Jack Heflin Bio
Jackson Dean Heflin, born on March 8, 1998, is an American professional football defensive end who has built his career through persistence and roster-spot competition across multiple professional leagues. Listed at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and 304 lb (138 kg), Heflin is recognized for his work along the interior and edge of the defensive line, and he currently plays in the National Football League. After beginning his professional journey as an undrafted free agent, Heflin has spent time with several NFL organizations, competed in the XFL, and earned league-wide recognition for his play.
Since signing with the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Heflin has continued to carve out a role in professional football, working primarily through practice squads, futures contracts, and short stints on active rosters. His college experience at Northern Illinois and Iowa helped him develop a power-based style suited to defensive line play, and he has translated that foundation into a multi-team NFL résumé that now includes the New York Jets.
Early Life and Background
Jackson Dean Heflin was born on March 8, 1998, in Galesburg, Illinois, and grew up in the surrounding rural communities of west-central Illinois. He attended Prophetstown High School in Prophetstown, Illinois, where he began his football career as a multi-position defender. The small-town setting of his high school years provided Heflin with the chance to develop his physical frame and refine his technique against a steady stream of in-state competition.
Coming out of Prophetstown, Heflin was a relatively unheralded recruit, but his size and motor made him a fit for college defensive line play. His path reflected a steady, step-by-step climb rather than an overnight rise, with each stop building on the work he had done at the previous level. That gradual development became a defining feature of his career, from high school through the professional ranks.
Path to American Football
Heflin committed to Northern Illinois, where he played college football for the Huskies from 2016 through 2019. Over four seasons with the program, he grew into a reliable presence on the defensive front and earned second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors in 2019, establishing himself as one of the more productive interior defenders in the conference during his final year with the Huskies.
Looking for a new challenge for his final season of college eligibility, Heflin transferred to the University of Iowa in 2020. With the Iowa Hawkeyes, he started the season at defensive tackle alongside Daviyon Nixon, adjusting to a higher level of Big Ten competition. That experience against top-tier offensive lines prepared him for the jump to professional football and ultimately set the stage for his undrafted entry into the NFL in 2021.
Jack Heflin Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Following the 2021 NFL Draft, Jackson Dean Heflin signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent and made enough of an early impression to earn a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster. His time in Green Bay was marked by movement between the active roster and the practice squad, illustrating the daily competition that defines life on the bottom of an NFL depth chart.
Heflin was released by the Packers on January 21, 2022, before being re-signed to a futures contract six days later following Green Bay’s playoff exit. He was waived again in late August 2022 and quickly re-signed to the practice squad, only to be released from the practice squad in mid-December. That cycle of signing, release, and re-signing became a familiar pattern in the early phase of his career.
Green Bay Packers Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Although Heflin’s stint with the Green Bay Packers did not produce headline statistics, it represented his first sustained opportunity to live out a childhood dream of playing in the NFL. As an undrafted rookie, simply making the Opening Day roster validated the years of work he had put in at Prophetstown, Northern Illinois, and Iowa, and it gave him valuable experience inside one of the league’s most stable organizations.
Over two seasons in Green Bay, Heflin bounced between the practice squad and the active roster, learning the week-to-week rhythm of an NFL defensive line room. The exposure to the Packers’ defensive system and the chance to practice against high-level offensive players every day laid a foundation that he would carry to his next opportunities.
New York Giants Era (2022–2023)
On December 15, 2022, Heflin was signed to the New York Giants’ practice squad, giving him a fresh start within a different NFC organization. He was released from the practice squad on January 3, 2023, before being re-signed just three days later, only to be released again four days after that. Despite the brief tenure, the stint with the Giants added another chapter to his growing professional résumé.
Houston Roughnecks Era (2023)
On January 8, 2023, Heflin signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL, a spring league that offered him the chance to play in regular games after several months of practice-squad work. He appeared for the Roughnecks through the XFL season, providing a steady presence on the defensive line and using the opportunity to showcase his ability in live, full-speed competition.
On May 8, 2023, Heflin was named to the All-XFL Team, one of the highest individual honors in the spring league. He was released from his Roughnecks contract on May 15, but the recognition affirmed that he could produce at a high level when given consistent playing time.
New Orleans Saints Era (2023–2024)
Following his time in the XFL, Heflin signed with the New Orleans Saints on May 15, 2023, returning to the NFL ranks. He was waived at the end of training camp and re-signed to the Saints’ practice squad, where he continued his development within a new defensive scheme. After the regular season, New Orleans signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024, signaling continued organizational interest.
He remained with the Saints through the following preseason before being waived on August 27, 2024, as part of roster trimming ahead of the regular season.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2024–2025)
On December 3, 2024, Heflin was signed to the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad, joining an NFC West program in the middle of the regular season. He later signed a reserve/future contract with Los Angeles on January 20, 2025, which kept him with the organization through the offseason and into the next training camp. On August 26, 2025, he was waived as part of the Rams’ final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the following day.
New York Jets Era (2026–Present)
On February 2, 2026, Heflin signed a reserve/future contract with the New York Jets, opening a new chapter with an AFC East franchise. The move gave him a chance to compete for a depth role along the Jets’ defensive line heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although football analysts often describe edge and interior defenders in terms of speed, Heflin’s profile has leaned more heavily on power, leverage, and functional strength at the line of scrimmage. At 6 ft 3 in and around 304 lb, he fits the mold of a stout defensive lineman who can anchor against the run and compete in tight quarters. His practice-squad experience across multiple teams also suggests a player valued for his preparation, technique, and ability to absorb different coaching systems.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Heflin’s professional career came in 2023, when he was named to the All-XFL Team after a productive spring with the Houston Roughnecks. The honor stands as his most prominent individual accolade and confirmed that he could be a difference-maker when given the chance to play. He has also been part of Opening Day rosters, practice squads, and reserve/future contracts with five different NFL organizations, marking a rare level of longevity for an undrafted free agent.
Jack Heflin Career Wins
Across his professional career, Jackson Dean Heflin has accumulated a résumé defined more by opportunity and durability than by headline statistical production. While his in-game tackle totals have remained limited at the NFL level, his league-wide recognition in the XFL and his ability to remain in professional football since 2021 underscore the consistency of his journey. He has suited up for the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Houston Roughnecks, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and New York Jets across multiple seasons.
NFL Highlights
Since entering the NFL in 2021, Heflin has made the Green Bay Packers’ Opening Day roster as an undrafted free agent, the clearest early milestone of his career. He has also signed reserve/future contracts with the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Rams, and the New York Jets, each of which reflects a team’s continued belief in his potential. His practice-squad experience with the Packers, Giants, and Saints has given him a broad view of how different organizations operate on a week-to-week basis.
Other Wins & Performances
Outside the NFL, Heflin’s most significant performance came in 2023 with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL, where he earned a spot on the All-XFL Team. The selection served as the standout achievement of his professional career and validated the work he had put in during his first two NFL seasons.
Jack Heflin Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Detailed public information about Jackson Dean Heflin’s parents and immediate family is limited, and any broader family background beyond his Galesburg, Illinois, roots and his high school years at Prophetstown is not widely documented.
Personal Life
Heflin has kept much of his personal life private, and there is limited verified public information about his relationships, marital status, or children. He is known to maintain a public social media presence through his Instagram account, where fans can follow updates on his professional football career.
2025 Season Performance
During the 2025 NFL calendar, Heflin spent the bulk of the year with the Los Angeles Rams after signing a reserve/future contract in January 2025. He was part of the Rams’ defensive line group through the offseason program and into training camp, competing for a depth role on the active roster. On August 26, 2025, he was waived as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day, continuing his pattern of remaining involved with an organization on a week-to-week basis.
His 2025 campaign therefore centered on practice-squad work, in-season development, and readiness to be called up when needed, rather than significant regular-season statistical production. The year added to his accumulation of NFL experience and kept him positioned for a potential future opportunity elsewhere. As of the end of the 2025 league year, Heflin had not yet appeared in regular-season games for the Rams.