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One of the Green Bay Packers’ most widely-expected roster transactions of the season is officially complete. The Packers have activated wide receiver and kick returner Trevor Davis from injured reserve, placing him on the 53-man roster. The team had been carrying 52 players on the active roster, which means that they will not need to make another transaction to make room for Davis.
A third-year pro out of the University of California, Davis has proven to be a dynamic punt returner, particularly in his second season in 2017 when he assumed full-time duties in that role after Micah Hyde departed for Buffalo in free agency. Davis averaged 12.0 yards per punt return on 24 attempts, an average that put him in third place across the entire NFL. Davis also averaged 22.8 yards per kickoff return, placing him seventh among 12 qualified return men. His signature play last year was a 65-yard punt return that set up the Packers’ tying touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
Both of those numbers would be significant improvements over the Packers’ 2018 numbers. With Tramon Williams and Randall Cobb back deep on punts, the team has averaged just 6.2 yards per punt return. Meanwhile, a handful of players have seen some time on kickoffs, with just a 19.8-yard average.
Davis was placed on injured reserve on September 11th, after the Packers’ week one win over the Chicago Bears. That timing required that he miss the next eight games before being reactivated to the 53-man roster. This also means that the Packers have just one more opportunity this season to return a player from injured reserve.
Expect Davis to be active for tonight’s game and to contribute both on returns and on coverage teams, where he has put in solid work as a gunner in his pro career.