Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DT Josh Tupou
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Sebastian Gutierrez, G Josh Sills
- Released: OT Jack Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to practice squad: LB Tony Fields II
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Suspended: DE Sam Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: S Ronnie Harrison Jr.
- Placed on IR: S Trevor Denbow
New York Giants
- Promoted: LB Tomon Fox, CB Greg Stroman Jr.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: RB Jonathan Ward
- Promoted: WR Brandon Johnson
- Placed on IR: WR Roman Wilson
- Waived: RB Aaron Shampklin
Tennessee Titans
- Activated off IR: LB Cedric Gray
- Waived: DL Abdullah Anderson
Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams has already been ruled out for the 2024 season thanks to a torn ACL, and now he’s been slapped with a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy (via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). The unpaid suspension went to effect prior to Week 8, and the player will be eligible for reinstatement prior to Week 11. The punishment stems from Williams’ reckless driving charge from 2023.
The Colts lost a key special teamer for the season in Trevor Denbow, as Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reports that the player suffered “injuries to multiple ligaments and cartilage” during yesterday’s game. Denbow has appeared in 65 percent of his team’s ST snaps over the past two seasons, and he’s been limited to only six defensive snaps over that time.
Darius Robinson could end up making his NFL debut this Sunday. With the first-round rookie’s activation window coming to an end later this week, the Cardinals have added Robinson to the active roster. Howard Balzer reports that the team has activated the defensive lineman from injured reserve.
Per Darren Urban of the team’s website, Robinson’s 21-day activation window was set to end this Wednesday. This meant the Cardinals either had to activate the defensive lineman or lose him for the rest of the season.
Robinson suffered a calf injury in August that ultimately landed him on IR. He returned to practice earlier this month but suffered a brief setback with his calf that kept him out of practice. That unexpected absence likely played a role in Robinson’s almost-21-day stay in the activation window.
The Missouri star transitioned from the interior to the edge in 2023, leading to a career-high 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. That performance helped put him on the first-round radar, and the Cardinals ended up selecting the DL with the No. 27 pick in this year’s draft.
With BJ Ojulari being lost for the season with a torn ACL, the Cardinals were going to be especially dependent on their rookie in 2024. The Cardinals rank towards the bottom of the league in sacks (15), so Robinson could certainly add a spark to a pass-rush unit currently led by Dennis Gardeck and Zaven Collins.
Haason Reddick remained on the Jets’ reserve/did not report list until his contract holdout came to an end. Now that he is officially back in the fold, he has been brought onto the active roster in time for Week 8.
In a corresponding move, fellow edge rusher Takk McKinley was released. McKinley appeared in all seven games for the Jets this season, handling a 28% snap share. Reddick will be counted on to be on the field much more than that, just as he will be expected to outproduce McKinley’s 0.5 sacks for the year. Reddick’s playing time and production will be key in determining his overall 2024 earnings. 
In a detailed breakdown of Reddick’s revised Jets accord, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry notes the two-time Pro Bowler now has $5.34MM available in incentives in the form of an option bonus escalator. Void years remain on the pact (now running from 2025-28), and they will spread out the cap hits generated by the bonus. If Reddick remains healthy and productive for the remainder of the season, he will begin earning back a portion of the money he lost through fines and forfeited salary.
The 29-year-old will see just over $791K if he reaches the 40% snap threshold for the campaign, something which will be much more plausible than the 67.5% mark which would be needed for the conditional third-round pick the Jets sent the Eagles to become a second-round selection. In terms of pass-rush production, Reddick will collect $500K for eight sacks along with another $500K for a ninth and 10th in that department. As well, $500K is available for a Pro Bowl nod, something which should also not be expected given the fact he was absent for the first seven weeks of the campaign.
Should the Jets reach the Super Bowl, Reddick will earn an additional $2MM (provided he plays in the game). New York currently sits at 2-5 on the year, so a postseason berth – let along a deep playoff run – is far from a certainty. In all, as Corry notes, an earnings total of just over $14MM is possible – a figure not much lower than than $14.5MM Reddick was originally due in base salary. However, he adds that a realistic scenario (given the unlikely nature of several of his incentive thresholds) is only $9.99MM in compensation, an illustration of how costly this holdout saga could prove to be.
Reddick’s total financial penalties have yet to be fully determined due an NFLPA grievance filed over the preseason fines he accumulated this summer. Remaining away from the Jets resulted in $2.38MM in fines; the team may be willing to waive those, but it remains to be seen if that will be possible as the league and union discuss the matter. Reddick accrued $2.05MM in training camp fines (which, since he is not on a rookie pact, cannot be rescinded) in addition to, most notably, $5.54MM in lost game checks during the regular season.
Reddick remains on course for free agency, although a strong showing over the coming weeks could open the door to new agent Drew Rosenhaus and the Jets agreeing to a deal which would keep him in place for 2025. In any event, his value (along with overall earning potential) will be dictated by his playing time and production during the rest of the season.
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
Injuries continue to mar the Panthers’ 2024 campaign, particularly on defense. The latest hamstringing of the collective unit comes as Carolina places safety Nick Scott on injured reserve for an actual hamstring injury, per team writer Darin Gantt. 
Scott had been starting at safety for the Panthers since Week 4 after taking over for an injured Jordan Fuller, whom he now joins on IR. Scott was a big free agent signing for the Bengals defense two offseasons ago after playing his first full season as a starter in the final year of his rookie contract with the Rams. Unfortunately, after 10 starts in Cincinnati to start the year, Scott found himself coming off the bench for the remainder of the season.
This offseason, Scott found another opportunity, signing with a Panthers defense that finished 29th in yards allowed last year despite allowing the third-fewest passing yards and tying for the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns allowed. With Vonn Bell leaving for Cincinnati in the offseason, Scott found himself competing with his former Los Angeles teammate, Fuller, for the starting job. Fuller won the job to open the season, before ceding it to Scott due to injury.
Scott joins seven others on IR, including veteran defenders Fuller, Anthony Brown, Derrick Brown, and Shaq Thompson. Three other players remain on the non-football injury and physically unable to perform lists, as well. This also doesn’t include the 16 other players on Carolina’s injury report not currently on an injured list.
Scott’s placement on IR left two open spots on the active roster. To fill those slots, the Panthers activated safety Sam Franklin from IR and signed practice squad safety Russ Yeast to a 53-man roster contract. Franklin, a special teams captain for Carolina, has yet to make his 2024 debut due to a broken foot that he suffered in training camp. He’ll get that opportunity this weekend. Yeast, yet another former Rams safety, will come up to help fill the role left empty by his former Los Angeles teammates.
Additionally, the Panthers announced that cornerback Caleb Farley and quarterback Jack Plummer will be called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for this weekend.
OCTOBER 26: The Dolphins have officially made the move to activate Tagovailoa from IR. After clearing concussion protocol, the oft-injured quarterback will attempt to prove the doubters wrong by trying to show that he was right not to retire.
In a corresponding move, Miami made room for Tagovailoa on the 53-man roster by releasing veteran backup Tim Boyle. Additionally, the team made the announcement that defensive tackle Neil Farrell and long snapper Matt Overton would serve as the Dolphins’ standard gameday practice squad elevations tomorrow.
OCTOBER 25: Tua Tagovailoa‘s anticipated Week 8 return is a go. The Dolphins quarterback has cleared concussion protocol and will start against the Cardinals on Sunday, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets. Mike McDaniel confirmed the clearance.
Miami will activate Tagovailoa from IR before Saturday afternoon’s deadline. While the QB’s concussion history will continue to generate scrutiny, Tua did not consider retirement after his latest head injury — sustained back in Week 2.
Consulting doctors across the country, Tagovailoa received good news regarding his NFL future. None of the doctors recommended he retire, McDaniel said. That said, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson note the high bar for doctors to recommend retirement. Two neurologists informed Jackson a future Tagovailoa concussion should prompt a lengthy absence.
In accordance with the NFL’s protocol, an independent neurologist cleared Tagovailoa after Miami’s Thursday practice. Tua will be back after missing the minimum four games, though even that absence qualified as notable since teams generally do not place players on IR because of concussions.
Tagovailoa, 26, is a special case due to his high profile and injury past. Tua sustained two confirmed concussions in 2022 and most likely suffered three, with a Week 3 injury that season leading to the NFL revamping its concussion protocol. The Miami QB returned to action in that Bills matchup but suffered a concussion against the Bengals four days later. That led to a two-game absence. When Tua was concussed again during a Christmas Day game, he missed the rest of the Dolphins’ season. Despite the left-handed passer returning in 2023 and not missing any time, his latest head injury has naturally brought tremendous concern about his future.
The Dolphins gave their top quarterback a four-year, $212.4MM extension in July. This did not check in as a top-market deal, but it landed in the upper reaches of QB money. This came after a report surfaced indicating the Dolphins were not prepared to go into the Jared Goff–Trevor Lawrence range for Tua. His Week 2 scramble that led to a concussion brought calls for retirement, but with the fifth-year player now cleared, retirement would deny him access to the bulk of the mega-deal he recently signed.
In terms of the Dolphins’ 2024 prospects, this is massive news. After finishing second in scoring last season, McDaniel’s offense has plummeted to 32nd. The team has started both Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley, with neither playing well, and Tim Boyle — who failed to stick with the Texans in training camp after the Jets had released him in-season last year — saw action as well. These QBs restrained Miami’s speed armada on offense, as the team slunk to 2-4.
The Dolphins will need to heat up in a hurry to have a realistic chance of returning to the playoffs for a third straight season, but Tagovailoa will provide a fighting chance. He will not use a Guardian Cap upon returning, and how Miami goes about protecting its centerpiece player will be a key storyline to monitor as he returns to action.
The Jaguars have officially activated linebacker Foye Oluokun after opening his 21-day practice window four days ago. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Oluokun and offensive tackle Cam Robinson will both be returning from their respective absences this weekend. 
Jacksonville signed Oluokun the year after he led the NFL with a career high 192 total tackles in 2021 with the Falcons. In his first year with the Jaguars, Oluokun doubled down as the league-leader in total tackles for a second straight year with 184, also leading the league with 128 solo tackles. His 173 total tackles in 2023 was only good for fourth in the NFL, but he once again finished with the most solo tackles with 111.
While Oluokun became a tackling machine in Atlanta, he didn’t begin to stand out analytically until his move over the Florida-Georgia line. Following a season in which Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the 64th-best linebacker out of 86 graded players at the position, Oluokun improved to 29th in 2022 and 21st in 2023. Though he only has three games under his belt this season, Oluokun currently grades as the 10th-best linebacker in the NFL, per PFF.
Oluokun has been on injured reserve the last four games as he’s dealt with plantar fasciitis. Since Oluokun’s stint on IR took place after the season began, he will count toward’s the team’s remaining activation count. Jacksonville has four activations left with Oluokun getting moved to the active roster. The team will hope his return helps spark improvement on defense, a unit which has struggled in a number of areas in 2024.
Robinson had been limited in practice this week after getting knocked out of last week’s victory over the Patriots with a concussion. Garafolo reports that Robinson has now cleared concussion protocol and does not have an injury designation heading into the weekend.
Additionally, the team announced this afternoon that running back Jake Funk and defensive end Joe Gaziano will be activated as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the second straight week.
DeForest Buckner is back. The Colts announced that they’ve activated their defensive lineman from injured reserve.
The team also announced that they’ve activated linebacker Cameron McGrone from IR. To make room, the team placed linebacker Jaylon Carlies on IR and waived running back Evan Hull. The Colts also promoted cornerback Kelvin Joseph from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation.
Buckner suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, and there was initial belief that the defensive tackle would be on the shelf for several months. Instead, Buckner ended up only requiring a five-game stint on IR, and he’ll now return to a Colts defense that has struggled with the pass rush in recent weeks.
The Colts are currently tied with a handful of teams with 14 sacks this season, a total that ranks in the back half of the league. Dayo Odeyingbo and Laiatu Latu currently lead the squad with two sacks each; as Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star points out, Bucker had 1.5 sacks in just the season opener.
Buckner had previously only missed a single game with the Colts since joining the organization in 2020. Through his first four years with the team, the lineman collected 32.5 sacks and six forced fumbles while earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. With Buckner out of the lineup, the Colts have leaned to a committee approach at defensive tackle. Taven Bryan, Raekwon Davis, and (to a lesser extent) Adetomiwa Adebawore have all seen an increase in snaps while playing alongside starter Grover Stewart.
Carlies will be sidelined for at least four weeks while dealing with both fibula and shoulder issues. The rookie fifth-round pick has started three of his seven games this year, collecting 21 tackles and one sack. He’ll be replaced on the roster by McGrone, who landed on IR prior to final cuts.
Dalvin Cook is set to make his season debut on Sunday night. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Cowboys are planning on promoting the veteran running back from the practice squad. Dianna Russini of The Athletic definitively adds that Cook will play tomorrow night against the 49ers.
The former Pro Bowl RB has been sitting on the Cowboys practice squad since August. However, with the Cowboys coming off their bye, there seemed to be increasing optimism that Cook would make his Dallas debut in Week 8. That will end up being the case, and Cook could have a chance to immediately contribute to an underwhelming RBs room.
The Cowboys have rushed for a league-low 463 yards this season. The front office didn’t do a whole lot to replace starter Tony Pollard, who left for the Titans via free agency. The organization reunited with old friend Ezekiel Elliott, but the veteran has seen an inconsistent role while contributing only three yards per carry. Rico Dowdle leads the team with 59 rush attempts for 246 yards, but the 26-year-old has yet to find the end zone.
Of course, Cook shouldn’t expect to be some sudden savior for the RB corps. While the veteran isn’t even two seasons removed from topping 1,400 yards from scrimmage, he appeared to take a clear step back in 2023. Cook averaged a career-low 3.2 yards-per-attempt in 15 games with the Jets before the sides decided to mutually part ways. Cook caught on with the Ravens and made his team debut in the Divisional Round, collecting 23 yards on eight carries.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cook has been “tearing it up in practice.” While it’d be wishful thinking to believe Cook can reach his Vikings production, the Cowboys would simply benefit from a slight improvement from his dreadful 2023 campaign.