HEADLINES

Jaguars Owner Shad Khan Quiet On Potential HC, GM Firings

December 29th, 2024 at 2:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Three head coaching vacancies are currently in place in the NFL, and the Jets will also be in the market for a new general manager this offseason. More openings are expected in the near future, with Jacksonville remaining a team to watch on both fronts.

Head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke have been the subject of considerable speculation regarding in-season firings. Both have survived in that respect despite the Jaguars’ 3-12 record entering Sunday’s action, but owner Shad Khan will have several key decisions to make once the campaign is over. No major developments have emerged from the front office as it pertains to potential changes this winter, though.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network write Khan has remained quiet in terms of connections emerging as candidates to replace Pederson and/or Baalke. Still, the pair notes a sense of “major change” being imminent remains in the organization. Pederson has been in place since 2022, while Baalke’s tenure in Duval County began one year earlier. Jacksonville made the postseason in 2022, and the team matched that record last year. Expectations were high as a result, but struggles on both sides of the ball have been witnessed with and without quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the lineup.

On more than one occasion, reports have indicated a rift between Pederson and Baalke; that, in turn, has fueled further expectation that at least one member of the pair will be dismissed after the campaign. If only one firing is to take place, Baalke is believed to be on stronger footing than Pederson, but nothing is certain at this point. Bill Belichick had been floated as a potential hire (especially in the event of Khan fully cleaning house), although his decision to take North Carolina’s head coaching gig has made that a moot point.

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirms Khan has not yet actively engaged in discussions with outside candidates on the coaching and general manager fronts (video link). Khan is known to be patient, though, so that approach comes as little surprise with time remaining in the regular season. After next week, more clarity will emerge with respect to which changes will be taking place for 2025, and as a result the focus of the team’s targets for outside hires will likely be narrowed.

For the time being, however, no signals have been made by Khan – who before the start of the season made it clear he felt the 2024 Jaguars were the most talented in franchise history. How he proceeds after the end of the season will be one of the league’s top storylines.

Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Out For Week 17

December 29th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

DECEMBER 29: Tagovailoa is indeed among Miami’s inactives for Sunday’s game. Huntley will get the nod as the Dolphins look to keep their playoff hopes alive.

DECEMBER 28: The Dolphins have downgraded quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to doubtful for their Week 17 matchup with the Browns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If he is unable to play, Tyler Huntley would make his fourth start of the season.

Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury in Week 15, but finished the game and played 100% of Miami’s offensive snaps in Week 16. The fifth-year quarterback wants to continue to play through the injury, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but his mobility and athleticism are limited. Tagovailoa had surgery on the same hip when he was in college, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, but his current injury is affecting a different area.

The 2020 first-round pick downplayed the injury during a press conference on Thursday (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques):”I mean it’s good. It’s just like anyone else on the team and anyone else around the league. You get banged up little bit towards the ending of the year so just got to take care of that.”

Since Thursday, though, Tagovailoa has been trending down. Along with ruling him doubtful, the Dolphins elevated Skylar Thompson from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, another indication that Tagovailoa is unlikely to play.

An absence this weekend would be Tagovailoa’s fifth this season after a four-week IR stint after his Week 2 concussion. Miami has to beat Cleveland to keep their playoff hopes alive; a loss would all but eliminate them from postseason contention.

The Dolphins also promoted wide receiver Erik Ezukanma to the active roster, placed cornerback Kendall Fuller on injured reserve, and elevated cornerback Nik Needham from the practice squad, per a team announcement.

Patriots To Be “Heavily Involved” In Tee Higgins Pursuit If Higgins Becomes FA

December 29th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots have fallen short in several wide receiver pursuits this year, missing out on two players who were selected in the first round of this year’s draft – Xavier Worthy and Xavier Legette – and failing to complete a trade for 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk despite an aggressive pitch. Armed with a talented young QB in Drake Maye and a great deal of cap space, New England could certainly renew its efforts to land a top-flight pass catcher in 2025.

Enter the Bengals’ Tee Higgins, who is playing out the current season on the franchise tag and who has long been expected to hit the open market in March 2025. Indeed, Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal says the Pats will be “heavily involved” in the Higgins sweepstakes if the Clemson product should become available.

While many of the reasons underlying the expectation that Higgins will hit free agency are still present – including, for instance, the mega-deal that the Bengals are planning to authorize for fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase at some point – there have been several recent developments that could increase the odds that he will remain in Cincinnati. Quarterback Joe Burrow has expressed his confidence that the club will do what it can to keep its enviable 1-2 receiver tandem intact, and Higgins’ recent change in representation could also be viewed as a sign that he hopes to stay in the Queen City.

It will nonetheless be difficult for the Bengals to keep both Chase and Higgins in the fold, so there is still a good chance that Higgins will defect to another club in a few months’ time (assuming Cincinnati does not deploy a second franchise tag, which could be cost-prohibitive). With a league-leading ~$131MM in projected cap room, money would be no object for the Patriots.

As Giardi observes, however, Higgins may not want to take his talents to Foxborough. Although Maye has shown promise, he is far from a proven commodity at this point, and under the stewardship of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, the Patriots rank near the bottom of the league in terms of both total offense and points per game. The club added two receivers in this year’s draft in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, but neither player has made an impact on a unit that generally lacks high-end talent. 

More draft picks, a possible OC change, and more free agent dollars invested in the offense could of course lead to improved output, and Higgins would certainly be a key piece of such a turnaround. On the other hand, he should have a number of suitors, and it is fair to wonder if New England will represent his ideal landing spot, especially since he will presumably not have a player of Chase’s caliber to draw the attention of opposing defenses.

Following a dominant performance in a must-win game against the Broncos last night, Higgins has posted career-highs in terms of yards per game (78.0) and touchdowns (10). Despite missing five games due to injury in 2024, he is also approaching career-best marks in targets and receptions.

Browns LG Joel Bitonio Undecided On Continuing Playing Career, Will Not Seek Trade Or Release

December 29th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Rory Parks

Browns star edge defender Myles Garrett said he will consider a trade request if, after speaking with Cleveland brass this offseason, it becomes apparent that the club is contemplating a rebuild. We subsequently heard that, since the Browns are not considering a rebuild and are eyeing a return to contention in 2025, the team is not overly concerned about Garrett’s comments.

Still, it is noteworthy that the Browns’ season has gone so poorly and created so much uncertainty that their best player – who is under contract through 2026 and who could land another lucrative extension this offseason – wants to hear about their future plans before making decisions about his own future. Likewise, the longest-tenured member of the Browns, left guard Joel Bitonio, would like to know where the team is headed before deciding whether to return for the final year of his own contract in 2025.

“It’s hard to go out there and have three wins right now,” Bitonio said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “That’s been tough. It’s tough on your body. You just don’t feel as good on Monday when you lose a game. So it’s part of the process and you’d love to hear what the plan is going forward and kind of see where we’re at, see how much winning you can do.”

Bitonio, 33, was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2014 draft, and aside from being a bastion of durability for most of his career, he has also been one of the league’s best interior blockers. From 2018-2023, he rattled off six consecutive Pro Bowl nods, a stretch that included First Team All-Pro acclaim in 2021 and 2022. Per Pro Football Focus’ metrics, however, his play has regressed a bit in 2024, as his 63.1 overall grade ranks 41st out of 74 qualified players and would represent the lowest mark of his career.

Given how good he has been throughout his lengthy Cleveland tenure, the Browns would surely love to have him back just the same, particularly since he is due just a $1.26MM base salary and $3MM roster bonus in 2025. But Bitonio has not yet made a decision one way or another.

“We’ll see how we’re doing in a couple weeks after the season,” he said. “It’s very hard to make a decision when you’re in the middle of it, you’re going through the daily grind. So I’m going to finish the year as strong as I can and see how we feel in a couple weeks and go from there.”

While Bitonio would like to know the team’s 2025 plans, both at quarterback and in general, Tony Grossi of TheLandOnDemand.com interpreted Bitonio’s comments to mean that the decorated lineman’s decision as to whether he will retire or return to play out the last year of his contract will mostly be dictated by his health.

“Truthfully, it’s mostly personal, just how my body feels going into another season,” Bitonio said, underscoring Grossi’s point. “The game, it’s an amazing game, blessed to play it, but it’s a stressful game, you put a lot on your body, how are you going to feel in 10 years or 15 years or 20 years?”

Whether or not he hangs up the cleats after the current season, Bitonio will not request a trade or release and will finish his career as a member of the Browns. 

“For me personally, I don’t know what they’re thinking [with respect to quarterback plans], but I’m going to be a Cleveland Brown, I think, for my career,” he said. “So if I come back, whatever decision they make at quarterback is what decision they make. I’m not as young as Myles where you have some options other places. So for me it’s more going to be like how I feel personally, how my family feels and all that stuff.”

Latest On Garrett Wilson’s Jets Future

December 29th, 2024 at 9:39am CST by Sam Robinson

During the 2022 offseason, the Jets explored several avenues to upgrade at wide receiver. This included making trade offers for Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel and also pursuing the likes of A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and Amari Cooper. The route the team ended up taking provided early promise, but it has suddenly brought hiccups.

After two seasons with a bottom-tier quarterback targeting him, Garrett Wilson has seen Aaron Rodgers stay healthy and deliver a competent season — albeit one far off his MVP-level work from earlier this decade. Rodgers has peppered Wilson with targets, throwing him 141 passes — fourth-most in the NFL after Week 16 — and has the former Offensive Rookie of the Year on pace for his third 1,000-yard season. But Wilson’s happiness in New York has been in question for a bit.

Wilson joined Breece Hall in expressing disappointment in then-OC Nathaniel Hackett during the 2023 season, and Davante Adams has since usurped Wilson — as could be expected given the trade pickup’s history with Rodgers — as the Jets’ top receiving option. Wilson drew three targets before the Jets’ final drive in their loss to the Rams on Sunday and displayed frustration after the game. This came after Wilson and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson argued during the team’s Week 15 win over the Jaguars.

Wilson added that a new Jets regime would have “no impact” on his desire to stay or go; that response mirrored what the third-year wideout said about the team keeping or jettisoning Rodgers in 2025. A recent report, however, indicated it would not surprise if Wilson requested a trade soon, and the New York Post’s Brian Costello notes speculation from informed parties points to a trade request coming. With Costello adding this situation appears “headed toward a divorce.”

“I’m gonna worry about these last two games and see what happens, man. I’m not gonna speak on that,” Wilson said (via the New York Post’s Steve Serby) when asked about a potential trade request. “All that’s out of my control. I just gotta play my part, and try to win games for this organization.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears that the Wilson-Rodgers relationship is not in a good place, and even when Wilson was receiving the lion’s share of Rodgers’ targets prior to the arrival of Adams, there were questions about whether the QB and his third-year receiver could fully reconcile after their training camp “blowup.” According to Rapoport, if the Jets choose to retain Rodgers — which is more of a possibility in light of his improved play down the stretch — they would likely retain Adams as well, and a Wilson trade request would certainly be on the table at that point.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says that, while the Jets have grown tired of Wilson’s frustration, it should be noted that Wilson is not necessarily frustrated by the number of targets he has received, but the quality of them. Since Adams joined the club, Wilson has received only eight red-zone looks, compared to 17 for Adams. Wilson’s overall target total is also skewed a bit by the 23-target game he enjoyed in a Week 5 (pre-Adams) loss to the Vikings.

If the Jets do part ways with Wilson, it would still represent a strange unraveling, as Wilson is about to go three-for-three in 1,000-yard seasons. The Jets have, however, been quick to move on from young starters via trade in the not-so-distant past. The team dealt Sam Darnold in 2021, Jamal Adams in 2020, Leonard Williams in 2019 and Sheldon Richardson in 2017. Joe Douglas was involved in three of those swaps, but the Jets have since canned their GM and are early in the interview process to replace him. That said, the perception of how this franchise is run has taken substantial hits this year. And it is not slowing down.

Following an explosive report from The Athletic regarding Woody Johnson‘s outsized role in personnel, Cimini confirms the owner’s teenage sons, Jack and Brick Johnson, are “very much involved” in football matters. Woody Johnson has already been accused of listening to his sons’ Madden-based assessments on players — Jerry Jeudy among them — and the two are believed to have made their voices known in the locker room after games as well. The Jets have denied the Johnson sons play any such roles, but these reports will not do well to attract GM and HC candidates.

These reports also could alienate players, though the Jets still have plenty of control with Wilson, who can be kept on his rookie deal through 2026 via the fifth-year option. The team also has option decisions on Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson coming in May. No trade noise has circled the defenders, but this has become attached to Wilson. With Adams’ Big Apple future uncertain, the next Jets football-ops bosses appear to have major issues to navigate at receiver.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Titans HC Brian Callahan Expected To Return Next Season

December 28th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Brian Callahan‘s first season at the helm in Tennessee clearly hasn’t gone well. The Titans are positioned to have their fewest wins since the 2015 season, and despite Callahan’s offensive pedigree, quarterback Will Levis has failed to take a step forward during his sophomore campaign.

Naturally, pundits have started to question if the head coach could be one-and-done in Tennessee. However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport write that Callahan and most of his staff are expected to return next season.

The Titans made one of the surprise firings of the 2024 offseason when they moved on from long-time coach Mike Vrabel. It was always going to be difficult for the successor to immediately match Vrabel’s run; the former Patriots linebacker had winning records in four of his six seasons and made three-straight playoff appearances. However, following a pair of underwhelming showings, the Titans decided to move on.

They pivoted to Callahan, who had a reputation as one of the league’s best offensive minds. In Cincinnati, the former offensive coordinator helped guide Joe Burrow to superstar status. He also coached a trio of 1,000-yard receivers (Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd) and one of the league’s most consistent RBs in Joe Mixon. Callahan was going to be a natural choice for HC-needy teams, and he ended up finding his next gig in Tennessee.

As mentioned, things haven’t gone particularly well. Levis struggled under center before his benching, and the Titans’ special teams unit was a “major liability” at the beginning of the year (as Pelissero and Rapoport point out). Still, as the NFL Network duo note, the Titans have shown improvement despite their 3-12 record, and there’s a sentiment that Callahan has shown “long-term promise” in the role.

Team brass obviously won’t tolerate another dismal season, but it sounds like they’re willing to give their first-year head coach a relatively long leash. So, barring some unanticipated development, it sounds like Callahan will be staying put for the 2025 campaign.

Myles Garrett Seeking Answers On Browns’ Long-Term Plan; DE Would Consider Trade Request

December 28th, 2024 at 9:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 28: Garrett confirmed (via Cabot) one member of the Browns’ front office reached out to him to assess his thoughts on any potential trade request. With no rebuild being considered, though, Cabot adds Garrett’s comments have not drawn a significant reaction from the organization. Watson’s latest restructure could provide added financial flexibility to made a QB move this offseason, something which could further dissuade thoughts of being dealt on Garrett’s part.

DECEMBER 20: Drafted first overall after the Browns went 0-16, Myles Garrett has been through a rebuild. Overseen by three GMs, that climb produced a quality roster that has seen quarterback hiccups — one that has the team in an unprecedented bind — otherwise define the period.

In a statement that sounds a bit more like what an NBA superstar would provide, Garrett wants clarity from Browns management about the team’s plans. Making it clear he is not interested in being part of another rebuild, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year did not dismiss a trade request if he does not receive the answers he wants.

“First of all, I want to win. I want the Browns to be able to put me and us in position to win. I’m not trying to rebuild,” Garrett said, via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “I’m trying to win right now. I want that to be apparent, when the season’s over and we have those discussions, I want them to be able to illuminate that for me, illustrate that for me, so that can be something that I can see in the near future.

“I’m going to stay loyal to a team that showed loyalty to me and faith in me by drafting me. But we have to do, at the end of the day, what’s best for us.”

This strategy has keyed numerous NBA exits, in a league in which the stars hold more power compared to the NFL. The league Garrett plays in features additional mechanisms, most notably the franchise tag, for teams to retain stars. As Deshaun Watson‘s struggles pushed that situation well past a crisis point ahead of the trade deadline, teams asked about Garrett. The Browns shot them down, viewing he and Denzel Ward as building blocks. But Garrett may be ready to force the issue soon.

“Absolutely,” Garrett said when asked (via Cabot) if the Browns need to explain a QB plan. “As uncertain as it is now from the outside looking in, it’s uncertain for us as well. So if [Dorian Thompson-Robinson] is the solution or someone else is, it’s got to be drawn out. There’s got to be a plan of action and just got to know where things are going.

Cleveland has Garrett under contract (at a below-market rate) for one more season. The team did well to sign the 2017 top pick to a five-year, $125MM deal, giving the club seven years of control. Probably the best pass rusher in Browns history, Garrett has outplayed that deal. Nick Bosa now leads the pack with a $34MM-per-year deal, and 2025 will also bring Micah Parsons and T.J. Watt contract years. Although Garrett is also in line to cash in during a Browns contract year, doing so appears contingent on the team convincing its top player it can compete despite the Watson albatross.

Trading Garrett would cost the Browns more than $36MM in dead money. This being the Andrew Berry-era Browns, four void years are on the standout’s contract. That will raise the price of a trade, one that would not bring any cap relief if completed before June 1. While the Browns could take the route of overwhelming Garrett with an extension offer, inking him to a third contract appears contingent on a better quarterback plan.

The Browns have no way out of the Watson mess. No second suspension under the personal conduct policy is coming, keeping the QB’s guarantees intact. It would cost the Browns more than $172MM to release Watson in 2025, making it a non-starter. The team plans to keep the struggling quarterback as a result. Although Browns decision-makers are not saying Watson will be benched in 2025, signs point to a search for competition — at the very least — coming soon. The contract Berry authorized in 2022 will prevent an expensive QB search, but he does plan on going through with a third restructure to reduce Watson’s 2025 cap hit (currently a record-shattering $72.9MM). This will make it harder for the Browns to dump the disappointing trade acquisition in 2026, but that appears the cost of doing business at this point.

A team that traded for Garrett would need to pay up; the Browns would undoubtedly ask for a first-round pick and change. The prospect of an acquiring team needing to then authorize a market-setting extension north of $35MM per year would complicate trade talks, as would Garrett turning 30 in 2025. But the five-time All-Pro would be ready to ask for a deal if he and the Browns are not aligned.

“I mean, it’s a possibility, but I want to be a Cleveland Brown,” Garrett said of a trade request. “I want to play here, play my career here. But if we choose to do a rebuild and it’s two, three, four years out, I want be able to compete and play at a high level, play meaningful games and be playing past January.”

Garrett did not provide any clarity whether he would ask to be moved if Berry and Kevin Stefanski are fired, which they are not expected to be, or if a to-be-determined rookie usurping Watson would change his plans. But the Browns may soon be dealing with an ultimatum, providing a significant complication as they attempt to weather the storm the Watson contract has brought.

Bengals’ Orlando Brown Jr. Dealing With Broken Leg; Chase Brown Suffers Ankle Sprain

December 28th, 2024 at 8:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals came out on top in an overtime thriller Saturday and in doing so kept their playoff chances alive. Two key members of their offense are far from healthy, however.

Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. played all 90 offensive snaps for Cincinnati during tonight’s game, one which marked his return to the lineup. Brown had been sidelined since Week 13, and his availability was welcomed by a Bengals team needing to win out to have a chance at a wild-card spot. Brown said after the contest, however, that his fibula is broken in two spots (h/t ESPN’s Ben Baby).

That is a rather notable disclosure given the severity of broken bones and the missed time such injuries often cause. Brown was not charged with a sack or pressure allowed in pass protection by PFF, though, a sign of how effective he was able to be on Saturday despite the injury. Having him available for another must-win contest would be critical up front for Cincinnati in Week 18 against the Steelers.

The Bengals’ backfield could be shorthanded for that contest, however. Running back Chase Brown was injured late in the fourth quarter and he did not return to the game. Head coach Zac Taylor said (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network) the ailment is an ankle sprain, but the severity is unknown at this point. Missing Brown for the regular season finale would deal a notable blow to Cincinnati’s rushing attack.

Since Zack Moss was lost for the year in November due to a neck injury, Brown has taken on lead back duties. The second-year rusher produced at least 94 scrimmage yards in each contest since the one Moss was injured in heading into Saturday’s action. Brown has scored 11 total touchdowns in 2024 after recording only one as a rookie. The 24-year-old Canadian’s absence would thus be sorely missed if he were to be sidelined for Week 18.

If Brown cannot play against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati would turn to trade acquisition Khalil Herbert to handle RB1 duties. Of course, being shorthanded at the running back spot would also lead to an increased reliance on quarterback Joe Burrow and the team’s dynamic passing attack. In any case, updates on both Orlando and Chase Brown will be worth watching for closely given the Bengals’ status as a postseason hopeful.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

December 28th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 were eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.

This offseason also brought a second adjustment, with teams who qualify for the playoffs set to have two additional activations at their disposals. On that note, here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return from IR (August 27): 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Baltimore Ravens

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Activated

Activations remaining: 2

Carolina Panthers

Activated:

Activations remaining: 0

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 1

Dallas Cowboys

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Denver Broncos

Designated for return:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Detroit Lions

Designated for return: 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Green Bay Packers

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Houston Texans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return: 

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Jacksonville Jaguars

Eligible for activation:

  • OL Cooper Hughes

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Miami Dolphins

Eligible for activation from IR:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

New England Patriots

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

New York Giants

Designated for return:

  • LB Dyontae Johnson (Dec. 4)

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New York Jets

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL Dylan Cook (waived Oct. 31)

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 2

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR: 

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 2

Tennessee Titans

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/24

December 28th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

It was already known Lamb would be out for the remainder of the year, but the same will now be true of Oruwariye. The latter made seven appearances in 2024, his debut Cowboys season. That included four starts and a defensive snap share of 62%, making him a notable contributor on a Dallas defense which has dealt with a number of injuries. Oruwariye, 28, is a pending free agent.

McCoy and Patrick suffered injuries during the Saints’ Week 16 loss, and today’s move confirms they will both miss the remainder of the season. New Orleans’ offensive line has been dealt a number of blows in 2024, and that will continue through the final two games of the season. McCoy appeared in just seven games this year, but plenty of term remains on his pact. Patrick, by contrast, is set to hit the open market this spring.

Whitehead returned to practice earlier this week, so it comes as no surprise he will be available to the Buccaneers tomorrow. He will be expected to reprise his role as a defensive starter as Tampa Bay looks to seal the NFC South over the final two games of the campaign. Bringing back Whitehead and Johnson will leave the team with two IR activations.

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