Jaylon Smith's tenure with the Packers turned out to be surprisingly brief.
The Packers are releasing the linebacker, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. The team announced the move later Tuesday.
Smith spent less than a month with Green Bay, joining the franchise after the Dallas Cowboys released him in early October. The signing seemed like a welcome addition to a Packers defense dealing with injuries, but Smith failed to make an impact, recording just one tackle in two games played and playing a total of 27 defensive snaps before his release.
The sudden parting of ways is the latest bump in Smith's treacherous 2021 road. After signing a five-year, $64 million extension with the Cowboys in 2019, Smith watched the team spend two picks on linebackers in April's draft and sign former safety Keanu Neal to play the position. Smith began the season as the starter, but was eventually passed by first-rounder Micah Parsons and Neal. Dallas cut Smith just two years into his extension.
The linebacker is now left to find another employer and should get some attention from injury-stricken teams. Even so, it's quite a fall from prominence for the former Notre Dame star who once had to overcome a significant knee injury suffered in college just to make it to an NFL field.
