Bills Extend Mike White Through 2025
With Josh Allen expected to see minimal playing time in Week 18, the Bills promoted Mike White from the practice squad to the active roster, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. White will serve as Buffalo’s third-string quarterback behind Allen and Mitchell Trubisky.
The former Jet’s promotion also came with a one-year contract extension, according to Schefter, keeping the 29-year-old quarterback in Buffalo through the 2025 season. White signed with the Bills’ practice squad in August after losing the Dolphins’ backup quarterback battle to Skylar Thompson during training camp.
White has yet to appear in a game this season, though he has been elevated from the practice squad twice. Now that he is on the active roster, he can serve as the Bills’ emergency third quarterback without counting towards the team’s active list. If he was elevated from the practice squad on a game-by-game basis, he would have to be officially active in order to enter the game.
White’s new contract details are unknown, but the extension sets him up to compete with Trubisky for the Bills’ backup quarterback job next summer. Trubisky reunited with the Bills on a two-year, $5.25MM contract last offseason and has served as Allen’s backup all year.
For now, though, both players’ focus will be on Week 18 and the ensuing postseason. While the Bills are hoping that neither quarterback has to play meaningful snaps in the playoffs, Sunday’s game is an opportunity for a tune-up should Allen miss any time.
Ravens Activate Charlie Kolar From IR
The Ravens activated tight end Charlie Kolar from injured reserve on Friday, per a team announcement. He is expected to play in Baltimore’s regular season finale against the Browns on Saturday.
Kolar broke his arm during the Ravens’ Week 12 matchup with the Chargers, though he played through the injury for much of the fourth quarter. He landed on injured reserve later that week and was designated to return a month later.
The third-year tight end has quietly been an effective blocker in Baltimore’s league-leading rushing attack while taking full advantage of his limited opportunities as a pass-catcher. Kolar has recorded career-highs in targets (11), receptions (nine), and yards (131), including a Week 5 catch-and-run for a career-long 55 yards. His 3.12 yards per route run lead all tight ends with at least 10 targets, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he’s been targeted on 26.4% of his routes. With so many other weapons in the Ravens offense – including first-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers – opposing defenses tend to overlook Kolar, especially when Lamar Jackson fakes a handoff to Derrick Henry.
Kolar’s recovery is an example of the Ravens’ relatively good health as they approach the playoffs. Only one started – nose tackle Michael Pierce – has been on injured reserve all year, and he has made an appropriately-big impact on the defense since his return in Week 15.
The Ravens did place cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on injured reserve to clear a 53-man roster spot for Kolar. This is Armour-Davis’ second stint on IR this year and the fourth in his three-year career, reinforcing pre-draft injury concerns after he struggled with injuries at Alabama. He’s appeared in seven games this year with 94 snaps on defense and 135 on special teams. Armour-Davis will be eligible to return for the Super Bowl if the Ravens advance that far in the playoffs.
The Ravens also elevated defensive end Chris Wormley and wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad for Saturday’s game. Both players have appeared in two games this season; Wormley has made four tackles on defense while Miller’s lone reception of the year went for 16 yards against the Texans on Christmas.
Chiefs Designate Jaylen Watson For Return
The Chiefs have a rare opportunity at significant rest before the playoffs, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Christmas Day. Andy Reid‘s team is taking advantage of that, being set to rest starters — to the point it is a double-digit underdog in Denver — in Week 18.
Kansas City is also starting to see some players lost early in the season return. Weeks after Isiah Pacheco and Marquise Brown‘s returns from IR, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes cornerback Jaylen Watson is being designated for return. Watson has been out since late October with a broken leg.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
A 2022 seventh-round pick, Watson operated as the Chiefs’ initial L’Jarius Sneed replacement. Although the team was undecided on this job leading up to the season, Watson won it and played at least 93% of the team’s defensive snaps when healthy this season. The Chiefs will have three weeks to activate Watson. Considering they do not play a meaningful game for two weeks, the third-year defender has some time to complete his recovery.
Continuing a pattern of moving on from starting cornerbacks rather than paying them, the Chiefs dealt Sneed to the Titans for a 2025 third-round pick. After losing Williams, however, Kansas City has seen its usual blueprint fail to produce consistent coverage beyond standout Trent McDuffie.
In a small sample size this season, Pro Football Focus did have Watson rated 30th among corners. The boundary defender’s return stands to help a defense that already ranks second in points allowed heading into the playoffs. Watson replacement options Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson have each struggled. After playing a part-time role during the Chiefs’ 2022 and ’23 playoff runs, Watson figures to see extensive work — provided he is sufficiently recovered — during the team’s threepeat attempt.
These recoveries may well play a central role in the Chiefs’ chances at becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Kansas City will not have Rashee Rice back, but beyond the promising wideout, the two-time defending champs could be nearly at full strength when they suit up for their divisional-round game. Watson is attempting to follow Pacheco in returning from a fractured fibula. While Kansas City (15-1) has received steady criticism for its run of narrow victories regardless of opponent quality, the experienced team will certainly be a tough out during the postseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Morice Norris Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Terrell Edmunds
- Released: S Emany Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Tarron Jackson
The Chargers added some veteran safety depth in Terrell Edmunds today. The former first-round pick most recently had a two-month stint with the Steelers, collecting seven tackles in five games. Alohi Gilman could soon return to the Chargers lineup, but the team will still be down two players at the position with Elijah Molden and Marcus Maye sidelined, so there could be some open snaps for their newest player.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: LB Nicholas Morrow
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: RB Kendall Milton
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Tom Kennedy
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: WR John Rhys Plumlee
- Placed on IR: TE Brady Russell
The Patriots signed Haggai Ndubuisi off the Commanders practice squad just yesterday, but the team is already waiving the defensive tackle. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes, Ndubuisi is being waived with a non-football illness designation, an indication that something popped up during the player’s physical.
Brady Russell landed on IR today after the tight end dealt with a foot injury for much of the season. The special teamer got into 11 games with the Seahawks in 2024. In his place, the team signed John Rhys Plumlee from the practice squad. The rookie was listed by the Seahawks as a WR, but the former UCF QB served as an occasional signal-caller on Seattle’s scout team.
Cardinals Place James Conner On IR
The Cardinals placed running back James Conner on injured reserve on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, sidelining him for Arizona’s regular season finale against the 49ers.
Conner has been dealing with a “lingering right knee injury” this season, according to Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban. The two-time Pro Bowler left the game in Week 6 and again in Week 17, though he did not miss a start in between. Conner will join two other Cardinals running backs – rookie Trey Benson and Emari Demercado – on injured reserve.
Arizona turned to Michael Carter after Conner went down in Week 17 and is set to do so again after promoting him from the practice squad to fill its vacant 53-man roster spot. Carter began his career as a Jets fourth-round pick in 2021 and arrived in Arizona via waivers last season. He recorded 70 yards on 13 carries last week and will be looking to repeat his efficiency as an audition for a 2025 roster spot, with the Cardinals or elsewhere.
The Cardinals signed Conner to a two-year extension at the beginning of December, so they do not want to risk further injury to their expected lead ballcarrier for 2025. He is under contract through the 2026 season, though he could be released for $8MM in cap savings after next season, per OverTheCap.
Conner will finish the 2024 season with a career-high 1,094 rushing yards, though his per-carry and per-game averages were lower than last season. His 414 receiving yards were his most as a Cardinals and the second-highest total of his career.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/25
Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Jack Anderson, CB Luq Barcoo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Garret Greenfield
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Max Pircher
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25
Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on injured reserve: S Elijah Molden (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from injured reserve: G Jacob Johanning
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster from Cowboys’ practice squad: OT Braeden Daniels
- Placed on injured reserve: OT Kendall Lamm
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on injured reserve: TE C.J. Uzomah
Seattle Seahawks
- 21-day practice window expired: S K’Von Wallace
Chiefs Designate Mecole Hardman For Return
The Chiefs have designated wide receiver Mecole Hardman for return from injured reserve and opened his 21-day practice window, per Bleacher Report’s James Palmer.
Hardman landed on IR on December 7 with a knee injury after a quiet start to the season. He appeared in Kansas City’s first 12 games this season but made just 12 catches for 90 yards across his 114 offensive snaps.
Hardman had a bigger impact on special teams, averaging 10.2 yards on 20 punt returns and posting a career-high 26.4 yards per kickoff return. He will likely return to that role once healthy, though Nikko Remigio has done a solid job in his absence.
Hardman’s return may seem of little consequence given his lack of production this year, but he has been a solid playoff performer for the Chiefs in past championships runs. He has 393 combined rushing and receiving yards and four total touchdowns in his postseason career, including the game-winner in last year’s Super Bowl.
If Hardman is activated in time for the Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup with the Broncos, he will be catching passes from Carson Wentz, not Patrick Mahomes, according to Palmer. Head coach Andy Reid is opting to rest Mahomes and several other key starters for Sunday’s game with the AFC’s No. 1 seed already secured. Mahomes and the other resting players will have two weeks off before Kansas City embarks on their quest for a third straight championship.
Cowboys Release Ezekiel Elliott
JANUARY 1: As expected, Elliott cleared waivers on Wednesday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He is now free to sign with any team’s active roster or practice squad, though he is looking for an opportunity to play in the postseason.
DECEMBER 31: The Cowboys are waiving running back Ezekiel Elliott, per veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson. Elliott requested his release so he could explore an opportunity with a playoff-bound team.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released a statement (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer) praising Elliott as “one of the greatest to every play with the Star on their helmet. Because vested veterans are subject to the waiver wire after the trade deadline, Elliott will not hit free agency until he clears waivers.
“Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today,” Jones said in the statement.
This, of course, marks the second time the Cowboys have released Elliott in two years. They dropped his six-year, $90MM extension from the payroll in March 2023, designating the former rushing champion as a post-June 1 cut. That created the interesting scenario, once Elliott re-signed with the team in April 2024, of the ninth-year veteran carrying two contracts on Dallas’ payroll.
It remains unclear if Elliott will find the playoff opportunity he is seeking. His agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said that “nothing is imminent” and thanked the Cowboys for granting Elliott’s release, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Elliott is unlikely to be claimed on waivers after recording career-lows across the board this season, including 3.1 yards per carry and a 43.2% rushing success rate. A more likely route to a playoff team would be on a practice squad where he can get familiar with a new offense and work his way towards a postseason appearance.
However, almost every playoff team has at least one solid running back in their backfield. Elliott’s best chances might be in Cincinnati, where Chase Brown just suffered a sprained ankle and Zack Moss remains on injured reserve. Still, it’s hard to imagine Elliott playing anything more than a peripheral role this postseason after years of declining production following his excellent first three years in the league.