The Green Bay Packers signed RB Cedric Benson and placed TE Eric Lair on injured reserve. The transactions were announced Sunday by Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations.
Benson, a 5-foot-11, 227-pound eighth-year player out of Texas, spent the past four seasons (2008-11) with Cincinnati, where he led the Bengals in rushing each season. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark each of the last three seasons and ranks No. 5 in Bengals history with 4,176 career rushing yards. Benson has played in 91 games (66 starts) during his NFL career and has rushed for 5,769 yards and 31 TDs on 1,529 carries (3.8 avg.).
Benson was selected in the first round (No. 4 overall) by Chicago in 2005 and rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 TDs on 420 carries (3.8 avg.) in three seasons with the Bears. He was a four-year starter at Texas (2001-04) and capped his career by winning the Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back) as a senior when he posted 1,834 rushing yards and 19 TDs. Benson will wear No. 32 with the Packers.
Lair, a rookie from the University of Minnesota, signed with Green Bay as a non-drafted free agent on May 7. He sustained a knee injury during training camp.
