Packers Sign Rookie Pass-Catcher After Recent Workout With Bears

Getty The Packers have signed rookie wide receiver Cornelius Johnson to their practice squad.

The Green Bay Packers are signing a rookie pass-catcher to their practice squad a little more than a week after the Chicago Bears showed an interest in him.

According to the team’s transaction wire for September 18, the Packers signed wideout Cornelius Johnson to their 16-man practice squad on Wednesday after they hosted him for a roster workout one day earlier. He took the roster spot that running back Chris Brooks vacated when the team promoted him to the 53-man roster on Tuesday.

The Bears had also worked out Johnson as a potential addition for their practice squad on September 10 ahead of Week 2’s game against the Houston Texans, but they let him walk without a contract. Instead, he will have a chance to fortify one of their rivals.

Johnson caught 138 passes for 2,038 yards and 14 touchdowns over his five seasons at Michigan. The Los Angeles Chargers drafted him in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft, but he caught just three of his nine passing targets for 34 yards in the preseason and didn’t make the team’s 53-man roster cut. While the Chargers initially brought him back on the practice squad, they cut him before their September 8 season opener.

The Packers did not have a clear need for additional receiving depth. They already had two wide receivers on their practice squad before signing Johnson and are still carrying six more on their active roster. Still, Johnson flashed enough talent in college that an NFL team invested in him once before. Perhaps Green Bay simply wants its turn.

Jayden Reed Starts Week 3 Out at Practice for Packers

In related news, the Packers did not have wide receiver Jayden Reed on the field for Wednesday’s first practice of Week 3 as he continues to recover from a calf injury.

Reed — a 2023 second-round pick — has been the Packers’ most productive player on offense through the first two weeks of the new season. He has the most receiving yards (147) and second-most rushing yards (70) on the team and has scored two touchdowns.

Reed, however, popped up on the Packers’ injury report with calf and shin injuries at the end of Week 2. The Packers limited him in September 13’s final practice of the week and listed him as questionable to play against the Indianapolis Colts; though, he ended up playing, catching two passes for 9 yards and rushing twice for 37 yards in the win.

While Reed’s injury is nothing too concerning just yet, it is worth noting this is the first time he has missed practice with his injury — which is now listed as just a calf injury in Week 3’s first injury report. The Packers have also provided no specifics about Reed’s outlook for their upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans, meaning the next two injury report updates could be the most telling for whether Reed will play Sunday.

Packers Have a Dozen Players on Week 3 Injury Report

While Reed is the Packers’ only injured wide receiver at the onset of Week 3, they now have a dozen names in total dotting their injury report just two games into the season.

The Packers held out left guard Elgton Jenkins (illness/glute), first-round rookie right guard Jordan Morgan (shoulder) and cornerback Carrington Valentine (ankle) along with Reed at Wednesday’s first practice for September 22’s game against the Colts.

The Packers also limited eight others to start the week: nose tackle Kenny Clark (toe), defensive end Kingsley Enagbare (groin), running back Josh Jacobs (back), tight end Tucker Kraft (shoulder), quarterback Jordan Love (knee), center Josh Myers (ankle), right tackle Zach Tom (quadriceps) and left tackle Rasheed Walker (shoulder).