NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Anthony Coyle, S C.J. Reavis
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Brandon Hitner
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Michael Onuoha
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Brady Sheldon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: QB Kyle Shurmur
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DB Tevaughn Campbell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Bryan Mone
- Released: WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Quinton Bell
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis
Chiefs Injury Notes: Mahomes, Jones, Clark
- For a while it’s been assumed that the Chiefs aren’t going to rush Patrick Mahomes back and play him on Sunday against the Vikings, but that’s apparently not set in stone. There is still a chance Mahomes will suit up, sources told Ed Werder of ESPN (Twitter link). It would still be pretty surprising, and for now it’s safe to assume Matt Moore will be under center for the second consecutive week. In other Kansas City news, Werder writes that stud defensive tackle Chris Jones is expected to be active, and that the team is “hopeful” on star pass-rusher Frank Clark. Obviously Mahomes is the biggest name, but those would be two huge get-backs for their defense for this suddenly pivotal game. The Chiefs have lost three of their last four and now sit at just 5-3.
Chiefs Activate QB Chad Henne
Chad Henne is back on an active roster. The Chiefs announced that have activated the veteran quarterback from the injured reserve. The team also promoted defensive tackle Joey Ivie from the practice squad, placed offensive tackle Greg Senat on injured reserve, and waived quarterback Kyle Shurmur.
Henne suffered a broken ankle during the preseason, forcing him out of action. Patrick Mahomes is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Vikings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Henne will force his way into the lineup. Rather, Matt Moore will likely get the start should Mahomes sit out. Moore got the start last weekend, throwing for 267 yards and two scores.
Henne signed a two-year deal with the Chiefs back in 2018. He got into a single game last year, completing two of his three pass attempts. His last extended stint as a starter came in 2013 when he started 13 games for the Jaguars. The 34-year-old will hit free agency this offseason.
Ivie, a 2017 seventh-rounder out of Florida, spent all of the 2018 campaign on Kansas City’s practice squad. He made the Chiefs opening-day roster, but he was waived and added to the practice squad in mid-September.
Senat, a former sixth-round pick, was claimed off waivers from the Ravens back in September. Shurmur, a former Vanderbilt standout, was promoted from the Chiefs’ practice squad following the injury to Mahomes.
AFC West Notes: Mahomes, Lock, Harris, Raiders
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is questionable for Kansas City’s upcoming game against the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Mahomes, of course, was injured on Thursday Night Football of Week 7 against the Broncos during a quarterback sneak. In a freak incident, Mahomes dislocated his right kneecap.
He returned to practice just six days after the injury, but was quickly ruled out for last Sunday’s game against the Packers. While his status is still up in the air, Rapoport reiterates “At the least, he is considered to have a shot to play.” At 5-3, Kansas City has some breathing room in the AFC West divisional race. However, the chances of a high seed and a first-round bye would be greatly diminished the longer they have to stick with backup Matt Moore.
Here’s more from around the AFC West:
- While quarterback Brandon Allen is currently next in line for the Broncos after Joe Flacco‘s injury landed him on injured reserve, the team plans to play rookie second-round pick Drew Lock in Denver’s final two games against the Lions and Raiders, according Mike Klis of 9News. Flacco was diagnosed with a disk injury in his neck that requires at least six weeks to recover. Given the Broncos 2-6 record, the team decided to shut down the veteran for the season. Allen is in his fourth NFL season, but has yet to appear in a regular season game.
- After weeks of trade rumors, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris could be staying in the mile-high city beyond this season, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. With three young daughters and a fourth coming soon, Harris told Jhabvala he was “Definitely relieved and happy to be able to finish the year here.” The news comes as somewhat of a surprise given Harris’ tumultuous relationship with the organization over the past few seasons. However, according to Jhabvala, the team’s new coaching staff has meshed well with the upcoming free-agent.
- Both Raiders centers Rodney Hudson and Andre James are listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Lions. They both are dealing with ankle injuries and managed to practice, but according to head coach Jon Gruden, both were “sore.”
Le’Veon Bell: Four Teams Had Trade Interest
The Jets reportedly considered moving Le’Veon Bell ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the veteran running back says the Steelers, Packers, Chiefs, and Texans all expressed interest in acquiring him. Appearing on his SiriusXM show “17 Weeks,” Bell said he heard through his agent that those four clubs were trying to trade for him, as Joshua Axelrod of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.
Pittsburgh, clearly, is the most surprising possible destination mentioned by Bell, as he just left the Steelers organization after a tumultuous 2018 in which he sat out the season rather than play on the franchise tag. Given all that went down between Bell and the Steelers, it’s difficult to imagine Pittsburgh’s management re-acquiring the running back, even if he is now placated with a long-term contract.
The Packers, too, seemingly don’t make much sense as a landing spot given the continued breakout of Aaron Jones and the steady presence of backup Jamaal Williams. Houston, meanwhile, has already traded for two running backs — Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde — and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says the Texans were not interested in picking up Bell (Twitter link). Kansas City has deployed LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams with middling results.
“The Jets were really asking for a high price and a lot for me,” Bell said. “On top of that, my actual contract was kind of tough for teams to deal with, which is understandable. Not too many teams want to pay that high of a price for a running back.
“To be honest, I was not trying to take a pay cut, simply for the fact that I sat out a full year of football to get what I earned and deserved. That would’ve kind of defeated the whole purpose, so I didn’t want to do that.”
Bell’s remaining salary in 2019 would have been manageable for just about any team in the NFL, but he’s owed more than $13MM in 2020 between his base salary and roster bonus. Most of that money is fully guaranteed, so a club like the Steelers (who have less than $4MM in available 2020 funds) would have been hard-pressed to take on that contract.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/19
The latest NFL practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Anthony Chesley, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
- Cut: DT Javier Edwards
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Keishawn Bierria
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: P Jack Fox
New England Patriots
- Released: OT Aaron Monteiro
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Leo Koloamatangi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Giants
- Cut: LB Jake Carlock
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Bruce Hector, TE Scott Orndorf
- Released: CB Ajene Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Bryan Mone
Chiefs Initiated Hyde Trade
- The Texans lost starting running back Lamar Miller to a torn ACL right before the start of the season, and ended up trading for running back Carlos Hyde. Although many thought Houston would be actively looking for running back help after Miller went down it was apparently the Chiefs who initiated the Hyde trade, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Chiefs inked Hyde to a one-year, $2.8MM deal back in March, but clearly regretted it and didn’t want him on the team any longer. They landed offensive tackle Martinas Rankin in return.
Trade Rumors: Hopkins, Slay, Hooper
The trade deadline is two days away, so there are plenty of rumors to pass along. Of course, many of those rumors center around this year’s non-contenders, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that two such teams — the Redskins and Bengals — continue to rebuff inquiries concerning veterans who should be available. Rival GMs have grown increasingly frustrated with Washington and Cincinnati, and La Canfora says opposing clubs have become resigned to the fact that they are not going to be able to swing a deal with those obstinate franchises. That means that a number of big names — Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan, A.J. Green, and Carlos Dunlap, to name a few — are looking more and more likely to stay put.
Now for more trade rumors from around the league, starting with another nugget out of Cincinnati:
- Michael Lombardi of The Athletic agrees that the Bengals are likely to stand pat at the deadline for the most part, but he does believe the club will move tight end Tyler Eifert.
- Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is decidedly not on the trading block, but teams have still called Houston to ask about the star wideout, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. That obviously sounds like clubs doing their due diligence more than anything else, and Glazer acknowledges that it would take an awful lot for the Texans to move Hopkins.
- The Lions have received calls on CB Darius Slay, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It would take a big offer to pry Slay from Detroit, but in the wake of Slay’s comments earlier this week, maybe the Lions will be more inclined to move him.
- RB-needy teams have called the Seahawks to inquire on Rashaad Penny, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (video link). Penny is not on the block, per se, but the 2018 first-rounder is drawing interest. In the same video, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Chargers RB Melvin Gordon could also be on the move.
- Schefter reports that the 49ers have received calls on backup QB C.J. Beathard, whom Schefter suggests could be on the move.
- The Falcons have fielded calls on DT Tyeler Davison, per Lombardi, but Atlanta has told other teams Davison will not be moved. The team is also going to hang on to TE Austin Hooper, as Schefter tweets.
- The Giants are likely to cut Nate Solder after the season, so Lombardi believes Big Blue should go ahead and trade him now (though HC Pat Shurmur, whose job could be in jeopardy, would likely resist such a move). The Browns continue to be in the market for OT help, as Schefter writes, and the Patriots may also be interested in a reunion with Solder. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says Solder was not a viable option for Cleveland as of the middle of last week, but that could change in the next couple of days.
- Janoris Jenkins is another member of the Giants who could be on the move, and while he is likely open to joining a contender, he just wants New York to be transparent with their plans for him, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. That sentiment was also expressed by former Giants like Landon Collins and Odell Beckham Jr., who both felt as though Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman were not straightforward with them. Dunleavy names the Chiefs as a potential landing spot for Jenkins.
- Interest remains heavy on Broncos vets Chris Harris Jr. and Derek Wolfe, as La Canfora writes. Denver is open to moving Harris and Wolfe, and rival GMs expect the Broncos to make those trades happen.
Patrick Mahomes To Return In Week 9?
Patrick Mahomes is one of the most transcendent talents in the league, and apparently, he’s made up of transcendent parts. Just last week, we heard that Mahomes wasn’t likely to return to the field until Week 13, after the Chiefs’ Week 12 bye. But Mahomes returned to practice just a couple of days after that report, and now Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the star QB could suit up against the Vikings next week.
The reason for the accelerated timeline, per Rapoport, is the structure of Mahomes’ knee. Because of that structure, and how naturally loose the ligaments in his knee are, only one of those ligaments was compromised during the injury that he suffered against the Broncos. His knee is essentially double-jointed, which allowed him to avoid a more serious fate.
Mahomes has been ruled out for Sunday night’s game against the Packers, thereby depriving the football world of a Mahomes-Aaron Rodgers marquee matchup. That will be a difficult game for KC to win without the face of its franchise, and if the Chiefs fall to Green Bay, they could be tempted to re-insert Mahomes into the lineup against Minnesota next week.
It still sounds as though the following week’s contest against the Titans is the more likely return date, but it is nonetheless clear that Mahomes and the Chiefs dodged a major bullet, and they have Mahomes’ gadget knee to thank.
Frank Clark Among Chiefs Out For Week 8
- In addition to Patrick Mahomes‘ Week 8 absence, the Chiefs will be without Frank Clark. The team declared its top defensive end out with a neck injury. Chris Jones, Kendall Fuller and Eric Fisher will miss another game as well. Clark broke out for a dominant performance against Bolles in Kansas City’s Week 7 win, but the offseason acquisition will have to wait until at least Week 9 to build on that performance.
- However, the Chiefs will have Sammy Watkins back. The oft-injured wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5, but ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher notes he will play against the Packers. In Year 2 of a $16MM-AAV deal, Watkins has not caught a pass since Week 4.

