Lions place Kerryon Johnson on IR, promote Paul Perkins
The Detroit Lions will be without running back Kerryon Johnson for the remainder of the season after he was placed on injured reserve following knee surgery earlier this week.
With their leading rusher now mending his wounds, the Lions will begin to search for a replacement. In the mean time, they have to fill out their roster ahead of a Week 8 battle with the New York Giants, and will do so by promoting an ex-Giant from their practice squad.
The Lions announced on Wednesday that running back Paul Perkins, who was signed after being waived by the Giants in mid-September, has been signed to their 53-man roster.
Perkins joins a backfield that currently includes Ty Johnson, J.D. McKissic and Tra Carson.
In 26 career games (5 starts), Perkins has gained 546 yards on 153 carries (3.6 ypc), adding 23 receptions for an additional 208 yards. His best season came in 2016 after taking over as the Giants’ starting back, averaging 4.1 yards per carry while gaining 618 yards from scrimmage.
