The Green Bay Packers are getting some midseason help at the tight end position.
GM Brian Gutekunst activated rookie tight end Jace Sternberger from injured reserve on Saturday, one day before the Packers take on the Chargers in Los Angeles.
Sternberger, a third-round pick from Texas A&M, was originally placed on injured reserve on Sept. 3 with an ankle injury.
The Packers had an open roster spot. Sternberger and safety Ibraheim Campbell were both eligible to take the spot.
The Packers picked Sternberger, possibly due to Robert Tonyan’s status for Sunday’s game. He’s questionable with a hip injury. If Tonyan can’t go, Sternberger would operate as the team’s No. 3 tight end.
Sternberger played in one preseason game, catching one pass for two yards and a touchdown. He blew up during his junior season at Texas A&M, leading all college tight ends in touchdown catches (10) in 2018. He was a consensus All-American.
Rookie tight ends often struggle to make an impact, but it’s possible Sternberger could give the Packers a lift at tight end as an athletic pass-catcher who can run and make defenders miss after the catch.
