Jared Veldheer, Green Bay Packers. (Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Jared Veldheer will now be a name to know on future NFL trivia questions someday.
In the 100-plus year history of the NFL, one man stands alone in accomplishing something simply remarkable, and that man is veteran offensive tackle Jared Veldheer.
Oh, Veldheer may be a very good man, but a better man he’s sure to become when he joins his second NFL playoff team in as many weeks. Yes, this is the same Veldheer who played some tackle for the Indianapolis Colts on Wild Card Weekend in defeat against the Buffalo Bills. Now, he is signing up to play for the Green Bay Packers again, this time in the NFC Divisional round. What?!
Only in a COVID year can Jared Veldheer accomplish the previously impossible
Veldheer had spent the bulk of his 10-year NFL career out of Hillsdale College with the then-Oakland Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals. After announcing his retirement back in September, Veldheer signed to the Colts practice squad on New Year’s Eve. He was promoted to Indianapolis’ active roster in Week 17 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as last Saturday vs. the Bills.
The reason Veldheer was able to go from the Colts to the Packers in as many weeks and still play in the playoffs is that he was only signed to Indianapolis’ practice squad. By inking a deal to be on the Packers’ active roster, he cannot switch teams should Green Bay bow out at home to the No. 6-seeded Los Angeles Rams. With the Packers having the No. 1 seed, it is Super Bowl or bust.
Overall, this is just another weird anomaly because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Had this been anything close to a normal season, Veldheer may not have had this unbelievable postseason opportunity ahead of him. He can be the first player to succumb to postseason defeat and hoist a Lombardi Trophy in the same calendar year. What a time to be alive for this son of a son of a sailor!
Go out there and be a champion, as the answer to the greatest NFL trivia question of all time.