Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst has announced the signing of two unrestricted free agents who were with the club a year ago.
Safety Rudy Ford and Defensive back Corey Ballentine will be returning this fall.
Ford is a 7 year veteran who joined the Packers last August after playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. He played in all 17 games for the Packers last fall with a career high 7 starts in the secondary. His highlight game was against the Dallas Cowboys when he intercepted a pair of passes, returning one 87 yards. He also recorded a forced fumble, had a fumble recovery and was credited with three pass break-ups. Ford wound up with 40 tackles, 29 of them solo and proved to be a speedy flier on punt coverage with three special teams tackles to his credit. With the expected departure of veteran Adrian Amos, Ford could find himself in serious competition for the starting safety job this fall.
Ballentine is a 5th year player who began the season on the practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster in November and appeared in eight games. He was credited with a forced fumble on special teams duty and will battle for a backup job in the secondary.
