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Seahawks Activate George Fant From IR

November 2nd, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks have activated George Fant from injured reserve, making the veteran offensive tackle eligible to play on Sunday for the first time since injuring his knee in Week 1.

Fant signed a two-year, $9.1MM deal with the Seahawks this offseason to start at right tackle with Abraham Lucas beginning the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list after offseason knee surgery. Fant started in Week 1, but played just 13 snaps before exiting the game with a knee injury. Seattle held him out for Week 2 before ultimately deciding that an IR stint was necessary.

Stone Forsythe finished Week 1 at right tackle and took over the starting job through Week 6, when a hand injury forced him onto injured reserve as well. Rookie Michael Jerrell struggled in two subsequent starts at right tackle, allowing four pressures in both games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Fant will likely retake his starting role after his activation, but another week or two of practice could yield a return for Lucas, as well. Fant’s performance this week could be crucial for his chances to retain his spot at right tackle for the rest of the season.

To make room for Fant on the roster, the Seahawks placed nose tackle Cameron Young on injured reserve with a knee injury. Young appeared in just one game for Seattle this season with just three total snaps. He appeared in 16 of the Seahawks’ games last year and will now be sidelined until at least Week 13.

The Seahawks also used standard practice squad elevations on cornerback Josh Jobe and wide receiver Cody White. Seattle elevated Jobe from the practice squad for their last two game, playing him for 116 snaps on defense. With his third elevation this week, Jobe will have to be added to the 53-man roster to play again in Seattle this year. White, meanwhile, is set to see his first NFL action since 2022 when he was with the Steelers.

Giants Place K Greg Joseph On IR, Elevate Irish Gaelic Footballer

November 2nd, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Ely Allen

The Giants were forced to scramble early in the season when kicker Graham Gano went down with a groin injury in Week 2. Now, as Gano’s replacement Greg Joseph deals with an abdominal injury, New York will get creative once again. Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Joseph’s injury will land him on injured reserve, and the team will utilize a standard gameday practice squad elevation on kicker Jude McAtamney to replace him this weekend.

In the aftermath of the Gano injury, Joseph was signed off of the Lions’ practice squad. The Giants had auditioned a number of free agent kickers but opted instead for Joseph, who was waiting in the wings behind UFL star Jake Bates. Joseph has been admirable in replacement duty, converting 13 of his 16 field goal attempts, with all three misses coming from beyond 40 yards. He also assisted an uninspiring offense, converting all six of the extra points he was asked to kick.

New York had ruled out Joseph for tomorrow’s game with the injury to his abdomen already, but placing him on IR means that he’ll miss at least three additional contests. The Giants are not going external once again to fill their newly vacant kicker position, instead choosing to elevate the practice squad kicker McAtamney. He seemingly was not prepared to step up in Week 3, but the Giants will trust him to debut in the NFL tomorrow.

McAtamney is a former Gaelic football player from North Ireland. After gaining an interest in American football, McAtamney trained with ProKick Australia and moved to America to play at Chowan University and Rutgers. He made 12 of 18 field goal attempts for the Scarlet Knights with a long of 49 yards and converted 23 of 24 extra points. As a native Irishman, McAtamney qualified for the NFL’s international roster exemption, allowing him to be on the Giants’ practice squad without counting towards the 16-man limit.

Joining McAtamney from the practice squad tomorrow will be outside linebacker Tomon Fox, who is not being elevated but signed to the active roster to fill the roster spot vacated by Joseph. Filling Fox’s spot on the practice squad is versatile fullback/tight end Jakob Johnson, who rejoins the team after being released on Wednesday.

Chargers Activate DJ Chark From IR

November 2nd, 2024 at 4:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers have activated DJ Chark from injured reserve, setting up the veteran wide receiver to make his season debut against the Browns on Sunday.

The Chargers signed Chark to a one-year, $3MM contract in the offseason as they rebuilt their offense after new head coach Jim Harbaugh hired ex-Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman for the same job in Los Angeles.

Chark injured his hip before the start of the regular season, forcing him on IR on September 7. The Chargers turned to rookie Ladd McConkey and Josh Palmer as their starting receivers in their first seven games, but their passing offense still ranks close to the bottom of the league.

Chark may not provide a major boost to the Chargers offense, but he is still coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 500 receiving yards and has a stronger veteran pedigree than any other wideout on the roster. Rather than stepping into a starting role right away, Chark is more likely to be used in a rotational capacity behind McConkey, Palmer, and 2023 first-rounder Quentin Johnston.

The Chargers also used standard practice squad elevations on cornerback Eli Apple and wide receiver Jalen Reagor ahead of Sunday’s game. Both players are former first-round picks who joined Los Angeles’ practice squad earlier this season.

Vikings Activate Dalton Risner From IR

November 2nd, 2024 at 4:22pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Vikings have activated guard Dalton Risner from injured reserve ahead of their Week 9 tilt with the Colts, giving them more options along their offensive line as they contend with Christian Darrisaw‘s season-ending injury.

Darrisaw’s absence has left a hole at left tackle in Minnesota, with the team trading for Cam Robinson to fill the void last week. But Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell declined to name Robinson his new starter ahead of Week 9, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Blake Brandel, who won the left guard job after Risner injured his back in training camp, made three starts at left tackle in 2022 with 273 total snaps at the position across five games. He could slide back outside with Risner retaking his spot at left guard, where he started 11 games for Minnesota last year.

“I feel great about having Dalton available,” O’Connell said Friday, per Goessling. “He knows he’s got my confidence and he’ll be ready to go when called upon.”

The Vikings could also call upon veteran David Quessenberry to start at left tackle if they want to maintain their current offensive line unit but don’t feel that Robinson is ready to start.

However, the swift move by Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to acquire Robinson in the wake of Darrisaw’s injury suggests that Minnesota intends to slide him into the starting lineup as quickly as possible. Ideally, he would be a one-for-one replacement for Darrisaw without forcing any other changes across the offensive line.

The Vikings also placed defensive lineman Taki Taimani on injured reserve, opening a roster spot for Risner’s activation. Minnesota also used a standard practice squad elevation on defensive lineman Jalen Redmond for Week 9.

Bills Activate Von Miller After Four-Game Suspension

November 2nd, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills have activated outside linebacker Von Miller after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

The NFL did not specify why Miller was suspended, but the three-time All-Pro was arrested in December 2023 for a domestic violence charge that sparked a league investigation. Miller denied the allegations, and commissioner Roger Goodell declined to impose a suspension after initial review in March, but it is possible that additional details came to the league’s attention and forced them to act.

Miller’s suspension sidelined him for all four of the Bills’ games in October, but Buffalo still went 3-1 with that span, holding opponents to fewer than 16 points per game. Their pass rush took a small step back in Miller’s absence, recording eight sacks over their last four games after 12 in their first four.

Miller will return to a rotational role among the Bills’ edge rushers on Sunday against the Dolphins. 76.3% of his 93 defensive snaps this season were spent rushing the passer, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), consistent with Miller’s usage since arriving in Buffalo in 2022.

Miller agreed to a pay cut this offseason that reduced his 2024 salary from $17.5MM to $8.855MM, though he can earn up to $20MM with incentives. The move appears to be a shrewd one by the Bills as Miller’s suspension greatly reduced the chance that he can hit all of his incentives.

The Bills also used standard practice squad elevations on DT Eli Ankou and WR Jalen Virgil ahead of Sunday’s game

Browns Place LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah On IR

November 2nd, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns will be without one of their key defenders for at least the next four games. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the team has placed linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on injured reserve.

[RELATED: Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Suffers Neck Injury]

Owusu-Koramoah was carted off the field during the third quarter of last weekend’s game. Fortunately, the linebacker avoided a serious, career-altering injury, but it could still be a bit before he takes the field again. In fact, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com warns that Owusu-Koramoah could ultimately be lost for the rest of the 2024 campaign.

The Browns will now have to navigate at least the next month without one of their defensive leaders. After earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2023, Owusu-Koramoah has carried his elite production into 2024. The former second-round pick leads the Browns with 61 tackles, and he’s also added three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble to his 2024 stat line.

“JOK is a leader of our defense,” safety Juan Thornhill told Cabot. “He’s a guy that’s going to make a lot of plays, that spark for our defense and losing a guy like that, it hurts. That’s our brother. You never want to see anybody go down like that. But everybody out there, they’re going to play hard for him each and every week until they get back out there and I’m praying for my boy.”

Owusu-Koramoah has been the one consistent for the Browns linebackers corps in 2024. Jordan Hicks has missed three games and most of a fourth, and Mohamoud Diabate had a stint on IR while recovering from a hip injury. Devin Bush has stepped up and ranks second at the position in snaps played, and the Browns may have to lean on the likes of Winston Reid and Nathaniel Watson depending on the status of Hicks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/24

November 1st, 2024 at 6:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Friday saw only a few minor moves take place around the NFL:

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Throckmorton had been used as a gameday elevation from the practice squad three times, so to remain available moving forward he needed to join Denver’s active roster. Burton’s release has allowed for that to take place, but he will be eligible to immediately re-sign to the Broncos’ taxi squad and as such find himself a gameday callup for Week 9.

Falcons Place Ruke Orhorhoro On IR

November 1st, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Falcons have placed defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro on injured reserve, according to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, sidelining the rookie for at least four weeks.

Orhorhoro injured his ankle in Week 8 against the Buccaneers, a disappointing setback after he finally saw his first NFL action at the beginning of October. His debut was delayed by healthy inactive designations in Weeks 1-4 as the 35th overall pick acclimated to the pros. He recorded just five tackles across his four appearances this year while playing no more than a third of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in each game.

Atlanta was not relying heavily on their second-round pick, with a deep defensive line group headlined by Pro Bowler Grady Jarrett. Veterans Eddie Goldman and David Onyemata have started alongside Garrett, with Zach Harrison, Kentavius Street, and Ta’Quon Graham all filling rotational roles. Fourth-rounder Brandon Dorlus could be in line for his NFL debut after spending the first eight weeks on the sidelines as a healthy scratch.

The Falcons signed linebacker Rashaan Evans to fill Orhorhoro’s spot on the 53-man roster, per Kendall. The veteran started all 17 games for Atlanta in 2022 and led the team with 159 tackles, though that was in a different defense than the one currently ran by head coach Raheem Morris.

Linebacker Kaden Elliss has started every game for the Falcons this season, with Nathan Landman and 2022 second-rounder Troy Andersen splitting time next to him. Evans will bring more of a veteran presence to Atlanta’s linebacker room as they attempt to maintain their lead in the NFC South.

Vikings Activate T.J. Hockenson For Week 9

November 1st, 2024 at 1:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Vikings have officially activated T.J. Hockenson from the reserve/PUP list, setting up the Pro Bowl tight end to make his 2024 debut against the Colts on Sunday night.

Hockenson tore his ACL in December 2023, ending his year and sidelining him into the 2024 season. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft averaged a career-high 6.3 receptions and 64.0 yards per game in his first full season in Minnesota before his injury. He was traded to the Vikings by the Lions at the 2022 deadline and earned a four-year, $66MM extension after quickly assimilating to head coach Kevin O’Connell‘s offense.

Hockenson’s return will be a massive boost to a Vikings squad that has lost their last two games after starting the season 5-0. Star left tackle Christian Darrisaw injured both his ACL and MCL in Week 8, requiring season-ending surgery that will place more pressure on quarterback Sam Darnold.

Hockenson won’t make up for Darrisaw’s absence as a blocker, but he will join Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones to round out one of the best pass-catching corps in the NFL. 2022 seventh-rounder Jalen Nailor has been a pleasant surprise in Minnesota this year, recording 32.7 yards per game and three touchdowns as a tertiary target for Darnold with little receiving contributions from his tight ends.

Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt have combined for just 165 yards on 21 receptions this year. Hockenson should easily surpass their 23.6 yards per game average and add a more dynamic threat to the Vikings offense.

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