Willis of the looming cuts.
"That's just how these league works. It's a business first. … You just wish those guys the best and let the chips fall where they may. That's out of our control. Just continue to work hard and focus on what we can."
Once the initial roster is set and waiver period ends at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Green Bay may begin building its 16-man practice squad and begin preparations in earnest for its home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7.
Irish kicker Mark McNamee is eligible to return as a 17th player on the practice squad under exemption. He's the Packers' designated player for the International Player Pathway Program.
To those sitting on the roster bubble, the 72 hours between the preseason finale with the Seahawks and Tuesday are an exercise in keeping your mind occupied. To weather his sixth cut-down day, Welch said he planned to hang with family.
"It's been a long however many days we've had now," Welch said. "Looking forward to spending some time with my son and my wife and just hang out. Tuesday will come and it'll go. We'll see what happens."
