The Green Bay Packers’ plans for Julian Fleming, a five-star recruit, have been scrapped. According to reports, Fleming failed his physical with the team due to hip and back injuries, and the Packers cut him before he even stepped on the field.
A Star-Studded Beginning
Julian Fleming entered the college football scene in 2020 as one of the biggest recruits in years. Ranked as the top wide receiver in his class by 247 Sports’ consensus rankings, Fleming was third overall, behind only defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and quarterback Bryce Young, both future NFL first-round picks. His high school dominance earned him the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year award, so the expectations were sky high.
College Career Fails to Meet Expectations
Despite the hype, Fleming struggled to make an impact at Ohio State, where he spent the first four years of his college career. Over five seasons at the collegiate level—including a transfer year at Penn State—Fleming had 1,139 receiving yards. His best season was 2022, when he had nearly half of those yards, and then his production tapered off.
Last year as a redshirt senior at Penn State, Fleming caught 14 passes for 176 yards and 1 TD. While there were flashes of potential, consistency eluded him throughout his college career.
Failed Physical Derails Packers Opportunity
After the 2025 NFL Draft, the Packers signed Fleming to an undrafted rookie free agent contract hoping to tap into the talent that made him a top 10 prospect. But things went sideways during rookie minicamp. As Marc Malkoskie of The News-Item reported, Fleming showed up in Green Bay last week but was sent home after failing his physical due to hip and back issues.
The Packers probably didn’t know the full extent of Fleming’s injuries when they offered him a contract. He wasn’t invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, nor did the Packers bring him in for a pre-draft visit, so they didn’t have a full medical evaluation beforehand.
Interest from Other Teams
While the Packers have moved on, Fleming hasn’t been left without options. Per Malkoskie, the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens have interest in the former blue chip recruit. The Ravens worked him out about a month ago during the pre-draft process so teams still see something in the young wideout.
What This Means for the Packers
With Fleming off the roster, the Packers now have an open spot on their 91 man offseason roster. This will probably go to one of the 11 tryout players who were in the rookie minicamp, or maybe former cornerback Robert Rochell, who was just released by the Kansas City Chiefs.
This is why medicals are so important in the NFL. For a team like the Packers, who are in rebuild mode, every roster spot is precious. Missing on a player due to injury concerns is a setback, but it’s also part of the wild ride of building a competitive team.
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