Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs
Anthony Firkser brings 78 games of NFL experience. His best run came with the Titans, including a two-year stretch between 2020 and 2021 when he hauled in 73 catches. After starting the 2024 season with the Jets, Firkser spent most of the second half on the Chiefs practice squad.
One minor move to pass along:
New England Patriots
JaQuae Jackson spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve thanks to an ankle injury, but the team showed faith in the rookie by not releasing him via an injury settlement. The Patriots will now have the option to keep Jackson around for the 2025 season.
An undrafted rookie out of Rutgers, Jackson showed some promise during the preseason when he hauled in a 38-yard touchdown. The wideout displayed that same big-play ability during his time in college, as he averaged 16.4 yards on his 22 receptions during the 2023 season.
One exclusive rights free agent has already signed his deal:
Tendered:
The Bills slapped Alec Anderson with a reserve/futures deal last month, a no-brainer considering it would only lock the lineman in for the minimum salary. Anderson didn’t take a whole lot of time to put pen to paper, as the impending third-year player is now officially under contract with Buffalo for the 2025 campaign.
A 2022 undrafted free agent, it took Anderson until the 2024 season to make his NFL debut. He ended up getting into all 17 games for the Bills this year, appearing in 291 snaps (which mostly came via four starts). Anderson will remain an important depth option for the Bills moving forward.
Today’s only reserve/futures deal across the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs
Jeremiah Pharms was on track for exclusive rights restricted free agency this offseason. Instead, he will be remaining with the Patriots. 
The former undrafted defensive lineman has agreed to a two-year deal with New England, his agency announced. ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes the pact is expected to included a $100K signing bonus and $250K in overall guarantees. If he remains on the roster through next season, restricted free agency in 2026 will be avoided.
Pharms signed to the Patriots’ practice squad following roster cutdowns in 2022. He did not see any playing time that season, but he remained in the organization via a futures contract. The 28-year-old wound up making 12 appearances in 2023, handling rotational duties along the D-line. This past season, Pharms took on a much larger role.
With Christian Barmore being limited to four games in 2024, plenty of opportunities existed for players further down the depth chart to see playing time in New England. That allowed Pharms to log a 40% snap share, and his increased workload resulted in a spike in production (33 tackles, two sacks, five quarterback hits). He could again find himself handling a notable part-time defensive role with the Patriots next season.
New England is currently set to select fourth in this year’s draft, and addressing the offensive line is a goal which could be achieved in large part by using that pick to provide better protection for quarterback Drake Maye. Another option near the top of the board would be to add one of the many highly-touted defensive linemen in the 2025 class, something which could threaten Pharms’ playing time. For the time being, though, he is set to remain a rotational contributor with the Patriots.
A handful of reserve/futures deals to pass along:
Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington Commanders
One minor transactions to pass along:
Chicago Bears
The Bears claimed Jordan McFadden off waivers from the Chargers exactly one month ago today. However, since the team didn’t have any remaining games on their schedule, the move was deferred until the first business day after the Super Bowl. So, while McFadden had been destined to land in Chicago, the move was only made official today.
A 2023 fifth-round pick, McFadden saw a reduced role playing for a new coaching staff in 2024. As a rookie, the Clemson product got into 12 games (two starts), but he was limited to only a single appearance this past season.
Chukwuma Okorafor‘s time with the Patriots has come to a predictable end. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the organization has released the offensive tackle.
Okorafor’s stint in New England effectively ended in September, when he voluntarily left the team. That followed a Week 1 cameo where he allowed six QB pressures on each of his six pass-blocking opportunities. Okorafor started that game but was pulled after only 12 snaps.
At the time of his departure, the veteran was described as “checked out mentally,” and he was reportedly “contemplating his future in football.” The Patriots subsequently placed him on the exempt/left squad list, and Okorafor didn’t make another appearance during the 2024 campaign.
New England handed the former Steelers OT a one-year, $4MM deal last offseason that could hit $8MM via playing time incentives. The veteran was set to earn $3.125MM in guarantees, but his departure provided the front office with an opportunity to recoup some of that money. It’s uncertain where the two sides ultimately landed, and perhaps their negotiations culminated in today’s transaction (although that’s just my speculation).
Today’s transaction is notable because Okorafor was an impending free agent. The Patriots showed some goodwill towards the veteran by cutting him early, meaning he can get a head start on finding his next home. According to Yates, the 27-year-old is motivated to find a new landing spot before the start of free agency.
Considering his questionable stay in New England, it’s uncertain how much interest Okorafor will truly garner. In his defense, he was playing out of position at LT during his disastrous Week 1 showing, and the veteran made a name for himself as a steady RT in Pittsburgh. Okorafor will surely have to settle for another prove-it deal, but he should be relatively enticing as a low-risk option for OL-needy squads.
FEBARUARY 9: With Graham active for tonight, Huff is amongst the Eagles’ healthy scratches. The latter had played in two of Philadelphia’s postseason games, and after signing a $17MM-per-year pact the fact he is not in the team’s Super Bowl lineup is a rather notable development. Most of Huff’s 2025 compensation is guaranteed, but his next action for Philadelphia will come next year.
FEBRUARY 8: The biggest game of the year will take place tomorrow night as the Chiefs are looking to threepeat for the first time in NFL history. The Eagles, on the other hand, are looking to avenge their Super Bowl loss to Patrick Mahomes and company from just two years ago. As has been the case all year, each team is allowed to elevate two players from their practice squad. Philadelphia has also taken the additional step to activate defensive end Brandon Graham from injured reserve. 
Graham suffered a triceps tear in November, and it immediately became clear that he would not play again during the regular season. Triceps tears come with lengthy recovery timetables, and the 36-year-old said in the aftermath of the game in which his took place that he would be out for the rest of the year. As the season went on and the postseason drew nearer, hope began to rise that Graham would be able to make a return if the Eagles could last long enough to play in the Super Bowl.
To add on to that, Graham, who has spent his entire 15-year tenure in Philadelphia, said in July that he would retire following the 2024 campaign. If he is going to hold true to his word, he needed the team to keep winning in order to play one more game in green.
Luckily for Graham, his team held up their end of the bargain, and now, he’ll be able to hold up his. A Graham comeback will be significant for the Eagles, who have dealt with injuries to both he and Bryce Huff this season. Huff has since returned, though he is playing behind starters Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith in Vic Fangio‘s defense. At the time of his injury, Graham had already topped his 2023 full-season totals for sacks and QB hits in 11 games this season. The longest-tenured player in Eagles history was sitting on 3.5 and seven, respectively, in those categories when he went down against the Rams.
In order to make room on the roster, the Eagles have placed backup center Nick Gates on injured reserve. For their two practice squad callups, the Eagles have tabbed fullback Khari Blasingame and linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Blasingame has been elevated for all three of the team’s playoff games so far, while Morrow has been elevated for each of the last two.
The Chiefs only made standard gameday practice squad elevations today. Linebacker Swayze Bozeman and cornerback Steven Nelson will join the active roster for the final game of the season. Bozeman has played in two playoff games already for Kansas City, while Nelson will be making his 2024 debut.