Today’s reserve/futures contracts:
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Cleveland Browns
Washington Commanders
Saturday’s minor moves, including stand gameday practices squad elevations for the weekend’s remaining divisional playoff games:
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders
Saturday’s minor transactions and more standard gameday practice squad elevations for the wild-card round of the playoffs:
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Commanders
As a member of the practice squad this year, Clifford, the second-year passer out of Penn State, was elevated twice. As a member of the active roster, he will be able to serve as Green Bay’s emergency third quarterback, which could be beneficial after starter Jordan Love was knocked out of the team’s Week 18 loss with an elbow injury on his throwing arm, and his backup, Malik Willis, was dealing with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. Both players had two full practices this week and carry no injury designation, but the team will be taking no chances.
Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Commanders
After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.
Here are the latest practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Washington Commanders
The Bills will have a pair of defensive reinforcements available for tomorrow’s game against the Lions. Dawuane Smoot and Baylon Spector have been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
Smoot and Spector were designated for return earlier this week, opening their respective 21-day practice windows. They have both avoided setbacks over the past few days, clearing the way for today’s move. Buffalo will have three activations available over the remainder of the regular season.
Smoot suffered a wrist injury in November, and surgery was required as a result. It was unclear at the time if the issue would be season-ending, but Smoot has managed to rehab in time for the closing weeks of the campaign. His return will be welcomed given his rotational role along the edge prior to the injury. The 29-year-old has made four starts and handled a 48% snap share in 2024, his debut Bills campaign.
While Smoot is a pending free agent, Spector is still attached to his rookie contract through 2025. The latter has similarly been a part-time defensive contributor this season, though, and his presence will be key down the stretch after the Bills dealt with multiple linebacker injuries earlier in the year. Spector, 26, was used almost exclusively on special teams during his first two seasons in the league but he has taken on an increased workload in 2024. With Terrel Bernard healthy and Matt Milano back in the fold, Buffalo’s LB situation is in a much better place now than it has been throughout the season.
In corresponding roster moves, offensive lineman Will Clapp and receiver Jalen Virgil were let go. Both players will now hit the waiver wire, although it is unlikely either of them will get claimed. Provided they reach free agency, they will be candidates to remain in the Bills’ organization via a practice squad deal.
Friday’s minor roster moves:
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
New England Patriots
San Francisco 49ers
Taylor was waived today in anticipation of everyone’s expectation that Christian McCaffrey will finally be coming off of injured reserve to make his season debut this week.
Virgil was previously on the Broncos but landed on waivers as part of final roster cuts before the start of the regular season. According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Denver tried desperately to sign him to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, but Virgil ultimately decided to sign with Buffalo’s practice squad. He’ll now get an opportunity on the team’s active roster after two standard gameday elevations this year.
Despite being a vested veteran, McMillan will need to clear waivers in order to be re-signed to the Patriots’ practice squad, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The team already has Joe Giles-Harris and Monty Rice on the practice squad at the position.
The Bills have activated outside linebacker Von Miller after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
The NFL did not specify why Miller was suspended, but the three-time All-Pro was arrested in December 2023 for a domestic violence charge that sparked a league investigation. Miller denied the allegations, and commissioner Roger Goodell declined to impose a suspension after initial review in March, but it is possible that additional details came to the league’s attention and forced them to act.
Miller’s suspension sidelined him for all four of the Bills’ games in October, but Buffalo still went 3-1 with that span, holding opponents to fewer than 16 points per game. Their pass rush took a small step back in Miller’s absence, recording eight sacks over their last four games after 12 in their first four.
Miller will return to a rotational role among the Bills’ edge rushers on Sunday against the Dolphins. 76.3% of his 93 defensive snaps this season were spent rushing the passer, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), consistent with Miller’s usage since arriving in Buffalo in 2022.
Miller agreed to a pay cut this offseason that reduced his 2024 salary from $17.5MM to $8.855MM, though he can earn up to $20MM with incentives. The move appears to be a shrewd one by the Bills as Miller’s suspension greatly reduced the chance that he can hit all of his incentives.
The Bills also used standard practice squad elevations on DT Eli Ankou and WR Jalen Virgil ahead of Sunday’s game
Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Teams have moved their rosters to 53 players. Here is how the Broncos pared theirs down to the regular-season limit:
Patrick and Perine trades did not come to fruition. Both veterans are heading to free agency. Patrick had been with the Broncos since joining their practice squad in 2017; only Garett Bolles has been on the team longer. But Denver has added several wide receivers under Sean Payton‘s watch. Patrick, a John Elway-era pickup who signed an extension under GM George Paton, became expendable for the younger talent. The 30-year-old wideout has recovered from the ACL and Achilles tears that prevented him from playing a down with Russell Wilson. Humphrey may well be a practice squad option, given his New Orleans past with Payton.
Perine, 28, has been connected to a Bengals return. The veteran backup/pass-down option can now sign anywhere he chooses. Perine set a career high in receiving yardage (455) during his one-and-done Broncos run; Denver’s dead money charge ($1.5MM) will likely be offset if/once Perine lands elsewhere.
Sanders sustained an Achilles tear this offseason. The 2023 third-round pick figures to be in the team’s plans for later this season, but he will miss time — at least four games, per the PUP designation — on his rehab trek. Mathis must also miss four games, having suffered a high ankle sprain. The third-year cornerback is slated to return at some point, and the Broncos are using an IR-return designation, dropping their number from eight to seven to start the season.
Burton was viewed as a safe bet to make the team, and while roster gymnastics — which are less useful now that this IR-return tweak is in the mix — could bring him back, he received word of a release. Burton is a nine-year vet who spent last season with the Broncos. Mustipher signed this offseason but was not viewed as a true contender for the center spot, which appears set to go to 2022 fifth-round pick Luke Wattenberg.
Many of these players figure to be brought back to Denver’s practice squad, which can be set beginning Wednesday. Sixteen players will fill out that unit.