NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/21
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Kevin Peterson, LB Joe Walker
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OLB Ledarius Mack, G Dareuan Parker, LB Rashad Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Michael Dwumfour
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DB Tony Brown, T Dan Skipper
- Released: DB Robert Jackson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Nate Hall
- Released: DL Andrew Brown
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Luke Stocker
- Released: OL Zack Bailey
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Sean Davis
New York Giants
- Signed: T Devery Hamilton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Linden Stephens
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Danny Etling
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Dylan Cole, DT Kyle Peko
Washington Football Team
- Signed: DB Cole Luke
- Released: K Chris Blewitt
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S James Wiggins
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Jaylon Ferguson
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return: G Pat Elflein
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OLB Sam Kamara, RB Ryan Nall
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: DE Khalid Kareem
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: CB Kelvin Joseph, TE Sean McKeon
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return: T Taylor Decker, DT Kevin Strong
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Designated for return: TE Dominique Dafney
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: WR Danny Amendola, WR Nico Collins
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: LB Jordan Glasgow
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Jahlani Tavai
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: S Amani Hooker
Washington Football Team
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: CB Corn Elder
- Placed on IR: CB Darryl Roberts
Bears Place OL Germain Ifedi On IR
The Bears will be without one of their offensive line starters going forward. They moved Germain Ifedi to IR, knocking the veteran blocker out for at least three games.
A knee injury sustained late in the first half Sunday sidelined Ifedi, moving Elijah Wilkinson into Chicago’s lineup. That arrangement will likely continue beginning Sunday. Ifedi is not expected to miss the rest of the season, per Matt Nagy. The Bears also placed outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu on IR. Attaochu suffered a torn pec, which will end his season.
Ifedi has started all 21 games he has played for the Bears. The former first-round pick came over after an underwhelming Seahawks tenure, but the Texas A&M product has proven dependable in Chicago. Ifedi slid to guard last season, but after the Bears released Bobby Massie this offseason, Ifedi moved back to the right tackle spot he played in Seattle. The Bears’ upcoming stretch — against the Packers, 49ers and Buccaneers — stands to test Ifedi’s replacement.
Wilkinson signed with the Bears this offseason but could not win the starting right tackle job out of camp. The Bears are already without their preferred left tackle, rookie Teven Jenkins, but the team does roster Jason Peters on the left side. Wilkinson did serve as a plug-and-play option in Denver, being the Broncos’ primary right tackle in 2019 and adding seven more starts to his resume in place of the oft-absent Ja’Wuan James last season.
Saints Sign K Brian Johnson Off Bears’ Practice Squad
Following Cody Parkey‘s injury, the Saints will have a third kicker in three games. Brian Johnson looks set to succeed Aldrick Rosas and Parkey.
The Saints are signing Johnson off the Bears’ practice squad, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The team expressed interest in Ravens practice squad kicker Jake Verity, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill, but a Verity injury led the team to go with Johnson (Twitter link).
By rule, Johnson joining the Saints off the Bears’ P-squad will require his new team to carry him on its 53-man roster for at least three games. Parkey is now off New Orleans’ roster, having been placed on IR Monday. Parkey suffered a pulled groin during pregame warmups and struggled attempting to play through the injury.
A Virginia Tech alum, Johnson has not yet kicked in a regular-season NFL game. Johnson succeeded Joey Slye as the Hokies’ kicker, serving in that role with the ACC program from 2018-20. He made 20 0f 26 field goals as a senior. The Bears initially cut Johnson but kept him on their practice squad shortly after cutdown day. Although Wil Lutz is slated to return in the not-too-distant future, Johnson is set for an opportunity in New Orleans.
Bears LB Jeremiah Attaochu Out For Season
The Bears will be without one of their second-string pass rushers the rest of the way. Jeremiah Attaochu suffered a torn pectoral muscle and is slated to be shut down for the season, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Attaochu suffered the injury during the Bears’ Week 5 win over the Raiders. He had been a fairly frequent contributor off the Bears’ bench, playing 40% of the team’s defensive snaps thus far.
Chicago signed the former second-round pick this offseason, inking Attaochu to a two-year, $5.5MM deal to play behind starters Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. A former Chargers draftee, Attaochu spent the past two years under ex-Chicago DC Vic Fangio in Denver. He recorded five sacks for a Broncos team that was without Von Miller last season. This made a Bears assimilation under ex-Fangio lieutenant Sean Desai easier.
Beyond the eighth-year edge rusher, the Bears have 2020 fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson as a rotational edge presence. With Attaochu headed to IR, Gipson will stand as the lone other outside rusher on Chicago’s 53-man roster beyond Mack and Quinn.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/21
Keeping tabs on today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Darrell Daniels
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OLB/DL Sam Kamara
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DE Joe Jackson, FB Johnny Stanton
- Placed on IR: OL Chris Hubbard (story), FB Andy Janovich, S M.J. Stewart
Detroit Lions
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: CB Mark Gilbert
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: WR Chris Moore
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: OL Rashaad Coward
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: T Prince Tega Wanogho
- Waived: WR Daurice Fountain
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed off 49ers practice squad: OL Senio Kelemete
- Placed on IR: G Oday Aboushi
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Dan Chisena
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Christian Ringo
- Signed off Bears practice squad: K Brian Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: CB Davontae Harris, RB Jacques Patrick
Bears Move David Montgomery To IR, Activate Danny Trevathan
While the Bears moved their starting running back off their active roster Saturday, they received some good defensive news. The Bears activated Danny Trevathan off IR, putting the veteran linebacker in position to make his season debut in Week 5.
Trevathan will take David Montgomery‘s roster spot. Montgomery will miss at least Chicago’s next three games, and a more extended absence is expected. The third-year Bears starting running back is not believed to be out for the season — at least, not at this juncture — but the team will need to get by with a different backfield plan.
Chicago added ex-Kansas City starter Damien Williams this offseason. He should be expected to shoulder the brunt of the running back work in Montgomery’s absence. A career backup who saw Kareem Hunt‘s abrupt Chiefs departure change his career trajectory, Williams has managed to be an impact back without a considerable workload. In two Kansas City playoff slates, Williams totaled 10 touchdowns. Yet, he has just 310 career carries despite being in his age-29 season. Williams opted out of the 2020 campaign, leading him to the Bears.
Trevathan, 31, has been with the Bears since 2016. A knee injury during training camp sidelined the 10th-year linebacker, but Trevathan returned to practice last week. His presence alongside Roquan Smith stands to strengthen Chicago’s defense, which enters Week 5 10th in points allowed.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/21
Keeping tabs on the latest taxi squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR/KR Nsimba Webster
- Released: OL Alex Taylor
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DT Mike Pennel
Chicago Bears
- Waived: WR/KR Nsimba Webster
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Michael Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Hjalte Froholdt (from Texans’ practice squad)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Ryan McCollum (from Texans’ practice squad)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for Return: LB Willie Gay
- Placed on IR: DE Joshua Kaindoh
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Brandon Facyson (from Chargers’ practice squad)
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Harrison Hand
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: CB Danny Johnson, LB Jordan Kunaszyk
Bears’ David Montgomery To Miss Time
The Bears will be without David Montgomery for a while (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The running back’s knee injury isn’t a season ender, but it’s expected to cost him several weeks.
Montgomery could return sometime around Week 10 — the Bears’ bye week. It’s unfortunate timing, especially on the heels of his second 100-yard game. Montgomery opened the year with 108 yards against the Rams and, on Sunday, put up 106 yards against Detroit. All in all, he has 309 yards and three touchdowns on the ground plus six grabs for 49 yards.
Ultimately, the injury is not as bad as it first appeared. Montgomery was down for a while after hurting his knee in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off of the field. And, historically, he’s been pretty resilient. Despite bumps and bruises, Montgomery missed just one game between 2019 and 2020.
In the meantime, that leaves the Bears with Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert as their lone RBs. Practice squader Ryan Nall could get called up, but the Bears may also want to explore some out-of-house options.