The Packers made the decision to swap out higher-profile tackles on Saturday, placing Bryan Bulaga on IR and activating Jason Spriggs from the injured list, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Both moves were expected, although with Bulaga having torn his ACL against the Lions in Week 9, there was a bit of a delay compared to how these proceedings usually unfold.
Spriggs returned to practice earlier this month; he’s spent most of the season on IR. But he now could be in the mix for key playing time down the stretch for a Packers team with a goal to maintain a contention spot until Aaron Rodgers is eligible to return.
Spriggs will almost certainly be the final IR-boomerang player until a decision is made on Rodgers, who is eligible to return in Week 15. But this isn’t a certainty, and the Packers acknowledge they need to be competing for a playoff spot to bring their all-world quarterback back.
Bulaga has now torn ACLs in both of his knees during his career. He suffered a torn ACL in 2013 that wiped out his whole season. This one will end after five games. Green Bay’s starting right tackle has two years left on the extension he signed in 2015.
Spriggs suffered a hamstring injury in September but will return to action. The 2016 second-round pick figures to be an option at right tackle, along with Justin McCray. Bulaga joins Kyle Murphy as Pakcers tackles on IR.