For the second time in three years, the Green Bay Packers have placed long-snapper Brett Goode on injured reserve. The roster move was announced on the NFL’s transaction wire on Monday afternoon.
Alert fans and beat writers noticed during Sunday’s 27-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals that something might have been up with Goode when tight end Richard Rodgers was spotted practicing long snaps on the sideline. Goode did snap the ball on the Packers’ game-winning field goal by Mason Crosby, a 27-yarder.
However, the injury to Goode appears to be to a hamstring, and the team elected to place him on IR instead of taking up two roster spots with long snappers.
To replace Goode, the Packers signed Taybor Pepper, an undrafted first-year pro who spent part of the offseason with the team. He was released following rookie minicamp, when the team elected to go with Derek Hart as the long snapper. Hart was released in favor of Goode in training camp.
Pepper, who played at Michigan State, will be called upon immediately, giving the Packers a battery of special teamers (along with kicker Mason Crosby and holder Justin Vogel) who have not worked together as a threesome before.