Green Bay Packers sign S Micah Abernathy to practice squad, release CB Rico Gafford

The Green Bay Packers announced on Friday that they signed safety Micah Abernathy to their practice squad. Due to injuries at the position, Abernathy was originally signed by the team in August off of his stint with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers. In Week 2 of the preseason, Vernon Scott’s injury pushed Abernathy into the “starting” lineup near the end of the second half against the New Orleans Saints. He was able to record an interception and a sniffed-out screen almost immediately and rapidly became a preseason darling for Packers fans.

In Week 3, Abernathy started at safety, with Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage held out of preseason participation, opposite of Shawn Davis, who was eventually waived at cutdowns with an injury designation. Abernathy initially made the Packers’ 53-man roster, making him just one of two former USFL players to do so, but was waived on Wednesday as a corresponding roster move to Green Bay signing Rudy Ford, a safety and gunner.

Following Abernathy’s release from the team, general manager Brian Gutekunst stated that he was hopeful that the team would be able to retain Abernathy and kicker Ramiz Ahmed on the Packers’ practice squad. As of yesterday, Green Bay’s practice squad only had one opening following the signing of tight end Shaun Beyer.

Not only did the team sign Abernathy, though, but they let go cornerback Rico Gafford, who moved from the receiver position this offseason. Despite the loss of Gafford, the team still has cornerbacks on the practice squad in Kiondre Thomas, who moved up the depth chart in every preseason game, and Benjie Franklin.

The assumption is that now that the Packers have 15 players on their 16-slot practice squad and have at least one player at every offensive and defensive position, the team will sign Ahmed — the team’s kicker in Week 2 and 3 of the preseason — in the near future.