GREEN BAY - When Jace Sternberger began the season not on the Green Bay Packers' initial 53-man roster, but instead serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, there was always a chance he'd never again play for the team.
A former third-round pick, Sternberger already had fallen behind on the tight end depth chart. His inconsistency did not curry much favor on the coaching staff. When the league issued Sternberger's punishment for drinking alcohol while on anti-depressants in February 2020 and falling asleep behind the wheel, it was plausible the Packers might not return him to their 53-man roster.