Saturday’s only practice squad move:
Minnesota Vikings
With linebacker Nick Vigil getting signed to the active roster today, Day finds his way back to the Vikings’ practice squad. After initially coming to Minnesota in December of last year, Day was with the team until being released from the practice squad earlier this week.
Former NFL cornerback D.J. Hayden was involved in a fatal car accident on Saturday, as detailed by ESPN. He was 33. 
Hayden was one of six people killed in Houston after another vehicle drove through a red light and caused a collision. The University of Houston also confirmed that his former college teammates Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu were among the people fatally wounded in the crash. Another former Cougar, Jeffrey Lewis, was injured.
“The entire University of Houston community is heartbroken over the tragic passing of former Football student-athletes D.J. Hayden, Zachary McMillian and Ralph Oragwu earlier today, and our thoughts and prayers remain with Jeffery Lewis in his recovery ahead,” Houston said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends, and loved ones, as we collectively mourn the loss of three individuals who made an indelible impact on each life they touched.”
Hayden was a first-round pick of the Raiders in 2013. He spent four years with the then-Oakland based franchise, making 25 of his 41 career starts and collecting three of his four interceptions. After the expiration of his rookie contract, he bounced around the league but managed to play nine total seasons. After a one-year stint with the Lions in 2017, Hayden signed the most lucrative deal of his career (three years, $19MM) with the Jaguars.
He maintained a healthy workload during his time in Jacksonville as the team’s secondary saw a number of departures take place. Hayden then spent the 2021 campaign in Washington, appearing in a single game in the nation’s capital. After signing a futures contract with the Commanders, he was ultimately released last April. Hayden totaled 92 NFL games and roughly $33.5MM in career earnings.
“D.J.’s courage, perseverance, and dedication to his teammates will be fondly remembered by everyone who knew him,” the Raiders said in a statement. “The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with D.J.’s loved ones at this time.”
NOVEMBER 11: As expected, Jefferson will indeed be out for Week 10, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. While his ramp-up period continues, the Vikings remain hopeful Jefferson will be able to suit up before their Week 13 bye, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. That comes as little surprise given the timing of their decision to open his practice window, but a relatively quick return would of course be a welcomed development for a shorthanded Minnesota offense.
NOVEMBER 9: When speaking publicly for the first time since returning to practice, Jefferson confirmed he gave no serious consideration to sitting out the remainder of the season (h/t ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). He added, to no surprise, that he will not suit up at less than 100%, pointing further to a Week 10 absence being likely.
NOVEMBER 8, 2:19pm: Kevin O’Connell confirmed the Vikings have a timeline planned for Jefferson’s return, and the second-year Vikings HC admitted (via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling) a return this week would be on the aggressive side. As it stands, the Vikes’ Week 11 tilt in Denver stands to be Jefferson’s earliest return window.
12:25pm: Some murky updates have come since Justin Jefferson landed on IR with a hamstring injury. While the All-Pro wide receiver is no lock to be ready by Sunday, the Vikings will see him back at practice.
Minnesota opened Jefferson’s practice window Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, starting his activation clock. The Vikings will have until Nov. 29 to activate Jefferson or see him revert to season-ending IR. With the team still in contention for a playoff spot, Jefferson has a reason to return. Of course, the superstar receiver’s contract stands to affect his timetable.
The Vikings and Jefferson negotiated this summer, talking right up until Week 1. But the sides could not agree to terms, pushing talks to 2024. In the fifth-year option era, no team has extended a wide receiver with two seasons of rookie-contract control previously, and while the Vikings aimed to be the first, they still have another offseason to do so before the franchise tag comes into play. But the failed talks will point to Jefferson waiting until he is 100% recovered from the injury he sustained in Week 5.
As such, Jefferson is not expected to play this week. This timetable would make Week 11 — against the Broncos — the fourth-year playmaker’s first opportunity to come back. But Wednesday sets a clear timeline for Jefferson’s activation. The parties could also opt for a long runway here. Minnesota’s bye arrives in Week 13, which opens the door for a possible extended buildup in which Jefferson spends the full three weeks on IR and receives an extra week of recovery time before a Week 14 return. While that might be overkill, it is important to note some recent hamstring setbacks that have affected other standout pass catchers.
Both Keenan Allen and Darren Waller sustained setbacks during their recoveries, leading to extended hiatuses. Allen ended up missing seven games with his hamstring malady, while Waller missed eight. The latter, who had already signed his Raiders extension when he attempted to return too soon last season, is on IR with another hamstring malady as a Giant. New York also saw left tackle Andrew Thomas aggravate his hamstring injury during recovery this season, and while Thomas is not a skill-position player, the All-Pro lineman needed another month before returning thanks to the aggravation.
The Vikings have won each of their games without Jefferson, and the team’s contender status loomed as a factor in the wideout’s comeback. The Vikes are aiming to become only the second team this century (after the 2018 Texans) to rally from 0-3 to the playoffs. Although, three of the Jefferson-less victories came with Kirk Cousins at the controls. The longtime Minnesota quarterback is out for the season with a torn Achilles. The team received a boost from trade pickup Josh Dobbs last week, and while the eight-game Cardinals starter will start for the Vikes in Week 10 against the Saints, the team’s offense will lack the capabilities it had with Cousins.
Minnesota’s QB setup may also affect Jefferson’s timetable, but in the grand scheme, his price tag is unlikely to drop if a hamstring aggravation occurs. Though, the Vikings would risk losing Jefferson for the season if that transpires. The 2020 first-rounder, who shattered the NFL record for receiving yards through three seasons, still leads the Vikings with 571 receiving yards. Jordan Addison has shown growth during Jefferson’s absence, creating an enticing setup for the resurgent team should it activate its aerial ace this month.
Third-year linebacker Azeez Ojulari will attempt to turn around what, so far, has been a second straight injury-marred season. After spending the past four games on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Ojulari will return to the Giants defensive line after being activated from IR today. 
After an impressive rookie year that saw Ojulari lead the team in sacks, the former second-round pick only saw seven contests in his sophomore season. Even in extremely limited time, the Georgia-product was able to rack up 5.5 sacks. Injuries kept Ojulari from blossoming during his second season in New York, but the talent level was clearly still there for one of the team’s top pass rushers.
This year, before his IR stint, though, Ojulari had been held sackless. Granted, he’s only seen action in three games this year, and in two of those games he saw only 55 percent of the team’s snaps or fewer, he’s had the least-effective season of his career thus far. He’ll attempt to turn that narrative around starting this week.
The Giants also announced their two standard gameday elevations from the practice squad today. With regular kicker Graham Gano still on IR, New York will once again rely on practice squad kicker Randy Bullock. Bullock was called up for last week’s game but wasn’t asked to attempt an extra point, let alone a field goal.
Lastly, the team’s second gameday practice squad elevation will be used on tight end Tyree Jackson. The converted college quarterback has a few career catches from his time in Philadelphia but has yet to appear in a game for the division-rival Giants.
Arizona is getting more than one key pieces of its offense back this weekend. With quarterback Kyler Murray already set to return as the starter in Week 10 for the Cardinals after being activated from injured reserve this week, Arizona will also be returning starting running back James Conner, who has been out since suffering a Week 5 knee injury. 
Cardinals staff writer Darren Urban informs that Conner will officially be activated off of IR today with the intention of playing him against the Falcons this Sunday. “(Conner) is our workhorse in the run game, and it will be good to get him back,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said about the running back’s return to the field. “It helps not only Kyler, it helps our team.”
In Conner’s absence, Arizona has mostly relied on the legs of undrafted rookie Emari Demercado. With Demercado reportedly out this week, though, Conner isn’t the only addition the team is making to the running backs room. After waiving him just two days ago, the Cardinals are bringing back Tony Jones Jr. on a practice squad deal. In order to make room for Jones on the practice squad, the team released offensive lineman Vitaliy Gurman.
Jones will be one of two standard gameday elevations from the practice squad for this week’s game. He and Keaontay Ingram will be tasked with backing up Conner in his first game back from IR. The team’s other gameday elevation will be utilized to promote practice squad tackle Jackson Barton for the weekend.
1:57pm: With Fairbairn set to miss some time, the team has officially made the decision to place him on IR. He’ll be out for at least four weeks now, so even though Ammendola is only getting called up for tomorrow, a permanent roster move to cover the kicker position is likely soon.
With two new vacancies on the 53-man roster, the Texans have opted to utilize their practice squad to fill one. The team announced that it will be signing practice squad offensive guard Dieter Eiselen to the active roster.
Lastly, joining Fairbairn as a standard gameday elevation will be practice squad tight end Dalton Keene. With Brevin Jordan one of eight inactives heading into Sunday’s trip to Cincinnati, Keene will step in to back up Dalton Schultz and Eric Saubert.
9:45am: It sounds like Derek Stingley Jr. will be in the lineup when the Texans take on the Bengals tomorrow. The team is set to activate the cornerback from injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed the news.
Stingley landed on injured reserve back in September after suffering a hamstring injury during practice. The Texans opened his 21-day activation window earlier this week when the cornerback returned to practice.
While the return to practice was obviously a positive development for Stingley, it sounded like the team was proceeding with caution with the former third-overall pick. Since Stingley had been sidelined for more than a month, the Texans were reportedly going to give the defender as much time as he needed to get into game shape. Apparently, it didn’t take all that long, as Stingley is set to be activated only days after being designated for return.
The LSU product hasn’t necessarily lived up to his third-overall-pick billing, but that’s mostly been thanks to injury. Stingley collected 43 tackles, one interception, and five passes defended to begin his rookie campaign, but a hamstring injury suffered in Week 10 ultimately forced him to miss the rest of the season. He had nine tackles in two starts to begin this season before landing on injured reserve.
To make room on the roster, the Texans have waived offensive lineman Austin Deculus. The 2022 sixth-round pick has seen time in 13 games over the past two seasons for Houston, including seven appearances (one start) this season. He was waived at the end of the preseason before landing on the practice squad, and there’s a good chance he follows a similar path this time around.
The Texans made one additional move as they prepare for Week 10. Per Wilson, the team has promoted kicker Matt Ammendola from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation. Ka’imi Fairbairn is set to miss a handful of weeks while recovering from a strained quadriceps, so Houston will temporarily roll with the journeyman kicker. Ammendola has spent time with six different organizations since going undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2020. He’s seen time in 15 career games, connecting on 18 of his 26 field goal attempts and 19 of his 22 extra point tries.
After extending JaMycal Hasty this past offseason, the Jaguars are moving on from the running back. The team announced today that they’ve waived Hasty. The Jaguars are using the open roster spot on cornerback Gregory Junior, who has been activated from injured reserve.
Hasty started his NFL career in San Francisco. He joined the 49ers in 2020 after going undrafted out of Baylor, and he proceeded to spend two years with the organization. While a lot of his work came on special teams, he showed some promise on offense, averaging 4.8 yards on his 85 touches.
He was snagged off waivers by the Jaguars prior to the 2022 campaign. After initially serving as the team’s RB3, he was promoted to be Travis Etienne‘s primary backup following the James Robinson trade. Hasty ended up getting into all 17 games for the Jaguars last season, finishing with a career-high 320 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. He also got into Jacksonville’s two playoff games, adding another 43 yards on five touches. Following that performance, the Jaguars extended Hasty in February.
However, the 27-year-old has seen a reduced role in 2023. Rookie Tank Bigsby has taken over the second spot on the depth chart, and Hasty has also been outsnapped by D’Ernest Johnson. In total, Hasty has seen time in three games, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
The Jaguars selected Junior, a Ouachita Baptist product, in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. He ended up spending the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad, although he collect six tackles in his one appearance with the big-league club. The defensive back suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 that ultimately landed him on injured reserve.
With rookie kicker Blake Grupe continuing to struggle, some pundits have wondered if the Saints could make a change at the position. However, coach Dennis Allen gave his kicker a vote of confidence this week.
Per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com, Allen explained to reporters that he’s seen plenty of rookie kickers struggle before ultimately figuring it out. The coach also noted that the Saints haven’t auditioned potential replacements.
Of course, the Saints aren’t necessarily willing to tolerate Grupe’s growing pains for the rest of the 2023 campaign. While the team is giving the rookie time to break out of his slump, they’re also not going to give the player endless opportunities to do so.
“This is a grown man’s league,” Allen said. “We’re not worried about anybody’s feelings right now. Blake’s got a job to do, he’s got to kick it through the posts, and he understands that. It’s the whole operation. There’s a lot of things that go into it. . . . We’ve got confidence in Blake, but yet you have to evaluate those things. You have to pay attention to it.”
Grupe got off to a hot start, connecting on 11 of his first 12 field goal attempts in the NFL. However, he’s taken a step back over the past month, converting only seven of his 11 attempts over his last four games. Only two of those four misses came from beyond the 50 yard line.
Of course, there’s plenty of reason to stick with the rookie. He clearly doesn’t have the yips, as Grupe has connected on all 19 of his extra point tries. Further, despite going undrafted in this year’s draft, he had a productive college career, connecting on 78 field goals across five seasons with Arkansas State and Notre Dame. The rookie won a kicking competition during the preseason over veteran Wil Lutz, who spent the previous seven seasons as New Orleans’ kicker.
Kyler Murray‘s long-awaited return will commence in Week 10. The Cardinals used up Murray’s three-week return-to-practice window, giving the former Pro Bowler effectively a midseason training camp to work in Drew Petzing‘s system. That run-up may be important to how the organization proceeds at quarterback in 2024.
Moving parts exist here, given the Cardinals’ 2024 draft placement at this season’s midpoint. But the Cardinals want to see how Murray functions in their new play-caller’s system before making a determination about the longer-term future, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes.
The Cards are 1-8, but Petzing was able to coax some productive performances from Josh Dobbs, who had arrived just before the season via the Browns trade. Arizona ranks 27th in offensive DVOA, with Clayton Tune‘s disastrous outing in Cleveland making a notable impact on the team’s overall numbers. Exiting their 58-yard offensive showing against the Browns, the Cards rank 31st in passing. Petzing’s system — which came from Kevin Stefanski‘s Browns attack — is seen by some around the league as one that could boost Murray’s stock, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds (subscription required). That said, the dual-threat QB the Browns added — Deshaun Watson — has not exactly taken to it during his early run in Ohio.
Murray, 26, has received an extensive buildup period upon returning from his ACL tear. He is nearly 11 months removed from it. Theories about the Cardinals keeping Murray inactive as they determine their future, which could include Drake Maye or Caleb Williams, ended up unfounded. But Murray’s showing stands to impact how the team proceeds next year, regardless of Jonathan Gannon‘s interest in keeping Murray as long as he is the HC.
The Cardinals could be in position to either draft one of the top two QBs or follow in the Bears’ footsteps and auction the pick to accelerate a rebuild that would, in the latter scenario, include Murray as the centerpiece. The Texans have improved to the point it looks unlikely they will land a top-five draft slot for a fourth straight year; Houston traded its 2024 first-rounder to Arizona to move up for Will Anderson in April. It would stand to reason Murray being active will hurt the Cardinals’ chances of securing a top-two pick in the ’24 draft, but the Cardinals’ power structure wants to see the former No. 1 overall pick in this new system to collect more information.
Murray could conceivably restore some of his trade value by staying healthy upon return. But Howe adds that his contract — five years, $230.5MM ($103.3MM fully guaranteed) — is not seen as tradeable. It would cost the Cardinals a record-setting (for now, as Russell Wilson‘s contract remains on the Broncos’ cap sheet) $46MM in dead money if he were traded before June 1. The Cards would owe Murray an $11.9MM guarantee on March 17 — Day 5 of the 2023 league year — if he is still on the roster; that money covers part of his 2025 salary. The year-out guarantee would stand to drive an early trade, but it would be punitive for the Cardinals. And a shortage of teams, Murray’s flashes in the past notwithstanding, would be in line to take on that contract.
Arizona paying part of Murray’s deal could facilitate a better return, but an executive told Howe a Murray release could also be in play — in the event the Cardinals commit to drafting another QB — due to a lack of trade interest. Even in a post-June 1 scenario, the Cardinals would be hit with a $48.3MM dead-money bill in 2024 by cutting the QB they extended in July 2022. A QB-needy team not in position to nab Williams or Maye may also be interested in Murray, though the return would not approach what the Texans received for Watson last year.
The fork-in-the-road moment the Cardinals may soon face will be a storyline to monitor as Murray resumes play. They already dealt Dobbs to clear out a spot, doing so after Gannon had told the media the journeyman would start against the Browns in Week 9. Dobbs took it a step further this week, indicating Gannon informed him he would not be traded.
“Went to sleep, woke up Tuesday morning with a text from my agent saying, ‘Hey, you could be traded today because it’s the trade deadline,” Dobbs said on his Torchbearers podcast (via Yardbarker). “When I had the meeting with [Gannon] in Arizona, he looked at me in the face and he said, ‘You’re not being traded. You’re not being released. You’re going to be here in Arizona.”
After Gannon confirmed the Cardinals’ course change on Oct. 30, the team pulled the trigger on the Dobbs trade hours before the Oct. 31 deadline. The Cardinals sent Dobbs and a conditional seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a 2024 sixth-rounder. Dobbs, who made eight starts as a Cardinal, will start again for the Vikings in Week 10. It is not uncommon to see coaches and GMs backtrack on previous claims as trade rumors circulate, and it is also possible Gannon intended to start Dobbs once again but ended up being overruled.
The 28-year-old passer, after replacing a concussed Jaren Hall, piloted the Vikings to an upset win in Atlanta despite barely knowing Kevin O’Connell‘s system. Tune is now positioned as Murray’s backup, but the next two months will provide some answers about Arizona’s post-2023 QB direction.
Divisions have produced four playoff teams previously. The 1994 NFC Central sent every team but the Buccaneers to the postseason, while the 1998 AFC East moved every team but the Colts — in Peyton Manning‘s rookie season — into that year’s playoff field. (The NFC Central also accomplished this in 1982, but eight teams made each conference’s field due to the strike-induced format change.) The NFL realigning its divisions, killing the five-team divisional setup, in 2002 made it impossible for four teams in one quartet to venture to the playoffs. The 2020 expansion to a 14-team postseason field, however, reopened that door.
Entering Week 10, the AFC’s seven-team “if the season ended today” field would consist of the division-leading Chiefs, Jaguars and Dolphins, along with the fourth North-division clubs. No other division features more than two teams with winning records; the AFC North carries four. This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting divisional stretch runs in modern NFL history.
The Ravens lead the way at 7-2 and hold a runaway DVOA lead on the rest of the NFL. Baltimore’s defense leads the league in points allowed and paces the NFL in sacks — by four — with 35. The Ravens’ summer additions of Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy have paid dividends. Clowney’s 11 QB hits trail only Justin Madubuike‘s 14, while Van Noy now has at least five sacks in six of the past seven seasons. The veteran linebacker has managed to get there despite being signed in late September. Van Noy, 32, is on a one-year, $1.6MM deal; Clowney, 30, signed for one year and $2.5MM. The team’s $20MM-per-year Roquan Smith extension is paying off early; Pro Football Focus ranks the ex-Bears top-10 pick fourth among off-ball linebackers.
QBR slots Lamar Jackson 11th, and the Ravens remain a run-oriented team. Though, Jackson is operating efficiently in Todd Monken‘s offense. The team’s remaining schedule resides as the NFL’s second-toughest — in part because of the AFC North games remaining — though the squad with the hardest slate remaining may be the Ravens’ top competitor for this hotly contested crown.
Joe Burrow‘s return to full strength has reinvigorated the Bengals, who made the fourth-year passer the NFL’s highest-paid player. After the Ravens and Chargers incrementally moved the AAV bar following the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts extension, the Bengals slid it to $55MM for Burrow. The superstar passer is back in form, leading Cincinnati to four straight wins. The Bengals (5-3) have now downed the 49ers and Bills on the road, but Tankathon slots their remaining schedule as by far the most difficult. Trips to Kansas City and Jacksonville remain, but the two-time reigning AFC North champs are surging at midseason, aiming to turn another 0-2 start into a playoff home game.
Moving forward without Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, the Bengals have not seen their safety setup match Bates’ Falcons work. Then again, the team was not exactly expecting that, given Bates’ talent and $16MM-per-year price tag. Cincinnati keeping its linebacker tandem (Logan Wilson–Germaine Pratt) together has provided considerable help, though the team continues to run into injury trouble on offense. The Bengals faced the Ravens during Burrow’s early-season health issue, losing at home and raising the stakes for the sides’ Thursday-night tilt in Week 11.
The most notable improvement by an AFC North unit comes in Cleveland, where the Jim Schwartz DC hire is looking like one of the best assistant additions in recent memory. The Browns have gone from a miscommunication-plagued defense to one that is producing dominant efforts. The Browns held the Cardinals to 57 total yards, the team’s fewest since 1955, and has seen Myles Garrett (9.5 sacks) become a Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner (and surefire candidate for a market-setting second extension). Offseason adds Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo have boosted the Browns as well, and Cleveland’s elite pass defense led to the 5-3 mark amid the Deshaun Watson shoulder saga.
The highly paid quarterback returned in Week 9 but has still not closely resembled his Houston version, with the off-field issues that produced a historic hiatus still impacting the former Pro Bowler’s trajectory. As the Browns’ defense leads the NFL in DVOA, its offense ranks 28th. Watson’s rotator cuff issue will be a key divisional subplot, and the team seeing both tackles join Nick Chubb on IR will make matters tougher. But Cleveland’s defense is providing a strong safety net thus far.
Also 5-3, the Steelers rank 14th in DVOA. Punching-bag OC Matt Canada continues to draw heat, with Pittsburgh’s defense also carrying an inconsistent offense. The Steelers have notched home wins over the Browns and Ravens — even as their streak without 400 total yards has reached 56 games. Kenny Pickett sits 27th in QBR, but the team has been without Pat Freiermuth and Diontae Johnson for chunks of the season. That has not stopped calls for Canada’s ouster, as the 2022 first-round QB’s work down the stretch will help determine how the Steelers see the Pitt product in the long term.
T.J. Watt has stayed healthy this season, and the Watt-Alex Highsmith duo remains one of the NFL’s best. The now-well-paid pair, with Highsmith signed to a $17MM-AAV extension, has combined for 14 sacks and 31 QB hits. PFF does rate 33-year-old Patrick Peterson and holdover Levi Wallace outside the top 90 among cornerbacks, with Joey Porter Jr. sitting 25th despite not starting for the season’s first six games. Cole Holcomb‘s season-ending injury, and Minkah Fitzpatrick‘s hamstring trouble stand to be issues to monitor for this defense, however.
Who will end up winning this captivating race? The Bengals and Steelers still have four divisional games left, the Browns and Ravens three. How many playoff teams will this division produce? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.