Lions DT Kyle Peko To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
After losing Aidan Hutchinson for the year, the Lions’ defensive line has taken another hit. Defensive tackle Kyle Peko is expected to land on injured reserve with season-ending surgery required for a pectoral tear, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Like Hutchinson, Peko sustained the injury in the Lions’ 47-9 blowout of the Cowboys on Sunday. The defensive line absences did not slow them down as the Lions recorded two interceptions even after Hutchinson and Peko left the game.
The Lions will soon have seven defensive linemen on IR once Hutchinson and Peko are officially moved there, joining David Bada, John Cominsky, Marcus Davenport, Nate Lynn, and Brodric Martin. Pat O’Connor, Chris Smith, and Isaac Ukwu could all be in line for promotions from the practice squad to bolster Detroit’s defense.
Losing Hutchinson is by far the biggest blow to the Lions’ Super Bowl hopes, as the second-year edge rusher was mounting a Defensive Player of the Year campaign with a league-leading 7.5 sacks to start the season. Peko has not been as impactful, occupying a space-eating role in the middle of the defense with just two total tackles on the year. Peko, who has played for six teams since entering the league in 2016, played 86 defensive snaps for Detroit this season.
The Lions’ defensive line injuries may encourage general manager Brad Holmes to pursue reinforcements at the trade deadline. Detroit’s offense ranks third in the league with 6.3 yards per play, so Holmes is more likely to seek a defender to improve his pass rush after losing Hutchinson.
Ravens Sign DE Yannick Ngakoue To Active Roster
The Ravens have signed defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to their active roster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, solidifying the veteran’s status in Baltimore after joining the practice squad at the end of September.
Ngakoue was elevated from the practice squad for the Ravens’ last two games and flashed the bend and burst that made him such an effective edge rusher earlier in his career. He recorded one sack of Jayden Daniels in Baltimore’s Week 6 win over the Commanders on Sunday, potentially putting him on other teams’ radars. Ngakoue still had one elevation remaining, but the Ravens moved quickly to add him to the active roster to prevent another squad from signing him, signaling that they see him as a part of their edge rotation for the rest of the season.
The Ravens already had a full 53-man roster as of Monday, so they will need to make a corresponding move on Tuesday to accommodate Ngakoue. There are no clear cut candidates on the roster, but both Malik Harrison and Broderick Washington missed practice last week with injuries. One could be headed to injured reserve, creating the space for Ngakoue on the roster.
The Ravens are hoping that Ngakoue’s second stint in Baltimore will be more successful than his nine-game stint in 2020 after being acquired at the trade deadline. He struggled to find a role in then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale‘s defense and only recorded three sacks after starting the season with five in six games for the Vikings. While Martindale tended to design blitzes with pass rushers dropping into coverage, current DC Zach Orr has prioritized getting pressure with four pass rushers this season and giving less coverage responsibilities to his edge rushers. Ngakoue has been a pass-rusher on two-thirds of his snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Adding Ngakoue to their 53-man roster complicates the Ravens’ future roster plans, with cornerback Arthur Maulet designated for return from a preseason knee injury and running back Keaton Mitchell nearing his recovery from last year’s ACL tear. Barring additional injuries, the Ravens will have to make multiple cuts to add both players to their 53-man roster in the coming weeks.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/24
Monday’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Junior Aho
- Released: DL Kenny Oginni
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Quinton Newsome
- Released: WR Kaden Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on injured list: WR T.J. Luther
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Gregory Junior
- Released: TE Chris Myarick
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: K Spencer Shrader
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Lance McCutcheon
- Released: WR Jaray Jenkins
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL McClendon Curtis
Jets Not Willing To Discuss Multiyear Haason Reddick Deal
Despite the appearance of progress made between Haason Reddick and the Jets after changing his agency this week, this saga will not produce a momentous win for the holdout pass rusher. The Jets are still holding their ground.
Reddick has continued to angle for a multiyear deal, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport indicates the Jets have not come around to that proposition. No agreement that runs beyond 2024 is coming, though it does appear the sides are willing to talk terms that ends this year’s longest-running holdout. Reddick’s new agent, Drew Rosenhaus is onsite and has talked with Jets GM Joe Douglas today.
More than six months have passed since Reddick was traded for a conditional third-round pick. The star edge rusher’s ongoing holdout has lasted longer than most expected, with the sides quickly drifting out of touch. This has proven a costly holdout for Reddick, while the Jets have not looked good during this standoff either. New York has since changed coaches, ending Robert Saleh‘s three-plus-season tenure without Reddick factoring into his defensive puzzle.
Reddick, 30, believed the Jets communicated to him a willingness to negotiate a multiyear extension this offseason. The Jets, however, were always aiming to have the trade pickup begin his tenure on his Eagles-constructed contract. This led to an impasse that produced little progress during Saleh’s final months at the helm.
Declining multiple one-year offers from the Jets — including one that would allow him to recoup the money lost by his lengthy holdout — Reddick was since dropped by his previous agency. His focus remains on a multiyear deal worth more than $20MM per year, according to Rapoport, but the Jets have refused to engage in talks regarding a long-term extension.
Rosenhaus emphasized that his priority was reaching an agreement with the Jets, not facilitating a trade as Reddick requested back in August, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. That will require Rosenhaus to convince Reddick to accept a one-year deal with New York to build toward a bigger payday next year.
After missing out on more than $2MM in fines from skipping training camp, Reddick has lost more than $5MM in game checks from the holdout extending past Week 6. While Reddick has effectively proven he is an intense negotiator, the Jets have also seen 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald start strong. McDonald, who was set to back up Reddick this season, entered Monday with six sacks.
In order for Reddick to create a reasonable 2025 market, it stands to reason he will need to show quality form this season. That will, of course, require a resolution. As it appears the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles edge defender is ready to work with the Jets again — though, teams look to be standing by on the trade front — it will be interesting to see if a resolution comes that brings him back into the fold before Week 7.
Chargers To Sign CB Eli Apple
The Chargers have agreed to terms with veteran cornerback Eli Apple, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Apple will start on the Chargers’ practice squad after working out for the team earlier today, according to Pelissero.
The former first-rounder has become somewhat of a journeyman cornerback, playing for five different teams since the 2018 season. He last played for the Dolphins, appearing in 10 games and making four starts in 2023.
Before that, Apple started 30 games across the 2021 and 2022 seasons for the Bengals, but they let him walk in free agency with a focus on getting younger in their secondary over the last few offseasons. Still 29 despite coming into the NFL in 2016, Apple is heading to his sixth career team.
Jim Harbaugh coached against Apple during his first year at Michigan, with the eventual Giants first-round pick part of Ohio State’s cornerback pipeline. The Giants traded Apple to the Saints during the 2018 season, and after he played out his rookie deal in New Orleans, a Panthers one-and-done commenced.
The Chargers are dealing with a number of injuries in their secondary, with Asante Samuel Jr. and Ja’Sir Taylor both missing Week 6 with injuries. With Samuel now on injured reserve, the Chargers needed to add reliable cornerback depth in case they suddenly needed a stopgap solution from their practice squad. Apple may never have lived up to his draft billing after going 10th overall in 2016, but he has 82 starts and almost 100 career appearances under his belt, so he could quickly pick up the defense and play in Week 7 if necessary.
Former Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs also participated in the Chargers’ workout. Jacobs started 12 games in Detroit last season but was nontendered as an RFA this offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/24
Here are the latest transactions from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated to 53-man roster: WR Zay Jones
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated from practice squad: RB Frank Gore Jr.
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/suspended list: DT Mario Edwards Jr. (story)
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: DT Leki Fotu
- Elevated from practice squad: TE Anthony Firkser, S Jalen Mills
- Released: DL Jalyn Holmes
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from IR: S Jerrick Reed II
Jones will get to make his Cardinals debut in Week 7 after serving a five-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Arizona requested and received a one-week roster exemption so Jones could get acclimated to his new offense before being added to the 53-man roster. He will bring a veteran presence to a young Cardinals receiver room that lost Marvin Harrison Jr. to a concussion on Sunday.
Cowboys Open Practice Window For DaRon Bland
The Cowboys have opened the 21-day practice window for All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland, who started the regular season on injured reserve after a training camp foot fracture that required surgery, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Bland was designated to return when he was originally placed on injured reserve during final roster cuts, so the Cowboys still have seven return designations remaining for their injury-ravaged roster.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Rookie Caelen Carson started the Cowboys’ first three games, but struggles against the Saints and the Ravens in back-to-back weeks led to his benching, with Andrew Booth and Amani Oruwariye starting in Week 4 and 5, respectively.
The Cowboys will be hoping Bland can make a sooner-than-expected return to the field opposite Trevon Diggs with their pass rush depleted with injuries to Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland. At 3-2, Dallas sit second in the NFC East behind the Commanders with matchups against the Lions, 49ers, and Falcons in their next three games.
The Cowboys do have a Week 7 bye, so they will monitor Bland’s progress carefully to determine if he needs the extra time to get fully healthy. The sooner he can get back, the better for a Dallas defense that ranks 23rd in points allowed this season, though their primary weakness has been against the run. Still, Bland led the NFL with nine interceptions in 2023 – five of which he returned for touchdowns, an NFL record – and he would significantly shore up the Cowboys’ cornerback play after rotating through three backups to start the year.
Ravens Reunite With Ex-DC Dean Pees In Advisory Role
Former Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees is returning to Baltimore as a senior advisor to current defensive coordinator Zach Orr, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
“He’s a guy who knows me as a person, knows the system, knows the culture here,” Orr said. “He’s a Raven.”
Orr told Zrebiec that he stayed in contact through the season and recently reached out to bring on his former coach in an advisory role. “Ultimately, all I care about is us performing the best we can to help us win,” Orr continued.
Pees will enter a unique situation in which he advises a defensive coordinator he used to oversee as a player. Pees was Baltimore’s defensive coordinator when Orr signed with the Ravens as an undrafted rookie in 2014. Pees coached Orr to a second-team All-Pro selection in 2016 before a congenital spine condition forced the linebacker to retire.
Now, Pees will take on an advisory role to his former player, who has fielded the league’s best rushing defense while allowing the second-most passing yards of any defense. The Ravens are coming off a Week 5 shootout in which the defense was torched by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins to the tune of 392 passing yards and five touchdowns.
Pees has coached in the NFL for 18 years, starting as linebackers coach under Bill Belichick in New England in 2004. John Harbaugh then hired Pees for the same role in Baltimore before promoting him to defensive coordinator in 2012. Pees led the defense to a Super Bowl victory in his first year calling plays and remained with the Ravens until his retirement in January 2018.
Pees’ retirement lasted just 28 days before he was hired by the Titans as defensive coordinator under Mike Vrabel, a position he held for two years before his second retirement in January 2020. This time, Pees stayed away from the NFL for a year before taking the Falcons’ defensive coordinator position under Arthur Smith. He then retired for the third time in January 2023, but could not turn down the opportunity to return to Baltimore, reunite with Orr, and help coach the Ravens’ talented defense.
Lions Could Lose Derrick Barnes For Rest Of Season
The Lions could be playing the rest of the 2024 without inside linebacker Derrick Barnes, who was placed on injured reserve after a knee injury in Week 3.
“I think we will be fortunate to get him at any point this year,” said head coach Dan Campbell on Monday, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t want to say it’s not going to happen, but I think we would be pretty fortunate if it does.”
The Lions have been evaluating Barnes’ knee he sustained the injury in Week 3 to decide if the fourth-year linebacker will require surgery. While no determination has been made, Campbell’s comments indicate that Barnes will need a lengthy recovery period, surgery or not.
2022 sixth-rounder and former Hard Knocks fan favorite Malcolm Rodriguez has taken over Barnes’ spot in Detroit’s defense, recording 10 tackles and a sack across Weeks 3 and 4. Rodriguez will look to further solidify his starting role after the Lions’ Week 5 bye in their upcoming matchup with the Cowboys.
The Lions did get some positive injury updates this week with center Frank Ragnow and safety Brian Branch both returning to practice after one-game absences. Detroit’s bye week gave both players additional time to get healthy: Ragnow from a partially-torn pectoral muscle and Branch from an illness. Both players are key starters for the Lions, who had to shuffle on both sides of the ball in Week 4.
Robert Saleh Not Planning To Join Another Coaching Staff In 2024
Despite calls from 49ers fans who want Robert Saleh to return to San Francisco, the now-fired Jets coach has no intention of taking another coaching job during the 2024 season, per Michael Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Instead, Saleh is going on vacation with his family before preparing for the 2025 NFL hiring cycle, when he should be a popular candidate for teams in need of a new defensive coordinator. The Jets’ defense has consistently been one of the best in the league since Saleh’s arrival in 2021, ranking in the top three of points per drive, EPA per play, and success rate allowed, according to ESPN’s Benjamin Solak. That followed a strong stretch as defensive coordinator of the 49ers from 2017 to 2020, which earned Saleh the gig in New York.
Saleh’s firing was so sudden that he did not get a chance to meet with his players before he left the building, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. However, Saleh’s departure from the building has, to a degree, been blown out of proportion by rampant speculation. He was not physically ejected from the Jets’ facility, merely escorted out by security in a common corporate practice, according to Peter Schrager of NFL Network.
Saleh’s defensive pedigree could likely land him a position with another NFL team this season if he wanted it, with the Texans (who employ ex-Saleh staffer DeMeco Ryans as HC) also looming as a natural fit. But the three-plus-year Jets HC seems content to collect the remainder of his 2024 salary from the Jets as he contemplates his future. One year remains on Saleh’s Jets contract, a five-year deal that ended up producing a 20-36 record.