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49ers To Activate Christian McCaffrey; RB Will Make Season Debut Sunday

November 9th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 9: The 49ers made it official today, activating their star running back off of injured reserve. The team waived Taylor yesterday in anticipation of the move, so the active roster is now at 53 men. McCaffrey will make his season debut against the 49ers tomorrow.

NOVEMBER 8: All the signs have been pointing to this outcome, and now, it finally seems to be becoming a reality: Christian McCaffrey is back. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the star running back will finally make his 2024 season debut in Tampa Bay this Sunday for the 49ers. While he has not yet been activated from injured reserve, Rapoport’s language doesn’t leave much room for doubt as he claims McCaffrey “is going to play Sunday.”

McCaffrey missed time in the summer with an Achilles issue which did not immediately seem to threaten his availability for the regular season. The 28-year-old was ultimately placed on IR, however, before taking a trip to Germany to see a specialist. A period of recovery was in place upon return before McCaffrey began a ramp-up phase in his rehab.

About a month ago, the three-time Pro Bowler resumed on-field work, and he has not encountered any setbacks since. On Monday, the 49ers opened McCaffrey’s activation window, requiring him to be moved to the active roster within three weeks in order to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. The intention was never for him to use the full 21-day practice window; the 49ers fully intended for him to play this weekend.

While San Francisco has surely missed its star rusher, the 49ers have been fully appreciative of Jordan Mason‘s breakout season. Mason has filled in admirably over nine weeks as the team’s lead back, currently ranking fourth in the NFL in rushing yards. Joined by rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo out of Louisville, the team’s tandem has totaled 912 rushing yards for four touchdowns in eight games.

Despite the admirable performance of the backups, McCaffrey’s presence represents a major upgrade for the 49ers offense. As a second-time first-team All-Pro in his first full season with the 49ers last year, McCaffrey led the league in rushing yards (1,459), scrimmage yards (2,023), and total touchdowns (21). McCaffrey is one of the league’s best offensive weapons and will immediately improve an already top-10 offense.

Initial thoughts indicate that, coming back from a serious injury, McCaffrey may be on a snap count, but Rapoport speculates that San Francisco will have a difficult time taking McCaffrey off the field. Luckily, the veteran running back was a full participant at practice today, hinting that he may be full-go on Sunday, as well.

The 49ers have already waived running back Patrick Taylor, so all that remains to be done is for the team to officially activate McCaffrey from IR. Once they do so, the 49ers — currently third place in the NFC West — could very well be on their way back to the front of the division race.

Jaguars Activate WR Devin Duvernay, S Andrew Wingard

November 9th, 2024 at 2:23pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars are getting some reinforcements this week. At 2-7 in the basement of the AFC South, it seems likely that a run for the playoffs is not in the cards for 2024. Still, as injuries continue to beleaguer Jacksonville, they’ll take all the help they can get. That help comes today in the form of safety Andrew Wingard and return man Devin Duvernay, who are being activated from injured reserve.

The Jaguars knew Wingard would be unavailable early in the season after the veteran safety suffered a knee injury in training camp. At the time, Jacksonville was hosting a position battle between Antonio Johnson and Terrell Edmunds for the starting safety spot next to Andre Cisco to open the year. Edmunds ended up on the practice squad and eventually was re-signed by the Steelers, who drafted him in the first round in 2018. Johnson and Darnell Savage have worked together to fill in the starting safety spots with Cisco.

Wingard provides some starting depth in the secondary. He’s not a full-time starter for the team but did start 15 games for the team in 2021. He’s started 26 games in his five seasons in Jacksonville. While he’s not necessarily a gamechanger, the Jaguars will take any help they can help for a defense that ranks 29th in points allowed, 30th in yards allowed, and 31st in passing yards allowed.

Duvernay’s influence is solely on special teams. While he did have a couple decent receiving contributions during his time in Baltimore, his experience in his first year with the Jaguars has come with minimal time on offense. Despite having missed the last four games, Duvernay still leads the team with a combined 12 kickoff and punt returns.

During Duvernay’s absence, though, the Jaguars may have found someone more worthy of the role. A sixth-round pick from last year, Parker Washington has been electric in the return game for Jacksonville. A 96-yard punt return for a touchdown easily pushes Washington’s yardage and per return average over Duvernay’s. On kick returns both Washington and running back Tank Bigsby average more yards per return than Duvernay, though Bigsby may not be an option with Travis Etienne‘s recent injuries.

The Jaguars have a lot of work to do if they have any hopes of making a run here to end the season. As injuries continue to plague the team in Duval, seeing players become healthy and add depth is crucial.

Steelers Cut S Terrell Edmunds

November 9th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Terrell Edmunds‘ second stint with the Steelers has come to an end. The team announced today that they’ve released the veteran safety. Edmunds will now be subject to waivers before officially hitting free agency.

Edmunds was snagged off the Jaguars practice squad in early September and proceeded to get into five games with Pittsburgh. He was splitting time between defense and special teams in 2024, getting into each of the Steelers five games before their bye. This past week, the veteran missed a handful of practices with an illness designation.

The former first-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, starting 75 of his 84 appearances while compiling 417 tackles, five sacks, and five interceptions. He joined the Eagles ahead of the 2023 campaign but was dealt to the Titans midway through that season. He spent this past preseason with the Jaguars before landing on Jacksonville’s taxi squad to begin the campaign.

The Steelers weren’t done making moves today, as both linebacker Tyler Matakevich and wideout Ben Skowronek were activated from IR. Matakevich (hamstring) and Skowronek (shoulder) both suffered injuries in Week 2 that ultimately landed them on IR. The duo will likely make their main contributions on special teams for the stretch run of the season.

To make more room on the roster, the team also cut running back Jonathan Ward. The veteran journeyman got into four games with Pittsburgh this season, collecting 22 yards from scrimmage on five touches.

Patriots Claim DE Yannick Ngakoue

November 9th, 2024 at 12:15pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

SATURDAY, 12:15pm: The Bengals were the only other team to make a claim on Ngakoue, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

FRIDAY, 3:55pm: The Patriots have claimed Yannick Ngakoue off waivers after the veteran pass-rusher was waived by the Ravens on Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Ngakoue recorded 1.5 sacks in 87 defensive snaps across five games with the Ravens this season, his second stint in Baltimore after arriving as a trade deadline acquisition in 2020. The Ravens needed to make room on their 53-man roster for the activation of Keaton Mitchell from the Physically Unable to Perform list, forcing them to waive Ngakoue despite his rotational role in the pass rush since signing him to the practice squad in September.

Since Ngakoue was cut by the Ravens after the trade deadline, he was subject to waivers rather than becoming a free agent and choosing his next team. Now, he will join the 2-7 Patriots, his seventh different NFL team since 2019.

The Patriots traded Josh Uche to the Chiefs last week, leaving them thin at edge rusher. Ngakoue will only cost the Patriots $656,667 – the remaining portion of his veteran minimum salary – for the rest of the season.

New England’s pass rush has struggled this season with just 16 sacks, the fourth-fewest in the league. Ngakoue’s 1.5 sacks rank fourth on the team’s active roster, behind Keion White, Deatrich Wise, and Jaquelin Roy.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/24

November 8th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

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.

Commanders To Sign Zane Gonzalez

November 8th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders are signing Zane Gonzalez to their practice squad after a workout with the team, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Washington’s starting kicker, Austin Seibert, has been dealing with a hip issue in practice this week, raising doubt about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.

Gonzalez owns a career field goal percentage of 80.5% with an extra point conversion rate of 94.8% after 63 appearances with the Browns, Cardinals, and Panthers since 2017. He has not played in the NFL since 2021, though it was the best season of his career with 20 of 22 field goal attempts made, including a career-long 57-yarder.

If Seibert is unable to play on Sunday, the Commanders will elevate Gonzalez from the practice squad to replace him.

Losing a kicker for a week isn’t disastrous for an NFL team, but Seibert has been one of the NFL’s best this season with 25 makes on 27 attempts, both league-highs. He has also converted all 22 extra point attempts to ensure the Commanders are getting the most out of their explosive offense.

The Commanders also worked out former Packers kicker Brayden Narveson, per Garafolo. Both kickers made all but one kick in their workout, but Washington opted for Gonzalez due to his familiarity with the coaching staff. He played under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona in 2019 and 2020 when Kingsbury was the Cardinals’ head coach.

Texans Designate WR Nico Collins For Return, Place G Kenyon Green On IR

November 8th, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans’ receiving corps could see a notable boost in time for Week 10. The team announced on Friday that wideout Nico Collins has been designated for return.

Collins now has 21 days to practice before being activated or reverting to season-ending IR. A hamstring injury shut him down for a four-game stretch, interrupting his impressive start to the campaign. The 25-year-old led the NFL in receiving yards at the time of the injury, and Houston’s passing attack has suffered in his absence.

Of course, the Texans’ WR room was dealt another blow recently when Stefon Diggs suffered an ACL tear. The pending free agent will miss the remainder of the season as a result, but Collins being back in the fold would compensate for that to an extent. Houston was optimistic the latter could be back in the fold this week, so today’s move comes as little surprise. It will be interesting to see how involved Collins is in today’s practice and as such what his status is for Sunday night’s contest.

The Michigan product landed an extension this offseason, and he is now attached to a $24.25MM-per-year deal. Collins faces high expectations as a result, but his 113.4 receiving yards per game when healthy this year suggests he is capable of living up to them over the long term. He will reprise his WR1 role once activated, with second-year wideout Tank Dell operating in a key complementary role. The Texans were floated as a potential buyer at the receiver position ahead of the trade deadline, but no moves were made on that front.

Houston was also considered a team to watch with respect to making an addition along the offensive line given the team’s struggles up front. Another reason to be active, of course, was the injury to guard Kenyon Green; the former first-rounder is dealing with a dislocated shoulder and has now officially be placed on injured reserve. After suffering the injury in Week 9, that was the expected outcome. Green could return at some point in the year, depending on his rehab process and how deep of a run the Texans make should they qualify for the postseason.

The team has five IR activations remaining as things stand. That figure will drop to four once Collins is brought back into the fold, but his return will be welcomed on offense as the 6-3 Texans prepare for a primetime matchup against the Lions in their attempt to remain in control of the AFC South.

Jets Waive K Riley Patterson, Sign K Anders Carlson To Practice Squad

November 8th, 2024 at 10:41am CST by Adam La Rose

Riley Patterson made a single appearance for the Jets, but his time with the team may be coming to an end. The veteran kicker was waived on Friday, per a team announcement.

Patterson was added in the wake of Greg Zuerlein‘s injury, one which landed him on injured reserve. Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad initially, and to no surprise New York went with experience in Week 9. Patterson was elevated for that contest, and he connected on all three of his extra point attempts in the Jets’ 21-13 win.

In spite of that success (and the continued presence of Schrader on the taxi squad), Patterson will now hit the waiver wire as a post-trade deadline cut. Any interested team could put in a claim, but if that does not happen the 25-year-old will be free to remain with New York by re-signing to the practice squad. Patterson is a veteran of 40 games, and he has a career accuracy rate of 88.1% on field goals while connecting on 96 of his 100 extra point kicks. To fill his roster spot, defensive tackle Bruce Hector was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

Today’s move does not necessarily pave the way for Schrader to handle kicking duties moving forward, however. The Jets have signed Anders Carlson to the practice squad, giving the 2023 Packers draftee another opportunity. Carlson joined the 49ers last month after Jake Moody‘s injury replacement (Matthew Wright) suffered an injury of his own. Carlson wound up making a pair of appearances for San Francisco, going five-for-five on field goals and three-for-four on extra points. He was let go after the 49ers reunited with safety Tashaun Gipson on Tuesday.

Consistency in the kicking game – regardless of who it comes from – would be a welcomed development for the Jets considering Zuerlein’s struggles before his injury. The 36-year-old received a vote of confidence earlier in the week from general manager Joe Douglas (as noted by ESPN’s Rich Cimini), but once healthy Zuerlein figures to have competition for his spot.

Panthers Extend RB Chuba Hubbard

November 7th, 2024 at 10:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ahead of the trade deadline, it was clear the Panthers would not be willing to deal away Chuba Hubbard. The fourth-year running back was on track to reach free agency this offseason, but that is no longer the case.

Hubbard and the Panthers have agreed to a four-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal (which is now official) has a base value of $33.2MM, but it can increase by $5MM through incentives. In terms of guaranteed compensation, Hubbard will receive $15MM fully locked in.

The Athletic’s Joe Person predicted on Thursday that Hubbard would translate his 2024 campaign, on track to be the best of his career, into a new contract before the end of the year (subscription required). That has proven to be accurate, and the 25-year-old Canadian will now be on the books through 2028. Hubbard has handled RB1 duties for much of the past two seasons despite the presence of Miles Sanders, and his 14.8 carries per game are slightly higher than last year’s workload. He is averaging 5.0 yards per attempt in 2024, the best mark of his career.

After Christian McCaffrey was traded away midway through the 2022 campaign, the door opened for other Panthers to take on a larger workload in the backfield. Hubbard has been the primary beneficiary of that move, and the Oklahoma State product topped 1,100 scrimmage yards while rushing for five touchdowns last year. Hubbard has already matched the latter figure through nine games this season, and he is comfortably on pace reach 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time in 2024.

Sanders landed a four-year, $25.4MM deal on the open market last offseason, leading to high expectations with Carolina. He has not managed to live up to them so far, though, and Hubbard’s success has relegated the former Eagle to a minor role on offense. That could especially be true moving forward with second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks now healthy. None of Sanders’ base salaries for 2025 or ’26 are guaranteed, making him a logical cut candidate for the upcoming offseason.

With a base value of $8.3MM per season, Hubbard’s pact places him ninth amongst running backs in terms of annual average value. The former fourth-rounder will be expected to continue delivering in the backfield now and in the future as the Panthers sort out their quarterback situation. Bryce Young‘s tenure with the franchise beyond 2024 remains uncertain, but stability in the backfield will be welcomed.

It will be interesting to see how the Hubbard-Brooks tandem takes shape now that both are in the picture. Brooks will be attached to his rookie contract through 2027, so for several years the Panthers’ situation at the running back spot appears to be settled.

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