After Sitting Out Last Season, Keith Randolph Gets Opportunity with Packers

Coming off three productive seasons at the University of Illinois, defensive tackle Keith Randolph was considered a late-round prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Instead, Randolph went undrafted. He signed with the Chicago Bears but failed to make the roster.

And that was it.

“I was at home all last year,” Randolph, who is competing for a spot on the Green Bay Packers’ roster, said this week at training camp.

Randolph during his final three seasons at Illinois had 10 sacks, 23 tackles for losses and two interceptions. He earned all-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023. Going undrafted only “made me more hungry,” he said, as the native of Belleville, Ill., opted to sign with his home-state Bears.

“When I was in Chicago, I actually had a back spasm,” Randolph said. “I hurt my back a little bit during camp, so that set me back a little bit. I missed a preseason game and a few practices, so I feel like that hurt me a little bit.”

Randolph not only didn’t make the Bears’ 53-man roster, he wasn’t invited back to the practice squad. In fact, he wasn’t invited to anyone’s practice squad.

Week after week, Randolph worked to stay ready for a phone call offering another opportunity. Week after week, his phone remained silent.

“Yeah, it was most definitely tough. One of the lowest points in my career,” he said. “But when you’re at the lowest, I feel like you find out a lot about yourself when you’re at your lowest point. So, I was thankful for it. I feel like I learned a lot about myself and I grew. I grew as a man. I grew as a player, too.”

Through the hard times and uncertainty, Randolph relied on his faith.

“It started to [weigh on me] a little bit early on, but then I just leaned on Jesus, man. You know what I mean?” Randolph said. “I had so many questions about where I went wrong, where things went wrong, da da da. But God has a plan for everybody. God makes no mistakes. You know what I mean?

“So, where I’m at, I was supposed to be here. Everything that happened was supposed to happen because God ordained it that way for me. So, I’m just excited for the future, excited for what’s coming, excited for this camp.”

Where Randolph is now, of course, is in Green Bay. After the Packers’ playoff loss to the Eagles, they signed him to a futures contract.

“It meant a lot for sure,” he said. “At one point, I was like, damn, I might be done. They called me, gave me an opportunity, worked me out a few times and I was ecstatic, honestly. Especially because it’s the rival of where I was at before, I was even more geeked. I was excited for it. Very excited. I’m happy to be here.”

Beyond his story, Randolph is an intriguing prospect. He is a good player, having proven it at a quality Big Ten program. Beyond the returning quartet of Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden, it’s a wide-open battle for the fifth spot on the depth chart featuring Randolph, sixth-round pick Warren Brinson and his former college teammate, Nazir Stackhouse, and returning practice-squad player James Ester.

What does Randolph add to the mix?

“Whatever they need, honestly,” he said. “Need a person to stop the run, I can do that. Need me to rush the passer from the three-tech, I can do that. I can rush a passer from the nose, I can rush the passer from the end. I’m physical. You know, I’m a D-tackle, I’m a D-lineman.”

The second practice of training camp on Thursday ended with Randolph sacking Sean Clifford. On Monday, the pads will go on and the competition will become real ahead of Family Night and the three preseason games.

“I have a great opportunity,” Randolph said. “I feel like everybody in this locker room has a great opportunity. At the end of the day, everybody’s good. Every D-lineman in here can play. Every D-lineman in here can go somewhere and be on the field somewhere in the league. Just staying focused, doing my job, winning the plays and leaning on God. Everything else is going to be just fine.”