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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/24

November 12th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Released: LB Cam Johnson

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

The Falcons have added a notable name to their special teams corps in Jakeem Grant. The long-time Dolphins returner has collected six ST touchdowns in his career (four via punts, two via kickoffs), and he’s even hauled in 100 catches. However, the veteran hasn’t seen the field since the 2021 campaign while spending the past few years on Cleveland’s practice squad.

With Dak Prescott done for the season, the Cowboys have added some extra QB depth. In comes old friend Will Grier, who spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Dallas. The former third-round pick has since bounced around the NFL, including stops with the Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers in just 2023. Grier still only has two career appearances on his resume, both coming with the Panthers in 2019.

The Texans have added some experienced OL depth in Cameron Erving. The veteran is coming off a 2023 campaign where he started two of his three appearances for the Saints, and he barely played in 11 appearances with the Panthers in 2022. Still, the 32-year-old brings 98 games (58 starts) of experience to Houston, a factor that could be valuable down the stretch. To make room on the practice squad, the Texans moved on from cornerback Desmond King. The veteran has only seen time in one game for Houston this season, although he’s not far removed from a 2022 campaign where he started 13 games for the Texans.

Panthers Activate Adam Thielen From IR

November 12th, 2024 at 11:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Thielen‘s 21-day activation window was set to close Wednesday. As a result, Carolina will indeed move the veteran wide receiver back onto its 53-man roster.

The Panthers officially activated Thielen from IR, burning one of their IR-return moves in order to have the 34-year-old pass catcher back in the fold. Had the team passed on doing so, Thielen would have spent the rest of the season on IR. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver has worked his way back from a hamstring injury.

Having not played since Week 3, Thielen has missed much of his second Panthers season. The team had turned to Andy Dalton before the Raiders game that featured Thielen’s injury but has since traded Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo and then turned back to Bryce Young. While rumblings of the team giving Dalton another chance emerged following the thumb injury he sustained in a car accident, Young has guided the team to back-to-back wins.

It would stand to reason, based on the investment the Panthers made in the former Heisman winner, the younger passer would remain at the controls. Thielen is now back in the picture to help Young develop. The longtime Vikings starter arrived, via a three-year deal worth $25MM, to help Young develop last year. He was about the only positive component on the 2023 Panthers’ offense, which faceplanted during Frank Reich and Thomas Brown‘s stewardship. Thielen still picked up his third 1,000-yard season and entered this year with a fully guaranteed salary.

As could be expected given Thielen’s age and Carolina’s place during this rebuild, the 12th-year wideout came up in trade rumors. Thielen was mentioned along with Johnson and Mingo as trade candidates, with a move to a contender believed to be a development the second-year Panther would appreciate. Prior to acquiring Mike Williams, the Steelers showed interest. No trade happened, and Thielen is now positioned to work with first-rounder Xavier Legette and rookie UDFA Jalen Coker as Carolina’s top receivers.

It is possible Thielen could still be cut, in an effort to send him to a contending team, but he would hit the waiver wire if dropped since the trade deadline has passed. A team would be responsible for just less than $2MM in the event of a Thielen claim. For now, the possession target — who had displayed frustration about the state of the team’s passing attack in September — remains a Panther ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Chiefs.

The Panthers cut wideout-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews once again to clear a roster spot for Thielen. The former WR starter is in his second season with the Panthers.

Diontae Johnson Sought Exit From Panthers

November 10th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan revealed that Diontae Johnson “wanted a change of scenery” before he was dealt to the Ravens at the end of October, per Joe Person of The Athletic.

Morgan also indicated that the desire to part ways was mutual in a recent press conference.

“We felt at the end of the day that it was best for the team and best for Diontae that we both part ways and get the compensation there that we got,” said Morgan, according to team reporter Kassidy Hill.

The Panthers received a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson and a 2025 sixth-rounder while eating a significant portion of the wideout’s contract. The Ravens will only owe Johnson the veteran minimum salary for the remainder of the season.

This is the second time in eight months that Johnson has sought a trade away from his current team. He first arrived in Carolina in March after requesting a trade from the Steelers, who sent him to the Panthers along with a seventh-round pick for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-rounder.

Overall, the Panthers’ two trades involving Johnson turned Jackson and two sixth-round picks into fifth- and seventh-rounders plus seven games, 357 receiving yards, and three touchdowns from the 28-year-old. Jackson, meanwhile, is tied for sixth in the NFL with three interceptions, one shy of his career-high.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 9th, 2024 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.

Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 11:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return from IR (August 27): 

Designated for return: 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Baltimore Ravens

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Denver Broncos

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Detroit Lions

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

  • DL Jonathan Ford (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 7

Houston Texans

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation from IR:

Eligible for activation from reserve/NFI list:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Rams

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL K.T. Leveston

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation from IR:

Eligible for activation from reserve/NFI list:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New England Patriots

Designated for return from reserve/non-football illness list (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return: 

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New York Giants

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Jets

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL Dylan Cook

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation: 

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Seattle Seahawks

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Panthers Never Wanted To Trade Bryce Young, Noncommittal On Future

November 8th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan insisted that the team never intended to trade Bryce Young after his benching in a press conference on Wednesday, but remained noncommittal about his future as a franchise quarterback.

“We never got into any discussions. I never opened that door,” Morgan said. “Didn’t want to trade Bryce, still don’t and committed to working with him and helping him grow and helping him develop.”

Morgan hinted that the Panthers did receive calls inquiring about Young, but never entertained any offers.

“Teams call and they poke around and not just about any specific players, it’s just players on your roster and they’re real general conversations and I’ll kind of leave those conversations for another day,” Morgan said.

Trade speculation around Young stirred after his Week 3 benching, though he has started the Panthers’ last two games after Andy Dalton was injured in a car accident. However, every report out of Carolina indicated that the Panthers had no intention of dealing their former No. 1 overall pick, which Morgan confirmed on Wednesday.

Morgan did not commit to Young as the Panthers’ franchise quarterback when directly asked.

“We’re excited to work with him and keep working with him in the future,” Morgan said. “At the end of the day, we’ll have those conversations once the season ends and, we’ll see where we’re at.”

Young has two years remaining on his rookie contract, with an additional fifth-year option that the Panthers can pick up after the 2025 season. In the meantime, the Panthers are projected for the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft, which they could use to find an alternate option to Young.

Panthers Extend RB Chuba Hubbard

November 7th, 2024 at 10:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ahead of the trade deadline, it was clear the Panthers would not be willing to deal away Chuba Hubbard. The fourth-year running back was on track to reach free agency this offseason, but that is no longer the case.

Hubbard and the Panthers have agreed to a four-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal (which is now official) has a base value of $33.2MM, but it can increase by $5MM through incentives. In terms of guaranteed compensation, Hubbard will receive $15MM fully locked in.

The Athletic’s Joe Person predicted on Thursday that Hubbard would translate his 2024 campaign, on track to be the best of his career, into a new contract before the end of the year (subscription required). That has proven to be accurate, and the 25-year-old Canadian will now be on the books through 2028. Hubbard has handled RB1 duties for much of the past two seasons despite the presence of Miles Sanders, and his 14.8 carries per game are slightly higher than last year’s workload. He is averaging 5.0 yards per attempt in 2024, the best mark of his career.

After Christian McCaffrey was traded away midway through the 2022 campaign, the door opened for other Panthers to take on a larger workload in the backfield. Hubbard has been the primary beneficiary of that move, and the Oklahoma State product topped 1,100 scrimmage yards while rushing for five touchdowns last year. Hubbard has already matched the latter figure through nine games this season, and he is comfortably on pace reach 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time in 2024.

Sanders landed a four-year, $25.4MM deal on the open market last offseason, leading to high expectations with Carolina. He has not managed to live up to them so far, though, and Hubbard’s success has relegated the former Eagle to a minor role on offense. That could especially be true moving forward with second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks now healthy. None of Sanders’ base salaries for 2025 or ’26 are guaranteed, making him a logical cut candidate for the upcoming offseason.

With a base value of $8.3MM per season, Hubbard’s pact places him ninth amongst running backs in terms of annual average value. The former fourth-rounder will be expected to continue delivering in the backfield now and in the future as the Panthers sort out their quarterback situation. Bryce Young‘s tenure with the franchise beyond 2024 remains uncertain, but stability in the backfield will be welcomed.

It will be interesting to see how the Hubbard-Brooks tandem takes shape now that both are in the picture. Brooks will be attached to his rookie contract through 2027, so for several years the Panthers’ situation at the running back spot appears to be settled.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/24

November 7th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Booth has been unable to remain in the mix for two teams, being traded from the Vikings and now cut from the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. But Dallas will still attempt to develop the Clemson alum, bringing him back after he cleared waivers. The former second-round pick made a start for the Cowboys, after being traded straight up for fellow CB Nahshon Wright in August, but has only logged 38 defensive snaps in three games this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/24

November 6th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Gross-Matos was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on October 5, sidelining him for San Francisco’s last four games. He now has 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added back to the activ roster or revert to season-ending IR. He signed a two-year, $18MM contract with the 49ers in the offseason but struggled with his new team with just one tackle in 81 snaps across three appearances.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/24

November 6th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: T Ryan Hayes

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

While a few players in today’s roundup are catching back on with teams after being cut from their respective club’s active roster, the 49ers are adding Gage. This marks the veteran wideout’s first gig since the Ravens cut him following training camp. Gage, who totaled 700-plus-yard seasons with the Falcons in 2020 and 2021, did not justify a three-year, $30MM Buccaneers contract. The 28-year-old receiver has not played in a regular-season game since suffering a season-nullifying knee injury — a patellar tendon rupture — during Bucs camp in 2023.

Panthers Activate RB Jonathon Brooks

November 6th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers have slow-played Jonathon Brooks‘ return, but the second-round pick will be eligible to debut as a rookie. Carolina is activating the running back prospect off the NFI list today, Dave Canales said. The move is now official.

Carolina needed to activate Brooks by today; otherwise, this year’s top RB draftee would have needed to be transferred to season-ending IR. While Canales is not committing to Brooks debuting Sunday in Germany, the Texas product is now on the team’s 53-man roster.

Around the Combine, word emerged Brooks would be ready for training camp. But that did not come to pass. Carolina held Brooks out of camp and stashed him on the reserve/NFI list, mandating a four-game absence. More than a month after Brooks was first eligible to come back, he will do so.

A recent report from ESPN.com’s David Newton pointed to Brooks being on track to debut against the Giants on Sunday, and he has now logged four full practices — including today’s. Brooks has been on the shelf since going down in November 2023. Nine- to 12-month recoveries typically cover ACL rehabs, though every injury is obviously different. Given the Panthers’ standing, it is understandable they would want to be patient here.

The Panthers traded in front of the Giants to nab Brooks at No. 46. New York’s second-round window opened at No. 47, though the team was believed to be interested in cornerback help by that point. But GM Dan Morgan had aimed to outflank former coworker Joe Schoen here. The Giants did end up with promising rookie Tyrone Tracy in the fifth round, but Brooks was the only RB chosen in the first or second round this year, pointing to a higher ceiling.

The Panthers have Brooks signed through 2027, while starter Chuba Hubbard is in a contract year. Miles Sanders loomed as a trade candidate, but the former Eagles starter remains on the Carolina roster. Brooks should still be expected to garner steady work once he debuts, with the Panthers again trudging through a rebuild campaign.

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