Whether through sheer dumb luck or a powerful curse, the Green Bay Packers never seem to have much luck in the third round of the NFL draft, especially in the Brian Gutekunst era. Since becoming general manager in 2018, none of Gutekunst’s third-rounders have earned second contracts with the Packers. Two of them, tight end Jace Sternberger and wide receiver Amari Rodgers, didn’t even finish out their rookie contracts in Green Bay.
Sternberger was the first of Gutekunst’s three third-round tight ends since 2019, with Josiah Deguara joining in 2020 and Tucker Kraft in 2023. Sternberger had a dominant final collegiate season at Texas A&M. However, he never lived up to that potential in Green Bay thanks to injuries and off-field issues.
Fast forward to 2023 and Sternberger is one of the league’s best players — in the United States Football League. The Birmingham Stallion is one of the USFL’s best receivers, leading the league in touchdowns (six) and is eighth in receiving yards. While the level of competition is lower than that of the NFL, it’s clear Sternberger deserves another chance in the NFL. With his recent success, it’s worth asking whether the Packers gave up on the former Aggie too soon.
Just like in 2023, it was pretty clear the Packers were looking at tight ends in the 2019 NFL Draft. Marcedes Lewis and Jimmy Graham were respected veterans, but the team didn’t have many home-grown, long-term options. The class was also top-heavy with talent, headlined by star Iowa tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant.
Green Bay attacked the position in the third round with Sternberger, a receiving threat who finished his final year at A&M with 832 yards and an incredible 10 touchdowns.
While hopes were high for Sternberger, he never found his footing in Green Bay. Sternberger started the season on IR and missed most of his rookie year with an ankle injury and concussions. Sternberger played in the final six games but remained catchless until the playoffs. In the postseason, he had three catches and caught his first touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Expectations were once again high in 2020 before being dashed. Sternberger was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the summer, which led to a lack of meaningful reps and plummeting on the depth chart. Robert Tonyan emerged as the team’s star tight end with a breakout year. Even Josiah Deguara (until injuries of his own) and Dominique Dafney were getting more meaningful snaps. Sternberger finished his sophomore campaign with 12 of 15 targets for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Sternberger didn’t beak out in Year 3, and it ended abruptly. That off-season, Sternberger received a two-game suspension after falling asleep at the wheel while drinking on antidepressants. He was allowed to play in the preseason but remained inconsistent during his opportunities. He was eligible to return in Week 3 of the season, but the Packers released him instead.
The Packers appeared to cite the depth of the tight end group, including Lewis, Tonyan, Deguara, and Dafney, as the main reason for the release. “That’s always a tough decision whenever you have a competitive room like that,” Matt LaFleur said shortly after Green Bay released Sternberger. “It was one of those deals where we appreciate everything Jace has done. You know, it was just a tough decision.”
Tight end is a notoriously difficult position to grow into in the NFL. Thanks to his various injuries and complications, Sternberger only played in 18 games for the Packers and remained inconsistent. His understanding of the playbook and his blocking ability were Sternberger’s most prominent shortcomings.
After Green Bay released him, Sternberger bounced around the league on various practice squads as a fringe roster player. However, he never saw real playing time.
It wasn’t until 2023, six years after Green Bay drafted him, that Sternberger found success as a professional football player. As the USFL approaches the end of its second season, Sternberger is one of its most dangerous receiving threats. We’ve seen plenty of XFL standouts receive camp invites thanks to dominating in the minor leagues, and it’s likely we’ll see a similar wave of late off-season tryouts when the USFL finishes its season.
Sternberger should get another shot at the NFL level. It won’t be with the Packers, who spent two premium draft picks on rookie tight ends this year. But it’s fair to wonder if Green Bay gave up on Sternberger too early.
The “loaded” tight end room of 2021 didn’t pan out. Lewis is no longer with the team. Tonyan never replicated his stellar 2020 season and now plays for the Chicago Bears. Deguara’s very presence seemed to infuriate Aaron Rodgers, so we still don’t know his role in their passing game. Dafney is no longer with the team. Green Bay enters the 2023 season with Deguara and a bunch of promising unknowns.
Still, the Packers probably didn’t make a mistake in releasing Sternberger, even if he’s developed into a solid player. It generally takes a lot for the team to move on from a draft pick. Amari Rodgers got so many chances before the team finally realized it needed to move on. Generally, when teams move on early, it’s because they aren’t happy with a player’s efforts and off-field circumstances. If Green Bay’s coaching staff thought they weren’t getting through to Sternberger, it made sense for them to move on.
And it’s not like Sternberger went to another team and found immediate success. With stints or workouts with at least three other teams, he never found another home in the NFL. Maybe the time away from the league allowed Sternberger to improve his process, and maybe the release was the growth he needed to improve. It’s important to remember the level of competition in the USFL isn’t the same as in the NFL.
But still, Sternberger deserves another shot in the NFL. It just won’t be with the Packers. Green Bay probably made the right move, but when seeing a former player succeed, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been.
