Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/25
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: OLB DJ Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: WR Kaden Davis, DT Michael Dwumfour, S Christopher Edmonds
- Placed on IR: RB Jerome Ford, TE David Njoku, RB Pierre Strong
- Elevated: CB Kahlef Hailassie, RB Jacob Kibodi
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: RB MarShawn Lloyd
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: DT Armon Watts
Johnson sustained a concussion in a car accident earlier this week, per ESPN’s David Newton. The 2023 third-round pick will miss the Panthers’ final regular season after 14 appearances (including two starts) this year.
The Browns added three more players to injured reserve before Saturday’s matchup with the Ravens, including their leading rusher in Ford and second-leading pass-catcher in Njoku. Those absences have extended Baltimore to 19.5-point favorites as they look to lock up the AFC North. Cleveland will finish the year with 23 players on IR, including key players like Deshaun Watson and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Bills Extend Mike White Through 2025
With Josh Allen expected to see minimal playing time in Week 18, the Bills promoted Mike White from the practice squad to the active roster, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. White will serve as Buffalo’s third-string quarterback behind Allen and Mitchell Trubisky.
The former Jet’s promotion also came with a one-year contract extension, according to Schefter, keeping the 29-year-old quarterback in Buffalo through the 2025 season. White signed with the Bills’ practice squad in August after losing the Dolphins’ backup quarterback battle to Skylar Thompson during training camp.
White has yet to appear in a game this season, though he has been elevated from the practice squad twice. Now that he is on the active roster, he can serve as the Bills’ emergency third quarterback without counting towards the team’s active list. If he was elevated from the practice squad on a game-by-game basis, he would have to be officially active in order to enter the game.
White’s new contract details are unknown, but the extension sets him up to compete with Trubisky for the Bills’ backup quarterback job next summer. Trubisky reunited with the Bills on a two-year, $5.25MM contract last offseason and has served as Allen’s backup all year.
For now, though, both players’ focus will be on Week 18 and the ensuing postseason. While the Bills are hoping that neither quarterback has to play meaningful snaps in the playoffs, Sunday’s game is an opportunity for a tune-up should Allen miss any time.
Cowboys’ Trey Lance To Play ‘Significant Reps’ In Week 18
Since they are eliminated from the playoffs, the Cowboys are planning to use their Week 18 as an opportunity to evaluate their roster heading ahead of the 2025 season.
That will include quarterback Trey Lance, who is expected “to get significant reps” on Sunday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Lance has only appeared in three regular season games since arriving in Dallas via trade in August 2023 with just 38 total passing attempts since the beginning of the 2022 season. This year, he’s completed five of his seven passes for 22 yards and an interception across 20 total snaps.
Lance is set to hit free agency this offseason, so Sunday’s game will be an opportunity to audition for a new contract. He has never lived up to his billing as the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but his athletic tools could be tantalizing to a team searching for a new backup quarterback.
The Cowboys may still start Cooper Rush, per Rapoport, as they have since Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending injury in early November. However, an extended appearance by Lance could have significant financial consequences for Rush. He has already earned $250k for playing 45% of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps this year and could double that if he hits 55% by the end of Week 18, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
“We’re aware,” said Rush with a chuckle about his incentive. The 31-year-old quarterback’s snap share currently sits at 52.3%. A full game could earn him another $250K, but the Cowboys’ desire to evaluate Lance could get in the way.
Ravens Activate Charlie Kolar From IR
The Ravens activated tight end Charlie Kolar from injured reserve on Friday, per a team announcement. He is expected to play in Baltimore’s regular season finale against the Browns on Saturday.
Kolar broke his arm during the Ravens’ Week 12 matchup with the Chargers, though he played through the injury for much of the fourth quarter. He landed on injured reserve later that week and was designated to return a month later.
The third-year tight end has quietly been an effective blocker in Baltimore’s league-leading rushing attack while taking full advantage of his limited opportunities as a pass-catcher. Kolar has recorded career-highs in targets (11), receptions (nine), and yards (131), including a Week 5 catch-and-run for a career-long 55 yards. His 3.12 yards per route run lead all tight ends with at least 10 targets, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he’s been targeted on 26.4% of his routes. With so many other weapons in the Ravens offense – including first-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers – opposing defenses tend to overlook Kolar, especially when Lamar Jackson fakes a handoff to Derrick Henry.
Kolar’s recovery is an example of the Ravens’ relatively good health as they approach the playoffs. Only one started – nose tackle Michael Pierce – has been on injured reserve all year, and he has made an appropriately-big impact on the defense since his return in Week 15.
The Ravens did place cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on injured reserve to clear a 53-man roster spot for Kolar. This is Armour-Davis’ second stint on IR this year and the fourth in his three-year career, reinforcing pre-draft injury concerns after he struggled with injuries at Alabama. He’s appeared in seven games this year with 94 snaps on defense and 135 on special teams. Armour-Davis will be eligible to return for the Super Bowl if the Ravens advance that far in the playoffs.
The Ravens also elevated defensive end Chris Wormley and wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad for Saturday’s game. Both players have appeared in two games this season; Wormley has made four tackles on defense while Miller’s lone reception of the year went for 16 yards against the Texans on Christmas.
Jets To Interview Jeff Ulbrich Next Week
As expected, Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich will get a shot at the full-time gig. He expects to interview with the team’s decision-makers next week, per Brian Costello of The New York Post.
Ulbrich was handed the interim job after Robert Saleh was fired due to the Jets’ 2-3 start, but the coaching change has been disastrous. Under Saleh, the Jets outscored their opponents 93-85. Since then, the team has gone 2-9 with a -86 point differential.
Most concerning is the drop-off in New York’s pass defense. With Saleh as head coach and Ulbrich as defensive coordinator, the Jets allowed just 136.6 passing yards and 17.0 points per game. Ulbrich wasn’t able to continue that success as head coach, surrendering 217.5 passing yards and 27.2 points per game without significant improvements on offense.
Such a long, unsuccessful stint as an interim is likely to doom Ulbrich’s prospects to be the Jets’ head coach next year, though he was well-regarded within the organization when he first took over. He will have to win over owner Woody Johnson, who was considering firing Ulbrich in 2023 but warmed to the former linebacker after multiple interview requests from the 49ers.
Johnson may still prefer a defensive-minded head coach. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn could fit that bill after fielding a top-10 scoring defense despite a myriad of injuries. Glenn is “considered a very early favorite” for the job in New York, per Albert Breer and Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated. Glenn spent eight years of his playing career with the Jets, who drafted him with the 12th overall pick in 1994. He made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 1997 and 1998 and only left New York because he was drafted by the Texans in the 2002 NFL expansion draft.
Glenn ultimately retired as a Texan, but got his first non-playing NFL job with the Jets as a personnel scout in 2012. He transitioned to coaching with the Browns in 2014 and the Saints in 2016 before he was hired to lead the Lions defense in 2021. The Lions were a bottom-five defense in Glenn’s first two seasons, but began to show improvement in 2023. Injuries have ravaged the unit this year, Glenn has managed to keep the unit afloat despite the devastating loss of Aidan Hutchinson, who was building a strong Defensive Player of the Year campaign before breaking his leg in October. Glenn’s pitch to the Jets will be simple: combine the Lions’ cultural and schematic success on both sides of the ball with a talented Jets roster.
Brock Purdy Avoids Structural Damage
JANUARY 3: John Lynch confirmed Friday during a KNBR interview (h/t 49ersWebZone.com) that Purdy avoided any long-term elbow issues. The 49ers are preparing to sit their starter for Week 18, but this issue should not impact him for too long into the offseason.
DECEMBER 31: An MRI revealed that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered no structural damage after leaving the game on Monday night, but he is not expected to play again this season, per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Purdy “most likely” will sit out the 49ers’ regular season finale next week, though he is not dealing with any “long-term issues.” Specifically, the ulnar collateral ligament he tore in the NFC Championship Game in January 2023 is not affected.
San Francisco was eliminated from postseason contention in Week 16, so neither Purdy nor Shanahan will want to risk further damage in an essentially meaningless Week 18 game.
Purdy’s current injury is unlikely to impact upcoming extension negotiations with the 49ers. The 2022 seventh-round pick is still under contract for $1.12MM in 2025, but he will be looking to cash in after making less than $1MM per year to start his career.
Purdy will finish the 2024 season with 3,864 passing yards, a 65.9% completion rate, and 20 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions, a decrease from his 2023 Pro Bowl production. That downtick isn’t entirely Purdy’s fault, as the 49ers have dealt with significant absences from three of their best offensive players: Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams.
Shanahan has not decided who will start at quarterback in Purdy’s place next week. Brandon Allen started on November 24 when Purdy was sidelined with a shoulder injury, but Joshua Dobbs was active instead of Allen on Monday. Dobbs’ mobility could give him a leg up behind the 49ers’ banged-up offensive line, though Allen won the backup quarterback job during the preseason and is still listed as such on the team’s depth chart.
Keenan Allen Only Open To Playing In Chicago, Los Angeles In 2025
Keenan Allen changed agents this offseason; his new representation will have an interesting task ahead. One of the biggest names on track for free agency at wide receiver, Allen does not sound interested in a true open market. Ahead of what would be his age-33 season, the decorated wideout is only open to landing in two cities.
Allen only wants to continue his career with the Bears or in Los Angeles, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. The perennial Pro Bowler joined the Bears in a contract year, and the team is set for a transition. It is interesting that Allen will keep the door open to a Chicago signing, as the GM who acquired him (Ryan Poles) will be back. Allen said early last month he wanted to re-sign with the Bears, but family reasons have kept the L.A. door open.
Clarifying Allen’s L.A. stance, Finley notes the 12-year veteran would be open to returning to the Chargers or joining the Rams. Allen’s family still lives in Southern California; they would relocate if he re-signed with the Bears. It would be interesting to see if another team could change the veteran’s mind, as sticking to this three-teams-or-bust route would significantly limit his options. As it stands, however, Allen is not preparing to be a true free agent — even though he has never been on the open market previously.
The Chargers and Allen experienced a memorable fallout, with the team attempting to reduce the wideout’s pay early during the Jim Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz run. An extension offer made would have led to a reduction on Allen’s $20MM-per-year deal; he is instead playing out the contract with the Bears. Prior to being traded, Allen had expressed hope of finishing his career with the Bolts.
Allen experienced steady success with Justin Herbert targeting him and trails only Antonio Gates in receiving yards with the now-L.A.-based franchise. The former San Diego draftee is one of the best players in team history, though based on what transpired this past offseason, expecting a big-ticket contract offer from the Bolts may be unrealistic.
The Cal alum made it clear he has not decided on playing a 13th NFL season. This Bears campaign has brought a step back, as the team has made major changes while breaking in a rookie quarterback. Allen has topped 100 yards just once this season, entering Week 18 with 719 during Caleb Williams‘ rookie year. The Bears had acquired Allen to help the No. 1 overall pick develop, but the team fired OC Shane Waldron weeks into his first season — as criticism from Allen and D.J. Moore surfaced — and has used pass-game coordinator-turned-OC-turned-interim HC Thomas Brown as its play-caller since. The Bears have not won a game since giving up a Hail Mary touchdown to the Commanders in Week 7.
Allen’s age already stood to limit his 2025 market, as a short-term deal would be likely — in the event the six-time Pro Bowler did not choose to retire. Tee Higgins is set to headline the 2025 WR class — if the Bengals do not reapply the franchise tag — while the likes of Chris Godwin, Marquise Brown, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins and Brandin Cooks in a mostly veteran-heavy crop that also includes ex-Allen sidekick Mike Williams, who has not made much of an impact in his first post-Chargers season.
The Bears gave Moore a long-term deal this summer and used a top-10 pick on Rome Odunze, likely limiting where they would go for Allen. The Chargers have centered their receiving corps around second-round sensation Ladd McConkey, who became the first Chargers wideout since Allen to post 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. Harbaugh’s team needs help here, however, especially with Josh Palmer headed to free agency.
It is unclear how interested the Rams would be, having passed on a Cooper Kupp trade and seeing Puka Nacua become one of the NFL’s best pass catchers. Sean McVay‘s team eyeing Allen as a complementary piece would be something to monitor, Allen Robinson‘s Chicago-to-L.A. faceplant notwithstanding, especially if the quality route runner sticks to his California-or-Illinois plan.
Sitting 18th on the all-time receptions list (971) and 41st in yards (11,249), Allen probably needs to submit more to build a viable Hall of Fame case. It will be interesting to see if he passes on potential offers from non-Chicago or Los Angeles-based teams to ensure he continues his career on his terms.
Latest On Tom Brady’s Raiders Path; Team Likely To Fire Antonio Pierce?
Antonio Pierce certainly has not enjoyed too much of a chance to impress as Raiders HC. Although the Raiders coach said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) Aidan O’Connell can be an NFL starting quarterback, the team did not equip its inexperienced sideline leader with much at the game’s premier position. Unsurprisingly, the team hovers near the top of the 2025 draft order.
The past two offseasons also brought Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh into the Raiders’ division, one that has been ruled by the Andy Reid–Patrick Mahomes tandem for man years. Without a quarterback or a proven coach, the Raiders are significantly lacking as the 2024 season winds down. A pivotal offseason looms, and Pierce has been under the microscope for a while now.
Despite players stumping for the team’s 2023 interim leader — to the point Maxx Crosby threatened a trade request — Pierce has the Raiders at 4-12. Even with the team having won its past two games, the general expectation around the league is for the Raiders to move on after Week 18, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The Raiders did not conduct a thorough coaching search before bumping Pierce up to the full-time post; it would stand to reason the team would be ready to do so if/when it fires the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker.
Pierce has not inspired too much confidence in his first season as a full-timer. He also took a historically unusual route to a full-time gig, having no experience as an NFL coordinator or college head coach. Concerns about how Pierce assembled his staff — which has already seen an OC change, with Luke Getsy being fired midseason — also came out during this disappointing season.
Minority owner Tom Brady is expected to play a key role in the Raiders’ quarterback search, and if Pierce is canned, the legendary QB-turned-announcer would be a central figure in the team’s effort to replace him. It is quite unusual for a minority owner to possess this much power, but Brady is certainly a special case due to his standing in the game. However, the new part-owner is not believed to be ready for a regular day-to-day role with the Raiders, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes. He also will be on FOX’s Super Bowl broadcast as the lead analyst, complicating his part in a Raiders HC search — should one take shape.
A Brady-Mike Vrabel connection surfaced this week, and it would seem likely the former Titans HC takes a meeting with the franchise. Though, the Raiders having fired McDaniels — whom Vrabel has remained close with, to the point the unemployed coach has been mentioned as a potential Vrabel OC — may complicate matters for an in-demand candidate. Vrabel met with the Jets today and is believed to be interested in the Patriots’ job, should it become available.
Having gone 5-4 as an interim coach, Pierce drew interest from multiple teams last January. The Titans interviewed him, and the Falcons submitted a request. The 46-year-old HC’s stock has dipped a bit, but it would be rather interesting if Davis bailed on a coach one year in after firing McDaniels 1 1/2 seasons in. Pierce and McDaniels now have equal 9-16 records as Raiders HCs.
While Pierce is not a lock to be fired, it says plenty about his standing and the Raiders’ descent he is already being mentioned so frequently in firing rumors. This is a situation to monitor as Black Monday nears.
Front Office Notes: Jets, Colts, Grier, Bears
Given a mulligan for the Jets‘ Aaron Rodgers-less 2023 season, Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas did not make it too far into the 2024 campaign. The latter did not have a good working relationship during his final year in charge, seeing Woody Johnson (and, apparently, his sons) influence Jets personnel moves. Johnson had largely stripped power from Douglas during the GM’s final months in New York. As it turns out, Douglas’ frustration with Johnson predates 2024. The five-plus-year Jets GM had expressed dismay at one of Woody Johnson’s sons, Brick, scouring the internet and seeing those opinions (through Woody Johnson) make it back to Douglas, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes.
This situation may or may not have influenced Douglas to decline a Jets extension proposed more than a year ago. While Pauline stops short of confirming that, the veteran draft-based reporter indicates many informed him that was the case. Douglas “did not like or respect” Woody Johnson for years during his Jets run, Pauline adds. As the Jets have begun their GM and HC searches, they may have considerable explaining to do about the owner and his family’s influence on the team.
Entering Week 18, here is the latest from around the NFL’s front offices:
- The Dolphins gave Mike McDaniel an extension this past summer, and no rumors have pointed to the young HC needing to be too concerned about his job security. Rumblings are emerging, however, pertaining to the status of GM Chris Grier. In his sixth season with full autonomy in Miami, Grier is in his ninth season as GM. Miami is a place to monitor regarding a potential GM change, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Grier essentially won a power struggle with Brian Flores three years ago and has overseen back-to-back playoff appearances since, which would make it rather surprising if ownership made a change this coming offseason.
- Chris Ballard was believed to be on solid ground going into Week 17, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. That aligns with a Thursday report that pointed to Ballard being more likely than not to be retained. Though, the Colts losing to a two-win Giants team — in a game that reminded of the 2021 team’s undoing in a win-and-in opportunity in Jacksonville as two-touchdown favorites — did not exactly provide assurance the team is headed in a good direction. With Ballard set to be just 2-for-8 in playoff berths as Indianapolis honcho, this situation will also be one to monitor over the next few days.
- Tennessee’s post-Mike Vrabel season has gone quite poorly, with Ran Carthon‘s Titans operation sitting 3-13. But no major changes are expected this year. Brian Callahan is on track to stay for a second season as HC, and Fowler indicates a good energy — the 13 losses notwithstanding — is present around an organization run by Carthon, Callahan and VP of football operations Chad Brinker. Next season, then, figures to be Carthon’s regime can be truly evaluated. A clash with ownership drove Vrabel out of Nashville, and an improvement will almost definitely be required for Callahan in 2025. What remains to be seen is how much improvement will be necessary for Carthon.
- The Bears have used search firms in the past to help determine their coaching hires, but it appears the team will leave this year’s search to its front office. No consultant is on track to come in and shepherd Chicago’s HC search, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. The team did take that route in 2015 and 2022, respectively bringing in John Fox and Matt Eberflus. GM Ryan Poles was not in place when the Eberflus search started, signing on late in that process. With considerable input from president Kevin Warren on tap, Poles will lead this year’s Bears search.
Chiefs Designate Jaylen Watson For Return
The Chiefs have a rare opportunity at significant rest before the playoffs, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Christmas Day. Andy Reid‘s team is taking advantage of that, being set to rest starters — to the point it is a double-digit underdog in Denver — in Week 18.
Kansas City is also starting to see some players lost early in the season return. Weeks after Isiah Pacheco and Marquise Brown‘s returns from IR, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes cornerback Jaylen Watson is being designated for return. Watson has been out since late October with a broken leg.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
A 2022 seventh-round pick, Watson operated as the Chiefs’ initial L’Jarius Sneed replacement. Although the team was undecided on this job leading up to the season, Watson won it and played at least 93% of the team’s defensive snaps when healthy this season. The Chiefs will have three weeks to activate Watson. Considering they do not play a meaningful game for two weeks, the third-year defender has some time to complete his recovery.
Continuing a pattern of moving on from starting cornerbacks rather than paying them, the Chiefs dealt Sneed to the Titans for a 2025 third-round pick. After losing Williams, however, Kansas City has seen its usual blueprint fail to produce consistent coverage beyond standout Trent McDuffie.
In a small sample size this season, Pro Football Focus did have Watson rated 30th among corners. The boundary defender’s return stands to help a defense that already ranks second in points allowed heading into the playoffs. Watson replacement options Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson have each struggled. After playing a part-time role during the Chiefs’ 2022 and ’23 playoff runs, Watson figures to see extensive work — provided he is sufficiently recovered — during the team’s threepeat attempt.
These recoveries may well play a central role in the Chiefs’ chances at becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Kansas City will not have Rashee Rice back, but beyond the promising wideout, the two-time defending champs could be nearly at full strength when they suit up for their divisional-round game. Watson is attempting to follow Pacheco in returning from a fractured fibula. While Kansas City (15-1) has received steady criticism for its run of narrow victories regardless of opponent quality, the experienced team will certainly be a tough out during the postseason.