Getty DeAndre Thompkins #6 of the Green Bay Packers during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 09, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers made another handful of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon to reduce their roster size to the required 85 players, but only one player was actually given his walking papers on the first of three cutdown days this month.
After releasing UDFA offensive lineman Jon Dietzen and punter Ryan Winslow one day earlier, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced Tuesday that second-year offensive lineman Zack Johnson, a 2020 UDFA signing and yearlong member of the practice squad, had also been waived from their training-camp roster.
The Packers also placed tight end Isaac Nauta (chest) and wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins (shoulder) on injured reserve. The move is season-ending for both players as they would have needed to be retained for the initial 53-man roster before going on IR to have an opportunity to return at some point during the 2021 season.
The Packers have now trimmed down to the necessary 85 players on their roster, but another deduction will be necessary when they make official the re-signing of third-year quarterback Jake Dolegala, who Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Tuesday afternoon would be rejoining the team as they deal with an injury to primary backup Jordan Love.
The Packers also made one more roster alteration on Tuesday when they traded former second-round cornerback Josh Jackson to the New York Giants in exchange for Isaac Yiadom, who was also selected in the 2018 NFL draft as a third-rounder. Being that it was a player-for-player swap, though, no corresponding roster moves were necessary.
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Thompkins Suffered Injury in Preseason Opener
Thompkins was quietly having a good camp with the Packers over the past few weeks, regularly finding himself on the receiving end of in-practice throws from first-round quarterback Jordan Love. While Thompkins was battling against too many experienced receivers to have a legitimate shot at making the active roster, he looked to be the essence of a practice-squad asset — which could have netted him a bigger role down the line as it did for Allen Lazard and Malik Taylor.
Unfortunately, Thompkins’ efforts to stand out in the Packers’ first preseason game accidentally backfired. During the second half against the Houston Texans, when third-string quarterback Kurt Benkert tried to throw him a deep pass, Thompkins injured himself while attempting to make the catch and was immediately taken to the sideline for medical attention. He was eventually led to the locker room and did not return to the remainder of the game, finishing with no receptions.
Benkert throws a deep pass intended for DeAndre Thompkins, who is hurt on the play and is immediately ushered to the sideline.
On a plus side, the Packers’ decision to put Thompkins on IR could bode well for him getting another opportunity next year. After all, Amari Rodgers and Randall Cobb are the only two receivers currently under contract beyond the 2021 season, meaning competition among wideouts will be even more important in determining the 2022 depth chart.
The same type of 2022 consideration could be given to Nauta, too. A former Detroit Lions tight end with capabilities as a fullback, Nauta was starting to carve out a role for himself after spending a portion of the 2020 season on their practice squad, and while another practice-squad role might have been all that was waiting for him at the end of August, it still could have paved the way for him seeing in-season elevation opportunities. Now, he will have to hope his limited reps were enough to buy him a second chance next year.
Packers Beginning to Clear Injury List
While three players getting placed on season-ending IR inside of a week is not a good thing for the Packers, they were able to make some positive strides this week. Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith (back) and safety Will Redmond (foot) both passed their physicals and were activated off the non-football injury list on Monday for the first time since the start of training camp.
The Packers also had running back Aaron Jones (hamstring), nose tackle Kenny Clark (groin) and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (hamstring) back on the practice field to begin the week. With their returns, the Packers’ injury list is now limited to backup quarterback Jordan Love (shoulder), defensive end Dean Lowry (knee) and wide receivers Chris Blair (ankle) and Juwann Winfree (shoulder). All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari also remains on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list as he continues working back from an ACL tear.