Jaguars OL Tyler Shatley Retires
Reserve veteran lineman Tyler Shatley has officially hung up his cleats, retiring from the NFL after an 11-year career, per a team announcement with a message from Shatley. Shatley spent his entire career in Jacksonville, serving as a key primary backup on the offensive line. 
Shatley, 33, came to the NFL originally as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson. Signing as part of the 2014 rookie class in Jacksonville, Shatley was a surprise member of the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie, though he only appeared in one game. A year later, he was playing in 13 games as a special teams lineman.
In 2016, Shatley got his first shots on the offense, starting two games at center and two games at left guard in injury relief. By 2017, he had established himself as a go-to sixth man on the interior of the offensive line, once again being called up to start four games at center in relief of an injured Brandon Linder, who had earned the starting job the year before. He also served as the emergency long snapper for a short time that season. In 2018, Shatley got his first extended stretch of starting experience, closing out the final seven games of the season with Linder on injured reserve.
A healthy 2019 season for Linder pushed Shatley back to the bench and special teams for a year, but more injuries in 2020 and 2021 once again limited Linder to nine games apiece, opening the door for more playing time for Shatley at center.
After Linder retired, Shatley lost out on the starting gig to replace him, but a season-ending injury to starting left guard Ben Bartch opened up the door for Shatley to make a long-term return to the starting lineup. Last year, the Jaguars struggled the find consistency along their offensive line, and though he couldn’t carve out a consistent role, Shatley was key in ensuring there was coverage along the line.
Coming into the 2024 NFL season, for the first time, Shatley failed to make the 53-man roster. The Jaguars didn’t leave him without a job for long, signing him to the practice squad in late-November. He didn’t make an in-game appearance in this final year in Jacksonville, but no doubt his presence on the practice squad gave the team some assurance that depth was available.
It takes a lot to remain in the NFL for 11 years, especially on the active roster for 10 of those years and especially with all 11 years being on the same team. Shatley may have never earned big contracts or superstar recognition, but his 11 years with the Jaguars are a testament to his reliability and importance to their roster makeup.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25
The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: S Andre Chachere
- Elevated: RB Tony Jones Jr., T Luke Tenuta
- Placed on IR: T Jackson Barton
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: OL Will Clapp, DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: RB Miles Sanders (story)
- Placed on IR: LB Amaré Barno
- Signed to active roster: DE DeShawn Williams
- Elevated: OLB Thomas Incoom, OLB Kenny Dyson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DT Domenique Davis, WR Kendric Pryor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: QB Will Grier
- Elevated: CB Troy Pride
- Placed on IR: CB Kemon Hall
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: DE Matt Henningsen
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: DB Morice Norris
- Elevated: DL Chris Smith, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB D’Angelo Ross
- Elevated: DE Solomon Byrd, S Russ Yeast
- Placed on IR: LB Jamal Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DE Joe Gaziano
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: LB Blake Lynch, QB Chris Oladokun
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE John Samuel Shenker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: S Alohi Gilman (story)
- Elevated: WR Dez Fitzpatrick, S Eddie Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: T AJ Arcuri, OLB Keir Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: T Ryan Hayes, QB Skylar Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: LB Calvin Munson, OLB Gabriel Murphy
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Miles Battle, DE Truman Jones, LB Monty Rice, TE Jack Westover
- Elevated: WR Alex Erickson, TE Mitchell Wilcox
- Placed on IR: C Ben Brown, S Jabrill Peppers, WR Ja’Lynn Polk
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: S Millard Bradford, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: RB Dante Miller
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, T Tyre Phillips
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: CB Sauce Gardner
- Signed to active roster: DL Bruce Hector
- Elevated: CB Tre Swilling, OL Zack Bailey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Alex Barrett, LB DaShaun White
- Elevations: G Drake Nugent, WR Trent Taylor
- Placed on IR: G Spencer Burford, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: CB Artie Burns, NT Brandon Pili
- Elevated: DT Quinton Bohanna, TE Tyler Mabry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: CB Dallis Flowers, LB Deion Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DE Khalid Duke, WR Tay Martin
- Elevated: S Gervarrius Owens, K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: LB Otis Reese
Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.
Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.
Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).
Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.
Commanders Activate Austin Ekeler From IR
The Commanders are getting healthy at the right time, getting an offensive reinforcement a week ahead of their first playoff appearance since a 7-9 campaign was enough to win the division in 2020. When they head on the road for the first round of the playoffs, Washington will be doing so with backup running back Austin Ekeler back on the active roster. The team has activated him off injured reserve today. 
While technically a backup to starter Brian Robinson, Ekeler still holds tremendous value to the offense. Despite Robinson starting 12 games this season, the Commanders have made sure to get Ekeler on the field, as well, granting him six starts in his 11 appearances this year. The team’s leading rusher has been rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (864), but Robinson (789), Ekeler (355), Jeremy McNichols (261), and Chris Rodriguez (173) have all contributed to a rushing attack that ranks third in the NFL behind only the Eagles and Ravens.
Ekeler’s influence also comes as the primary pass-catching back in Washington. As has been the case in Ekeler’s career, his contributions this year have come through the air as much as on the ground. In his career, Ekeler has 4,230 receiving yards to 4,710 rushing yards, and this year, his 346 receiving yards are just as much a factor as his rushing contribution.
With Ekeler returning to the fold, Washington nearly has their full offensive battery back on the field. They’re missing wide receiver Noah Brown (on IR), and starting center Tyler Biadasz is listed as doubtful for this week, but the rest of the offense is primed for playoff action.
In order to make room for Ekeler on the active roster, undrafted rookie safety Tyler Owens has been placed on IR. The Texas Tech alum has played primarily on special teams in his rookie campaign, tallying 11 tackles and a forced fumble.
Joining Ekeler on the active roster tomorrow will be offensive tackle Bobby Hart and cornerback Bobby Price, who have been promoted as standard gameday practice squad elevations this weekend.
AFC Injury Updates: Jets, Cooper, Jaguars
On Monday, the Jets placed starting safety Chuck Clark on injured reserve without disclosing the reason for the transaction. Similarly, the next day, kicker Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR, as well, though his transaction flew a bit further under the radar as a minor move.
Today, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported reasons for both transactions today. Clark was reportedly placed on IR with a torn pectoral muscle. Clark had recently worked his way back from injury, being activated off IR in mid-November after missing a month with an ankle injury. Since leaving Baltimore in 2022, Clark has been absolutely plagued by injuries. He missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL and only appeared in 12 games this year.
Zuerlein was placed on IR after reportedly experiencing some back tightness in pregame warmups last Sunday. Greg Joseph was available for the game in replacement duty, but he didn’t attempt a kick in the loss to Buffalo.
Here are a couple other injury updates heading into the final week of the regular season:
- The Bills have been locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC no matter what happens in Week 18 of the regular season, so they will likely have a number of starters remaining on the sideline for most of the game. One starter, wide receiver Amari Cooper, will not even be available to play, being downgraded to out today due to a personal family matter, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Cooper will not even travel with the team this week.
- Similarly, Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen will not be traveling to Indianapolis with his teammates this weekend. He also has been ruled out due to personal reasons, according to Schefter. Hines-Allen will miss his first game in three years.
Packers Placing CB Jaire Alexander On IR
The Packers will be playing the final week of the regular season without star cornerback Jaire Alexander, much like they have the last six weeks. In fact, after the team placed him on injured reserve — first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network — Alexander is set to miss nearly all of the postseason, as well. Forced to miss at least four games before activation becomes an option, Alexander’s only chance at making another appearance this season requires a Super Bowl berth by the Packers. 
Such a return remains extremely unlikely, though. Alexander underwent knee surgery earlier this week following a PCL tear that he suffered in November. Alexander hasn’t played since the injury was announced a month and a half ago. The team delayed placing him on IR in hopes that he could make a return, but the surgery and IR-placement seem to indicate that his season is over.
The Packers’ effort to replace Alexander’s production has mostly consisted of starts by Carrington Valentine, who started 12 games in an effort to replace Alexander during another injury-plagued campaign last year. He’s received help from Keisean Nixon and Eric Stokes to fill in this year, as well.
The Packers have put forth a strong, 11-5 effort in 2024, yet they find themselves sitting in third place in the NFC North division behind herculean campaigns by the Lions and Vikings, who both sit at an incredible 14-2. Green Bay is locked into the playoffs as a wild card team, but all they can do in Week 18 is improve their seeding from seventh to sixth with a win and a Commanders loss; this would be the difference between traveling to Philadelphia for the first round of the playoffs and traveling to Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, or Atlanta.
Green Bay also announced their two standard gameday practice squad elevations for this week. Linebacker Michael Barrett and safety Omar Brown will spend the last week of the regular season on the active roster before reverting to the practice squad for the postseason.
2025 QB Class Generating More Skepticism
As the NFL regular season comes to a close and college prospects are making their final amateur appearances, focus for many NFL teams is shifting to the 2025 NFL Draft. While many sources seem to have narrowed the field of potential first-round quarterbacks to two players, there are reportedly some scouts who believe taking any quarterback on Day 1 “would be a mistake,” per Dane Brugler of The Athletic. 
According to a post from Brugler, an AFC scout commented on the matter, saying, “Man, I feel bad for the teams trying to find one (quarterback) in this group.”
There are two obvious options for teams currently looking at a first-round quarterback: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. Georgia passer Carson Beck, who recently declared for the draft, forgoing one final year of eligibility (granted because of COVID-19), was at one point viewed as a first-round option, but after a disappointing redshirt season and UCL surgery, his draft stock took a considerable hit.
As for Ward and Sanders, it’s hard to imagine a world in which neither prospect hears their name called on the first night of the draft. The Giants sent general manager Joe Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell to the Pop-Tarts Bowl to watch Ward play in the first half this past weekend. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly was in attendance, as well. Schoen, along with scouts from his Giants and the Falcons, was also in attendance to watch Sanders take on the Utes about a month and a half ago.
The Giants (currently set to pick fourth overall) are one of six teams inside the projected top-10 picks of the draft with an interest in adding a quarterback. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders (No. 8) have all been viewed as possibilities to go after a first-round passer, as well.
The need to fill such a crucial role as quarterback has a tendency to inflate some prospects’ draft stocks. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and according to some sources, Drake Maye were all viewed as the likely first-round passers for most of the draft process. As the draft drew nearer and it became more obvious that some teams would need additional help at quarterback, prospects like Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix all found their draft stock being bumped from Day 2 or 3 to Day 1.
Because this phenomenon is likely to take effect once again this year, even if Ward and Sanders were not considered first-round options — which, to be clear, many scouts do view them to be — they would still likely find themselves on stage at Lambeau Field on April 24. In order to simulate this effect, some have claimed that this year’s versions of Ward and Sanders would’ve ranked as QB4 and QB5, in any order, in last year’s quarterback crop, placing them firmly in the top ten draft picks for that class, as well. In fact, the often-desperate need for young quarterback talent may even bring players like Beck, Milroe, or Dart back into first-round consideration with Ward and Sanders.
There’s still plenty of time until we arrive at Day 1 of the draft. Between now and then, we will see College Football Playoff performances, the NFL Scouting Combine, and pro days around the country. Many quarterbacks and other prospects will see their draft stock rise and fall throughout the next few months. At this point, though, Ward and Sanders seem to have cemented themselves as top five picks, regardless of what some scouts believe their value to be.
NFC Coaching Rumors: Cowboys, Vrabel, Johnson
After failing to make it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year as Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy entered the 2024 NFL season on a bit of a hot seat. Often that type of pressure comes externally from a disgruntled fan base or media criticism, but the fact that nearly the entire coaching staff, including McCarthy, was playing on the final year of their contracts didn’t help.
McCarthy is known for coaching playoff teams. In 13 years with the Packers, McCarthy took the team to the playoffs nine times. Green Bay did make it to four NFC Championship Games under McCarthy, advancing to (and winning) only one Super Bowl. In Dallas, McCarthy has seen similar regular season success followed by postseason struggles. After a 6-10 debut season with the Cowboys, McCarthy led the team to the playoffs with three straight 12-5 seasons. In those three postseason appearances, McCarthy’s squad has only won one game, failing to make any NFC Championship Game appearances.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones doesn’t believe the staff’s lame duck status was a distraction during a tumultuous 2024 campaign. In fact, Jones believes “people do better…when they don’t have a contract.” So far, Jones has been noncommittal on the future of McCarthy and his staff. He claimed in a recent interview that he doesn’t feel that he’s “under any unusual time frame at all.”
Jones doesn’t seem to have made much of an indication at all hinting at whether or not he sees McCarthy returning, and at the moment, he doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to make such a decision.
Here are a few other coaching rumors coming out of the NFC:
- In an interview on the Rich Eisen Show, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tabbed Browns coaching and personnel consultant Mike Vrabel as a name to watch for the Giants‘ likely opening head coaching position. After his first head coaching stint with the Titans came to an end, Vrabel was unable to secure another gig, settling at the time for a minor role in Cleveland. Breer believes that New York has an advantage in securing Vrabel’s services, thinking that Vrabel’s likely picks for general manager (Ryan Cowden) and defensive coordinator (Shane Bowen) are already in house. Cowden was vice president of player personnel (and interim general manager) during Vrabel’s tenure in Tennessee and now serves as executive advisor to the general manager in New York. Fired alongside Vrabel in Tennessee, Bowen went from one defensive coordinator job to the other, coaching the Giants’ unit this season. Though the season is not yet over for Cleveland, head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that Vrabel’s contract was amended in order “to allow him to get a jumpstart” on interviews, per ESPN’s Tony Grossi.
- In another interview, this one with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Good Morning Football, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was discussed. According to Pelissero, Johnson’s likeliest destination in 2025 remains Chicago. Johnson is looking for a place at which he can build alignment and sustainable, long-term success, similar to what was built in Detroit. So far, all signs seem to be pointing to Johnson taking the intra-divisional job with the Bears, keeping in mind, of course, that him getting hired as head coach of Washington seemed like a sure thing last year before he made the decision to remain with the Lions. With Vrabel and Johnson being established as the two hot names for teams looking for a new skipper this offseason, we’ve seen their names connected to several teams. Breer recently reported a new connection, though, claiming that many see the Jaguars as a good fit for Johnson, should they part ways with Doug Pederson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/24
The last minor NFL transactions of the 2024 calendar year:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: C Nick Leverett
- Placed on IR: RB Trey Benson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB John Kelly
- Placed on IR: WR Cedric Tillman
- Waived (with injury settlement): LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Detroit Lions
- Waived: S Morice Norris
Houston Texans
- Signed off Saints’ practice squad: T Austin Deculus
- Placed on reserve/NFI: T Zachary Thomas
New Orleans Saints
- Signed of Cowboys’ practice squad: T Josh Ball
- Placed on IR: LB Jaylan Ford
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: K Greg Zuerlein
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: LB Dre Greenlaw (story)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/24
New Year’s Eve practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Hassan Hall
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Cameron Latu, RB Aidan Robbins
- Released: K Andre Szmyt
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Jaxon Janke
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Joe Gaziano
New York Jets
- Signed: T David Sharpe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Tariq Castro-Fields, S Mekhi Garner, DE Charles Harris
- Released: DE Tarron Jackson, RB Lew Nichols
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: G Zack Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Michael Dowell, CB Tyler Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Earnest Brown IV, LB Antonio Grier
- Placed on practice squad injured list: OLB Daniel Grzesiak
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally
Jets Looking To Build Structure Around New HC Or GM
The Jets are entering an important offseason after firing both their head coach, Robert Saleh, and their general manager, Joe Douglas, midseason. The team will open up their search to fill both positions in the offseason, and according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, owner Woody Johnson is open to building around either position in their move forward. 
In 2019, the Jets hired Douglas as their new general manager. Douglas inherited new head coach Adam Gase, who had been hired a few months prior. That marriage was a short-lived one, and Douglas replaced Gase with Saleh. Before them, the Jets hired former general manager Mike Maccagnan and former head coach Todd Bowles in back-to-back days, not allowing Maccagnan to take part in the coaching search. In the years before that, the Jets went back and forth, sticking with former general manager Mike Tannenbaum before firing him while retaining head coach Rex Ryan.
The point here is that there has not been a ton of synchronicity between the front office and coaching staff in New York in a very long time. The Jets seems to hire one without much consultation of the other and expect the two sides to work together in bringing the team back to relevance. The report from Breer seems to indicate a change in such thinking.
Johnson, along with consultants Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman, have communicated that they’re open to hiring a general manager and building around him or hiring a coach and building around them. Their ultimate goal is “harmony.” Instead of forcing a square peg into a round hole, New York is making a point of finding the perfect peg for the perfectly corresponding hole.
This seems to indicate that the team will need to prioritize one candidate search over the other. Unless they happen into a perfect situation wherein two matching candidates line themselves into interviews around the same time, the Jets will need to hire either a head coach or a general manager first then find the harmonizing candidate for the other position. If they rush into these decisions, they could fall into the similar incongruous mistakes they’ve made in the past.
Additionally, they would like their candidates to have some understanding of the New York/northeast market and the challenges that come along with it. This could make Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn a perfect candidate. Glenn has been a popular name for the upcoming head coaching market, and New York would likely have competition for his services. Glenn, though, spent two years as a personnel scout for the Jets, so he would have that New York knowledge and the ability to discern what makes a good general manager.
Regardless, there’s plenty of work to be done in the searches to fill both positions for the Jets. It’s good to hear that they have intentions of finding a complimentary pair, but based on a difficult past, we may have to see it in order to believe it.