Sunday saw only one team make any practice squad moves:
Philadelphia Eagles
Hebert, 25, first joined the Eagles’ taxi squad last December. He did not see any game time but remained with the organization on a futures contract. Philadelphia waived him in April before bringing him back into the fold in time for training camp. Hebert was among the team’s final roster cuts, but he will stay in place by once again taking a practice squad deal.
Saturday’s lone minor move:
New York Giants
New York’s reunion with cornerback Adoree’ Jackson is official, so a roster spot needed to be opened up. Johnson will be free to sign with another team, but he is a candidate to remain with the Giants via a practice squad deal. Just like last season, teams are allowed to elevate two practice squad players each week to dress for games on the active roster. Johnson and many other veterans will no doubt spend time on and off the taxi squad as a result.
Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
TODAY, 12:05pm: The seventh-round pick that the Commanders attached to Ridgeway is a conditional selection, according to Howard Balzer of CardsWire. In a fun twist, the pick is technically New Orleans’ 2025 seventh-round pick. The selection was originally sent to Philly in the C. J. Gardner-Johnson trade, and it was recently sent to Washington in the Jahan Dotson deal.
WEDNESDAY, 2:45pm: The Commanders made an effort to trade John Ridgeway before roster-cutdown day. Unlike many of those pursuits, a deal will come to pass after the team had set its 53-man roster.
Ridgeway is heading to the Saints in a pick-swap deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo report. This marks another 2022 or 2023 draftee the new regime is jettisoning. A 2022 Cowboys fifth-round pick, Ridgeway worked as rotational defensive tackle in Washington.
Washington cut five of its 2023 draftees Tuesday and has now traded two 2022 picks in the past week, with this following the Jahan Dotson deal. Even though Ridgeway came from the Cowboys, Dan Quinn‘s team is moving on from a player the Ron Rivera regime initially added. Ridgeway arrived in Dallas during Quinn’s second year as Cowboys DC; the veteran coach has since signed off on moving on twice in three years.
This will be a classic pick-swap agreement, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter adding the Saints are sending the Commanders a 2025 sixth-round pick for Ridgeway and a ’25 seventh. Two years remain on Ridgeway’s rookie contract, which Washington initially claimed in September 2022.
Ridgeway, 25, played a career-high 356 defensive snaps last season. While the Commanders had extra work to go around at D-end during the second half of last season (after trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat), they had less playing time to give out at DT. Ridgeway nevertheless earned a spot operating behind Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Pro Football Focus was still not impressed, ranking the Illinois State alum as a bottom-10 D-tackle (among regulars) last season.
The Saints return 2023 free agency additions Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd at D-tackle, with 2023 first-round pick Bryan Bresee and rookie sixth-rounder Khristian Boyd rounding out the group. New Orleans also rookie UDFA DT Sincere Haynesworth on IR last week.
Back-to-back Dolphins playoff berths will produce the first extension for a 2022 HC hire. The team has agreed to a new deal with Mike McDaniel, according to ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington.
The third-year HC agreed to a deal that will tie him to the Dolphins through the 2028 season. This comes after the Dolphins booked consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in more than 20 years. McDaniel, 41, has rejuvenated Miami’s offense. The team led the league in total offense for the first time since Dan Marino‘s age-33 season (1994), and Tua Tagovailoa has shown substantial growth since the Dolphins hired the Kyle Shanahan disciple.
This offseason brought a Tagovailoa megadeal and new agreements with Tyreek Hill — a reworking that brought more guarantees the future Hall of Famer’s way — and Jaylen Waddle. As other clubs who hired new HCs in 2022 still determine how to proceed regarding long-term plans, Dolphins ownership is evidently confident in the team’s direction under McDaniel.
Known perhaps as much for his eccentricities that have produced numerous interview soundbites, McDaniel displayed an immediate ability to coach up Miami’s offense. While the 2022 Hill trade made a significant impact on Tagovailoa’s trajectory, the league’s lone southpaw QB starter turned a corner once Stephen Ross hired McDaniel.
Amid a concerning concussion-marred 2022, Tua still finished third in QBR while leading the league in passer rating and yards per attempt. The 2020 first-rounder then paced the NFL in passing yards in 2023, staying healthy and guiding the team back to the postseason. The Dolphins had not previously secured consecutive playoff berths since they strung together five in a row during the Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt years (1997-2001).
Hired in the aftermath of a controversial Brian Flores firing — a move that prompted the former Dolphins HC to file a racial discrimination lawsuit — McDaniel has also gone through three defensive coordinators and seen his team limp to the regular-season finish line in both the 2022 and ’23 seasons. Miami went 9-8 in 2022, a season overshadowed by Tagovailoa’s injuries, and 11-6 last season. The Dolphins wrapped the ’23 campaign with a wild-card no-show on a frigid Kansas City night. This generated more questions about the Super Bowl viability of the nucleus McDaniel and GM Chris Grier have assembled.
That said, the Dolphins nearly upset the No. 2-seeded Bills despite third-string rookie Skylar Thompson starting in the 2022 wild-card round. Grier and McDaniel also have forged a strong relationship, per Darlington; that was certainly not the case with the veteran GM and Flores. Ahead of Grier’s sixth season with roster control, the Dolphins will continue to pair him with his 2022 HC hire. The rest of the 2022 HC additions — Kevin O’Connell, Matt Eberflus, Brian Daboll, Doug Pederson, Dennis Allen and Todd Bowles — are still on their initial deals. One other 2022 HC hire, Josh McDaniels, did not make it out of his second season.
Many teams used Friday to make further adjustments to their practice squads. Here is the full breakdown:
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Wolford’s seven regular season appearances to date have all come with the Rams. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Buccaneers, though, working with then-offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Canales is now the head coach in Carolina, and Wolford has followed him in a bid to earn a 53-man roster spot at some point during the season. The Panthers already had Jack Plummer on their taxi squad, but Wolford will offer Canales and Co. a more familiar option behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton.
AUGUST 30: Full details on the Aiyuk pact are in, courtesy of Florio. The frontloaded compensation includes a $23MM signing bonus, $11MM of which will be paid out in the next two weeks. His 2025 earnings are made up of $20.88MM in base salary, roster and workout bonuses which are guaranteed at signing. Another $4MM will be locked in on April 1 of that year. Altogether, this deal consists of $45MM fully guaranteed, with the $76MM total guarantee figure set to emerge not long after the 2025 league year begins.
Aiyuk’s 2026 salary ($1.22MM) and per-game roster bonuses ($750K) are guaranteed for injury at signing and will fully vest one year early. Notably, his salaries for 2027 and ’28 – $27.27MM and $29.15MM – are not guaranteed, so the 49ers will be able to get out of the contract in either of those seasons (an unlikely development, given his age and production) barring adjustments being made down the road via restructures. Aiyuk’s 2024 cap number will drop to $5.73MM, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
AUGUST 29: Months of negotiating drama with Brandon Aiyuk, which featured trade talks with a few teams and an eventual trade agreement, defined the 49ers’ offseason. But the saga will end with a peaceful resolution. Aiyuk is not going anywhere, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reporting an extension is in place.
The 49ers have agreed to terms with Aiyuk on a four-year, $120MM deal, which Garafolo and Rapoport indicate includes $76MM guaranteed. This process will end closer to Aiyuk’s believed price point than San Francisco’s, but the defending NFC champs will have the second-team All-Pro back at work soon.
Aiyuk held in for 38 days, but as the 49ers did with Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel, a late-summer extension will bring a close to this chapter. Though, this was a more memorable saga than those involving Bosa and Samuel. Aiyuk is now signed through 2028, and this agreement suddenly brings Samuel’s Bay Area future — post-2024, that is — into question.
It looks as though the sides are meeting in the middle. Rather than sign a three-year deal like Samuel did in 2022, Aiyuk will be under 49ers control for four seasons beyond 2024. Instead of the $26-$27MM-per-year price point San Francisco — and would-be trade partner Pittsburgh — initially landed on, Aiyuk will become the NFL’s sixth $30MM-per-year wideout. Long seeking a deal at $30MM per, Aiyuk joins Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyreek Hill in this club, one that expanded from one to six this offseason.
Lamb’s extension may not have driven the 49ers’ talks across the goal line, as he and Jefferson are on a higher plane in terms of AAV and guarantees. But the market is effectively set for 2024, unless the Bengals make an unexpected deal with Ja’Marr Chase before 2025. This 49ers agreement coming to fruition less than two weeks before the season will wrap one of more voluminous sagas in PFR history.
This is a frontloaded deal, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who reports the contract includes $90MM over the first three years. This helps cover for Aiyuk not reaching guarantees past $80MM — a long-rumored ask. Although Aiyuk is now contracted through his age-30 season, he should have another chance — should the 2020 first-rounder’s career remain on this trajectory — to cash in on a big-ticket deal in his prime. Aiyuk, 26, will receive $47MM between now and April 1, 2025, Rapoport adds.
Considering the fight Aiyuk put up, it does appear a bit strange his $76MM guarantee number checks in only in a tie for sixth (with Jaylen Waddle, who signed a three-year extension) at the position. But the contract’s full guarantees and full payout structure will reveal the detailed ending to this long-running tale.
San Francisco’s resolution does not appear to have involved an 11th-hour raise, as The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes these numbers have been in place for weeks. Aiyuk, who has watched practices at points and been absent from practice fields at others, now must return to work ahead of the 49ers’ Monday Night Football debut against the Jets. Providing clarity, Schefter adds this offer has been on the table since August 12.
The 49ers have now dispensed with one half of their disgruntled-player contingent, with Trent Williams‘ holdout now moving toward center stage. Williams’ contract issue has a long way to go to catch Aiyuk in terms of updates, with this back-and-forth producing many twists and turns (featuring a few documented meetings) since the parties began negotiating months ago.
For the 49ers, this keeps an essential piece of the puzzle in place. A trade at this juncture would have made it difficult for the team, Kyle Shanahan‘s play-calling acumen notwithstanding, to produce an offense on the level of 2023’s machine. The 49ers have now extended Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey this year; Samuel and George Kittle are under contract through 2025.
Aiyuk is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season; the Arizona State alum totaled 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns to help Brock Purdy deliver a historic 9.6 yards per attempt in 2023. Under the hood, Aiyuk’s numbers were even better. He ranked third in yards per route run (3.01) last season; this undoubtedly influenced his asking price, with Team Aiyuk effectively capitalizing on the 49ers needing him for another run in 2024. After falling short of 850 yards during each of his first two years, Aiyuk has put it together.
“We believe his best football is ahead of him,” a 49ers exec told veteran reporter Jordan Schultz. “He’s only 26, he’s still learning the intricacies of the position. This is an ascending player. … There’s no reason why he can’t have a similar career as a Davante Adams, for example.”
Aiyuk being offered $30MM per year on August 12 shows how well his camp did, considering the 49ers were at $26-$27MM per annum before that point. This all came after the 49ers let Aiyuk shop around. Despite a reported Patriots offer north of where this 49ers deal ended up, Aiyuk did not want to be dealt to New England. The Browns put Amari Cooper, along with second- and fifth-round picks, on the table; Aiyuk expressed disappointment in a Cleveland destination. Even the Commanders, who drafted ex-Aiyuk college QB Jayden Daniels, hovered on the Aiyuk periphery.
Playing for Mike Tomlin appealed to Aiyuk, but the Steelers’ offer did not exceed $28MM per year. This prompted the disgruntled receiver to return to the table with 49ers brass, and only minor details remained to be ironed out in recent days. Even though Pittsburgh’s contract offer was not quite what Aiyuk sought, the sides agreed on trade framework. This became a backup plan, though Aiyuk had long viewed San Francisco as his top choice. John Lynch had also continued to convey a desire for Aiyuk to be in the fold long term, and the 49ers’ top-level skill-position crew (now featuring first-round pick Ricky Pearsall) now has at least one more season to play together.
The Steelers falling short for Aiyuk spotlights a thin skill corps post-Diontae Johnson. George Pickens remains the top target for Tomlin’s team, and Pat Freiermuth looms as an extension candidate. Now-starter Russell Wilson, though, does not have much else of consequence to target. The team will need third-round rookie Roman Wilson, who missed training camp time due to injury, to step up early — barring a late-summer or in-season trade, that is.
Even though Pittsburgh’s receiver development has shined for many years, the team’s current setup — which also features ex-Rams and Falcons contributor Van Jefferson — appears thin. This is the ending the Steelers anticipated, however, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
A champagne problem is approaching for the 49ers. With Aiyuk now signed and a Brock Purdy extension on the team’s 2025 radar, the prospect of Samuel’s future comes into focus. The 49ers may well be in trade talks again with a high-end wide receiver next year. Samuel will be 29 ahead of his 2025 contract year, and with Pearsall on a rookie deal for a while, he would be a more logical complement to his former Arizona State teammate — assuming Purdy is indeed extended — than Samuel, who joined Aiyuk in draft-weekend trade talks.
That is a down-the-road issue for the 49ers, who have managed to avoid what would have been an odd trade based on their trajectory. The team, which has continued to fall short in Super Bowls and NFC championship games, has retained the nucleus that pushed the Chiefs near double overtime in Super Bowl LVIII. Aiyuk will again be in place to help Purdy and Co. navigate that elusive hurdle this season.
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots
Players let go through injury settlements are open to return to their previous teams after an agreed-upon period of time. Jones could therefore return to the Cardinals’ backfield later on in 2024, after he played three games with the team last year. The 26-year-old has also seen time with the Saints and Seahawks, logging a rotational role while contributing on special teams.
Like Jones, Anderson (who missed time last year with malaria) will be able to sign with any interested team if he does not return to New England. The latter made five appearances with New England last season, starting twice. He was one of several players competing for a spot on the Patriots’ uncertain tackle depth chart until being placed on injured reserve during final roster cutdowns. A Broncos blocker from 2020-22, Anderson has 14 total starts to his name and could provide a depth option to his next team once healthy.
The Steelers have officially become runners-up for Brandon Aiyuk, so questions will remain with respect to their receiver depth. The team will have options available on the practice squad once the season begins, though. 
Ben Skowronek was added to Pittsburgh’s taxi squad on Friday, per a team announcement. The 27-year-old spent his first three seasons with the Rams, making 11 starts in 2022. His offensive snap share for the other two campaigns was only 19%, however, and Los Angeles made the decision to move on this offseason. Skowronek was dealt to the Texans in May.
The former seventh-rounder joined a crowded receiver room in Houston, and both he and Noah Brown were among the Texans’ final roster cuts. Skowronek cleared waivers, leaving him free to sign with any team. He will now attempt to earn a promotion to Pittsburgh’s active roster while the team sorts out its receiver pecking order. George Pickens will operate as the Steelers’ top wideout, with Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller and third-round rookie Roman Wilson in place as complementary options.
The Steelers also announced that Quez Watkins has inked a practice squad deal. The former Eagle signed with Pittsburgh in free agency, a move which he believed offered him the opportunity of a starting spot. Instead, Watkins was one of the team’s cuts earlier this week. As a vested veteran, he immediately hit the open market; like many players around the league, the 26-year-old has elected to remain with the same organization by taking a taxi squad deal.
Watkins averaged an impressive 15 yards per catch during his second year in the league. His role shrank over the past two seasons, though, leaving him out of Philadelphia’s plans for 2024 and beyond. It will be interesting to see if he and/or Skowronek mange to find themselves on the active roster relatively soon or if Pittsburgh’s other receivers prove to be sufficient in a scheme now led by quarterback Russell Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Michael Thomas remains a free agent, and he is set to miss the opening game of the campaign if he lands with a team before Week 1. The former Saints All-Pro has been given a one-game suspension, as noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 
This ban will be classified as a personal conduct violation, Rapoport adds. The suspension stems from a November incident for which Thomas was arrested. The 31-year-old was alleged to have pushed a contractor and thrown a brick at his windshield after a verbal altercation. Thomas’ representation later denied the situation became violent.
In March, it was learned Thomas was set to enter a pre-trial diversion program. Upon its completion, the case – which brought forth misdemeanor simple battery and criminal mischief charges – was dropped. That brought an end to the three-time Pro Bowler’s legal situation, but precedent has shown criminal convictions are not required for NFL suspensions to be handed down. In this case, Thomas will now be required to sit out at least the opening game of the campaign, although he is currently set to miss much more time than that in the absence of a contract.
Thomas was among the NFL’s top receivers during his prime years in New Orleans. The former second-rounder broke the all-time receptions record in 2019 (149), leading the league in yards as well (1,725). That production earned him Offensive Player of the Year honors, but things have not gone according to plan since. Injuries limited him to 10 games between 2020 and ’22, and he suited up for that many contests last season.
In a move set up by the nature of his contract, Thomas was cut by the Saints this offseason. No teams have been connected to a free agent pursuit due to the long list of ailments he has dealt with in recent years, something which has of course also hurt his production. Thomas remains free to sign with a new team at any time, but in the wake of today’s news his chances of landing a deal before the start of the season have taken a hit.