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Cards Open Matt Prater’s Practice Window

December 18th, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Prater‘s age-40 season stalled months ago. The Cardinals placed the veteran kicker on IR, and it later became known he underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear.

The team had not given up on Prater coming back before season’s end, and he will have a shot to help a playoff push. Prater is back at Cardinals practice, being designated to return from IR. Prater has been out since Week 4.

Chad Ryland has served as the Cards’ kicker since, having made 22 of 26 field goals and all 18 of his extra point tries. Prater is, however, one of this era’s best kickers. He has been a full-time kicker since the 2007 season. The former Broncos and Lions specialist has been with the Cardinals since 2021.

On his second Cardinals contract, Prater is moving toward free agency. He resides as the NFL’s oldest kicker presently, being a few months older than fellow 40-year-old Nick Folk, and sits among the few 40-somethings still in the league. This season, Prater was 6 of 6 on field goals and 10-for-10 on PATs. This included a 57-yard make prior to the IR stint.

Prater tore the meniscus in his plant leg. Formerly holding the NFL record for the longest field goal (64 yards as a Bronco in 2013), Prater has set and matched the Cardinals’ mark — via 62-yarders in 2021 and ’23. It would surprise if the Cards stayed with Ryland for much longer, but Prater will need to prove he is healthy while in his IR-return window.

Eagles Designate Bryce Huff For Return

December 18th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles generated interesting defensive end news Tuesday, with a Brandon Graham return in a Super Bowl appearance now on the radar. Through a shorter-term lens, the 12-2 team is close to having another key piece back.

Bryce Huff is returning to practice; the Eagles have started his 21-day activation clock. Philadelphia lost Huff in November, as a wrist surgery shut him down. The free agency addition has not yet clicked with his new team, but with Graham out for an extended period, any help will be appreciated from a surging team.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Although recent information has pegged the Jets as more interested in keeping Huff than initial reports suggested, the Eagles came in with a strong offer (three years, $51.1MM) early during the legal tampering period. Philly effectively swapped out Haason Reddick for Huff, trading the former to the Jets weeks later. Thus far, neither team has seen much in the way of production from the edge rushers. Reddick has a half-sack in seven games; Huff has 2.5 in 10.

Used as a pass rush specialist in New York, Huff had seen the Eagles reduce his workload before he hit IR. While Huff has yet to eclipse a 54% snap rate in an Eagles game, he logged only 32 defensive snaps over his most recent three games. The fifth-year pass rusher will need to do far more to justify the payday, but with Graham out, a door will be open to more work following this wrist procedure.

Huff finished with a Jets-high 10 sacks last season, helping Robert Saleh‘s third Gang Green defense to a third-place finish in yardage. The Eagles have shown tremendous improvement under Vic Fangio, having recovered from a disastrous 2023 finish on defense. After cratering during last season’s second half, Philly’s defense leads the NFL in points and yardage allowed. Huff will rejoin Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith on the edge for the Eagles, who have managed this remarkable rebound without rivaling the kind of sack production they generated in 2022. Smith’s 3.5 sacks sit second on the team — behind Sweat’s eight.

Philly will need to make it work with Huff, who has $16.75MM in guaranteed base salary on tap in 2025. If Huff’s slow start can be largely traced to this injury, the former Joe Douglas UDFA find could be an interesting wild card as the Eagles make a push to claim the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the second time in three years.

Texans Activate G Kenyon Green From IR

December 18th, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans recently made some changes on their offensive front, moving Tytus Howard back to left guard and inserting rookie Blake Fisher into the lineup at right tackle. Kenyon Green‘s injury was among the drivers for that reconfiguration.

Green, however, is now back on the 53-man roster. The Texans activated the former No. 15 overall pick Wednesday, ending his 21-day ramp-up period. Houston now only has one injury activation remaining until the regular season ends. The team would pick up two more in the playoffs, however, offering more flexibility than last year, when the Texans burned through their eight activations during the regular season.

More significantly through a long-term lens, Green has not justified the team’s 2022 investment. The Texans used the first of their Deshaun Watson-obtained picks to trade down for Green, the top guard chosen in 2022. But the Texas A&M alum has struggled with injuries and performance as a pro. Although Green reclaimed the Texans’ LG job out of training camp, it will be interesting to see how the team uses him moving forward.

Pro Football Focus slots Green as the NFL’s worst guard regular this season, placing him 76th by a notable margin. This is in line with how the advanced metrics website viewed Green’s rookie season, as it also ranking him last that year. The former SEC standout then missed all of 2023 due to a shoulder injury. He sustained another shoulder setback in November, leading to the most recent IR placement.

While Green rehabbed and slimmed down a bit in time for an offseason push to win his job back, he has encountered tough sledding upon return. The Texans presumably want Howard to settle at a position, and they did draft Fisher in this year’s second round. This could point to strong consideration being given to moving Howard inside. The configuration the team used in Week 15 also included backup center Jarrett Patterson, as Juice Scruggs is out. The 2023 second-round pick is not on IR, however, as Houston keeps its options open down the stretch.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/24

December 17th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

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

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24

December 17th, 2024 at 9:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.

The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.

Chargers Designate Hayden Hurst To Return From IR

December 17th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers designated Hayden Hurst to return from injured reserve on Monday, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, giving the veteran tight end 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster.

Hurst was placed on injured reserve on November 25 with a hip injury, but returned to practice as soon as his minimum four-week IR period ended. The Chargers have a short week ahead of a Thursday night matchup with the Broncos, but Hurst could play if he practices fully this week.

Even if Hurst returns right away, he won’t see a major role in the offense. He only saw 10 targets in the Chargers’ first four games with just two since. Will Dissly has taken over as the team’s top tight end in the meantime, and Stone Smartt has emerged as a more effective secondary option with 104 yards on eight receptions in his last two games.

Hurst’s reunion with offensive coordinator Greg Roman has not gone as planned. The Chargers hoped to revitalize the career of the former first-rounder in Roman’s tight end-heavy scheme, but Hurst is heading towards career-low numbers in several receiving categories.

Barring a major turnaround over the next three games, Hurst will likely be looking for his sixth different NFL team since 2019. Dissly is signed through 2026 and Smartt will be easy to retain this offseason as a restricted free agent, making Hurst surplus to requirements in Los Angele. Even finding a new home might be difficult, as he will turn 32 before the 2025 season begins and lacks a proven track record as a pass-catcher.

Rams Activate TE Tyler Higbee

December 17th, 2024 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams needed to activate Tyler Higbee from the reserve/PUP list this week, and rather than ensure the veteran tight end missed the whole season, the team is moving him back to the 53-man roster.

Down with an ACL tear sustained in a 2023 wild-card game, Higbee has spent the season on the PUP list. The Rams designated the ninth-year player for return on November 27, giving them until Wednesday to activate him before a move to season-ending IR would have commenced. Higbee, however, is back and would be moving toward debuting.

Los Angeles also placed linebacker Nick Hampton on IR and added veteran edge rusher Rashad Weaver to its practice squad. Higbee, of course, is the lead news item here. With Aaron Donald retired, Higbee is the team’s second-longest-tenured player — behind only right tackle Rob Havenstein.

Sean McVay said in late November that Higbee was still several weeks away from coming back. The Rams designating him for return when they did, however, gave him three weeks of practice in advance of this point. Higbee, 31, would end up with four weeks of practice ahead of L.A.’s Week 16 game. That provides a lengthy onramp, and it will be interesting to see if the Rams have him in uniform Sunday.

Drafted in the 2016 fourth round, Higbee joins Havenstein as the only Rams to predate McVay’s arrival. Higbee, however, has signed two Rams extensions. The most recent — a two-year, $17MM deal — runs through the 2025 season. Higbee secured $2MM of his $4.5MM 2025 base salary guaranteed, which will make him a bit harder to jettison next year. He could be a nice bonus for this year’s Rams, who have rallied from 1-4 to the NFC West lead.

The 8-6 team has used free agency addition Colby Parkinson as its top pass-catching tight end. The former Seahawk has 288 yards on 29 receptions. Hunter Long, acquired in the 2023 Jalen Ramsey trade, has just seven grabs for 60 yards. Higbee has been an integral part of McVay’s passing attack, averaging at least 51 yards per game in each of the past six seasons. Chosen as the team’s long-term tight end over Gerald Everett years ago, Higbee has a 734-yard season on his resume and three more 500-plus-yard years. Missing two games last season, Higbee still totaled 47 catches for 495 yards. This came after he amassed 621 yards on a career-high 72 receptions.

Los Angeles played an extended stretch without both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, with each impact receiver joining Higbee in picking up injuries. The trio could be back together soon, as the Rams attempt to secure their first division title since 2021.

Lions’ Alim McNeill Suffers Torn ACL; Carlton Davis Facing Multi-Week Absence

December 17th, 2024 at 3:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 17: Davis, Dorsey and McNeill are now on IR. The Lions have several players in their IR-return equation and still have five activations remaining. Davis joins Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and John Cominsky among regulars who are in play to come back later this season.

The Lions will also have two more activations to use once in the playoffs, giving the injury-decimated team more avenues to bring players back. It is not known who will return just yet, but Davis and Hutchinson are in play to come back should the team advance to the NFC championship game. Anzalone, Barnes, Cominsky and others stand to have a chance to return before that point. However, McNeill, Dorsey and David Montgomery are done for the season.

DECEMBER 16: The Lions were dealt several more blows on defense during their loss on Sunday. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill will not play again in 2024, while a postseason run will be needed for cornerback Carlton Davis to return to action.

[RELATED: Lions Remain Hopeful For Super Bowl Aidan Hutchinson Return]

McNeill suffered an ACL tear, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Davis, meanwhile, is dealing with a fractured jaw. As a result, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports he will be out for the next six weeks.

Both players exited Sunday’s game with their respective injuries, and head coach Dan Campbell expressed doubt that either of them would be available the rest of the way. That has been confirmed in McNeill’s case, and the news of his injury deals a significant blow to Detroit’s defensive front (a unit which is already highly shorthanded along the edge). The 24-year-old posted 3.5 sacks this season, meaning he would have had a chance at surpassing his previous career high of 5.0 – set last year – had he remained healthy. This is the first major injury of his career.

McNeill’s ACL tear comes shortly after he agreed to a four-year extension, a deal which made him one of several impact players who have landed a new Lions contract recently. The former third-rounder was on track to hit free agency this spring prior to that deal being worked out; his market value no doubt would have been lower given this injury had he and the team waited until the end of the campaign to negotiate. Instead, McNeill (who is under contract through 2028 with an AAV $24.25MM) will be unavailable during Detroit’s closing regular season games and postseason run.

Schefter notes Davis will undergo surgery, and his rehab after that procedure will be key in determining if he is able to play again this season. Rapoport’s six-week timeline would line Davis up exactly with the NFC title game if it were to hold true (and if, of course, the Lions were to progress to that point). In the meantime, the team will move forward with a shorthanded secondary while attempting to earn the top seed in the conference and the much-needed bye which would accompany it.

Davis was acquired via trade as part of Detroit’s efforts to produce improved play at the CB spot. The former Buccaneer has delivered a pair of interceptions, 11 pass defections and two fumble recoveries in his debut Lions campaign, making him a key figure on defense. His absence will be felt over the closing weeks of the regular season on a unit which already sits only 26th in the league against the pass (and which lost Khalil Dorsey for the season on Sunday). The struggles in that department could very well continue with Davis not in the picture.

The Lions have been atop the NFC for most of the year, but they have been unable to generate a cushion given the strength of the NFC North and the play of the Eagles. Detroit’s loss leaves the team even at 12-2 with Philadelphia; Minnesota would match that record with a win on Monday night. The race for the top seed in the conference will therefore remain tight through to the end of the regular season, but the Lions’ defense will increasingly rely on backups over that span.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/16/24

December 16th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins used up their three practice squad elevations on Zach Triner, so the team will now turn to a new face to keep the seat warm. Jake McQuaide brings 194 games of experience to Miami, and he’ll serve as the team’s regular long snapper until Blake Ferguson is ready to be activated from NFI.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/24

December 16th, 2024 at 7:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Tennessee Titans

Anthony Pittman is back in Detroit after the Lions snagged the linebacker off the Jaguars’ practice squad. Pittman was once a special teams mainstay for the Lions, appearing in every game for the organization between 2021 and 2023. Over that time, he was limited to 134 defensive snaps (vs. 1,099 ST snaps), and he’ll likely see a similar role during his current stint with the squad.

Colton Dowell will return to practice this week after being designated for return from the PUP list. The wideout suffered a torn ACL last December, and coach Brian Callahan told reporters that they wanted to give a look at the player after he worked so hard during rehab (via the team’s website). A 2023 seventh-round pick, Dowell got into 10 games as a rookie.

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