Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/23
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: TE Princeton Fant
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: LB Ben VanSumeren
Laviska Shenault Jr. missed a handful of games earlier this season thanks to a high ankle sprain, but he was able to avoid an IR stint. He wasn’t as lucky this time around, as a new ankle injury will keep him off the field for at least the next four games. Shenault has hauled in 10 receptions this season for 60 yards, and he’s added another 55 yards on 12 carries. The former Jaguars second-round pick has also returned six kickoffs.
Panthers Claim CB Shaquill Griffin
Shaquill Griffin did not make it past team No. 1 on the waiver wire. Despite the veteran cornerback sitting in free agency for nearly two months between his Jaguars and Texans stays, he generated immediate interest after Houston waived him Wednesday.
The Panthers will use their top waiver priority to claim Griffin, the team announced Thursday. This will mark a return to the NFC for the former Seahawks starter. This is Griffin’s third team this year. In 10 Texans games, the seventh-year defender made six starts. But Houston’s depth improving led the resurgent team to cut bait.
This year has brought an undeniable fall for Griffin, who was one of the top defensive free agents in 2021. The Jaguars gave him a three-year, $40MM contract. A back injury in 2022 led to Griffin being a cap casualty after the season, as no guaranteed money remained on the deal for 2023. It took until May for Griffin to find another home, via a one-year deal worth $3.5MM in Houston, but he made some notable contributions during the Texans’ 6-5 start. The Panthers will be responsible for the remaining $529K of Griffin’s base salary.
Pro Football Focus ranks Griffin 52nd among corners, a middle-of-the-pack placement after his injury-marred 2022. With Derek Stingley Jr. and multiple slot cornerbacks suffering injuries early in the season, the Texans turned to their mid-offseason pickup as a starter. Griffin intercepted a Joe Burrow pass to help the Texans complete an upset victory. With Stingley activated from IR following that game, the Texans demoted Griffin to a special-teamer. He has not played a defensive snap since that Week 10 win over the Bengals.
For his career, Griffin has made 78 starts. Most of them came in Seattle, where the former third-round pick became a regular as the NFC West squad moved on from Richard Sherman. The Seahawks have not shown a penchant, aside from Sherman’s 2014 extension, to give cornerbacks second contracts. Many Pete Carroll-era cogs have moved on; Griffin did so after earning a Pro Bowl invite in 2019 and intercepting three passes in 2020. The 28-year-old defender will have another chance this season — albeit on the NFL’s worst team.
Centering their corner situation on Jaycee Horn, the Panthers are still waiting for the former No. 8 overall pick to break through. Injuries have hounded the South Carolina alum, who has been out since Week 1 with a severe hamstring injury. The Panthers designated Horn for return recently and have until Monday to activate him. The team could activate Horn and keep him inactive, in order to keep the door open for a late-season return. But Griffin will provide some veteran insurance alongside Donte Jackson and C.J. Henderson.
Seahawks Activate T Abraham Lucas
Having lost three of their past four games, the Seahawks are in the middle of their toughest schedule sector. After a one-sided loss to the 49ers, the Seahawks face the Cowboys tonight and then match up against the Eagles before their San Francisco trip. With wild-card hopes hinging on this stretch, Seattle will have a key player back for Week 13.
The team activated right tackle Abraham Lucas from IR on Thursday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The 2022 third-round pick has been out since going down with a knee injury in Week 1. Two games have passed since Seattle opened his practice window, but a third will not. Lucas will be in position opposite Charles Cross against Dallas.
[RELATED: Week 13 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
One of the only two-rookie tackle setups in NFL history, the Cross-Lucas tandem played a key role in Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year campaign and the Seahawks’ surprising playoff appearance. With the team having dropped to 6-5 and Smith’s production dipping from his stunning 2022 run, the Seahawks will need all the help they can get as they face the NFC’s best teams.
Lucas’ return gives the Seahawks some options, and ESPN.com’s Ed Werder notes the team is considering moving Jason Peters to guard. A career-long tackle until last season, Peters helped the Cowboys at guard at points in 2022. The 20th-year veteran has mixed in regularly at right tackle in recent weeks. Seahawks right guard Phil Haynes is set to miss tonight’s game with a toe injury. Haynes did not practice this week, while Lucas logged back-to-back full efforts as he moved into position to build on his rookie-year success.
Chosen 72nd overall out of Washington State, Lucas moved into Seattle’s starting lineup to begin his rookie season. He and Cross, last year’s ninth overall pick, started 16 games together; this partnership covered 94% of the 2022 Seahawks iteration’s offensive plays. Pro Football Focus graded Lucas just inside the top 40 at tackle last season. With Lucas out of the mix since going down in Week 1, the Seahawks have used Peters and young backup Stone Forsythe on the right edge.
As a whole, PFF ranks the Seahawks’ O-line 29th. Lucas’ return would not stand to solve every issue Seattle’s front has encountered, but the prospect of he and Peters on the right side provides some intrigue ahead of a game in which a team that recently made a buyer’s trade — sending the Giants second- and fifth-round picks for Leonard Williams — is a two-score underdog.
Seattle also moved Haynes to IR. Haynes had been a Seahawks backup for four seasons, but after the team released two-year starter Gabe Jackson this offseason, an in-house promotion occurred. The former fourth-round pick’s eight starts already surpass his pre-2023 total (five). This transaction will sideline Haynes until at least Week 17, however. PFF ranks the new starter outside the top 60 at guard, but this injury could force a creative replacement attempt — if Peters ends up being kicked inside.
Jets Open Aaron Rodgers’ Practice Window
Continuing to brief the public on his surprising effort to make an in-season return from an Achilles tear, Aaron Rodgers will take a pivotal step. The Jets are preparing to open their quarterback’s practice window Wednesday.
This transaction will give the Jets three weeks to determine if Rodgers makes sense as a candidate to come off IR. Going down four plays into his Jets tenure, Rodgers has insisted he wants to return. The future Hall of Famer underwent a speed-bridge surgery to repair the injury, and the operation is believed to allow for a quicker path back. So far, that has proven true.
Rodgers has stopped short of guaranteeing he will be back, citing the Jets’ playoff chances. But he has also not ruled out rejoining a team out of contention. With the Jets 4-7, this looms as a curious comeback effort. Though, the team will follow through with the first part of it.
During his most recent Pat McAfee Show-based update, Rodgers reaffirmed (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske) hopes to return but determined he was not ready to make a full determination on coming back this season. Although Rodgers pried the door back open regarding a comeback for a team without legitimate playoff aspirations, he again said the Jets’ record will be a factor. ESPN’s FPI gives Gang Green a 0.4% chance to make the playoffs. That would seemingly point to the soon-to-be 40-year-old passer storing his cleats and preparing for the offseason program, but he will begin to see how he feels in practice.
An activation would mark a historic comeback from an Achilles tear. Players have come back from Achilles ruptures in the not-so-distant past — just not this quickly. Then-Rams running back Cam Akers went down in July 2021 but was back by Week 17. Terrell Suggs and Michael Crabtree, respectively, suffered tears during the spring of 2012 and 2013, respectively. The Ravens linebacker and 49ers wide receiver each came back during the season. Suggs was back by Oct. 21, 2012; Crabtree returned Dec. 1, 2013.
While Rodgers’ position is not predicated as much on athleticism, coming back around three months after an Achilles tear would be a significant NFL accomplishment. Even returning to practice in-season is notable as far as Achilles recoveries go. It reminds of Jerry Rice‘s 1997 timetable. The legendary wideout suffered a partially torn ACL in Week 1 of his 13th season but was back in uniform for San Francisco’s Week 16 matchup with Denver. Rice scored a touchdown upon returning but was lost for the season after reinjuring the knee during that Monday-night game, hurting the eventual No. 1-seeded team’s Super Bowl chances. The Jets’ 2023 season will not stand to complicate a Rodgers return, as the team’s recent struggles make this more about one player’s quest than a return that impacts the AFC playoff race.
Robert Saleh said Wednesday that Rodgers has been cleared for functional football activity and added the 19th-year veteran returning to practice now would not jeopardize his long-term outlook. Rodgers almost definitely would not be signing off on this if he feared a reinjury, one that would impact his 2024 status, and will only come back upon receiving full clearance, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. Saleh had previously said the Jets would not stand in Rodgers’ way if he wants to come back — even in a potentially lost season — and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano adds the team indeed is not expected to block its starter from returning under these circumstances.
Rodgers also left the door open to this practice return not leading to game action. If the Jets do not activate Rodgers by Dec. 20, he will land on season-ending IR. Given their recent woes, that still seems like the most likely outcome. The Jets benched Zach Wilson once again and have turned to Tim Boyle, who is on track to return as the team’s Week 13 starter. New York has lost four straight, seeing Wilson flatline and Boyle lead a 159-yard offensive effort in a one-sided Week 12 loss to the Dolphins.
This once-farfetched return scenario reached the point in which GM Joe Douglas said the team expected to have its starter back before season’s end. Those remarks came at the trade deadline, when the Jets still enjoyed more realistic playoff goals. The team would have a chance to see how Rodgers looks with its set of skill-position players, though offensive line injuries should also be a factor when the parties determine if a comeback is worthwhile. Alijah Vera-Tucker is out for the season, while Connor McGovern and Wes Schweitzer are on IR. Both Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton have missed time this year. Assuming the Jets retain their coaching staff for 2024, the team would not exactly need to see Rodgers in its system this season. Rodgers worked with embattled OC Nathaniel Hackett from 2019-21.
A $35MM guaranteed roster bonus awaits Rodgers next year, and despite being close to retirement this offseason, the four-time MVP has since said he viewed the Jets trade as a path toward a multiyear partnership. The Jets reworked Rodgers contract this summer, with the outspoken QB taking a pay cut in order to help the team bolster its roster. The team has received criticism for not doing more to replace Rodgers, and Wilson’s repeated shortcomings have led the route to 4-7. But Rodgers remains in the Jets’ future beyond 2023. Will this long-rumored plan of a return before that point actually lead to more game action?
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/23
Wednesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated for return from IR: G Elijah Wilkinson
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: G Chandler Zavala (story)
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: WR Brandon Johnson
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB Desmond King
- Placed on IR: T Tytus Howard (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return from IR: RB Chris Brooks
New York Jets
- Designated for return from IR: CB Justin Hardee, G Wes Schweitzer
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Jaleel Johnson
After missing the Cardinals’ last six games on injured reserve, Wilkinson is now on track to return to his starting left guard post this season. Arizona has used a mixture of Trystan Colon and Carter O’Donnell to fill the spot in the interim.
King found his way to the Texans’ practice squad after being waived by the Steelers and was elevated to game action last week. After starting 25 games for Houston in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, King will be a welcome addition back to the active roster.
Hardee has missed six games with a hamstring injury. The Pro Bowl special teamer returned to practice today alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Schweitzer. Schweitzer was one of several offensive linemen in New York who sustained injuries earlier this year, but after missing the four games required of an IR stint, Schweitzer is working to return, as well.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/23
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Tom Kennedy
- Released: WR Dylan Drummond
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Bo Melton, RB James Robinson
Houston Texans
- Signed: K Matt Ammendola
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Mathew Sexton, K Matthew Wright
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
Rumored to be eyeing kickers after rookie Chad Ryland‘s game-tying miss in Week 12, the Patriots will give Wright another opportunity. The Jaguars’ primary 2021 kicker, Wright has not kicked in a game this season. He logged six as a replacement leg — for the Steelers and Chiefs — last season. The Pats drafted Ryland in the fourth round and jettisoned Nick Folk on roster-cutdown day, trading the veteran to the Titans. Ryland has missed 35-yard field goals in back-to-back games; the Patriots will now give him competition.
Waived to make room for Monday claim Derek Barnett, Ammendola remains in place as the Texans’ Ka’imi Fairbairn fill-in. Ammendola, who also worked as a Harrison Butker replacement last season in Kansas City, will be elevated to Houston’s active roster once again, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Ammendola missed two 50-plus-yard field goals, including a game-tying 58-yard try, last week. Fairbairn, who is recovering from a strained quad, can be activated from IR next week.
Chiefs LB Nick Bolton Returns To Practice
The Chiefs remain in the top five in total defense and points allowed, and they check in eighth in defensive DVOA. But the 8-3 team has lost two games without its top linebacker.
Nick Bolton is rehabbing a dislocated wrist that required surgery. Despite the third-year defender’s initial timetable being approximately two months, he returned to Chiefs practice Wednesday. The AFC West leaders officially designated Bolton for return from IR, starting his 21-day activation clock.
Kansas City looks to be proceeding in accordance with Bolton’s previously reported timetable. Andy Reid said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher) the standout tackler will be brought along slowly. The Chiefs placed Bolton on IR five weeks ago, with their bye coming during this stretch. That stands to help the defending champs, who lost to the Broncos and Eagles during Bolton’s second absence this season. The team’s oft-discussed pass-game inconsistency obviously contributed to those defeats, but Kansas City having Bolton back will be critical to tightening a sturdy defensive safety net.
While overshadowed by the two future Hall of Famers on offense and Chris Jones on defense, Bolton has become one of the league’s top young linebackers. The former second-round pick ripped off a 180-tackle season in 2022 and scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LVII, coming a split-second away from a second TD in that game. This season, however, Bolton has only suited up for four games. An ankle injury sidelined the 23-year-old ‘backer for a three-game stretch earlier this year.
Willie Gay is in a contract year, and the Chiefs fortified their linebacking corps by signing former Charger Drue Tranquill to a low-cost deal (one year, $3MM) this offseason. Those two have played the most snaps among Chiefs linebackers this season, while second-year performer Leo Chenal has seen more time compared to his rookie year.
Bolton will profile as an extension candidate next year, joining fellow 2021 second-round pick Creed Humphrey in that regard. The Mizzou product will attempt to solidify his value with a strong stretch run this season.
Lions Designate Hendon Hooker For Return
While the Lions’ 8-3 start has put Hendon Hooker‘s rookie season on the back burner, the third-round pick will put on a uniform this season. He will start with a practice jersey. The Lions designated Hooker for return from the reserve/NFI list Wednesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Hooker fell in the draft due to the ACL tear he suffered Nov. 19, 2022. The Lions have exercised considerable caution with their QB project, with this return designation coming 53 weeks later. This marks the second straight year a key Lions draftee will return to practice after spending much of the season on the NFI list. Jameson Williams came back in December of last season after sustaining an ACL tear in January 2022.
Dan Campbell hinted (via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers) a Hooker practice debut would happen soon. With Jared Goff healthy and entrenched as Detroit’s starter and signed through 2024 (with an extension on the radar), the Lions can take their time with Hooker, whom they chose 68th overall. While it is unlikely the Tennessee- and Virginia Tech-developed QB prospect will play this season, he is moving close to a potential role as the team’s emergency quarterback on gamedays. Even that may be a bridge too far, as the Lions have used a two-QB gameday setup thus far.
If Hooker is not activated in the next three weeks, he must spend the season on the NFI list. Were that to happen, Hooker would see his rookie contract toll, moving the four-year deal from 2024-27 instead of 2023-26. Rather, the Lions had planned to activate the rookie when he became eligible.
Hooker met with several teams during the pre-draft process. Gauging the former Heisman candidate’s rehab process made sense for QB-seeking clubs. Rumors about Hooker potentially going as high as the late first round circulated, but he fell out of Round 2. The Lions had traded down from No. 63 to 68, and they stopped Hooker’s slide. They are in the unusual position of developing a quarterback who will likely not be viewed as even a backup option until his age-26 season. Hooker spending five seasons in college, using his extra eligibility year the NCAA granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely affected his draft slot as well. Campbell said Hooker’s age was not a factor for them.
Detroit appeared to be OK going into the season with only Nate Sudfeld behind Goff, but the team signed Teddy Bridgewater in July. The veteran has not been needed this season, but he stands to finish out the year as the Lions’ backup. The Lions would have a spot for Hooker, as the No. 3 QB, with Sudfeld on season-ending IR. David Blough sits as Detroit’s de facto QB3, residing on the practice squad. Hooker’s return could affect Blough, but the Lions may also keep all four once they activate the rookie.
Prior to his ACL tear, the 6-foot-3 prospect piloted Tennessee to five wins over ranked competition — including a shootout conquest over Alabama — last season. Hooker finished his two-year Vols run with 58 touchdown passes and five interceptions; the six-year collegian was far less prolific at Virginia Tech. As our Ely Allen pointed out in April, Hooker playing in what is viewed as a QB-friendly offense at Tennessee could affect his NFL development. The Lions will begin that process in earnest today.
Panthers To Sign G Gabe Jackson
Seeing guard injuries play a key role in their offensive struggles, the Panthers are adding a veteran presence. Following his Wednesday workout, Gabe Jackson will sign with Carolina, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets.
This agreement comes nearly nine months after the Seahawks cut the veteran blocker. Jackson has 130 career starts over a nine-year career. The Panthers have been without left guard Brady Christensen since mid-September and recently saw Austin Corbett suffer an MCL injury that will sideline the right guard for the rest of the season. This will initially be a practice squad deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
The Christensen and Corbett setbacks open the door for Jackson, who is now 32. The former Raiders and Seahawks starter was not closely connected to a team during his lengthy free agency stay, but he stands as one of the NFL’s most experienced active guards. While it is far from certain Carolina will look to keep Jackson beyond this season — especially considering the reeling team will hire another new coach in 2024 — but the 1-10 squad represents an opportunity for the longtime first-stringer to play a 10th season and potentially make an effort to better position himself for free agency next year.
Although Christensen has been a multiyear starter, the Panthers had navigated his early-season exit (due to a biceps injury) for a while. But one of Carolina’s replacement options is now facing a season-ending malady. Rookie Chandler Zavala, who has been a starter for much of the season due to the Panthers losing both Christensen and Corbett, is an IR candidate, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Zavala, a fourth-round pick, suffered a knee injury in Week 12. Cade Mays left Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury, continuing this positional bloodbath for a team intent on maximizing what is left of Bryce Young‘s rookie year.
The Panthers have used Brett Toth as a fill-in starter; they finished Week 12 with he and rookie UDFA Nash Jensen at guard. This situation could point Jackson directly to a starting role, though given the timing here, the team may wait before such a move. That said, the Panthers have struggled to protect Young this season. While Carolina is buried in the standings and is focusing on another coaching search, the team still has six games of Young development to complete. Installing a veteran to help keep the No. 1 overall pick upright makes sense through this lens.
GM Scott Fitterer had already moved to Charlotte when the Seahawks traded for Jackson in March 2021, but the nine-year starter’s Seattle stay may still help for familiarity purposes. Upon being traded for a fifth-round pick, Jackson started 31 games in Seattle. Pro Football Focus viewed the once-dependable Raider as better in 2021 than he was last year, but given the timing of the Panthers’ latest guard need, pickings are slim.
Although Jackson has never made a Pro Bowl, the Raiders thought enough of him to authorize a $10MM-per-year extension in 2017. Jackson then played two years on a $7.5MM-AAV Seahawks pact. This Panthers agreement likely checks in at or near the prorated veteran minimum.
Texans To Waive CB Shaquill Griffin
The Texans will become the second AFC South team this year to cut ties with Shaquill Griffin. Houston is waiving the veteran cornerback Wednesday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
After the Jaguars released Griffin this offseason, he ended up in Houston. The Texans have used the former Seahawks draftee as a starter in six games, but the team had benched him for the past two. Although Jackson went straight to free agency following his Jacksonville release, all players cut after the trade deadline are subject to waivers.
Houston gave Griffin a one-year, $3.5MM deal in May. Because the Texans used void years to lower Griffin’s cap hit, they will be on the hook for nearly $2MM in dead money as a result of this release. But the team is healthier at corner than it has been for most of the season, leaving Griffin without a clear role.
Derek Stingley Jr., Tavierre Thomas and Grayland Arnold had missed time due to injuries this season, and the team recently re-signed Desmond King to a practice squad deal. King worked as a gameday elevation in Week 12.
The Texans used Griffin exclusively on special teams over the past two weeks, demoting the seventh-year veteran after he had logged a 95% defensive snap share in five straight games earlier this season. Griffin, 28, had entered the Texans’ starting lineup following a Stingley hamstring injury that moved the top-three draftee to IR in September. The team activated Stingley in Week 10.
Pro Football Focus measured Griffin as a mid-pack corner this season, slotting him 52nd at the position. He intercepted one pass and broke up four more in 10 Texans games. The Jaguars had given the former third-round pick a three-year, $40MM contract during Urban Meyer‘s year in charge. A back injury stalled Griffin’s Jacksonville run, ending his 2022 season after five games. The Trent Baalke–Doug Pederson regime moved on this offseason, saving $13MM in the process.
A 78-game starter during his run in Seattle, Jacksonville and Houston, Griffin could certainly land elsewhere on waivers. It will be interesting to see if another team takes a flier on the 6-foot defender.