Carolina Panthers

• Signed to active roster: DT T.J. Smith
• Elevated: OLB Shaq Lawson, LB Shaquille Quarterman
• Waived: C Andrew Raym

Cincinnati Bengals

• Activated from reserve/PUP list: CB DJ Ivey
• Elevated: C Trey Hill

Cleveland Browns

• Elevated: WR Jaelon Darden

Detroit Lions

• Signed to active roster: DL Pat O’Connor
• Elevated: DE Isaac Ukwu, TE Shane Zylstra

Green Bay Packers

• Elevated: FB Andrew Beck

Houston Texans

• Activated from reserve/suspended list: DE Denico Autry
• Elevated: FB Troy Hairston, CB Desmond King

Indianapolis Colts

• Elevated: LB Liam Anderson, CB Kelvin Joseph

Las Vegas Raiders

• Signed to active roster: WR Alex Bachman
• Elevated: TE Justin Shorter, WR Kristian Wilkerson

Los Angeles Chargers

• Released: S Tony Jefferson

Los Angeles Rams

• Elevated: CB Ahkello Witherspoon

Miami Dolphins

• Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
• Elevated: CB Nik Needham, LS Matt Overton
• Placed on reserve/NFI list: LS Blake Ferguson

Minnesota Vikings

• Signed to active roster: TE Robert Tonyan
• Waived: WR Trishton Jackson
• Elevated: DE Jalen Redmond, OLB Bo Richter

New England Patriots

• Elevated: LB Ochaun Mathis

New York Jets

• Signed to active roster: TE Anthony Firkser
• Elevated: S Jalen Mills, CB Kendall Sheffield

Philadelphia Eagles

• Activated from reserve/PUP list: S Sydney Brown
• Elevated: OL Jack Driscoll

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Signed to active roster: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji
• Elevated: WR Brandon Johnson, RB Jonathan Ward

San Francisco 49ers

• Elevated: K Anders Carlson, S Jaylen Mahoney 

Seattle Seahawks

• Elevated: CB Faion Hicks, CB Josh Jobe

Autry was hit with a six-game PED suspension in July, leaving the Texans without a key figure along the defensive line. The free agent pickup could have suited up by means of Houston using his one-week roster exemption; instead, he has been activated in time for Week 7. Autry, 34, posted a career-high 11 sacks last season and he will look to make an immediate impact during his Texans debut. Especially with Mario Edwards having been issued a four-game suspension of his own earlier this week, he should have a notable role right away.

Released:

• FB Nick Bawden
• FB Andrew Beck
• QB Tim Boyle
• WR Noah Brown (story)
• T Cameron Erving
• CB Mike Ford
• T Charlie Heck
• CB C.J. Henderson (story)
• DB Lonnie Johnson
• CB Desmond King (story)
• LB Jacob Phillips
• G Chris Reed
• CB D’Angelo Ross
• T David Sharpe

Waived:

• DT McTelvin Agim
• LB Tarique Barnes
• DE Solomon Byrd
• WR Quintez Cephus
• G Dieter Eiselen
• DE Malik Fisher
• DE Ali Gaye
• FB Troy Hairston
• DT Marcus Harris
• WR Johnny Johnson
• CB Troy Pride
• WR Ben Skowronek (story)
• RB J.J. Taylor
• LB Max Tooley
• T Kilian Zierer

Waived/injured:

• RB Jawhar Jordan
• DE Pheldarius Payne
• TE Teagan Quitoriano

Placed on season-ending IR:

• S Brandon Hill
• QB Case Keenum

Placed on IR/designated for return:

• LB Christian Harris
• DT Kurt Hinish

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

• DL Dylan Horton

Placed on reserve/suspended list:

• DL Denico Autry (story)

Keenum was headed into the second season of a two-year deal with his original NFL team, but a major injury will sidetrack the veteran arm. A foot injury will sideline the 36-year-old quarterback, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Keenum is expected to be down for three or four months, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds. Houston still has Davis Mills, who is in a contract year, as its top backup behind C.J. Stroud.

A calf injury will shut down Harris for the time being, Wilson adds. The Texans used both their allotted IR-return moves. The team used the 2022 third-round pick as a 12-game starter last season. Harris has played at least 71% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in both of his seasons, explaining his being prioritized via the NFL’s IR rule tweak. Despite being a 2022 UDFA, Hinish has been a key rotational player in Houston in each of his two pro seasons.

Horton is in remission from his bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The second-year player completed his final treatment this spring but did not practice with the team during training camp. The Texans’ run of WR cuts leaves 2022 second-rounder John Metchie, who missed his rookie season after a leukemia diagnosis, and Robert Woods on the roster behind starters Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs. Cutting Jordan, a sixth-round pick from Louisville, leaves Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers rostered behind Joe Mixon.

Autry’s statement indicates he inadvertently ingested a banned substance while taking a prescription medication. The 34-year-old does not have a history of using performance-enhancing drugs, but this ban will keep him sidelined for the start of his Texans career. Autry will not appeal the suspension.

The former UDFA began his career with the Raiders, logging 18 starts during his four seasons with the team. Autry then kicked off his tour of the AFC South with a three-year Colts stint. In Indianapolis, he served as a full-time starter and racked up 20 sacks. From 2021-23, he played for the Titans and remained an integral member of the team’s pass rush.

Autry recorded 9.0, 8.0 and 11.5 sacks during his Tennessee campaigns before landing in Houston. The Mississippi State product signed a two-year Texans deal this offseason, and in doing so provided the team with another established producer off the edge. Houston’s offseason included the free agent departure of Jonathan Greenard, but he was replaced in the starting lineup by Danielle Hunter.

The latter will pair with 2023 third overall pick Will Anderson in anchoring Houston’s pass rush. Autry was expected to play a large role in that regard as well, but his season debut will now be delayed. The former UDFA will forfeit $1.5MM in salary, $500K in lost signing bonus compensation along with $177K in weekly roster bonuses, as detailed by Spotrac. In addition, Autry’s remaining 2024 salary ($3MM) will no longer be guaranteed.

The Texans also have the likes of Derek Barnett, Jerry Hughes and Dylan Horton along the edge. During the first six games of the season in particular, they will be counted on to step up. Autry will first be eligible to make his season debut in Week 7 against the Packers.

Autry spent the past three seasons with the Texans’ division rivals in Tennessee. The pass-rusher originally joined the Titans in 2021, signing a three-year, $21.5MM deal. Entering his age-34 season, Autry was able to top that AAV during his latest trip to free agency.

The defensive lineman started 33 of his 46 appearances for the Titans, averaging more than nine sacks per season. This included a 2023 campaign where the veteran finished with a career-high 11.5 sacks to go along with 50 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. Despite the counting stats, Autry only ranked 78th among 112 qualifying edge defenders this past season, per Pro Football Focus.

Prior to his stint with the Titans, Autry spent time with the Raiders and Colts. He has 59 sacks on his resume, and he’s added another four sacks in five career playoff games.

[RELATED: Latest On Titans, Derrick Henry]

While Tennessee’s inability to reduce Henry’s cap hit will surely impact their ability to trade the star running back, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes that teams remain in the hunt, including a pair of previously-reported suitors. Per Pauline, the Ravens are still the “leaders in the clubhouse,” while the Cowboys linger as a “dark horse.”

While both Baltimore and Dallas would be happy to add Henry to their running back corps, compensation remains a main sticking point, according to Pauline. The reporter believes the Titans couldn’t do better than a fourth-round pick, and Pauline opines that Tennessee’s ownership would never approve such a deal. So, if there’s any hope that Henry gets traded before tomorrow’s deadline, it’s going to require one of the Titans or a potential suitor to blink.

While much of the attention in Tennessee has been focused on Henry, there are a handful of additional trade candidates on the Titans roster. Albert Breer of SI.com says defensive linemen Teair Tart and Denico Autry are “the more likely candidates to be moved” before tomorrow’s deadline, with the reporter also noting the smoke surrounding DeAndre Hopkins.

Tart has spent his entire four-year career in Tennessee, going from UDFA to full-time starter. After starting all 16 of his appearances in 2022 , he’s started four of his five games this year, collecting 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, and three QB hits. Autry signed a three-year, $21.5MM deal with the Titans in 2021 and has started 25 of his 36 appearances for the organization, including six starts this season.

The 10th-year defensive lineman has become a hot name of sorts ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes. Should the Titans be prepared to unload the experienced pass rusher, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds this would be an interesting market.

During a period in which the Titans missed on a few pass rushers — Bud Dupree, Jadeveon Clowney, Vic Beasley, Cameron Wake — since-ousted GM Jon Robinson did well to land Autry, who has been a central component on Tennessee’s defense despite moving toward his mid-30s. Autry signed a three-year, $21.5MM deal ahead of his age-31 season, with the contract coming during the same week in which the Titans overpaid Dupree. But Autry helped compensate for that miss, totaling 17 sacks and 37 quarterback hits between the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Thus far this year, the versatile D-lineman has four sacks and nine QB hits.

Autry is tied to a $6.75MM base salary, giving other teams a price tag barely north of $3MM to pick up in the event of a post-Week 8 trade. A former Raiders UDFA who has been a late-bloomer, Autry has done his best work in the AFC South. A midcareer Colts stay drove up his market in 2021, and he has not slowed down with the Titans. Earning another midlevel contract in 2024 will likely be on the table for Autry, but the issue now will be if the Titans like an offer enough to move on early.

Tennessee traded Kevin Byard to Philadelphia on Monday, a move that will likely prompt teams to investigate if the 2-4 club will be willing to deal away more parts. Ryan Tannehill‘s expected Week 8 absence will lead to the strange setup of Will Levis and Malik Willis each playing — perhaps alternating series, per Mike Vrabel — against the Falcons. That may be by design to showcase Willis, with Fowler adding the second-year QB is more likely to be dealt than Tannehill. The latter’s injury makes it fairly certain he will stay in Tennessee for the season’s remainder, but with the 35-year-old passer on an expiring contract, the Titans will have big questions to answer at the position soon. Considering Willis’ early-career form, the Titans will not recoup anything close to the No. 86 overall pick they invested last year.

Derrick Henry joins Tannehill and Autry on an expiring deal. The Titans reupped Tannehill and Henry during the 2020 offseason, tagging and then extending Henry in July of that year. The dominant running back came up loosely in trade rumors before the draft, but a report last week indicated the team was more likely to stick with the potential Hall of Famer. But Fowler views Henry as a player the Titans would likely consider trading, adding that some league personnel believed the team was open to doing so this offseason.

The two-time rushing champion received a raise for the 2022 season, but he remains attached to the four-year, $50MM extension he signed three summers ago. Henry, 29, is playing on a $10.5MM salary. With more than $5.5MM due between Weeks 9 and 18, the Titans would stand to run into an issue in an effort to unload one of their all-time greats. Execs around the league believe this will be an impediment to the point Tennessee would likely need to pick up some salary to move on, Fowler adds, and it is far from certain the team would be willing to do that in order to cut ties with a three-time Pro Bowler.

The Titans have third-round pick Tyjae Spears in place once Henry departs, and while teams do not make a habit of re-signing workhorse backs ahead of age-30 seasons, it is not a lock the parties do not discuss a third contract before free agency. For now, however, Henry is playing out a contract year and looms as a fringe trade candidate for a team in transition.

But Tennessee will make an interesting change at quarterback. Rather than give Malik Willis more reps in his rookie season, the Titans are preparing to start recent acquisition Joshua Dobbs, Justin Melo of The Draft Network tweets. Tennessee brought in Dobbs on Dec. 21, with Ryan Tannehill out with an ankle injury. Tannehill is not expected to return this season, though the starter has not shut it down just yet.

A former Tennessee Volunteer, Dobbs has bounced around in the pros. The sixth-year backup has been with three teams just this year, moving from Cleveland to Detroit to Nashville over the past month. The former fourth-round pick has not thrown any regular-season passes this season; his most recent game work came in 2020 with the Steelers. The Browns signed Dobbs this offseason and used him as Jacoby Brissett‘s backup for much of the year, but once Deshaun Watson was eligible to play, Cleveland cut bait. Dobbs landed in Detroit, but Tennessee poached him from the Lions’ practice squad.

Dobbs has seen most of his NFL work come in the preseason, and the Titans’ Week 17 lineup will have the look of an August matchup. Tennessee placed O-line starters Nate Davis and Ben Jones on IR last week, and the team will be without right tackle starter Nicholas Petit-Frere against Dallas. With Taylor Lewan out of the picture, the Titans will deploy basically a second-string O-line tonight. While Willis’ early work points to extensive development being needed, the Titans may be leery of putting the third-round pick behind this set of blockers against a top-tier Cowboys pass rush.

In an arrangement that will surely test Al Michaels’ patience, Titans will also sit Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Amani Hooker, Bud Dupree and Zach Cunningham. Oh, and they are unlikely to deploy Derrick Henry, who is doubtful with a hip injury. This sets up an unusual Week 17 and an odd Week 18 plan. The Titans look like they will be trying to salvage their season in Jacksonville next week on the heels of a six-game losing streak. Even if the Titans drop to 7-9 tonight, the AFC South will be on the line next week.

Willis has shown some promise in the run game but has looked woefully overmatched through the air. The mid-major product has not eclipsed 100 passing yards in any of his three pro starts and has a 0-3 TD-INT ratio on 61 pass attempts. It will be interesting if the Titans turn back to Willis or go with Dobbs (17 career attempts) against the Jaguars, when they reconvene for relevant football, next week.

Burks suffered a concussion last weekend against the Eagles and missed practice throughout the week. The rookie first-round pick missed a chunk of the season while recovering from a turf toe injury. In the four games since his return to the field, Burks has hauled in 15 catches for 230 yards and one touchdown. The Titans will surely add another WR to the roster before tomorrow’s game, as Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and C.J. Board are currently the only healthy options on the roster.

Long, a former sixth-round, is having a career season, with the linebacker currently pacing the Titans with 86 tackles. Long didn’t practice this week after suffering a hamstring injury against Philly. Fulton, a former second-round pick, has started all 10 of his appearances in 2022. The defensive back suffered a groin injury last Sunday. His absence won’t be made any easier with cornerback Tre Avery also ruled out with a concussion.

The Titans will also be without defensive lineman Denico Autry and wide receiver C.J. Board against Jacksonville.

Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com notes that Jeffery Simmons is set to once again anchor the team’s d-line. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021 with 8.5 sacks, earning him a Pro Bowl nod and Second-Team All-Pro honors. The Mississippi State product will be 25 this season, making him a prime candidate for the team to make a long-term commitment to sometime in the near future.

Another first-team role will belong to Denico Autry. The veteran’s first year in Tennessee was one of the most productive of his career. He matched a personal best with nine sacks and set a new mark with 18 QB hits, leading to optimism for the remaining two seasons of the deal he signed with the Titans last offseason. Who will join Simmons and Autry as a starter remains to be seen, though.

McCormick writes that former UDFAs Teair Tart and Naquan Jones are the likeliest candidates for that spot. Tart registered 10 starts in 2021, seeing a defensive snap share of nearly 50% along the way. Jones, meanwhile, offered more pass-rushing potential with 2.5 sacks as a rookie; he is also a player the Titans “are high on” to take a step forward in 2022. The rest of the position group is set to be rounded out by some combination of former Lions Da’Shawn Hand and Kevin Strong, and free agent signee DeMarcus Walker.

One interesting name in this positional competition is Larrell Murchison. A 2020 fifth-rounder, the NC State alum has yet to claim a full-time starting role, and has totalled just 13 tackles so far in the NFL. Considering the talent and depth ahead of him, McCormick points out that Murchison’s roster spot could be “in jeopardy.” How the depth chart shakes out will depend on his training camp performance, and those of several intriguing options the Titans have at the position.

Atlanta Falcons

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Brandon Copeland, QB Feleipe Franks, S Richie Grant

Baltimore Ravens

• Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Mazzi Wilkins

Carolina Panthers

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Brian Burns, DE Marquis Haynes, LB Shaq Thompson

Cincinnati Bengals

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Brandon Allen, LB Germaine Pratt
• Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Scotty Washington

Dallas Cowboys

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Simi Fehoko
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: T Aviante Collins

Denver Broncos

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Andre Mintze
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Jonathan Harris

Detroit Lions

• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Steven Montez

Green Bay Packers

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Corey Bojorquez, G Ben Braden, LB Oren Burks, TE Tyler Davis, TE Marcedes Lewis, LB Ty Summers (remains on IR)
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DL R.J. McIntosh

Indianapolis Colts

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Carson Wentz, CB T.J. Carrie, T Braden Smith
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Chris Wilcox

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Malcom Brown, DT DaVon Hamilton, TE Chris Manhertz, OL Andrew Norwell, DL Jihad Ward
• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Dawuane Smoot

Las Vegas Raiders

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Denzel Perryman, CB Casey Hayward, LB Cory Littleton, DT Darius Philon

Los Angeles Chargers

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Nasir Adderly, S Alohi Gilman, CB Chris Harris Jr., CB Davontae Harris, K Dustin Hopkins, T Storm Norton, LS Matt Overton, T Trey Pipkins III

Miami Dolphins

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Adam Butler, S Brandon Jones
• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Noah Igbinoghene, S Sheldrick Redwine

Minnesota Vikings

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Oli Udoh

New England Patriots

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Matt Judon, LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB Brandon King, QB Brian Hoyer, DE Josh Uche

New Orleans Saints

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Marcus Williams, C Erik McCoy
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT Malcolm Roach
• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Nick Vannett

New York Giants

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Julian Love
• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Dante Pettis

New York Jets

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Bryce Hall

Philadelphia Eagles

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Derek Barnett
• Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR KeeSean Johnson, CB Craig James

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Isaiah Buggs
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph

San Francisco 49ers

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Mitch Wishnowsky

Seattle Seahawks

• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Sidney Jones

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamel Dean, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Tennessee Titans

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Bud Dupree, DL Denico Autry, CB Buster Skrine
• Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Cody Hollister

Despite going undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2014, Autry has managed to put together a seven-year career. The defensive tackle spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders, including a 2017 campaign where he finished with five sacks. That performance earned him a three-year, $17.8MM deal with the Colts, and he’s been a consistent presence on their defensive line ever since.

Autry ultimately appeared in 40 games (38 starts) during his three seasons in Indy, compiling 102 tackles, 20 sacks, and three forced fumbles. The 30-year-old also got into three postseason games for the Colts, compiling 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Prior to this move, we hadn’t heard much from the Titans today. The team was armed with around $18MM in cap space heading into the offseason.

Indianapolis Colts

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Denico Autry

Las Vegas Raiders

• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Tanner Muse

Los Angeles Rams

• Waived: LB Jachai Polite

New England Patriots

• Claimed off waivers from Buccaneers: LB Jack Cichy

New York Jets

• Placed on IR: LB Blake Cashman

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: C Maurkice Pouncey
• Promoted: S Antoine Brooks Jr.

Baltimore Ravens

• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Trace McSorley

Chicago Bears

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Lachavious Simmons

Indianapolis Colts

• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Denico Autry

Las Vegas Raiders

• Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Lamarcus Joyner

New York Jets

• Signed to one-year extension: OL Conor McDermott

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB T.J. Logan; Logan remains on IR

Here are more injury updates from around the league:

• The Colts have been the most injured team in recent memory the past few weeks, but are finally getting some good news. Star receiver T.Y. Hilton has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but is ready to make his return this week. Unfortunately for Indianapolis, they’ll still be without tight end Jack Doyle and receiver Ryan Grant as well as several key contributors on defense like safety Clayton Geathers and defensive tackle Denico Autry.
• The Lions will be without running back Theo Riddick, who went down during the team’s win over the Packers. Riddick has been operating as the Lions’ third down back, and rookie Kerryon Johnson should get more run with him out of the way. On the bright side, the team looks like it could be getting back pass-rusher Ezekiel Ansah, who hasn’t played since Detroit’s Week 1 loss. Ansah is listed as questionable but practiced all three days this week.
• The Redskins will be thin on pass-catchers, as Jamison Crowder has been ruled out for the team’s game against the Cowboys while Paul Richardson is listed as doubtful. Washington promoted Jehu Chesson from the practice squad yesterday, signaling they weren’t expecting Richardson to play. Tight end Jordan Reed should see a ton of looks as the Redskins’ receiving corp is completely depleted.

For a rundown of every team’s injury situation, you can view all 32 injury reports over at ProFootballTalk.com.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that he would make the decision between Gabbert and Mariota within the next “24 hours” and that he would let them know then according to Jim Wyatt of the Titans’ official website (Twitter link). If Mariota can’t go it would be a huge blow for Tennessee against the league’s top defense. One thing that could make their matchup a bit easier is that Jalen Ramsey was added to the injury report Friday with an ankle injury, although it’s unclear if he’s in any danger of missing the game.

Here’s more injury updates from around the league:

• The Falcons just can’t seem to catch a break. It was already known they’d be without Devonta Freeman and several other starters, but it was announced today that they’d also be without talented pass-rusher Takkarist McKinley. McKinley is currently dealing with a groin injury.
• The Colts will be quite shorthanded for their trip to Philadelphia as the team ruled out tight end Jack Doyle, running back Marlon Mack, defensive tackle Denico Autry, and right tackle Anthony Castonzo. Doyle’s injury is a big blow, as he formed an effective tight end duo with Eric Ebron through the first two games.
• The Eagles will also be significantly shorthanded on offense, with their backfield being particularly banged up. Running backs Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles have been ruled out, while Corey Clement is questionable. If Clement isn’t able to go, the running back situation would be dire. Alshon Jeffery is questionable, but reporters have written that he’s very unlikely to play.