Steelers Activate T.J. Watt
The Steelers have activated T.J. Watt from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, per a club announcement. This means the star linebacker will be eligible to play in tomorrow’s game against the Ravens. 
[RELATED: Steelers Place Ebron On IR]
Watt, 27, has 12.5 sacks, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries through nine games this year. Even with the time he’s missed due to hip and knee injuries, his 12.5 sacks are good for second in the NFL behind Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. The Steelers, stationed at 5-5-1, are getting him back at a critical juncture. A win would keep their slim playoffs alive; a loss would virtually rule them out of a Wild Card berth.
Watt has spent the week away from the team in quarantine, but coaches have been keeping him in the loop. The Steelers have been sending him practice footage (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Aditi Kinkhabwala), getting him up to speed on their plan to contain Lamar Jackson.
While the Steelers will have Watt, cornerback Joe Haden, defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, and inside linebacker Robert Spillane will not be on the field against Baltimore. The Steelers may or may not have Cam Heyward available — the defensive lineman was held out of practice yesterday with an undisclosed illness.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/21
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: RB Buddy Howell
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: LB Trent Harris, TE Kaden Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Breshad Perriman (story)
Surgery For Saints QB Taysom Hill?
The Saints believe that quarterback Taysom Hill has suffered a torn tendon in his middle finger that may require surgery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Hill will know more after further testing, but he’s likely dealing with Mallet Finger, the same injury that forced Seahawks QB Russell Wilson to miss time this year.
Hill started under center for the Saints last night, completing just 19 of his 41 throws for two touchdowns against four interceptions. On the plus side, he was able to make plays with his feet, carrying the ball eleven times for 101 yards.
Hill came into the game with a partially torn plantar fascia that still isn’t 100%. Then, after suffering the finger injury, he had to play with a splint on his throwing hand — that didn’t go so well, so it stands to reason that the Saints will keep Hill off the field for at least a few weeks. And, now that the Saints are 5-7 with slim odds of securing a Wild Card spot, there’s little reason to rush things.
“I thought he played with a lot of heart, a lot of guts. We didn’t help him any in the first half,” said head coach Sean Payton, referencing Hill’s first interception, a catchable ball thrown to Kenny Stills (via ESPN.com).
The Saints, who will likely be without Hill, have a little over a week before their next game against the Jets.
Buccaneers Promote Breshad Perriman
The Buccaneers are promoting Breshad Perriman to the active roster, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). He’ll fill the spot of fellow wide receiver Antonio Brown during his three-game suspension. 
[RELATED: NFL Suspends Antonio Brown]
Perriman re-joined the Bucs earlier this month for his second stint in Tampa. Last time around, in 2019, he registered 36 receptions for 645 yards and six touchdowns. That performance earned him a one-year, $8MM deal ($6MM guaranteed) with the Jets. He had a solid season in New York during the 2020 campaign, finishing with 511 yards from scrimmage.
This year, he was initially set to play with the Lions, but he was dropped before the final cut. He later joined the Bears, but was released without appearing in a single snap. Since returning to Tampa, Perriman has been jockeyed between the active roster and the practice squad. To date, he’s got just two catches for 19 yards in two games.
As of this writing, the Bucs now have six WRs on the roster in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, Jaelon Darden, and Perriman. Perriman could see some time this Sunday when the Bucs face the Falcons in Atlanta.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
New England Patriots
- Signed: K Quinn Nordin
Saints Rework Ryan Ramczyk’s Deal
The Saints have restructured Ryan Ramczyk‘s contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Now, the right tackle will have a portion of his base salary converted into a fully guaranteed roster bonus for 2022. The move will provide the Saints with an extra $242K in cap room for this year. 
[RELATED: Saints Place Kpassagnon On IR]
Ramczyk inked a five-year, $96MM extension with the Saints over the Summer, a mega-deal with $60MM in guarantees. The original agreement also gave the Saints some sorely needed breathing room — his fifth-year option would have carried a hit of $11MM for 2021; the extension tamped it down to $5.5MM. The restructure lowers the hit even further, allowing the Saints to bring in outside help if even more injuries arise.
Ramczyk’s $19.2MM AAV positions him as the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle. It was something of a no-brainer for the Saints — Ramczyk won’t turn 28 until April and he’s performed as one of the best blockers in the league throughout his career.
Unfortunately, Ramczyk has been sidetracked by injuries this year — both he and Alvin Kamara were held out of last night’s game to the Cowboys, a 27-17 loss that dropped the Saints to 5-7 on the year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/21
Today’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LS Carson Tinker
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Olabisi Johnson
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Kyle Dugger
- Waived/Injured: K Quinn Nordin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: G Aaron Stinnie
Buccaneers’ Antonio Brown To Miss Time
Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown will miss at least two weeks as he rests his sprained ankle (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Brown, who suffered his injury way back in Week 6, will try to return after sitting out games against the Falcons and Bills. 
Brown also missed eight games in 2020, his inaugural season with the Buccaneers. In his five games played this year, Brown has registered 29 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns.
Despite Brown’s lengthy absence, Tampa Bay’s offense has been as prolific as expected, leading the league in both points (31.5) and passing yards (315.5) per game.
The earliest Brown is likely to return will be in Week 15, when the Bucs host the Saints on Sunday night.
Seahawks Hosting Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson could be on the verge of making his NFL return. The legendary running back is in Seattle today meeting with the Seahawks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Peterson joined the Titans earlier this year, following Derrick Henry‘s injury. He wound up seeing time in three games (two starts), collecting 90 yards and one touchdown on 31 touches. The 36-year-old was effectively leapfrogged by Dontrell Hilliard, however, leading to his late November release.
Peterson’s last full-time action came in 2020 with the Lions when he notched 604 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He compiled more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage as recently as 2019, and he rushed for 1,042 yards and seven scores with Washington in 2018.
If he joins the Seahawks, he’ll have an opportunity to join the 15,000-yard club for running backs, and with 367 more rushing yards, he would pass Barry Sanders for fourth all-time. If things don’t work out in Seattle, he could still find an opportunity elsewhere. The Ravens, Raiders, Bills, Falcons, and Dolphins were all said to have interest in him earlier this year, before his deal with Tennessee.
The Seahawks have already lost starting running back Chris Carson for the season, and Rashaad Penny may also have played his last snap of the year. In their absence, Seattle’s struggling ground game has been led by Alex Collins, who has turned 101 carries into 395 yards and two touchdowns.
The earliest Peterson could play would be this Sunday, when the Seahawks host the 49ers.
Kenny Vaccaro Retires From NFL
Kenny Vaccaro is calling it a career. On Wednesday, the longtime NFL safety announced that he is stepping away from the game to focus on a new e-sports venture (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
“This isn’t a reflex decision for me; it’s something I’ve thought about for a long time,” Vaccaro said. “I’ve been a gamer for even longer than I’ve played football, and I’ve always thought of myself as a gamer first. So this is the realization of a long-term dream for me…Life doesn’t end just because you put down the helmet. You can reinvent yourself.”
Vaccaro, a 2013 first-round pick, spent his first five years with the Saints and started in 67 of his 68 regular season games. After that, he found himself in a severely depressed market for veteran safeties. But, after settling for a cheap one-year deal with the Titans in 2018, he parlayed a strong season into a four-year, $26MM extension.
The veteran made 42 for the Titans before his release earlier this year. In 2020, his last NFL campaign, he finished out with 62 stops, one sack, and five passes defensed. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus — which have never been especially fond of his work — gave him a 58.8 overall grade, slotting him just 68th out of 84 qualified safeties.
After 110 career games, multiple postseason trips, and over $28MM in career earnings, Vaccaro is now set to enter the e-sports arena.