Packers sign RB Patrick Taylor back to practice squad

The Green Bay Packers announced on Thursday that they have re-signed running back Patrick Taylor to the practice squad. Taylor, who started the season on the practice squad, was recently on the 53-man roster until Tuesday when he was waived by the team.

Despite only playing one snap of football on offense, Taylor has been a significant contributor on special teams this year, as he’s played 69 snaps over seven games. The only offensive players who have played more special teams snaps than him this year are tight ends Tyler Davis and Josiah Deguara and receiver/returner Amari Rodgers.

Taylor was waived because Kylin Hill, who was the team’s third running back in 2021 until his ACL injury, was activated from the physically unable to perform list this week. Hill wasn’t listed on the injury report on Thursday, but it has yet to be confirmed if he will play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday or not. There is still an outside chance that the Packers ease him into playing time and elevate Taylor from the practice squad for the game. Taylor, who was already elevated twice earlier in the year before he was promoted to the 53-man roster, is eligible to be elevated from the practice squad one more time during the 2022 season.

The Packers didn’t necessarily need to waive Taylor, as they were already down to a 52-man roster at the time of Hill’s activation, but the assumption is that the team will activate inside linebacker Krys Barnes later in the week. Barnes is currently on the injured reserve and was given a designation to return on Wednesday when he began practicing with the team.

Green Bay is currently down a body at inside linebacker with starter De’Vondre Campbell missing back-to-back practices after leaving last Sunday’s game with a knee injury. At the moment, it appears that Isaiah McDuffie is set to make the first start of his NFL career. If Campbell is unable to play, defensive coordinator Joe Barry has confirmed that rookie Quay Walker will have the communications “green dot” helmet against the Lions.

There were no corresponding moves needed to be made to the 16-man practice squad as the team dropped down to 15 players on Tuesday when they released outside linebacker Kobe Jones. Jones was elevated for Week 8 while fellow practice squad outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton was elevated in Week 7. In both games, rostered outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin was a healthy scratch. It’s unclear who the team will use as their fourth outside linebacker against the Lions.