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 were 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.
This offseason also brought a second adjustment, with teams who qualify for the playoffs set to have two additional activations at their disposals. With the playoffs upon us, the two additional activations have been added to each team’s ledger. Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into the wild-card round:
Baltimore Ravens
Designated for return:
- WR Deonte Harty (Jan. 7)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- RB Rasheen Ali (Week 7)
- CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (Week 8)
- TE Charlie Kolar (Week 18)
- CB Arthur Maulet (Week 8)
- DT Michael Pierce (Week 15)
- CB T.J. Tampa (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 4
Buffalo Bills
Designated for return from IR (August 27):
- RB Darrynton Evans (released Oct. 29)
Activated
- DT DeWayne Carter (Week 14)
- OL Tylan Grable (Week 16)
- LB Matt Milano (Week 13)
- DE Dawuane Smoot (Week 15)
- LB Baylon Spector (Week 15)
Activations remaining: 4
Denver Broncos
Designated for return:
- RB Tyler Badie (Dec. 24)
Reverted to season-ending IR:
Activated:
- OLB Baron Browning (Week 7)
- RB Audric Estime (Week 6)
- CB Damarri Mathis (Week 7)
- T Mike McGlinchey (Week 7)
- C Luke Wattenberg (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 5
Detroit Lions
Eligible for activation:
- ILB Derrick Barnes (could miss rest of season)
- DL John Cominsky (return unlikely)
- OLB Aidan Hutchinson (playoff comeback on table)
- CB Ennis Rakestraw (story)
Activated:
- ILB Alex Anzalone (Week 18)
- DT Brodric Martin (Week 12)
- S Ifeatu Melifonwu (Week 11, Week 16)
- CB Emmanuel Moseley (Week 12)
- LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (Week 17)
- WR Kalif Raymond (Week 18)
Activations remaining: 3
Green Bay Packers
Eligible for activation:
- OL Jordan Morgan (story)
Activated:
- DT Jonathan Ford (Week 8)
- RB MarShawn Lloyd (Week 12; later placed on IR a second time)
- TE Luke Musgrave (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 7
Houston Texans
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- WR Nico Collins (Week 10)
- G Kenyon Green (Week 16)
- LB Christian Harris (Week 15)
- DT Kurt Hinish (Week 7)
- DE Dylan Horton (Week 5)
- DE Jerry Hughes (Week 10)
- CB Jeff Okudah (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 3
Kansas City Chiefs
Designated for return:
- WR Mecole Hardman (Jan. 1)
- CB Jaylen Watson (Jan. 3)
Eligible for activation:
- TE Jody Fortson
- WR Skyy Moore (story)
- K Spencer Shrader
Activated:
- WR Marquise Brown (Week 16)
- K Harrison Butker (Week 15)
- RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Week 7)
- TE Peyton Hendershot (Week 17)
- RB Isiah Pacheco (Week 13)
Activations remaining: 5
Los Angeles Chargers
Eligible for activation:
- WR Jalen Reagor
Activated:
- WR DJ Chark (Week 9)
- LB Junior Colson (Week 14)
- RB J.K. Dobbins (Week 17)
- RB Gus Edwards (Week 10)
- S Alohi Gilman (Week 18)
- TE Hayden Hurst (Week 16)
- CB Deane Leonard (Week 12)
- LB Nick Niemann (Week 6)
Activations remaining: 2
Los Angeles Rams
Eligible for activation:
- S John Johnson (story)
- OL Conor McDermott
- DL Larrell Murchison
- LB Troy Reeder
Reverted to season-ending IR:
Activated:
- OL Steve Avila (Week 10)
- OL Jonah Jackson (Week 10)
- DL Larrell Murchison (Week 5; later placed on IR a second time)
- WR Puka Nacua (Week 8)
- OL Joe Noteboom (Week 10)
- CB Darious Williams (Week 5)
Activations remaining: 3
Minnesota Vikings
Designated for return from IR (August 27):
- OLB Gabriel Murphy (waived Nov. 27)
Eligible for activation:
- DL Taki Taimani
Activated:
- LS Andrew DePaola (Week 14)
- TE Nick Muse (Week 12)
- LB Ivan Pace (Week 17)
- K Will Reichard (Week 14)
- G Dalton Risner (Week 9)
Activations remaining: 4
Philadelphia Eagles
Designated for return from IR (August 27):
- TE Albert Okwuegbunam (released Nov. 5)
Eligible for activation:
- DT Byron Young
Activated:
- WR Britain Covey (Week 12)
- TE Dallas Goedert (Week 18)
- DE Bryce Huff (Week 17)
- LT Jordan Mailata (Week 11)
- WR Ainias Smith (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 4
Pittsburgh Steelers
Designated for return from IR (August 27):
- OL Dylan Cook (waived Oct. 31)
Designated for return:
- T Calvin Anderson (Jan. 7)
- DL Logan Lee (Dec. 31)
- WR Roman Wilson (Dec. 31)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- DT Montravius Adams (Week 15)
- LB Tyler Matakevich (Week 10)
- OLB Jeremiah Moon (Week 5)
- WR Ben Skowronek (Week 10)
- DB Cory Trice (Week 14)
Activations remaining: 4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Eligible for activation:
- LB SirVocea Dennis (out for regular season)
- WR Chris Godwin (playoff return in play?)
- CB Bryce Hall (story)
- CB Troy Hill (story)
Reverted to season-ending IR:
Activated:
- DE Earnest Brown IV (Week 7)
- CB Jamel Dean (Week 12)
- LS Evan Deckers (Week 10)
- WR Rakim Jarrett (Week 8)
- WR Kameron Johnson (Week 17)
- S Jordan Whitehead (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 4
Washington Commanders
Eligible for activation:
- WR Noah Brown (likely out for season)
- K Austin Seibert (story)
- TE Colson Yankoff
Activated:
- DT Jonathan Allen (Week 17)
- WR Jamison Crowder (Week 15)
- RB Austin Ekeler (Week 18)
- DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (Week 12)
- LB Jordan Magee (Week 8)
- QB Marcus Mariota (Week 5)
Activations remaining: 4
Im still not understanding Daryton Evans on IR.
This was at best a practice squad RB, we already have 3 rbs, PLUS a fullback on the roster.
Ive heard speculation he could be a returner. That makes less sense when you consider how thin WR is.
But then why the trade for Codrington?
Idk. Im just a dumb old guy.
Unless you’re a fugitive from the law, you can never have too many trackers 🙂
I hate to complain about the trackers that are provided by the staff but the formatting is not good. Eligibles could be in one column, activateds in another. Perhaps that won’t work for the app users but this is an unnecessarily long scroll for those using laptops.
steelers looking good, 2-0 to start their rough schedule ahead