Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Parker Ferguson, WR Emeka Emezie
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: RB J.J. Taylor
Today’s minor moves around the league, including elevations for tonight’s conclusion to the Thanksgiving tripleheader:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: WR Frank Darby
- Released: WR Bryan Edwards
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: CB Tay Gowan, LB William Kwenkeu
New England Patriots
- Elevated: OL Bill Murray
New York Jets
- Waived: S Marcell Harris
Today’s minor moves around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: WR Frank Darby
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DE Mike Love, WR Tanner Gentry
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: T Aviante Collins, DE Takk McKinley
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: LB James Houston, C Ross Pierschbacher
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return from NFI list: T Caleb Jones
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): LB Justin Hollins
- Waived: RB Patrick Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Designated for return from IR: OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Designated for return from IR: CB Nate Hobbs
Los Angeles Chargers
- Designated for return from IR: RB Joshua Kelley
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Justin Zimmer
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: OL Devery Hamilton, S Trenton Thompson
- Elevated: S Terrell Burgess, OL Korey Cunningham
- Waived: LB Austin Calitro, OLB Quincy Roche
Thanksgiving will mark McKinley’s Cowboys debut after he signed to Dallas’ practice squad last week. The veteran will seek to be more productive in his reunion with Dan Quinn than his previous stops following the end of his Falcons tenure, while providing depth to a Cowboys edge group which has produced a league-leading 42 sacks this season.
Hobbs returning to the fold in the near future will be a welcomed sight for the Raiders’ secondary. The 2021 fifth-rounder was a full-time starter through the first five weeks of the season before landing on IR with a broken hand. Vegas has struggled against the pass, allowing more than 247 yards per game through the air in 2022. The team has three weeks to activate him before he becomes ineligible to play again this season.
The Falcons may have added a veteran linebacker. Will Compton announced on Twitter last night that he’s signing with the Falcons. While ESPN’s Field Yates seemed to echo that announcement, Compton himself tweeted this evening that “[y]ear 10 might be in danger” … an indication that the announced deal with Atlanta may not materialize.
Compton had a two-year stretch with Washington that saw him collect more than 200 total tackles, but he’s mostly served as a backup or roster filler since that time. Since leaving Washington following the 2017 campaign, the linebacker has had two separate stints with both the Titans and the Raiders. He got into two games with Las Vegas in 2021, compiling a single tackle.
The 33-year-old, who continues to host a podcast alongside Taylor Lewan, worked out for Atlanta earlier this month. Special teams ace/linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski is currently dealing with an injury, so Compton could be a temporary fill-in.
“I could not have envisioned a better situation than signing with the Atlanta Falcons,” Compton said last night. “Ever since they blew that lead at the Super Bowl, the 28–3 lead, I knew at some point in my career, I’d have to do whatever it took to bring this city a little bit of hope.”
The Falcons did make one confirmed move today, adding Ryan Neuzil to the active roster, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Twitter. With Matt Hennessy sidelined, Neuzil has earned promotions for each of Atlanta’s last three games, with the former UDFA exclusively playing on special teams.
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Arron Mosby
- Released: QB D’Eriq King
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Breon Borders
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Bubba Bolden, T Will Holden
- Released: C Jordan Meredith
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Tyreik McAllister, LB Ray Wilborn
- Released: LB Harvey Langi
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: LB Tyrell Adams
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Marquiss Spencer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: WR Auden Tate
- Released from IR: OT Jarrid Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: DB Quincy Wilson
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE John Raine
- Placed on IR: OL Justin Shaffer
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released: LB Tegray Scales
Cleveland Browns
- Released: G Jordan Meredith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT R.J. McIntosh
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Benton Whitley
New England Patriots
- Signed: K Tristan Vizcaino
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Jarrod Hewitt
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Chris Conley, OL Eric Smith
- Released: TE Anthony Auclair
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: DL Michael Dogbe, TE Maxx Williams
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DL Ta’Quon Graham
- Claimed (from Texans): DL Jaleel Johnson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: T Isaiah Prince
- Waived: WR Michael Thomas
New England Patriots
- Waived: RB J.J. Taylor
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: T Yasir Durant, DB Bryce Thompson
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: WR Wan’Dale Robinson (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL T.Y. McGill
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: K Josh Lambo
3:47pm: In a move which comes as little surprise given the severity of the injury, the Falcons have placed Pitts on IR, per a club announcement. He will miss at least he next four games as a result.
11:35am: The Falcons appear to be in line for an extended absence from one of their top young players. Following an MRI on Monday, tight end Kyle Pitts is believed to have suffered a torn MCL, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
Rapoport notes that the injury, if confirmed, will require surgery. Pitts will seek a second opinion on the matter before deciding on his next steps. In any case, this news marks a major blow to Atlanta’s passing game, one which was already lacking in accomplished pass-catchers. Pitts was in the midst of a down year in terms of production compared to his Pro Bowl rookie campaign, but he nevertheless ranks third on the team in receiving yards in 2022.
Last year’s No. 4 pick entered the league with massive expectations as the highest-drafted tight end of all-time. He delivered last season, with 68 catches and 1,026 yards. With only one touchdown, though, he had plenty of room to improve heading into Year 2. He has found the endzone just once this season, however, and eclipsed 80 receiving yards in a game only twice. A hamstring injury kept him sidelined for Week 5, his first missed game in the NFL.
This latest ailment will be far more detrimental to the Florida product and the Falcons’ offense, of course. Atlanta ranks 31st in the league with an average of 171 passing yards per game, owing in part to the effectiveness of their rushing attack and in part to a distinct of playmakers in the air. Rookie wideout Drake London leads the team with 409 receiving yards, and will likely be forced to take on a larger role in the passing game moving forward.
With a lengthy – if not season-ending – absence looming, the Falcons will likely turn to a committee approach to replace Pitts at tight end. MyCole Pruitt logged a season-high 31 offensive snaps yesterday with Pitts exiting the contest. Parker Hesse is also in line for an increased workload for the remainder of the campaign, though that pair has combined to make just nine catches so far in 2022. Sitting at 5-6, the Falcons are still in the race for the NFC South title, but their playoff hopes have taken a serious hit.
After back-to-back losses featuring subpar performances from quarterback Marcus Mariota, there has been some speculation that Atlanta could bench the 2015 first-rounder in favor of third-round rookie Desmond Ridder. However, as long as the Falcons remain in the playoff hunt, they will continue to deploy Mariota under center, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
At 4-6, Atlanta’s postseason hopes are a function of the weak NFC South. The club is just one game back of the Buccaneers for the division lead, and with the playoffs still within reach, it is believed that benching Mariota would send the wrong message to the locker room. Indeed, when asked about the Falcons’ quarterback situation this week, head coach Arthur Smith said, “there is no situation. There was never a situation — ever.”
While it is true that Atlanta’s run-heavy offense minimizes the impact of recent Day 1 draftees Kyle Pitts and Drake London, it is also worth mentioning that, prior to the current two-game losing streak, Mariota had posted QB ratings of over 100.0 in three straight contests. His own rushing ability is also key to the team’s offense, as he has carried the ball 63 times for 347 yards (5.5 YPC), three touchdowns, and 23 first downs. He is largely giving the Falcons what they expected when they signed him as a bridge option this offseason, and on the balance, he has helped keep Atlanta competitive despite an ugly salary cap situation that has led to an overall talent shortage.
That is not to say that the team is unhappy with Ridder’s development. According to Rapoport, the Falcons — who were confident enough in Ridder to install him as Mariota’s backup to start the season and forego a veteran option — have been quite pleased with how the Cincinnati product has progressed. If the team falls out of contention in the coming weeks, Smith may choose to give the rookie passer his first regular season snaps.
Until then, however, Mariota will remain the QB1. He will look to right the ship on Sunday against the 3-7 Bears.
The league’s minor moves leading up to gameday:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: RB Corey Clement
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Ryan Neuzil, WR Frank Darby
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Daryl Worley
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Tanner Gentry, CB Xavier Rhodes
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Darrynton Evans
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: G Dakoda Shepley
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Stanley Berryhill
- Waived: S JuJu Hughes
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: Michael Dwumfour
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Jacobi Francis, DB Will Redmond
- Waived: DL Jaleel Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Kameron Cline, TE Nikola Kalinic
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Marcus Kemp, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tyler Hall
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from NFI: TE Stone Smartt
- Signed to active roster: DL Joe Gaziano
- Promoted from practice squad: K Cameron Dicker, T Foster Sarell
- Waived: WR Keelan Doss
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: WR Jacob Harris
- Promoted from practice squad: T AJ Arcuri, G Jeremiah Kolone
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: TE Nick Muse
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tay Gowan
- Waived: OLB Benton Whitley
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: G Yasir Durant, DB Bryce Thompson
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Jabari Zuniga
- Waived: TE J.P. Holtz, Nick Vannett
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Lawrence Cager
New York Jets
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Tanzel Smart, OL Conor McDermott
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Nathan Gerry
- Placed on IR: TE Armani Rogers