The Green Bay Packers signed defensive tackle Mazi Smith to their practice squad on 20 October 2026 and released running back Damon Bankston from that squad. Smith has joined the team, but the announcement does not place him on the game roster or promise a debut. A subsequent elevation or active-roster signing is the next step to watch.
The signing follows a series of losses from Green Bay’s defensive-tackle group. The club’s transaction log lists Warren Brinson on injured reserve from 3 October, with Jonathan Ford and Javon Hargrave added on 17 October. That sequence explains the immediate need for available depth at the position, although the signing notice does not set out a promised role for Smith.
Smith’s status in three steps
| Step | Confirmed status | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| 20 October signing | Practice squad | Confirmed by Green Bay |
| Possible game roster move | No Smith move announced in the checked log | Temporary elevation or active-roster signing |
| Game participation | Not established by the signing | Game-day availability and actual snaps |
Checked 21 October 2026. The NFL reference is used for the basic elevation mechanism, not a numerical season limit.
The injuries behind the roster context
The dates matter because the three injured-reserve moves preceded this addition. Green Bay can now work with another defensive tackle while managing those absences. That is a roster option; it does not establish that Smith will replace any particular player or receive a specific share of defensive snaps.
There is also a practical difference between this transaction and signing a player to the active roster. Green Bay recorded both types this month: Pierre Strong Jr. moved from its practice squad to the active roster on 8 October, while Smith’s 20 October entry is explicitly a practice-squad signing. Readers can use the wording of the next club announcement to identify any change in his status.
What Smith brings, and what the move establishes
Smith was Dallas’s No.26 overall selection in the 2023 draft out of Michigan. The Packers list him with 43 NFL games,20 starts,57 tackles and two sacks, following time with Dallas, the Jets and Miami. Those figures establish experience; draft position alone does not show how effectively he will play in Green Bay’s defense.
NFL Football Operations describes a temporary elevation mechanism that moves a practice-squad player to the active/inactive list for a week, then returns him to the practice squad on the first business day after the game without waivers. Signing to the active roster is another route. Neither route, by itself, promises a starting assignment or a particular workload.
How to follow his route to game day
To check Smith’s availability, start with the Packers’ official transaction log linked below and look for his name in an elevation or active-roster announcement. The club has already used temporary elevations this season, including Arron Mosby and Coleman Owen for Week 6. The 20 October signing remains the confirmed Smith transaction at this article’s check.
The immediate effect is another defensive-tackle option for a team that has put three players at that position on injured reserve this month. Whether Smith becomes game-day help will be shown by the next roster decision and then his actual use on the field. That is the useful follow-up to the signing, rather than a projection from his first-round draft label.
Based on Green Bay’s 20 October release, its transaction log and the NFL’s explanation of temporary elevations. No debut, starting role or salary is confirmed here.
- Green Bay Packers · 20 October roster announcement ↗
- Green Bay Packers · official transactions ↗
- NFL Football Operations · standard elevation and roster definitions ↗