A 6-foot-7 tight end who bounced through five NFL rosters as an undrafted free agent before landing back in Green Bay.
Messiah Swinson is a towering, still-developing tight end who has spent his first two pro offseasons and seasons cycling through practice squads across the league. After going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2024, he has repeatedly found his way back to Green Bay, most recently rejoining the Packers' practice squad in January 2026.
Path to the league
Swinson started his college career at Missouri, where he played four seasons from 2018 to 2021 and caught seven passes for 84 yards in 23 games. He transferred to Arizona State for 2022 and 2023, appearing in 24 games with 21 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2024 and signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent.
Career highlights
At 6-foot-7 and 259 pounds, Swinson has been valued for his size and catch radius as teams have shuffled him through their rosters. He has bounced between the Packers, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals since 2024, never sticking on an active-roster 53-man spot for long but consistently drawing interest as a developmental tight end.
2025 season recap
Swinson spent 2025 on multiple practice squads, including stints with the 49ers and Cardinals in September through December, without appearing in a regular-season game. The Packers signed him back to their practice squad on January 6, 2026, continuing his search for a permanent NFL roster spot.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Messiah Swinson
- ESPN: Messiah Swinson
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Arizona State
- Hometown
- Bay Shore, NY, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
