The New York Giants have changed their roster once again, continuing their trend of moving players between the active roster and the practice squad.
This time, they have released veteran fullback Jakob Johnson.
However, this may not be a permanent goodbye, as Johnson is expected to return to the Giants’ practice squad soon.
But Johnson’s situation with the Giants has been a rollercoaster this season.
He has bounced back and forth between the active roster and the practice squad several times already.
Even though he has been cut again, there’s a good chance he’ll be re-signed to the practice squad, especially with an available open spot.
At the same time, the Giants have placed tight end Lawrence Cager on the practice squad injured reserve.
Head coach Brian Daboll shared this news before the team’s walkthrough practice on Tuesday, explaining that Cager will be out of action for a while.
This opened up another spot on the roster, which the team quickly filled.
To replace Cager, the Giants signed tight end Joel Wilson.
Wilson is a 24-year-old undrafted rookie from Central Michigan who originally signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
He’s also spent some time with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers, but he hasn’t played in a regular-season game yet.
Adding Wilson helps the Giants maintain depth at the tight end position, which has been a physically demanding spot on the team.
Coach Daboll mentioned that the team often uses multiple tight ends in their formations, so having healthy players available is important as the season progresses.
Meanwhile, the Giants have also signed linebacker Ty Summers to their 53-man roster.
LB Ty Summers is being signed to the Giants active roster, per source. He was out of elevations after being activated from the practice squad for each of the first three games.
Summers takes the roster spot created when FB/TE Jakob Johnson was released on Tuesday. #Giants
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 25, 2024
Summers had been elevated from the practice squad for the first three games of the season, where he primarily contributed on special teams.
He played 53 special teams snaps in those games and made one tackle.
However, since NFL rules only allow a player to be elevated from the practice squad a limited number of times, the Giants needed to officially sign Summers to the active roster to prevent him from being picked up by another team.
Summers, originally a seventh-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2019, has built a reputation as a reliable special teams player.
He spent most of his career with the Packers from 2019 to 2021 before brief stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.
Most recently, Summers played briefly with the Detroit Lions in the 2024 offseason but was waived during the team’s final roster cuts.
His strong contributions on special teams make him a valuable addition to the Giants, especially since special teams players are often physically taxed and need consistent performers.
By promoting Summers to the active roster, the Giants now have an open spot on their practice squad, which is likely where Jakob Johnson will return.
In the short term, this move will allow Johnson to stay with the team while also giving the Giants the option to elevate him again later in the season if needed.