The Green Bay Packers are adding help to a thin spot on the roster, and it’s a familiar name from their pre-draft process.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber, the Packers will sign defensive lineman Eric Johnson II after opening up three practice squad spots with the release of receiver Chris Hilton Jr. Green Bay had little obvious need for Johnson at cutdown time, but the picture changed fast once Nazir Stackhouse was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans and Jaden Crumedy was signed off the Packers’ practice squad by the Houston Texans. That left the Packers without any defensive linemen on the practice squad.
Johnson stands out because he was a pre-draft visitor for Green Bay back in 2022, before the Indianapolis Colts took him in the fifth round. He now becomes the latest piece in a career that has already taken him through several teams.
Johnson has appeared in 51 regular-season games, with 40 of those coming for Indianapolis and 11 for the New England Patriots. He has logged 700 defensive snaps and 132 special teams snaps, most of them on field goal block.
This will be Johnson’s fourth NFL team. He also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons during training camp, and the Falcons are the Packers’ Week 3 Thursday Night Football opponent.
Johnson is one of eight players who have worked out for Green Bay this week. The group included three interior defensive linemen, three wide receivers, a quarterback and an international edge defender. More moves could be coming soon, with the practice squad possibly getting two more additions by Wednesday’s practice.
In Other News...
Josh Jacobs Update Leaves Packers Facing A Serious Off-Field Question
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The broader issue for Green Bay is that the matter is not entirely closed in the way a routine legal matter would be. The property damage charge can be dismissed in 12 months if Jacobs meets a set of conditions that includes counseling, supervision, restitution and no contact with the victim, and the victims legal team has also moved to seal surveillance footage tied to the incident. For a team trying to keep its season focused on football, the case leaves an uneasy off-field question hanging over one of its most important offensive players. [Read more 🡒]
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Other familiar names were on the field, too, as Aaron Banks, Zach Bako-Bewele, Brandon Cisse and TyRon Hopper all took part while working through their own recovery timelines and practice statuses. Even with the roster mostly available, Brinsons absence stands out as the one early concern as Green Bay moves into a week where the margin for error already feels thin. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Passing Game Just Caught A Break Against The Jets
The Packers passing game may have found a small opening before it even gets to Week 2. Minkah Fitzpatrick came out of the Jets win over the Titans with a groin injury, and his expected absence for the next couple of weeks changes the look of New Yorks backend just as Green Bay starts preparing for the matchup.
In Fitzpatricks place, the Jets are leaning on Dane Belton, Malachi Moore and Andre Cisco to handle the safety snaps, a shuffle the Packers will be watching closely. Green Bay sees a chance to attack a secondary that suddenly looks more vulnerable, and how much it can take advantage of that void could matter in a game that already figures to draw plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]