Punt Returner Added to Active Roster

C.J. Board played Sunday as a practice squad addition. Two practice-squad defensive backs were elevated Thursday for the game against the Green Bay Packers.

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA Today Network

The Tennessee Titans have added defensive back Lonnie Johnson to the team’s injured reserve list and signed wide receiver C.J. Board to the 53-man roster.

In addition, defensive backs Greg Mabin and Davontae Harris were designated as standard elevations from the practice squad for Thursday's game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Both Mabin and Harris are eligible to be part of the 48-man gameday roster and automatically will revert to the practice squad after the game.

Johnson becomes the 15th player on injured reserve for the Titans. That list doesn’t include two players who recently came off injured reserve and were returned to the active roster, wide receiver Treylon Burks and defensive back Elijah Molden.

Johson sustained a hamstring injury Sunday against Denver. He had played 84 defensive snaps over eight games, making five tackles. He will have to miss at least four games before he’s eligible to return to the 53-man roster.

Board was a practice elevation squad for the game against the Broncos. He returned four punts for 51 yards (12.8-yard average) in that contest.

The 28-year-old, a Clarksville, Tenn. native, didn’t play any offensive snaps versus the Broncos. But he has 17 career catches for 183 yards (10.8-yard average) in 25 NFL games – including five starts.

“We’ve been looking to have C.J. up for quite some time, and he really did well in practice,” Titans special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said earlier this week. “He finally got that opportunity and he took advantage of it (on Sunday).”

The Titans haven’t received much production from wide receivers added to the roster this season, as the combination of Josh Gordon, Chris Conley, Dez Fitzpatrick and Mason Kinsey have combined for one catch for three yards in six games.

The elevation of Mabin and Harris could help offset the loss of Johnson, as well as the potential absence of Molden, who is listed as questionable for tonight with a hamstring injury.

Mabin was just signed to the practice squad two days ago but was with the Titans throughout the offseason and saw plenty of action for them in 2021. He played five games for the Titans last season – starting two – and contributed 10 tackles and a pass defensed.

Harris was also signed to the practice squad two days ago. He’s played in a combined 36 games for five teams over the past four seasons, starting nine, and totaling 59 tackles, four passes defensed and one forced fumble.