Lions To Place WR Kalif Raymond On IR
The Lions will be without their primary punt returner for an extended stretch as a result of a Week 12 injury. They are placing Kalif Raymond on IR, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes.
Sustaining a foot injury, Raymond is not expected to miss the rest of the season. The Lions, who have five injury activations remaining, will likely hold one open for their top return man/auxiliary wide receiver moving forward. Raymond is in play to return before the regular season ends, per Rapoport; he would be eligible to come back in Week 17.
A journeyman before coming to Detroit, Raymond was in on the ground floor of Dan Campbell‘s rebuild. The Lions have rostered Raymond since Campbell and GM Brad Holmes arrived in 2021. The veteran wideout has signed three contracts with the team, the most recent a two-year deal worth $10.5MM. That pact runs through the 2025 season.
While Raymond has been one of the NFL’s better punt returners for a while, he has also helped an explosive Lions offense. He has 16 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns this season. That came after the 5-foot-8 weapon totaled 489 yards in 2023 and a career-high 616 in 2022. The Lions have turned to Jameson Williams as a regular this season, limiting the opportunities for their tertiary wideouts. Tim Patrick has become a regular in Ben Johnson‘s offense as well.
Raymond, 30, leads the NFL with 390 punt-return yards; this includes a 90-yard TD against the Titans last month. Raymond initially came over from Tennessee in 2021 and has been the Lions’ top punt-return option since arriving. Amon-Ra St. Brown (two) has the only two non-Raymond punt returns for Detroit this season. Both came after Raymond went down. It will be interesting to see if the Lions continue using their No. 1 receiver in that niche role in a non-emergency circumstance this week.
The 10-1 team already has two players — defensive lineman John Cominsky and linebacker Derrick Barnes — out with injuries that may allow for late-season returns. Both are on IR, though the team may need to reassess down the stretch in an effort to avoid burning through all of its activations. A playoff team that uses all eight of its regular-season activations, however, will receive two more in the postseason. That 2024 rule change will allow the Lions more flexibility.
Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins To Miss Time
Injuries depressed J.K. Dobbins‘ value as a first-time free agent this offseason, leading to a deal barely north of the veteran minimum. But the Chargers have still used the former Ravens second-round pick as their clear-cut lead back this season.
Another setback will pause Dobbins’ comeback year. The fifth-year back left Monday’s Ravens matchup with a knee injury, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates it is a sprain that will cost the current Bolts RB1 some time. Dobbins will miss this week’s Falcons matchup and is not certain to return the following week. It is an MCL sprain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter clarifies.
A setback for the Chargers, no doubt, though this is not exactly a blindsiding scenario. Dobbins missed 43 games over the course of his rookie contract with the Ravens, many of those absences coming about because of an ACL tear sustained just before the 2021 season.
Dobbins missed all of the ’21 campaign and then saw his return hit speedbumps in 2022, when nine more absences came about due to knee trouble. The Achilles tear Dobbins suffered in Week 1 of last season tanked his market, leading to a one-year deal worth $1.61MM while several other running backs — including two-time teammate Gus Edwards — landed better contracts during a busy offseason at the position.
Dobbins, however, outplayed Edwards to earn the lead Los Angeles role this season. He sits at 4.8 yards per carry (766 in total) with eight rushing touchdowns, including a go-ahead score to propel the Bolts past the Bengals in Week 11. Through 11 Chargers games, Dobbins has already set a single-season high for carries (as a pro) with 158. The former second-round pick’s previous most came as a rookie in 2020, when he handled 134 totes.
It will now be Edwards thrust into a role he was signed to play. Also missing the full 2021 season due to a knee injury, Edwards then missed a chunk of Baltimore’s 2022 season. Unlike Dobbins, however, Edwards was able to stay on the field following his rehab effort. He fetched a two-year, $6.5MM deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period — one of the most eventful days in RB history — doing so after an 810-yard, 13-touchdown 2023 season with Baltimore.
The Bolts have not seen too much from Edwards, however; he enters Week 13 with just 206 rushing yards (3.3 per carry). Rookie sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal stands to return to the backup role he played during the stretch Edwards missed because of an ankle injury. The Chargers have become increasingly pass-happy in recent weeks, relying on Justin Herbert‘s star-level skillset after initially focusing on the ground game early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure.
Dobbins’ injury may increase that aerial reliance over the coming weeks, and although Dobbins’ injury may not be season-ending, his extensive past with ailments may alter the Bolts’ run-game plans for the season’s remainder. Were Dobbins to land on IR, he would miss games against the Chiefs (Week 14) and Broncos (Week 16).
Browns Not Planning HC, GM Changes; Team Aiming To Add Deshaun Watson Competition
The Cardinals and Titans’ decisions during and after the 2022 season reveal how quickly organizations’ big-picture plans can change. After signing lengthy offseason extensions, Steve Keim and Jon Robinson were out of jobs by January 2023. The Browns’ historic Deshaun Watson misstep would naturally point to consideration into bailing on the extensions given to Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski.
A Browns ownership group known for quick-trigger decisions for a long time finally found a coach-GM pair it deemed worthy of extending. Prior to Stefanski’s arrival, no Browns HC had lasted longer than 40 games; the coach who did persist for that long (Hue Jackson) went 3-36-1. Under the Haslams’ leadership, no GM had lasted longer than two full seasons (John Dorsey). Berry changed that as well. As it stands, the current Cleveland football-ops bosses are on track to extend those tenures.
Although both Browns power brokers were believed to be aligned on the 2022 Watson trade, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the Haslams are not planning to make GM or HC changes in 2025. Browns ownership has been pleased with the way the duo has kept the team unified, even as this year’s squad has fallen well short of expectations after a 2023 playoff berth and the Browns entering the season with an NFL-most 12 players signed to eight-figure-per-year contracts.
Despite Watson’s poor play appearing to seal the 2022 trade’s place as the worst in NFL history (when finances are considered), the staffers tasked with making it work will be given a chance to rebound — likely with a new starting quarterback. Jimmy Haslam said soon after the trade Berry hatched the plan to fully guarantee the $230MM contract to move the Browns back in the race — after Watson had eliminated Cleveland from consideration in an otherwise-NFC South-based sweepstakes — so it would stand to reason his seat could be hotter than Stefanski’s given the latter’s accolades. Right now, though, neither’s seat appears too warm.
Cleveland’s Jameis Winston-led victory in a snowstorm moved the team to 3-8. This year’s Browns are on pace to check in with a worse record than they did under Freddie Kitchens (6-10). That season keyed Dorsey’s ouster, but it appears the Haslams will be uncharacteristically patient despite the Watson trade set to plague the Browns for at least two more years. The capital Stefanski and Berry have built through playoff berths in 2020 and ’23, both seasons producing Stefanski Coach of the Year nods, looks to be enough for the tandem to survive the historic QB mistake.
On the Watson front, Breer adds the Browns are likely to keep him around — if only because of the unfathomable dead money a 2025 release would bring — but add competition. Rather than bring in a backup as the team has done for three straight years (Jacoby Brissett, Dorian Thompson-Robinson/Joe Flacco, Winston), the Browns are expected to set their sights on a starter-caliber arm who can compete with Watson. Given Watson’s poor performance and Achilles tear, it probably should be expected the Browns will shop for a new starter soon.
This player may well need to be a draft choice, due to Watson’s contract — now featuring two $72.9MM cap numbers thanks to two Berry-authorized restructures — running through 2026. But Breer adds the Browns are likely to gauge the veteran market as well.
Stefanski and Berry stopped short of saying Watson will be expected to start again in 2025, though each factored the struggling QB’s injury rehab into the equation. Watson, however, saw his season end after a string of woeful performances, which brought questions to Stefanski about whether ownership was making him start the disappointing QB. It would cost the Browns $172MM to release Watson next year; even in a post-June 1 scenario, either half of the two-offseason dead money bill would break the record the Broncos recently shattered with their Russell Wilson release ($83MM-plus).
As the Browns prepare to pursue a potential new starter, Watson may be set for another season in limbo. After he requested a Texans trade only to see a slew of sexual assault/misconduct allegations surface, Houston made the former Pro Bowler a healthy scratch throughout the 2021 season. The Browns could slow-play Watson’s rehab by stashing him on the reserve/PUP list to start next season, but eventually a call to bench the sunk-cost passer will need to be made.
A post-June 1 cut scenario now looks more likely to involve 2026. Unless another restructure again knocks down Watson’s cap hit — which is quite possible considering no team has ever carried a $50MM-plus cap number on a payroll in-season — it would cost the Browns $99.8MM to dump Watson in 2026.
It is far from certain Berry and Stefanski will be making the decisions by then, an ownership duo famous for impulsive moves during its first several years in charge is not ready to pull the plug on what had been a successful regime (well, absent a quarterback move that has otherwise defined its run).
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Aaron Rodgers Not Committing To Playing In 2025, Would Like To Stay With Jets
Winding down a disappointing season and likely being set to wrap his tenure with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers backtracked a bit regarding his interest in playing a 21st NFL season. The four-time MVP’s latest Pat McAfee Show appearance produced more hesitancy.
Rodgers had said on multiple occasions he planned to play in 2025, doing so most recently two weeks ago. On Tuesday, he said he does not know if he will play in 2025, but if he does, he would prefer it be with the Jets (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). After firing Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, the Jets are expected to move on from their two-year quarterback. These conflicting aims will force what could be a difficult resolution in the offseason. As of now, Rodgers remains the Jets’ starter for Week 13.
“These have been two of the best years of my life, as much as it’s been frustrating and difficult, it’s been two really beautiful years,” Rodgers said Tuesday (via Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz). “Playing in New York would obviously be my first choice, if I wanna play.”
Set to turn 41 next week, Rodgers is closing out his 16th NFL season as a starter. Technically, this is Year 17 for the future Hall of Famer as a regular but he obviously saw the 2023 slate end after four plays. Rodgers has battled a few injuries this year as well, to the point a rumor surfaced he had skipped certain medical exams to avoid revealing how seriously he damaged his injured hamstring. Interim HC Jeff Ulbrich said that was “news to me.” The Jets are believed to be considering placing Rodgers on IR or benching him outright to close the season.
As for Rodgers’ current health, he said he “feels great right now.” He said no mandate came for an MRI on his injured hamstring, which has accompanied ankle and knee trouble this season. Regardless of Rodgers’ current health status, it remains likely the Jets will move on from him after this season.
A trade that involved two second-round picks going to the Packers has not worked out for the AFC East franchise, which is moving toward missing the playoffs for a 14th straight season. The Jets rank 27th in both scoring and total offense, and Rodgers has not closely resembled his MVP version. The most recent Trade Rumors Front Office post discussed potential landing spots for Rodgers, who would still stand to generate interest, though it would obviously also be worth wondering how willing a team would be to put up with the drama that follows him if sufficient on-field rewards did not accompany it.
Rumors about Rodgers’ relationship with Woody Johnson have produced conflicting accounts, one painting the owner as having lost confidence in the quarterback and the other indicating the drama was “overblown” and the two had dined together recently. Rodgers said Tuesday (via the New York Daily News’ Antwan Staley) he had actually had dinner with Christopher Johnson, who would serve as acting Jets owner if Woody again left to be President-Elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. Indicating he has talked to Christopher more than Woody during his time with the Jets, Rodgers said he had “a lot of love and appreciation and gratitude” for both the Johnsons. Rodgers also confirmed Woody Johnson had landed his plane at Jets practice last week just before firing Douglas, whom Rodgers hoped the team would retain.
Rodgers famously said he was 90% retired after the 2022 season, coming out of a much-discussed darkness retreat with intentions to play for the only team that showed significant interest in him. The Jets acquired Rodgers just before the 2023 draft. While Rodgers’ 2025 plans may not emerge for months, would another team be ready to sign up for a starter run if and when the Jets move on?
Dolphins Expect Bradley Chubb To Play This Season, Unsure On Shaq Barrett’s Status
Spending most of the season shorthanded at their edge-rushing positions, the Dolphins are moving closer to having a significantly deeper group. They have Shaquil Barrett reentering the picture, and the hope of Bradley Chubb coming back before season’s end is not lost.
Chubb has not practiced this season. The former top-five pick has been rehabbing an ACL tear sustained late in a blowout loss to the Ravens in Week 17 of last season. ACL recoveries are different, of course, but nine- to 12-month timetables regularly form for players in recovery. As of October, no timetable was in place for Chubb’s debut. Chubb is nearing 11 months since his New Year’s Eve injury, and time is obviously running out for the 2022 trade pickup to rejoin the Dolphins.
Mike McDaniel nevertheless said he is optimistic Chubb will suit up for the team this season. The Dolphins have lost Jaelan Phillips to another season-ending injury, a knee malady that occurred not long after the team picked up his fifth-year option. Phillips’ Achilles tear in 2023 preceded Chubb’s injury, and the younger Miami EDGE came back in time for Week 1. Chubb’s road back has been much longer.
Via an extension finalized shortly after the trade with the Broncos at the 2022 deadline, the Dolphins have Chubb signed through 2027. No fully guaranteed money remains on his deal beyond this season, but a $10MM injury guarantee is in place. That would only be relevant if Chubb cannot pass a physical by the start of the new league year March 12. As of now, that does not appear to be a Dolphins concern. They presumably also want to continue with Chubb beyond this season, as they traded a first-round pick to acquire him and would owe $27MM-plus in dead money in the event of a release.
The recoveries of Phillips and Chubb prompted the Dolphins to draft Chop Robinson in Round 1 and sign both Barrett and Emmanuel Ogbah. The latter, whom the Dolphins cut early this offseason, has returned to start 10 games. Barrett, 32, coming back could change the Dolphins’ plans. It caught McDaniel by surprise, and the third-year HC said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) he will need to discuss the matter with GM Chris Grier. Barrett and Chubb were teammates on the 2018 Broncos; they soon could reunite, but it does not appear the 2019 NFL sack leader is a lock to rejoin the Dolphins just yet.
Broncos Activate LB Drew Sanders
The Broncos have lost both Baron Browning and Alex Singleton, trading the former and seeing the latter land on IR early. A hybrid player ahead of a third-round NFL entrance, Drew Sanders is on track to help an upper-crust defense soon.
Denver is activating Sanders from the reserve/PUP list, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. Sanders has been down since April, having suffered an Achilles tear during the early days of the team’s offseason program. The Broncos waived Greg Dulcich to make room on their roster and have since seen the former third-rounder land with the Giants via waiver claim.
With Sanders coming back, the Broncos needed to clear a spot. As Josh Reynolds moves toward coming off IR, the 7-5 team will need to make another move if it wishes to activate the free agency pickup. The Broncos only have three activations remaining. Fortunately for the team, the Sanders transaction will not count against that total due to the LB being on the PUP list.
Sanders delivered an interesting final college season, displaying versatility by pairing 9.5 sacks with 103 tackles. The Broncos, who had previously moved Browning from an off-ball linebacker role to the edge years ago, have an interesting option in Sanders. They used Sanders as a spot starter last season; the ex-Arkansas and Alabama cog made four starts and played in all 17 games, making 24 tackles and recovering a fumble.
Sanders’ experience both on and off the ball stands to give Vance Joseph options. The team’s latest third-round pick, Jonah Elliss, has settled in as the team’s top rusher off the bench. Elliss has four of Denver’s NFL-high 44 sacks this season, working behind Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto. Sanders’ blitzing experience stands to help there, while Joseph could also opt to use him at ILB due to Singleton’s injury. Justin Strnad has worked as the primary fill-in alongside Cody Barton, though veterans Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham remain in the mix at that position as well.
This marks a fairly quick recovery from an Achilles tear, with Sanders following the likes of Cam Akers, Michael Crabtree and Terrell Suggs in coming back after an offseason tear. The Broncos certainly could look to keep Sanders’ workload light due to barely seven months passing since his injury.
Denver waived offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton as well, pointing to Reynolds’ activation from IR taking place this week. One of a few Saints on Sean Payton‘s second Broncos roster, Throckmorton worked exclusively as a backup this season. A career 27-game starter, Throckmorton played only three offensive snaps this season.
Eagles Claim Charles Harris, Place Brandon Graham On IR
Having lost defensive end regulars Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff in the span of a few days, the Eagles are using the waiver wire for help. They are keeping Charles Harris out of free agency.
The Eagles will claim the veteran edge rusher after his Panthers cut, PHLY.com’s Zach Berman reports. Tied to a veteran-minimum salary, Harris will be due barely $400K for the season’s remainder. Philadelphia is placing Graham on IR to clear space for Harris.
Harris, 29, was the Panthers’ co-leader in sacks (three) this season. Carolina had seen its EDGE situation stabilize, to a degree, with D.J. Wonnum debuting after an extended rehab journey. Harris started six games for the Panthers this season but had seen his playing time dip with Wonnum back alongside Jadeveon Clowney.
The six starts were Harris’ most since 2021. The former Miami first-rounder had spent three seasons in Detroit, working as a spot starter as the Dan Campbell– and Brad Holmes-driven rebuild formed. Harris totaled 7.5 sacks for a 3-13-1 Lions team in 2021 but combined for just 2.5 over the next two seasons. After a regular Panthers role, it would seem more likely Harris settles in as a Eagles rotational backup.
Philly had a deep D-end contingent heading into Week 11 but decided to place Huff on IR due to a wrist injury. Huff is expected back late this season, but Graham is not. Although Graham sacked Matthew Stafford on Sunday night, he did not finish the game. The first 15-year Eagle in franchise history, Graham said postgame he suffered a triceps tear that is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season. Graham, 36, had said in July this would be his final campaign; though, he stopped short of confirming that when asked again Sunday night.
Harris joins a DE group that still houses a healthy Josh Sweat, with 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith and rookie third-round Jalyx Hunt also in the mix. The waiver claim will become the fourth DE on Philly’s 53-man roster. Hunt has only played 66 defensive snaps this season. Either his workload expands by a notable margin or the Eagles plug Harris in after his run as a Panthers regular.
Giants Claim TE Greg Dulcich, Place Azeez Ojulari On IR
Greg Dulcich has not delivered much in the way of production since his rookie year, but the early promise — and a third-round contract — generated expected interest on the waiver wire. The Giants, who hold the top waiver priority, are stepping in.
Months after Darren Waller retired, the Giants did not let the former Broncos tight end fall too far on the wire. They have claimed his through-2025 contract, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Dulcich had been a healthy scratch for an extended period this season; he should have some more opportunities in New York.
The Giants will accommodate Dulcich’s contract by moving one of their top defenders to IR. Azeez Ojulari, amid a bounce-back season, is heading to the injured list, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. A toe injury will send the contract-year rusher off the roster. Ojulari does not need surgery, but with the Giants down to six games remaining, a chance he is shut down for the season’s remainder also presumably exists. This marks the third straight season Ojulari will land on IR.
Ojulari generated extensive trade interest, but the Giants — as they did with contract-year wide receiver Darius Slayton — stood pat. The former second-round pick arrived under GM Dave Gettleman and saw the Giants make a blockbuster trade (to acquire Brian Burns) to replace him. A Kayvon Thibodeaux wrist injury, however, moved Ojulari back into the starting lineup. He accumulated six sacks this season, helping the Giants reach the NFL lead in sacks for a stretch despite their struggles overall. New York currently sits fifth in sacks, with 36.
Big Blue had sought a fourth- or fifth-round pick for Ojulari at the deadline but held onto him. Ojulari started five games in Thibodeaux’s absence, but the former No. 5 overall pick returned to action in Week 12. The Burns trade and the Giants’ ability to keep Thibodeaux on his rookie deal through 2026 (via the fifth-year option) looks likely to move Ojulari elsewhere in 2025. His production spurt this season should produce a nice market, but injury troubles have become an issue over the course of his career.
Chosen 50th overall out of Georgia, Ojulari posted eight sacks during a promising rookie season. He landed on IR in 2022 and 2023, due to calf and ankle injuries. Ojulari’s 2023 season featured just 2.5 sacks. Ojulari having tallied 22 over the course of his New York run should still make him an attractive piece in free agency, and the Giants — depending on their free agency activity — would stand to pick up a 2026 compensatory selection if/when he departs.
As for Dulcich, his most notable work came two years ago. Despite entering the NFL for a Broncos team trying to make a doomed Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership work. Dulcich totaled 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns. However, chronic hamstring trouble intervened. Dulcich needed four IR stays combined between 2022 and ’23; three of those came about because of hamstring trouble. Dulcich played only 32 offensive snaps last season, and while he overcame the hamstring issue this year, the Broncos have given their tight end snaps to Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull.
The Giants saw Waller become a New York one-and-done, retiring after another injury-plagued season. The retirement did not come until after the draft, leading the Giants to go into the season shorthanded. The team did draft Theo Johnson in the fourth round and has used him as a 10-game starter. Johnson has 24 receptions for 277 yards this season. Dulcich, 24, has less than $400K left in 2024 salary; he is due a nonguaranteed $1.42MM in 2025.
Commanders Place K Austin Seibert On IR
Austin Seibert returned from a two-game absence in Week 12, but the veteran kicker played a key role in the Commanders’ upset loss to the Cowboys. Two days later, he is heading to IR.
Washington placed Seibert on IR on Tuesday, shutting him down for at least four games. With the Commanders’ bye coming in Week 14, Seibert cannot return until the regular-season finale. A right hip injury had sidelined Seibert in Weeks 11 and 12, but he returned to face Dallas — a game that featured an exciting conclusion but one that involved a Seibert gaffe. It is not the hip matter that will send him to IR, via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala; instead, a groin malady will do so.
A bad snap preceded Seibert missing what would have been a game-tying extra point, coming just after a miraculous Jayden Daniels-to-Terry McLaurin score revived the Commanders’ effort. The Commanders have another kicker option rostered, with Zane Gonzalez still on their practice squad. Washington moved running back Chris Rodriguez to its active roster, quickly filling Seibert’s spot.
The Commanders added Gonzalez, who had not kicked in a game since 2021, earlier this month. Gonzalez became the third kicker for the team this season, but the 7-5 squad has gone through several since the league year began. Moving on from Joey Slye in March, the Commanders signed Brandon McManus. Allegations of sexual assault led to McManus being dropped in June, and Ramiz Ahmed being signed. Ahmed entered training camp as Washington’s only kicker, but the team claimed Riley Patterson off waivers. Patterson struggling in the preseason led to him being cut and a Cade York acquisition via trade (from the Browns) transpiring. Finally, the Seibert addition came after York fared poorly in the opener.
A sixth-year vet, Seibert is 27-for-30 on field goals. He missed one from beyond 50 yards Sunday, before the PAT miss. For the season, Seibert is 22-for-24 on PATs. Gonzalez made 3 of 3 field goals and all four extra points he tried in relief of Seibert. If the Commanders are to make the playoffs, they will have a decision to make at kicker due to Seibert’s mandated absence.