EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Brandon Meriweather's absence from the New York Giants lasted less than a week. After releasing him last week, the Giants on Wednesday announced that Meriweather has been re-signed.

He takes the place on the active roster of fullback/defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a knee injury suffered in Sunday's game.

Whitlock's story was one of the cooler ones of this Giants season. A standout defensive tackle at Wake Forest who was deemed too small to play the position in the pros and converted to fullback last year by the Bengals, Whitlock talked and played his way into snaps at defensive tackle this year in addition to his fullback and special teams responsibilities. Early in the year, he was an impact pass-rusher for them late in games, and he was credited with a sack of Buffalo's Tyrod Taylor in Week 4.

Unfortunately for Whitlock, he injured his knee on a defensive play Sunday and will miss the rest of the season.

The Giants re-signed Meriweather because they're short at safety with Cooper Taylor having suffered a concussion in Sunday's game. But they have no fullback on their roster or practice squad, so it's possible they make another move this week. If they don't, they may be in the uncomfortable position of having to play one of their inexperienced tight ends -- Will Tye or Jerome Cunningham -- at fullback when they need one.

Meriweather started the first 11 games of the season at safety for the Giants and, if Taylor can't answer the bell this week, likely will work in a rotation again with Landon Collins and Craig Dahl at that position.