HEADLINES

C.J. Uzomah

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/24

December 4th, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Designated for return: LB Dyontae Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Spencer Shrader‘s hamstring injury will knock him out for the next four weeks, and with Harrison Butker eventually set to return, the fill-in kicker’s stint with the Chiefs has likely come to an end. Temporarily, the team will turn to their third kicker in Matthew Wright. The veteran filled in for Shrader this past weekend, connecting on four of his five field goal tries.

Former Dolphins second-round pick Cam Smith landed on IR today, likely ending his disappointing sophomore campaign. The cornerback did get more run in 2024 vs. his rookie season, but he was still limited to only 16 tackles in six games thanks to a pair of IR stints. This time, it’s a shoulder issue that will put the South Carolina product on the shelf.

Saints safety Roderic Teamer was hit with a three-game ban today for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes that Teamer’s unpaid ban is “the conclusion of his DUI arrest” in 2023 (when he was with the Raiders). Teamer was limited to only a pair of appearances this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.

Titans lineman Jaelyn Duncan returned to practice today after missing the past six games while nursing a hamstring injury. The former sixth-round pick could actually see a significant role upon his return, with Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com noting that the second-year player could get a look at right tackle once he’s fully healthy.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/24

November 30th, 2024 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo is listed as questionable, but head coach Raheem Morris is confident he’ll play, calling Patterson an emergency option.

Speculation out of Baltimore was that Maulet wouldn’t require a second stint on injured reserve with his calf injury, but that intel appears to have been off. Maulet and Kolar could potentially make a return in time for the postseason, but they’ll miss four games before they do.

VanSumeren served double-duty as a fullback and linebacker. With his placement on IR, Uzomah was targeted as a possibility to fill in at fullback.

Eagles LB/FB Ben VanSumeren Done For Season

November 30th, 2024 at 12:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Ben VanSumeren is done for the season. The Eagles linebacker/special teamer/part-time fullback suffered a season-ending knee injury during Friday’s practice, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. VanSumeren is set to undergo more testing to determine the extent of the injury, but the initial diagnosis indicated that the player will miss the rest of the campaign.

The former UDFA caught on with the Eagles ahead of the 2023 campaign. He proceeded to get into nine games (one start) as a rookie, compiling 13 tackles while playing 180 of his 230 total snaps on special teams.

VanSumeren has seen a different role during his sophomore season. The 24-year-old has continued to play on special teams (213 snaps), but his defensive gig has completely disappeared. However, he has earned a job on the other side of the ball. As McLane notes, VanSumeren has served as the team’s fullback since they “shifted to more of a run-based offense” post-bye. VanSumeren was recruited to Michigan as a fullback, and that experience helped garner him some extra snaps in 2024.

While VanSumeren is a respected member of Philly’s special teams unit, the team’s more pressing need will come on offense. McLane suggests that practice squad tight end C.J. Uzomah might be the best option to serve as fullback during those handful of plays each game.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/24

November 14th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Cory Trice was back at practice for the Steelers today after being sidelined for more than a month with a hamstring injury. The 2023 seventh-round pick made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2024 campaign, and he snagged his first career interception in Week 2. When he returns, he’ll likely slide back to an end-of-the-depth-chart CB/special teamer for Pittsburgh. With Trice returning to practice, the Steelers will now have 21 days to activate the player to the active roster.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/24

October 10th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s taxi squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Uzomah is a veteran of 106 games stemming from his seven-year run in Cincinnati followed by two years with the Jets. The 31-year-old has topped 400 receiving yards in a season only twice, but he has remained a consistent depth option in the passing game. He will aim to provide a rotational contribution behind Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia.

Eagles Release TE C.J. Uzomah

August 21st, 2024 at 9:14am CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles signed C.J. Uzomah in early April. After four months to make an impression, the veteran tight end is returning to free agency. Philadelphia cut Uzomah on Wednesday to make room for offensive lineman Jason Poe.

This marks the second time this year a team cut Uzomah. The Jets released the former Bengals starter in March. The Eagles doing so nearly a a week before cutdown day stands to give Uzomah a better chance to catch on elsewhere, but his chances of making a notable contribution to a team in 2024 are trending in the wrong direction.

Uzomah, 31, entered the offseason attached to the three-year, $24MM Jets deal he signed shortly after he started in Super Bowl LVI. As Zach Wilson‘s struggles persisted, Uzomah did not make an impact with the Jets. Gang Green had signed both Uzomah and Tyler Conklin during the 2022 offseason; the latter remains with the team ahead of what is poised to be Aaron Rodgers‘ first starter season in New York.

Philly guaranteed Uzomah $718K at signing; that will turn into dead money. The 10th-year veteran is coming off a season-ending knee injury. Uzomah’s Jets run halted when he sustained MCL and meniscus damage in December; that setback also involved a tibial plateau fracture. Uzomah described his rehab from this injury as “way worse” than recovering from the Achilles tear that ended his 2020 season two games in.

While Conklin excelled last season, Uzomah totaled just 58 receiving yards in 12 games (eight starts). He compiled 232 receiving yards in 2022. The Bengals had given Uzomah an extension back in 2019, as Tyler Eifert continued to battle injuries, and they received a 493-yard, five-touchdown season from the former fifth-rounder in 2021. Uzomah sustained an MCL injury during that season’s AFC championship game but rehabbed in time to start in the Super Bowl.

In addition to Dallas Goedert, the Eagles have 2023 trade pickup Albert Okwuegbunam, 2022 sixth-round pick Grant Calcaterra and ex-Commanders option Armani Rogers. The team claimed rookie UDFA Kevin Foelsch off waivers earlier this month. The team is light on proven options behind its starter, however. Calcaterra and Okwuegbunam combined for just 175 offensive snaps last season.

Eagles Sign TE C.J. Uzomah

April 11th, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

C.J. Uzomah will land in an intriguing spot. Released by the Jets earlier this offseason, Uzomah will move to a darker shade of green — save for throwback occasions. He is expected to sign with the Eagles, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.

The veteran tight end visited the Eagles on Thursday and passed a physical. He is expected to sign a one-year deal to join the Eagles. After seven seasons in Cincinnati, Uzomah could not live up to his contract in New York. Then again, Jets pass catchers have not enjoyed too much to work with in recent years. This deal is now official.

[RELATED: Eagles Re-Sign TE Albert Okwuegbunam]

Now 31, Uzomah will not have a path to the starting tight end role in Philly. Dallas Goedert remains one of the NFL’s best all-around tight ends. While injury trouble has interrupted Goedert over the past two seasons, he is still tied to a through-2025 contract. The Eagles did not carry much TE depth behind their starter last season; Uzomah would stand to provide more help in a TE2 role. He is poised to replace Jack Stoll, who signed with the Giants last month.

The Bengals rostered Uzomah as a Tyler Eifert backup to start his career, with Tyler Kroft also on that depth chart at the time. Gradually working his way into playing time (due to frequent Eifert injuries), Uzomah posted two 400-plus-yard receiving seasons. He delivered his best slate in 2021, helping the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in 33 years. Uzomah caught 49 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns.

That season certainly featured prime circumstances for the former fifth-round pick, with Joe Burrow throwing him passes and the Bengals rolling out a Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins–Tyler Boyd trio for the first time. Uzomah tallied back-to-back 60-plus-yard playoff performances — against the Raiders and Titans — before suffering an MCL sprain in the AFC championship game. While Uzomah returned for Super Bowl LVI, he caught two passes for 11 yards.

With the Jets, the 6-foot-5 pass catcher’s numbers cratered. The Jets gave Uzomah a three-year, $24MM deal ($15MM fully guaranteed) in 2022 but did not see him flash much of his Bengals form. Uzomah totaled just 290 receiving yards as a Jet, losing time to fellow free agent pickup Tyler Conklin. As the Zach Wilson era wound down in New York, Uzomah finished the season on IR. He sustained damage to his MCL and meniscus and a plateau fracture of his tibia early into a Week 12 loss to the Falcons.

Uzomah, who also has an Achilles tear on his medical sheet (from 2020), provides value in the run game as well. In his 240-snap season, Uzomah graded fourth among tight ends in run blocking (per Pro Football Focus) last season. After helping Joe Mixon in Cincinnati as well, Uzomah — provided he completes his latest rehab effort — stands to see time helping Saquon Barkley find running room for an Eagles team that has deployed one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks for years.

Jets To Release TE C.J. Uzomah

March 5th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Adam La Rose

C.J. Uzomah will not play out the final year of his Jets contract. The veteran tight end is expected to be released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Uzomah was set to carry a cap hit of $11.22MM in 2024. By releasing him now, the Jets will see $5.3MM in savings while creating $5.92MM in dead cap charges. Given the financial benefits, as well as the knee injury which ended his 2023 campaign prematurely, Uzomah’s release comes as little surprise.

The 31-year-old finished the season on IR due to MCL and meniscus damage. Even when on the field, though, Uzomah was not able to match the production he delivered in his best Bengals campaigns. Across 27 games with New York, he totaled 290 yards and three touchdowns. Expectations were higher after he joined the team on a three-year, $24MM deal in 2022.

The former fifth-rounder saw fluctuating usage in the passing game during his seven-year Cincinnati run. He remained a key member of the offense with respect to playing time for much of that span, though, and he twice recorded 40-plus catches and over 400 yards as a Bengal. Those past showings could help his market as a complementary target for his new team, although his health and underwhelming Jets showing could give potential suitors pause.

Today’s move will leave the Jets with roughly $26MM in cap space as free agency draws nearer. New York will move forward with Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert atop the tight end depth chart; those two are under contract for one and two more years, respectively. The team could be in the market for an addition at the position either in free agency or the draft to replace Uzomah, who will now turn his attention to the search for a new opportunity.

Injury Updates: Hockenson, Uzomah, Covey

February 9th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

A career-year was cut short for Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson when the 26-year-old suffered tears in both his ACL and MCL. Hockenson was forced out of Minnesota’s Week 16 loss to the Lions, officially putting an end to his fifth NFL season.

After waiting 36 days in order to allow his MCL to heal, Hockenson underwent surgery to repair his ACL at the end of January, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Seifert reported no complications from the procedure and a typical recovery period of nine months. Training camp for Minnesota is set to begin six months from the date of his surgery, so there’s a growing possibility that Hockenson will miss a chunk of the 2024 season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL as the season nears its close this weekend:

  • Another tight end, one who’s been around a bit longer than Hockenson, also suffered a season-ending injury late in the year. Jets veteran C.J. Uzomah sustained damage to his MCL and meniscus and a plateau fracture of his tibia early into a Week 12 loss to the Falcons. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, recovery is going well, though rehab is reportedly “way worse” than when he came back from an Achilles tendon injury a few years. Uzomah is headed into a contract year with New York, but his injury combined with an impending cap hit of $11.22MM could put him at risk of being a cap casualty. A potential out in his contract would allow the team to release him with only $5.92MM in dead money.
  • Second-year Eagles wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey was reportedly dealing with a quadriceps injury down the stretch of the season, per EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee at the opening of last year’s offseason, and he seemed to be under the impression that his quad issues were a byproduct from that previous injury.

Jets To Place TE C.J. Uzomah On IR

December 4th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Ben Levine

C.J. Uzomah exited Sunday’s loss with a knee injury, and the Jets tight end will now miss at least the next four games. Coach Robert Saleh told reporters that Uzomah will be placed on injured reserve as he recovers from an MCL injury (via the team’s website).

Uzomah suffered the injury early in the first quarter against the Falcons. While blocking on a Breece Hall run, the tight end got his legs caught in the ensuing pile and had to exit the contest. Saleh described the injury as “extensive,” and there’s a chance Uzomah may not return to the field in 2023.

After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Bengals, Uzomah joined the Jets prior to the 2022 campaign on a three-year, $24MM contract. Uzomah’s numbers took a step back during his first season in New York. After finishing with career-highs in 2021, the tight end hauled in only 21 catches for 232 yards and two touchdowns during his debut season with the Jets.

Uzomah saw an even lesser role on offense this season, catching just eight passes for 58 yards and one touchdown. The 30-year-old was appearing in about a third of his team’s offensive snaps while mostly serving as a blocker.

The injury shouldn’t do a whole lot to impact the team’s depth chart. Tyler Conklin still soaks up most of the snaps at the position, and Uzomah recently started ceding snaps to Jeremy Ruckert.

Load More Posts