Bryce Young Has Opportunity To Show Growth
The Panthers are starting Bryce Young at quarterback for the first time since Week 2 of this still young season. While the opportunity comes as a result of an injury to his replacement, Andy Dalton, this is still an important opportunity for the former No. 1 overall pick to show that he’s been making the most of his time on the sideline. 
Dalton finds himself doubtful to play this Sunday after spraining his thumb in a car accident this week. The veteran, who will turn 37 in two days, hasn’t entered a season as a team’s starting quarterback since his final year in Cincinnati in 2019. Since then, he’s played extensive backup duty in Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and Carolina, starting at least one game each season.
In five starts since taking over as the starter for Young, Dalton has shown both good and bad. In his first start of the year, the Red Rifle delivered a 300-yard, three touchdown performance to earn Carolina’s only win of the season. Since then, Dalton has failed to pass 221 passing yards while throwing four touchdowns to six interceptions.
Young has seen game action twice since getting benched, getting garbage time minutes at the end of blowout losses. The rest of his time has been spent watching, learning, and playing quarterback on the scout team at practices. In a league that has normalized playing first-round quarterbacks immediately as rookies, this should be a valuable opportunity for Young to sit and develop in a way that used to be the norm in the NFL.
This Sunday, Young will be able to show whether or not his time on the bench has been beneficial. Not only that, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that, should Young show significant improvement this weekend, “there is a real chance for him to continue starting.” Since getting benched, Young has reportedly been “engaged and involved,” which is exactly the reaction you want from a young top draft pick. Today’s performance in Denver could lay the ground for the remainder of Young’s sophomore campaign and, perhaps, for the rest of his career.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24
Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: DL Ben Stille, CB Divaad Wilson
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Natrone Brooks, DE Demone Harris
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
- Elevated: CB Bump Cooper Jr.
- Placed on IR: CB T.J. Tampa
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DT Eli Ankou, WR Jalen Virgil
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Travis Homer, DE Jacob Martin
- Elevated: S Tarvarius Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: CB Amani Oruwariye
- Elevated: RB Dalvin Cook (story)
- Placed on IR: TE John Stephens (story)
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LB Kwon Alexander, G Calvin Throckmorton
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad, TE Shane Zylstra
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: FB Troy Hairston
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: WR Montrell Washington
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: QB Carter Bradley, TE Justin Shorter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Jaylen Johnson, WR Jalen Reagor
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Ochaun Mathis
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: S Ugo Amadi
- Elevated: WR Equanimeous St. Brown, S Roderic Teamer
- Waived: RB Jordan Mims
New York Jets
- Elevated: OL Alec Lindstrom, S Jarius Monroe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: WR Ainias Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: S Adrian Amos, K Anders Carlson
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: S Jerrick Reed II
- Elevated: CB Faion Hicks, CB Josh Jobe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: WR Rakim Jarrett
- Elevated: QB Michael Pratt
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, WR Mason Kinsey, T John Ojukwu
- Elevated: RB Joshua Kelley, QB Trevor Siemian
- Placed on IR: T Jaelyn Duncan
- Waived: OLB Caleb Murphy
Panthers Place S Nick Scott On IR
Injuries continue to mar the Panthers’ 2024 campaign, particularly on defense. The latest hamstringing of the collective unit comes as Carolina places safety Nick Scott on injured reserve for an actual hamstring injury, per team writer Darin Gantt. 
Scott had been starting at safety for the Panthers since Week 4 after taking over for an injured Jordan Fuller, whom he now joins on IR. Scott was a big free agent signing for the Bengals defense two offseasons ago after playing his first full season as a starter in the final year of his rookie contract with the Rams. Unfortunately, after 10 starts in Cincinnati to start the year, Scott found himself coming off the bench for the remainder of the season.
This offseason, Scott found another opportunity, signing with a Panthers defense that finished 29th in yards allowed last year despite allowing the third-fewest passing yards and tying for the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns allowed. With Vonn Bell leaving for Cincinnati in the offseason, Scott found himself competing with his former Los Angeles teammate, Fuller, for the starting job. Fuller won the job to open the season, before ceding it to Scott due to injury.
Scott joins seven others on IR, including veteran defenders Fuller, Anthony Brown, Derrick Brown, and Shaq Thompson. Three other players remain on the non-football injury and physically unable to perform lists, as well. This also doesn’t include the 16 other players on Carolina’s injury report not currently on an injured list.
Scott’s placement on IR left two open spots on the active roster. To fill those slots, the Panthers activated safety Sam Franklin from IR and signed practice squad safety Russ Yeast to a 53-man roster contract. Franklin, a special teams captain for Carolina, has yet to make his 2024 debut due to a broken foot that he suffered in training camp. He’ll get that opportunity this weekend. Yeast, yet another former Rams safety, will come up to help fill the role left empty by his former Los Angeles teammates.
Additionally, the Panthers announced that cornerback Caleb Farley and quarterback Jack Plummer will be called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for this weekend.
Jaguars Activate LB Foyesade Oluokun
The Jaguars have officially activated linebacker Foye Oluokun after opening his 21-day practice window four days ago. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Oluokun and offensive tackle Cam Robinson will both be returning from their respective absences this weekend. 
Jacksonville signed Oluokun the year after he led the NFL with a career high 192 total tackles in 2021 with the Falcons. In his first year with the Jaguars, Oluokun doubled down as the league-leader in total tackles for a second straight year with 184, also leading the league with 128 solo tackles. His 173 total tackles in 2023 was only good for fourth in the NFL, but he once again finished with the most solo tackles with 111.
While Oluokun became a tackling machine in Atlanta, he didn’t begin to stand out analytically until his move over the Florida-Georgia line. Following a season in which Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the 64th-best linebacker out of 86 graded players at the position, Oluokun improved to 29th in 2022 and 21st in 2023. Though he only has three games under his belt this season, Oluokun currently grades as the 10th-best linebacker in the NFL, per PFF.
Oluokun has been on injured reserve the last four games as he’s dealt with plantar fasciitis. Since Oluokun’s stint on IR took place after the season began, he will count toward’s the team’s remaining activation count. Jacksonville has four activations left with Oluokun getting moved to the active roster. The team will hope his return helps spark improvement on defense, a unit which has struggled in a number of areas in 2024.
Robinson had been limited in practice this week after getting knocked out of last week’s victory over the Patriots with a concussion. Garafolo reports that Robinson has now cleared concussion protocol and does not have an injury designation heading into the weekend.
Additionally, the team announced this afternoon that running back Jake Funk and defensive end Joe Gaziano will be activated as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the second straight week.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk Suffers ACL Tear
OCTOBER 21: Aiyuk is indeed out for the year, as first confirmed by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Adding further details on the extent of the injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL; further damage may also be present. Even if not, a lengthy recovery period is now in store.
OCTOBER 20: It took a while for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to find his sea legs in the 2024 NFL season, and just as it appears that he found his groove, Aiyuk’s season may be coming to an end. Aiyuk left today’s loss to the Chiefs shortly before the end of the first half and was unable to return. ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry was the first to relay head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s concern that Aiyuk’s injury was a torn ACL. 
Aiyuk’s name was a common one in NFL news circles this offseason as he held out for a new contract in San Francisco, at one point even requesting a trade. The 49ers eventually got him signed to an extended contract at the end of August, but missing the ramp up into the regular season seemingly proved significant on the veteran receiver’s production early this year.
In the first four weeks of the season, Aiyuk failed to eclipse five receptions or 48 receiving yards, despite being targeted 10 times in Week 3, and had not caught a touchdown. The 26-year-old had a breakout performance in a Week 5 loss to the Cardinals, catching 8 passes for 147 yards, and though he still didn’t have a touchdown, it appeared that Aiyuk was on his way back to his usual self. Last week saw a bit of regression, but hopes were still high that Aiyuk was on the come up.
Today’s game was looking like another lackluster performance in the making. On six targets, Aiyuk only had two catches for 23 yards. On his second catch of the day, Aiyuk was led over the middle by quarterback Brock Purdy, where defensive back Chamarri Conner met him with a low tackle right at the knees. Aiyuk was carted off the field with what immediately looked like a serious knee injury. Shanahan’s fears echoed what many assumed from watching the play.
Aiyuk’s absence exacerbated an already bad situation in the receiving corps. The 49ers knew heading into today that Jauan Jennings was out with a hip injury and Deebo Samuel exited the game after only a few plays with an illness. Samuel reportedly woke up feeling ill and attempted to play through his sickness but very quickly determined that he would be unable to contribute. This left San Francisco without their top three receiving options for the rest of the day.
Luckily, the team saw the NFL debut of first-round Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall, who was activated off the NFI list on Friday. Purdy was throwing to Pearsall, fourth-round rookie Jacob Cowing, Ronnie Bell, and Chris Conley. The four were targeted for a combined 12 of Purdy’s 31 pass attempts, reeling in a combined six balls for 81 yards. Even with Samuel expected back after recovering from illness, if Aiyuk is out for an extended period, the four who played today are going to need to take some big steps up to support the offense.
For Aiyuk, that holdout seems perfectly justified now. If Aiyuk hadn’t fought for the contract like he had, he would still be on a contract year and headed towards free agency after suffering a serious, potentially season-ending knee injury. Tomorrow’s tests will determine just how long Aiyuk may be out. If it is indeed a torn ACL, his four-year, $120MM contract with $76MM guaranteed may provide a bit of solace in an otherwise devastating situation.
Dolphins Fear “Significant Injury” For WR Braxton Berrios
You would think that the Dolphins had suffered enough losses in their receiving corps, but the hits keep coming as, today, wide receiver and return man Braxton Berrios suffered a potentially “significant injury,” according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus (via Josh Moser of WSVN-TV). If the injury is as significant as Rosenhaus fears, Berrios could become the fifth wide receiver that the team places on injured reserve this year. 
Berrios has found success throughout his career as a WR3 or WR4 at times, but for the most part, his impact has come as a return man. In fact, Berrios was named a first-team All-Pro returner back in 2021. This season, a Miami offense limited by injuries has seen Berrios’ offensive impact almost completely nullified. Still, despite having zero receptions, Berrios is tied with Robbie Chosen for third-most targets in the wide receivers room with four apiece.
Still, Berrios leads the team with five punt returns and two kickoff returns. The only other player to return a punt for the Dolphins is Tyreek Hill, and De’Von Achane and D’Wayne Eskridge have each returned a kickoff. With all the injuries across the offense, Miami is likely to search for return options not named Hill or Achane.
Berrios, 29, is on a one-year contract with the Dolphins after playing under a contract year for them last year, as well. While a serious injury could hurt his chances of finding a big contract in the offseason, he doesn’t have a big history of injuries. While he did miss the entirety of his rookie season with the Patriots in 2018, Berrios has only missed two games in the five plus years since leaving New England.
Rosenhaus told the media that Berrios will get an MRI performed on his left knee tomorrow. If the test confirms a serious knee injury for Berrios, it could mark the end of his 2024 campaign and, potentially, his time in Miami.
WR Cooper Kupp Expected Back Week 8
Two weeks ago, the Rams were hoping to have star receiver Cooper Kupp back by this weekend. Unfortunately, after a week of limited participation in practice, Kupp was held out once again today. According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, though, head coach Sean McVay expects Kupp back in time for this Thursday’s matchup against the Vikings. 
Kupp, 31, sustained an ankle injury during the second quarter of the Rams’ loss to the Cardinals in Week 2, and he has been sidelined ever since. He was initially mentioned as an injured reserve candidate, but subsequent reports indicated that he would avoid IR. The decision to keep Kupp on the active roster naturally led to optimism that he would be back on the field sooner rather than later. That optimism grew when it became clear that he would not require surgery on the affected ankle.
After his dominant 2021 season, in which he led the league in receptions (145), yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16) and took home Super Bowl MVP honors, Kupp landed a three-year, $80MM extension. Unfortunately, a high ankle sprain cut the ensuing 2022 campaign short, and he opened the 2023 season on IR with a hamstring ailment.
He started off the 2024 season hot, racking up 18 catches for 147 yards and a TD in less than six quarters of play. When healthy, he and Puka Nacua represent one of the best WR tandems in the game, and there is some hope that Nacua will also be able to suit up soon, as he is now eligible to be activated off of injured reserve. The healthy and productive return of the Kupp-Nacua duo will go a long way in determining whether the Rams can reverse their fortunes and make another postseason run.
While Nacua may still need some time to recover and practice, it appears that Kupp is on the cusp of a return. Kupp’s return to the field will be well-received by an offense that has depended on Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, and Tyler Johnson in recent weeks.
Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell Suffers Broken Thumb
Aidan O’Connell‘s stint back as the starter in Las Vegas was a short one. In only his second start of the season, O’Connell left today’s game in Los Angeles with a hand injury. According to Ian Rapoport, preliminary tests seem to indicate that the second-year passer broke his thumb. He’ll undergo further testing tomorrow in order to determine the severity of the injury. 
As a fourth-round rookie last year out of Purdue, O’Connell took over the starting job under center after Jimmy Garoppolo failed to establish himself as a successful starter. With Garoppolo benched, O’Connell started 10 games, including the final nine of the season, going 5-5 as a starter and throwing 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
In the offseason, Las Vegas signed Gardner Minshew after the young journeyman led the Colts to a 9-8 record in 2023. Minshew had stepped in as an injury replacement for a rookie Anthony Richardson and handled himself well managing the offense.
An offseason position battle ensued between O’Connell and Minshew with Minshew winning the job after the team’s first preseason game. With Minshew running the offense, the Raiders started 2-3. In a Week 5 matchup in Denver, Minshew threw two interceptions, officially giving him more picks than touchdowns, before hitting the bench in favor of O’Connell. Las Vegas announced that it would reopen its quarterback competition and settled on O’Connell as the starter for Week 6.
O’Connell was unable to come away with a win last week, but he put forth a decent effort, completing nearly 68 percent of his passes for 227 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. O’Connell was doing a decent job to start today’s game against the Rams before succumbing to injury, but he was only in for two drives before leaving the game. As an injury replacement for O’Connell Minshew struggled mightily. He completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions in a game that the defense kept well within reach.
The Raiders will hope that the tests tomorrow reveal a short-term injury, but a broken thumb on O’Connell’s throwing hand might not be a quick and easy recovery. Without another quarterback on the 53-man roster, it appears that Minshew will be the answer if O’Connell misses extended time. Las Vegas rosters rookie quarterback Carter Bradley out of South Alabama on the practice squad, but they may be shopping the market if O’Connell is ruled out for an extended period.
QB Mason Rudolph To Start For Titans In Week 7
Titans usual starting quarterback Will Levis has been dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder for the past two weeks. That didn’t stop Tennessee from starting him last week against the Colts, but this week, the Titans will sit the injured passer, announcing Mason Rudolph as the starter instead, per Titans beat writer Paul Kuharksy. 
Levis retained the starting duties from his rookie season after throwing eight touchdowns to four interceptions despite sporting a 3-6 record as a starter. The performance in his sophomore campaign seems to reflect the win-loss record a bit more accordingly. In five starts this season, Levis has thrown five touchdowns to seven interceptions en route to a 1-4 record. The one game he started that resulted in a win saw him leave after only 11 offensive snaps while Rudolph took over and led the team to a win.
Rudolph was acquired in the offseason as an improved backup option over former third-round pick Malik Willis. Rudolph ended up beating out Willis for the backup job, resulting in Willis getting traded to Green Bay. Rudolph brought a good amount of experience stepping in as a starter from his time in Pittsburgh, sporting an impressive 8-4-1 record despite never being a consistent starter. Rudolph wasn’t asked to do much when he took over for Levis in Week 4, only completing nine passes for 85 yards, but the result of the game is hard to ignore.
Rudolph will now get another chance to step in as the starter again as Levis deals with his injury. In making this announcement, sources haven’t seemed to rule Levis out, indicating that he might be available in an emergency, but with a league-leading 10 turnovers adding insult to injury, it feels like this may be a benching. The team did elevate quarterback Trevor Siemian from the practice squad for the weekend, as well, so there’s a chance that Levis isn’t even QB2 this week and a chance that he’ll be inactive, as well.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the grade 2 AC sprain could continue to hold Levis out in the future. Levis has played through injury in the past and is considered “week-to-week,” but this type of injury often holds players out for four to five weeks. In the meantime, it looks like Rudolph will get a chance to show what he can do at the helm of the Titans offense.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/24
Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Released: C Dieter Eiselen
Green Bay Packers
- Released (via injury settlement): WR T.J. Luther
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Austin Ajiake
- Released: WR Ethan Fernea
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Tony Jefferson
- Released: CB Nehemiah Shelton
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LS Matt Overton
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Brenden Bates