Cardinals Place James Conner On IR
The Cardinals placed running back James Conner on injured reserve on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, sidelining him for Arizona’s regular season finale against the 49ers.
Conner has been dealing with a “lingering right knee injury” this season, according to Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban. The two-time Pro Bowler left the game in Week 6 and again in Week 17, though he did not miss a start in between. Conner will join two other Cardinals running backs – rookie Trey Benson and Emari Demercado – on injured reserve.
Arizona turned to Michael Carter after Conner went down in Week 17 and is set to do so again after promoting him from the practice squad to fill its vacant 53-man roster spot. Carter began his career as a Jets fourth-round pick in 2021 and arrived in Arizona via waivers last season. He recorded 70 yards on 13 carries last week and will be looking to repeat his efficiency as an audition for a 2025 roster spot, with the Cardinals or elsewhere.
The Cardinals signed Conner to a two-year extension at the beginning of December, so they do not want to risk further injury to their expected lead ballcarrier for 2025. He is under contract through the 2026 season, though he could be released for $8MM in cap savings after next season, per OverTheCap.
Conner will finish the 2024 season with a career-high 1,094 rushing yards, though his per-carry and per-game averages were lower than last season. His 414 receiving yards were his most as a Cardinals and the second-highest total of his career.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/25
Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Jack Anderson, CB Luq Barcoo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Garret Greenfield
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Max Pircher
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25
Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on injured reserve: S Elijah Molden (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from injured reserve: G Jacob Johanning
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster from Cowboys’ practice squad: OT Braeden Daniels
- Placed on injured reserve: OT Kendall Lamm
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on injured reserve: TE C.J. Uzomah
Seattle Seahawks
- 21-day practice window expired: S K’Von Wallace
Chiefs Designate Mecole Hardman For Return
The Chiefs have designated wide receiver Mecole Hardman for return from injured reserve and opened his 21-day practice window, per Bleacher Report’s James Palmer.
Hardman landed on IR on December 7 with a knee injury after a quiet start to the season. He appeared in Kansas City’s first 12 games this season but made just 12 catches for 90 yards across his 114 offensive snaps.
Hardman had a bigger impact on special teams, averaging 10.2 yards on 20 punt returns and posting a career-high 26.4 yards per kickoff return. He will likely return to that role once healthy, though Nikko Remigio has done a solid job in his absence.
Hardman’s return may seem of little consequence given his lack of production this year, but he has been a solid playoff performer for the Chiefs in past championships runs. He has 393 combined rushing and receiving yards and four total touchdowns in his postseason career, including the game-winner in last year’s Super Bowl.
If Hardman is activated in time for the Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup with the Broncos, he will be catching passes from Carson Wentz, not Patrick Mahomes, according to Palmer. Head coach Andy Reid is opting to rest Mahomes and several other key starters for Sunday’s game with the AFC’s No. 1 seed already secured. Mahomes and the other resting players will have two weeks off before Kansas City embarks on their quest for a third straight championship.
Cowboys Release Ezekiel Elliott
JANUARY 1: As expected, Elliott cleared waivers on Wednesday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He is now free to sign with any team’s active roster or practice squad, though he is looking for an opportunity to play in the postseason.
DECEMBER 31: The Cowboys are waiving running back Ezekiel Elliott, per veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson. Elliott requested his release so he could explore an opportunity with a playoff-bound team.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released a statement (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer) praising Elliott as “one of the greatest to every play with the Star on their helmet. Because vested veterans are subject to the waiver wire after the trade deadline, Elliott will not hit free agency until he clears waivers.
“Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today,” Jones said in the statement.
This, of course, marks the second time the Cowboys have released Elliott in two years. They dropped his six-year, $90MM extension from the payroll in March 2023, designating the former rushing champion as a post-June 1 cut. That created the interesting scenario, once Elliott re-signed with the team in April 2024, of the ninth-year veteran carrying two contracts on Dallas’ payroll.
It remains unclear if Elliott will find the playoff opportunity he is seeking. His agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said that “nothing is imminent” and thanked the Cowboys for granting Elliott’s release, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Elliott is unlikely to be claimed on waivers after recording career-lows across the board this season, including 3.1 yards per carry and a 43.2% rushing success rate. A more likely route to a playoff team would be on a practice squad where he can get familiar with a new offense and work his way towards a postseason appearance.
However, almost every playoff team has at least one solid running back in their backfield. Elliott’s best chances might be in Cincinnati, where Chase Brown just suffered a sprained ankle and Zack Moss remains on injured reserve. Still, it’s hard to imagine Elliott playing anything more than a peripheral role this postseason after years of declining production following his excellent first three years in the league.
Lions Release Jamal Adams
The Lions released former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams from their practice squad on Wednesday, according to a team announcement.
Adams began the season with the Titans before requesting his release in October. Tennessee obliged, giving Adams the chance to join Detroit’s practice squad at the beginning of December. He received game day elevations in Week 14 and 15, but played just 20 snaps on defense with three total tackles.
Even as injuries mounted for the Lions in December, Adams did not receive any more playing time. He has never been able to recapture the playmaking form that propelled him to three straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2018 to 2020, a period that included a first-team All-Pro nod in 2021.
Adams recorded 21.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles across his first four NFL seasons, but has played the last six years without a single play in either category.
Adams is unlikely to find another team this season and will enter a second straight offseason as a free agent. He may not have the range to play safety anymore, but he has historically excelled in the box. Converting to a dime-backer who can feature as a blitzer and cover running backs and tight ends may be the best way to extend his career.
Chargers Designate Alohi Gilman For Return
The Chargers have designated safety Alohi Gilman for return from injured reserve and opened his 21-day practice window, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh said that Gilman is “ready to roll,” indicating that he will be activated before the Chargers’ regular season finale on Sunday.
Gilman landed on injured reserve at the end of November with a hamstring injury after starting 10 of Los Angeles’ first 11 games this season. His return could not come at a better time for the Chargers, who just lost Elijah Molden for the season due to a broken fibula.
Gilman was having a solid season before his injury, though he has not been able to replicate his playmaking from last season. He recorded two interceptions, 10 passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2023; this year, he has just one interception and four passes defended with no fumble production.
If all goes well in practice, the Chargers will use their eight and final regular season IR activation on Gilman, though they will receive two more for the playoffs.
One of those postseason activations could be for wide receiver Simi Fehoko, who has been on injured reserve since early November with an elbow injury.
Harbaugh said that Fehoko is “progressing really well,” per Popper. He has not been a major piece of the Chargers offense this year; he’s caught just six of his 16 targets, though all six have converted first downs for a career-high total of 106 yards. Fehoko has been a contributor on the kick and punt units, so he could see some playoff playing time on special teams if activated.
Jon Gruden Garnering NFL Coaching Interest
Jon Gruden has not coached in the NFL since 2021, but he could garner some interest in this year’s coaching cycle, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
While Gruden hasn’t held an official coaching job since he resigned as the Raiders head coach during the 2021 season after revelations that he sent racist, misogynistic, and homophobic emails while working for ESPN.
He has “remained engaged” with multiple NFL teams since then, according to Pelissero, including the Buccaneers – where he coached from 2002 to 2008 – and the Saints. Gruden was a coaching consultant in New Orleans after their acquisition of Derek Carr and even had the option to take the team’s offensive coordinator job, which later went to Klint Kubiak.
“There are multiple teams that have been doing extensive homework on Jon Gruden,” continued Pelissero, who added that his name could pop up as head coaching interviews commence.
Gruden led the Raiders to a 22-31 record in his 3 1/2 seasons as head coach. He will have to prove that he can still be an effective coach in 2025 and beyond while also answering questions about his personal controversies.
Current head coaching openings include the Jets, the Saints and the Bears, though other struggling franchises like the Giants, the Jaguars, and the Titans could fire their current head coaches after the end of the regular season.
Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Out For Week 17
DECEMBER 29: Tagovailoa is indeed among Miami’s inactives for Sunday’s game. Huntley will get the nod as the Dolphins look to keep their playoff hopes alive.
DECEMBER 28: The Dolphins have downgraded quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to doubtful for their Week 17 matchup with the Browns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If he is unable to play, Tyler Huntley would make his fourth start of the season.
Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury in Week 15, but finished the game and played 100% of Miami’s offensive snaps in Week 16. The fifth-year quarterback wants to continue to play through the injury, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but his mobility and athleticism are limited. Tagovailoa had surgery on the same hip when he was in college, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, but his current injury is affecting a different area.
The 2020 first-round pick downplayed the injury during a press conference on Thursday (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques):”I mean it’s good. It’s just like anyone else on the team and anyone else around the league. You get banged up little bit towards the ending of the year so just got to take care of that.”
Since Thursday, though, Tagovailoa has been trending down. Along with ruling him doubtful, the Dolphins elevated Skylar Thompson from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, another indication that Tagovailoa is unlikely to play.
An absence this weekend would be Tagovailoa’s fifth this season after a four-week IR stint after his Week 2 concussion. Miami has to beat Cleveland to keep their playoff hopes alive; a loss would all but eliminate them from postseason contention.
The Dolphins also promoted wide receiver Erik Ezukanma to the active roster, placed cornerback Kendall Fuller on injured reserve, and elevated cornerback Nik Needham from the practice squad, per a team announcement.
Eagles Activate Bryce Huff From IR
The Eagles have activated defensive end Bryce Huff from injured reserve, per a team announcement.
Huff landed on IR on November 22 with a wrist injury that required surgery. He was designated to return on December 18 and suffered no setbacks in his two weeks of practice, setting him up to return to the lineup on Sunday against the Cowboys.
The Eagles will be hoping that Huff can be more effective heading towards the playoffs than he was to start the year. After a career-high 10.0 sacks in 2023 earned him a three-year, $51MM deal in free agency, Huff only recorded 2.5 sacks over his first 10 games in Philadelphia. His snap count already began to decrease before his injury, but fellow edge rusher Brandon Graham has since gone down with a triceps tear. Huff’s veteran teammate might be able to return deep in the playoffs, but until then, the Eagles will need Huff to recapture some of his 2023 form.
Huff’s activation was one of several Eagles roster moves on Saturday; the team also waived defensive end Charles Harris to make room for Huff on the 53-man roster. With Jalen Hurts sidelined, the Eagles promoted Ian Book from the practice squad to the active roster so he can serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback.
Wide receiver Britain Covey was placed on injured reserve for the second time this year, ending his regular season. Covey will be eligible to return in the playoffs if the Eagles make the NFC Championship game. Running back Tyrion Davis-Price and linebacker Dallas Gant were also elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.