Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
The Bears have placed starting center Lucas Patrick on injured reserve, ending his 2023 NFL season a day early. Obviously, this doesn’t mean much as Patrick will only miss one game and Chicago is already mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The move is a common one seen this week as many teams will utilize IR to help lock promising practice squad players down on active roster contracts.
For the Bears, that player seems to be practice squad cornerback Greg Stroman. With Patrick vacating a spot on the active roster, Stroman has signed to the 53-man squad for this week. In two years with the Bears, Stroman has appeared in nine games, making two starts. In each of those two starts, Stroman has recorded an interception. With Stroman now on the active roster, Chicago will have an opportunity to keep him away from free agency in the offseason, essentially guaranteeing him another year with the Bears, if that’s what they agree to.
With Patrick unavailable, practice squad center Doug Kramer has been called up as a standard gameday elevation to provide some depth on the interior offensive line. Joining Kramer as a one-week elevation will be cornerback Christian Matthew.
Friday’s only practice squad transactions:
Chicago Bears
Houston Texans
Kramer returns to Chicago after spending a little over a week in Arizona. The Cardinals had claimed Kramer after he was waived in order to make room for left tackle Braxton Jones on the Bears’ active roster. Arizona waived Kramer on Wednesday, and after clearing waivers, Kramer has found his way back to Chicago.
Farniok should find his way onto someone’s roster. The third-year interior lineman started two games for the Cowboys last year and appeared in 19 games over his first two seasons.
Wednesday’s minor roster moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Tennessee Titans
So far this year, Zakelj, the second-year interior offensive lineman, has only appeared in four games on special teams, but the team intended for him to compete with free agent signing Jon Feliciano for the backup center job behind starter Jake Brendel. With Aaron Banks out last week, and with the coaches wanting to get Feliciano more involved at right guard anyway, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, Zakelj became a key backup at center. Unfortunately for Zakelj and the 49ers, a torn bicep will require surgery, taking Zakelj out for the remainder of the season.
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
More help is on the way for the Bears’ offensive line as a senior writer for the team, Larry Mayer, reports that Chicago has activated second-year offensive tackle Braxton Jones from injured reserve. After activating starting guard Teven Jenkins a month ago, the left side should continue to improve with the return of last year’s starting left tackle.
Jones became a Week 1 starter as a rookie last season despite making the jump to the NFL from Division I-FCS school Southern Utah. The fifth-round pick adjusted well, starting all 17 games and performing admirably. His sophomore season had a rockier start, though, as a Week 2 neck injury prompted the Bears to exercise excess caution and place him on IR.
In his place, Chicago has returned to a formerly displaced starter in Larry Borom, but through six starts in relief, Borom has consistently ranked in the bottom ten of qualifying NFL tackles in rankings provided by Pro Football Focus. The team took Tennessee rookie Darnell Wright in the first round of this year’s draft but placed him at right tackle, showing their confidence in Jones as their blindside blocker moving forward.
Even now, with Jenkins and Jones finally reuniting with the first-team unit, the Bears’ offensive line is still a bit banged up as starting right guard Nate Davis has already been declared out for the third straight week. Lucas Patrick, who has started in Davis’ place to past two games, will likely hear his name called to play with the starters once again.
In order to make room for Jones on the active roster, the Bears waived fellow 2022 draftee Doug Kramer, who was drafted a round after Jones last year. Kramer spent his entire rookie season on IR and then spent the first six weeks of this season on IR before being activate for Week 7. After only playing two snaps, Kramer sees his way off the roster. If he clears waivers, Chicago may choose to bring him back on the practice squad.
Speaking of the practice squad, the Bears also made the decision to promote linebacker Micah Baskerville from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation for tomorrow. If he sees the field, it will be the undrafted LSU rookie’s NFL debut.
Here are the minor moves made around the league in advance of the Week 7 slate of Sunday games:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Seattle Seahawks
Washington Commanders
Dulcich already had one IR stint this season due to an aggravation of last year’s hamstring injury. The 2022 third-rounder has appeared in only two contests so far this season, and in the most recent one he suffered yet another setback. As a result, he will once again be shut down for at least four weeks.
The Giants’ decision to again promote DeVito points to starter Daniel Jones missing another game. Indeed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Jones is considered a “longshot” to play tomorrow against the Commanders. It will in all likelihood be Tyrod Taylor under center for New York in Week 7 while Jones continues to recover from his neck injury.
The Bears could have their starting slot corner back in the fold as early as Week 6. Kyler Gordon was designated for return from injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. Backup center Doug Kramer has also had his practice window opened. 
[RELATED: Khalil Herbert Facing Extended Absence, Bears Sign RB Darrynton Evans]
As a result of the move, both players are now clear to return to practice. They can do so for up to 21 days before Chicago will be required to activate them or see them revert to season-ending IR. Bringing back the pair will use up two of the team’s seven remaining IR activations.
Gordon suffered a broken hand in the season opener, and the surgery he underwent opened the door to an IR stint the following week. The team was optimistic he would be able to return at the first opportunity, and that would prove to be the case if he were to be activated this week. A 2022 second-rounder, Gordon played on the outside as a rookie but has moved to the slot for the 2023 campaign. His return will allow Chicago to have its top trio of Gordon, Jaylon Johnson and rookie Tyrique Stevenson in place at the CB spot.
Gordon, 23, showed plenty of promise last season, racking up 71 tackles, three interceptions and six pass deflections. The Washington alum left plenty to be desired in coverage, though, allowing three touchdowns and a passer rating of 102 as the nearest defender. That led to a poor PFF grade of 49.8, but a return to action will give him the chance to show improvement and in doing so give a boost to the Bears’ secondary.
In other roster news, the Bears retained quarterback Nathan Peterman by signing him to the practice squad. The veteran was released last week in a move which confirmed undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent‘s status as the backup to Justin Fields. Chicago did not have another passer in the organization beyond that pair for a time, however, so it comes as little surprise that Peterman will remain in the Windy City. The 29-year-old spent last season on and off the team’s taxi squad, and that arrangement is now set continue in 2023.
With the NFL dropping the roster limit to 85 players today, we’ve got a long list of minor moves to pass along:
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Commanders
The 49ers have been dealing with a number of minor injuries in training camp lately, but one which is significant not only in its serenity but also its impact on the team is the one currently ailing free safety Jimmie Ward. He has suffered a hamstring injury, and his Week 1 availability is now in question, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link).
Ward has been a starter on the backend in San Francisco since his second season in 2015. He has been a consistent contributor throughout that time, including on the NFC-winning squad of 2019. His level of play that year earned him a three-year extension, giving him financial security for the first time in his career.
Ward is in line to start once again in 2022, the final season of that deal. He and 2021 fifth-rounder Talanoa Hufanga are the top safety options on the depth chart, so any extended absence from Ward would be a major blow to a 49ers team looking to repeat last season’s playoff run, and whose weakness on defense is generally viewed as being in the secondary. Tarvarius Moore and George Odum would be amongst the team’s options to fill in for Ward should he miss any time.
Here are some other injury notes from around the league, starting with another NFC West contender: