Thanksgiving might be a special holiday for former Auburn defensive back Jaylin Simpson. He’ll be eligible to make his NFL debut on Thursday.
The Green Bay Packers elevated Simpson from their practice squad on Wednesday to active status for Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
Each NFL team can elevate two players from its practice squad to active status for every game, making them eligible to play before returning to the practice squad after the contest.
The Packers brought up Simpson with cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Keiseasn Nixon designated as questionable to play against the Lions on the Green Bay injury report.
Simpson started his Auburn career as a cornerback, but he played safety in 2023. The Packers have his position listed as defensive back.
A fifth-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2024, Simpson was on the team’s practice squad when the New York Jets signed him on Dec. 11. He spent the remainder of the 2024 season on New York’s active roster, but he did not play in a game.
On Aug. 2, the Jets waived Simpson with an injury designation after he sustained a hamstring injury. When Simpson went unclaimed, he reverted to New York’s injured reserve on Aug. 3, and the Jets waived him again on Aug. 6 with an injury settlement that cleared him off the roster.
The Packers signed Simpson on Aug. 18, and he landed on Green Bay’s practice squad after being waived in the roster reduction between the preseason and the regular season.
The Packers and Lions kick off the NFL’s Thanksgiving tripleheader at noon CST Thursday at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX will televise the drums.
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The transaction news wasn’t as good for another former Auburn defensive back: The Los Angeles Rams placed Roger McCreary on injured reserve on Wednesday.
McCreary sustained a groin injury in the Rams’ 34-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Los Angeles obtained McCreary for a sixth-round draft pick in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 27. The Titans’ slot corner, McCreary had played 306 defensive snaps in eight games in his fourth season with Tennessee. He played solely on special teams in his first three games with the Rams and sustained his injury on his first defensive snap for Los Angeles.
Under NFL rules, the former Williamson High School star will be required to miss at least four games on injured reserve. The Rams have six games remaining on their regular-season schedule.