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Dolphins, Odell Beckham Jr. Part Ways

December 16th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 16: Beckham has indeed cleared waivers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Although it only would have taken a roughly $200K payment to carry Beckham for the rest of the season, the NFL’s other 31 teams passed. For a second time, Beckham is now a free agent in-season.

DECEMBER 15: Pelissero reports Beckham has a shortlist of teams he is interested in joining for the closing weeks of the season (video link). That would of course become a moot point if he were to be claimed off waivers tomorrow. If Beckham clears and reaches free agency, though, he could look to join one of the teams he is targeting an agreement with.

DECEMBER 13: Odell Beckham Jr. entered 2024 with the expectation of serving as a complementary option in the Dolphins’ offense, but his role has still be smaller than anticipated. The veteran wideout will now see his Miami tenure come to an end.

Beckham asked to be let go, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The Dolphins will grant the request, he adds, meaning a move to the waiver wire will be forthcoming. Beckham is seeking an increased role on his next team, while playoff contenders may show interest in him as an insurance option for the stretch run. The Dolphins have now officially placed Beckham on waivers, where he will remain until Monday.

That will give teams plenty of time to contemplate putting in a claim; failing that, Beckham will become a free agent. The 32-year-old has made nine appearances since being activated from the PUP list in October. Over that span, however, he has registered only nine catches for 55 scoreless yards while handling a 20% snap share. Those figures could lead to several teams steering clear with respect to a waiver claim, although as Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes, Beckham is only owed roughly $200K for the rest of the campaign and is not on track to hit any incentive thresholds.

The three-time Pro Bowler had a lengthy free agency spell this past offseason as he recovered from a knee operation. He took on a one-year Dolphins deal with a base value of $3MM in anticipation of handling WR3 duties on his latest team. With that not being the case, team and player will move on as Miami seeks to remain in contention for a wild-card berth. The Dolphins’ offense has generally been less reliant on Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in 2024 than in years past, although over the past two games that pairing has served as the focal point of the offense.

Beckham had a one-and-done stint with the Ravens last season, one in which he posted a career-high 16.1 yards per catch. It came as no surprise that he was unable to secure anywhere near the $15MM he received in 2023 on his most recent pact, but this campaign can nevertheless be considered a disappointment. A small window of opportunity will exist for Beckham to rebuild his value to an extent if he manages to catch on with a team for the closing stages of the season, though.

The former Rams Super Bowl winner said ahead of the 2023 campaign he was giving thought to retirement. He has managed one more contract since then, but his status following the current season (regardless of if it includes an opportunity with another team) will be worth watching with respect to his career outlook.

Browns Activate DT Michael Hall, To Make Kicker Switch

December 15th, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Ely Allen

DECEMBER 15: Hopkins is a healthy scratch for the Browns’ matchup with the Chiefs. Cleveland has made its regular kicker — one it extended earlier this year — inactive, going with Patterson, who is now with a fifth team since February.

The Jaguars, Commanders, Jets, Falcons and Browns have employed Patterson since the 2025 league year began. Cleveland had used Patterson as a Hopkins injury replacement late last season, ultimately giving the veteran his job back once he recovered. Hopkins is not injured now, but the Browns are still going with Patterson.

DECEMBER 14: The Browns have announced their gameday transactions which include two activations from injured reserve and two standard gameday elevations. One of those elevations, that of kicker Riley Patterson, seems to insinuate a potential change in the depth chart.

Regular kicker Dustin Hopkins has been having the worst kicking year of his career. On the season, Hopkins has missed nine of his 25 attempts, including a miss from inside 30 yards and five misses from inside 50. Adding to an abysmal 64 percent field goal conversion rate are two missed extra point attempts out of 18 tries. The veteran’s inconsistency has been on display all season, but in Cleveland’s last four games, Hopkins has gone an atrocious two for seven (three for nine in the last five games).

Hopkins signed a three-year, $15.9MM extension to stay in Cleveland after missing only three kicks in 2023, making all eight tries from beyond 50 yards. Earlier this week, following a loss in which Hopkins missed his only two field goal attempts, head coach Kevin Stefanski doubled down on the beleaguered veteran, claiming that Hopkins is their kicker. It’s not clear whether or not Hopkins will open tomorrow’s contest with a bit of a leash or if Patterson’s promotion makes him the primary kicker on Sunday, but the elevation is worth noting, regardless, after Stefanski’s comments.

The two IR activations are both rookies: second-round defensive tackle from Ohio State Mike Hall Jr. and seventh-round South Dakota cornerback Myles Harden. Hall played in four games earlier this year after a delayed start to his rookie season and factored into the defensive line rotation pretty significantly, averaging just over 40 percent of the snap count each game. He’ll return in time to try and get his rookie season back on track.

Harden, on the other hand, was placed on IR shortly after Week 1, a game in which he did not appear, and would be making his NFL debut, should he get on the field. Both players are listed as questionable on the injury report after full practices on Friday.

The other standard gameday elevation joining Patterson off the practice squad tomorrow will be wide receiver and return man James Proche. In five games for the Browns this year, Proche has only three catches for 21 yards but has contributed to the return game with 13 punt returns for 119 yards.

Chiefs WR Marquise Brown Designated For Return

December 15th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Nikhil Mehta

DECEMBER 15: Not playing today, Brown may not be too far from making his elusive debut as a Chief. Good form in his return to practice has made the free agency addition a candidate to resurface in Kansas City’s Week 16 game against Houston, Rapoport offers. While Rashee Rice is done for the season, the Chiefs could have all their remaining wideouts ready to go soon.

DECEMBER 13: Brown is indeed set to practice today, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports. Activation in time for Week 15 could be in play as a result, although that would come as a surprise after very limited work in preparation for Kansas City’s upcoming game. Nevertheless, Brown should be back in the fold in time to see game action before the regular season ends.

DECEMBER 12: Marquise Brown has been cleared to practice, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, positioning the star wideout to get back on the field for the Chiefs after shoulder surgery on his SC joint in September put his season in doubt.

Reports of Brown’s potential to return this year initially emerged in November and intensified last week after the 27-year-old scheduled an appointment with his surgeon to receive final clearance to play. The appointment went well, according to Rapoport, setting up Brown to practice with his teammates for the first time in months.

Kansas City will still be cautious with Brown, who has dealt with several injuries in his football career dating back to his college days at Oklahoma. The team is expected to open Brown’s practice window on Friday or the following Monday. He will have 21 days to ramp up as the Chiefs figure out if he can contribute this season.

Brown’s return could be a massive boost for a Chiefs offense that ranks outside of the top six in passing yards for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. However, Brown is not guaranteed to have a major impact, as he has yet to play a single regular-season snap in Kansas City. He signed a one-year, $7MM contract this offseason, but injured his shoulder in mid-August, minimizing his practice time in a new offense.

Even if Brown is able to play again this year, he won’t be asked to shoulder an especially heavy snap count or playmaking role. Trade deadline acquisition DeAndre Hopkins has settled in well in Kansas City, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy has topped 40 yards in each of his last four weeks after doing so just twice over his first nine games. Putting Brown and Worthy on the field together would give Mahomes one of the fastest receiver tandems in the NFL, which could potentially open up more room for Hopkins and Travis Kelce to operate over the middle.

Commanders Activate Jamison Crowder, Elevate Greg Joseph

December 14th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jamison Crowder returned to practice this week, signaling that he could be an option for the Commanders in Week 15. The veteran receiver/returner has indeed been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

A calf injury suffered in Week 3 has kept Crowder out of the fold until this point. He is now healthy, though, and as a result he could take on a returner role for the closing stages of the season. Of course, playing time on offense could also be possible in Crowder’s case.

Noah Brown has been moved to injured reserve, which comes as no surprise. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday Brown is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign, and an IR stint ensures at least a four-week absence. Brown will therefore not be available until at least the wild-card round of the postseason should Washington (8-5) qualify. Crowder has made only 17 catches since joining the Commanders last year, so expectations in that regard will be limited upon return.

In other roster news, Washington has elevated Greg Joseph from the practice squad. The veteran kicker was added to the team’s taxi squad yesterday, and he will provide insurance at the position. Zane Gonzalez practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, but over the past two sessions he has been listed as a full participant. It would therefore come as a surprise if Gonzalez was forced to miss tomorrow’s game, but if that proves to be the case Joseph will be available to take his place.

The Commanders sit only 18th in the NFL in passing yards per game (221) despite rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ strong campaign. Losing Brown could deal a blow to the team’s offense given his status as the top complementary WR option to Terry McLaurin, but if Washington is to reach the playoffs he will not be part of the equation the rest of the way.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/24

December 14th, 2024 at 8:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Demercado has taken a backseat to Florida State third-round rookie Trey Benson, but he has averaged 9.3 yards per carry on 24 carries this year. Palardy will take over punting duties with Gillikin landing on injured reserve.

Jackson signed with Bills in late July, and although he was among the team’s final roster cuts he was immediately retained via a practice squad deal. This elevation means Week 15 will mark his first time spent on the active roster this season. The 36-year-old has started all but 10 of his 203 NFL games, but last season was marred by suspensions which led to his Broncos release. Jackson could suit up for Buffalo down the stretch as a gameday elevation in a bid to rebuild his stock to a degree.

With the playoffs nearly out of reach and quarterback Joe Burrow dealing with a few ailments (wrist and knee), the Bengals don’t seem to be taking any chances. Jake Browning will continue serving as the primary backup, while Woodside’s promotion will allow him to act as the emergency backup.

Adams has seen his biggest NFL roles during his time in Pittsburgh. Though he hasn’t gotten the same number of starts as he had in 2022 and 2023, he’s continued the same level of production. After missing the last four games, he’ll be looking to return to the field as early as tomorrow.

Texans Activate LB Christian Harris

December 14th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Christian Harris is set to make his season debut in Week 15. The third-year linebacker was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Texans announcement.

Harris was given the IR/designated for return designation made available for the first time this season during roster cutdowns. That move used up one of the team’s eight activations – two of which remain at this point – and ensured at least a four-game absence to begin the campaign. Harris has remained on the sidelines until now, but his return will be welcomed.

The 23-year-old returned to practice this week, a sign that he could be available for the stretch run. That will indeed be the case, and Harris could have an immediate path to playing time. A starter for 23 of his first 28 games, Harris is a candidate to see first-team action as early as tomorrow especially with Azeez Al-Shaair unavailable. The latter’s three-game suspension was upheld upon appeal, creating a vacancy in the starting lineup for the time being.

Harris logged a snap share of 89% as a rookie, an immediate sign of his importance to the Texans’ defense and his potential over the long term. The Alabama product saw his workload decline last year, but he recorded 101 tackles and a pair of sacks during the regular season. That was followed up by 15 total stops and a pick-six in the playoffs, leading to high expectations moving forward.

Harris’ calf injury has delayed his career progression, but Houston general manager Nick Caserio expressed optimism last week that a return to the lineup could take place shortly. That has proven to be the case, and Harris could play a key role for the Texans down the stretch. Sitting at 8-5 on the year, they are in position to win the AFC South and make another trip to the postseason; Harris could be an important figure over the remainder of the campaign on a unit which already ranks fifth in total defense.

Bills Activate DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Baylon Spector

December 14th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Colts Place T Braden Smith On Non-Football Illness List

December 14th, 2024 at 12:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Braden Smith‘s personal matter will keep him off the field for the rest of the season. The Colts announced that they’ve placed the offensive tackle on the reserve/non-football illness list. In a corresponding move, the team has promoted guard Mark Glowinski from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation.

Smith sat out Indy’s Week 13 contest while dealing with the unreported personal issue, and the team was off during their Week 14 bye. When the Colts return to the field tomorrow, they’ll be without their starting OT, and they’ll have to navigate the rest of the season without the veteran.

The 2018 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Colts, starting 92 of his 94 appearances (plus another three playoff starts). Pro Football Focus has generally graded Smith as one of the league’s better OTs, including a 2023 campaign where he ranked fifth among 81 qualifying players. In 2024, Smith ranks 46th among 81 qualifiers.

Still attached to a four-year, $72.4MM contract he inked in 2021, Smith has struggled to stay on the field in recent years. With the lineman now out for the 2024 campaign, Smith will have missed at least five games in three of the past four years. Third-round rookie Matt Goncalves will continue to fill in at right tackle for the rest of the season.

Colts center Ryan Kelly won’t be activated for tomorrow’s game, meaning Tanor Bortolini will continue to start for the squad. With two OL mainstays out of the lineup, Glowinski will provide some veteran depth in case the Colts lose another blocker. Glowinski had a four-year stint as the Colts starting right guard before he left for the Giants during the 2022 offseason. The 32-year-old was cut back in March, but it took him until November to catch on with Indy’s practice squad.

Chiefs Waive K Matthew Wright, Activate K Harrison Butker

December 14th, 2024 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

Days after earning the Special Teams Player of the Week award, Matthew Wright has been cut. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have waived their fill-in kicker. In a corresponding move, the Chiefs have activated starting kicker Harrison Butker from IR, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Wright represented Kansas City’s third kicker of the 2024 campaign. Butker suffered a knee injury last month that ultimately landed him on injured reserve. The Chiefs initially turned to Jets practice squad kicker Spencer Shrader, who got into two games with the Chiefs. However, Shrader suffered a hamstring injury that also required a stint on IR, leading the Chiefs to add Wright from their practice squad to the active roster.

Over the past two weeks, Wright has been responsible for 26 of the Chiefs’ 38 points. This included a performance from last weekend where the kicker connected on all four of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning attempt that doinked off the upright before going in.

Wright has been called on as a fill-in throughout his career. Since 2020, he’s made appearances with five different squads, and he’s had offseason and/or practice squad gigs with a handful of additional teams. In total, he’s connected on 86.4 percent of his field goal tries and 95.2 percent of his XP attempts. He got his longest look as a starter in 2021 with the Jaguars, when he converted 21 of his 24 FGAs.

The Chiefs will now turn back to Butker, who’s served as the team’s kicker since the 2017 campaign. The veteran’s knee injury popped up in mid-November and ultimately required arthroscopic surgery. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Butker only ended up needing a minimum stay on IR, as the 29-year-old will return to the field after missing only four games.

Butker’s injury followed an offseason where the Chiefs made him the league’s highest-paid kicker with a $6.4MM-per-year deal. In nine games this year, the veteran has connected on 18 of his 20 field goal attempts and 21 of his 22 XP tries. Butker finished last season having converted a career-high 94.3 percent of his field goal tries and all 38 of his extra point attempts, and he was perfect during the Chief’s subsequent Super Bowl run.

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