NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Jalen McKenzie
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DT Domenique Davis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: CB Christian Braswell, TE Josiah Deguara
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived from IR: TE McCallan Castles
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: CB James Pierre
Washington Commanders
- Promoted: DE Andre Jones Jr., CB Bobby Price
Steelers Sign OT Calvin Anderson
After placing offensive tackle Troy Fautanu on injured reserve this past weekend, the Steelers have added some necessary depth at the position. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the team has signed Calvin Anderson.
[RELATED: Steelers Place OT Troy Fautanu On IR]
The lineman worked out with the squad earlier today, leading to a deal. It sounds like Anderson will immediately join Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster.
A former UDFA out of Texas, Anderson had short stints with the Patriots and Jets to begin his career before finding a home in Denver. The lineman got into 41 games for the Broncos between 2020 and 2022, starting 12 of those appearances. He inked a two-year deal with the Patriots last offseason but started only two of his five appearances before he suffered a heart contusion during practice. Anderson subsequently landed on injured reserve and didn’t play again in 2023.
The 28-year-old was back on the field with the Patriots this past preseason, but he landed on injured reserve before final cuts. That would have prevented him from playing in 2024, but the Patriots later released him, paving the way for an eventual job elsewhere.
While the Steelers got some good news on Fautanu today, the team will still be stressing their OT depth moving forward. Broderick Jones will likely find himself back in the starting lineup, although the first-round pick had just been definitively replaced by Fautanu following an ugly Week 2 performance. The organization’s only other depth option was practice squad rookie Doug Nester, so the team was destined to make another move at the position.
Jets Sign DB Jalen Mills To Practice Squad
The Jets are adding some depth to their secondary. The team is signing defensive back Jalen Mills to the practice squad, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Jets are plenty familiar with Mills after he spent the past three seasons with their division rival in New England. Mills played a handful of different roles during his time with the Patriots. After spending his first two years with the team as a cornerback, he spent the 2023 campaign at safety. He only graded 75th among 95 qualifying safeties on Pro Football Focus, and the Patriots ultimately decided to move on this past offseason.
Mills caught on with the Giants back in March but spent most of his stint with the team on the NFI. He was cut by the Giants in August and has spent the first few weeks of the regular season unsigned.
While Mills struggled last season, there’s a chance he still has something left in the tank. The veteran got into 90 percent of his team’s defensive snaps as recently as 2021, and he was a staple of Doug Pederson‘s defense during his time in Philly (where he won a Super Bowl in 2017 as a starting CB). Current Jets GM Joe Douglas was in Philly’s front office for much of Mills’ tenure in Philly, so the executive is probably plenty familiar with what he’s getting.
It’s uncertain exactly where Mills would fit in New York. The team is locked in at cornerback with Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, and Michael Carter II, and safeties Chuck Clark and Tony Adams have barely missed any snaps this season. Most likely, Mills will provide the Jets with some veteran insurance in the likely chance that an injury pops up.
Tee Higgins Expected To Play In Week 3
Tee Higgins is set to make his season debut on Monday night. Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed that the wide receiver is “good to go” for Week 3, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Higgins missed the Bengals first two games while dealing with a hamstring injury that popped up during a Week 1 practice. The receiver finally returned to practice this past week, and while he was limited, he admitted that he’s back to feeling 100 percent.
“I feel great,” Higgins said yesterday (via ESPN’s Ben Baby). “Obviously, unfortunate with the injury, sat out the first two weeks but finally ready to get my feet wet this season and ready to go.”
Higgins’ absence raised some eyebrows following an offseason where he was slapped with the franchise tag. The two sides ultimately couldn’t agree to a long-term deal, and Higgins’ sudden injury came on the heels of the Ja’Marr Chase drama. Higgins made it clear that his absence had nothing to do with his contract, noting that the injury was worse than initially feared. In fact, the impending free agent was especially motivated to take the field as soon as possible.
“That’s why I was so bummed out that it happened because it was something I focused on this offseason for it not to happen, and it did, but I’m back now so it’s cool,” Higgins said last week (via Baby).
The former 1,000-yard receiver will be counted on to provide a spark to an offense that’s scored three touchdowns in two games. With Higgins out of the lineup, the team has been especially reliant on tight end Mike Gesicki and second-year WR Andrei Iosivas, with Trenton Irwin and rookie third-round pick Jermaine Burton also garnering some extra targets.
Steelers Place OT Troy Fautanu On IR
6:35pm: Fautanu maywell end up missing much more than a month. Dulac reports the injury is set to sideline him for most, if not all, of the season’s remainder. Fautanu had red flags coming into the draft for medical reasons, and his rookie campaign appears to already be over due to his latest ailment.
4:20pm: The Steelers have officially moved Fautanu to injured reserve, ensuring that he will miss at least the next four games because of his knee injury, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Jones will be ready to take over the starting role versus the Chargers tomorrow.
In addition to Fautanu’s placement on IR, the team is also promoting offensive lineman John Leglue and cornerback James Pierre from the practice squad. As standard gameday practice squad elevations, Leglue and Pierre will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s game.
9:02am: The Steelers will be without their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future. Rookie Troy Fautanu injured his knee during yesterday’s practice and is sidelined indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The lineman is set to undergo further testing, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the rookie definitely won’t be playing in Week 3. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones told reporters yesterday that his teammate suffered “a little tweak” to his knee (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).
The Steelers selected Fautanu with the 20th-overall pick in this past year’s draft. The rookie was sidelined with an MCL injury during the preseason, and he didn’t end up seeing the field for the team’s season-opener. With Jones struggling at RT, coach Mike Tomlin said the team would likely rotate tackles during Week 2.
While Fautanu garnered the start, Tomlin did initially stick to his rotational plan. However, as Pryor points out, Jones proceeded to commit three penalties in a six-play span, leading to the rookie playing out the contest. Fautanu finished the game getting into 55 offensive snaps, with the lineman earning praise from Pro Football Focus for his pass-blocking prowess.
With Fautanu now sidelined, the Steelers will likely turn back to Jones. Outside of LT Dan Moore Jr., the team’s only other healthy offensive tackle is practice squad rookie Doug Nester. For what it’s worth, Jones recognized his struggles through the first two weeks, and Tomlin believes the former first-round pick is prime for a rebound.
“He’s a talented young player,” Tomlin said (via Pryor). “I’m sure he suffered some disappointment in terms of Troy starting. It’s a natural thing, but he’s got to move past it. I got to give him an opportunity to move past it as a leader.”
The Steelers’ offensive line has already been wrecked by injuries. Center Nate Herbig is likely out for the year while recovering from a torn rotator cuff, and guard Isaac Seumalo hasn’t played this season while dealing with a pectoral injury.
Texans TE Brevin Jordan Out For Season
SEPTEMBER 19: This placement will cover the rest of the season. Jordan suffered a torn ACL, according to Wilson. This is a tough blow for the 2021 draftee, as his path toward the 2025 free agent market will now include extensive knee rehab.
SEPTEMBER 18: The Texans will be down a tight end for at least the next four games. The team placed tight end Brevin Jordan on injured reserve today, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Jordan suffered a knee injury at some point during Sunday’s win over the Bears, although he still managed to finish the contest. The veteran was operating as Houston’s TE2 behind Dalton Schultz this season, with Jordan garnering 43 total snaps as a run blocker.
While he’s been called upon as a blocker in 2024, the former fifth-round pick hasn’t been a complete non-factor offensively through his first three-plus seasons in the NFL. The Miami (FL) product averaged 17 catches per season between 2021 and 2023, and he had a notable 73-yard touchdown during last year’s playoffs.
The team added some depth at the position today by signing Irv Smith Jr. to the practice squad, per Wilson. Smith profiles as more of a pass-catcher, with the tight end averaging more than 23 receiving yards per game in 37 appearances with the Vikings. After dealing with injuries between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Smith put together his worst statistical season in 2023, finishing with career-lows in receptions (18), receiving yards (115), and touchdown receptions (one).
Schultz and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Stover are mostly rostered for their pass-catching ability, so there’s a chance the team looks for a blocking option to temporarily replace Jordan. The Texans are also rostering tight end Chris Myarick and fullback Troy Hairston on the practice squad, and both players are probably candidates for promotions for Week 3.
Latest On Chukwuma Okorafor’s Patriots Departure
Following an ugly Week 1 cameo, Patriots offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor was placed on the exempt/left squad list after suddenly stepping away from the team. We heard at the time that this was “not a temporary decision,” and ESPN’s Mike Reiss echoes that sources aren’t expecting the veteran to play for the Patriots again this season.
Now, the organization will have to work with the player to determine how much of the guaranteed money he’ll end up receiving. As Reiss notes, Okorafor earned a $2MM signing bonus (of which $600K was deferred until 2025) and a guaranteed $1.125MM base salary. Reiss hints that the two sides may be facing impending negotiations to determine how much of the $3.125MM in guaranteed money Okorafor will ultimately get to keep. Indeed, coach Jerod Mayo revealed that the front office has already had talks with the player’s camp (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald).
The lineman also stepped away from more than $4MM in incentives. Okorafor would have earned $850K for a variety of snap milestones, including appearing from 50 to 90 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. After being “checked out mentally” and leaving the organization, there’s little chance Okorafor will hit most of those milestones even with a sudden return.
Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal provides some more insight into the player’s departure, with the reporter noting that the player is “contemplating his future in football.” Giardi also passed along quotes from Mayo, with the coach noting his own concern for Okorafor the person (vs. the player).
“I called him, and it had everything to do with the man,” Mayo said. “I wanted to make sure that he was good, in a good space and really considering and taking into consideration that this is what he wanted to do.”
After spending the past four years as the Steelers starting right tackle, Okorafor joined the Patriots this offseason to replace Trent Brown on the left side of the line. The acquisition struggled in his Patriots debut, allowing six QB pressures in his six pass-blocking opportunities, leading to him quickly being replaced by Vederian Lowe. The fill-in has already been ruled out for tomorrow, and Giardi notes that Caedan Wallace will likely get the call at LT against the Jets.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/18/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Eku Leota, TE Jordan Matthews
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Dashaun Mallory
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Cornelius Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Quintez Cephus
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB David Anenih
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Matt Sokol
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Miles Boykin, RB Brittain Brown
- Released: S Marquise Blair, NT Quinton Bohanna
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/24
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB DJ James, S Mark Perry
- Released: LB Yvandy Rigby, S AJ Thomas
Mark Perry was cut by the Texans practice squad last week, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston notes that the organization wanted him back. Instead, the safety has landed in New England. Perry put himself on the NFL map with two impressive seasons at TCU where he compiled 142 tackles and six passes defended.