Falcons Expected To Release Kirk Cousins This Offseason
Kirk Cousins‘ stint in Atlanta will likely last one season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there’s an expectation that the Falcons will cut the veteran quarterback before he’s owed his $10MM roster bonus in mid-March. Some sources described the impending divorce as “inevitable.”
[RELATED: Falcons To Bench Kirk Cousins, Start Michael Penix In Week 16]
The Falcons made one of the biggest moves of this past offseason when they inked the free agent QB to a four-year, $180MM deal. A month later, the organization shocked the league when they added another quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth-overall pick. Cousins was naturally given the first shot to run with the job, but he’s struggled mightily over the past month-plus. Since Week 10, Cousins has tossed only one touchdown vs. nine interceptions, and the team finally announced that they were pivoting to their rookie for Week 16.
By shifting Penix to the top of the depth chart, the Falcons signaled that Cousins probably wouldn’t be on the roster for the 2025 campaign. While cutting the veteran isn’t the team’s only option, it seems like the most likely. As Schefter notes, there’s a belief that the Falcons wouldn’t be able to find a trade suitor for their recent acquisition.
Cousins has a no-trade clause, and assuming he’s not particularly happy with how things have played out in Atlanta, it’s understood that the QB won’t “be doing any favors” for the Falcons by waiving that NTC. Indeed, some sources believe Cousins may have been more willing to work with the Falcons front office on a trade had the organization handled things differently this past offseason (per Schefter). Cousins reportedly had no idea that the Falcons would use the eighth-overall pick on a QB until they called Cousins on draft night, and while the free agent prize has remained professional, his camp clearly wasn’t happy with the team’s draft-night approach.
Cousins will be locked into his fully guaranteed 2025 $27.5MM salary regardless of his roster status in Atlanta. So, when he’s eventually released, he can catch on with another squad for the minimum (while making the Falcons pick up most of the tab on his 2025 earnings). We saw a similar scenario play out last offseason with Russell Wilson. Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes that the Falcons could attempt to convert some of his salary into a bonus, making a trade more palatable. Still, that route would require Cousins to work with the Falcons, and even then, it’s uncertain if a suitor would emerge despite a lower hypothetical financial commitment.
The Falcons could also simply keep Cousins on the roster for the 2025 campaign. As a Falcons official noted to Schefter, Penix’s $5.2MM salary number for the 2025 campaign does provide the front office with some flexibility. However, considering how things have developed with the veteran, it seems unlikely that the Falcons would willingly set up a QB competition.
If the Falcons are hoping to avoid that $10MM guarantee, Auman believes the organization probably won’t dress Cousins for the stretch run as they look to avoid an injury. So, in all likelihood, Cousins has already made his final appearance with the Falcons organization. As ESPN’s Field Yates notes, the veteran will ultimately earn nearly $90M in cash for just 14 starts. In his comeback from a torn Achilles, Cousins connected on 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a league-leading 16 interceptions.
Despite the worrisome drop in production, Cousins will likely be one of the biggest names on the free agent market for a second-straight offseason. With the likes of Sam Darnold and Wilson currently sitting atop the anticipated QB class, Cousins shouldn’t struggled to find a suitor…especially when you consider that his next squad won’t have to break the bank to sign him to a one-year pact.
WR Diontae Johnson Likely To Be Claimed
As Diontae Johnson prepares to join his third team of the 2024 campaign, the wide receiver might not have the chance to choose his landing spot. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson is unlikely to pass through waivers.
[RELATED: Ravens Waive WR Diontae Johnson]
Johnson can be claimed on Monday. Schefter points to the Chargers and Chiefs as potential landing spots, although both of those squads sit toward the bottom of the waiver order. Schefter notes that Johnson might not even makes it that far, especially since a claim carries little financial risk. Either way, it seems unlikely the embattled receiver will make it all the way to free agency.
After spending five productive seasons in Pittsburgh, Johnson was traded to Carolina this past offseason. The impending free agent maintained his production despite the change in scenery, hauling in 30 catches in seven games. However, with the Panthers struggling to compete, the wideout was firmly on the trade block, and he was eventually dealt to Baltimore for a late-round swap.
Johnson’s issues at his latest stop have been well chronicled. After hauling in a single catch through his first four games with the Ravens, the wideout refused to enter the team’s Week 13 contest. Johnson was subsequently suspended for the Ravens’ Week 15 game, and he was waived a few days after that suspension ended.
Considering the receiver’s upside (including a 1,200-yard campaign in 2021), it’s not a huge surprise that Johnson will command interest on the waiver wire. The Chargers have lost some WR depth throughout the 2024 campaign, but their top three of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Joshua Palmer remain intact. In Kansas City, the Chiefs are set to get reinforcement at the position with Marquise Brown returning from injury. While Rashee Rice went down with a season-ending injury, the team has since acquired DeAndre Hopkins to pair with first-round WR Xavier Worthy. In other words, if Johnson is claimed by either of these teams, he may have a tough time carving out a role with only a couple of games remaining on the schedule.
Bryce Young To Remain Panthers’ 2024 Starting QB
Bryce Young‘s 2024 season did not start the way he or the Panthers wanted it to. He will remain atop Carolina’s quarterback depth chart for at least the rest of the season, though. 
Young was benched in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 3, a move which put his Panthers future in doubt. Quarterbacks who lose their starting gig shortly after arriving in the draft do not have a long history of reclaiming it and remaining with their original team. Dalton suffering a sprained thumb in a car accident moved Young back atop the depth chart by default in Week 8, though, and he has maintained the starter’s role since then.
Head coach Dave Canales had previously declined to declare Young the Panthers’ starter on a full-time basis despite keeping him in place each week. The first-time head coach changed his stance in that regard this week, however, confirming it will be last year’s No. 1 pick guiding the offense the rest of the way. The manner in which Young responded to his poor outing against the Cowboys in Week 15 played a part in that decision.
“Watching him in game was what was so impressive,” Canales said (video link via Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer). “To see him just continue to stay in there, to have his footwork exactly where he needed to be to throw to No. 1 in progression and really still see the field… I’ve been around football for 15 years and see where games like that can really pile up on a guy. To watch him handle it and to be composed and to talk with his teammates and keep working with the issues, I thought was so impressive and I wanted to make sure he knew that.”
Young threw a pair of interceptions on Sunday and also lost two fumbles. On the whole, turnovers and sacks taken have again been an issue in 2024, but since returning to the lineup the 23-year-old has shown flashes of his potential. Especially with the Panthers sitting well outside the playoff hunt at 3-11, it comes as no surprise the team plans to keep Young in place to close out the season and in doing so give him additional opportunities to develop.
The Alabama product has not done enough before or after Canales’ arrival to cement himself as the Panthers’ uncontested franchise quarterback, but with his rookie contract running through 2026 (or 2027, if his fifth-year option comes into play) there is still ample time to change that. For the coming offseason, adding competition for the QB1 gig could be an option; at a minimum, re-signing Dalton (a pending free agent) or bringing in another experienced veteran will be required.
Recent signs have pointed to the Panthers turning their attention to positions other than quarterback at the top of this year’s draft. Carolina is on track for a high selection on Day 1, but the team may find itself out of range for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Given the Panthers’ struggles on defense, adding on that side of the ball would be a reasonable approach during the first round. Plenty of time remains for a decision on that front to be made, and Young’s evaluation process will include three more games at the helm.
Lions Waive Brandon Joseph After DUI Arrest
Brandon Joseph was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Saturday morning. The second-year safety is no longer with the Lions as a result. 
Joseph was pulled over for speeding around 1:47am on Saturday and Dearborn Heights police noted he was taken into custody for “a few hours.” Director Paul Vanderplow stated Joseph was traveling over the speed limit at the time of his arrest but added “it was not excessive speed” (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
“He was very compliant, he was very respectful,” Vanderplow added when referring to Joseph’s situation. “He went through the battery of tests, through those tests now we have some analysis to go through before charges can be done… He’ll go through that process, and then go through the court process like anybody else.”
The Lions declined to comment, but their decision to move on from Joseph will lead to him hitting the waiver wire. In the likely event no teams put in a claim, the 23-year-old will become a free agent. Considering his legal situation, though, it would come as no surprise if Joseph were to remain on the market for an extended period. A 2023 UDFA, he only made a pair of appearances during his rookie campaign but this season produced a notable uptick in usage.
Joseph had played in all 14 of the Lions’ games this season, remaining a contributor on special teams as he was last year. As Birkett notes, the Notre Dame product took over as a gunner on coverage units after Khalil Dorsey‘s season-ending injury. Joseph also logged a 20% snap share on defense, chipping in for a Lions secondary which has dealt with a number of injuries over the course of the season. He recorded 13 tackles and one pass deflection in 2024.
Especially with Ifeatu Melifonwu back on the active roster, though, the safety spot is one position at which Detroit’s depth chart is largely intact. The Lions will play the Bears on Sunday without Jones in the fold for the first time this season as they look to move closer to securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24
Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton, RB Michael Carter
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: WR Chris Blair
- Elevated: WR Dylan Drummond
- Waived: LB Rashaan Evans
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: S Kareem Jackson, WR Jalen Virgil
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: RB Mike Boone, T Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: RB Darrynton Evans
- Placed on IR: G Ryan Bates
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DE Isaiah Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: CB Kahlef Hailassie, WR James Proche
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: CB Andrew Booth
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, T Dakoda Shepley
- Placed on IR: CB Trevon Diggs (story)
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: S Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Signed to active roster: OLB Mitchell Agude, WR Tom Kennedy, DL Chris Smith
- Elevated: RB Jermar Jefferson, S Loren Strickland
- Waived (via injury settlement): DT David Bada
- Waived: WR Maurice Alexander
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: CB Kyu Blu Kelly
- Elevated: TE John Samuel Shenker
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: CB Charles Woods
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/PUP: LB Cameron Goode
- Elevated: WR Erik Ezukanma
- Waived: DT Neil Farrell
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: S Bobby McCain, TE Nick Muse
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB Terrell Jennings
- Elevated: WR Alex Erickson, LB Monty Rice
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: DB Raheem Layne
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, T Tyre Phillips
New York Jets
- Elevated: DT Bruce Hector, S Jarius Monroe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: FB Khari Blasingame
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: LB Jalen Graham, T Austen Pleasants
- Elevated: DT Alex Barrett, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
- Waived: T Sebastian Gutierrez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: QB Jaren Hall
- Elevated: CB Artie Burns
- Placed on IR: OLB Trevis Gipson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: P Jack Browning
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis
After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.
Giants Place Bobby Okereke, Patrick Johnson On IR
Bobby Okereke‘s second season with the Giants has come to an end. The veteran linebacker was placed on IR Saturday, per a team announcement. 
Okereke is dealing with a back injury, and his last appearance came during New York’s loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving. His status for the remainder of the campaign was in doubt as he missed each of the past two games, but it is now official he will not play again in 2024. Three contests remain in the Giants’ season, but the move to IR ensures a four-game absence.
After playing out his rookie contract with the Colts, Okereke inked a four-year, $40MM deal in free agency to join the Giants. Expectations were high as a result, and the 28-year-old delivered 149 tackles along with career highs in sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles last year. His statistical output for 2024 will check in at a lower figure in several categories after only 12 games played, but his absence will continue to be felt on defense.
The Giants have already been hit by injuries on that side of the ball, including most notably Dexter Lawrence‘s season-ending dislocated elbow. Okereke will join Lawrence in turning his attention to rehab ahead of the 2025 campaign, one in which none of his base salary is guaranteed. The Stanford product is due a $3MM roster bonus early in the new league year, however, so his ability to heal in full will be an important storyline for team and player. Darius Muasau will likely continue in a starting role alongside Micah McFadden to close out the season.
The Giants also moved Patrick Johnson to IR, ending his campaign. The former seventh-rounder made one appearance this season with the Eagles (in Week 1), but since that time he has been with New York. Johnson has hardly played on defense this year, but he has been a key contributor on special teams during his 12 Giants games. The Tulane product is a pending free agent.
Texans WR Tank Dell Suffers Serious Knee Injury
5:55PM: According to an update from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Dell has suffered a dislocated knee cap. Doctors at the hospital Dell was taken to have been working the determine the extent of the damage. Surgery is reportedly on the table, but it has not happened just yet.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans told the media in his postgame interview that Dell’s injury is significant. Ryans was already aware that Dell would need to remain just over the state line in Kansas to stay the night at the University of Kansas Medical Center for further evaluation. He’ll have to rejoin the team at a later date, once stabilized.
2:35PM: The Texans know already that they are headed to the postseason by way of an AFC South title, but it looks like they may be doing so without a two key weapons in the passing game. Already short veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a season-ending ACL tear, it looks like Houston will also be without Tank Dell after the second-year wideout suffered what looked to be a serious knee injury in today’s game against the Chiefs, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 
Dell’s injury comes as an unfortunate result of friendly fire. As Dell caught a 30-yard touchdown in the back of the endzone, practice squad call up Jared Wayne collided with his knee as he dove for the ball, thinking the pass was intended for him. Dell was able to secure the ball with one hand, while his second hand shot immediately to his left knee.
The immediate aftermath was a somber scene as carts rushed out to the endzone and Dell’s teammates huddled around. Dell’s knee was stabilized, and he was carted off the field and, eventually, transported to the hospital. A vacuum splint was used to stabilize his entire left leg. That type of splint is usually used as when a training staff is worried about severe instability or fracture.
If the injury is as serious as it appeared to be, this continues what has been an extremely unfortunate start to Dell’s career. The 25-year-old got off to a hot start as a third-round rookie out of the nearby University of Houston. His impressive rookie campaign was unfortunately cut short when he suffered a fractured fibula that required season-ending ankle surgery. Still, in only 11 games, Dell produced a commendable 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns. Dell’s recovery took a crazy turn when, early in the offseason, he found himself as a victim in a public mass shooting outside a nightclub in Sanford, Florida.
The compounding injuries did not deter his recovery to the point that he missed any regular season time this year. Dell opened the season with the rest of the Texans, only missing a Week 4 contest due to a chest injury. With Nico Collins handling WR1 duties and the arrival of another star in Diggs, Dell had been operating in a reduced role this year, until Diggs suffered the season-ending injury of his own.
Coming into today, Dell had only one 100-yard receiving day and only two touchdowns on the year. Still, he was second on the team in receiving yards and third on the team in both receptions and receiving touchdowns. When Dell exited today, he was having perhaps the best game of his 2024 campaign. The play that resulted in his early exit left him with six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown on the day. He was on track to record season highs in all three categories today if he had been able to continue.
The Texans passing attack will face a tough task in replacing both Diggs and Dell in the playoffs this January. Collins will continue in his leading role, while John Metchie and Robert Woods will be asked to step up in major ways in the weeks to come.
They’ve got a couple weeks to feel out how their offense will work without Dell. While they can improve their playoff seeding with some wins and some help, they’re guaranteed a home playoff game as (at worst) the fourth seed. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team playing it extremely safe for the remainder of the season, while Dell will likely need to begin his work getting back to the field in 2025.
Titans Sign K Brayden Narveson From Practice Squad With 2025 Extension
The Titans made an interesting roster move today. Tennessee signed practice squad kicker Brayden Narveson to the active roster, which by itself isn’t that interesting. What’s interesting is that Narveson’s stay on the active roster seems to have been made fairly permanent (for this season). Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that the kicker’s deal with the team has another year tacked on, securing Narveson for the 2025 season, as well. 
The immediate use of signing Narveson from the practice squad to the active roster is as a backup kicker. The Titans’ regular kicker, Nick Folk, is listed as questionable this week after only participating in one practice this week in a limited capacity as he deals with an abdomen injury. The veteran kicker played through a groin injury last week, but it’s his abdomen bothering him in Week 16. While he’s listed as questionable, there’s belief that he won’t be active against the Colts, hence Narveson’s promotion.
The secondary use of signing Narveson, especially with the additional year added on, is as a potential kicker for the future. This isn’t a knock on Folk in the slightest. In his two years as the primary placekicker in Nashville, Folk has been an incredible 50 for 52, making 11 of 12 from over 50 yards. He led the NFL in field goal conversion percentage last year, and he’s leading the field in that stat this year, as well. He missed two extra point attempts last year, but with a perfect 2024 season, he’s 53 of 55 as a Titan after touchdowns. If Folk misses tomorrow’s divisional matchup, it’ll be his first missed game since 2019.
If anything, Narveson is being brought on as kicking competition for Folk for next year. If Tennessee decides to re-sign Folk, who’s playing on a contract year, the 40-year-old will likely be looking for a pretty good deal. If the Titans fear Folk will regress after crossing the 40-year-old mark, Narveson will provide competition; if they fear Folk will fetch too high a price, Narveson will be available as a cheaper option.
Narveson, an undrafted rookie out of NC State (after stops at Iowa State and Western Kentucky), was originally signed by the Titans. He wasn’t renowned for his accuracy, only connecting on 78 percent of his kicks in college, but he had a big leg, with a long of 57. After losing his first kicking competition with Folk, Narveson was waived and claimed by the Packers. He was named Green Bay’s primary kicker to start the season but was waived after missing five of his 17 attempts. He re-signed to Tennessee’s practice squad after clearing waivers.
Joining Narveson from the practice squad for tomorrow’s gameday will be defensive end Khalid Duke and offensive guard Arlington Hambright. Unlike Narveson, both Duke and Hambright will revert back to the team’s practice squad after this weekend.
Colts Activate C Ryan Kelly, LB Jaylon Carlies
The Colts are set to receive some reinforcement on both sides of the ball. The team announced that they’ve activated center Ryan Kelly and linebacker Jaylon Carlies from injured reserve.
Kelly landed on injured reserve in early November with a knee injury. Kelly dealt with lingering injuries through the start of the season (including a neck issue that kept him off the field for Week 4 and Week 5), and the lineman is set to make his fewest appearances since his sophomore campaign.
Currently in his ninth professional season, Kelly struggled a bit to begin the year, with Pro Football Focus grading him 21st among 42 qualifying centers. If this trend continues, it will mark the third time since 2021 that Kelly has graded as an average or below-average center (although he did rank eighth at the position in 2023). Both Tanor Bortolini and Danny Pinter have filled in at center while Kelly was out of the lineup.
A fifth-round pick, Carlies got some early looks, garnering 143 defensive snaps in seven games (three starts). Before suffering a lower-leg injury in Week 7, the rookie collected 21 tackles and one sack. Carlies has shown plenty of versatility already, lining up on the defensive line, in the box, and even at cornerback, so he shouldn’t have any issues finding his way back into the lineup.
In corresponding moves, the Colts waived safety Darren Hall and promoted cornerback Tre Flowers and guard Mark Glowinski as standard gameday elevations. Hall got into four games with the Cardinals earlier this season before getting waived. He was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Colts but hasn’t gotten into a game with his new squad. Flowers joined Indy’s practice squad in October but hasn’t seen any playing time. After sitting out the first few months of the season, Glowinski caught on with his former squad back in November. With the Colts dealing with injuries along their OL, the veteran has already been tasked with starting two games for the team. This will mark Glowinski’s third promotion, so there’s a chance he earns a regular roster spot next week.
Buccaneers OC Liam Coen “Gaining Traction” For HC Gigs
Liam Coen has helped elevate the Buccaneers offense into one of the top-scoring units in the NFL. The offensive coordinator may be able to parlay that performance into a promotion. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Coen has been “gaining traction” for head coaching gigs. At the very least, the coach is expected to be heavily involved in the interview circuit.
After spending a few years in the college ranks, Coen made a name for himself working alongside Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Coen first served as the Rams wide receivers coach, when he helped guide Cooper Kupp to his breakout season in 2019. Coen later worked closely with Matthew Stafford as the team’s assistant QBs coach.
Coen left for Kentucky in 2021 to become the school’s offensive coordinator, but he returned to the Rams in 2022 to replace Kevin O’Connell as OC. Coen went back to Kentucky for a second stint in 2023 before getting hired as Dave Canales‘ replacement in Tampa Bay ahead of the 2024 campaign.
While the Buccaneers already had a formidable offense, Coen has helped take the unit to another level. The offense is averaging more than 28 points per game despite Chris Godwin being lost for the season and Mike Evans missing a handful of games. Coen has also helped turn around the team’s running game; after ranking towards the bottom of the NFL in 2022 and 2023, the Buccaneers currently rank second in yards per carry (5.2) and fifth in rushing yards (2,021).
Considering Coen’s success in multiple stops, it’s not a huge surprise that he’ll be a hot name on the coaching carousel. The offensive coordinator will be relatively new to the HC interview cycle, and considering his limited track record, some longer-tenured coordinators will likely get the first crack at open jobs. Still, it’s a positive development for Coen’s career trajectory that he’s already being considered for these types of gigs.
As Fowler notes, Coen won’t be the only popular name in Tampa Bay. Assistant GM John Spytek will once again be considered for GM jobs, and fellow assistant GM Mike Greenberg could also be a popular name (with Fowler specifically pointing to the Jets gig). Fowler also points to vice president of football research Jacqueline Davidson and director of player personnel Rob McCartney as names to watch, even if they don’t get long looks this offseason.