NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/4/23
Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Released: S Macon Clark
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Michael Bandy
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Taylor Stallworth
- Activated from practice squad/injured: S Brandon Hill
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DT Junior Aho
New England Patriots
- Released: P Corliss Waitman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Cameron Erving
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Dez Fitzpatrick, TE Noah Gindorff
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Ilm Manning, RB Jeremy McNichols
- Released: FB Jack Colletto, DL Marlon Davidson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Mason Kinsey
Erving finds a new home in 2023 after originally re-signing to stay with the Panthers in the offseason. The former first-round pick has plenty of starting experience over his eight years in the NFL and has started games at center, guard, and tackle. With several injuries nagging the offensive line in New Orleans, the addition of Erving could prove beneficial.
Broncos Sign WR Tre’Quan Smith
OCTOBER 3: Smith will become the latest former Saint to head to Denver, with Klis adding the signing is a go. It is a practice squad deal. The former New Orleans third-round pick, who played four seasons under Payton, will rejoin his longtime coach. Broncos OC Joe Lombardi was also in New Orleans during part of Smith’s tenure.
SEPTEMBER 29: The Broncos dealt with some early season injuries to their wide receiving corps this year, and though things are finally starting to look up, the team won’t likely be turning down the opportunity to add some quality depth. According to 9NEWS’s Mike Klis, Denver is expected to sign newly available wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith early next week. 
As the season opened, the Broncos knew that they would be without Tim Patrick (dealing with yet another season-ending injury) and second-year undrafted wideout Jalen Virgil (season-ending meniscus tear). The team also waived former second-round pick KJ Hamler as he struggled to deal with his continuous injury troubles. On top of that, Jerry Jeudy would miss some time as he worked his way back from a hamstring injury.
With Jeudy out, Denver called on practice squad wideout, and former first-round pick, Phillip Dorsett to fill in alongside Courtland Sutton, Brandon Johnson, rookie second-round pick Marvin Mims, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. At this point, Jeudy has returned and got a healthy workload in the team’s recent one-sided loss to the Dolphins. Still, the absences of Patrick and Virgil make a potential strength on the team a potential liability.
With much less margin for error, the Broncos look to be turning to Smith. Smith has been dealing with some injury issues of his own. A training camp groin injury held Smith out to the point that he was placed on injured reserve to start the season. With the return of Michael Thomas and the continued emergence of second-year receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the Saints released Smith from the IR. As younger players were showing more potential, Smith’s role in the offense had become unclear and his inability to stay on the field cost him a roster spot.
Denver wasn’t the only team to show interest in the veteran wide receiver, though. Multiple teams reportedly stepped in to express their interest in the free agent, but signs, for now, are pointing to Mile High. Likely the employment of head coach Sean Payton has some influence on the signing. Payton hasn’t shied away from bringing his guys in as Smith will be rejoining former New Orleans teammates in Humphrey and kicker Wil Lutz.
The interest surrounding Smith’s free agency points to the likelihood that he was close to coming off IR before being released by the Saints. We could perhaps see Smith making an impact on the Broncos’ offense in his first week with the team if that turns out to be true.
Bills CB Tre’Davious White Tears Achilles
OCTOBER 2: A Monday MRI confirmed the fears. White suffered an Achilles tear, Sean McDermott said. This will bring another early end to the top Buffalo corner’s season. White needed a full year to return from the ACL tear that ended his 2021 campaign, and he will soon start another lengthy rehab journey.
OCTOBER 1: In an otherwise extremely positive day in Buffalo that included the return to the field for Bills safety Damar Hamlin and a rather convincing win over the division-rival Dolphins, the Bills experienced a terrible scare as veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White left the game with an apparent ankle injury. 
An update from the team’s public relations account on X informed that White had been downgraded to out for the game and that he was being evaluated for an injury to his Achilles tendon. Unfortunately, those evaluations are not looking promising as it is currently feared that White has suffered a torn Achilles, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN.
This continues a troubling trend for the 28-year-old cornerback, who has not played in every game since his sophomore season in 2018. While he missed three games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, White was still able to establish himself as a top cornerback in the league with a first-team All-Pro selection and two Pro Bowl appearances. In 2021, though, White would miss the final six games of the season after tearing his ACL, and that would start an unusually long absence.
Of course, ACL injuries routinely require a lengthy recovery process, but White intentionally decided to slow play his return to the field. The long-term injury was the first of his entire sports career dating back to childhood, and the sedentary lifestyle that recovery required of him took a toll on his mental health. He took an extra couple of months before coming back to play, and the decision paid off, allowing White to be effective in his return to the field.
Unfortunately, including last year’s playoffs, that return only lasted 11 games before he suffered an unrelated, potentially long-term injury. If White truly did tear his Achilles, he would almost certainly be out for the remainder of the season. Hopefully, if an MRI tomorrow confirms the severity of the injury, White is in a better place to deal with a long-term recovery and will be able to make another strong return.
In the meantime, the Bills secondary, already short today starting safety Jordan Poyer with a knee injury and last year’s first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who has been a healthy-scratch for the first four weeks of the season, will turn to a number of backups to fill White’s potential absence. Christian Benford and Taron Johnson have been starting alongside White so far this season. If White is forced to miss the rest of the season, the team will need to rely more on Dane Jackson, Siran Neal, and Cameron Lewis. Figuring out what they’re doing with Elam probably wouldn’t hurt, either.
Matt Judon To Miss Time With Biceps Injury
The Patriots might have been dealt a significant blow today in what was already a tough day with an extremely one-sided loss in Dallas. During the game against the Cowboys, star pass rusher Matt Judon suffered an injury that could affect him for a significant portion of the season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Judon suffered a lower biceps tendon tear that is expected to sideline him for some time. 
Judon would be a significant loss for a Patriots defense that has routinely depended on him as their source for pressuring the quarterback since he arrived in 2021. During his first season in New England, Judon led the team in sacks with 7.5 more than the next closest defender, setting a career-high for himself of 12.5. Last year, Judon once again led the team with a new career-high 15.5 sacks while being joined in double-digit totals by Josh Uche, who had 11.5.
This season has been more of the same for Judon who currently leads the team with four sacks, three more than anyone else on the team. The Patriots are already dealing with a litany of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, so if Judon is forced to miss significant time, New England may be scratching the bottom of the barrel for replacement options.
On the team’s depth chart, Anfernee Jennings and Chris Board are listed behind Judon as weakside linebackers. Board is a career special teamer who, through hard work, was able to earn some defensive snaps during his time in Baltimore and Detroit, but so far, the Patriots have only utilized him on special teams. Jennings, on the other hand, has never proven to be much of a pass rusher since being drafted in the third round three years ago, only amassing 1.5 sacks over his career.
While a diagnosis has already been determined, according to Schefter’s report, the severity of the injury is still to be determined by an MRI that will likely take place tomorrow. While Judon and the Patriots will have their fingers crossed for good news, similar injuries have had a history of being season-ending. Hopefully, Judon’s scans come back hinting at the possibility of a return this season, but in the case that they don’t, Judon will surely be thankful for the recent adjustment to his contract that increased his guaranteed earnings over the next two years.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins Suffers Rib Fracture
A disastrous contract year for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins appears likely to continue trending downward in the immediate future. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the fourth-year wideout suffered a rib fracture today that could hold him out for a portion of the final season of his rookie contract. 
Higgins, a former second-round pick out of Clemson, has been a dominant top-two receiver in Cincinnati since being drafted in 2020. After leading the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as a rookie, Higgins has delivered back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Bengals while performing as WR2 behind Ja’Marr Chase. Over his first three seasons in the league, Higgins had accumulated an impressive 3,028 receiving yards for 19 touchdowns.
These accomplishments made it seem that extending Higgins, so that he might continue to provide newly paid quarterback Joe Burrow with a strong No. 2 target, would be a priority before the season began. Unfortunately, discussions towards a new contract stalled, reportedly over discrepancies on expectations for guaranteed money.
As we closed in on the start of the 2023 regular season, it became clear that Higgins and the Bengals were not close to an agreement on an extension. It was also reported that, not only were the two sides not going to reach an agreement by the start of the season, but Higgins was also not interested in discussing the extension any further in-season.
While he will now have the opportunity to hold in-season discussions about a potential extension while he allows his rib fracture to heal, he’s not necessarily in the best position to do so. Despite his stellar first three years in the NFL, Higgins’ performance so far in 2023 could put him at a disadvantage in negotiations. Up until his injury, Higgins had only caught 12 passes on 32 targets for 129 yards and two touchdowns through four games.
It’s unclear where both sides go from here. If the Bengals continue not to be competitive in the division, they may decide not to rush Higgins back, further hampering his contract-year. Higgins, who had only missed four games before this, may decide to take a lesser deal in order to stay with the team, or he may decide to test his luck on the market even without a strong final season before free agency. It will be a situation to keep an eye on, watching for how long it takes for Higgins to make a return and for when he decides to open up communications on a potential new contract again.
Seahawks S Jamal Adams Considered Retirement
Monday night’s season-debut for Seahawks safety Jamal Adams will not only be the first game he’s played in since suffering a season-ending quadriceps injury in the team’s season opener last year, but it will also be his first game back in MetLife Stadium since being traded by the Jets in 2020. The sentimental returns are only emphasized by recent reports from Brady Henderson at ESPN that, after his most recent brush with serious injury, Adams considered retiring from the game of football altogether. 
Adams started off his career relatively healthy, only missing two games over his first three seasons in New York. Since coming to Seattle, though, Adams has missed 28 of a possible 53 regular season contests with an assortment of injuries. While some injuries to his groin, elbow, and fingers were minor ailments, two shoulder labrum tears and the most recent torn quad tendon have forced him to miss extended periods during his time as a Seahawk. The litany of injuries has had a lasting effect on Adams, leaving him in a “dark place” shortly after he learned he’d be out for the 2022 season.
“It was tough,” Adams told reporters in his first media appearance since suffering the quadriceps injury. “I thought about retiring. I thought about a lot of things. ‘Is this going to be it for me?’ I didn’t know, but I knew eventually. After I got that MRI, I told myself I’m going to be back. I didn’t know when or how, but I was going to figure it out.”
It didn’t take long for Adams to formulate when that return would come. He soon determined that, knowing his recovery would keep him from participating in most of the summer and preseason, he would need a few weeks of regular season practice before returning to action. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list a week before roster cuts, and Week 4 was circled on the schedule.
Another player returning to MetLife for the first time since joining the Seahawks, safety Julian Love has been starting alongside free safety Quandre Diggs in Adams’ place so far this year. Head coach Pete Carroll announced that Adams would have no restrictions in his return from injury, while defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt was a bit more hesitant in making any promises, telling the media that they’d “feel that out as they go.”
We’ll likely have to wait until Monday to see Seattle’s exact plan for working Adams back into the mix. Maybe, he’ll truly be full-go and play 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps against the Giants. Maybe, he’ll split time with Love as the team tests just how much Adams can handle in his first contest in over a year. Or, maybe, Adams just gets his feet wet, testing out the repairs to his knee and seeing if he really is ready to go full speed. Regardless, we’re due for a momentous return that, for a moment, seemed like it may never happen.
Bengals Place WR/PR Charlie Jones On IR
The Bengals are losing a bit of special teams depth for the next few weeks after making the decision to place wide receiver and return specialist Charlie Jones on injured reserve. The NFL’s top punt returner so far this year will be forced to miss at least the next four games as he deals with a thumb injury, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby. 
Jones has bounced around the northern US quite a bit in the past six years, transferring schools twice from Buffalo to Iowa to Purdue before finally being drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of this year’s draft. At Buffalo, he made his biggest impact on kickoff returns. Three years later, he excelled returning both punts and kicks for the Hawkeyes before finally getting a chance to shine on the Boilermakers offense, where he caught 110 passes for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns.
So far this season, Cincinnati has used Jones almost exclusively on special teams, specifically on punt returns. In fact, over the first two weeks of the year, he only returned punts as Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd continue to hold down most of the offensive snaps for the team’s receiving corps.
A Week 2, 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in a loss to the Ravens really underscored Jones’ potential with the team, and the Bengals rewarded him with three offensive snaps in their Monday night win over the Rams a week later. He took advantage of the small opportunity, catching one of two targets for six yards. Currently, Jones leads the league in all punting categories with eight returns for 150 return yards for a yards per return average of 18.75 with a touchdown, most of this thanks to the aforementioned home run return against Baltimore.
So, the league’s leading punt returner will have to sit out a quarter of his rookie year. In his absence, and with former punt returner Trent Taylor now in Chicago, the team could turn to Trenton Irwin who returned a few punts for Cincinnati two years ago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/23
Here are this Friday’s minor NFL transactions:
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: CB Josh Blackwell
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): LB Devin Harper
Houston Texans
- Released: DE Derek Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: WR River Cracraft, WR Erik Ezukanma
The Bears will now need a backup plan for their backup plan. Blackwell became the primary nickel cornerback in Chicago after the team placed Kyler Gordon on injured reserve. The loss of Blackwell will likely mean more responsibility for veteran defensive back Greg Stroman.
Harper was recently waived by Dallas in hopes that he would be able to sign with the Cowboys’ practice squad after clearing waivers, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Unfortunately, they’ll lose control of his contract completely as Cincinnati exercised its waiver claim.
Rivers is being released with much the same intention as Harper, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Houston shouldn’t encounter as many hurdles as the Cowboys, though, since Rivers is a vested veteran and doesn’t need to hit the waiver wire before signing a new contract.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/23
Today’s only practice squad transaction heading into the weekend:
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Cody Thompson
NFL Workouts: Jackson, Austin, Jones, Smith
Veteran cornerback William Jackson continues his NFL tour in an attempt to return to the league this season. Since getting cut by the Steelers at the start of the offseason, Jackson has already auditioned for three teams without a signing. He will hope to break that trend after working out with the Buccaneers today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Jackson met with the cornerback-needy Ravens and the Giants in the offseason but left both Baltimore and New York without a contract. A week ago, Jackson made his way to Philadelphia in an attempt to help the Eagles replace the production of an injured Avonte Maddox, but he remains a free agent to this day.
His most recent trip to Tampa Bay is now an attempt to help provide the Buccaneers with some depth at the cornerback position as starter Carlton Davis continues to deal with a toe injury. Davis has only missed the last two games, but with his reputation for not ever playing a full season, it’s smart for Tampa Bay to be a bit cautious.
Here are a few other workouts reported from around the league:
- The Seahawks haven’t reported any injuries to their receiving corps, despite D.K. Metcalf spending most of last week on the sidelines during practices, yet they hosted veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin yesterday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Austin hasn’t played in the NFL since his 2021 stint with the Jaguars. He spent part of 2022 in Buffalo but was released before seeing the field. He worked out for Baltimore a couple weeks after being let go but has been a free agent ever since.
- Yates also reports that running back Ronald Jones was hosted by the Colts yesterday. The former second-round pick has struggled to find his place in the NFL since playing out his rookie contract in Tampa Bay. He signed his first free agent contract with the Chiefs, but after finding himself buried on the depth chart behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, and Isiah Pacheco, Jones stated he wanted a release. He would finish the season with Kansas City, only appearing in six games but earning a Super Bowl ring. He signed in the offseason with the Cowboys but was released just over a week ago. Indianapolis may be willing to bring Jones in as reports continue to suggest that running back Jonathan Taylor doesn’t want to stay with the team upon his return from the physically unable to perform list.
- The Broncos are finally getting wide receiver Jerry Jeudy going this season, but the team still decided to kick the tires on newly available free agent Tre’Quan Smith, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Smith was recently released by his team of the last five years in New Orleans. Smith has yet to make his 2023 debut after starting the season on injured reserve, and with the emergence of young stars like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed and the return of Michael Thomas, it was hard to envision where Smith would fit into the offense moving forward. Smith was soon going to be able to return from IR, so there’s a chance he can make an immediate return if he signs a new contract soon.