Packers activate WR Sammy Watkins from injured reserve

The Green Bay Packers announced on Saturday that receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring) was activated off of the injured reserve after he began practicing with the team this week. The Packers also placed receiver Randall Cobb (ankle) and offensive lineman Jake Hanson (biceps) on the injured reserve in corresponding roster moves. Green Bay’s roster is now officially at 52 players, meaning there’s still an outside chance that the team signs a player off of their practice squad before Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.

Watkins could be a key addition to the team, as both Christian Watson (hamstring) and Cobb will not play against Washington. Watkins played between 67 and 65 percent of the offense’s snaps in the first two weeks of the season and recorded a 93-yard effort against the Chicago Bears before he was placed on injured reserve. He is the first player who has returned from injured reserve for the Packers this year. NFL rules allow the team to bring eight players off of injured reserve during a single season. Green Bay’s injured reserve currently stands at five players after the Cobb and Hanson moves, as they join safety Vernon Scott, inside linebacker Krys Barnes and outside linebacker Tipa Galeai on the list.

The team also announced that outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton has been elevated to the gameday roster, which means he’ll play in a regular season game for the first time in 2022. Hamilton played in six games in 2021, both as an active roster member and as a practice squad elevation, recording 64 defensive snaps on the year.

Watkins, tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) and Devonte Wyatt (illness) were added to the injury report as questionable on Saturday, too. Bakhtiari and Wyatt were participants in practice all week and neither were given injury statuses on Friday’s injury report.