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Lions Activate Kalif Raymond, Alex Anzalone; Emmanuel Moseley Moved To NFI List

January 4th, 2025 at 10:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions will have reinforcements on both sides of the ball for tomorrow night’s pivotal game. Receiver Kalif Raymond and linebacker Alex Anzalone have both been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

Raymond had been on injured reserve since November due to a foot injury, but he returned to practice last week. That opened his 21-day activation window, but of course bringing him onto the active roster in time for Week 18 required today’s transaction. Raymond will be in place to provide complimentary production in the passing game behind top wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams along with tight end Sam LaPorta. Detroit’s offense has remained much healthier than the team’s defense this year, but having additional depth at the receiver spot (not to mention the top punt return option) in time for the playoffs will be a welcomed development.

Getting Anzalone back will also be key as the Lions look to lock up the top seed in the NFC. The 30-year-old had his practice window opened on Wednesday, although questions remained about his ability to suit up for tomorrow’s game. Anzalone is listed as questionable for Sunday due to the broken forearm which induced his IR stint, but his ability to recover to the point of activation is a strong sign he will be in the lineup. If so, Detroit’s linebacking corps will see a starter return to the fold and the team’s defense as a whole will get a key presence back.

The news is not all positive for the Lions on the injury front, however. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. That designation requires at least a four-game absence, meaning he is all-but assured of missing the remainder of the campaign. Moseley’s debut Lions season (2023) ended with an ACL tear in Week 1, and the follow-up has not gone according to plan either. The pending free agent has been limited to only two games this year, something which will hurt his stock. Being without Moseley (who last played in Week 16) will be especially notable given the absence of fellow corner Carlton Davis.

The Lions have a long list of other players who could be in contention to be activated down the road, especially if they can manage a deep playoff run. Winning the NFC North and securing the first-round bye would be helpful in that regard, but losing to the Vikings in the NFL’s final regular season contest would drop Detroit to the No. 5 seed. In any case, adding to the list of healthy contributors will be key for the Lions.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25

January 4th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.

Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.

Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).

Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.

Eagles Activate TE Dallas Goedert

January 4th, 2025 at 7:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles will have their top tight end available in time for the postseason. Dallas Goedert was activated from injured reserve Saturday, the team announced.

Goedert landed on IR one month ago due to a knee injury, ensuring at least a four-game absence. After missing the minimum time, though, he was designated for return in an encouraging sign for his recovery. As a result, today’s move comes as little surprise.

The Eagles will be resting several starters tomorrow since they are locked into the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Goedert might not play in the regular season finale as a result, but he will be available for the wild-card round of the playoffs. Philadelphia will welcome his return to the lineup, something which will give the team its top pass-catcher at the TE position at a critical time. The 30-year-old has once again provided notable production in the passing game while serving as a complementary option to wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Grant Calcaterra has seen an increased workload with Goedert sidelined recently, and his 68% offensive snap share for the season represents a career high. The latter will of course be expected to handle a notable workload upon returning to action, though. This move leaves the Eagles with three IR activations (along with the additional two they will receive for for the playoffs).

In addition to bringing Goedert into the fold, the Eagles have elevated linebacker Dallas Gant and defensive end Charles Harris for tomorrow’s game. Philadelphia will take on the Giants before the team turns its attention to a postseason matchup against the NFC’s No. 7 seed.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/4/25

January 4th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s lone practice squad deal:

Detroit Lions

Kennedy was waived on Thursday, and after passing through the wire without a claim he became a free agent. The 28-year-old, to no surprise, has remained with the Lions via the taxi squad after making four appearances this season. Kennedy has played 24 total games in his career, all with Detroit. He will remain an elevation option for the postseason.

Commanders Activate Austin Ekeler From IR

January 4th, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders are getting healthy at the right time, getting an offensive reinforcement a week ahead of their first playoff appearance since a 7-9 campaign was enough to win the division in 2020. When they head on the road for the first round of the playoffs, Washington will be doing so with backup running back Austin Ekeler back on the active roster. The team has activated him off injured reserve today.

While technically a backup to starter Brian Robinson, Ekeler still holds tremendous value to the offense. Despite Robinson starting 12 games this season, the Commanders have made sure to get Ekeler on the field, as well, granting him six starts in his 11 appearances this year. The team’s leading rusher has been rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (864), but Robinson (789), Ekeler (355), Jeremy McNichols (261), and Chris Rodriguez (173) have all contributed to a rushing attack that ranks third in the NFL behind only the Eagles and Ravens.

Ekeler’s influence also comes as the primary pass-catching back in Washington. As has been the case in Ekeler’s career, his contributions this year have come through the air as much as on the ground. In his career, Ekeler has 4,230 receiving yards to 4,710 rushing yards, and this year, his 346 receiving yards are just as much a factor as his rushing contribution.

With Ekeler returning to the fold, Washington nearly has their full offensive battery back on the field. They’re missing wide receiver Noah Brown (on IR), and starting center Tyler Biadasz is listed as doubtful for this week, but the rest of the offense is primed for playoff action.

In order to make room for Ekeler on the active roster, undrafted rookie safety Tyler Owens has been placed on IR. The Texas Tech alum has played primarily on special teams in his rookie campaign, tallying 11 tackles and a forced fumble.

Joining Ekeler on the active roster tomorrow will be offensive tackle Bobby Hart and cornerback Bobby Price, who have been promoted as standard gameday practice squad elevations this weekend.

Packers Placing CB Jaire Alexander On IR

January 4th, 2025 at 3:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers will be playing the final week of the regular season without star cornerback Jaire Alexander, much like they have the last six weeks. In fact, after the team placed him on injured reserve — first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network — Alexander is set to miss nearly all of the postseason, as well. Forced to miss at least four games before activation becomes an option, Alexander’s only chance at making another appearance this season requires a Super Bowl berth by the Packers.

Such a return remains extremely unlikely, though. Alexander underwent knee surgery earlier this week following a PCL tear that he suffered in November. Alexander hasn’t played since the injury was announced a month and a half ago. The team delayed placing him on IR in hopes that he could make a return, but the surgery and IR-placement seem to indicate that his season is over.

The Packers’ effort to replace Alexander’s production has mostly consisted of starts by Carrington Valentine, who started 12 games in an effort to replace Alexander during another injury-plagued campaign last year. He’s received help from Keisean Nixon and Eric Stokes to fill in this year, as well.

The Packers have put forth a strong, 11-5 effort in 2024, yet they find themselves sitting in third place in the NFC North division behind herculean campaigns by the Lions and Vikings, who both sit at an incredible 14-2. Green Bay is locked into the playoffs as a wild card team, but all they can do in Week 18 is improve their seeding from seventh to sixth with a win and a Commanders loss; this would be the difference between traveling to Philadelphia for the first round of the playoffs and traveling to Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, or Atlanta.

Green Bay also announced their two standard gameday practice squad elevations for this week. Linebacker Michael Barrett and safety Omar Brown will spend the last week of the regular season on the active roster before reverting to the practice squad for the postseason.

Colts Activate CB JuJu Brents From IR

January 4th, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Ben Levine

JuJu Brents‘ sophomore season has been all but lost, but the cornerback will at least have a chance to play again before the 2024 campaign concludes. According to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports in Indy, the Colts have activated the cornerback from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived cornerback Chris Lammons.

A former second-round pick, Brents was penciled in as the Colts’ CB1 heading into his second season in the league. However, a knee injury knocked him out of the team’s season opener and subsequently landed him on injured reserve. While Brents was initially expected to miss the rest of the regular season, he managed to return to practice last month and should now be in the lineup for the season finale.

The defensive back showed flashes as a rookie, collecting 43 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception in nine games (eight starts). However, he missed eight games due to injury in 2023, and he later underwent cleanup ankle surgery this offseason. Brents even suffered a broken nose during the preseason, so the player will surely be tagged as an injury risk heading into 2025.

Chris Ballard drew some criticism this past offseason for defiantly sticking to his homegrown roster-building strategy, including a lack of effort to improve the team’s cornerback corps. While the team re-signed stalwart slot CB Kenny Moore, the Colts otherwise relied on in-house options heading into the 2024 campaign. Former seventh-round pick Jaylon Jones has stepped in as a reliable starter for Indy, but the team has otherwise seen a revolving door at the position, with Samuel Womack, Dallis Flowers, David Long, and Lammons all getting looks.

Lammons’ extended look came when Moore was out of the lineup, with the fill-in garnering 85 snaps between Week 4 and Week 5. A former special teamer in Kansas City, the veteran could now look for a similar role with a contender.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/25

January 3rd, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

Johnson sustained a concussion in a car accident earlier this week, per ESPN’s David Newton. The 2023 third-round pick will miss the Panthers’ final regular season after 14 appearances (including two starts) this year.

The Browns added three more players to injured reserve before Saturday’s matchup with the Ravens, including their leading rusher in Ford and second-leading pass-catcher in Njoku. Those absences have extended Baltimore to 19.5-point favorites as they look to lock up the AFC North. Cleveland will finish the year with 23 players on IR, including key players like Deshaun Watson and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Bills Extend Mike White Through 2025

January 3rd, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

With Josh Allen expected to see minimal playing time in Week 18, the Bills promoted Mike White from the practice squad to the active roster, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. White will serve as Buffalo’s third-string quarterback behind Allen and Mitchell Trubisky.

The former Jet’s promotion also came with a one-year contract extension, according to Schefter, keeping the 29-year-old quarterback in Buffalo through the 2025 season. White signed with the Bills’ practice squad in August after losing the Dolphins’ backup quarterback battle to Skylar Thompson during training camp.

White has yet to appear in a game this season, though he has been elevated from the practice squad twice. Now that he is on the active roster, he can serve as the Bills’ emergency third quarterback without counting towards the team’s active list. If he was elevated from the practice squad on a game-by-game basis, he would have to be officially active in order to enter the game.

White’s new contract details are unknown, but the extension sets him up to compete with Trubisky for the Bills’ backup quarterback job next summer. Trubisky reunited with the Bills on a two-year, $5.25MM contract last offseason and has served as Allen’s backup all year.

For now, though, both players’ focus will be on Week 18 and the ensuing postseason. While the Bills are hoping that neither quarterback has to play meaningful snaps in the playoffs, Sunday’s game is an opportunity for a tune-up should Allen miss any time.

Ravens Activate Charlie Kolar From IR

January 3rd, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens activated tight end Charlie Kolar from injured reserve on Friday, per a team announcement. He is expected to play in Baltimore’s regular season finale against the Browns on Saturday.

Kolar broke his arm during the Ravens’ Week 12 matchup with the Chargers, though he played through the injury for much of the fourth quarter. He landed on injured reserve later that week and was designated to return a month later.

The third-year tight end has quietly been an effective blocker in Baltimore’s league-leading rushing attack while taking full advantage of his limited opportunities as a pass-catcher. Kolar has recorded career-highs in targets (11), receptions (nine), and yards (131), including a Week 5 catch-and-run for a career-long 55 yards. His 3.12 yards per route run lead all tight ends with at least 10 targets, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he’s been targeted on 26.4% of his routes. With so many other weapons in the Ravens offense – including first-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers – opposing defenses tend to overlook Kolar, especially when Lamar Jackson fakes a handoff to Derrick Henry.

Kolar’s recovery is an example of the Ravens’ relatively good health as they approach the playoffs. Only one started – nose tackle Michael Pierce – has been on injured reserve all year, and he has made an appropriately-big impact on the defense since his return in Week 15.

The Ravens did place cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on injured reserve to clear a 53-man roster spot for Kolar. This is Armour-Davis’ second stint on IR this year and the fourth in his three-year career, reinforcing pre-draft injury concerns after he struggled with injuries at Alabama. He’s appeared in seven games this year with 94 snaps on defense and 135 on special teams. Armour-Davis will be eligible to return for the Super Bowl if the Ravens advance that far in the playoffs.

The Ravens also elevated defensive end Chris Wormley and wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad for Saturday’s game. Both players have appeared in two games this season; Wormley has made four tackles on defense while Miller’s lone reception of the year went for 16 yards against the Texans on Christmas.

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