Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24
Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: DL Ben Stille, CB Divaad Wilson
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Natrone Brooks, DE Demone Harris
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
- Elevated: CB Bump Cooper Jr.
- Placed on IR: CB T.J. Tampa
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DT Eli Ankou, WR Jalen Virgil
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Travis Homer, DE Jacob Martin
- Elevated: S Tarvarius Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: CB Amani Oruwariye
- Elevated: RB Dalvin Cook (story)
- Placed on IR: TE John Stephens (story)
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LB Kwon Alexander, G Calvin Throckmorton
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad, TE Shane Zylstra
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: FB Troy Hairston
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: WR Montrell Washington
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: QB Carter Bradley, TE Justin Shorter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Jaylen Johnson, WR Jalen Reagor
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Ochaun Mathis
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: S Ugo Amadi
- Elevated: WR Equanimeous St. Brown, S Roderic Teamer
- Waived: RB Jordan Mims
New York Jets
- Elevated: OL Alec Lindstrom, S Jarius Monroe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: WR Ainias Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: S Adrian Amos, K Anders Carlson
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: S Jerrick Reed II
- Elevated: CB Faion Hicks, CB Josh Jobe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: WR Rakim Jarrett
- Elevated: QB Michael Pratt
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, WR Mason Kinsey, T John Ojukwu
- Elevated: RB Joshua Kelley, QB Trevor Siemian
- Placed on IR: T Jaelyn Duncan
- Waived: OLB Caleb Murphy
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/24
Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB Dennis Gardeck (story)
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DT DeWayne Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: WR Dee Eskridge
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DT Byron Young
Carter is dealing with a wrist injury which will require surgery. Head coach Sean McDermott indicated (via Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News) the team was initially unsure of if a stint on injured reserve would be needed. Now that the third-round rookie has been moved to IR, he will miss at least the next four games. Carter has appeared in all seven of Buffalo’s contests this year, logging a 39% snap share.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Anthony Brown
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT T.J. Smith, LB Chandler Wooten
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Ethan Fernea
- Released: K Spencer Shrader
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DB Shaun Wade
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB C.J. Beathard, WR Tarik Black
- Released: TE Hayden Rucci
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Keshawn Banks
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Parris Campbell, DT Siaki Ika
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Dieter Eiselen, WR Malik Turner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Damarion Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: P Jack Browning, WR Dennis Houston
While the Dolphins should soon have Tua Tagovailoa back on the field, the team has still added another QB to the mix. The team added veteran C.J. Beathard to the taxi squad today. The quarterback has bounced around the NFL since 2017, including a few stops in San Francisco when current Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel served as the 49ers run game coordinator. The 30-year-old got a start for the Jaguars last season, completing 17 of his 24 pass attempts for 178 yards. The newest addition will join a QB room that also includes Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson, and Tim Boyle.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: OT Christian Jones
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Chicago Bears
- Designated for return: OL Larry Borom, RB Travis Homer
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: DL Jordan Phillips
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LS Matt Orzech
- Waived: DL Jonathan Ford
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: S Jalen Mills
- Placed on IR: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson
- Designated for return: TE Kenny Yeboah
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL Evan Anderson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: P Trenton Gill, WR Ryan Miller
Washington Commanders
- Activated from IR: LB Jordan Magee
The Bears should soon be getting some offensive reinforcement. Most notably, lineman Larry Borom returned to practice today after missing the first chunk of the season with an ankle injury. The former fifth-round pick has been a reliable swing OT for the Bears over the past three years, starting 23 of his 39 appearances. The team will also welcome back Travis Homer, who has been sidelined since Week 3 with a finger injury. The veteran RB may have a tough time cracking the rotation upon his return with D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert currently leading the depth chart. The Bears will have 21 days to activate either of the two players to the 53-man roster.
Jordan Phillips was back at Cowboys practice today after landing on IR in mid-September. The defensive lineman’s injury wasn’t ever made particularly clear; the Cowboys claimed the player was favoring his previously repaired wrist, although the player later hinted that he was forced to the sideline because of conditioning. After more than a month on the shelf, the veteran will now get another look. The Cowboys acquired Phillips from the Giants back in August, and the veteran only got into about one fourth of his team’s defensive snaps before landing on IR. Phillips appeared in 26 games for the Bills between 2022 and 2023, collecting 35 tackles and four sacks.
Cardinals’ Dennis Gardeck Tears ACL
Working his way up from primary special-teamer to defensive regular, Dennis Gardeck had found a role in Jonathan Gannon‘s defense. But the veteran’s progress will stop as a result of the injury he sustained Monday night.
Gardeck left the Cardinals’ Week 7 matchup, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports the seventh-year vet sustained a torn ACL. The edge rusher is in the final season of a three-year, $10MM contact.
Although Gardeck had worked as a special-teamer in Vance Joseph‘s defense, Gannon and DC Nick Rallis — as the team cut costs to start a rebuild — moved him into a regular rush role. The effort produced a team-high six sacks last season, and Gardeck had tallied a Cards-leading three early in this campaign. Gardeck has also forced a fumble and intercepted a pass for the 3-4 team.
While Gardeck did well to land the $10MM deal as a special-teamer, this setback could be a crusher as he attempted to make his case for better terms ahead of free agency. The former UDFA turned 30 this year and could have continued building a case for a starter-level contract. With the tear occurring near the midseason point, Gardeck’s value will undoubtedly take a hit.
The Cardinals used Gardeck as a three-game starter, giving him a 45% snap share on defense. He logged a 46% defensive snap rate under Gannon last season. The Cardinals have also been without BJ Ojulari this season; the 2023 second-rounder is out for the year. That will make the Gardeck injury tougher to overcome. Arizona still has former first-round pick Zaven Collins on the edge, but none of the team’s non-Gardeck OLBs have tallied a sack this season. A defense already ranking in the bottom quartile in points and yards allowed will continue an uphill battle.
Raiders To Sign QB Desmond Ridder
With Aidan O’Connell heading to IR, the Raiders are adding some quarterback depth. The team is signing Desmond Ridder off the Cardinals practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
[RELATED: Raiders To Place QB Aidan O’Connell On IR]
Ridder was a fourth-round pick by the Falcons in 2022. The former Cincinnati star went 2-2 as a rookie after replacing Marcus Mariota as Atlanta’s QB1, and he spent the majority of last season as the team’s top quarterback. He ultimately started 17 games during his two-season stint in Atlanta, going 8-9 while completing 64 percent of his passes for 3,544 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added another five touchdowns on the ground.
The QB was briefly replaced by Taylor Heinicke during the 2023 season. While Ridder eventually returned to the starting lineup, it was clear he didn’t have a future in Atlanta. After the organization added Kirk Cousins via free agency this offseason, Ridder was dealt to the Cardinals for wideout Rondale Moore.
Ridder was competing to be Kyler Murray‘s backup in Arizona but ended up losing the competition to Clayton Tune. The third-year pro later landed on the Cardinals practice squad, where he’s spent the first two months of the season.
Now, he could have an opportunity to play in Las Vegas. O’Connell fractured his thumb during yesterday’s loss, leaving the Raiders with Gardner Minshew and undrafted rookie Carter Bradley as their only two QBs. Minshew, who leads the NFL with 10 turnovers, was replaced as the starter two weeks ago. While the former Jaguars standout will likely slide back to the top of the depth chart, there’s a good chance he’s on a short leash, perhaps opening the door for a Ridder cameo.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: LB Markus Bailey, DL Ben Stille
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR: LB Milo Eifler
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: RB Chris Collier
- Promoted: LB Kristian Welch
Green Bay Packers
- Activated off IR: DL Jonathan Ford
- Released: LS Matt Orzech
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DT Zach Carter
- Waived: DT Nesta Jade Silvera
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: CB Dicaprio Bootle, CB Shaun Wade
- Promoted: C Sam Mustipher, WR Jalen Reagor
- Placed on IR: DB Deane Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Elias Neal
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: DT Armon Watts
New York Jets
- Reinstated from reserve/Did Not Report: LB Haason Reddick (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: P Trenton Gill
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, today’s moves were purely procedural. After returning to practice earlier this month, Jonathan Ford was nearing the end of his activation window. To avoid the defensive lineman landing on season-ending injured reserve, the Packers activated the former seventh-round pick to the active roster. That meant the Packers needed to carve out a spot, and long snapper Matt Orzech was the temporary casualty. However, Silverstein says Orzech will land back on the roster later this week following more roster machinations.
Meanwhile, the Giants added Armon Watts to the active roster following the lineman’s stint on the team’s practice squad. It sounds like rival teams may have forced the Giants hand. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes, other teams expressed interest in the former Bears starter, forcing the Giants to secure Watts services now (vs. continuing to stash him on the taxi squad).
Elsewhere in New York, Haason Reddick was officially activated from the Did Not Report list today. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Jets now have a two-game roster exemption to officially add the pass-rusher to the 53-man roster.
Cardinals’ Bilal Nichols Out For Season, ‘Good Chance’ Jonah Williams Returns
Cardinals defensive tackle Bilal Nichols will be out for the rest of the 2024 season, head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Thursday, per team reporter Darren Urban.
Nichols was knocked out of Arizona’s Week 6 loss to the Packers with a stinger, and further evaluation revealed a season-ending injury that landed him on injured reserve on October 15. He will join Justin Jones – who tore his triceps in Week 3 – on the sideline for the rest of the year, severely depleting the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation.
Nichols and Jones were two of general manager Monti Ossenfort‘s major free agency signings this offseason, meant to short up Arizona’s league-worst rushing defense in 2023. The injuries have made any improvements marginal at best; the Cardinals rank 30th with 918 yards allowed on the ground this season. Now, only Roy Lopez remains from the starting defensive line, with Khyiris Tonga, L.J. Collier, Naquan Jones and Dante Stills expected to fill the void.
Ossenfort can hope for a better return on his other big offseason investment: offensive tackle Jonah Williams. Gannon said there is a “good chance” that Williams returns from a Week 1 knee injury that initially put the rest of his season in jeopardy, according to Urban.
Veteran Kelvin Beachum has taken over for Williams at right tackle since Week 1 outside of a minor injury in Week 3 that required relief efforts from both Jackson Barton and Charlie Heck. The position has not been a weakness for the Cardinals’ offense, but there is little doubt that Williams would still be an upgrade if he can return this year.
Kicker Matt Prater is also on injured reserve in Arizona, but Gannon said that it is possible he returns this season. In the meantime, the Cardinals have relied on Chad Ryland, who converted five of his six attempts including a game-winner against the 49ers in Week 5.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Keion Crossen, OL Nick Leverett
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Anthony Kendall, LB Kristian Welch
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DE Raymond Johnson III
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Jalen Dalton
- Released: DT Phil Hoskins
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Tanner McCalister
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Malik Knowles
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Salvon Ahmed
- Released: K Spencer Shrader
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji, LB Craig Young
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Eric Garror
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24
Today’s minor moves in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: K Chad Ryland
- Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols, K Matt Prater
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: G Matt Hennessy
- Placed on IR: S Micah Abernathy
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Carolina Panthers
- Signed (off Steelers’ practice squad): OLB Jacoby Windmon
- Waived: OLB Tarron Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: C Nick Harris
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived with injury settlement: DE Durrell Johnson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: DB Tanner McCalister
Detroit Lions
- Signed (off Bengals’ practice squad): DE Isaiah Thomas
- Placed on IR: DE Aidan Hutchinson (story), DT Kyle Peko (story)
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: DT Kurt Hinish
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived with injury settlement: WR Jacob Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: CB Artie Burns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Marquez Callaway
- Signed to active roster: CB Keenan Isaac
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: CB Tre Avery
Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.
The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.