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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/24

October 23rd, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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

October 23rd, 2024 at 7:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LS Matt Orzech
  • Waived: DL Jonathan Ford

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

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.

Seahawks Place OT Stone Forsythe On IR

October 23rd, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks have lost yet another lineman. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the team has placed offensive tackle Stone Forsythe on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the team claimed linebacker Josh Ross off waivers from the Ravens.

[RELATED: Abraham Lucas, George Fant Return To Practice]

A 2021 sixth-round pick, Forsythe has spent his entire career in Seattle. He’s mostly served as a backup and special teamer, although he took on a larger role in 2023 when he established career-highs in starts (eight) and offensive snaps (501).

He was thrust back into the starting lineup at right tackle for the 2024 campaign. Abe Lucas hasn’t appeared in a game this year while recovering from knee surgery, and fill-in George Fant suffered his own knee injury during the season opener. Forsythe started the next five games for Seattle before missing last weekend’s game with a hand injury. That issue ultimately landed him on IR, and he’ll now miss at least the next four games.

While Pro Football Focus has graded Forsythe as the third-worst qualifying player at his position this year, the Seahawks have clearly valued some semblance of continuity on their OL. Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as both Lucas and Fant have returned to practice. If either of the veterans are unable to take the field this weekend, rookie sixth-round pick Mike Jerrell will likely get another start at RT.

Ross should provide the Seahawks with some depth at weakside linebacker after the team dealt Jerome Baker and a fourth-round to the Titans for MLB Ernest Jones. However, expectations shouldn’t be high, as the former UDFA has exclusively played on special teams in his 12 career games.

Dolphins Designate Tua Tagovailoa For Return From IR

October 23rd, 2024 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Signs continue to point to a Tua Tagovailoa return Sunday. The Dolphins are moving their starter into position to be activated from IR, making their return designation official (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson) today.

Buzz about Tagovailoa coming back when first eligible has persisted for weeks, and Mike McDaniel confirmed the fifth-year QB would practice this week. Tyreek Hill‘s comments about his fantasy status sure seem to reveal the All-Pro receiver’s confidence in Tua being back (and thus Miami’s pass-game potency being positioned to return).

After playing in every Dolphins game last season, Tagovailoa has missed the past four Miami contests due to his latest concussion. Head injuries overshadowed Tua’s progress in 2022, with the left-hander’s season first interrupted and then ending early due to concussions. Teams rarely place players on IR due to a concussion, but the Dolphins did so on the recommendation of medical personnel. While Tagovailoa said he was symptom-free the day after his injury against the Bills, he consulted several neurologists about his latest concussion.

The recently extended passer does not plan to wear a Guardian Cap upon return, and his latest re-emergence will prompt scrutiny due to a checkered past. But Tagovailoa’s route to collecting the full payout from a four-year, $212.4MM deal will require a return to action once cleared by doctors. The talented QB did consider retirement in 2023; he said he did not do so this time around.

This season both illustrated Tua’s importance to the Dolphins and the danger of not having a capable backup. Miami ranked first total offense and second in points last season; McDaniel’s team, despite the presences of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, sits last in scoring and 22nd in yardage through six games. Tagovailoa’s injury has sent the Dolphins into a tailspin, but they will attempt a rebound effort beginning Sunday against the Cardinals.

Browns Designate Wyatt Teller For Return; Nyheim Hines Out For Season

October 23rd, 2024 at 1:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns have designated right guard Wyatt Teller for return from injured reserve with the expectation that he will play in Week 8 against the Ravens, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Teller suffered a sprained MCL in Week 3, sidelining him for Cleveland’s last four games with rookie Zak Zinter and veteran Michael Dunn starting in his absence.

Teller would have to be activated to the 53-man roster to suit up on Sunday, but he can practice for up to three weeks without being activated before he reverts to season-ending IR. Head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that the veteran lineman — a six-year Browns starter — will not require an extended ramp-up period before retaking the field.

Stefanski also said that running back Nyheim Hines would not be activated from the non-football injury list this week, delaying his comeback from a freak ACL tear in a jet ski accident in the summer of 2023. Hines spent all of last season on the NFI list in Buffalo before making his way to Cleveland, where the Browns hoped he could complete his rehab and contribute to their backfield this season.

Hines began practicing on October 2, opening a 21-day window before he had to be added to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending injured reserve. It will be the latter for Hines, who will miss his second season in a row, potentially putting his long-term career in jeopardy at the age of 27 in an era of devalued running backs.

The Browns will stick with Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford to lead the backfield for the rest of the year, with D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong providing rotational depth and special teams snaps. Chubb came off the PUP list last week, providing a positive development during what has otherwise been a miserable Browns season. While the player the Browns hoped could be his pass-down complement is out of the picture, Teller’s return will put the Browns in position to have their full O-line available for the first time since the 2023 opener.

Seahawks Designate Abraham Lucas For Return From PUP List; George Fant In IR-Return Window

October 23rd, 2024 at 12:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Abraham Lucas‘ health issues have forced the Seahawks to make a few adjustments over the past two seasons. One of them involved a reunion with George Fant. Both tackles have been largely out of the mix for Seattle this season.

The Seahawks are slowly seeing some returns, however; both Fant and Lucas are back at practice. For Lucas, this is a designation from the reserve/PUP list. Fant is being designated for return off IR. Both players have 21 days to be activated.

This is a long time coming for Lucas, who has spent most of the year recovering from surgery. Lucas, who missed 11 games last season due to a knee injury, has been Seattle’s first-string right tackle since he was drafted in the 2022 third round. He and 2022 first-round LT Charles Cross played key roles in Geno Smith‘s surprising resurgence, but while Cross has been generally available, his counterpart has not. Pete Carroll went so far as to call Lucas’ knee injury chronic, and his rehab arc has supported the dismissed HC’s assertion.

Although the Seahawks’ new coaching staff has pushed back on the “chronic” label, this group has also seen the Washington State alum take longer than expected to come back. Lucas suffered the knee injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season and was not activated until Nov. 30 of last year. He returned to finish the season but needed a procedure done soon after. The recovery from said procedure had defined Lucas’ year to this point.

It should be expected the Seahawks will give Lucas multiple weeks to practice before activating him. Lucas will need to show good form upon return, and it will be interesting to see if he reacquires his job under a new coaching staff. Fant, 32, has considerable experience at both tackle spots, beginning with a run in Seattle after a college hoops career. The veteran has started 74 career games, including Week 1. Fant went down 13 plays into the season, though, suffering a knee injury against the Broncos.

Signed to a two-year, $9.1MM deal, Fant came back to Seattle as a swingman but presumably viewed Lucas’ situation as a selling point. Fant also worked as a three-year Jets starter and filled in for a depleted Texans O-line last season. Tytus Howard‘s return from injury resulted in a shift to guard, with the Texans keeping Fant at RT. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks follow suit.

With Fant likely closer to a return than Lucas, he would have the first crack at the job. The 32-year-old blocker will be set to step back in for Stone Forsythe, whom Pro Football Focus has graded as the NFL’s third-worst tackle regular this season. Forsythe has started the past five games at right tackle for the 4-3 Seahawks.

Ravens Open RB Keaton Mitchell’s Practice Window

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:33am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens’ league-leading rushing attack seems like it could not get any better, but Baltimore has some additional backfield help on the way with Keaton Mitchell expected to open his 21-day practice window this week, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. This is now official.

Mitchell suffered a torn ACL in his left knee last December, ending his 2023 season and landing him on the reserve/PUP list to begin this year. Before his injury, he broke out as an electrifying undrafted rookie running back with 8.4 yards per carry across eight games and 47 rushing attempts.

Mitchell was a consistent presence on the sidelines during Ravens training camp while he was in the early stages of his rehab, and more recently participated in a workout on a side field during practice. Now, he’ll be able to ramp up his participation and gradually integrate into the Ravens backfield rotation.

Baltimore has an ideal situation for Mitchell’s recovery, with Derrick Henry firmly established as the lead back and Justice Hill filling third-down duties. Mitchell will not need to assume a major role in the offense and can work as a change-of-pace back as he ramps back up to full strength.

The Ravens will want to avoid any setbacks like they faced with J.K. Dobbins in 2022 after he recovered from an torn ACL the year before. Dobbins required an additional clean-up surgery during the 2022 season and did not regain his breakaway speed until the following year.

If Mitchell is able to bring even a fraction of his 2023 explosiveness to the Ravens this season, their run game could hit another level, even though the Baltimore ground attack’s 6.2 yards per attempt and 210.9 yards per game already lead the NFL by significant margins.

Seahawks, Titans Agree To Swap LBs Jerome Baker, Ernest Jones

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

Ernest Jones is heading back to the NFC West, being involved in a second trade this year. The Titans and Seahawks have a linebacker-for-linebacker swap lined up, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.

The Seahawks are sending Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones, who was originally dealt from the Rams to the Titans in August. The contract-year linebacker will head back to the Pacific Time Zone to finish up his free agency audition. It’s a 2025 fourth, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

This marks the second Titans seller’s trade of the day, with the move coming hours after the team agreed to send DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs. This checks in as a slightly lower-profile deal, but Tennessee secured a better return for Jones compared to Hopkins. Collecting a conditional fifth-round pick for the former All-Pro receiver, the Titans now have Baker and a fourth coming back. Like Jones, Baker is in a contract year.

As the Rams informed Jones this offseason would not be extended in 2024, his camp received permission to negotiate a trade. While Jones had said he did not request a trade out of Los Angeles, the Rams agreed to one in short order. L.A. collected a fifth-round pick for Jones and a sixth. Despite the season being nearly half over, the Titans did better in their Jones return.

Overall, Tennessee did quite well in the two Jones trades. The team gave up only a 2026 fifth-round pick but has obtained Baker, a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2026 sixth in exchange. The Seahawks will bet on the younger linebacker while the Titans retool.

A former Rams starter who played a role for the Super Bowl LVI team before being highly productive from 2022-23, Jones has started five games with the Titans. He leaves Tennessee with 44 tackles (second on the team) with three TFLs and two pass deflections. Jones, who briefly teamed with UFA addition Kenneth Murray in Tennessee, led the 2023 Rams in tackles with 145 — to go with 4.5 sacks and 14 TFLs. This came after Jones teamed with Bobby Wagner as a starter in 2022.

The Seahawks had used free agency to staff their LB position, though they did not make the kind of commitment there the Titans did via their three-year Murray pact. Seattle signed Baker and Tyrel Dodson, bringing in the former as a street free agent following his Dolphins release. Baker’s second 2024 relocation will come after he started all five games he played with Seattle. Baker made 30 tackles (two for loss) and forced a fumble during his brief Seahawks stint.

Pro Football Focus has Baker and Jones ranked alongside each other among off-ball ‘backers this season, placing Baker 46th and Jones 47th. PFF has Baker rated as a superior coverage linebacker, though Jones checked in as a top-15 overall option at LB in 2023. He will now have a chance to use the Seahawks as a springboard to a nice 2025 payday.

Baker being nearly three years older explains the compensation in this trade. Baker will turn 28 on Christmas Day; Jones will be 25 next month. The Seahawks hold exclusive negotiating rights with their newly acquired defender until the March legal tampering period.

In Miami, Baker worked as a hybrid player of sorts. He showed the type of blitz acumen that has boosted the profiles of Demario Davis and Devin White. The former third-round pick notched 22.5 sacks in six Dolphins seasons, topping out at seven under Brian Flores in 2020. Baker did not assimilate as easily into Vic Fangio‘s defense last season, but he will now go from one ex-Raven assistant’s scheme to another by moving from Mike Macdonald‘s defense to Dennard Wilson‘s.

While Jones is tied his third-round contract, Baker is attached to a one-year deal worth $7MM. The Seahawks, however, already paid Baker a $4MM roster bonus; he is due barely $1MM in prorated base salary. As Baker joins Murray on a 1-5 Tennessee team, Jones will team with Dodson as a pair of contract-year LBs for a 4-3 Seattle team.

Panthers Designate Adam Thielen, Jordan Fuller To Return From IR; D.J. Wonnum In PUP-Return Window

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

As the Panthers head toward another deadline as a likely seller, they will have some of their veteran pieces on the way back to action. Two Carolina cogs are in the IR-return window, while D.J. Wonnum is practicing after an extensive stay on the PUP list.

Wonnum, who suffered a quad tear late last season, is practicing for the first time in 2024. The Panthers have started the edge rusher’s 21-day activation clock. Ditto Adam Thielen and Jordan Fuller, who are back at practice after IR stays. While Thielen and Fuller are not yet on the active roster, it appears they will be again soon.

The Panthers have delivered another poor start, with the Dave Canales-Dan Morgan era already including a benching of Bryce Young. But the team figures to have some reinforcements soon. For Thielen, a return could be notable should the Panthers decide to go into fire-sale mode. Diontae Johnson has come up in trade rumors; at 34, Thielen would make sense as a trade candidate as well, especially with a hot receiver trade market.

Fuller is playing on a one-year deal in Carolina, but he did not stand out in the Panthers defense before his injury, so he’s unlikely to garner major trade interest. Instead, he’ll slot back into the starting lineup where Nick Scott has started the last four games in Fuller’s absence.

Wonnum can practice for up to three weeks before he has to be added to the active roster or reverts to season-ending injured reserve. He won’t be on the trade block since teams cannot evaluate his play this year, but his return may allow the Panthers to consider trading Jadeveon Clowney to a contender in need of pass rush help.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Colts Designate DT DeForest Buckner For Return

October 23rd, 2024 at 10:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Displaying optimal durability during his first four Colts seasons, DeForest Buckner ran into his first roadblock this year. An ankle injury sidelined the Pro Bowl defensive tackle in Week 2, but Indianapolis is poised to have its top D-lineman back soon.

Buckner has completed a key step en route back to the field; the Colts designated him for return Wednesday. Buckner now has 21 days to be activated. Shane Steichen was optimistic Buckner and Jonathan Taylor would be back, so it would surprise if the Colts waited another week to activate Buckner. Taylor is not on IR but has missed three games with a high ankle sprain.

The Colts earmarked IR returns for Samson Ebukam and Cameron McGrone, designating both for return before setting their 53-man roster. Those moves already count toward Indianapolis’ eight injury activations. Buckner being moved back to the 53-man roster will leave Indy with five activations, but his comeback will be vital for a defense that ranks 29th in yardage and 31st against the run.

A Pro Bowler in 2021 and ’23 and a first-team All-Pro in his 2020 Colts debut, Buckner had missed just one game as a Colt prior to his September ankle injury. He and Grover Stewart operated as one of the most reliable DT tandems in recent NFL history, with Stewart’s start streak stretching to five years before an injury stalled it last season. Buckner figures to be back working with Stewart soon.

Buckner, 30, signed a near-fully guaranteed extension this offseason. His reliability certainly played a central role in the Colts authorizing that two-year, $46MM deal. The former 49ers first-rounder totaled 32.5 sacks from 2020-23, remaining one of the game’s best interior D-linemen. With Ebukam out, the Colts will be eager for Buckner to reprise his role as their pass rush anchor. It does not appear they will be waiting much longer.

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