Quarterback injuries in Seattle and Detroit prompted a pair of signings Saturday, with the Seahawks adding J.T. Barrett and the Lions picking up Josh Johnson to get them through the preseason.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after Thursday's preseason opener that Geno Smith needed surgery to remove a cyst from his knee and would be out at least a week.
Smith was able to start and play the first half against the Broncos but Carroll announced afterward that the QB, who is competing with Paxton Lynch to back up Russell Wilson, would need to have the issue addressed.
Barrett, 24, starred at Ohio State but went undrafted last year, eventually signing with the Saints and spending most of the season on their practice squad. New Orleans waived him last week.
In Detroit, Savage is believed to be dealing with concussion symptoms. He was sacked on back-to-back plays in the first quarter of Thursday's game against the Patriots and did not return after his head slammed into the turf on the second hit, leaving David Fales to run the show the rest of the way.
That lack of a safety net behind Matthew Stafford led Detroit to bring in the famously well-traveled Johnson, who will join his 13th NFL team since 2008.
The 33-year-old, who has also had stints with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the UFL and San Diego Fleet of the AAF, ended up starting the final three games for the Redskins last year, completing his first regular-season NFL passes since 2011 in the process.
