Getty Wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb #16 of the Vanderbilt Commodores catches a pass against linebacker Gerald Nathan Jr. #16 of the Missouri Tigers in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Columbia, Missouri.
A few more roster spaces have opened up with the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers announced a series of roster moves Tuesday afternoon that included backup cornerback Parry Nickerson being placed on injured reserve after he departed Sunday’s 38-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a hamstring injury. They also cut wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb from the practice squad after adding him last week.
The Packers now have one space available on their practice squad and another three open on their 53-man roster; however, one of the active-roster vacancies is expected to go to veteran linebacker James Burgess Jr. after his signing becomes official.
#Packers released WR Kalija Lipscomb from the PS. I’m guessing that spot will eventually go to ILB Alvin Jones.
Nickerson had spent all five games on the Packers’ 53-man roster after signing with the team on Sept. 7 but was active for the first time Sunday against the Buccaneers, playing two special teams snaps before coming out of the game with an injury. Moving him to IR leaves the Packers with just four healthy cornerbacks, including starter Jaire Alexander, Chandon Sullivan, Josh Jackson and Ka’Dar Hollman.
The Packers could, however, be getting back No. 2 starter Kevin King for their Week 7 matchup with the Houston Texans after holding him back against the Bucs. He dropped out of Week 4’s win over Atlanta with a quadriceps injury and was ruled out as a game-time decision in Week 6, but they ruled him inactive after pregame tests.
A clearer indication of King’s status in Week 7 should emerge when the Packers release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday.
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Kabion Ento’s Return Could Be Nearing
Another cornerback who has gotten high praise from the Packers in the past could also be nearing his return to the field: Kabion Ento.
Ento underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot in late August and was placed on IR about a week before the Packers’ season opener in Minnesota. While he has sat out the required three games and can be designated for return at any time, the timing of his return depends on how well his recovery is going. Typically, the recovery time for a surgical repair of that nature is at least six weeks but can take as long as 12 weeks.
The first step, of course, will be Ento’s return to practice. He could come back and get into the swing of things relatively quickly, rejoining the roster right away like wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown did in Week 6, but the Packers would have three weeks to designate him for return after he started practicing again.
Ento was a practice-squad cornerback during the 2019 season but made a strong impression on the Packers coaching staff during this summer’s training camp, earning a spot on the 53-man roster in spite of his injury. In other words, a healthy Ento could immediately compete with Jackson — who looked rough against the Bucs — and Hollman for backup reps behind King and Alexander.
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