Colts Place G Quenton Nelson On IR
The hits keep coming for the Colts. The team placed All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson on injured reserve today (per the team’s Twitter). Nelson recently suffered a high-ankle sprain, an injury that will keep him sidelined for at least the next three games.
The sixth-overall pick in the 2018 draft quickly established himself as one of the top offensive guards in the NFL. The lineman has earned a Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro recognition in each of his three professional seasons.
Nelson hadn’t missed a game through his first three year in the NFL. He underwent surgery in early August to repair a bone issue in his foot, and his recovery timeline put him at risk of missing the season opener. The 25-year-old managed to battle back and appear in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1 (and subsequently Week 2). Nelson was limited to only 13 snaps last weekend before suffering his injury.
The Colts made two additional moves today in anticipation of tomorrow’s matchup against the Dolphins. The team promoted both safety Ibraheim Campbell and quarterback Brett Hundley from the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/1/21
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Claimed (from Chargers): DL Eric Banks
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Ross Blacklock, LB Zach Cunningham
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DL Joe Gaziano
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB James White (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Sharif Finch, DT Woodrow Hamilton
Washington Football Team Activates Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel is set to make his Washington debut. The WFT has officially activated the wide receiver off of injured reserve and onto the 53-man roster (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus). 
Samuel joined Washington on a three-year deal worth up to $35.25MM with $24.5MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, he was saddled by a groin injury throughout the summer and opened the year on short-term IR. Now, after missing the first three weeks of the season, he should be ready to go this week against the Falcons.
Samuel will pair with top wideout Terry McLaurin to provide Taylor Heinicke with better ammunition. Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick, is coming off of a career year with 1,051 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns for the Panthers. He also notched career-high 41 rushing attempts, so he could also help Ron Rivera & Co. out of the backfield.
As of this writing, WFT has seven WRs on the 53-man roster: Samuel, McLaurin, Adam Humphries, third-round pick Dyami Brown, DeAndre Carter, Cam Sims, and seventh-round rookie Dax Milne. One of those players will likely be cut loose before the end of the business day.
Dolphins Place Michael Deiter On IR
The Dolphins have placed center Michael Deiter on injured reserve (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). It’s not clear what Deiter is dealing with, but he’ll be out for at least the next three games.. 
[RELATED: Dolphins To Place Tagovailoa On IR]
Deiter, a 2019 third-round pick, went from starting guard, to backup, to starting center this year. Without him, the ‘Fins will pivot to Greg Mancz, a longtime Texans lineman acquired via trade from the Ravens. Mancz may not be a world-beater, but he does offer a resume with 58 career appearances, including 28 starts.
It’s another blow to the Dolphins offense, following Tua Tagovailoa‘s rib fracture. At minimum, the young quarterback will be out for the next two games against the Colts and Buccaneers. Deiter, meanwhile, cannot return any sooner than Oct. 24 against the Falcons. On the plus side, the Dolphins expect wide receiver Will Fuller to suit up against Indy this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DB Luq Barcoo
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DB Trayvon Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Tim Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: WR Tavon Austin (story)
- Promoted: K Matthew Wright
Texans Waive K Joey Slye
Joey Slye‘s initial stint as the Texans’ kicker will end after three games. The Texans waived the young specialist Thursday, clearing the way for Ka’imi Fairbairn‘s return.
Houston stashed Fairbairn on IR to start the season. After three games, the team designated its longtime kicker to return. Fairbairn, who has been the Texans’ kicker since 2017, suffered a hamstring injury while warming up for Houston’s preseason finale.
The Texans picked up Slye shortly after the Panthers waived him. Slye is 4-for-5 in field goals to start his third season and 7-for-8 on extra points. The Panthers cut him to go with trade acquisition Ryan Santoso, but the team moved on from Santoso after one game. Zane Gonzalez currently serves as Carolina’s kicker.
Should Slye pass through waivers unclaimed, he could return to Houston’s practice squad. While only six teams currently carry an extra kicker on their taxi squad, the Texans opted for this strategy to start the season. The Texans initially added Slye on a P-squad deal before promoting him ahead of Week 1, though they did so knowing Fairbairn was set to miss time.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/21
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Zack Johnson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Thaddeus Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Bryan Mills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: T Jonathan Hubbard
Raiders Designate Jalen Richard For Return
The Raiders have designated running back Jalen Richard for return. Meanwhile, fellow RB Josh Jacobs joined the team for practice on Thursday, a sign that he could take the field against the Chargers this week. 
Richard has spent five seasons with the Raiders, including a 2018 campaign where he finished with 866 yards from scrimmage. He hasn’t been able to match that production over the past two years, combining for only 729 yards from scrimmage in 29 games. Still, the 27-year-old was supposed to open the year as a primary backup to Jacobs. Instead, he’s been sidelined for the last couple of months with a foot injury.
Jacobs, meanwhile, has not been seen since the season opener against the Ravens. Instead of putting him on IR and ruling him out for three games, they’ve tasked Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber with handling the workload. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher scored two touchdowns in that game with 40 all-purpose yards.
Drake has yet to flourish in their stead, but Barber delivered last week with 111 rushing yards to help top the Dolphins.
Titans To Sign Johnny Townsend
The Titans are set to sign punter Johnny Townsend (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). This likely means that current punter Brett Kern will miss time as he recovers from a groin injury. 
At minimum, Townsend should see time against the Jets. A fifth-rounder in 2018, he spent his rookie year as the Raiders’ punter. The following year, he was leapfrogged by UDFA A.J. Cole. After leaving the Raiders with a 43.2 yards per kick average, he signed deals with the Giants and Chiefs, but did not play for either team. The Ravens did use him briefly last year though, trotting him out in the regular season finale.
The Titans were in a similar spot last year as Kern missed three games. It was a reminder of how critical a punter can be — fill-in Trevor Allen had a disastrous outing in a one-sided loss to the Colts. They’ll hope for better results this time around with Townsend.
The 2-1 Titans face the winless Jets this Sunday in New Jersey.
DT Gerald McCoy Suspended Six Games
Gerald McCoy is already out for the 2021 campaign, but that didn’t stop the NFL from handing him a suspension. The Raiders defensive tackle was slapped with a six-game ban today, reports ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez (via Twitter).
McCoy was banned for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He’ll begin serving the suspension immediately.
“I love the game of football and have nothing but respect for the players, fans, and this league,” McCoy said in a statement (via Twitter). “I’ve given my all to this game and worked my entire career to compete, train, and rehabilitate at a high level with integrity. It is with great disappointment that I recently learned I tested positive for a banned substance – something I was prescribed to take to help with scar tissue and tendon strength from a previous injury. In no way would I ever intentionally take anything to help with performance or gain a competitive advantage. This was an honest mistake, but it’s something I take full responsibility for. I apologize to my family, the NFL, my teammates, and the fans and ask humbly for your forgiveness.”
McCoy was already sidelined for the entire 2021 campaign after suffering a season-ending injury during Week 1. However, it sounds like McCoy was punished for using a substance that helped him rehabilitate a previous injury…perhaps the torn quad that prevented him from taking the field for the Cowboys in 2020.
McCoy earned six Pro Bowl nods with the Buccaneers and performed as one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman in the 2010s. He spent 2019 with the Panthers, appeared in all 16 games, and registered five sacks, giving him 59.5 for his career.