Bo Melton, who has played on both sides of the ball during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers, will be back with the team after signing his exclusive-rights free-agent tender April 20, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.The one-year deal is worth $1.145 million.Melton suffered a serious knee injury in the season finale against Minnesota on Jan. 4, forcing him to miss the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. A special-teams ace on return and coverage units, Melton spent last offseason moving from receiver to cornerback, though he still wound up playing almost exclusively on offense. He caught four passes for 107 yards in 2025, including a touchdown against the Bears in the regular season.With the Packers losing receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in the offseason, not to mention the addition of a cornerback in Benjamin St-Juste, it's logical that Melton would again return to an offensive role in 2026 when not already occupied by special teams.Exclusive-rights free agents have fewer than three seasons of accrued NFL experience on an expiring contract.

The player can't negotiate with other teams if tendered, and it's common practice for the player to sign the one-year tender and play on the league minimum base salary. With three accrued seasons, the player becomes a restricted free agent, and with four or more, unrestricted.To accrue a season, a player must have been on the team's roster for six or more regular-season games. The player does not need to be active on gameday. Players on injured reserve or the Physically Unable to Perform list also get credit toward an accrued season.This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bo Melton back with Packers after signing free-agent tender