Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Friday’s practice squad transactions:
New York Jets
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
Today’s only minor move:
Tennessee Titans
Taking the 53-man roster spot of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury, Gifford’s promotion is an expected one. The veteran linebacker has been a standard gameday practice squad elevation in the first three games of the season so far. The NFL restricts practice squad players to only three such elevations in one contract. In order for Gifford to continue appearing in games, Tennessee is signing him to a new active roster deal. If they so choose, the Titans can release Gifford after this game and re-sign him to the practice squad, restarting his three-game limit.
SEPTEMBER 27: Awuzie has indeed been placed on IR, per a team announcement. A notable absence is thus in store as the team looks to rebound from an underwhelming start to the campaign.
SEPTEMBER 23: A groin injury might lead to an extended absence for Chidobe Awuzie. The veteran corner could be placed on injured reserve, Titans head coach Brian Callahan said on Monday. 
[RELATED: Will Levis To Remain Titans’ Starting QB]
An IR move would guarantee at least a four-game absence. Callahan said injured reserve is “definitely a possibility” at this point (h/t Terry McCormick of Titans Insider), so it would come as no surprise if the team were to take that route. Missing Awuzie for any period will leave the 0-3 Titans without a starter in the secondary.
The 29-year-old began his career with the Cowboys before a three-year stint with the Bengals. Awuzie followed Callahan from Cincinnati to Tennessee this offseason on a three-year, $36MM pact. That commitment illustrates the Titans’ confidence in the second-rounder’s ability to return to his pre-2022 ACL tear form. Awuzie started all three games during his debut campaign in Nashville, collecting four tackles.
Tennessee also has returnee Roger McCreary in place at the cornerback spot, along with trade acquisition L’Jarius Sneed. The latter was franchise-tagged by the Chiefs this offseason, but team and player were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal, prompting the trade. Sneed inked a four-year, $76.4MM contract upon arrival with the Titans, and he will be counted on to remain a focal point in the secondary with Awuzie out of the picture.
Jarvis Brownlee is now in position to take on a starting role for the Titans. The fifth-round rookie has played each game so far this year, logging a minor defensive role in addition to a notable special teams workload. In terms of depth, Tre Avery is a candidate to be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster while Awuzie recovers.
The Titans fell to 0-3 on Sunday, and quarterback Will Levis‘ struggles continued. Head coach Brian Callahan confirmed after the game that no change will be made on the depth chart, though. 
“Oh yeah,” the first-year coach confirmed when asked if Levis would still operate as Tennessee’s starter (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport). “We’ve also got to play better around him. I’m not going to overreact to an interception. Those things happen, guys throw picks, we just can’t give it to their team. It’s a killer. But we’ve not played a complete game in any phase at any point yet.”
Levis threw a pair of interceptions and lost a fumble during today’s loss to the Packers. That gives the 2023 second-rounder eight turnovers on the year, one in which he was expected to develop into the team’s long-term starter under Callahan. Giveaways at critical times have been a constant during the early portion of the campaign, and Levis’ ability to eliminate them will be key for his own acclimation to the NFL and to the Titans’ 2024 success.
Of course, Week 3 featured a matchup between Tennessee and former quarterback Malik Willis. The Titans tapped veteran Mason Rudolph as their backup signal-caller during the offseason, trading Willis to Green Bay shortly before the campaign. With the Packers showing disappointment in Sean Clifford (who was retained after roster cutdowns) and Michael Pratt (who was not), Willis found himself second on the depth chart at the start of the year. Jordan Love‘s MCL injury left Willis in place to start over each of the past two games, both victories.
If a change were to be made by Callahan and Co., Rudolph would take over. The 29-year-old has 13 starts to his name, each of which came during his lengthy Steelers tenure. Rudolph served as Pittsburgh’s QB1 to close out the 2023 campaign even after Kenny Pickett returned to full health, although the team cleaned house under center during the offseason. That left Rudolph in need of a new team, and he inked a one-year deal featuring $2.7MM guaranteed.
Callahan’s comments confirm Levis will remain in place for the time being, but questions about his status will no doubt continue if his turnover issues carry over into future games. The Kentucky product has totaled 579 passing yards and four touchdowns to date in 2024, adding sparse production on the ground and taking 15 sacks. More passing efficiency and overall stability from the QB spot will be the target moving forward. If that does not come to bear, however, it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds.
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.
Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.
The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.
With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.
Nine NFL teams have started the regular season with an 0-2 record. Some teams (Panthers, Broncos) are experiencing expected struggles, with others (Ravens, Rams) disappointing fans hoping for a playoff run.
Since 2015, 74 teams have opened the year with back-to-back losses, (h/t James Boyd of The Athletic). Just eight qualified for the postseason, a 10.8% rate that suggests only one of this season’s 0-2 starters will make the playoffs.
The Ravens were a toe away from taking the Chiefs into overtime (or attempting a do-or-die two-point try) in Week 1 before blowing yet another double-digit fourth-quarter lead to the Raiders in Week 2. Baltimore gambled on a new-look offensive line after jettisoning three veteran starters during the offseason, and the results thus far have not been encouraging. Lamar Jackson faced heavy pressure at crucial moments across his first two games, with right guard Daniel Faalele struggling in his conversion from tackle. First-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr is dealing with the same early hiccups that his predecessor Mike Macdonald did back in 2022, surrendering a league-high 257 passing yards per game.
Unlike past years, though, Baltimore has started the season healthy, and it is capable of winning almost any game with Jackson under center. Several young Ravens like Odafe Oweh, Travis Jones, Zay Flowers, and Isaiah Likely have begun the year with promising starts, too, so the team has plenty of reason to remain optimistic about its long-term playoff chances. The Ravens will need to win at least two of their next three against the Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals to avoid a near-insurmountable 1-4 hole.
The division-rival Bengals are also 0-2, scoring just 10 points in Week 1 against the Patriots and losing to the Chiefs on a field goal as time expired. Ja’Marr Chase‘s hold-in did not extend into the regular season, but his lack of practice time and Tee Higgins‘ hamstring injury has hindered Cincinnati’s downfield passing game. The running back committee of Zack Moss and Chase Brown is a clear downgrade from Joe Mixon, and Cincinnati’s defense has struggled to apply pressure outside of Trey Hendrickson.
Cincinnati’s minus-7 point differential is the best of any 0-2 team, and the offense will likely improve as Chase gets more reps and Higgins recovers. The Bengals’ secondary has allowed the second-fewest pass yards through two weeks, and that includes a matchup with Patrick Mahomes. Cincinnati’s season will rely on keeping its three offensive stars healthy. A search for a pass rusher at the trade deadline to pair with Hendrickson may also be avenue the team explores.
The Rams hoped Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp returning to full health would pair with last year’s breakthroughs from Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams to create one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Injuries to Kupp and Nacua, plus starting offensive linemen Joe Noteboom, Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson, have decimated the Los Angeles offense — a clear factor in their Week 2 41-10 blowout loss to the Cardinals. The Rams also have three defensive backs on injured reserve, leaving their secondary shorthanded and placing a burden on a young front seven that lost Aaron Donald to retirement in the offseason.
That young defensive front has plenty of talent in second-year players Kobie Turner and Byron Young and rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. They will need to step up their play over the next several weeks to keep the Rams afloat as the offense desperately tries to get healthy in time for a late-season playoff push.
The Jaguars‘ anemic offense has emerged as the team’s biggest issue to start the season, as Trevor Lawrence‘s 51.0% completion rate is the second-lowest in the league. The fourth-year QB needs more consistency from his pass-catching group, with none of Lawrence’s targets having more than six receptions yet. The defense has allowed just 38 points, a top-10 mark, but has not forced any turnovers that could have impacted in the team’s one-score losses.
The Colts are dealing with the highs and lows of quarterback Anthony Richardson, as the second-year QB has produced some of the best throws of the young season while also owning the league’s lowest completion percentage (49.1%) and most interceptions (four). Veteran Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Adonai Mitchell have both struggled to find a rhythm on offense, and the defense has been gashed on the ground in both games.
Richardson’s continued development will advance the offense, which has plenty of potential with a strong offensive line and a fully healthy Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis’ defense remains its biggest impediment to the postseason. Outside of the interior defensive duo of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, the Colts lack both consistent contributors and impact playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. And Buckner is now on IR.
The Titans have lost each of their first two games by a touchdown and have yet to score a point in the fourth quarter. Two of Will Levis‘ three primary receivers are new additions, as is running back Tony Pollard. As a result, Tennessee’s offense is a work in progress as the franchise’s decision-makers evaluate if Levis is the QB of the future. Defensively, the Titans have stars at all three levels: defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, linebacker Harold Landry and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The addition of Ernest Jones via preseason trade with the Rams may well be a shrewd move to shore up the middle, giving Tennessee the framework of a high-upside defense.
First-round pick Malik Nabers has been among the few bright spots during the Giants‘ 0-2 start, recording 15 catches for 193 yards to open the year. Daniel Jones has largely struggled when not targeting Nabers behind an offensive line with multiple new pieces. New York’s defense allowed efficient passing performances from Sam Darnold and Jayden Daniels while surrendering 5.3 yards per rushing attempt in Weeks 1 and 2. Offseason addition Brian Burns and 2022 first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux have yet to record sacks this season, making life harder for a young Giants secondary.
The Giants considered trading up for a rookie QB during this past draft, indicating that Jones’ future in New York depends on his performance this season. Either he succeeds, and the Giants stick with him and his contract, or he struggles and is replaced before next season, giving general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll the chance to save their tenure. This duo may not be on the hot seat presently, but this trajectory would point to temperatures rising before season’s end.
Sean Payton landed on first-rounder Bo Nix as his starting quarterback in Denver, and the rookie’s early struggles have only amplified the overall talent deficiency on the roster. Nix’s four interceptions and a virtually nonexistent running game have hindered the offense thus far, putting the defense in disadvantageous positions in both games. The Broncos’ underrated defensive line has gotten pressure on opposing QBs, but the team will need more than just Patrick Surtain in the secondary to stay in games with such a limited offense.
The Panthers benched Bryce Young after their 0-2 start, which included three interceptions and league-lows in points (13) and passing yards (245). A season-ending meniscus tear for Derrick Brown has added injury to insult to a Carolina franchise with little talent or direction at the moment. Switching to Andy Dalton at quarterback may stabilize the offense and aid the development of its young playmakers, but that still provides no long-term solution under center.
Which of these teams has the best chance to beat the above-referenced odds and rebound en route to the playoffs? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
In the wake of Jordan Love‘s injury, a report indicated the Packers reached out to free agent quarterback Ryan Tannehill. No negotiations took place with the veteran, who remains unsigned through the first two weeks of the regular season. 
Tannehill was injured midway through the 2023 season, opening the door to Will Levis replacing him as Tennessee’s starter. Levis was drafted as the team’s next franchise passer, so it came as no surprise Tannehill was not re-signed. Interest emerged during the offseason, but the 36-year-old opted to remain patient while weighing his options. That is still the case as things currently stand.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Tannehill remains “very selective” with respect to an NFL return in 2024. The chance to serve as a team’s starter for the remainder of the campaign, in addition to joining a playoff contender, is a top priority for the former first-rounder. That report echoes one from earlier this month which confirmed nothing was imminent on the Tannehill front. Love’s MCL sprain is not expected to require a long-term absence, and the Packers won their Week 2 matchup with Malik Willis under center.
The most recent injury suffered by a starting quarterback, of course, is Tua Tagovailoa‘s concussion. That has him out of the picture for the time being, although a recovery timetable is not in place. Miami will turn to Skylar Thompson in his absence, and the team added Tyler Huntley as a new backup option on Monday. A return to South Beach in Tannehill’s case is therefore highly unlikely.
The Texas A&M product spent his first six NFL seasons with the Dolphins before a five-year stint in Tennessee. Tannehill earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in addition to a Pro Bowl nod during his first Titans campaign (2019). He helped guide the team to three playoff appearances during his time there, but injuries were a factor in each of his final two seasons with Tennessee, a team which moved on from head coach Mike Vrabel in the offseason to add a new voice – Brian Callahan – suited to develop Levis.
Another major QB injury may be needed for Tannehill to generate serious interest in joining a new team. In the meantime, he will remain one of the top free agents on the market at any position as the season progresses.
Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.
Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
Carolina Panthers
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Tennessee Titans