Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Cut by the Chiefs late in his fifth season with the team, Clyde Edwards-Helaire has a new home. The former first-round pick cleared waivers but is on his way to New Orleans as a free agent.
Edwards-Helaire is signing with the Saints, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill reports. This comes after the Saints saw Alvin Kamara leave their Week 15 game with a groin injury. With the Saints clinging to “In the Hunt” status, Kamara is not certain to be available in Week 16. The team has some insurance, albeit in a player who has not suited up this season.
Edwards-Helaire is a Baton Rouge, La., native and played at LSU. He will follow ex-teammate Tyrann Mathieu as a Louisiana native-turned-LSUer on the Saints’ roster. Foster Moreau followed that path last year as well. Edwards-Helaire, however, should not be expected to play a comparable role. He will begin on the practice squad, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds.
The Chiefs activated Edwards-Helaire from the reserve/non-football illness list in October but did not use him in any games this season. Kareem Hunt returned and became the team’s primary Isiah Pacheco replacement, with Samaje Perine and Carson Steele filling in behind the veteran. Edwards-Helaire now joins a Saints team that has some depth behind Kamara already, though it has taken two Kendre Miller IR activations to secure it.
New Orleans took advantage of the NFL’s new summer IR-return designation with Miller, who missed most of their training camp and preseason with a hamstring injury. The 2023 third-round pick then went back on IR in November, before returning earlier this month. Miller played ahead of Jamaal Williams, replacing Kamara once he went down. Williams remains on New Orleans’ 53-man roster, as does Jordan Mims.
Kansas City drafted Edwards-Helaire 32nd overall in 2020, and Damien Williams‘ subsequent COVID-19 opt-out cleared the runway for the rookie. The 5-foot-7 LSU alum was not able to live up to the billing, struggling with injuries and eventually being replaced by Pacheco, a 2022 seventh-rounder. Edwards-Helaire posted 803 rushing yards as a rookie but never approached that number again. In 15 games last season, he totaled 223 rushing yards. He resided behind Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon on Kansas City’s depth chart in Super Bowl LVIII.
The Saints will nonetheless take a flier on a once-highly regarded prospect who is still just 25. Edwards-Helaire will attempt to make his season debut soon, as the Saints (and a number of fantasy GMs) will hope Kamara can return. Kamara, 29, did well to land nearly $20MM guaranteed at signing on an extension earlier this season. That gives him some security should this be an injury that requires missed games.
This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.
While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.
The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.
Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.
With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:
Derek Carr is out of the lineup for the time being, and the Saints have yet to place him on injured reserve. The veteran quarterback is nevertheless unlikely to play again this season. 
Further evaluation of the injury to Carr’s non-throwing hand – which is fractured in two places – has made it clear a return is not imminent, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Only three games remain in the Saints’ season, so while surgery is still not required it would come as a surprise at this point if he were to see any further game time in 2024. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football notes the door is still open to Carr playing, but he is not in the picture for now.
Carr’s absence – provided it covers the final three weeks of the season – will mark an end to his second campaign in New Orleans. The former Raider provided capable play at points last year (during the second half of the season in particular), and expectations were high for improved efficiency with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in place. Like the Saints in general, Carr was unable to maintain a high level of play following a strong start to the season, though, and a postseason berth is not realistic at this point. The 33-year-old thus faces a strong possibility of not playing again until the start of the 2025 season.
Carr’s pact calls for a $30MM base salary next year. $10MM of that figure is guaranteed already, and the remainder will vest on March 17. As a result, a release before or after June 1 during the upcoming offseason would not yield cap savings barring a notable restructure being worked out by then. With no guarantees in place after 2025, though, Carr’s contract could set up next season as his final one in New Orleans.
The Saints have Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler in place as healthy quarterback options for now. The former started Sunday’s loss to the Commanders, but he was benched in favor of the latter. Rattler helped lead New Orleans to a rebound on offense during the second half of that game, and it would come as no surprise if he were to get the nod for Week 16. The Saints close out the season with games against the Packers, Raiders and Buccaneers, and that stretch could allow Rattler to boost his stock in the organization while Carr continues to rehab.
Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
Demercado has taken a backseat to Florida State third-round rookie Trey Benson, but he has averaged 9.3 yards per carry on 24 carries this year. Palardy will take over punting duties with Gillikin landing on injured reserve.
Jackson signed with Bills in late July, and although he was among the team’s final roster cuts he was immediately retained via a practice squad deal. This elevation means Week 15 will mark his first time spent on the active roster this season. The 36-year-old has started all but 10 of his 203 NFL games, but last season was marred by suspensions which led to his Broncos release. Jackson could suit up for Buffalo down the stretch as a gameday elevation in a bid to rebuild his stock to a degree.
With the playoffs nearly out of reach and quarterback Joe Burrow dealing with a few ailments (wrist and knee), the Bengals don’t seem to be taking any chances. Jake Browning will continue serving as the primary backup, while Woodside’s promotion will allow him to act as the emergency backup.
Adams has seen his biggest NFL roles during his time in Pittsburgh. Though he hasn’t gotten the same number of starts as he had in 2022 and 2023, he’s continued the same level of production. After missing the last four games, he’ll be looking to return to the field as early as tomorrow.
Saints head coach Darren Rizzi has named Jake Haener the starting quarterback for the team’s Week 15 matchup with the Commanders, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Haener will be the Saints’ third different starting quarterback this season. Derek Carr missed most of October due to an oblique injury, giving rookie Spencer Rattler a chance under center. Rattler struggled in his three starts, which included a benching in favor of Haener in Week 8, so New Orleans went back to Carr as soon as he was healthy in November. Five games later, Carr suffered a fracture in his left hand, and Rizzi put Haener on the field to close out a win over the Giants.
Now, Haener will get his first career start after zero regular season appearances as a rookie in 2023. That was partially due to a six-game suspension for violating league rules on performance-enhancing substances. He overcame skin cancer this summer while competing with Rattler for the Saints’ backup in training camp.
Haener appeared to win that competition by closing out the Saints’ first two games and replacing Carr when he went down in Week 5, but then-head coach Dennis Allen tapped Rattler to start in Week 6. Haener played five garbage-time snaps in Week 7, then took over after Rattler’s benching in Week 8. Haener went back to the sidelines once Carr was healthy with two kneel-downs in a blowout win over the Browns in Week 11.
Haener then closed out the Saints’ Week 14 win over the Giants after Carr exited the game. The veteran has not been officially ruled out for Week 15, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, but remains in concussion protocol heading into Friday, indicating that he is unlikely to play.
The Saints are all but eliminated from the playoffs, but they can still salvage some value from this season by evaluating their two young quarterbacks. Their salary cap situation may force New Orleans to move on from Carr in the offseason, so an extended look at Haener under center would give the team some idea if he can start over Rattler in 2025.
Zac Robinson is in his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator, quickly moving to the Falcons once Raheem Morris landed the team’s HC job. Other clubs showed interest in Robinson for OC posts as well. Before Robinson entered the coaching ranks, however, he played quarterback at Oklahoma State. Robinson started three seasons with the Cowboys, playing under longtime coach Mike Gundy. Had the latter not agreed to a recent contract restructure, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes Robinson was the school’s top replacement choice. Robinson, 41, started for the Big 12 program from 2007-09. Gundy, himself a former Oklahoma State QB, has been in charge in Stillwater since 2005. Robinson could land interviews on next year’s NFL HC carousel, and no other rumors have connected the first-year OC to the college game.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
Arizona Cardinals
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins has made just 64.0% of his field goal attempts this season, which includes two misses from inside 40 yards. Patterson kicked for Cleveland when Hopkins was injured at the end of last season, and his addition to the practice squad indicates that head coach Kevin Stefanski is considering a similar change this year.
The Titans signed Narveson as insurance for starter Nick Folk, who is dealing with an injury, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Narveson began the season as the Packers’ kicker, but after missing five of his 12 field goal attempts, all of which came inside of 50 yards.
In the wake of Derek Carr‘s injury, the Saints have added a quarterback. Ben DiNucci has joined the team, per a Tuesday announcement from the veteran passer himself. 
Carr suffered a fracture in his non-throwing hand on Sunday, and he is considered week-to-week as a result. Surgery will not be required, and the Saints do not intend to place him on injured reserve (a move which would guarantee a four-game absence). Even though Carr could return before the end of the campaign as a result, New Orleans has sought out depth under center.
Jake Haener took over for Carr during New Orleans’ Week 14 win, and he could be in line to get the start this week. Failing that, the team will look once again to Spencer Rattler; the fifth-round rookie has made three starts this season, but his performances have left plenty to be desired. The same can also be said of Haener, but in some combination those two will be in position to handle QB duties over the coming weeks.
DiNucci’s most recent (and only) regular season NFL game action came with the Cowboys in 2020. He made three appearances and one start that year, but it has not been followed up by signficant playing time opportunities since then. The former seventh-rounder played for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023, a stint which led to practice squad time with the Broncos and Bills. DiNiucci was waived by Buffalo during roster cutdowns this summer.
Now, the 28-year-old will get the chance to see time on the Saints’ taxi squad. A promotion to the active roster will likely not be necessary as long as Haener and Rattler stay healthy over the closing weeks of the campaign, but DiNucci could audition for an offseason roster spot with New Orleans.
The 2025 NFL head coaching cycle has not begun, but Bill Belichick‘s name remains one to watch prior to the end of the campaign. The six-time Super Bowl winning coach continues to be connected to the vacancy at North Carolina. 
Despite the fact Belichick has not held a full-time role in the college ranks during his career, the 72-year-old could find himself leading the Tar Heels in the near future. A second interview between the parties took place last week, and with the NCAA transfer portal opening today it would not come as a surprise if the school made a decision in the near future. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports clarity on Belichick’s standing (at least with respect to the UNC opening) should be coming soon.
While the depth of discussions is not certain, ESPN’s Pete Thamel adds they have gone on between North Carolina and Belichick “for an extended period of time.” Recent reports have noted Belichick’s preference would be to return to the NFL ranks on his next job, which could leave his courtship with UNC as a means of establishing leverage from pro teams in need of a new coach. The 2024 hiring cycle was quiet for the longtime Patriots coach, however, with the Falcons being the only team to interview him.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes Belichick was likely caught off guard by the lack of a market which was in place for him last winter, something which set him up to spend the ongoing season in a number of media roles. A return to the sidelines in some capacity would come as no surprise, but that will depend in no small part on the interest NFL teams show in him this time around. The Jets are, expectedly, not believed to be an option should Belichick take a pro gig; teams like the Jaguars, Cowboys and Giants have been floated as possibilities, but none of them currently have an opening.
The Saints and Bears have made in-season coaching moves, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports neither of them have reached out at this point. Notably, he adds no teams have made contact about a potential hire (something which is possible at any time since Belichick is not under contract with another organization). Florio reports that Belichick is “very surprised” by the fact he has not received interest so far.
More HC openings will no doubt be created by Black Monday following the conclusion of the NFL regular season. By the time that happens, the Tar Heels will no doubt have their next coach in place, and Belichick remains a candidate for that posting. Should he fail to receive an offer for the job (or decline to take it), it will be interesting to see if an NFL market is generated.