It was the strangest three hours in the life of Green Bay Packers linebacker Jonathan Garvin. He went from getting a birthday shoutout from his team only to discover they’ve released him.
What Happened to Jonathan Garvin, And How Did Social Media React?
At 8:53 a.m., Garvin got a “Smile, it’s your birthday” shoutout from the Packers that was later deleted.
But less than three hours from the post, Garvin was revealed to have been waived by the Packers, per the NFL’s transaction wire.
This is sad: #Packers wished LB Jonathan Garvin a happy birthday Friday morning.
Three hours later? they cut him. pic.twitter.com/8d9V1zf9nn
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 28, 2023
Following their decision to wish Garvin a happy birthday only to release him, the critics were out in full force for the Packers.
One fan used a Stephen A. Smith meme that reads, “This is low, even from you.”
One more NFL fan blasted the Packers’ Twitter account for the birthday post, saying, “another L for the 32nd ranked social media team.”
Even a Carolina Panthers-themed podcast, “The Daily Panthers Podcast” (not affiliated with the team), blasted the Packers, calling the birthday post “The Matt Rhule of birthday wishes.”
Others called it an absolute “scumbag of an organizational move” to release a player just a few hours after wishing him a happy birthday.
However, there were reporters who offered an explanation of why the move was really made.
One Insider Revealed Details About Garvin’s Offseason Work
Rob Demovsky of ESPN, who covers the Packers for the outlet, shared how Garvin regularly missed offseason workout programs.
The Packers have released Jonathan Garvin. The fourth-year linebacker skipped most of the offseason program. #HappyBirthday pic.twitter.com/5JOfKY005J
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 28, 2023
One more Packers beat writer, Ryan Wood of USA Today, shared how Garvin was making a transition to a new position on the defense two days before the release.
Jonathan Garvin, an outside linebacker the past 3 seasons, working with defensive line during individual drills.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) July 26, 2023
This points to Garvin having trouble adjusting to the trenches, which could’ve played into Green Bay’s decision to part ways with him. But there’s one more possibility — the newcomers in the LB room.
Green Bay is welcoming five different rookies for camp. One of them is, of course, first-round selection Lukas Van Ness. The Packers also have Brenton Cox out of Florida, who arrived on the team as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft.
Even PFN’s Dallas Robinson on July 10 predicted that Garvin would be a longshot to make the Packers’ final roster. His chances of making the team depended upon the health of Rashan Gary, which in turn would’ve made Garvin the fifth pass rusher.
Who Was Garvin, And What Are His Final Stats With the Packers?
Garvin arrived with the Packers as a seventh-rounder from the 2020 NFL Draft out of Miami.
He was once nicknamed “Spider” because of his length and agility while with the Hurricanes. He even drew comparisons to former Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Kemoko Turay before the NFL Draft.
While he showed signs of creating pressure from his EDGE spot, he was knocked for his lack of sack production. Still, he was considered someone with Day 2 talent, meaning he could go between the second or third round. Yet, he ended up falling to the seventh.
Garvin started just one game during his three seasons with the Packers. However, he did play in 38 games, totalting 32 tackles, 17 solo stops, and one tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
