Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/24
Friday’s minor moves:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Antonio Grier
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: LB Jack Gibbens (story)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/22/24
Today’s only practice squad moves:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Ochaun Mathis
- Released: LB David Anenih
College Coaches Getting NFL Buzz
As we start to see heads roll in NFL head coaching circles, team ownership is starting to do their homework on potential replacements. While most of the candidates are going to be made up of the league’s top coordinators and assistants, a few candidates are popping up in the college ranks. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman are popular names to potentially graduate from college to the NFL. 
It used to be much more popular to pluck college head coaches from their student athletes and give them an opportunity to coach in the big leagues. While many NFL coaches have college experience, Los Angeles’ Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) is currently the only head coach to not come directly from another position in the NFL. While this may be because Harbaugh has prior experience as an NFL head coach, his first job with San Francisco came immediately following his time at Stanford.
Other recent examples like Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and Matt Rhule (Baylor) have slowed the process a bit. In the last two offseasons, Harbaugh and fellow former Stanford coach David Shaw are the only coaches from college football to interview for head coaching jobs, and Shaw quit coaching the Cardinal in 2022. If we go back a year further, only Hines Ward, who was the wide receivers coach at Florida Atlantic at the time, joins the list. Ward experienced a head coaching gig with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL before heading to Arizona State as the wide receivers coach this year.
Lanning is an intriguing name out of Eugene. The 38-year-old is in his third year of the job since taking over for Mario Cristobal, who left for his alma mater, Miami (FL). In his first two seasons, the Ducks went a combined 22-5, ending the 2023 season as the No. 6 team in AP rankings. In 2024, Lanning’s Ducks are currently 11-0 in their first year in the Big Ten conference. They are the College Football Playoff committee’s No. 1 team thanks to a harrowing one-point victory over Ohio State (currently ranked No. 2).
Realistically, Lanning has a massive buyout and is in the middle of a run for a National Championship. He’s not looking at NFL job prospects at the moment and may not be for another year. But, thanks to a relatively thin pool of NFL candidates, executives have kept an eye on Lanning, someone they believe has “got some Dan Campbell to him.”
Freeman, also 38, is another intriguing name. A defensive-minded coach, Freeman held coordinator jobs at Purdue, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame before taking over the head job when Brian Kelly left for LSU. It was rumored that Freeman would follow Kelly to Baton Rouge, but instead, he accepted his first head coaching job. In his first two full seasons, Freeman led the Fighting Irish to a combined 19-7 record. This season under Freeman, Notre Dame is 9-1 and currently No. 6 in the CFP rankings.
Unlike Lanning, Freeman found his way to the NFL as a player following a five-year college career at Ohio State. A fifth-round pick for the Bears in 2009, Freeman floated around with the Bills and Texans before retiring in 2010 due to an enlarged heart condition. Though his heart ended any chances of recognition as an NFL player, he may still have a chance to make his NFL legacy as a head coach.
Again, the migration of college head coaches to the NFL has slowed since the days of Kliff Kingsbury, Meyer, and Rhule, and Lanning and Freeman are more intriguing names to watch than surefire candidates. Still, it’s noteworthy to see these young leaders on meteoric rises get such strong recognition from NFL executives.
NFL Injury Updates: Evans, Mosley, Ravens
The Buccaneers have lost four games in a row, the last three without veteran wide receiver Mike Evans as he has dealt with a hamstring injury. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Evans has returned to practice this week and plans to play this weekend against the Giants.
Without Evans, the team’s offense has struggled. Baker Mayfield failed to surpass 200 passing yards in each of the teams last two contests. Though fellow veteran wideout Chris Godwin remains on injured reserve likely until the postseason, Evans’ return should provide a boost to the passing game.
Though Evans was able to rack up six touchdowns in seven games, he’s been averaging the fewest yards per game of his career. Combined with the three-game absence, Evans is in danger of falling short of 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his 11-year career. He’ll 665 yards in Tampa Bay’s seven remaining games (an average of 95 yards per game) in order to keep his record streak alive.
Here are a couple other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Veteran Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley has now missed seven games this season. His first couple absences were due to a toe issue, but he has missed New York’s last four games with a herniated disc in his neck. Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Mosley hopes to return after the team’s bye this week.
- The Ravens defense has been without veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce for the past three weeks as he sits on IR with a calf injury. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, while the plan is for Pierce to return sometime this season, the team hasn’t set a timeline to bring him back. Additionally, Zrebiec gave an update on veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, who didn’t make his 2024 season debut until Week 8 because of a knee injury that landed him IR-designated to return at the 53-man roster cut deadline. He missed last Sunday’s game against his former team in Pittsburgh with a calf injury, but Zrebiec claims that Maulet likely won’t need to join Pierce on IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/24
Today’s minor NFL moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: WR Collin Johnson
Denver Broncos
- Reverted to season-ending IR: S Delarrin Turner-Yell
Los Angeles Rams
- Practice window opened: G KT Leveston
Minnesota Vikings
- Designated to return from IR: TE Nick Muse
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated to return from IR: WR Britain Covey
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: OLB Jamie Sheriff
Washington Commanders
- Designted to return from IR: DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste
Unfortunately for Turner-Yell, head coach Sean Payton told the media that it “became too much of a challenge to active” the young safety off the physically unable to perform list, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/24
Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Kaevon Merriweather
- Released: CB Erick Hallett
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Alex McGough
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Myles Bryant, RB J.J. Taylor
- Released: T Cameron Erving, DE Rashad Weaver
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Chris Collier, CB Keenan Isaac
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Emany Johnson
- Released: TE McCallan Castles
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Jordan Murray
New York Jets
- Signed: DT Bruce Hector
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Siaki Ika
- Released: WR Kyle Philips
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Jonathan Garvin
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Tyler Mabry, QB John Rhys Plumlee
2025 Jets Return Not Guaranteed For Aaron Rodgers?
In recent weeks, 40-year-old veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has continued to insist that he intends to keep playing next year for the 2025 NFL season, though this insistence has been fairly noncommittal. Even more uncertain appears to be where Rodgers would play next season should he return to the NFL. 
There’s a chance Rodgers won’t want to return. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, “stability is believed to be the deciding factor on Rodgers returning for a third year with the Jets,” and New York has been anything but stable. Head coach Robert Saleh has already been fired, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett had his play-calling duties revoked, general manager Joe Douglas could find his job in jeopardy, as well, and owner Woody Johnson will go back to his duties as Ambassador to the U.K. after addressing the staff this offseason.
Now, the departure of Saleh and demotion of Hackett aren’t necessarily the indicators of instability that will chase Rodgers; in fact, they may have been a result of Rodgers’ wishes. Stability would really be defined by Douglas and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich remaining in place after this year. Rodgers has claimed that he would like to play for Ulbrich “until the end,” but as the Jets continue to reap the results of attempting to satisfy Rodgers, he may not have as much pull as he used to.
On the other side, Ulbrich has claimed that he “absolutely” wants Rodgers playing for him next season. That opinion only really matters, though, if Ulbrich is appointed the official head coaching job, striking “interim” off his job title. In the last 10 years, only three of 23 interim coaches have been hired as head coach for the following season. Neither Mike Mularkey nor Doug Marrone lasted long in Tennessee and Jacksonville, respectively, and Antonio Pierce is having a rough first full season in Las Vegas.
If Ulbrich isn’t hired to remain as the skipper, even if Rodgers wants to come back, the Jets may have other plans. With a new regime in place, the Jets may want to move on from a passer that would be turning 42 next season. With no guaranteed money left on the last remaining year of his deal, it would be fairly simple to move on from Rodgers financially.
Replacing Rodgers may not be the easiest thing to make happen, though. Currently, Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson are the only two full-time starters set to hit the free agent market following the season. While both are having resurgent seasons with new teams, Wilson is far-removed from his best seasons, and Darnold has never shown the upside that Rodgers has; not to mention that Darnold may not have the best taste in his mouth left over from his first stint with the Jets.
Other free agents like Justin Fields, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, and Mac Jones have starting experience and could serve as decent stopgaps, but only Fields has the upside to develop into a decent long-time starter. ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes that potential cap casualties like Derek Carr or Daniel Jones may become available, but they’re potential cuts for a reason.
The Jets would also have the option of taking a rookie passer in the draft. There are two issues with that plan, though. First, there’s no guarantee that the Jets end up in a position to take one of the draft’s top quarterbacks. Second, the 2025 draft class is lacking for top-end talent with only two quarterbacks seemingly solidifying themselves as first-round prospects up to this point.
Regardless, there are so many variables that will lead to the determination of both whether or not Rodgers will play next year and where he will play if he does return. He will be able to control what his deciding factors are, but ultimately, the decision may end up out of his hands.
Jets Rumors: HCs, Kingsbury, Johnson, Moses, Adams, McDonald
There are going to be plenty of question marks for the Jets to solve this offseason, but the most important one is going to be the head coaching position. After firing Robert Saleh in early-October, Jeff Ulbrich has been serving as interim head coach, but in the last ten years, only three of 23 interim coaches have been hired for the official job following their interim duties.
According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, team owner Woody Johnson is overseeing the head coaching search, and the organization has already “started putting feelers out on potential head coaching candidates.” This doesn’t bode well for Ulbrich, who has only gone 1-5 since taking over as the interim head coach.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:
- Speaking of head coaching searches, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury interviewed for the Jets’ open job back in 2019. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Kingsbury’s interview “went terribly,” partially due to the fact that he likely already knew that the Cardinals’ job was his. Six years later, Kingsbury’s name is likely to pop up again this offseason in head coaching conversations. He may get a second chance at his Jets interview.
- With a head coaching search in progress and a potential change in general manager looming, as well, Johnson’s role as owner becomes a crucial one. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, though, there’s reportedly uncertainty because of Johnson’s volatility. Specifically, there appears to be a sense that Johnson takes too many opinions from “nonfootball people” and listens far too often to social media and the internet. That’s a scary concept for Jets fans to swallow as they gear up for another potential rebuild.
- According to Costello, Jets starting right tackle Morgan Moses has been playing through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for the last several weeks. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Moses has been “sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and rehabbing around the clock” in order to get into playing shape each week.
- Per Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets are experimenting with giving starting safety Tony Adams a bit less time on the field. An every-down player since 2023, Adams is the team’s third-leading tackler this season despite missing four tackles last week and missing the prior two games with a hamstring injury. Jalen Mills had been filling in during Adams’ absence, and he may be taking up the slack as Adams handles a reduced role.
- Defensive end Will McDonald didn’t do too much to live up to his first-round draft status as a rookie last year. In Year 2, McDonald is looking much more worthy of the Day 1 pick, totaling eight sacks in ten games this season. There were assumptions after the draft that the Jets had reached for McDonald after the Steelers traded ahead of them to draft offensive tackle Broderick Jones, the assumed target of New York. According to Cimini, general manager Joe Douglas always preferred McDonald over Jones, intending to pair him opposite their first-round pick from the previous year, Jermaine Johnson, for the foreseeable future. McDonald’s sophomore success has made it clear that perhaps the Jets did not reach, as many assumed.
Midseason Firing In Play For Doug Pederson?
It was made pretty clear coming into Week 11 that Doug Pederson‘s job security was hinging heavily on his team’s performance against the Lions. A report last week indicated that, while a loss was expected, a blowout loss would put a midseason firing on the table in Duval. 
Unfortunately for Pederson, today’s loss was not only a blowout, but it was also one of the team’s most lopsided losses in franchise history. Losing 52-6, the Jaguars 46-point deficit at the end of the game was their worst since 1995, when Jacksonville lost to the Lions for the first time 44-0 in their inaugural season. The Jaguars were also outgained by the Lions today by 475 yards, the biggest yardage differential in a game since 1979.
These results don’t bode well for a head coach that is, at the very least, trying to make it to the end of the season. Six of Jacksonville’s nine losses this year have come in one-score games, something which could help Pederson’s chances of surviving until the end of the year. Today’s blowout, though, changes that perspective a bit.
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, when asked after today’s loss whether this may have been his last game as head coach, Pederson told the media, “I can’t control that. Listen, I’ve been around this league a long time. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, obviously. But at the same time, I have a job to do.”
Peliserro also reported that Pederson “won’t rule out making staff changes over” the team’s bye upcoming bye week. An obvious candidate to replace him on an interim basis does not necessarily exist on staff, which further strengthens his case for the rest of 2024. Removing coordinators or assistant coaches from the picture may further reduce the options to replace him in the short term.
Regardless, with his job on the line, Pederson’s team put up its worst game perhaps in franchise history. It’s starting to feel like a foregone conclusion that he will lose his job, but today’s performance may bring about that change sooner rather than later.
Falcons Activate C Drew Dalman, OLB Lorenzo Carter From IR
The Falcons made a slew of roster moves today in anticipation for their Week 11 matchup in Denver, per Falcons digital team reporter Terrin Waack, including several updates to their injured reserve. Atlanta activated center Drew Dalman and outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter from IR and placed defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham and defensive end James Smith-Williams on IR. 
Dalman has missed seven games since leaving the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Chiefs early with a high ankle sprain. Dalman, 25, had been a key contributor up front since taking on a first-team role; he graded out as Pro Football Focus’s third-best center last season. He sat in the top five for his performance during the early portion of the 2024 campaign, as well. Even more disappointing, Dalman is in a contract year, and missing half of the season after getting recognized as one of the league’s top centers could be detrimental to the money he might make.
With his activation today, he’ll retake his starting center gig from Ryan Neuzil. His return also eliminated the necessity to roster backup center Matt Hennessy. Hennessy was waived from the active roster on Thursday. He will be returning to Atlanta via the practice squad after going unclaimed on the waiver wire. In order to make room for Hennessy on the practice squad, the Falcons released veteran return specialist Jakeem Grant, who was signed to the practice squad earlier this week.
Carter will finally be making a comeback from IR this week, as well. Carter’s IR-stint was a bit of a surprise after the 28-year-old was placed on the NFL’s concussion protocol. He had originally been placed on the team’s injury report under the designation of “illness” after not practicing, but Atlanta updated the designation to “concussion” by the end of that same day.
It’s still unclear why Carter’s concussion required a four-game absence when we’ve seen several players pass through the protocol within a week, but regardless, the Falcons will be happy to return a pass rushing weapon to what has been a virtually nonexistent pass rushing attack. Atlanta ranks dead-last in the league in sacks (9), despite sitting at 15th in the NFL in quarterback hurries and 14th in quarterback knockdowns. Currently, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett leads the team with 2.5 sacks, edge rusher Matt Judon is second with 1.5, and five other players add a sack each to the team’s total.
Luckily, Graham’s placement on IR has nothing to do with his MCL tear from the 2022 season. Far-removed from the knee injury, Graham is now dealing with an injured pectoral muscle suffered in last Sunday’s loss to the Saints. Smith-Williams also went down in last week’s game with an injury but returned later in the game. The following day, though, head coach Raheem Morris said the injury was “not great,” revealing that Smith-Williams was dealing with a tibia injury.
In addition to the IR transactions above, cornerback Natrone Brooks will fill an empty spot on the 53-man active roster, getting signed from the practice squad. Brooks had reached his three-game elevation limit from the practice squad, so in order to play in any more games, he needed to be signed to the active roster. Joining Brooks on the active roster from the practice squad will be safety Dane Cruikshank and outside linebacker Khalid Kareem, who will serve as the team’s standard gameday elevations for Week 11.