Kumerow on IR but with no regret
GREEN BAY - Late Sunday afternoon, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst insisted that his first 53man roster was fluid. And when asked directly if there were players who could be put on injured reserve, he said, “I would like to think that all the guys we have will be playing for us sometime this season, but we’re working through a couple things right now.”
One of those things was determining that the SC joint in Jake Kumerow’s shoulder has not healed as expected following his somersault in the end zone against Pittsburgh back on Aug. 16. The Packers placed the wide receiver on injured reserve Monday morning and signed veteran linebacker Korey Toomer to fill the roster spot.
For his part, Kumerow felt such a move would be made.
“I figured, because when they brought me on to the active I realized like, oh, that’s great, I’m on the 53, I’m pumped, I’m happy, but I thought you know, are they just going to keep me inactive until I’m healthy for like a couple of weeks?” he said in his final media availability until he comes off IR.
“I figured something else was going to happen. I figured that the IR was going to be the case but I still have, according to the doctor, a couple more weeks, and you can’t overrule a doctor.”
Because the Packers made the move after the 53-man cutdown, Kumerow is eligible to return to the roster after Week 8 of the regular season.
“I just hope that when I get back healthy that the numbers work out and I’ll be able to find my way back in here,” Kumerow said.
“It feels good to have them have their eye on me on that way, knowing that I’m hurt but giving me the chance to be able to come back and have an impact on this team. It gives me a lot of confidence and it makes me feel good about going into the year.”
And as for the fateful tumble into the end zone against the Steelers that wound up being his last play to date, Kumerow said he wouldn’t change a thing.
“I was just trying to score,” he said, “do whatever it takes.”
Prank scare
Saturday afternoon was an interesting one for Robert Tonyan.
Anxiously awaiting word if he had made the 53-man roster for the Packers, the first-year tight end received a text from an unknown, out-of-area number telling him to bring his iPad and his gear to Lambeau Field. He was already a little put off by the fact he was cut via text and when he went up to the third-floor offices, the coaches were happy to see him – only he thought they were happy to see him go.
“That was kind of brutal,” Tonyan said Monday “That’s how I found out – I went up there and everybody’s ‘congratulations’ and I’m like, what the hell is going on? Why is everyone happy up here and I’m coming in to turn in my stuff? I got the text. They’re like, it’s just prank text from a number. I don’t know.
“I’m just glad I went up there and it wasn’t (true).”
After being able to exhale he shared the news with his mother, Tammy, on her birthday.
“It was nice to call her and share an emotional moment with her, something that she’s been there for me since I’ve been playing in middle school,” Tonyan said “For it to be on her birthday, I can’t be thankful enough.”
Looking to stick
Korey Toomer knew the deal in San Francisco. Signed April 4, the 29-yearold veteran linebacker understood why he was brought in, to be insurance in case Rueben Foster would be suspended, or released, for a domestic violence allegation.
“I’m just going to call it like I see it,” Toomer said at his locker in Lambeau Field. “I felt like I was an insurance policy. And once they figured out what was going on with Reuben, it was clear to me from there. And then they drafted a ’backer. You know how business goes. I still love those guys, those coaches. They were great.”
And when those chargers against Foster were dismissed in late May, Toomer knew his time might run short. He was released by the 49ers on Saturday, but quickly found a home in Green Bay when Kumerow went on IR.
A fifth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks out of Idaho in 2012, Toomer has bounced to Dallas, St. Louis, Oakland and San Diego/Los Angeles. Over the last two years he has forced five fumbles, broken up five passes and recorded 123 combined tackles.
“I feel like I put up great numbers, given what the playing time that I had,” he said. “I feel like it’s tough not being able to find a home and find somebody that wants me and lets me play and be myself and play my game. But the only thing I can keep doing is keep working. I gotta keep my head down and keep working and it’ll all pan itself out.
“I feel like Green Bay can be the spot for me, and I hope it is. I hope and pray and the only thing I can do is keep working for it.”
Not practicing
Linebacker Oren Burks (shoulder), safety Josh Jones (undisclosed) and linebacker James Crawford (undisclosed) all dressed for practice Monday, but once individual drills began the three moved to the side field inside the Don Hutson Center.
“We’ll get into the exact report on Wednesday,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “But just coming off the weekend and what was done with Thursday night’s game in Kansas City, obviously O.B. (Burks) is still working through the shoulder. So we just want to put them in the rehab, you know, rehab limited return and we’ll see where they are Wednesday.”
Practice squad filled
The Packers rounded out their practice squad by re-signing safety Marwin Evans and bringing in cornerback Tony Brown. Evans is in his third year with the Packers and played in all 32 games the last two seasons. Brown is a rookie from Alabama who was released by the Los Angeles Chargers.