Green Bay Packers make roster moves after sending Darnell Savage to injured reserve

After moving safety Darnell Savage and cornerback Eric Stokes to injured reserve on Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers executed a series of moves to bolster the 53-man and practice rosters for Week 8. The Packers signed former Panthers practice squad member, cornerback Robert Rochell to the active roster, as well as practice squad cornerback Corey Ballentine.

The Packers already have promoted Ballentine three times this season. He played in eight games for Green Bay last season.

Rochell was a 2021 fourth-rounder for the Rams who played in 28 games for the team over the last two years. The Rams waived him at the 53-man roster cut this August. The Seahawks picked him up for their practice squad, then cut him three weeks later. The Panthers signed him the next day.

After moving Ballentine to the active roster, the Packers replenished the practice squad by signing former Giants cornerback Zyon Gilbert. Gilbert had 14 tackles, including a sack, in three games played for New York last season.

Savage among several injured for Packers

Darnell Savage entered Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a tender calf and ended up aggravating the injury further. Now, he will need several weeks to heal. The earliest estimate for his return is Thanksgiving, which is when the Packers go on the road to face the Lions.

The Broncos game was particularly brutal for the Packers. Not only did they lose to a team that had won only one game, but Green Bay also saw their injury list keep growing.

“It’s amazing,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters after the Broncos game. “It’s like every game it kind of compounds on itself.”

It wasn’t just Savage who left the game against Denver. So did defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (knee) and cornerback Eric Stokes (hamstring).

Stokes was very unlucky against the Broncos. The Packers activated him Saturday after he hadn’t seen action in about a year. Then he strained his hamstring after a handful of special teams snaps.

The Packers were already playing without two defensive starters — cornerback Jaire Alexander (back) and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (ankle). Each has missed three games.

However, according to reporters at the Packers complex, both Alexander and Campbell were back at practice, although it’s not known if they’re limited in workouts. Plus tight end Luke Musgrave, who also was injured in Denver, wasn’t at practice on Wednesday.

On3’s Suzanne Halliburton contributed to this report.