Saints Place CB Paulson Adebo On IR
The Saints officially placed cornerback Paulson Adebo on injured reserve, ending his 2024 season after breaking his femur last week, per New Orleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.
Adebo was carted off early in the second quarter of New Orleans’ Week 7 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night, requiring season-ending surgery. The former second-round pick is expected to recover in time for training camp in 2025, though his status in a contract year means a potential free agency navigation while rehabbing from his injury.
Adebo’s injury is yet another setback for a Saints team that has dropped their last five games after starting the year 2-0. Leading receiver Rashid Shaheed is out for the season after meniscus surgery, and Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy has yet to return from injured reserve after hurting his groin in September.
Adebo was on pace for career-highs in tackles, interceptions, and passes defended before his injury. That will assist his case in free agency as he attempts to capitalize on a significant jump in the cornerback market this offseason. This is also the first major injury of his career, as Adebo played in 52 of the Saints’ 58 games since he was drafted, with 51 starts.
Second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry took over for Adebo against the Broncos and is expected to replace him in the starting lineup opposite Marshon Lattimore moving forward. With Alontae Taylor starting in the slot, the Saints only have one more cornerback on their active roster: undrafted rookie Rico Payton. In the short-term, Shemar Jean-Charles will likely be in line for elevations from the practice squad, and potentially a promotion to the active roster. New Orleans will need to find more cornerback depth for the rest of the year, especially if they move Lattimore, a potential trade target, at the deadline.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/24
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from injured reserve: CB Arthur Maulet
- Waived: ILB Josh Ross
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Lions’ practice squad: LB Cam Gill
- Signed off Dolphins’ practice squad: DT Jonathan Harris
- Released: LB Marquis Haynes
- Waived: LB Chandler Wooten, DT T.J. Smith
Detroit Lions
- Released from injured reserve: WR Tre’Quan Smith
Houston Texans
- Waived: DE Rashad Weaver
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: CB Keith Taylor
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Jaylen Watson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: CB Shaun Wade
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: OLB Bo Richter
- Released: TE Robert Tonyan
- Signed to active roster: DT Armon Watts
- Waived: Boogie Basham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Montravius Adams
Washington Commanders
- Suspended for six games: CB Kevon Seymour
The Ravens finally activated Maulet to the 53-man roster at the very end of his 21-day return window. The veteran slot cornerback underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the preseason, but dealt with a minor hamstring injury upon his return to practice. To make room, Baltimore waived Ross, a special teams starter, likely hoping to add him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Maulet’s return could not be coming at a better time for a Ravens pass defense that was already struggling before starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey left Monday night’s victory over the Buccaneers with an injury.
The Panthers signed Gill off the Lions’ practice squad and Harris off the Dolphins’ practice squad to fortify their defense on Tuesday. They also released Haynes and waived Wooten and Smith as part of an overhaul of their weak front seven.
The Giants signed Watts from their practice squad to strengthen the interior of their defensive line while waiving Basham, a former Bills second-round pick who arrived in New York via trade in August 2023. Giants general manager Joe Schoen was the assistant GM in Buffalo when Basham was drafted, while Giants head coach Brian Daboll was the Bills’ offensive coordinator. Schoen traded a sixth-round pick in exchange for Basham and a seventh-rounder from the Bills just before the 2023 regular season, but Basham did not record a single sack in 13 games as a Giant.
Buccaneers Waive P Jake Camarda
The Buccaneers have waived punter Jake Camarda, a 2022 fifth-round pick who failed to live up to expectations in his first three seasons.
Camarda played in Tampa Bay’s first four games this season, averaging just 36.5 net yards per punt, the second-lowest in the NFL. The Buccaneers then turned to former Bears punter Trenton Gill, elevating him from the practice squad for their last three games. After Monday night’s loss to the Ravens, Gil was all out of elevations, forcing Tampa Bay to promote him to the 53-man roster if they wanted him to continue punting duties.
Camarda was a highly-touted punting prospect out of the University of Georgia, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors and was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award given out to the best punter in college football. Camarda was the second punter drafted in 2022, selected with the 133rd overall pick in the fourth round just three spots after the Ravens drafted Penn State punter Jordan Stout.
The former Bulldog did not struggle with power in the NFL, ranking fifth in gross yards per punt in each of his first two seasons. However, his 41.4 net yards per punt in 2022 and 41.2 in 2023 ranked 12th and 20th, respectively, indicating an issue with his ability to minimize return yardage.
Those numbers dropped precipitously in 2024, with Camarda averaging just 45.3 gross yards per punt, the fourth-lowest in the league. Gill, however, ranks dead-last with 41.3 gross yards per punt, though his 38.3 net yards per punt exceeds Camarda’s.
Camarda leaves the Buccaneers as the franchise’s leading punter at 49.0 gross yards per punt, per The Athletic’s Greg Auman.
Roger Goodell: Super Bowl Outside U.S. A Possibility
After gradually increasing the number of international games over the past several seasons, the NFL could be poised to bring its biggest annual event overseas, according to Ken Maguire of The Associated Press. 
“We’ve always traditionally tried to play a Super Bowl in an NFL city — that was always sort of a reward for the cities that have NFL franchises,” Roger Goodell at a fan forum in London last week. “But things change. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that happens one day.”
Excepting Super Bowl XLVIII, the NFL has picked stadiums either in warm-weather states or with domes to host the Super Bowl. This could be a significant barrier to an international Super Bowl. London, the most likely destination, may be too cold in February and lacks a domed stadium with enough capacity for the big game.
However, NFL executive Peter O’Reilly clarified on October 17 that an international Super Bowl is “not on the front burner,” per FOX News’ Armando Salguero.
It is more likely that the NFL continues to augment its international presence during the regular season. Goodell has proposed a 16-game international slate if the regular season expands to 18 games, though that will face pushback from the NFLPA after players have openly expressed frustration with traveling overseas midseason.
The prospect of 16 international games came up during talks that led to the 2020 CBA’s ratification, but the league’s 17-game schedule has come in well short of that mark. This season brought five international games. That is the highwater mark to date. Moving to eight has come up in the recent past. However, a jump to 16 would be a major change to the league’s schedule as a whole.
Goodell expects Dublin, Ireland and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to join the list of international hosts, with Madrid already confirmed for next season. Sweden and Australia have also come up as international sites, as is Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which hosted a site visit in the past year, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. So far, the NFL has mostly camped in London, Germany and Mexico City. Though, the Packers-Eagles Brazil matchup marked a significant development on the international sports scene. Jaguars owner Shad Khan – who also owns West London Premier League team Fulham F.C. – is also considering playing more games in London during upcoming stadium renovations in Jacksonville.
Owned by the storied Irish-American Rooney family, the Steelers are a prime candidate to play in Dublin’s first NFL game, according to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. The Steelers and Bears played a preseason game in Dublin in 1997.
Cardinals’ Bilal Nichols Out For Season, ‘Good Chance’ Jonah Williams Returns
Cardinals defensive tackle Bilal Nichols will be out for the rest of the 2024 season, head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Thursday, per team reporter Darren Urban.
Nichols was knocked out of Arizona’s Week 6 loss to the Packers with a stinger, and further evaluation revealed a season-ending injury that landed him on injured reserve on October 15. He will join Justin Jones – who tore his triceps in Week 3 – on the sideline for the rest of the year, severely depleting the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation.
Nichols and Jones were two of general manager Monti Ossenfort‘s major free agency signings this offseason, meant to short up Arizona’s league-worst rushing defense in 2023. The injuries have made any improvements marginal at best; the Cardinals rank 30th with 918 yards allowed on the ground this season. Now, only Roy Lopez remains from the starting defensive line, with Khyiris Tonga, L.J. Collier, Naquan Jones and Dante Stills expected to fill the void.
Ossenfort can hope for a better return on his other big offseason investment: offensive tackle Jonah Williams. Gannon said there is a “good chance” that Williams returns from a Week 1 knee injury that initially put the rest of his season in jeopardy, according to Urban.
Veteran Kelvin Beachum has taken over for Williams at right tackle since Week 1 outside of a minor injury in Week 3 that required relief efforts from both Jackson Barton and Charlie Heck. The position has not been a weakness for the Cardinals’ offense, but there is little doubt that Williams would still be an upgrade if he can return this year.
Kicker Matt Prater is also on injured reserve in Arizona, but Gannon said that it is possible he returns this season. In the meantime, the Cardinals have relied on Chad Ryland, who converted five of his six attempts including a game-winner against the 49ers in Week 5.
Davante Adams Hoping To Remain With Jets Beyond 2024
For the second time in three years, Davante Adams forced his way out of one NFL facility to play with a former quarterback.
In 2022, he left the Packers to catch passes from his former college quarterback, Derek Carr, in Las Vegas. The reunion was short-lived; Carr was ultimately cut and signed with the Saints in 2023, planting the seeds of Adams’ discontent with the Raiders that flowered into a full-blown trade request a few weeks ago.
Now, he’s a Jet, back with Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP’s most decorated receiver from his Packers days is now hopeful that his relationship with the team lasts beyond this season.
“That’s the plan,” Adams said regarding a post-2024 Jets future, via Around The NFL’s Nick Shook. “I never go somewhere in hopes of having to find a new home.”
The star receiver also confirmed that he picked his trade destination, saying he “essentially” told the Raiders that he wanted to end up in New York. The Saints and Steelers pursued the 11th-year receiver, with the Bills monitoring the situation. Buffalo ended up with Amari Cooper, while New Orleans and Pittsburgh are still looking for receiver help.
Adams has two years remaining on his contract, though the Jets restructured his deal and added two void years to lower his 2024 cap hit. That will make it harder for the Jets to jettison Adams down the road. The All-Pro wideout would cost the team $38.3MM against the salary cap in 2025 and 2026, though his $35.6MM (2025) and $36.6MM (2026) base salaries are not guaranteed. New York can afford him, but the whole team’s future is uncertain after a 2-4 start this season.
The Jets already fired head coach Robert Saleh, and the contract of general manager Joe Douglas expires after this season. Another failed season could inspire owner Woody Johnson to make even more leadership changes. The most unpredictable factor might be the mercurial Rodgers, who was the main driver behind Adams’ desire to get to New York. But Rodgers has openly mulled retirement multiple times in recent years; if he were to hang it up, Adams may not want to remain a Jet much longer.
Adams and the Jets agreed to discuss his future in New York after the 2024 season, where both sides will have much more information about their relative plans. That will make for an interesting component regarding Rodgers’ New York future as well. First, the Jets will need to orchestrate the turnaround they are hoping the Rodgers-Adams connection can produce.
Vikings LB Blake Cashman Expected To Miss Time
The Vikings will be without starting linebacker Blake Cashman for their NFC North matchup with the Lions in Week 6 and potentially longer, according to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Cashman is currently dealing with turf toe, which could sideline him for the Vikings’ Week 7 matchup against the Rams — a Thursday-night tilt — as well.
Cashman started all five of the Vikings’ games this season and leads the team with 40 tackles as a key leader of Brian Flores‘ aggressive defense. His coverage ability has been crucial to closing down blitz-beaters and preventing yards after the catch.
Second-year linebacker Ivan Pace missed Weeks 3 and 4 due to injury, but he has started Minnesota’s other three games next to Cashman. Pace only played 36% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 5, but the Vikings’ Week 6 bye likely gave him enough time to work back to full health and take over a larger role in Cashman’s absence.
Safety Josh Metellus started both games in Pace’s absence, so he will likely step up with Cashman out and allow Flores to continue his heavy use of dime personnel. Veteran Kamu Grugier-Hill will play some early-down snaps against the run, while Brian Asamoah could also see an increased role after just 13 defensive snaps on the season.
Cashman has struggled with injuries throughout his career, averaging just over eight games across his six NFL season. He played in just 14 games across his first three years, but appeared in 30 over the last two. The Vikings signed Cashman to a three-year deal in free agency this past offseason, beating out a number of other suitors after the Minneapolis-area native’s productive Texans season, so they are hoping he has put his injuries behind him and can remain relatively healthy for his tenure in Minnesota. That will likely motivate them to take a cautious approach with Cashman’s current injury, giving him multiple weeks to recover before retaking his starting role.
Titans Not Shopping DeAndre Hopkins
The NFL’s trade market has roared to life this week, with Davante Adams and Amari Cooper both finding new homes in exchange Day 2 draft capital.
Teams have already been circling another Pro Bowl receiver – the Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins – though neither Tennessee nor its veteran wideout seem interested in a trade, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Hopkins is set to hit free agency after this season, but he is not in a hurry to get out of Tennessee despite a losing season and an uneven quarterback situation. The former All-Pro said this offseason he wanted to finish his career in Nashville and, as of now, this situation does not look to have changed.
That said, Hopkins might be able to force his way out of Tennessee like Adams did in Las Vegas; however, Titans ownership has been resistant to trading star players in the recent past. The team did not unload Derrick Henry despite interest, with Ran Carthon reportedly overruled on moving the standout running back at the deadline.
The second-year Tennessee GM denied ownership intervened on a deal (almost definitely with the Ravens), and the Titans did move on from former All-Pro Kevin Byard last year. But they held onto Henry and D-lineman Denico Autry despite struggling around the deadline last year. Autry joined Henry in leaving in free agency this offseason. Interest came in for Hopkins last year as well, but the Titans — who had signed him to a two-year, $26MM deal — stood pat, keeping the veteran wideout around to help Will Levis‘ development.
The number of interested teams may also have dwindled after the Jets and the Bills landed their desired targets. The Chiefs pursued Hopkins during free agency in 2023, after trade negotiations with the Cardinals broke down, and their need for a receiver has only grown as the season has progressed. The Steelers have also been connected to nearly every available receiver this year, though no reports have emerged about any surefire interest in Hopkins. Players like Diontae Johnson, Christian Kirk and Mike Williams are other targets receiver-needy teams can pursue — if the Titans hang onto Hopkins once again.
It is also unrealistic to expect Hopkins to net the Titans as much compensation as the Raiders and Browns received for their star wideouts. Hopkins is coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2023, the seventh of his career, but injuries limited him to 19 games and 1,289 yards across 2021 and 2022. He has just 14 catches for 175 yards this year, on track for the lowest per-game averages of his career.
If Hopkins does garner significant trade interest in the coming weeks, the Titans should at least consider dealing the 32-year-old as they rebuild, either around Levis or a new quarterback. Hopkins is a friendly veteran target, but it is unlikely he factors into the team’s long-term outlook — especially with a new coaching staff being hired this year.
Davante Adams Fallout: Jets, Raiders, Johnson, Davis, Rodgers
The Jets‘ 23-20 loss may have felt like the catalyst for their long-awaited acquisition of Davante Adams, but the trade was “essentially in place before kickoff” on Monday night, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
It would have been odd if Jets general manager Joe Douglas watched Allen Lazard and Garrett Wilson combine for 14 catches, 221 yards, and two touchdowns against the Bills and immediately thought he needed to upgrade his wide receiver corps. Lazard’s five touchdowns are tied for first in the NFL, while Wilson ranks second with 41 receptions on a league-high 67 targets. But the Jets have been interested in Adams dating back to last season, where they attempted to acquire him at the deadline for a higher price than they ultimately paid this year. Rather than add depth to fill out the wideout room, they added to the top of the rotation, which will likely squeeze Lazard back into a tertiary role, though Aaron Rodgers will still look for his 6-foot-5 frame in the red zone.
The Adams trade has reverberations down the depth chart, with Mike Williams already on the trade block. The Jets have also rarely played third-round rookie Malachi Corley, but the presence of a veteran mentor like Adams may help the rookie shore up the receiving fundamentals required to see the field in the NFL.
Here is the rest of the fallout from the Adams trade:
- With the deal all but confirmed, Adams flew from Las Vegas to New Jersey on Monday night, arriving at the Jets’ facility on Tuesday morning to get a physical examination and meet his new team, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
- Provided his hamstring checks out, Adams should be able to quickly acclimate to a familiar Nathaniel Hackett offense (albeit one now featuring QBs coach Todd Downing calling plays) in New York in time to make his Jets debut in primetime on Sunday night against the Steelers, according to Connor Hughes of SNY. Pittsburgh was constantly mentioned in wide receiver trade talks this year – first with Brandon Aiyuk, then with Adams – but instead, the AFC North team will have to face the All-Pro in his new home.
- Adams was one of the leaders in the Raiders‘ locker room coming into the season, but the drama surrounding his discontent and eventual trade request made his teammates “ready to move on,” according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
- Raiders owner Mark Davis consulted with head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco but left the ultimate decision up to them, per The Athletic’s Diana Russini. Davis had been reluctant to deal Adams dating back to last trade deadline, when he turned down a bigger package from New York, but recognized it was time to move on less than a year later.
- Jets owner Woody Johnson admitted the obvious while at the NFL owners’ meeting in Atlanta: Adams’ relationship with Rodgers was a key factor in bringing the wideout to New York. That connection will also help Adams slide into a major role in the Jets offense right away, joining Wilson to become one of the deadliest receiver duos in the league.
- Johnson also said that “thinking is overrated” when asked for his perspective on the Jets’ championship hopes after a 2-4 start, according to Russini. The Jets will attempt to prove skeptics wrong by rebounding from a three-game losing streak, one that has the futures of some of their key principals up in the air. With Adams soon to debut for his third NFL team, it will be worth monitoring Rodgers’ thoughts on playing beyond 2024. Past Rodgers indecision has affected Adams’ choices in the past, and a recent report suggested the All-Pro wideout was leery of the QB’s future in New York. But the Jets now have Adams’ through-2026 contract, giving Rodgers more incentive to stick around.
Panthers Open RB Jonathon Brooks’ Practice Window
OCTOBER 16: This is now official. Brooks will begin practicing with the Panthers, who have 21 days to activate him. This week will mark the second-round rookie’s first practices since his November 2023 ACL tear.
OCTOBER 14: Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is one step closer to making his NFL debut. The Panthers are set to open his 21-day practice window, setting up a prepared activation from the non-football injury list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Carolina did not officially make the move on Monday, but head coach Dave Canales told reporters a practice debut is imminent. This will be a welcome development for a Panthers team still in the early stages of a rebuild, and Brooks is expected to play a key role in that plan.
The 46th overall pick back in April, Brooks tore his ACL in late 2023, which damaged but did not plummet his draft stock. The Panthers still took him in the second round as the potential future of their backfield, a decision that drew criticism considering Carolina’s other needs and lack of future draft capital after the Bryce Young trade. No other team chose a running back in the first or second round this year, illustrating Carolina’s confidence in Brooks’ talents.
Brooks began the season on the NFI list, with the Panthers prioritizing his long-term health over a speedy return. Chuba Hubbard has excelled as Carolina’s lead back in the meantime, ranking third in rushing yards (485), second in success rate (64.0%), and fifth in yards per attempt (5.6). Hubbard’s early success should allow Brooks to slowly build up his workload as he adjusts to the NFL and acclimates to Canales’ offense.
At 1-5, the Panthers need all the help they can get, but Brooks’ return will do little to kickstart an anemic offense that has struggled with poor quarterback play and offensive line injuries this year. The Texas product should be a bigger pass-catching threat out of the backfield, as both Hubbard and Miles Sanders have yet to crack 100 receiving yards on the year.
Once he is designated for return, Brooks will have 21 days to be added to the Panthers’ 53-man roster. Otherwise, he will revert to season-ending injured reserve, though that would only happen with a significant health setback.