Saints To Sign RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Cut by the Chiefs late in his fifth season with the team, Clyde Edwards-Helaire has a new home. The former first-round pick cleared waivers but is on his way to New Orleans as a free agent.
Edwards-Helaire is signing with the Saints, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill reports. This comes after the Saints saw Alvin Kamara leave their Week 15 game with a groin injury. With the Saints clinging to “In the Hunt” status, Kamara is not certain to be available in Week 16. The team has some insurance, albeit in a player who has not suited up this season.
Edwards-Helaire is a Baton Rouge, La., native and played at LSU. He will follow ex-teammate Tyrann Mathieu as a Louisiana native-turned-LSUer on the Saints’ roster. Foster Moreau followed that path last year as well. Edwards-Helaire, however, should not be expected to play a comparable role. He will begin on the practice squad, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds.
The Chiefs activated Edwards-Helaire from the reserve/non-football illness list in October but did not use him in any games this season. Kareem Hunt returned and became the team’s primary Isiah Pacheco replacement, with Samaje Perine and Carson Steele filling in behind the veteran. Edwards-Helaire now joins a Saints team that has some depth behind Kamara already, though it has taken two Kendre Miller IR activations to secure it.
New Orleans took advantage of the NFL’s new summer IR-return designation with Miller, who missed most of their training camp and preseason with a hamstring injury. The 2023 third-round pick then went back on IR in November, before returning earlier this month. Miller played ahead of Jamaal Williams, replacing Kamara once he went down. Williams remains on New Orleans’ 53-man roster, as does Jordan Mims.
Kansas City drafted Edwards-Helaire 32nd overall in 2020, and Damien Williams‘ subsequent COVID-19 opt-out cleared the runway for the rookie. The 5-foot-7 LSU alum was not able to live up to the billing, struggling with injuries and eventually being replaced by Pacheco, a 2022 seventh-rounder. Edwards-Helaire posted 803 rushing yards as a rookie but never approached that number again. In 15 games last season, he totaled 223 rushing yards. He resided behind Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon on Kansas City’s depth chart in Super Bowl LVIII.
The Saints will nonetheless take a flier on a once-highly regarded prospect who is still just 25. Edwards-Helaire will attempt to make his season debut soon, as the Saints (and a number of fantasy GMs) will hope Kamara can return. Kamara, 29, did well to land nearly $20MM guaranteed at signing on an extension earlier this season. That gives him some security should this be an injury that requires missed games.
Browns Want To Re-Sign RB Nick Chubb
As the likes of Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, James Conner and Aaron Jones are showing, third-contract running backs can bring quality value to teams. Nick Chubb will be looking for his third deal in 2025, but the Browns running back has not been part of this year’s veteran running back renaissance.
It took half the season for Chubb to debut after a 2023 ACL tear, and he did so after accepting a sizable pay cut. The stalwart Cleveland RB will not finish the season, either, having suffered a broken foot in Week 15. Despite the offseason reduction and the two major injuries sustained over the past two seasons, the Browns-Chubb partnership does not look to be over.
Before his foot injury, Chubb expressed interest in re-signing with the Browns. The feeling is mutual, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones indicating a “strong belief” exists the Browns want Chubb back as well. This is both for ability and culture reasons, per Jones, as the seventh-year running back has been a team leader for a while now. Considering the mistake the Browns made with Deshaun Watson, keeping a well-regarded cornerstone around would not be the worst idea for a team in an unusual situation.
It is worth noting Jones’ assessment of this situation came hours before Chubb’s foot injury, but Kevin Stefanski said (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the Browns do not believe Chubb will need surgery. This would be a break for a player who needed two knee operations to address his severe injury. Chubb spent this offseason rehabbing, and the team hopes he can focus only on training — provided this foot matter does clear up without surgery — in 2025.
Chubb is in the final weeks of a three-year, $36.6MM deal, one he agreed to during the 2021 offseason (and one he adjusted in April). The Browns partially benefited from that pact, but for the most part, it did not provide the kind of value the team hoped. Chubb delivered a second-team All-Pro season in 2022, the first extension year, but went down with ACL, MCL and meniscus damage in Week 2 of last season. Upon return this year, the perennial Pro Bowler did not quite look himself.
Never averaging fewer than five yards per carry from 2018-23, Chubb posted a mere 3.3-yard number this season. He finished his seventh season with 321 rushing yards and three touchdowns, adding another receiving score. Chubb has four 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, including three 1,200-yard years, and played a central role in the Browns snapping their near-20-year playoff drought in 2020.
Considering Chubb’s form this season, he is not hitting free agency with momentum. Although teams will undoubtedly consider his earlier years when evaluating potential offers, Chubb’s injuries and shaky form when on the field this season may well lead to teams viewing him as being in a different stage of his career. That would probably allow the Browns to make a team-friendly proposal to keep their popular back.
Chubb will turn 29 next week. Cleveland’s current starter, Jerome Ford, is signed through the 2025 season on a fifth-round deal. Whether the team turns back to Chubb or pivots toward another veteran to team with Ford, help will be needed — potentially via the draft due to Ford’s contract situation and Watson’s albatross contract.
Falcons To Sign Riley Patterson Off Browns’ Practice Squad, Place Younghoe Koo On IR
Riley Patterson‘s travels continue. Having already been with six teams since December 2023, the young kicker continues to be asked back to previous destinations. That will occur once again Wednesday.
The Falcons are placing longtime kicker Younghoe Koo on IR, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the team is bringing back Patterson, who will be signed off the Browns’ practice squad. Kevin Stefanski said Patterson, who kicked for Cleveland in Week 15, was departing due to being poached. He now has a chance to kick for a third team this season.
Patterson’s path since last December has gone through Detroit, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Washington, New York, Atlanta, back to Cleveland and now back to Atlanta. The Falcons had brought him in as Koo insurance, as the Pro Bowler had struggled at points this season. Patterson was elevated to join Koo on Atlanta’s active roster for a game earlier this month. Barely two weeks later, he is back in Atlanta.
The Lions dropped Patterson after giving Michael Badgley the job following a prolonged practice competition last December. That led the 25-year-old specialist to Cleveland to fill in for an injured Dustin Hopkins. The Jaguars, who employed Patterson in 2022 before trading him to the Lions, signed him to a reserve/futures contract but waived him this summer. The Commanders then waived Patterson upon trading for Cade York. Patterson kicked in one game for the Jets and one for the Browns this season.
For hardcore NFL transaction buffs keeping track at home, Patterson has now secured a second stint on a fourth NFL team. Prior to the two Browns stays, he had yo-yoed back to Detroit and Jacksonville. The Memphis alum has not attempted a field goal this season, going 4-for-4 on PATs. With the Lions last year, he went 15-for-17 but still lost his job to Badgley.
Since a rocky start to his career, Koo has enjoyed more stability. He has been the Falcons’ kicker since 2019. Although he is one of the NFL’s highest-paid specialists, Koo has made just 73.5% of his kicks this season. That brought rumblings of a Falcons switch. Atlanta stuck with its All-Pro option but will now sideline him for the rest of the regular season and a wild-card game, should the 7-7 team advance to the playoffs.
Commanders DT Jonathan Allen To Return To Practice
Jonathan Allen had suffered a pectoral injury that was slated to end his season, but last week brought a positive development on this front. An Allen return became possible; a few days later, the Commanders will see their longest-tenured defender back at work.
Washington will have Allen at practice today, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, marking the start of his 21-day activation window. The eighth-year defensive tackle has been out since suffering the pectoral injury in Week 6. Allen only suffering a partially torn pec, as opposed to the initially feared full tear, will allow for this return.
This season marks a rarity for Allen, whose only playoff berth came as part of a 7-9 2020 team. Washington potentially going through another rebuild brought hesitation from Allen, who then landed in trade rumors. The Commanders held onto the former first-round pick this offseason and appear close to again pairing him with longtime teammate (in Washington and at Alabama) Daron Payne.
The Commanders, who sit 9-5 after holding off the Saints, have Allen on what now looks like a team-friendly contract. The team paid the quality D-tackle in 2021, authorizing a four-year, $72MM deal. That contract runs through next season. Unlike Payne, Washington made Allen a priority before his contract year. Payne, however, benefited from playing out his by then being franchise-tagged and signed to a then-top-market pact (four years, $90MM). He and Allen are poised to reform one of the NFL’s top DT duos.
Allen, 29, has produced at least six sacks in four seasons. He was productive before and during the Montez Sweat–Chase Young era, doing well to help Washington compensate for the latter’s long-running injury hiatus. Allen reached a career-high nine sacks and 30 QB hits in 2021, making the Pro Bowl that season and again in 2022. Payne, 27, joined him that year but has only totaled seven QB hits (to go with four sacks) this season. Allen had already reached six hits (two sacks) before his injury.
Retooling around several new arrivals, the Commanders have seen Dante Fowler (8.5 sacks) and Frankie Luvu (eight) spearhead their pass rush. Allen and Payne arrived during Bruce Allen‘s time running the team, with the Dan Quinn-Adam Peters duo the third regime to stop by during the DTs’ tenure. It will certainly stand to help the Commanders’ chances to make the playoffs once Allen returns; barring a setback, that figures to come soon.
Cards Open Matt Prater’s Practice Window
Matt Prater‘s age-40 season stalled months ago. The Cardinals placed the veteran kicker on IR, and it later became known he underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear.
The team had not given up on Prater coming back before season’s end, and he will have a shot to help a playoff push. Prater is back at Cardinals practice, being designated to return from IR. Prater has been out since Week 4.
Chad Ryland has served as the Cards’ kicker since, having made 22 of 26 field goals and all 18 of his extra point tries. Prater is, however, one of this era’s best kickers. He has been a full-time kicker since the 2007 season. The former Broncos and Lions specialist has been with the Cardinals since 2021.
On his second Cardinals contract, Prater is moving toward free agency. He resides as the NFL’s oldest kicker presently, being a few months older than fellow 40-year-old Nick Folk, and sits among the few 40-somethings still in the league. This season, Prater was 6 of 6 on field goals and 10-for-10 on PATs. This included a 57-yard make prior to the IR stint.
Prater tore the meniscus in his plant leg. Formerly holding the NFL record for the longest field goal (64 yards as a Bronco in 2013), Prater has set and matched the Cardinals’ mark — via 62-yarders in 2021 and ’23. It would surprise if the Cards stayed with Ryland for much longer, but Prater will need to prove he is healthy while in his IR-return window.
Eagles Designate Bryce Huff For Return
The Eagles generated interesting defensive end news Tuesday, with a Brandon Graham return in a Super Bowl appearance now on the radar. Through a shorter-term lens, the 12-2 team is close to having another key piece back.
Bryce Huff is returning to practice; the Eagles have started his 21-day activation clock. Philadelphia lost Huff in November, as a wrist surgery shut him down. The free agency addition has not yet clicked with his new team, but with Graham out for an extended period, any help will be appreciated from a surging team.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Although recent information has pegged the Jets as more interested in keeping Huff than initial reports suggested, the Eagles came in with a strong offer (three years, $51.1MM) early during the legal tampering period. Philly effectively swapped out Haason Reddick for Huff, trading the former to the Jets weeks later. Thus far, neither team has seen much in the way of production from the edge rushers. Reddick has a half-sack in seven games; Huff has 2.5 in 10.
Used as a pass rush specialist in New York, Huff had seen the Eagles reduce his workload before he hit IR. While Huff has yet to eclipse a 54% snap rate in an Eagles game, he logged only 32 defensive snaps over his most recent three games. The fifth-year pass rusher will need to do far more to justify the payday, but with Graham out, a door will be open to more work following this wrist procedure.
Huff finished with a Jets-high 10 sacks last season, helping Robert Saleh‘s third Gang Green defense to a third-place finish in yardage. The Eagles have shown tremendous improvement under Vic Fangio, having recovered from a disastrous 2023 finish on defense. After cratering during last season’s second half, Philly’s defense leads the NFL in points and yardage allowed. Huff will rejoin Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith on the edge for the Eagles, who have managed this remarkable rebound without rivaling the kind of sack production they generated in 2022. Smith’s 3.5 sacks sit second on the team — behind Sweat’s eight.
Philly will need to make it work with Huff, who has $16.75MM in guaranteed base salary on tap in 2025. If Huff’s slow start can be largely traced to this injury, the former Joe Douglas UDFA find could be an interesting wild card as the Eagles make a push to claim the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the second time in three years.
Texans Activate G Kenyon Green From IR
The Texans recently made some changes on their offensive front, moving Tytus Howard back to left guard and inserting rookie Blake Fisher into the lineup at right tackle. Kenyon Green‘s injury was among the drivers for that reconfiguration.
Green, however, is now back on the 53-man roster. The Texans activated the former No. 15 overall pick Wednesday, ending his 21-day ramp-up period. Houston now only has one injury activation remaining until the regular season ends. The team would pick up two more in the playoffs, however, offering more flexibility than last year, when the Texans burned through their eight activations during the regular season.
More significantly through a long-term lens, Green has not justified the team’s 2022 investment. The Texans used the first of their Deshaun Watson-obtained picks to trade down for Green, the top guard chosen in 2022. But the Texas A&M alum has struggled with injuries and performance as a pro. Although Green reclaimed the Texans’ LG job out of training camp, it will be interesting to see how the team uses him moving forward.
Pro Football Focus slots Green as the NFL’s worst guard regular this season, placing him 76th by a notable margin. This is in line with how the advanced metrics website viewed Green’s rookie season, as it also ranking him last that year. The former SEC standout then missed all of 2023 due to a shoulder injury. He sustained another shoulder setback in November, leading to the most recent IR placement.
While Green rehabbed and slimmed down a bit in time for an offseason push to win his job back, he has encountered tough sledding upon return. The Texans presumably want Howard to settle at a position, and they did draft Fisher in this year’s second round. This could point to strong consideration being given to moving Howard inside. The configuration the team used in Week 15 also included backup center Jarrett Patterson, as Juice Scruggs is out. The 2023 second-round pick is not on IR, however, as Houston keeps its options open down the stretch.
Rams Activate TE Tyler Higbee
The Rams needed to activate Tyler Higbee from the reserve/PUP list this week, and rather than ensure the veteran tight end missed the whole season, the team is moving him back to the 53-man roster.
Down with an ACL tear sustained in a 2023 wild-card game, Higbee has spent the season on the PUP list. The Rams designated the ninth-year player for return on November 27, giving them until Wednesday to activate him before a move to season-ending IR would have commenced. Higbee, however, is back and would be moving toward debuting.
Los Angeles also placed linebacker Nick Hampton on IR and added veteran edge rusher Rashad Weaver to its practice squad. Higbee, of course, is the lead news item here. With Aaron Donald retired, Higbee is the team’s second-longest-tenured player — behind only right tackle Rob Havenstein.
Sean McVay said in late November that Higbee was still several weeks away from coming back. The Rams designating him for return when they did, however, gave him three weeks of practice in advance of this point. Higbee, 31, would end up with four weeks of practice ahead of L.A.’s Week 16 game. That provides a lengthy onramp, and it will be interesting to see if the Rams have him in uniform Sunday.
Drafted in the 2016 fourth round, Higbee joins Havenstein as the only Rams to predate McVay’s arrival. Higbee, however, has signed two Rams extensions. The most recent — a two-year, $17MM deal — runs through the 2025 season. Higbee secured $2MM of his $4.5MM 2025 base salary guaranteed, which will make him a bit harder to jettison next year. He could be a nice bonus for this year’s Rams, who have rallied from 1-4 to the NFC West lead.
The 8-6 team has used free agency addition Colby Parkinson as its top pass-catching tight end. The former Seahawk has 288 yards on 29 receptions. Hunter Long, acquired in the 2023 Jalen Ramsey trade, has just seven grabs for 60 yards. Higbee has been an integral part of McVay’s passing attack, averaging at least 51 yards per game in each of the past six seasons. Chosen as the team’s long-term tight end over Gerald Everett years ago, Higbee has a 734-yard season on his resume and three more 500-plus-yard years. Missing two games last season, Higbee still totaled 47 catches for 495 yards. This came after he amassed 621 yards on a career-high 72 receptions.
Los Angeles played an extended stretch without both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, with each impact receiver joining Higbee in picking up injuries. The trio could be back together soon, as the Rams attempt to secure their first division title since 2021.
Woody Johnson Unlikely To Leave Jets For Trump Administration Role?
The first Donald Trump presidential administration featured Jets owner Woody Johnson as the ambassador to the United Kingdom. This led to Johnson not being directly involved with the Todd Bowles firing or the hires of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. As the decks are being cleared in New York, Johnson may be playing the lead role as the team retools.
Johnson is not set to be the next UK ambassador; investment banker Warren Stephens is on track to serve in that post. While Johnson could be in line for a separate role during Trump’s second term, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes the Jets are not expecting the owner be part of this administration.
[RELATED: Jets Attempted To Set Up Johnson-Bill Belichick Meeting]
This route taking shape would keep Johnson with the Jets during what will be an eventful period. The Jets fired Saleh after Week 5, with Johnson going around Douglas to make that move, and the owner then canned Douglas last month. The Saleh firing did not key a boost for the Jets, who have slunk to 4-10 (2-7 under interim HC Jeff Ulbrich), and they are believed to be prioritizing experience this time. Since Bill Belichick‘s abrupt resignation in 2000, the Jets have primarily hired first-time head coaches; Adam Gase was the only exception during Johnson’s 24-year ownership tenure.
Woody Johnson, 77, leaving the team in 2017 left brother Christopher Johnson in place as acting owner. The less seasoned Jets leader led the Douglas and Saleh hires, firing Bowles in 2018 and GM Mike Maccagnan in 2019. Christopher Johnson is expected to play a role in the upcoming hires, with Jones adding Jets president Hymie Elhai will be part of the process as well. But this set of hires will feature Woody Johnson as the final decision-maker.
The prospect of Woody Johnson being the point man is also interesting due to the increased role he has taken on in recent months. Johnson has meddled in personnel matters significantly in 2024, with Jones indicating he has taken on a greater role as the year has progressed. The offseason involved Johnson impeding Douglas on a Bryce Huff offer while also nixing a trade for Jerry Jeudy. Johnson also appeared more resistant to a Haason Reddick extension than Douglas was, though the owner did step in — with Douglas effectively stripped of power — to finalize the agreement to bring him in.
Reports of a rift between Woody Johnson and Aaron Rodgers emerged as well. Johnson called for Rodgers’ benching after a Week 4 loss to the Broncos and may well have done so again at a different point in the season. While the future Hall of Fame quarterback — believed to be on his way out of New York — attempted to downplay those reports, it is clear Johnson has become a more prominent presence with regards to roster say than he has in the past. With Johnson potentially staying put, this will be a key component as the Jets attempt to hire HC and GMs. Mike Vrabel, who is viewed as an early frontrunner, will need to take potential Johnson input into consideration.
Ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman are playing central roles in the Jets’ hiring process as well, being brought in by Woody Johnson to run the interview process. This has already brought GM interviews with Thomas Dimitroff and Jon Robinson. GM and HC candidates not tied to teams are free to interview now, but clubs conducting searches must wait until divisional-round week to meet with candidates who are on other staffs. As the Jets attempt to reverse course after their NFL-long playoff drought has reached 14 seasons, it seems Woody Johnson will see this process to the end this time.
Browns To Start Dorian Thompson-Robinson In Week 16
Jameis Winston‘s INT spree will produce a benching. The Browns are going with Dorian Thompson-Robinson in Week 16, Brad Stainbrook of the Orange and Brown Report notes.
Kevin Stefanski, who parked Winston during what became a six-turnover Browns performance against the Chiefs, will take another look at a second-year player over one that is on an expiring contract. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot confirms Winston will take a seat after making seven starts this season. Indicating Winston will be DTR’s backup, Stefanski refused to commit to the younger passer beyond Week 16.
Despite this low start count, Winston is already tied for fourth in INTs (12). Only Kirk Cousins (16), Baker Mayfield (14) and Geno Smith (13) have more. All three have started every game for their respective teams this season. Winston has been unable to curb a turnover habit that defined his Buccaneers tenure, one that infamously ended with the QB throwing an astounding 30 interceptions in 2019. Winston threw three picks against Kansas City, a game that came two weeks after another three-INT game in Denver.
With the Browns now 3-11, they are fully in evaluation mode. Thompson-Robinson is under contract through the 2026 season, being chosen in the 2023 fifth round. Although the Browns have needed to make changes based on the UCLA product’s lack of readiness at multiple points during his first two seasons, it appears he will close the show for this year’s disappointing team.
Thompson-Robinson, who impressed the Browns to the point they traded would-be 2023 backup Josh Dobbs to the Cardinals just before last season, has made three starts. He has completed just 51.4% of his passes as a pro, adding three more interceptions — including one against the Chiefs — to his TD-INT ratio this season. That ratio sits at 1:7 right now. The Browns are expected to pursue another starter-caliber quarterback in 2025, albeit one who will compete with Deshaun Watson, but the team will see how Thompson-Robinson fares ahead of a high-stakes offseason.
Winston, 30, is playing out a one-year, $4MM deal. The Browns preferred him to 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco, not making the latter an offer. Winston has produced highs and lows, continuing an inconsistent career. He threw for a Browns-record 497 yards against the Broncos, giving Jerry Jeudy a revenge game for the ages. Winston tossed two pick-sixes in that matchup. That came after Winston had helped the Browns beat the Ravens in the first game after Watson’s Achilles tear; the former No. 1 overall pick followed it up with a three-pick showing in a one-sided loss to the Chargers.
The Browns cannot realistically drop Watson due to two fully guaranteed seasons remaining on his five-year, $230MM contract. They are also expected to complete a third restructure with the struggling QB, which will make it more difficult to cut him in 2026. The restructure will, however, allow a bit more breathing room as the Andrew Berry-Kevin Stefanski duo — widely expected to stay — conducts a search for a potential Watson replacement. At this point, it appears unlikely Winston will heavily factor into that pursuit.