Getty Akial Byers, an undrafted rookie out of Missouri, was waived from the Packers' injured reserve list on September 9 with an injury settlement.
The Green Bay Packers are continuing to hand out injury settlements to move on from the players who have been occupying their injured reserve list.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for September 9, the Packers waived rookie defensive tackle Akial Byers and defensive back Innis Gaines from injured reserve with settlements on Friday. They also cut safety Shawn Davis (September 8) and wide receiver Ishmael Hyman (September 7) with settlements earlier in the week.
Packers removed Akial Byers and Innis Gaines from injured reserve with injury settlements
Gaines had been with the Packers since the early parts of the 2021 offseason when he signed a reserve/futures contract. While he missed the initial 53-man roster cut heading into the 2021 season, he was retained for the practice squad and ended up making his NFL debut later in the season as a game-day elevation, finishing with one tackle. Had it not been for his injury, he might have been able to compete for a depth/special teams role with the team this season.
Byers, however, would have likely been cut regardless of his injury. He graded poorly as a defender in his lone preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers (39.7 via Pro Football Focus) and recorded just one tackle and one pressure over his 17 snaps. The Packers are currently stacked at the defensive line position after adding veteran Jarran Reed and first-round rookie Devonte Wyatt to a room that already included Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and T.J. Slaton.
None of these injury settlements impact the Packers’ 53-man roster total, so there are no additional roster spots that open up because of the moves.
Injuries Also Cost Packers Potential PR Option
A majority of the players the Packers have released were on the roster bubble during training camp, but there are a few — such as former USFL receiver Ishmael Hyman — that have been released this week that might’ve gotten a chance if not for their injury.
The Packers had brought in Hyman at the beginning of training camp as a depth receiver and potential candidate for punt returns after he stood out in the USFL earlier this year. He caught six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown in his final performance for the Michigan Panthers in June and returned seven punts for an average of 11.1 return yards over four games on the season.
During the preseason, Hyman didn’t get garner much attention from his quarterbacks across his 32 receiving snaps, but he did catch both of the passes thrown to him for 17 yards. He also fielded three punts for a total of 21 return yards with a 14-yarder as his longest. The Packers almost certainly wouldn’t have considered him for the active roster, but he might have been able to earn a practice-squad spot if he hadn’t suffered an injury down the stretch.
Another look at the pass and toe tap from @PaxtonLynch and Ishmael Hyman 🔥
The @USFLPanthers strike first ⚡️
📺: @USA_Network
Meanwhile, Davis was a practice-squad holdover from the 2021 season and figured to be in the mix for the third safety role in 2022 behind starting safeties Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage Jr., but his injury derailed his chances of being able to compete and left the Packers scrambling for more help in their safety room. They ended up signing Rudy Ford to their roster shortly after final roster cuts were made.
Packers Cutting Down List of IR Players
The Packers were forced to waive quite a few players with injury designations throughout their summer of roster cuts, most of whom reverted back to their injured reserve list after going unclaimed on the waivers. At one point, they had many as 11 players on the list in the immediate aftermath of final roster cuts; however, they have been steadily trimming away at the list in the days leading up to their season opener.
The Packers have also cut wide receiver Danny Davis III (September 1) and tight ends Nate Becker and Alize Mack (both on September 2) with injury settlements this month That leaves just four names on IR: safety Vernon Scott, rookie kicker Gabe Brkic and wide receivers Malik Taylor and Osirus Mitchell. None of them are eligible to return and play again for the Packers in their current situations, but things open up more once they are waived with injury settlements.
Injury settlements are designed to allow an injured player to earn an agreed-upon portion of their original contract — for example, three weeks — while they are recovering from their injury. It also gives them a chance to sign with a new team once they are healed as opposed to spending the rest of the season on injured reserve, as they would have without a settlement.