NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/2/24
Here are Monday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Praise Olatoke
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Rashad Weaver
- Released: DE Malik Fisher
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB David Long
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Blake Larson
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris, LB Yvandy Rigby
New York Giants
- Signed: TE/FB Jakob Johnson
- Released: WR Miles Boykin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Ayo Oyelola
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Sam Okuayinonu, LB DaShaun White
- Released: T Sebastian Gutierrez
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Kendell Brooks
Weaver has dropped from the player who logged 640 defensive snaps in 2022, when Harold Landry was sidelined for the year, to the practice squad level. The Titans waived Weaver after setting their initial 53-man roster. He will follow ex-teammate Teair Tart by joining the Texans’ D-line upon being a Titans cut. Though, Tart landed in Houston via waiver claim and never dropped to the P-squad. Weaver registered 5.5 sacks in 2022 but did not record any in 15 games last season.
The Giants waived Long last week. He will join a Colts team that has made multiple moves at corner since setting its initial roster. Indianapolis, which took some heat for not augmenting its outside CB situation this offseason, claimed Samuel Womack off waivers from San Francisco and waived Darrell Baker. Long, a former Rams third-round pick, played for three teams (Raiders, Panthers, Packers in 2023.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/24
PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Jordan Murray, DL PJ Mustipher, OL Luke Tenuta
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Monty Rice, OL Elijah Wilkinson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Ja’Tyre Carter, WR Jalen Coker, TE Feleipe Franks, LB Thomas Incoom, DE Tarron Jackson, DT Jayden Peevy, S Demani Richardson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Chris Glaser, DL Sam Roberts
- Released: DB Quindell Johnson, DL Dashaun Mallory
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: G Tashawn Manning, RB Kendall Milton, DT Justin Rogers, DE Isaiah Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Gary Brightwell, WR Tulu Griffin, TE Cameron Latu, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Released: LS Rex Sunahara
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Phil Hoskins, CB Amani Oruwariye
Detroit Lions
- Released: S C.J. Moore
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Braeden Daniels, TE Cole Fotheringham, WR Xavier Johnson, S Mark Perry, QB Kedon Slovis
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT McTelvin Agim, DE Titus Leo, TE Sean McKeon, G Atonio Mafi, K Spencer Shrader
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Blake Hance, S Matthew Jackson, WR Louis Rees-Zammit
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: TE Justin Shorter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Tony Jefferson, C Sam Mustipher, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Released: CB Robert Kennedy
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: RB Zach Evans
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Tim Boyle
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Ricky Lee, RB Zavier Scott
- Released: WR Jeshaun Jones, RB DeWayne McBride
New England Patriots
- Signed: DE Brevin Allen, G Jerome Carvin, DT Trysten Hill, C Bryan Hudson, G Michael Jordan, WR Jalen Reagor
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Austin Deculus, TE Treyton Welch
- Released: TE Mason Fairchild
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Art Green, DT Elijah Garcia, CB Duke Shelley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Brett Toth
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett, FB Jack Colletto, CB Zyon Gilbert, CB Thomas Graham Jr., LB Marcus Haynes, DL Jacob Slade, RB Jonathan Ward, TE Rodney Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Terrace Marshall, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Josh Jobe, LB Tyreke Smith
- Released: T Raiqwon O’Neal
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: C Avery Jones, T Lorenz Metz, WR Ryan Miller, WR Cody Thompson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL James Lynch
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LB Jalen Graham, CB Bobby Price
Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.
Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale Flott–Nick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.
Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans moves are noted below.
Houston Texans
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- DE Solomon Byrd, OT Cameron Erving, DE Malik Fisher, FB Troy Hairston, DT Marcus Harris, WR Johnny Johnson, T David Sharpe, RB J.J. Taylor, LB Max Tooley, LB Zeke Turner, OL Kilian Zierer
Reverted to IR:
Indianapolis Colts
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
- CB Darrell Baker Jr.
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, DE Genard Avery, QB Jason Bean, S Marcel Dabo, RB Evan Hull, CB Chris Lammons, WR D.J. Montgomery, CB Jaylin Simpson, CB Ameer Speed, WR Laquon Treadwell
Jacksonville Jaguars
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- TE Shawn Bowman, CB Christian Braswell, WR Joshua Cephus, DE D.J. Coleman, WR Elijah Cooks, TE Josiah Deguara, S Terrell Edmunds, CB Tre Flowers, DE Joe Gaziano, RB Jalen Jackson, OL Steven Jones, LB Tanner Muse, QB E.J. Perry, RB Louis Rees-Zammit, WR Austin Trammell
Tennessee Titans
Signed:
Claimed:
- DE Ali Gaye, DB Julius Wood
Waived:
- TE Nick Vannett, OLB Rashad Weaver
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Abdullah Anderson, DB Tre Avery, DE Khalid Duke, DT Isaiah Iton, DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, DB Anthony Kendall, WR Mason Kinsey, C Corey Levin, WR Bryce Oliver, RB Jabari Small, G Cole Spencer, T Leroy Watson
2024 NFL Waiver Order
Waiver claims can begin coming in at 11am CT. While the waiver order will depend on 2024 records in several weeks, teams’ 2023 finishes currently determine it. Here is how the waiver priority list stacks up heading into today’s round of claims:
- Carolina Panthers
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs
Texans Place Case Keenum On Season-Ending IR, Reduce Roster To 53
Several vested veterans hit the chopping block in Houston. Here is how the defending NFC South champions reached 53 today:
Released:
- FB Nick Bawden
- FB Andrew Beck
- QB Tim Boyle
- WR Noah Brown (story)
- T Cameron Erving
- CB Mike Ford
- T Charlie Heck
- CB C.J. Henderson (story)
- DB Lonnie Johnson
- CB Desmond King (story)
- LB Jacob Phillips
- G Chris Reed
- CB D’Angelo Ross
- T David Sharpe
Waived:
- DT McTelvin Agim
- LB Tarique Barnes
- DE Solomon Byrd
- WR Quintez Cephus
- G Dieter Eiselen
- DE Malik Fisher
- DE Ali Gaye
- FB Troy Hairston
- DT Marcus Harris
- WR Johnny Johnson
- CB Troy Pride
- WR Ben Skowronek (story)
- RB J.J. Taylor
- LB Max Tooley
- T Kilian Zierer
Waived/injured:
Placed on season-ending IR:
- S Brandon Hill
- QB Case Keenum
Placed on IR/designated for return:
- LB Christian Harris
- DT Kurt Hinish
Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:
- DL Dylan Horton
Placed on reserve/suspended list:
- DL Denico Autry (story)
Keenum was headed into the second season of a two-year deal with his original NFL team, but a major injury will sidetrack the veteran arm. A foot injury will sideline the 36-year-old quarterback, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Keenum is expected to be down for three or four months, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds. Houston still has Davis Mills, who is in a contract year, as its top backup behind C.J. Stroud.
A calf injury will shut down Harris for the time being, Wilson adds. The Texans used both their allotted IR-return moves. The team used the 2022 third-round pick as a 12-game starter last season. Harris has played at least 71% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in both of his seasons, explaining his being prioritized via the NFL’s IR rule tweak. Despite being a 2022 UDFA, Hinish has been a key rotational player in Houston in each of his two pro seasons.
Horton is in remission from his bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The second-year player completed his final treatment this spring but did not practice with the team during training camp. The Texans’ run of WR cuts leaves 2022 second-rounder John Metchie, who missed his rookie season after a leukemia diagnosis, and Robert Woods on the roster behind starters Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs. Cutting Jordan, a sixth-round pick from Louisville, leaves Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers rostered behind Joe Mixon.
Texans To Cut WRs Ben Skowronek, Noah Brown; CBs C.J. Henderson, Desmond King Also Released
For a second time this year, a team has made plans to waive Ben Skowronek. When the Rams were close to doing so in May, they found a trade partner. As of now, the Texans do not have a trade in place.
Houston is moving on from a wide receiver it acquired from Los Angeles, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reporting Skowronek will be cut. He will not be the only wideout Houston is releasing. The team is cutting Noah Brown, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets. Brown totaled 567 receiving yards in his Texans debut. That said, the Texans entered the week with a crowded wide receiver room.
Additionally, the Texans are moving on from cornerback C.J. Henderson, per Wilson. The team added the former Jacksonville top-10 pick in March, bringing him in along with ex-Lions top-five CB draftee Jeff Okudah. But Henderson has struggled during his pro career, being benched by the Panthers during a rocky three-season tenure. Henderson is a vested veteran and will return to free agency.
The Texans are also moving on from Desmond King, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. King, who began a second stint with the team after the Steelers cut him last year, re-signed with the Texans this offseason. The veteran was competing for the team’s slot cornerback role.
Second-round pick Kamari Lassiter is slated to start opposite Derek Stingley. The Texans also signed ex-Patriots slot defender Myles Bryant in late March. Okudah remains on Houston’s roster, being given a one-year deal worth $4.75MM. The Texans gave Henderson a one-year, $2MM pact; only $500K was guaranteed.
Some of these players figure to be under consideration for Texans practice squad spots, but they also may have options in free agency. Brown impressed as a fill-in player for an injury-plagued receiving corps last year, and the longtime Cowboys option signed a one-year deal worth $4MM. With Brown being guaranteed $3MM, it is a bit surprising the team is moving on from a player with back-to-back 500-plus-yard seasons on his resume.
The Texans, however, acquired Stefon Diggs via trade and have Tank Dell returning from injury. The team also used a 2022 second-round pick on John Metchie. Despite the Alabama alum and leukemia survivor generating trade interest, he remains with the club. So does Robert Woods, who is tied to a two-year, $14MM deal. The Texans gave up only a 2026 sixth-round pick for Skowronek, who functioned as a utility player of sorts for the Rams.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/24
There have been plenty of posts today about a number of teams releasing and waiving players ahead of roster cuts. Here are the best of the rest of the minor moves for Monday:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Tayvion Robinson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Justin Blazek
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from active/PUP list: S D’Anthony Bell
Detroit Lions
- Waived: OLB Mitchell Agude, WR Kaden Davis, OL Bryan Hudson, RB Zonovan Knight, CB Rachad Wildgoose, TE Shane Zylstra
- Released: DL Pat O’Connor, LB Ty Summers
Houston Texans
- Released: DT McTelvin Agim, G Dieter Eiselen, LB Jacob Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DE Levi Bell
- Released: C Mike Panasiuk
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: CB Demarcus Governor
New York Giants
- Released: T Matt Nelson
New York Jets
- Waived: DT Jaylen Twyman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived (with injury settlement): S Mekhi Garner
- Waived: S Andre’ Sam
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: T Tyler Beach, WR Jacob Copeland, RB Daijun Edwards, T Devery Hamilton, T Anderson Hardy, CB Kyler McMichael, DE Marquiss Spencer, CB Kiondre Thomas
- Released: LB Kyahva Tezino, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: P Pressley Harvin III, G Lewis Kidd, WR Jontre Kirklin
- Released: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Willie Roberts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: DT C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene, CB Keenan Isaac, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, CB Chris McDonald, TE Tanner Taula, S Rashad Wisdom
Tennessee Titans
- Waived (with injury designation): LB JoJo Domann, WR Tre’Shaun Harrison
- Waived: T Brian Dooley, CB Tay Gowan, LB Mikel Jones, LB Thomas Rush, WR Sam Schnee, TE Steven Stilianos, P Ty Zentner
Nelson was an effective swing tackle for the Lions in the past three years. While he wasn’t able to stick with the Giants, he’s likely to draw interest elsewhere in the NFL.
The Eagles like Sam a lot at safety, but with a number of veterans atop the depth chart, there wasn’t room for him on the roster. The team plans to retain him on the practice squad should he clear waivers, per Andrew DiCecco of 975 The Fanatic. The Buccaneers have similar plans with Isaac, Taula, and Wisdom.
Texans WR John Metchie Drawing Trade Interest
The Texans boast one of the league’s top receiving corps, and their depth at the position has led to trade interest in John Metchie. Teams are making inquiries into the third-year wideout, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
Metchie had a productive final two seasons at Alabama, but an ACL tear suffered in the 2021 SEC title game led to questions about his health at the start of his rookie campaign. Those concerns proved to be a moot point, though, with an Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia diagnosis last summer forcing him to miss the year altogether. He managed to take part in 18 combined regular and postseason contests in 2023.
The 24-year-old Canadian saw a rotational role in the passing game last year, totaling 158 scoreless yards on 16 catches. During the 2024 preseason, he collected 100 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions, suggesting he has the potential to serve as a complementary option now that he is fully healthy. However, an established trio is ahead of him on Houston’s WR depth chart. The team extended Nico Collins this offseason, one in which Stefon Diggs was acquired via trade. Tank Dell – who had a promising start to his NFL career when on the field last season – is also in place.
Diggs’ production fell off during the second half of last season, but the four-time Pro Bowler is the most accomplished receiver the Texans have in place. Collins had a career year in 2023, racking up nearly 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns. That production landed him a three-year extension averaging $24.25MM per season, cementing his status as a focal point of the team’s passing game for years to come. Dell, meanwhile, showed great chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud last year and expectations are high for him in 2024.
Those factors could lead Houston to move on from Metchie, but the former second-rounder has two years remaining on his rookie contract. That could entice the team to keep him in the fold as a depth option alongside the likes of Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods and Noah Brown. Metchie’s limited production is also likely to hinder the value of any trade package teams are prepared to offer, so it would come as a surprise if Houston moved on. This situation will be worth watching as roster moves are made around the league, though.
NFL Injury Updates: Hill, Horne, Cook, Magee, 49ers
As the preseason comes to a close, a number of teams experienced the scares of a worst-case scenario for most players: getting injured just before the team makes final roster decisions. Some ended up being that worst-case scenario, while others lucked out with minor ailments.
Texans safety Brandon Hill was one such player who experienced a worst-case scenario this weekend. In Houston’s final preseason game against the Rams, Hill suffered a significant knee injury, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The injury will be enough to end Hill’s 2024 season before it even got a chance to begin.
A seventh-round pick out of Pittsburgh last year, Hill only appeared in two games. With much of the same cast from last year returning in 2024, he wasn’t likely to see much more time on the field, but his loss thins out the team’s depth at safety and certainly ends his chances of being on the 53-man roster.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Giants defensive tackle Timmy Horne is also likely to miss the 2024 season. The third-year player out of Kansas State suffered a tear to his Achilles tendon that will keep him out for the year. Horne came to New York late last year after spending most of his first two seasons in the league with the Falcons. He started five games as an undrafted rookie in 2022 but has been a depth piece ever since.
- The Steelers continue dealing with some bumps and bruises along the offensive line. After seeing rookie first-round tackle Troy Fautanu suffer an MCL sprain two weeks ago and center Nate Herbig tear his rotator cuff, the latest bump hits key reserve lineman Dylan Cook, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pittsburgh picked Cook up after he was waived by the Buccaneers last offseason and, while he made the team’s final 53-man roster in 2023, he didn’t ever appear in a game. With the recent foot injury, it looks like Cook will have to wait several more weeks before he can make his NFL- and Steelers-debut.
- Another player who avoided the worst-case scenario but who is set to miss a decent amount of time is Commanders middle linebacker Jordan Magee. According to John Keim of ESPN, the fifth-round rookie out of Temple had an MCL injury that required a “procedure.” It’s been confirmed that the injury is not season-ending and that he will return at some point this season. Washington has a bit of depth at linebacker, but Magee was the only player listed behind veteran Bobby Wagner in that Mike-role.
- Lastly, we finally got an update on the MRI results of 49ers pass rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reported late after Friday’s contest that the two had suffered knee sprains that didn’t result in ACL damage, but MRIs were scheduled for both players to be sure. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows was the one to provide an update today, claiming that, following the MRIs scheduled for yesterday, Floyd has been determined as day-to-day, while Gross-Matos will be week-to-week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/24
Today’s mid-week minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Sage Surratt
- Waived: WR Daniel Arias
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Nash Jensen
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: WR Freddie Swain
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Marvin Moody
- Waived (with injury designation): Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Rachad Wildgoose
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on exempt/international list: K Alex Hale
- Reverted to IR: RB Jarveon Howard
- Waived: DE Kenneth Odumegwu
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Jaaron Hayek
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: WR Jeff Foreman
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: G Matt Cindric
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): TE Neal Johnson
- Waived (with injury designation): T Jeremy Flax, CB NaJee Thompson
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: WR Dennis Houston
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Tyree Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released (with injury settlement): CB Tyler Hall
Washington Commanders
- Reverted to IR: LB Keandre Jones, S Ben Nikkel
Interesting move up in Green Bay, where the Packers are essentially swapping out which player will qualify as the 17th member of their practice squad through the International Player Pathway program. They’ll waive the Nigerian, Odumegwu, who joined through the league’s IPP program last year, and assign the international exemption to the Australian kicker, Hale.
It’s unfortunate news for Keene, who doubled in his offensive duties as fullback at times for the Texans. Keene reportedly tore his ACL in Houston’s second preseason game last weekend, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. His placement on injured reserve today will end his 2024 season.