Browns Add WR Kadarius Toney To Practice Squad
Kadarius Toney has found his next NFL gig. The wideout has landed with the Browns, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’s a practice squad deal for Toney.
The receiver was cut by the Chiefs at the end of the preseason, ending an underwhelming one-plus year stint with the organization. Over the past week, he worked out with both the Seahawks and the Browns, and Week 1 developments may have convinced him to sign with Cleveland.
Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Browns wanted to add another pass-catcher after losing tight end David Njoku to a potential high ankle sprain. Rapoport hints that Toney might not earn a promotion for Week 2, but it shouldn’t take long until he finds himself on the field for the Browns.
The former first-round pick has shown brief flashes through his first three years in the NFL, but there’s also a good reason why he’s settling for taxi squad deals. Toney had 39 receptions as a rookie with the Giants, but that number slipped to 16 catches while splitting the 2022 campaign between New York and Kansas City. There was some hope after he hauled in seven catches during the Chiefs’ 2022 Super Bowl run, and he somewhat rebounded with 27 receptions in 2023. Still, that wasn’t enough to keep his gig with the Chiefs.
There are already plenty of offensive concerns in Cleveland after Deshaun Watson‘s miserable Week 1 performance. Things won’t get any easier with Njoku out of the lineup, and Toney’s addition won’t do much to turn around the team’s outlook. The team’s current WR depth chart is headlined by Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore, with the likes of Jaelon Darden, 2023 third-round pick Cedric Tillman, and fifth-round rookie Jamari Thrash rounding out the receivers room. The Browns are also rostering additional WRs on the practice squad, including Michael Woods II, Lideatrick Griffin, James Proche, and David Bell.
Packers’ Jordan Love Suffers MCL Sprain, To Miss Three To Six Weeks
SEPTEMBER 8: Love’s MCL injury is between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprain, per Rapoport (video link). Love will miss three to six weeks, and it is still unclear whether Willis or Clifford will take the reins in the meantime.
SEPTEMBER 7, 10:04PM: It’s bittersweet news for the Packers after getting the results of their additional scans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Love’s ACL suffered no damage, but he has suffered an MCL sprain. To be clear: this is still good news. When the alternative was the end of the 2024 season for Love, an MCL sprain should be a breath of fresh air.
The young passer, who leads the league in annual average value while making $55MM per year, will still likely miss some time, but the prognosis is much more positive than a season-ending injury. It looks like Green Bay will be forced to depend on Willis or Clifford at quarterback for about four t0 six weeks until Love is able to return. That or they will need to look to the free agent market for a rental.
11:15AM: Some good news on the Love front, at least temporarily. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that initial tests indicate that Love’s ACL is intact. Of course, the quarterback isn’t completely out of the woods. Pelissero warns that there’s still “a wide range of outcomes based on additional scans.”
9:05AM: The Packers dropped their season opener to the Eagles, but the team may have suffered an even more devastating loss along the way. Jordan Love suffered an apparent leg injury during the final drive of last night’s game in Brazil.
A dejected Matt LaFleur didn’t have any updates about his quarterback’s condition following the game. The Packers are scheduled to land back in Green Bay this afternoon, at which time they’ll presumably get more clarity on Love’s injury. Dianna Russini of The Athletic clarifies that Love will indeed undergo an MRI later today, although an ankle injury has already been ruled out.
The injury occurred with five seconds remaining in the game as Love was attempting a Hail Mary pass. Replays showed the quarterback’s knee pop as he was brought to the ground by Eagles defenders, and Love then remained on the ground while “writhing in pain,” per Lukas Weese and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the injury was clearly reminiscent of Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury last year.
From a glass-half-full perspective, Weese and Schneidman note that Love was able to exit the Packers locker room under his own power. The quarterback also didn’t have a noticeable limp.
The centerpiece of Green Bay’s young core, Love was expected to take another step forward following his breakout 2023 campaign. The Packers are especially confident in their franchise quarterback, as the team handed him a four-year, $220MM extension this offseason that featured a record $55MM average annual value. If Love is forced to miss time, Malik Willis would likely take over as the starting quarterback. The Packers are also stashing Sean Clifford on the practice squad.
Center Josh Myers also suffered an injury on the same play as Love, with the lineman telling ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that “severe cramps” forced him to the sideline. The starter will presumably be alright moving forward, but the Packers showed their contingency plan on the final two playe by moving Elgton Jenkins to center (with Sean Rhyan taking over as left guard and Jordan Morgan taking over as right guard).
Panthers Place TE Ian Thomas On IR
Ian Thomas is set to miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 campaign. The Panthers announced that they’ve placed the tight end on injured reserve with a calf injury. To take Thomas’s place, Feleipe Franks has been signed to the active roster.
Thomas has been dealing with a nagging calf injury since the early part of training camp. He was already ruled out for Week 1, but it sounds like he’ll need at least an additional three weeks to recover.
The 2018 fourth-round pick has spent his entire career in Carolina. Despite getting into more snaps following the departure of Greg Olsen, Thomas hasn’t translated the extra playing time into offensive production. While starting 38 of his 50 appearances between 2020 and 2022, Thomas hauled in a total of 59 catches for 530 yards and one touchdown. He finished with a career-low five catches in 2023, with the veteran finding himself behind Tommy Tremble and Hayden Hurst on the depth chart.
Thomas could have been in line for more snaps in 2024, at least in the interim. Tremble is uncertain for tomorrow’s season opener, so the Panthers may have to rely on fourth-round rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders. The team is also rostering former WR Jordan Matthews and recent addition Messiah Swinson. Franks will now be joining that group. The former QB moved to the TE position with the Falcons in 2022, and after spending the 2023 season on IR, he stuck around Carolina’s practice squad as a tight end heading into the 2024 campaign.
The Panthers announced a handful of additional moves today. The team signed defensive tackle Jayden Peevy to the active roster, elevated running back Mike Boone and cornerback Lonnie Johnson from the practice squad, and waived cornerback Keenan Isaac.
Jets To Place OL Wes Schweitzer On IR
After missing a significant chunk of his first season in New York, Wes Schweitzer will once again visit injured reserve. The Jets offensive lineman is heading to IR, according to coach Robert Saleh (via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
Schweitzer popped up on Thursday’s injury report with a hand injury. While the severity of the injury is unknown, there’s a good chance the veteran will only have a minimum stay on IR.
After inking a two-year contract with the Jets last offseason, Schweitzer twice landed on IR in 2023 with a calf injury. He was ultimately limited to six games (two starts) during his first season with the squad. In the meantime, Joe Tippmann officially solidified himself as the team’s starting center. Schweitzer is expected to play a backup role in 2024, but that gig will temporarily be held by 2023 UDFA Xavier Newman.
Injuries have been a theme for Schweitzer over the past three years, as he was limited to 18 games during his final two seasons in Washington between 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, the lineman started 54 of his 73 appearances in stints with Washington and Atlanta.
Pro Football Focus generally graded the former sixth-round pick as a middle-of-the-road lineman during his early seasons in the NFL, and the recent injuries haven’t helped his performance. The impending free agent will have to show he’s healthy in 2024 if he hopes to get a gig in 2025.
Latest On Haason Reddick’s Ongoing Holdout
The Jets will open their season in Santa Clara on Monday night, but don’t expect Haason Reddick to be on the field. The pass rusher’s holdout continues, and while Dianna Russini notes that there has been recent progress in negotiations, The Athletic reporter cautions that Reddick is also willing to “die on this sword.”
While we heard earlier this week that “nothing has changed” in the ongoing saga, Russini writes that there has been recent communication between the Jets and Reddick’s camp. While a resolution isn’t imminent, this is at least a promising step forward for the two sides.
In his pursuit of a new deal, Reddick has been a no-show at team facilities since his introductory press conference in April. Meanwhile, the Jets have refused to discuss a new contract without the veteran in the building. These two stubborn approaches have led to a natural stalemate, but it sounds like both sides are starting to at least mend the relationship.
Russini notes that it’s a “long shot” for Reddick to take the field in Week 1. Robert Saleh confirmed as much this morning, telling reporters that it’s “fair” to say Reddick won’t be in the lineup on Monday. Still, the head coach is hoping his new pass rusher will eventually take the field.
“I’ll stand firm that when he gets here, we’re going to welcome him with open arms,” Saleh said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “We’re going to love him up and he’s going to be a part of this football team and he’s going to help us win a lot of football games. He’s gotta sort through the financial stuff, which is none of my business.”
Even if Reddick does report, a Week 1 appearance would be unlikely considering the short time the Jets would have to acclimate the player into their defense. Russini notes that it’s still uncertain “if he’ll show up after [Week 1] either.” The pass rusher had a chance to swing by Florham Park this past week while attending a charity event in Jersey City. In lockstep with his offseason approach, Reddick decided to skip the impromptu visit, per Russini.
The offseason trade acquisition has already cost himself more than $2MM in non-waivable fines thanks to his holdout, and he’ll start losing $838K game checks assuming he doesn’t take the field anytime soon. The Jets have reportedly been receptive to sweetening Reddick’s Eagles-constructed deal rather than adding term to the contract. If neither side is willing to concede, the recent communications won’t do much to remedy this situation.
Contract Details: Ravens, 49ers, Sutton, Bates
The Ravens reworked a handful of contracts this week. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team restructured linebacker Roquan Smith‘s contract. ESPN’s Field Yates adds that defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and kicker Justin Tucker also reworked their pacts.
Smith’s restructuring helped create $4.875MM in cap space, per Rapoport. Smith is playing on the second year of a five-year, $100MM extension he signed with the Ravens in 2023. In total, the three recent contract restructurings will total $9.3MM in savings, per Yates.
GM Eric DeCosta recently hinted that the team may be over the cap after adding a long list of practice squad players (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). The executive was confident the organization would quickly get cap compliant, and it sounds like the front office also managed to squeeze out some extra financial wiggle room heading into the regular season.
More cap restructurings from around the NFL…
- Deebo Samuel provided the 49ers with some cap space the other day, with the wideout’s restructuring providing the team with a whopping $16.4MM in cap space (via Yates). Samuel is still playing on the three-year, $73.5MM extension he inked with San Francisco in 2022. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins also recently reworked his contract, saving the 49ers $5.43MM against the cap, per Yates. The team specifically converted $6.79MM of Collins’ upcoming salary into a signing bonus, adding three void years in the process (per Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac).
- The Broncos continue to commit to wideout Courtland Sutton, at least for the entirety of the 2024 campaign. The team restructured the receiver’s contract, helping open $9.5MM in cap space, per Yates. Specifically, the team converted $11.875MM of Sutton’s $13MM salary into a bonus, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver. The reduced financial flexibility reduces the chances of a Sutton trade during the upcoming season.
- The Falcons opened up about $7.5MM in cap space by reworking Jessie Bates‘ contract, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The team converted $11.25MM of his 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, increasing his 2025 ($22.25MM) and 2026 ($22.27MM) cap hits in the process.
- The Panthers reworked a pair of contracts, according to Yates. Both offensive tackle Taylor Moton and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle helped provide the Panthers with some breathing room, as the duo’s restructurings created $10.7MM in cap room.
- The Saints opened $3.5MM in cap space by reworking Juwan Johnson‘s deal, per Yates. The tight end inked a two-year extension with the team ahead of the 2023 campaign, with $11.5MM of his $12MM earnings guaranteed.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/24
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Aaron Shampklin
- Placed on IR: RB Boston Scott
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Quinton Bohanna, DE Kenneth Odumegwu
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Luke Gifford
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/24
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived from injured reserve: TE Teagan Quitoriano
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived from injured reserve: S Tyree Gillespie
Miami Dolphins
- Released from injured reserve: LB Wyatt Ray
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Braylon Sanders
Tennessee Titans
- Released from IR: OT Lachavious Simmons
Teagan Quitoriano has been sidelined with a sprained calf, leading to his placement on season-ending IR. The tight end has now been cut from IR with an injury settlement, allowing the player to play this season. In fact, he could still land with the Texans, as Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston hints that the tight end could sign with the Texans when first eligible in Week 5. The tight end is expected to be ready to play in the next few weeks, so there’s a chance another team could swoop in before Houston.
The 2022 fifth-round pick has spent the past two seasons in Houston, starting 11 of his 16 appearances. Quitoriano has mostly seen time as a blocker, although he has contributed offensively with nine catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Justin Herbert Avoids Injury Report, Discusses Foot Injury
Justin Herbert didn’t make an appearance on the Chargers injury report, a clear indication that he’s good to go for Week 1. Before today’s report dropped, the quarterback made it clear that he’s past his foot injury, although he wouldn’t specify why he specifically missed weeks of practice.
[RELATED: Justin Herbert Returns To Practice]
Herbert was sidelined at the start of August and was spotted wearing a walking boot. It was reported that the franchise QB sustained a plantar fascia injury on July 31, although Herbert said today that he “didn’t have that.” The quarterback wouldn’t reveal what exact injury he had been dealing with, with the fifth-year pro opting to keep the issue quiet.
“You know, I think that’s just something that’s a personal thing that you’d like to keep to yourself,” Herbert said (h/t Alexander Insdorf of Bolt Beat). “And if it’s not something I have to put out there, then I think I’d like to keep that to myself, and to the doctors here especially.”
Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Herbert revealed that he didn’t suffer the injury at any exact moment, and the soreness gradually built up over a period of time. The QB also revealed that he’ll need to manage the injury throughout the upcoming campaign, which will include rehabbing and icing.
“It’s not really on my mind right now,” Herbert said of his foot (via Popper). “As long as we’re out in front of it, I think it’ll be all right.”
Herbert’s injury came at an unfortunate time for an offense that’ll be without former top wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The organization recently added a bit more insurance behind Herbert, adding veteran Taylor Heinicke to a QB room that already featured backup Easton Stick. Herbert was limited to 13 games last season thanks to a finger injury, but both the QB and the Chargers are hoping he can put forward a 17-game showing in 2024.
Colts K Matt Gay Underwent Hernia Surgery
The Colts might be without their kicker for Week 1. Veteran Matt Gay told reporters that he underwent hernia surgery and is uncertain if he’ll suit up on Sunday, per Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports.
Gay revealed that he first started experiencing pain last weekend. After getting the injury checked out, it was determined the kicker would have to go under the knife. Fortunately, it should be a relatively quick turnaround time, but Gay could still miss this weekend’s matchup with the Texans.
Following a successful three-year stint with the Rams, Gay signed a four-year, $22.5MM contract with the Colts last offseason. He wasn’t as efficient during his first season in Indy, converting only 80.5 percent of his field goal attempts, his worst showing since his rookie campaign. Gay notably connected on a single-game record four 50-plus-yard field goals during a September game, and he converted 35 of 36 extra point tries throughout the campaign.
The Colts prepared for Gay’s potential Week 1 absence by adding kicker Spencer Shrader to the practice squad. The rookie caught on with the Colts earlier this offseason after going undrafted out of Notre Dame. Shrader made 15 of his 22 field goal attempts and 61 of his 62 XP tries last season. In his four previous seasons at South Florida, he connected on 68.3 percent of his FGA and 99 percent of his XPA.