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Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/24

December 23rd, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Tennessee Titans

The Titans’ decision to move on from Brayden Narveson comes as a bit of a surprise following this weekend’s roster machinations. The organization didn’t only promote the kicker from the practice squad…they also signed him through the 2025 campaign. With Nick Folk apparently approaching full health, the Titans have decided to stick with the veteran and move on from his fill-in.

Narveson’s stint with the Titans featured only a single appearance, when he missed his lone field goal attempt and converted two extra points in yesterday’s loss. Narveson spent the beginning of the season in Green Bay, where he converted 12 of his 17 field goal attempts.

WR Diontae Johnson Likely To Be Claimed

December 21st, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

As Diontae Johnson prepares to join his third team of the 2024 campaign, the wide receiver might not have the chance to choose his landing spot. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson is unlikely to pass through waivers.

[RELATED: Ravens Waive WR Diontae Johnson]

Johnson can be claimed on Monday. Schefter points to the Chargers and Chiefs as potential landing spots, although both of those squads sit toward the bottom of the waiver order. Schefter notes that Johnson might not even makes it that far, especially since a claim carries little financial risk. Either way, it seems unlikely the embattled receiver will make it all the way to free agency.

After spending five productive seasons in Pittsburgh, Johnson was traded to Carolina this past offseason. The impending free agent maintained his production despite the change in scenery, hauling in 30 catches in seven games. However, with the Panthers struggling to compete, the wideout was firmly on the trade block, and he was eventually dealt to Baltimore for a late-round swap.

Johnson’s issues at his latest stop have been well chronicled. After hauling in a single catch through his first four games with the Ravens, the wideout refused to enter the team’s Week 13 contest. Johnson was subsequently suspended for the Ravens’ Week 15 game, and he was waived a few days after that suspension ended.

Considering the receiver’s upside (including a 1,200-yard campaign in 2021), it’s not a huge surprise that Johnson will command interest on the waiver wire. The Chargers have lost some WR depth throughout the 2024 campaign, but their top three of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Joshua Palmer remain intact. In Kansas City, the Chiefs are set to get reinforcement at the position with Marquise Brown returning from injury. While Rashee Rice went down with a season-ending injury, the team has since acquired DeAndre Hopkins to pair with first-round WR Xavier Worthy. In other words, if Johnson is claimed by either of these teams, he may have a tough time carving out a role with only a couple of games remaining on the schedule.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/24

December 20th, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor NFL transactions and some standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s games:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Thomas will hit the waiver wire once again after getting claimed off waivers by Indianapolis and failing his physical. He was first waived off of the 49ers’ injured reserve with an injury settlement, so it’s not a surprise that injury prevented him from passing his physical, but a 28th-ranked Colts pass defense was looking forward to adding an additional defensive back.

Chiefs Activate WR Marquise Brown From IR

December 20th, 2024 at 11:33am CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Marquise Brown is in position to make his season debut tomorrow. The veteran wideout is being activated by the Chiefs, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. The Chiefs have since made the activation official.

Brown faced high expectations in the lead-in to the 2024 season, given the Chiefs’ track record of success incorporating speedsters into their offense. Brown has proven himself to be one of the league’s top vertical threats during his career, although it came as no surprise when he took only a one-year pact to head to Kansas City. An SC joint injury resulted in surgery and a lengthy stint on injured reserve, though.

As a result, the possibility remained that Brown would be sidelined for the entire campaign, one in which the WR position has been a sore spot particularly after Rashee Rice being lost for the year. However, Brown has made progress in his recovery after the operation and he received clearance to practice last week. Activation in time for Week 15 was not feasible, but signs have pointed to an activation taking place in time for Kansas City’s contest against Houston on Saturday. Once this move is made official, the Chiefs will have four IR activations remaining.

Kansas City ranks just 13th in the league in passing yards per game (224), and improving on that number will be a goal in advance of the postseason. The trade acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins has proven effective, with the three-time All-Pro averaging 11.2 yards per reception and scoring four touchdowns in his first eight Chiefs games. Brown will look to add a new deep threat to the team’s passing game as Kansas aims to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

If he can do so, the 27-year-old will help his stock ahead of free agency. Brown landed $6.5MM guaranteed on his Chiefs deal, one which has not gone according to plan so far given his missed time. A strong outing through the remainder of the campaign could rebuild his value to an extent on another Kansas City pact or one sending him elsewhere, though. Brown topped 1,000 yards during his third and final Ravens campaign, but the trade which sent him to the Cardinals was followed up by missed time in 2022 and ’23. Health will be a key factor in determining Brown’s standing around the league moving forward.

In the meantime, his attention will turn to his performances down the stretch as the Chiefs eye a third straight Super Bowl run. The team will have one more skill position contributor available for that process.

Patrick Mahomes, Marquise Brown Likely To Play In Week 16

December 19th, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 19: The Chiefs do indeed plan to activate Brown ahead of Saturday’s Texans matchup, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Provided the next few days do not include any setbacks, he will have a stretch of three contests in the lineup to prepare for Kansas City’s postseason run.

DECEMBER 17: The 2022 playoffs showcased Patrick Mahomes‘ ability to play through ankle injuries, as a gimpy version of the Chiefs superstar powered through a high ankle sprain to lead the team to a Super Bowl win. As the Chiefs aim to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, Mahomes does not appear likely to be sidelined as a result of a similar setback.

Suffering a high ankle sprain against the Browns in Week 15, Mahomes said (via The Associated Press’ Dave Skretta) this one is not as bad as the injury he sustained against the Jaguars in the 2022 divisional round. Mahomes practiced in full today, swinging the door open to a start against the Texans on Saturday.

“Jacksonville was worse. That one was pretty significant,” Mahomes said. “Obviously it’s responded better, quicker. That would be the best thing to say. But I want to be in a better spot than I was that next game going up against the Bengals.”

Since taking over for Alex Smith in 2018, Mahomes has only missed two starts due to injury. Both came in 2019. While Mahomes did miss a drive in the above-referenced Jaguars game and was down for much of the second half of a 2020 divisional-round game against the Browns (due to a concussion), he has been one of the NFL’s most durable quarterbacks. As a Chiefs team walking a tightrope (plus-70 point differential, 11th in the NFL) aims for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, Mahomes appears set to be back and have a new weapon at his disposal.

Marquise Brown‘s return from a summer shoulder injury has reached the point where it looks likely he will debut Saturday as well. Rumored to be on track for a Week 16 return, Brown logged a full practice Tuesday. The Chiefs lost Brown to an injury in his preseason debut and then lost Rashee Rice for the year. While Rice is done, Brown is set to be activated from IR soon.

Brown’s timetable has fluctuated since he went down in August. He had been on track to come back in September, but subsequent developments led to the wideout’s SC joint injury being tabbed to cost him the season. Rumblings in November, however, led to a return being back in play. The former Ravens and Cardinals receiver will likely have three games — depending on the Chiefs’ clinching scenarios for home-field advantage — to acclimate before the playoffs.

This has not been a good season for Mahomes, who is averaging a career-low 6.7 yards per attempt as the Chiefs have consistently struggled on offense. While the Chiefs are an NFL-best 13-1, they have relied on several late escapes rather than displaying the kind of dominance they did during their franchise cornerstone’s early QB1 years. Nevertheless, Kansas City leads Buffalo by two games. But the team has road tilts against the Steelers and Broncos following its Texans matchup. The Steelers game comes on Christmas Day, giving Mahomes a short recovery time after the Chiefs’ Saturday outing.

While it would be prudent if the Chiefs exercised caution here, Mahomes managed to get by against the Jaguars and Bengals two seasons ago despite being limited in terms of mobility. Aggravating the ankle malady in Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes memorably delivered a late scramble to put the Chiefs in range for what became a game-winning field goal. This Chiefs team has not proven to be as talented, as Travis Kelce has declined at 35, leaving it vulnerable due to the Bills having the head-to-head tiebreaker. Buffalo also faces only teams with double-digit losses (the Patriots and Jets) over the final three weeks.

Brown’s return stands to provide a potential boost, though it is probably safe to assume the Chiefs will not resemble their Tyreek Hill-era attacks even with the 5-foot-9 speedster in uniform. Kansas City ranks 12th in scoring offense and 14th in yardage. Two Chiefs wins would secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed, with the potential for two weeks of rest — in Week 18 and the bye — on the horizon. That appears to be the team’s plan, rather than using Carson Wentz while Mahomes rests now, moving forward.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 17th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.

While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.

The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.

Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.

With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
  2. New York Giants (2-12)
  3. New England Patriots (3-11)
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
  5. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
  6. Tennessee Titans (3-11)
  7. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-10)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-10)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
  11. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
  13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
  14. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
  15. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
  16. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)
  17. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
  19. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
  21. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
  22. Washington Commanders (9-5)
  23. Denver Broncos (9-5)
  24. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
  25. Houston Texans (9-5)
  26. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
  27. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
  29. Buffalo Bills (11-3)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (12-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)

Patrick Mahomes Dealing With Ankle Sprain

December 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Patrick Mahomes exited the Chiefs’ Week 15 win an ankle injury, and his status will be a key storyline for the team over the coming days. The worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided, but further testing will take place on Monday.

“Patrick, his right ankle has been hurt. It’s not broken, but it’s sore,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said after the game (via NFL.com). “He’ll get started on the rehab part of it as we go, and then we’ll just have to see how he does down the road here.”

Mahomes is dealing with a high ankle sprain, as first reported by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. As a result, he is considered week-to-week at this point; that is particularly significant given the Chiefs’ upcoming schedule. Kansas City is among the teams set to play on Saturday and then again on Christmas Day. That short turnaround could be a factor in determining Mahomes’ availability. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds, the chance remains that the three-time Super Bowl MVP will manage to practice this week.

Kansas City’s win on Sunday leaves the team with a 13-1 record. The Chiefs are on track to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC as a result, although their loss earlier in the year to the 11-3 Bills leaves the door open to a change at the top of the conference’s standings. Playing one or both of their upcoming games without Mahomes would be a major development for the Chiefs, although it remains to be seen if that will be necessary. Florio notes the team is aware the situation could be worse, although swelling could be an issue over the coming days.

Carson Wentz took over for Mahomes, and he would get the nod in the event the latter’s ankle injury were to keep him sidelined. Wentz has bounced around since the end of his Eagles tenure, and after finding himself on the Chiefs’ radar last offseason, he took a one-year pact to serve as their backup. Wentz’s most recent start came with the Rams in last year’s regular season finale, bringing his total to 93 in that regard. He could add further to that figure soon depending on Mahomes’ prognosis.

Chiefs Waive RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

December 16th, 2024 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Isiah Pacheco back, the Chiefs have stuck with Kareem Hunt as a key player on offense. Hunt’s Chiefs reunion continued a season of inactivity for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The former first-round pick is now off the team’s roster entirely.

The Chiefs cut Edwards-Helaire on Monday, the fifth-year running back announced. This will clear a roster spot in Kansas City, as Marquise Brown ramps up toward a possible Week 16 debut with the team.

Edwards-Helaire had begun his career as a starter for the team, but he was unable to deliver on expectations that came with a No. 32 overall draft slot. Pacheco, a former seventh-round pick, had usurped him; the Chiefs had Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon playing ahead of Edwards-Helaire last season. Despite the team not re-signing McKinnon, it did not find room for CEH on its gameday rosters. Since being activated off the reserve/non-football illness list, Edwards-Helaire has been a healthy scratch.

It is possible Edwards-Helaire could be brought back on a practice squad deal, but the LSU alum’s message certainly does not point to that happening. If this is it for the 5-foot-7 back in Kansas City, he will close his Missouri run with 32 starts, 1,845 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Chiefs used one of their activations to return Edwards-Helaire to the 53-man roster, doing so after having placed him on the NFI list to start the season. Once Pacheco suffered a broken leg in Week 2, however, Hunt quickly reentered the fray as the team’s primary back. Hunt remains on Kansas City’s roster, with UDFA Carson Steele still around as a third-stringer and Samaje Perine as a pass-down specialist. Teams do not make a habit of carrying five RBs, so the roster math makes sense here — especially with the Chiefs needing a spot for Brown.

Hosting J.K. Dobbins on a free agent visit April 2, the Chiefs instead chose to re-sign Edwards-Helaire to a one-year, $1.7MM deal. This release will leave the team on the hook for just less than $200K in dead money. Having neared a recovery from the shoulder injury that has sidelined him throughout the season, Brown is on track to be activated soon.

Debuting with a 138-yard, two-touchdown performance, Edwards-Helaire could not consistently display the pass-game chops that led to his first-round arrival. He also struggled with injuries, having missed time in each of his four seasons before this year’s NFI stint. Counting hte playoffs, Edwards-Helaire missed 24 games from 2020-23. Still, he profiles as an option for a running back-needy team on waivers. Clubs have until 3pm CT on Tuesday to submit a claim.

OL Notes: Bolles, Chiefs, 49ers, Texans, Jags

December 15th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a second time, the Broncos allowed Garett Bolles to play deep into a contract year before extending him. After the sides previously reached an extension agreement in November 2020, Bolles inked his second Denver extension days before the team’s Week 15 game. Talks did not begin until recently. The sides did not begin to discuss a new deal — one Bolles had begun to lobby for back in 2023 — until after the Broncos’ win over the Browns, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. While Bolles held Myles Garrett without a sack, the Broncos’ upcoming bye week presumably had more to do with the timing of the negotiations.

Bolles is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid left tackle. Like recently extended edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, he may well have done better by reaching free agency. But Bolles wanted to stay with the team that drafted him back in 2017. The four-year, $82MM contract includes $23.7MM guaranteed at signing and features a similar guarantee structure to the one Mike McGlinchey secured. If Bolles is on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base salary becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. As the Broncos have part two of Russell Wilson‘s dead money due in 2025, they have predictably backloaded Bolles’ deal. This is a rather extreme effort, as five void years (through 2033) are attached to this deal. Bolles will count $5.8MM on Denver’s 2025 cap and just $9.2MM in 2026; the cap hits balloon past $20MM after that.

Here is the latest from the NFL’s O-line situations:

  • Unable to find a reliable left tackle since letting Orlando Brown Jr. leave in 2023, the Chiefs are going with an emergency plan today. With recent signee D.J. Humphries declared out due to a hamstring injury he sustained in his Kansas City debut, the Chiefs are kicking Joe Thuney to left tackle. The left guard saw time at LT against the Raiders, who were besting second-year blocker Wanya Morris. Rather than go with Morris, the Chiefs are using Thuney at LT and backup Mike Caliendo at LG, per ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. This will cut into the Chiefs’ elite inside trio, but with the team seeing Patrick Mahomes hit with more frequency in recent weeks, it will use this patchwork adjustment to stem the tide. A 2023 UDFA, Caliendo is making his first career start.
  • On the same note, the Texans are making a change. Right tackle Tytus Howard is moving back to left guard, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Both center Juice Scruggs and left guard Kenyon Green are out. As a result, Howard will return to the position he primarily played last season. Howard has shuffled between tackle and guard as a pro; prior to his 812-snap 2024 at RT, he played all 408 of his 2023 snaps at LG. Second-round pick Blake Fisher is in at RT.
  • Trent Williams‘ recovery from an ankle injury has proven “a lot” slower than the 49ers expected, Kyle Shanahan said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). The team is not ruling him out for the rest of the season. That said, San Francisco is now 5-8; shelving the All-Pro the rest of the way would make sense. Williams, 36, secured significant guarantees via a September reworking. He has not indicated a 2025 return will commence, but his through-2026 contract contains enticements to come back.
  • The Bears should be likely to be shoppers to fortify their O-line’s interior in 2025, with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs rating that area atop the team’s list of needs. Chicago whiffed on Nate Davis and devoted low-end money to center. Left guard Teven Jenkins is a free agent-to-be who has not engaged in substantive extension talks.
  • Like Bolles, Walker Little secured an extension recently. The Jaguars revealed their long-term left tackle plan, post-Cam Robinson, by signing Little to a three-year, $40.5MM extension. The first two years of Little’s deal are fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. That comes out to $25.94MM. Although his 2027 salary is nonguaranteed, the 2021 second-rounder did well on the guarantee front as he bypasses free agency.
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