Commanders Place CB Benjamin St-Juste, OL Saahdiq Charles On IR
Washington made some quick adjustments to its active roster just prior to its season finale against Dallas this weekend, placing cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. To fill their spots on the 53-man roster, the Commanders signed practice squad tackle Alex Akingbulu and practice squad defensive end Benning Potoa’e to the active roster. 
The biggest name here is obviously St-Juste, who has become a full-time starter in the slot during his sophomore season with the Commanders. As a rookie third-round pick last year, St-Juste was able to earn some serious playing time, starting three of nine appearances, but concussion issues led to an early end to his rookie year on IR. This season, St-Juste moved from outside corner to play more of a nickel role in the slot. St-Juste started every game of the season alongside cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Bobby McCain before beginning to deal with an ankle injury in a Week 11 win over the Texans. St-Juste has missed four of the five games since then and will now end his second season in a row on IR. In his absence, the Commanders have utilized rookie seventh-round pick Christian Holmes and veteran Danny Johnson in the slot.
Since being drafted in the fourth-round in 2020, Charles has been a dependable backup lineman for the Commanders, filling in as a starter for at least one game each season. Charles started three games earlier this season after coming in for injured right guard Trai Turner in a Week 4 loss to the Cowboys. Charles has been inactive since the team’s Week 14 bye while dealing with a concussion. Placing him on IR ensures he will be inactive for his fourth straight game to end the season.
Akingbulu is an undrafted rookie out of Fresno State. The first-team All-Mountain West offensive tackle from last year will provide some depth to the offensive line after the loss of Charles to IR. Potoa’e went undrafted out of the University of Washington in 2020, initially signing with the Buccaneers. After two seasons on Tampa Bay’s practice squad, Potoa’e was released in final roster cuts this preseason and decided to sign to the Commanders’ practice squad this season. Potoa’e is looking for his second in-game appearance this season, while an appearance by Akingbulu would mark his NFL debut.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/23
Today’s minor moves heading into the Saturday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: S Chris Banjo, DE Jonathan Ledbetter
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette, K Matthew Wright
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Austin Calitro, WR Chris Lacy
New England Patriots
- Reverted back to IR: P Jake Bailey
- Moved from IR to reserve/suspended by club: P Jake Bailey, CB Jack Jones
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: G Sua Opeta
After working out for the Chiefs yesterday and signing to their practice squad today, Wright will be promoted immediately as a gameday elevation for tomorrow’s regular season finale against the Raiders. Regular kicker Harrison Butker has been ruled out for the fifth game this year and the first time since Week 5 of the season, opening up a playing opportunity for Wright this week.
Bailey has been on injured reserve since Week 9 and was designated to return from IR around December 21, while Jones was placed on IR only a week ago on New Year’s Eve. Bailey’s return window has since closed reverting him to season-ending IR, but in one of the less common transactions seen this season, he and Jones were both moved from an IR designation to the reserve/suspended by club designation. The exact reason why each player has been suspended by the team is unclear, but it is apparently the result of two separate incidents.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/6/23
Taxi squad moves heading into the last weekend of the regular season:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
- Released: LB Justin Hilliard
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Jack Heflin
- Released: DT Vernon Butler
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Akeem Spence
Broncos G Dalton Risner Addresses Upcoming Free Agency
Dalton Risner is finishing out his Broncos rookie contract on IR, and while the Colorado native grew up a fan of the team, it does not sound like a hometown discount will be forthcoming.
The former second-round pick stands to be one of the better guards available in March. Denver’s previous regime drafted Risner, and the current one identified a younger well-performing guard — Quinn Meinerz. These factors could point Risner out of town, but he is not ruling out a return to Denver. The parties have not discussed a deal, however.
“When it comes to this business, what everyone wants at some point as a player is to be valued,” Risner said, via Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. “So if the Broncos value me, and they want to keep me here and be a Denver Bronco, I can’t wait. That’s going to be one of the biggest things.
“But at the end of the day, it being a business… it’s like, ‘OK, where am I going to be valued at? Is it going to be with the Broncos or is it going to be somewhere else?”
The Broncos traded Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins at the deadline, passing on a possible franchise tag or extension. The team looks to now view Dre’Mont Jones, who went off the 2019 draft board a round after Risner, as its top free agent priority. Jones was less diplomatic on a desire to stay in Denver, creating an interesting offseason outlook for a Broncos team coming off its worst season in at least 12 years. That said, if it comes down to paying Jones or Risner, Mike Klis of 9News expects Jones to be the choice.
Risner joins Garett Bolles as the longest-tenured Broncos O-linemen. The former was drafted during Mike Munchak’s time with the team. With the Broncos shifting to a zone-blocking scheme this season, Pro Football Focus viewed Risner as taking a slight step back. After a top-30 grade in 2021, PFF slots the four-year starter 44th among guards. The advanced metrics site places Meinerz fifth. Two years remain on Meinerz’s rookie contract. Risner, 27, leaving Denver would create a hole at guard. Considering the Broncos may be on the lookout for a center and will continue their endless search for right tackle stability, a third need emerging up front would increase this franchise’s surprisingly steep uphill battle in 2023.
Risner’s durability and experience still stand to produce a nice payday. He has started all 62 games in which he has played. Although the Packers took the top guard free agent-to-be (Elgton Jenkins) off the market, Nate Davis, Isaac Seumalo, Will Hernandez, Ben Powers and Connor McGovern will be available. It is not hard to see a midlevel guard payment being required to sign Risner.
“I’ve given it everything I had for four years here. … I put everything out there, whether it was a good game or a bad game,” Risner said. “… I grew up watching this team every single Sunday, so it’s a blessing for me to have played here. I look back and I’m thankful and I’m proud of what I’ve done.”
Jets To Start QB Joe Flacco In Week 18; Mike White Has Five Broken Ribs
4:15pm: Make that five broken ribs for White, who confirmed the total Friday (via NJ.com’s Andy Vasquez). Two-plus months from free agency, White said the injuries are not expected to be an issue for too long into the offseason.
10:24am: The Jets cleared Mike White for a Week 17 start in what became a do-or-die game. White struggled in a one-sided loss to the Seahawks, but his rib trouble became an issue early in that outing.
A hit near the end of the first half in the Jets’ 23-6 loss in Seattle provided a setback for White, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports the veteran backup-turned-starter is dealing with four broken ribs (Twitter link). White had attempted to play through this issue this week, but Robert Saleh said an end-of-half blow became a major issue (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, on Twitter) henceforth. Set to close out his age-37 season, Joe Flacco will receive the call against the Dolphins.
White’s injury deteriorated throughout this week, Rapoport adds, nixing plans to start. The popular QB’s season will end early because of the injury that blunted his momentum. The Jets’ Week 17 loss eliminated them from playoff contention, providing little reason for them to trot out their preferred starter again. Barring a new contract, White is ticketed for free agency in March.
The Jets are not deviating from their latest plan to give Zach Wilson a reset. Wilson will again be inactive, with Saleh adding (via Cimini) the team is focusing on Wilson’s development for the 2023 season at this point. The former No. 2 overall pick has been twice removed from his starting role this season. After having been bumped to the backup gig following demotion No. 1, the erratic BYU product was inactive for Week 17. Wilson’s future with the Jets is up in the air, though the team continues to publicly convey long-term support. Wilson is signed through the 2024 season.
White’s clearance for Week 17 injected some hope into the Jets’ building after Wilson’s meltdown against the Jaguars, but the injury he suffered against the Bills weeks ago ended up being too much to overcome. He strung together back-to-back solid performances against the Bears and Vikings, but he will exit his contract year in need of more recovery time.
Flacco, who started over White in place of an injured Wilson during the season’s first three weeks, is also playing on an expiring contract. The Jets will end the season with Flacco and White each having started four games, with Wilson getting the call in the other nine. It can be safely assumed Saleh’s team, which improved significantly on defense this season, will be on the hunt for a veteran starter option this coming offseason.
RB D’Onta Foreman Wants To Re-Sign With Panthers
D’Onta Foreman is 154 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, reaching this point despite spending the first third of the season as a seldom-used Christian McCaffrey backup. The former third-round pick who nearly wound up out of football early should attract more free agency interest this year.
But the recently promoted running back would prefer to re-sign with the Panthers and continue his Charlotte momentum. Foreman’s current deal — a one-year, $2MM pact — expires in March. The Panthers hold exclusive negotiating rights until the legal tampering period.
“That’s where my heart is. I’ve always wanted a place to call home and be comfortable,” Foreman said, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required), of staying with Carolina. “And I feel like this is the first opportunity I’ve had where I feel like this could be my home; this could be the place for me. I just hope it works out like that.”
Although the Panthers chose Chuba Hubbard in last year’s fourth round, they have used Foreman far more often since McCaffrey’s exit. Hubbard missed some time with injury, but he enters Week 18 with 397 rushing yards. Foreman’s 846 tops his previous career-high — set during his 2021 fill-in gig in Tennessee, following Derrick Henry‘s injury — of 566. This comes after he totaled just 12 carries in the Panthers’ first six games.
Post-McCaffrey, Carolina’s run game has functioned well. Foreman’s 165 yards against the Lions keyed a franchise-record 320-yard Panthers rushing day. For a team that rostered Cam Newton and deployed the DeAngelo Williams–Jonathan Stewart tandem, that is quite an accomplishment.
The Panthers have Hubbard and rookie Raheem Blackshear on rookie deals through 2024 and 2025, respectively. Moving on from Foreman would be a way to cut costs. Even on what promises to be a buyer’s market, Foreman should command a contract well north of his 2022 payrate. Carolina ranks 12th in rushing, and Foreman has posted five 100-yard games since taking over for McCaffrey. Teams have been monitoring him as a free agent target.
Foreman, 26, operates as a between-the-tackles power back, contributing little as a receiver (five catches, 26 yards). That will limit his value on a market that also stands to feature most of this contingent: Kareem Hunt, Miles Sanders, Tony Pollard, Jamaal Williams, Devin Singletary, David Montgomery and Damien Harris. Even with Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs staring at the franchise tag, there should be plenty of starter-level backs for teams to target. One boon for Foreman: his 431 career carries. Thanks to taking just 29 handoffs from 2018-20, the former Texas Longhorn will generate more interest than he would were he a 2017 draftee coming off six full seasons.
Bills Place S Damar Hamlin On IR, Activate CB Christian Benford
In what amounts to a procedural move, the Bills placed Damar Hamlin on IR on Friday. Hamlin has made tremendous progress in his recovery after a frightening scene Monday in Cincinnati, but doctors do not know yet if the young safety resuming his career is realistic at this point.
To replace Hamlin on their 53-man roster, the Bills activated cornerback Christian Benford from IR. A sixth-round rookie, Benford had carved out a role for himself prior to going on IR. He will be a welcome reinforcement for a Bills team that will resume its Super Bowl quest Sunday.
The Bills chose Benford 185th overall out of Division I-FCS Villanova. His lower-profile path notwithstanding, Benford played ahead of first-round pick Kaiir Elam as a starter early in the season. During the nine games in which the 6-foot-1 defender has played this season, he has started five and seen a 62% snap share on defense.
Benford and Tre’Davious White played in just one game together — the Bills’ Thanksgiving tilt in Detroit — but the former’s oblique injury sidelined him for the team’s next five games and the since-cancelled Monday-night outing. The Bills have White, Elam, Dane Jackson and slot Taron Johnson in place as their top corners. It will be interesting how the AFC East champions reintegrate Benford, who will presumably slide into a depth role.
Hamlin suffering cardiac arrest at Paycor Stadium led to a heroic effort by the medical staffers — both at the stadium and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. After being given CPR and resuscitated at the stadium, Hamlin was breathing on a ventilator for two days. The 24-year-old defender progressed to a breathing tube, which he now no longer needs. Hamlin worked his way back to addressing his teammates via Facetime.
Football-wise, the Bills do need to replace the second-year talent. The Pittsburgh product started 14 games for the team since Micah Hyde went down with a season-ending injury in September. Hamlin’s 91 tackles are tied for second on the Bills. The team has Pro Bowler Jordan Poyer anchoring its back line, and it reacquired Dean Marlowe at the trade deadline. Fourth-year defender Jaquan Johnson has played 225 defensive snaps — third-most among the team’s safeties this season. Hamlin’s 845 lead the position group.
Latest On Bills S Damar Hamlin’s Recovery
Another batch of positive developments has surfaced from Damar Hamlin‘s recovery Friday. The hospitalized defender no longer needs his breathing tube and was able to speak to Bills teammates, the team announced.
After speaking to his family and select staffers at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Hamlin told Bills teammates, via Facetime, “Love you boys” (Twitter links). Doctors removed Hamlin’s breathing tube overnight. Hamlin cannot say much yet, but his ensuing words to his teammates, understandably, “brought the house down,” SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
Hamlin’s doctors have indicated he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from cardiac arrest. The 24-year-old safety collapsed on the field in the first quarter of the Bills-Bengals matchup Monday. He required CPR at Paycor Stadium, where he was resuscitated, and as of Wednesday needed to be on a ventilator. By Thursday, Hamlin had awakened and was using his hands and feet.
Doctors said Thursday that Hamlin appeared to be neurologically intact, and the Bills’ latest statement indicates the same. During Hamlin’s short address to his teammates, Sean McDermott said he gave them a thumbs-up and “flexed on them,” ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets. Bills GM Brandon Beane stayed in Cincinnati through Thursday.
“I simply asked what would I want someone to do for my son,” Beane said. “I have two boys. Sean wanted to stay, too, but we decided he had to be with and lead our team back in Buffalo. It was a rollercoaster.”
A number of NFL tributes will take place this weekend; his charity has received nearly $8MM in donations. Hamlin’s doctors said Thursday it is far too soon to know if he will ever play football again, but considering where this situation was as recently as midweek, these latest rounds of updates have illustrated a remarkable turn of events.
Owners Approve Proposal Modifying AFC Playoff Bracket
Following a Friday meeting, the NFL’s proposal to modify the AFC playoff bracket in certain circumstances — in the aftermath of the Bills-Bengals game being ruled a no-contest — passed and will be implemented this season, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Although the Bengals voiced persistent opposition, the proposal received the necessary 24 votes. The prospect of a neutral-site AFC championship game is now in play, along with a chance the Bengals and Ravens — in the event Baltimore defeats Cincinnati on Sunday — decide home field for a wild-card game via coin flip. The measure received 25 “yes” votes, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio (on Twitter).
To recap, the NFL’s cancelling of Week 17’s Bills-Bengals game led to a series of adjustments being discussed. While it does not appear expanding the playoffs to prevent a potentially unearned bye gained traction, the neutral-site reality is a go. Here are the scenarios in which the neutral-site modification will take effect:
- Buffalo, Kansas City both win or both tie this weekend: Bills vs. Chiefs AFC championship is at neutral site
- Buffalo, Kansas City both lose, Baltimore wins or ties: Bills vs. Chiefs AFC championship is at neutral site
- Buffalo, Kansas City both lose, Cincinnati wins: Bills/Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC championship is at neutral site
This came about because the Bills (12-3) controlled their own destiny for the AFC’s No. 1 seed — a spot the franchise has not secured since 1993 — going into their Bengals matchup. By virtue of the no-contest ruling, the Chiefs (13-3) now have that path. Buffalo defeated Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium this season, and because of the terrifying scene brought on by the Damar Hamlin injury and hospitalization, the NFL took a half-measure approach to account for this historically unusual postponement-turned-cancellation.
The Chiefs can still earn the AFC’s bye with a win Saturday over the Raiders, but if they meet the Bills again in the playoffs, the game will not be in Missouri. The Chiefs losing in Week 18 and the Bills winning would send a potential AFC title matchup to Buffalo, however, as Kansas City would not gain an edge from Buffalo’s no-contest in that scenario.
The Bills and Chiefs have met in each of the past two postseasons. Both games occurred in Kansas City, with the Chiefs winning each matchup. If the Chiefs lose Saturday or if the neutral-site scenario comes into play, it will be the first time they have played away from Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC playoffs since Patrick Mahomes‘ starter tenure began in 2018.
Roger Goodell will determine the neutral site. Indianapolis surfaced as a candidate Thursday, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter) prioritizing an outdoor venue became part of the discussion. As of Friday, the potential neutral site is not known. Ford Field is off limits, Rapoport adds, while NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan confirms the NFL has not talked to Superdome officials (Twitter links).
On the AFC North front, the Bengals (11-4) have clinched the division title because their win percentage will eclipse the 10-6 Ravens’ regardless of what happens in the teams’ Sunday meeting. Had the Bills won Monday and the Ravens defeated the Bengals in Week 18, Baltimore would have won the AFC North. The NFL factored that outcome into this emergency proposal.
If the Ravens win this weekend and the two teams meet up in the wild-card round, then a coin toss with determine the home site. Goodell will supervise the toss. The Bengals are favored to beat the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens on Sunday, but if they lose, the first part of Friday’s changes would come into play.
Though Cincinnati could benefit from the neutral-site wrinkle, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports Bengals ownership attempted to convince the league’s owners to vote down the NFL’s proposal. The competition committee approved the proposal Thursday, but one of its members — Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn — dissented due to this change happening late in the season and not during the offseason. The NFL rulebook calls for win percentage to decide playoff seeding, in the event an uneven number of games are played. Then again, the league has not seen one of its seasons involve disparate game counts since 1935. In light of the Hamlin scene causing that streak to end, the competition committee to act.
“The proper process for making rule change [sic] is in the off-season,” Blackburn wrote, via ESPN.com’s Seth Wickersham. “It is not appropriate to put teams in a position to vote for something that may introduce bias, favor one team over another or impact their own situation when the vote takes place immediately before the playoffs.”
Zac Taylor also voiced disappointment Friday the NFL is not going by win percentage. It is certainly understandable for the Bengals, who are known for voting against rule changes, to voice opposition; the change could hurt their chances of defending their AFC title. But Cincinnati is a seven-point favorite over a Tyler Huntley-quarterbacked Baltimore squad this week. Jackson was healthy when the Ravens defeated the Bengals. Taking care of business in Week 18 will remove the coin-flip component from these modifications.
The NFL expanded to seven-team playoff brackets per conference in 2020, after moving from five to six teams ahead of the 1990 season. But Friday marks the first in-season change to the playoff setup since 1982, when a players’ strike led to the league creating a 16-team field ahead of Super Bowl XVII. The AFC’s route to Super Bowl LVII will be quite confusing, should the favorites prevail.
Dolphins To Start QB Skylar Thompson In Week 18
The Jets-Dolphins matchup will feature a meeting of third-string quarterbacks. While the eliminated Jets will start Joe Flacco, a Dolphins team playing for a wild-card spot will go with Skylar Thompson.
Mike McDaniel confirmed Friday the rookie will go in Week 18. Tua Tagovailoa is out for a second straight week, while Teddy Bridgewater is battling back from a dislocated pinkie. This will be Thompson’s second start this season, but the seventh-round pick has also made off-the-bench appearances — including last week in New England. This will be a rather pivotal outing for Thompson, given the stakes.
If the Dolphins beat the Jets and the Patriots lose to the favored Bills, Miami will secure its first playoff spot in six years. The team has used all three of its quarterbacks extensively this season, and the instability here has overshadowed the rest of the team for the most part. A Kansas City-area native, Thompson played five seasons at Kansas State and has attempted 74 passes this season. The 25-year-old passer will join Brock Purdy as seventh-round rookie QBs starting in Week 18, though the latter — chosen 15 spots after Thompson — has fared better and been given (by default) a steadier role.
[RELATED: Dolphins Add QB Mike Glennon To Practice Squad]
Thompson’s first NFL action came against the Jets in October, when Bridgewater was removed from the game with concussion-like symptoms. Bridgewater cleared concussion protocol and was available the following week, when he replaced an injured Thompson. McDaniel said the Dolphins need both QBs available this week, and the first-year HC expressed confidence (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, on Twitter) Bridgewater will suit up as an emergency backup this week.
Bridgewater has exited both of his Dolphins starts. Given his draft status, Thompson (54.1% completion rate, 5.2 yards per attempt) has not exactly thrived when under center this season. Topping out at 12 touchdown passes in a college season, Thompson threw his first TD as a pro against the Patriots — in a 12-for-21, 104-yard showing.
Although the personnel is different, this regular-season-ending assignment reminds of the Dolphins’ previous playoff bid. Ryan Tannehill‘s late-season ACL tear brought in longtime backup Matt Moore, who quarterbacked the team into the postseason. The Dolphins lost to the Steelers in Round 1 that year. While the owners will vote on what happens at other sectors of the AFC playoff bracket Friday, it is of little concern to the Dolphins, who are aiming to avoid going from 8-3 to 8-9. Only three teams in the past 15 seasons — the 2021 Ravens, 2014 Eagles, 2012 Bears — have started 8-3 and missed the playoffs.
Tagovailoa remains in the top five in QBR, and his growth in McDaniel’s offense represents the main reason the Dolphins are in position to salvage this season with a playoff bid. But the former No. 5 overall pick has suffered two confirmed concussions, with concussion-like symptoms in a separate instance prompting a slew of scrutiny and leading the NFL to change its protocol. A recent report indicated Tagovailoa was targeting a potential wild-card game for a return, but McDaniel is staunchly refusing to allow timetables to be part of the latest Tua-return equation.