Packer Central

Packers Release Innis Gaines

Innis Gaines played 12 snaps on special teams and recorded one tackle at the Steelers on Sunday.

Bill Huber

Packers Release Innis Gaines
Packers Release Innis Gaines /
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers released Innis Gaines on Monday, a day after he recorded a tackle on special teams in Sunday’s loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Packers elevated Gaines off the practice squad for Week 1 at Chicago, Week 2 at Atlanta and Week 8 against the Rams. Out of elevations, the Packers signed him to the 53-man roster on Saturday.

Against the Steelers, he played 12 snaps on special teams and tackled a kickoff return at the 13.

The Packers did not announce a corresponding roster move, so they will be at 52 players for now. There also is an opening on the practice squad, should the Packers want to him bring him back in that capacity.

Listed as a safety by the Packers, Gaines had served as the primary backup in the slot behind starter Keisean Nixon.

“I’m trying to be a Swiss Army knife for the defense and being able to play wherever they need me: slot, safety, nickel or dime,” he said at the end of training camp.

With Jaire Alexander inactive with a shoulder injury, the Packers spent Sunday with Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine and Nixon as their three corners. They limited Kenny Pickett to 14-of-23 passing for 126 yards. Starting receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson combined to catch 4-of-8 targets for 62 yards.

“There was a couple plays that you’d like to have back,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday when asked about the cornerbacks. “Obviously, we [Valentine] got called for a DPI that was a critical penalty on a third down that led to a touchdown. But I thought there was some really good moments, as well, where we did a good job when they took opportunity balls on the outside.

“Corey Ballentine had a couple PBUs. They went at him twice in a row on a second-and-10 and then on third-and-10 and he made the play. He made the play right in the 2-minute, as well, when he was bumped up into the boundary. Made a tough, contested play. So, I thought all in all they did a pretty nice job.”

Anthony Johnson – no, not that Anthony Johnson – and Zyon Gilbert are corners on the practice squad.

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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