Cardinals’ Jonah Williams Uncertain To Return In 2024
Out since suffering a knee injury in Week 1, Jonah Williams would be eligible to return next week. It does not look like the Arizona free agency acquisition will come particularly close to that, and his availability for the season’s remainder is murky.
Williams played 22 snaps in his Cardinals debut, leaving and landing on IR soon after. The Cardinals have kept their cards close to the vest on the former first-round pick’s availability, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates the veteran tackle’s season is in jeopardy.
It is not known what specific knee injury Williams suffered, but it probably is not an ACL tear. That would remove the uncertainty about this situation, as Fowler adds a November return has been floated. Considerable doubt exists, however, about whether that is realistic. As it stands, the Cardinals may be forced to scramble at right tackle the rest of the way.
Costs are low on Arizona’s O-line beyond Williams, who signed a two-year, $30MM deal in March. Williams came over a year after requesting a trade (and then backtracking) from the Bengals, and despite that trade ask aimed at being moved to a team that would station him at left tackle, the 2019 first-round pick signed with a team planning to slot him on the right side.
The Cardinals cut longtime left tackle D.J. Humphries but moved 2023 first-rounder Paris Johnson Jr. from RT to LT — in a move that followed Humphries’ early-career trajectory. (Humphries suffered an ACL tear in Week 17 of last season; he is not believed to be healthy enough to pass a physical.)
Johnson has stayed healthy and has played well; Pro Football Focus ranks the second-year blocker ninth among all tackles. The advanced metrics site views Williams’ replacement, Kelvin Beachum, as a top-40 option. The Cardinals retained Beachum last year despite drafting Johnson sixth overall last year, keeping the 35-year-old blocker around as a swingman. That insurance has become important this season, one that featured Kyler Murray‘s return to full-time duty.
Williams, 27, missed all of his rookie year due to a shoulder injury and saw a dislocated kneecap sideline him for the bulk of the Bengals’ 2022 playoff run. He returned on time in 2023 and played all 17 Cincinnati games, commanding a quality short-term contract on a weak tackle market. Cardinals guaranteed $2.5MM of Williams’ $10.78MM 2025 base salary. A $2.5MM injury guarantee also exists in the contract for 2025; that would kick in if the sixth-year vet cannot pass a physical to start the ’25 league year.
Dolphins Open Odell Beckham Jr.’s Practice Window
The Dolphins have waited months for their hopeful No. 3 wide receiver to practice. Although the team has a bigger-picture matter plaguing its offense, Odell Beckham Jr. is trending toward a workout with teammates soon.
Out with an unspecified injury for months, Beckham is now off the Dolphins’ reserve/PUP list. The team did not practice today, but Beckham was listed as a full estimated participant. The Dolphins now have three weeks to activate OBJ. If Miami does not activate Beckham by then, he misses the season. Though, it seems unlikely that scenario will occur based on today’s development.
With players on the active roster or in a return window from an injured list needing a health designation, per injury reporting rules, the Dolphins listed Beckham as having a knee injury. The veteran wide receiver underwent what had been an unspecified procedure this offseason; it now appears that was knee surgery.
It is certainly notable a knee problem affected Beckham following his Dolphins signing (one year, $3MM), as he has suffered two torn ACLs in the 2020s — the second of which keeping him out for the 2022 season. The former Pro Bowler did return and play in 14 regular-season games and both Ravens playoff contests last season, quieting concerns after a lengthy absence following Super Bowl LVI. But this will be a situation to monitor for the Dolphins, who are amid a quarterback crisis.
While Beckham appears set to join Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in a game soon, the Dolphins have seen their offense crater without Tua Tagovailoa. Skylar Thompson and emergency pickup-turned-starter Tyler Huntley have struggled since Tagovailoa’s concussion. Although the Dolphins have received good news on their fifth-year starter, they will still need to play at least two more games without him. Tagovailoa is trending toward returning in Week 8, when first eligible to come off IR. Huntley will start in Week 5, Mike McDaniel confirmed.
As for Beckham, he posted 565 receiving yards (career-high 16.1 per catch) and three touchdowns with Baltimore. The Ravens let him walk in free agency, leading to this Dolphins opportunity. McDaniel stopped short of saying Beckham will be activated for Week 5 (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson), but the third-year Miami HC said the free agency addition had not sustained any setbacks en route to a Dolphins debut. An estimated full practice Wednesday is a good sign for a team in need of them right now.
Browns Designate Nick Chubb For Return; Nyheim Hines Back At Practice
The rumored Nick Chubb return to practice is a go. The perennial Pro Bowler will work out with his Browns teammates starting today, with the club making it official.
This is a long time coming for Chubb, who underwent two knee surgeries following a severe injury sustained in Week 2 of last season. Additionally, the Browns will have Nyheim Hines and offensive lineman Michael Dunn back at practice. All three players, although they were on three different lists, each have 21-day return windows. Not being activated in that span would cause them to miss the rest of the season.
Chubb resided on Cleveland’s reserve/PUP list; he does not count against the team’s in-season activation total. By virtue of being designated for return (from the reserve/non-football injury list and reserve/non-football illness list, respectively), Hines and Dunn already count toward the Browns’ eight-activation number. Cleveland has six injury activations remaining as we hit IR- and NFI-activation season.
Although Chubb did not fully tear his ACL, he suffered other damage from the sequence in Pittsburgh. Chubb, 28, tore an MCL and sustained medial capsule and meniscus damage, leading to this year-plus return timeline. The seventh-year veteran is not expected to debut immediately, as could be expected, but the Browns having him back at practice is a good sign for his availability this season. It makes sense the Browns will want to see him ramp up once cleared to practice; the PUP-return window allows for that.
This is also a long time coming for Hines, who has been on the shelf since suffering a torn ACL from a freak jet ski accident in summer 2023. Hines was not moving during the July 2023 accident, as another jet ski crashed into him. He spent last season on the Bills’ reserve/NFI list, and Buffalo cut him with a non-football injury designation this offseason. The Browns then picked up the ex-Colts passing-down back/return man but delayed his return via the NFI stash.
For the time being, Cleveland will continue to rely on Jerome Ford as its starting RB. The Browns’ primary Chubb fill-in last year, Ford is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. As a team, however, the Browns rank 26th on the ground. They have D’Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong and Gary Brightwell on its 53-man roster, but reinforcements — which should change Cleveland’s backfield hierarchy — are coming.
The Browns and Chubb agreed on a reworked contract that doubled as a pay cut this offseason, and the four-time 1,000-yard rusher is due for free agency in 2025. The RB market showed signs of reawakening this offseason, giving Chubb motivation. To fetch a notable third contract, however, Chubb will need to show signs of his pre-injury form. The Browns will hope Chubb can help a struggling Deshaun Watson, who has spent most of his time as Cleveland’s QB1 without the consistent ball-carrier.
Formerly a Colts extension recipient, Hines was dealt to the Bills before the 2022 deadline. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Buffalo’s regular-season finale that year and, in addition to two punt-return TDs, has two 400-yard receiving seasons on his resume.
DE Myles Murphy Returns To Bengals Practice; DT McKinnley Jackson Designated For Return
Myles Murphy is on his way back to help the Bengals’ pass rush. Given an IR-return designation upon Cincinnati setting its initial 53-man roster, Murphy returned to practice Wednesday.
Today marks the first date the 2023 first-rounder was eligible to practice, providing a good sign he will be ready to play in Week 5. The Bengals also designated defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson for return. Unlike Murphy, Jackson did not receive a return designation previously. Once the Bengals activate McKinnley, he will count against the team’s activation total.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Murphy already does, by virtue of the team using an IR-return slot on him in August. Murphy joined punter Brad Robbins in that regard. Cincinnati activated Robbins from IR on Monday but cut him Tuesday. If the Bengals activate Jackson this week, their activation count will sit at five moving forward.
A knee sprain led Murphy to IR. He will return to add an intriguing piece behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Murphy played in all 17 Bengals games last season as a backup, logging 305 defensive snaps. The Clemson product totaled three sacks but only three QB hits. Cincinnati, which has Hendrickson in a contract year and Hubbard signed through 2025, will still aim to have Murphy develop as a future starter. For now, he profiles as important depth to a Bengals team that again has started slowly.
Chosen 97th overall out of Texas A&M, Jackson reenters the equation for a Bengals team that has played without starters B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins due to hamstring injuries. The Bengals placed Jackson on IR shortly after setting their roster, but Wednesday’s transaction effectively shows the rookie remains in the team’s plans for 2024.
Packers Audition Kickers Chad Ryland, Lucas Havrisik
Green Bay’s kicker plan is not off to a good start. After cutting both Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph, the Packers have seen the player they ultimately chose — waiver claim Brayden Narveson — miss four field goals thus far this season.
Matt LaFleur expressed support for Narveson, despite his two-miss Week 4, but he is 9-for-13 thus far this season. And none of the misses have come from beyond 50 yards. Three misfires came from between 40 and 49, while Narveson has also missed from inside 40 yards to start his Packers tenure that could be short if he cannot turn it around soon.
LaFleur’s vote of confidence notwithstanding, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes the Pack worked out two other options — Chad Ryland, Lucas Havrisik — who carry more experience. Ryland kicked for the Patriots in 2023, while Havrisik kicked in nine games for the Rams last season.
Before bailing on the kicker they chose in the 2023 draft, the Packers became the rare team to carry three kickers on its 90-man roster throughout training camp. The team had signed Joseph to push Carson but ended up dissatisfied with both. Narveson went to camp with the Titans, but the Packers had targeted him as a UDFA earlier this year. A waiver claim sent a player who kicked at three schools (Iowa State, Western Kentucky, NC State) to Wisconsin.
Ryland beat out Nick Folk for the Patriots job but lost a training camp battle to Joey Slye this summer. He was just 16-for-25 as a rookie, though a 56-yard game-winner did down the Broncos in Week 16. Havrisik was 15 of 20 for the Rams last season, but the team waived him just before the playoffs. Havrisik could not win the Browns’ job this summer.
The Packers do have Alex Hale, who vied with Joseph and Carlson for the job this offseason, on their practice squad. Teams do not make a habit of carrying two P-squad kickers. Unless Green Bay is looking to upgrade its Narveson competition on its taxi squad, the hunt for Narveson replacements is underway. It is safe to say the 25-year-old rookie is on notice.
Seahawks To Re-Sign OL Jason Peters
Despite Jason Peters being added during Pete Carroll‘s final year running the Seahawks, Mike Macdonald said a reunion with the accomplished offensive lineman remained in play. That is now a go.
Peters is re-signing with Seattle, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. This agreement, which will send Peters to the Seahawks’ practice squad, will give the veteran a chance to play a 21st NFL season. The former Eagles stalwart is now 42 but has remained a viable option, bouncing around the NFC in his post-Philly years.
This signing comes after a recent visit, and with no other team connected to the former 2004 UDFA, a Seattle return trip is booked. Peters initially joined the Seahawks in September 2023, coming aboard before Week 2. This latest move coming closer to the midseason point may feature a truncated ramp-up period, but it still should be expected Peters stays on Seattle’s P-squad for a bit — especially with the team having a new offensive system in place.
Down both Abraham Lucas and Phil Haynes for much of last season, the Seahawks turned to Peters as a two-game starter. Seattle used a platoon system with Peters, who played almost exclusively at right tackle in 2023. The longtime Eagles LT played 199 snaps on the right side to help the Seahawks, who are again down Lucas. Dealing with persistent knee trouble, Lucas underwent offseason surgery and is on the reserve/PUP list. Seattle is not expecting the 2022 third-round pick to return until at least the midseason point.
A longtime starter for the Bills and Eagles, Peters made 15 starts with the Bears as a 2021 stopgap. He joined a Cowboys team that lost Tyron Smith just before the 2022 season, starting one game and working as a swing backup in 11 more. Peters has now played in 248 career games. Among O-linemen, that sits sixth all time.
Peters can catch former Falcons mainstay Mike Kenn (251) and move into the top five this season, and an outside shot at him passing Hall of Famer Jackie Slater (259) exists depending on his latest Seattle acclimation period and the Seahawks’ need. Though, getting there might be a longshot in 2024. Former Oilers/Titans legend Bruce Matthews leads O-linemen with 296 appearances. Matthews played 19 seasons; Slater and Ray Brown logged 20 as O-linemen. Peters is on the cusp of new NFL territory. No offensive lineman has played 21 NFL seasons. While Peters missed all of the 2012 campaign, he was on the Eagles’ roster. He may soon tie Slater as O-linemen to see action in 20 seasons.
Few non-specialists have hit the 20-year mark in NFL history, adding to Peters’ list of accomplishments in what will likely be a Hall of Fame career. Peters is a nine-time Pro Bowler who landed on the All-Decade team for the 2010s. Two of Peters’ Bills seasons produced second-team All-Pro nods, with two of his Eagles slates resulting in such placement as well. Peters logged first-team All-Pro honors in 2011 and 2013. While he collected a Super Bowl ring as part of the 2017 Eagles, a midseason injury kept him from helping the team during that campaign’s stretch run.
The Seahawks being down Lucas stopgap George Fant, who suffered an injury a few plays into his second Seattle stint, intensified the team’s need for help opposite Charles Cross. Stone Forsythe, a 2021 sixth-round pick, has started the past three games at RT for the Seahawks. Pro Football Focus has graded the fourth-year blocker as the league’s fifth-worst tackle this season. While Fant recovers, a path for a quick Peters assimilation could well be in place.
Cowboys To Sign DE K.J. Henry Off Bengals’ Practice Squad, Place DeMarcus Lawrence On IR
10:47am: Lawrence moving to IR will be the Cowboys’ corresponding move, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. The longtime Dallas starter had been set to head to IR due to the Lisfranc injury he sustained against the Giants. This will clear a roster spot, as Lawrence begins a lengthy rehab effort.
10:07am: The Cowboys will begin handling their defensive end crisis with a practice squad poaching. Jerry Jones indicated Tuesday morning this would be an option, and Dallas is turning to Cincinnati’s P-squad for help following the losses of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons.
Defensive end K.J. Henry is heading to the Cowboys off the Bengals’ practice squad, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. A 2023 fifth-round Commanders draftee, Henry did not make Dan Quinn‘s first Washington roster last month and ventured to Cincinnati. The Cowboys are only obligated to keep Henry on their 53-man roster for three weeks, but Fowler adds they are keeping their options open with a two-year contract.
Not expected to pursue a trade to fill the voids created by Lawrence and Parsons’ injuries, the Cowboys will add a piece who is now signed through 2025. Henry’s rookie contract was to run through 2026, but the Commanders and Bengals have each cut him this year. Cincinnati initially claimed Henry off waivers but cut him earlier this month. Henry, a Clemson alum, had stayed with the Bengals via a practice squad deal after clearing waivers.
While Henry never topped five sacks in a season at Clemson, he notched nine tackles for loss in 2022 and combined for 14 from 2020-21. He played sparingly for the Tigers’ 2018 national championship-winning squad. Henry’s final Clemson season brought second-team All-ACC acclaim, with Pro Football Focus tabbing him a third-team All-American.
Henry was among a wave of 2023 draft choices deemed unworthy of Quinn’s first Commanders roster, with third-round center Ricky Stromberg also among the cut contingent. Washington, which added two Quinn ex-Dallas D-end charges Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, had deployed Henry as a three-game starter last season. The team’s trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the deadline freed up spots for the struggling team, and Henry notched 1.5 sacks in a rematch against the Giants. Henry, 25, has played in two Bengals games this season.
The Cowboys are expected to place Lawrence on IR, as a Lisfranc injury is set to sideline the 11th-year edge rusher for up to two months. Parsons is week-to-week with a high ankle sprain. Both players were moving around the team facility on scooters Monday, and the Cowboys are not expected to have Parsons in uniform against the Steelers. Henry joins second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland, former third-rounder Chauncey Golston and second-year player Tyrus Wheat as healthy DEs on Dallas’ 53-man roster. Carl Lawson is still on the team’s practice squad but is on track to be in uniform Sunday.
Colts Place DL Tyquan Lewis On IR
Although the Colts received good news on Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, they will not escape an injury-plagued Week 4 without a malady-driven roster move. That transaction will go to Tyquan Lewis, who has dealt with multiple ailments this season.
Indianapolis placed the veteran defensive end on IR on Tuesday. Lewis, who came into the Steelers matchup with wrist and calf injuries, went down with an elbow issue late in the Colts’ first win. This IR placement will cost Lewis at least four games.
A depth player in the past, Lewis has started all four Colts games this season. The team signed veteran defensive lineman Adam Gotsis from its practice squad while also adding cornerback Kelvin Joseph to the taxi squad.
Now on his third Colts contract, Lewis was part of a four-man second-round contingent back in 2018. Chris Ballard‘s 2018 second-round output sent Braden Smith, Shaquille Leonard, Kemoko Turay and Lewis to Indianapolis. That ’18 draft, which also produced Quenton Nelson, Zaire Franklin and Nyheim Hines, formed a key section of Ballard’s Indianapolis core. At No. 64 overall, Lewis was the last of the second-rounders Indy chose that year. But only he and Smith remain from that second-round contingent.
The Colts re-signed Lewis on a two-year, $12MM deal ($6.7MM guaranteed at signing) in March, with that transaction being part of Ballard’s retention wave. The move came after Lewis had recovered from a severe knee injury — a patellar tendon rupture — sustained in October 2022. Lewis rebounded to play in all 17 Colts games last season, working as a backup. With Samson Ebukam out with an Achilles tear, the Colts have turned to Lewis as a starter this season.
Starting in front of Dayo Odeyingbo and first-rounder Laiatu Latu, Lewis has played 64% of the Colts’ defensive snaps this season. After helping Indy finish in the top five in sacks last season, collecting four himself, the seventh-year veteran has tallied 1.5 early this year. The Colts are now down Ebukam, DeForest Buckner and Lewis. All three are return options, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson indicating Lewis’ elbow injury is not viewed as season-ending.
With Lewis joining Ebukam and Buckner on the shelf, Latu and the team’s 2021 first- and second-round picks — Kwity Paye and Odeyingbo (team-high two sacks) — will need to anchor the pass rush. Latu’s presence still keeps the Colts in decent shape at DE, despite the team losing two regulars to injury. Lewis’ absence stands to free up more opportunities for Latu, who saw his early workload changed when Ebukam went down before the season.
Cowboys Not Eyeing DE Trades
The Cowboys’ top three defensive ends are out of the picture for the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Steelers. Weeks after Sam Williams was lost for the season, Dallas sustained two more significant setbacks with both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence going down against the Giants.
While Parsons’ high ankle sprain is less severe than Lawrence’s injury — a Lisfranc ailment — Mike McCarthy said the Cowboys are preparing to sit their All-Pro edge defender in Week 5. Facing a four- to eight-week timetable, Lawrence is expected to land on IR this week. Suddenly, second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland is thrust into the role of Dallas’ top D-end.
Jerry and Stephen Jones are planning to manage this situation with internal solutions or lower-level moves from outside the organization. A notable trade to bolster this reeling position should not be expected. Stephen Jones sounded a bit more open than his father in terms of an outside acquisition, but neither Cowboys bigwig appears overly interested in a significant outside addition.
“I don’t know this time of year that anyone is willing to trade their best players; it’s just a work in progress,” Stephen Jones said during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). “We’ll keep our lines of communication open around the league. If something presents itself then we’ll certainly look at it.”
When asked about this situation Tuesday, Jerry Jones said during a 105.3 The Fan interview (h/t All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill) no trade should be expected. The longtime Dallas owner indicated a practice squad poaching will likely be in play, but no big move should be anticipated. Adding a defensive end off another team’s P-squad would make sense, timeline-wise, since any player involved in such a transaction must spend three weeks on the poaching team’s 53-man roster. The Cowboys are going week-to-week with Parsons, who does not appear an IR candidate.
Lawrence leads the Cowboys with three sacks, benefiting from attention paid to Parsons, who exited Week 4 with one. Only one other Cowboys DE (fourth-year player Chauncey Golston) has recorded a sack; the former third-round pick has tallied one thus far.
Both the Dallas DE starters’ injuries being worse than the team expected is a tough blow given Williams’ earlier setback and the free agency defections of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler (both to the Commanders, following Dan Quinn). Beyond Kneeland, the Cowboys have Golston and second-year UDFA Tyrus Wheat on their roster. The team is planning to elevate Carl Lawson from its practice squad for the Pittsburgh matchup. Any Lawson moves beyond Week 5 would require him to be signed to the active roster, as the team will have used its three-elevation limit with the veteran D-end. Lawson joined the team in the wake of Williams’ ACL tear.
This low-key approach reminds of the Cowboys’ running back situation, which has featured the team resisting outside calls to add a flashier option. The Cowboys stood pat in the backfield this offseason, beyond an Ezekiel Elliott reunion that is not producing much of consequence, and the 2-2 team is largely set to follow suit at D-end. The Cowboys face the Lions in Week 6 before a much-needed bye week.
Will Levis To Remain Titans’ Starting QB
Both the Colts and Titans picked up their first wins behind backup quarterbacks in Week 4. While Joe Flacco accomplished more through the air than Mason Rudolph, the latter helped Tennessee to a 31-12 win after Will Levis had struggled.
Through four games, Levis and Anthony Richardson are tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions apiece. The Colts are not considering benching their dynamic second-year QB to boost his development. Despite Monday night’s lopsided win coming on Rudolph’s watch, Brian Callahan said the Titans will turn back to Levis — assuming tests on his injured shoulder check out — following Tennessee’s bye week.
“Will’s healthy, he’s our quarterback,” Callahan said (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) after the game. “He’s our starter when he’s healthy and we’re ready to roll with him. … I don’t think [Levis’ injury] is going to be anything too serious other than just your normal AC style injury. As of right now, I don’t think it’s a long-term issue for us.”
Diving for a first down, which officials deemed a failed effort that led to a Titans punt, led Levis out of action. The 2023 second-round pick experienced pain while trying to throw on the sideline, though he remained in uniform while Rudolph took over the offense. Tennessee’s run game powered the team to a win over a Dolphins team suddenly dealing with a bigger QB crisis. Rudoph finished just 9 of 17 for 85 yards.
Rudolph began the past two seasons as the Steelers’ No. 3 quarterback, moving down the depth chart after years as Ben Roethlisberger‘s backup. The Steelers’ plans changed as Mitch Trubisky struggled replacing an injured Kenny Pickett last season, and even as the underwhelming 2022 first-round pick returned to full strength, Rudolph stayed in Pittsburgh’s starting lineup into the playoffs.
This did not garner him too much interest on this year’s backup market, as the Steelers revamped their quarterback room. The Titans awaited with a one-year, $2.87MM offer. This was not especially close to the top QB2 salary offered this spring, and Rudolph did not compete for Tennessee’s starting job. Levis’ concerning early-season performance does create early questions about his viability as the franchise’s long-term option, especially with Callahan not in place when the Titans drafted the former Kentucky standout. Rudolph does not profile as such an answer, either, but Levis’ injury opens the door to Callahan needing to make a decision.
The Titans had not eclipsed 30 points since Week 17 of the 2021 season, as that squad moved to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Levis had also made two of the worst decisions any QB has all season, with turnovers — second of which drawing Callahan’s ire — costing the Titans against the Bears and Packers in Weeks 1 and 2. But GM Ran Carthon made several offseason moves designed to support his QB investment. For now, the 1-3 Titans are sticking with that plan.