The Green Bay Packers are signing a former New York Jets wide receiver to their practice squad ahead of Week 2’s home opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
According to the team’s transaction wire for September 10, the Packers signed second-year wideout T.J. Luther to their practice squad on Tuesday in a series of roster moves. Green Bay also signed tight end Johnny Lumpkin to its 16-man reserve squad and cut running back La’Mical Perine and wide receiver Jalen Wayne in corresponding moves.
Luther — who went undrafted in 2023 — spent time with the Jets and New England Patriots during his rookie year, landing on the latter’s practice squad late in the 2023 season. He also competed for a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2024 preseason; although, he did not record any stats in his two exhibition games.
In college, though, Luther was a fleet-footed playmaker who frequently got vertical during his time with Wollord and Gardner-Webb. He caught 55 passes for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns during his final season for the latter in 2022, earning him some late-round buzz heading into the NFL draft due to his speed and athleticism.
The Packers remain at the 16-man practice squad limit ahead of Week 2’s first practice.
Could Packers Roster Moves Signal Healthier RB Room?
The Packers are now done with Perine after roughly two weeks of service, but his exit from the practice squad could be a sign their health is improving at running back.
Initially, the Packers signed Perine on August 30, the same day they placed running back Nate McCrary on the practice squad/injured reserve list. They needed the help with both third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson dealing with injuries ahead of Week 1 and didn’t just settle for one additional practice-squad back.
The Packers also signed Chris Brooks to the reserves four days after Perine, giving them three elevation choices against the Philadephia Eagles, including Ellis Merriweather.
Ultimately, the Packers listed both Lloyd (hamstring) and Wilson (hip) as questionable in their final injury report, but only Wilson played, rushing four times for 46 yards and catching two passes. They also promoted Merriweather to the game-day roster for the game, but he did not record any carries as Josh Jacobs and Wilson handled all but one.
With the Packers releasing Perine on Tuesday, though, perhaps they are confident that Lloyd will soon return to the fold and give their backfield a solid three-man rotation. His questionable status seemed to bode well for his chances of playing in Week 1, and while he ended up inactive, it does suggest he could soon be ready to make his debut.
Then again, maybe the Packers feel two practice-squad running backs are enough with Merriweather — who spent camp with them — and Brooks in the fold. Perine may have simply become redundant when other positional needs emerged for the team.
Packers Leaving Door Open for Jordan Love in Week 2
Speaking of improving health, the Packers have gone from thoughts of ruin to sighs of relief in the five days since starting quarterback Jordan Love went down with an injury.
Love sustained a knee injury while trying to help the Packers mount a comeback in the final six seconds of their 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1. Naturally, panic about his health and a potential season-ending injury broke out among the fan base — and likely within the organization that had just signed him to a four-year, $220 million extension.
Fortunately, the Packers have gotten predominantly good news about Love’s injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Love’s MRI revealed that he sustained an MCL sprain but also avoided any ACL damage in his knee, which they said could sideline him for three to six weeks.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur then shared more encouraging news about Love on September 9 when he confirmed the team would not be placing Love on injured reserve and that he would not completely rule him out of playing in Week 2 against the Colts.
“I couldn’t give you a percentage, but if he gets cleared, we’ll give him every opportunity like we always will,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s doing everything in his power, I know he’s spending a lot of time trying to get back as soon as possible. But certainly, we’re not going to put him in a position where he can’t protect himself [if] he goes out there.”
Even if Love cannot return for Week 2, or even misses a few games, it is a far better outcome than it could have been for the team’s franchise quarterback.
