Panthers To Start Bryce Young In Week 8
Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident Tuesday. While the Carolina starter did not need to be hospitalized, Dave Canales confirmed the veteran passer sustained a thumb sprain. Dalton is not expected to play against the Broncos in Week 8.
This will push Bryce Young back into action; Canales said the former No. 1 overall pick will be at the controls in Denver. Canales hopes Dalton can return as the backup, potentially pointing to a Young path back to the full-time QB1 role even when the more experienced passer is healthy. Regardless of how this will shake out, Young is coming back after five games on the bench.
Traveling with his wife, three kids and their dog, Dalton suffered the thumb injury in the accident — which occurred a few minutes away from Bank of America Stadium, David Newton of ESPN.com notes. Neither Dalton nor his family needed to be hospitalized as a result of the wreck, but the sprain involving the QB’s throwing thumb poses a problem for his availability. Dalton did not practice Wednesday.
Rumors suggesting the Panthers were done with Young circulated following his Week 3 benching. The 5-foot-10 QB struggled mightily to start his second season, marking no notable improvement from a rough rookie year. Canales had initially said Young would be back to start in Week 3, but upon closer inspection (and conversations with ownership), the new Carolina HC benched the player the franchise mortgaged its future for in 2023. Young has seen action since, and as the losses pile up (following a Dalton-led win over the Raiders), it makes sense for the 1-6 team to give the unproven player more time.
At least four teams contacted the Panthers about Young, but the team is not interested in trading the former Heisman winner. That said, rumblings about a separation in 2025 emerged soon after the benching, as Young was “pissed” about being pulled 18 starts into his career. The Panthers’ party line pointed to Young receiving another chance in 2024, labeling the benching a reset. But a report that came out soon after Canales’ call did not depict the demotion that way, with Dalton being viewed as the starter unless an injury intervened.
Dalton’s minor injury does give the Panthers another chance to look at Young. Carolina’s offense has fared better under Dalton, as Young’s most recent start featured 84 passing yards on 26 attempts. He went 13 of 30 in Week 1. While Deshaun Watson‘s QBR (23.5) ranks last among qualified options, Young holds a 10.4 number. Young’s 34.1 mark ranked ahead of only Zach Wilson in 2023, leading the Panthers — who made some shaky decisions in terms of weaponry around their new QB last year — to add several pieces this offseason. Dalton ranks 17th in QBR this season.
Despite Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette joining Adam Thielen at receiver and Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis coming in as high-priced guards, Young struggled to the point veterans complained about the state of the offense. That produced a strikingly quick hook, but Young’s second chance will begin soon. Denver’s defense has powered its operation this season, representing a tough spot for Young. Vance Joseph‘s unit ranks third in points and yards allowed.
Seahawks Designate Abraham Lucas For Return From PUP List; George Fant In IR-Return Window
Abraham Lucas‘ health issues have forced the Seahawks to make a few adjustments over the past two seasons. One of them involved a reunion with George Fant. Both tackles have been largely out of the mix for Seattle this season.
The Seahawks are slowly seeing some returns, however; both Fant and Lucas are back at practice. For Lucas, this is a designation from the reserve/PUP list. Fant is being designated for return off IR. Both players have 21 days to be activated.
This is a long time coming for Lucas, who has spent most of the year recovering from surgery. Lucas, who missed 11 games last season due to a knee injury, has been Seattle’s first-string right tackle since he was drafted in the 2022 third round. He and 2022 first-round LT Charles Cross played key roles in Geno Smith‘s surprising resurgence, but while Cross has been generally available, his counterpart has not. Pete Carroll went so far as to call Lucas’ knee injury chronic, and his rehab arc has supported the dismissed HC’s assertion.
Although the Seahawks’ new coaching staff has pushed back on the “chronic” label, this group has also seen the Washington State alum take longer than expected to come back. Lucas suffered the knee injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season and was not activated until Nov. 30 of last year. He returned to finish the season but needed a procedure done soon after. The recovery from said procedure had defined Lucas’ year to this point.
It should be expected the Seahawks will give Lucas multiple weeks to practice before activating him. Lucas will need to show good form upon return, and it will be interesting to see if he reacquires his job under a new coaching staff. Fant, 32, has considerable experience at both tackle spots, beginning with a run in Seattle after a college hoops career. The veteran has started 74 career games, including Week 1. Fant went down 13 plays into the season, though, suffering a knee injury against the Broncos.
Signed to a two-year, $9.1MM deal, Fant came back to Seattle as a swingman but presumably viewed Lucas’ situation as a selling point. Fant also worked as a three-year Jets starter and filled in for a depleted Texans O-line last season. Tytus Howard‘s return from injury resulted in a shift to guard, with the Texans keeping Fant at RT. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks follow suit.
With Fant likely closer to a return than Lucas, he would have the first crack at the job. The 32-year-old blocker will be set to step back in for Stone Forsythe, whom Pro Football Focus has graded as the NFL’s third-worst tackle regular this season. Forsythe has started the past five games at right tackle for the 4-3 Seahawks.
Seahawks, Titans Agree To Swap LBs Jerome Baker, Ernest Jones
Ernest Jones is heading back to the NFC West, being involved in a second trade this year. The Titans and Seahawks have a linebacker-for-linebacker swap lined up, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.
The Seahawks are sending Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones, who was originally dealt from the Rams to the Titans in August. The contract-year linebacker will head back to the Pacific Time Zone to finish up his free agency audition. It’s a 2025 fourth, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.
This marks the second Titans seller’s trade of the day, with the move coming hours after the team agreed to send DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs. This checks in as a slightly lower-profile deal, but Tennessee secured a better return for Jones compared to Hopkins. Collecting a conditional fifth-round pick for the former All-Pro receiver, the Titans now have Baker and a fourth coming back. Like Jones, Baker is in a contract year.
As the Rams informed Jones this offseason would not be extended in 2024, his camp received permission to negotiate a trade. While Jones had said he did not request a trade out of Los Angeles, the Rams agreed to one in short order. L.A. collected a fifth-round pick for Jones and a sixth. Despite the season being nearly half over, the Titans did better in their Jones return.
Overall, Tennessee did quite well in the two Jones trades. The team gave up only a 2026 fifth-round pick but has obtained Baker, a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2026 sixth in exchange. The Seahawks will bet on the younger linebacker while the Titans retool.
A former Rams starter who played a role for the Super Bowl LVI team before being highly productive from 2022-23, Jones has started five games with the Titans. He leaves Tennessee with 44 tackles (second on the team) with three TFLs and two pass deflections. Jones, who briefly teamed with UFA addition Kenneth Murray in Tennessee, led the 2023 Rams in tackles with 145 — to go with 4.5 sacks and 14 TFLs. This came after Jones teamed with Bobby Wagner as a starter in 2022.
The Seahawks had used free agency to staff their LB position, though they did not make the kind of commitment there the Titans did via their three-year Murray pact. Seattle signed Baker and Tyrel Dodson, bringing in the former as a street free agent following his Dolphins release. Baker’s second 2024 relocation will come after he started all five games he played with Seattle. Baker made 30 tackles (two for loss) and forced a fumble during his brief Seahawks stint.
Pro Football Focus has Baker and Jones ranked alongside each other among off-ball ‘backers this season, placing Baker 46th and Jones 47th. PFF has Baker rated as a superior coverage linebacker, though Jones checked in as a top-15 overall option at LB in 2023. He will now have a chance to use the Seahawks as a springboard to a nice 2025 payday.
Baker being nearly three years older explains the compensation in this trade. Baker will turn 28 on Christmas Day; Jones will be 25 next month. The Seahawks hold exclusive negotiating rights with their newly acquired defender until the March legal tampering period.
In Miami, Baker worked as a hybrid player of sorts. He showed the type of blitz acumen that has boosted the profiles of Demario Davis and Devin White. The former third-round pick notched 22.5 sacks in six Dolphins seasons, topping out at seven under Brian Flores in 2020. Baker did not assimilate as easily into Vic Fangio‘s defense last season, but he will now go from one ex-Raven assistant’s scheme to another by moving from Mike Macdonald‘s defense to Dennard Wilson‘s.
While Jones is tied his third-round contract, Baker is attached to a one-year deal worth $7MM. The Seahawks, however, already paid Baker a $4MM roster bonus; he is due barely $1MM in prorated base salary. As Baker joins Murray on a 1-5 Tennessee team, Jones will team with Dodson as a pair of contract-year LBs for a 4-3 Seattle team.
Panthers Designate Adam Thielen, Jordan Fuller To Return From IR; D.J. Wonnum In PUP-Return Window
As the Panthers head toward another deadline as a likely seller, they will have some of their veteran pieces on the way back to action. Two Carolina cogs are in the IR-return window, while D.J. Wonnum is practicing after an extensive stay on the PUP list.
Wonnum, who suffered a quad tear late last season, is practicing for the first time in 2024. The Panthers have started the edge rusher’s 21-day activation clock. Ditto Adam Thielen and Jordan Fuller, who are back at practice after IR stays. While Thielen and Fuller are not yet on the active roster, it appears they will be again soon.
The Panthers have delivered another poor start, with the Dave Canales-Dan Morgan era already including a benching of Bryce Young. But the team figures to have some reinforcements soon. For Thielen, a return could be notable should the Panthers decide to go into fire-sale mode. Diontae Johnson has come up in trade rumors; at 34, Thielen would make sense as a trade candidate as well, especially with a hot receiver trade market.
Fuller is playing on a one-year deal in Carolina, but he did not stand out in the Panthers defense before his injury, so he’s unlikely to garner major trade interest. Instead, he’ll slot back into the starting lineup where Nick Scott has started the last four games in Fuller’s absence.
Wonnum can practice for up to three weeks before he has to be added to the active roster or reverts to season-ending injured reserve. He won’t be on the trade block since teams cannot evaluate his play this year, but his return may allow the Panthers to consider trading Jadeveon Clowney to a contender in need of pass rush help.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Colts Designate DT DeForest Buckner For Return
Displaying optimal durability during his first four Colts seasons, DeForest Buckner ran into his first roadblock this year. An ankle injury sidelined the Pro Bowl defensive tackle in Week 2, but Indianapolis is poised to have its top D-lineman back soon.
Buckner has completed a key step en route back to the field; the Colts designated him for return Wednesday. Buckner now has 21 days to be activated. Shane Steichen was optimistic Buckner and Jonathan Taylor would be back, so it would surprise if the Colts waited another week to activate Buckner. Taylor is not on IR but has missed three games with a high ankle sprain.
The Colts earmarked IR returns for Samson Ebukam and Cameron McGrone, designating both for return before setting their 53-man roster. Those moves already count toward Indianapolis’ eight injury activations. Buckner being moved back to the 53-man roster will leave Indy with five activations, but his comeback will be vital for a defense that ranks 29th in yardage and 31st against the run.
A Pro Bowler in 2021 and ’23 and a first-team All-Pro in his 2020 Colts debut, Buckner had missed just one game as a Colt prior to his September ankle injury. He and Grover Stewart operated as one of the most reliable DT tandems in recent NFL history, with Stewart’s start streak stretching to five years before an injury stalled it last season. Buckner figures to be back working with Stewart soon.
Buckner, 30, signed a near-fully guaranteed extension this offseason. His reliability certainly played a central role in the Colts authorizing that two-year, $46MM deal. The former 49ers first-rounder totaled 32.5 sacks from 2020-23, remaining one of the game’s best interior D-linemen. With Ebukam out, the Colts will be eager for Buckner to reprise his role as their pass rush anchor. It does not appear they will be waiting much longer.
Bears G Nate Davis, RB Khalil Herbert Receiving Trade Interest
Entering the 2023 free agency period with the most cap space, the Bears added a few starters. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards remain locked-in starters, but the other major piece Chicago added last year has not panned out.
Nate Davis did not impress in his first season with the team, and Chicago benched the former Tennessee starter early this season. Still, Davis started for four years with the Titans and may have a bit of value left in a possible trade. Teams have looked into the sixth-year veteran, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adding the Bears are open to moving him.
Matt Pryor replaced Davis in the Bears’ Week 3 starting lineup, and while the former Derrick Henry inside blocker played most of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 4, he has returned to a reserve role. This is not optimal for a player on a three-year, $30MM contract. Davis is due more than $5.5MM in base salary. Given his Chicago trajectory, the team will need to pay down much of that to move on for a draft choice. A pick-swap deal along the lines of what the Bears fetched for Chase Claypool last year could be relevant here, though injury situations could prompt a team to give up a bit more for a player who had proven himself to be a solid starter in Tennessee.
Davis has 67 starts on his resume; 54 of those came with the Titans. As referenced in PFR’s 2023 free agent rankings, Davis ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 14 run-blocking guard from 2020-22 and also slotted in the top 25 in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric in his Titans finale. Football Outsiders charged Davis with allowing an alarming eight sacks in 2022, however, and ESPN classified him as below average in run block win rate. Davis graded as PFF’s No. 58 overall guard last season and ranks 63rd this year.
The Bears, who have Teven Jenkins in a contract year, have been expected to cut Davis in 2025 — if they are unable to find a trade partner now. Chicago has Pryor and Ryan Bates as RG options, though Bates — a player Chicago signed to an RFA offer sheet in 2022 and then acquired via trade this year — has been on IR since mid-September. The Bears also have some tackle depth in Larry Borom, previously mentioned as a trade chip, and rookie third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie. Though, it would be hard to see the team move both Davis and one of its tackles.
Additionally, teams have shown interest in Khalil Herbert, Rapoport mentions. A player who helped the Bears lead the NFL in rushing in 2022, Herbert has been the odd man out this season. Chicago signed D’Andre Swift and has used 2023 draftee Roschon Johnson as his backup. Herbert has logged just eight carries for 16 yards this season. The former sixth-round pick amassed 731 yards in 2022 and 611 in 2023, averaging at least 4.6 yards per carry in each slate. He hit 5.7 per tote in 2022, undoubtedly generating intrigue despite his tumble down Chicago’s depth chart that included roster-bubble status entering training camp.
The Bears are also looking into trading defensive lineman Dominique Robinson, Fowler adds. Robinson started seven games as a rookie and played in 11 as a reserve last season, but the Bears now have Montez Sweat anchoring their pass rush. The team also traded for Darrell Taylor late this summer. A fifth-round pick under contract through 2025, Robinson has not played this season.
In acquiring Claypool and Sweat over the past two seasons, GM Ryan Poles was unafraid to make buyer’s trades from a seller’s position. With the Bears currently 4-2 in a historically competitive NFC North, it will be interesting to see if the third-year front office boss considers selling some ancillary pieces to bolster future draft arsenals.
Rams Calling Teams On Cooper Kupp
The Rams have been waiting on the returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, playing most of the season without Matthew Stafford‘s top weapons. Kupp is expected back in Week 8, but trade rumors surrounding the former first-team All-Pro are gaining steam.
Ahead of the Rams’ Thursday matchup with the Vikings, they have received trade inquiries. It was not known if Los Angeles was prepared to entertain offers for Kupp, but it turns out this could be a live market. The Rams are now calling teams on the former Super Bowl MVP, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, Dianna Russini and Mike Silver report. L.A. has called multiple teams on Kupp.
Kupp is tied to a lofty three-year, $80.1MM extension — one agreed to during an offseason in which the Rams also paid Stafford and Aaron Donald — but The Athletic reports the team is willing to pay some of Kupp’s remaining salary, as the goal in a potential swap will be a second-round pick. Kupp’s contract runs through 2026. The Rams owe Kupp $5MM guaranteed in 2025, though his ’25 base is only $12.5MM. It would cost the Rams more than $25MM in dead money to move on, but the bulk of that sum would be absorbed in 2025.
This would be a seismic move from a Rams team that has generally been on the buyer’s side of in-season trades during Sean McVay‘s tenure. It would also leave Stafford in limbo, given the close connection he has formed with Kupp and the team having lost Donald to retirement this offseason.
Just less than $9MM remains on Kupp’s 2024 base salary. Kupp has not lived up to his third Rams contract, going down with injuries in each of the past three years. That would stand to diminish his trade value, but the Rams should have a market if they are truly willing to part with the 31-year-old WR talent.
Three years ago, the Rams sent the Broncos second- and third-round picks for Von Miller, who was rehabbing a minor injury at the time, and saw him join Donald, Stafford, Kupp and Co. to help produce a Super Bowl title. Denver paid almost all of Miller’s remaining 2021 salary to boost trade compensation. Now, the Rams — despite having beaten the Raiders en route to a 2-4 mark achieved largely without Kupp and Nacua — appear prepared to move into a seller’s position.
That year, Stafford and Kupp formed an immediate connection that powered one of the greatest season by a wide receiver in NFL history. Kupp completed the rare triple-crown effort by leading the league with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches. Kupp continued his brilliance in the playoffs, adding 33 more catches, 478 yards and six touchdowns — including the Super Bowl LVI game-winner — to the Rams’ championship effort. Kupp’s reliability saved a team that had lost WR2 Odell Beckham Jr. in the first half, with the in-season addition going down weeks after Robert Woods was lost for the season.
Despite the Rams having paid Kupp and Woods in 2020, another deal for the ascending slot target commenced. Kupp, however, has missed 18 games since signing that extension. Ankle trouble slowed him in 2022, ending a season that also saw Stafford and Donald go down during a woeful Super Bowl title defense. Kupp began last season late due to nagging hamstring issues but did return to play 12 games alongside Nacua. With more ankle trouble plaguing Kupp this year, the Rams look to be gauging the market.
This marks a change from last season, when the Rams received calls on Kupp, Stafford and Donald but did not shop any of the cornerstones. Donald retired at season’s end, and Stafford has been asked to operate his age-36 campaign without both his top receivers and tight end Tyler Higbee. Kupp stepped up for an injured Nacua in Week 1, totaling 14 catches for 110 yards in a loss to the Lions. He went down in Week 2, being part of an injury brigade that has limited the Rams significantly on offense. The Rams, however, have kept Kupp on their active roster — unlike Nacua, who has been on IR since mid-September.
Neither Davante Adams nor Amari Cooper has produced a season like the one Kupp delivered in 2021, but both the recently traded standouts have been healthier. Even if the Rams pay down most of Kupp’s remaining salary, landing a second-rounder for Kupp figures to be difficult due to his recent maladies. Kupp also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet, having gone down midway through the Rams’ first McVay-era Super Bowl season. The former third-round pick posted his first 1,000-yard slate a year later, leading to the Rams’ first extension for the Division I-FCS product.
It will be interesting to see if the Rams find a team that is willing to part with Day 2 compensation for Kupp. The Steelers have been shopping for a wideout for months, while the Saints also missed out on Adams. Clubs may not be too eager to deal with the Chiefs, given their threepeat pursuit, but Kansas City lost JuJu Smith-Schuster with a short-term injury and has been in the market since seeing Rashee Rice follow Marquise Brown in sustaining a season-ending injury. That said, NFC teams stand to be less concerned about arming the Chiefs compared to AFC franchises. It would surprise if the two-time reigning champs did not call (or were not contacted) on Kupp.
Teams Calling Browns On Myles Garrett; Cleveland Unlikely To Move DE, CB Denzel Ward
The edge rusher market lost Haason Reddick, who is finally on track to make his Jets debut thanks to a recent contract resolution. As teams are in need at the glamour defensive position, inquiries into two of the league’s best are already underway.
Although the Raiders have said they are not trading Maxx Crosby, the standout EDGE subsequently made some comments that could pry that door open. Crosby is tied to a 2-5 team. Myles Garrett has that beat, with the Browns having gone from an 11-6 season to starting 1-6. Garrett is signed through 2026, and teams are looking into the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.
Teams have begun asking the Browns if Garrett could be obtained in a trade, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes. Clubs certainly ask on players they do not expect to be made available, but cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports the Browns will not trade their centerpiece defender. Rumors swirled about Garrett’s potential availability last week, as the Browns did part with Amari Cooper, but Garrett has said he wants to finish his career in Cleveland. As it stands, the All-Pro defensive end does not need to worry about relocating.
Cleveland has Garrett tied to an extension that runs through 2026. The Browns did well to lock down the ascending defender on a five-year deal shortly after exercising his fifth-year option. That meant Garrett was under team control for seven more years. We are now in Year 5, and Garrett — who at the time was coming off his suspension stemming from the ugly incident that involved him striking Mason Rudolph with a helmet — has become one of the best players in Browns history. He is in the running for best player since the team rebooted — though, Joe Thomas probably holds that distinction currently — and rumblings about a second extension figure to emerge in 2025.
Garrett’s team-friendly contract would naturally appeal to suitors, but it also would make the price of acquiring him steep. The Browns would be out more than $40MM in dead money by trading Garrett now. Most of that sum could be defrayed to 2025, but the Browns are not exactly in a situation where taking on major dead money amounts will be palatable — given their quarterback situation.
A first-round pick and change would presumably be required for the Browns to consider moving on, as this is not a typical rebuild situation. Garrett still anchors a quality defense, one that led the league against the pass last season and helped it survive a slew of offensive injuries during a playoff campaign, and the Browns have a host of strong role players. Though, their QB plan has effectively overshadowed everything else about the roster.
The Browns have made the playoffs twice under Kevin Stefanski, whose two Coach of the Year showings came after he coached Baker Mayfield and Joe Flacco to bounce-back seasons. Deshaun Watson‘s contract and woeful performance has hindered the Browns, and the fourth-year HC is not yet committing to the embattled passer for the 2025 season. Still, the Browns are tied to Watson’s fully guaranteed deal. Although Cabot notes the Browns are likely to trade more players before the deadline, Garrett and Denzel Ward are not likely to be among them.
Both Garrett and Ward, the latter a Cleveland-area native, should be considered building blocks for when the franchise picks up the pieces from the Watson disaster. Ward is signed through 2027 on what had been — before the Patrick Surtain and Jalen Ramsey deals — a top-market cornerback contract. A John Dorsey-era draftee, Ward was nevertheless a priority under current FO boss Andrew Berry, who was on the Browns’ staff under Sashi Brown when the team drafted Garrett in 2017.
It would surprise if the Browns parted with either of their top two defenders, with Breer adding recently extended linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is unlikely to be dealt. Za’Darius Smith made the unusual step of mentioning a potential Lions trade, and Detroit is believed to be interested.
The Browns will likely be OK dealing some veterans, as they formulate a post-2024 plan as this year’s team almost definitely will not return to the playoffs. Garrett and Ward are undoubtedly part of that 2025-and-beyond vision.
Tua Tagovailoa Not Considering Retirement
After a 2022 season in which he suffered two confirmed concussions and most likely three head injuries, Tua Tagovailoa considered retirement. The Dolphins quarterback’s latest concussion brought calls for him to revisit that effort, but that has not taken place.
Indicating he has been symptom-free since the day after his Week 2 concussion, Tagovailoa said he did not consider retirement following the Bills matchup and has spoken with “several” neurologists about his recovery. Players rarely land on IR due to concussions, illustrating the concern the Dolphins have for their centerpiece player. Week 8 marks Tagovailoa’s first chance to come back, and signs are pointing to a return — one that would give Miami a way out of its Tua-less quagmire and invite more concerns about his long-term health.
Adding to potential worries about the left-hander’s future, he will not wear a Guardian Cap upon returning. A handful of players have exercised the right to wear the practice caps during games, which the NFL began permitting this year. Most have resisted, and Tua is now among the majority despite his history with concussions.
Mike McDaniel said (via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) the call to move Tagovailoa to IR came at the advice of medical personnel. That alone should trip alarms, but we heard early during the fifth-year passer’s recovery a return was expected this season. The Dolphins have a significant issue on their hands, with the offense’s struggles in the starter’s absence — to the point the team has ground to make up for a playoff return — persisting regardless of which backup option the team used. Balancing this with Tagovailoa’s long-term health will be a line McDaniel and Co. will need to continue walking.
Tagovailoa said he spent time throwing during his IR stay, indicating (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) he has done so for around a month. That would cover most of the time he has been out. The recently extended passer admitted frustration with being placed on IR, and SI.com’s Albert Breer expects him to return Sunday.
Retirement would have largely scuttled the massive extension Tagovailoa signed in July. In order to stay on track to secure the money from his four-year, $212.4MM extension ($167.2MM split between full and injury guarantees), the Alabama alum will need to keep playing. A retirement after passing a Dolphins physical would change the game, and it does not appear that will be on the table for the now-highly paid QB.
Of course, the Dolphins will be navigating concerns about Tua protection for the foreseeable future — perhaps for his entire Miami stay. This calls into question the team’s decision to make their starter part of the NFL’s $50MM-AAV club. Then again, Tagovailoa has run McDaniel’s offense effectively for two seasons. The Dolphins redeploying their starter will stand to reignite an offense that has slunk to last place in scoring and 22nd in total offense. Miami ranked second in scoring and led the league in yardage during the 2023 season, one in which Tua played 17 games and placed himself in position for the lucrative payday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/24
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Andrew Raym
- Released: OLB Shaq Lawson, DT Jayden Peevy
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: T Andrew Coker
- Released: DT Domenique Davis
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Erick Hallet
Green Bay Packers
- Released: TE Andrew Beck
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Jawhar Jordan
- Released: OL Arlington Hambright
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: QB Chris Oladokun, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Terrace Marshall, TE Trevon Wesco
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Robert Tonyan
New England Patriots
- Released: LS Tucker Addington
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Breiden Fehoko
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: CB Eric Garror
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: T Isaiah Prince
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Ben Nikkel, WR Mike Strachan
- Released: S Sheldrick Redwine
Prince played under Brian Callahan in Cincinnati but has only played two games over the past two seasons. A six-game starter with the Dolphins and Bengals, Prince missed all of the 2020 season due to a COVID-19 opt-out and then all of the 2022 season due to injury.
The Vikings cut Tonyan from their 53-man roster earlier today, but because the NFC North mainstay is a vested veteran, he did not need to clear waivers before joining Minnesota’s practice squad. With T.J. Hockenson on the way back, Tonyan profiles as insurance.
This is a third chance for Marshall. The Panthers waived him after three seasons. No team claimed the former second-round pick, with Joe Brady‘s Bills passing. The 49ers took a flier soon after but released him last week.