Eagles Designate Bryce Huff For Return
The Eagles generated interesting defensive end news Tuesday, with a Brandon Graham return in a Super Bowl appearance now on the radar. Through a shorter-term lens, the 12-2 team is close to having another key piece back.
Bryce Huff is returning to practice; the Eagles have started his 21-day activation clock. Philadelphia lost Huff in November, as a wrist surgery shut him down. The free agency addition has not yet clicked with his new team, but with Graham out for an extended period, any help will be appreciated from a surging team.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Although recent information has pegged the Jets as more interested in keeping Huff than initial reports suggested, the Eagles came in with a strong offer (three years, $51.1MM) early during the legal tampering period. Philly effectively swapped out Haason Reddick for Huff, trading the former to the Jets weeks later. Thus far, neither team has seen much in the way of production from the edge rushers. Reddick has a half-sack in seven games; Huff has 2.5 in 10.
Used as a pass rush specialist in New York, Huff had seen the Eagles reduce his workload before he hit IR. While Huff has yet to eclipse a 54% snap rate in an Eagles game, he logged only 32 defensive snaps over his most recent three games. The fifth-year pass rusher will need to do far more to justify the payday, but with Graham out, a door will be open to more work following this wrist procedure.
Huff finished with a Jets-high 10 sacks last season, helping Robert Saleh‘s third Gang Green defense to a third-place finish in yardage. The Eagles have shown tremendous improvement under Vic Fangio, having recovered from a disastrous 2023 finish on defense. After cratering during last season’s second half, Philly’s defense leads the NFL in points and yardage allowed. Huff will rejoin Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith on the edge for the Eagles, who have managed this remarkable rebound without rivaling the kind of sack production they generated in 2022. Smith’s 3.5 sacks sit second on the team — behind Sweat’s eight.
Philly will need to make it work with Huff, who has $16.75MM in guaranteed base salary on tap in 2025. If Huff’s slow start can be largely traced to this injury, the former Joe Douglas UDFA find could be an interesting wild card as the Eagles make a push to claim the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the second time in three years.
Texans Activate G Kenyon Green From IR
The Texans recently made some changes on their offensive front, moving Tytus Howard back to left guard and inserting rookie Blake Fisher into the lineup at right tackle. Kenyon Green‘s injury was among the drivers for that reconfiguration.
Green, however, is now back on the 53-man roster. The Texans activated the former No. 15 overall pick Wednesday, ending his 21-day ramp-up period. Houston now only has one injury activation remaining until the regular season ends. The team would pick up two more in the playoffs, however, offering more flexibility than last year, when the Texans burned through their eight activations during the regular season.
More significantly through a long-term lens, Green has not justified the team’s 2022 investment. The Texans used the first of their Deshaun Watson-obtained picks to trade down for Green, the top guard chosen in 2022. But the Texas A&M alum has struggled with injuries and performance as a pro. Although Green reclaimed the Texans’ LG job out of training camp, it will be interesting to see how the team uses him moving forward.
Pro Football Focus slots Green as the NFL’s worst guard regular this season, placing him 76th by a notable margin. This is in line with how the advanced metrics website viewed Green’s rookie season, as it also ranking him last that year. The former SEC standout then missed all of 2023 due to a shoulder injury. He sustained another shoulder setback in November, leading to the most recent IR placement.
While Green rehabbed and slimmed down a bit in time for an offseason push to win his job back, he has encountered tough sledding upon return. The Texans presumably want Howard to settle at a position, and they did draft Fisher in this year’s second round. This could point to strong consideration being given to moving Howard inside. The configuration the team used in Week 15 also included backup center Jarrett Patterson, as Juice Scruggs is out. The 2023 second-round pick is not on IR, however, as Houston keeps its options open down the stretch.
Falcons To Bench Kirk Cousins, Start Michael Penix In Week 16
The Falcons are expected to bench veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix for their Week 16 matchup with the Giants, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris released a statement confirming the switch under center: “After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward. This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
Cousins has struggled in recent weeks, throwing nine interceptions and just one touchdown since Week 10. That culminated in another rough game against the Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 15 in which the veteran signal-caller completed just 11 of his 17 passing attempts for 112 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Reporters then asked Morris about Cousins’ level of play after Monday night’s game.
“He’s got to play better,” Morris said, via ProFootball Talk’s Mike Florio. “We’ve got to find a way to get him to play better.”
Morris was then asked about the possibility of replacing Cousins with Penix, the eighth overall pick in this past April’s draft. Morris’ answer fueled speculation that he was considering such a move: “We’ve got everybody on our roster for a reason, right?…Those things will always be discussed. That’s just the nature of the beast in football. It’s just so heavily talked about at the quarterback position because there’s only one guy out there.”
The same questions resurfaced during Morris’ Tuesday presser. His non-answer hinted that his staff was already thinking about benching Cousins. This marks the second time in three years the Falcons have benched their starting quarterback in December. Their decision to park Marcus Mariota late in his first season with the team effectively led the former No. 2 overall pick away. The team’s ensuing Desmond Ridder plan failing keyed the Cousins-Penix offseason.
“We still have to go through that process,” Morris said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic). “All those things will happen over the course of the week. We didn’t play well enough at the quarterback position.”
Now, Penix will make his first NFL start at a crucial time for the 7-7 Falcons. They trail the Buccaneers by one game in the NFC South and are two games back of the Commanders for the NFC’s last wild card spot. Atlanta’s front office drew criticism for using a top-10 pick on Penix just a month after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180MM contract in free agency, but the gamble might pay off if the rookie can lead the team to the playoffs.
Penix has only thrown five passes across two garbage-time appearances this season, but he has been “doing well behind the scenes,” according to Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan. The former Washington Husky led the NCAA with 4,903 passing yards (and 11 interceptions) in his last season, earning the Maxwell Award and a second-place finish for the Heisman Trophy. Penix will be the sixth of 11 quarterbacks selected in the 2024 draft to start at least one game as a rookie.
The Falcons drafted Penix as the future of their franchise, but he will be taking over for Cousins far earlier than expected. Cousins’ contract included fully guaranteed salaries in 2024 and 2025, indicating that he would have at least two years as the team’s starter. Arthur Blank had said the team did not necessarily plan to draft Penix at No. 8, but the team’s football ops department viewed Penix as too good to pass up — despite the standout college passer not being mocked that high for the most part — at that point of the draft.
Cousins expressed shock, joining most of the football-following population, when the Falcons pulled the trigger and drafted Penix eighth overall. The Falcons were later docked a fifth-round pick for tampering in signing the former Washington and Minnesota starter. Months later, his future in Atlanta is in doubt.
The Falcons will have to navigate Cousins’ sizable contract if they want to move on from him this offseason. Cutting him outright before June 1 would force the team to absorb the remaining $65MM of Cousins’ guaranteed money as a dead cap hit in 2025, per OverTheCap. That would be the largest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history, surpassing the $53MM the Broncos took on this year after cutting Russell Wilson.
A post-June 1 release would allow the Falcons to spread out the dead money with $40MM in 2025 and $25MM in 2026. A trade, even for minimal draft compensation, would be the most efficient option; the Falcons could transfer Cousins’ $27.5MM fully guaranteed base salary in 2025 to the acquiring team while accepting the remaining $37.5MM of his prorated signing bonus as a dead cap hit.
Mike Vrabel Jets’ Preferred HC Candidate?
The Jets are one of three teams with a head coaching vacancy at this point, and other openings will no doubt be in place once the regular season ends. When the hiring season opens, Mike Vrabel will be among the top names to watch. 
[RELATED: Bill Belichick Contacted Jets About HC Gig]
The former Titans head coach is currently finishing out the 2024 season in his Browns post, but he could very well be on the move soon. Vrabel will “probably” be the most sought-after coach during the offseason, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes. Breer adds each of the three teams currently known to be in need of a new coach (Jets, Saints and Bears) have Vrabel on their radar, which comes as no surprise. New York in particular could emerge as a strong suitor.
Vrabel’s name has come up more often than that of any other HC candidate with respect to the Jets’ opening, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post reports. New York will have competition for the 49-year-old if his market proves to be as strong as it is expected to be. As La Canfora notes, however, the fact that the Jets have a general manager interview lined up with Jon Robinson is an indication Vrabel is high on the team’s list of preferred candidates. Vrabel and Robinson worked together in Tennessee, and reuniting that pairing would represent a feasible move on New York’s part.
The Jets are using The 33rd Team as part of the ongoing general manager and head coaching searches, a process which has seen Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman take point. Their input will be key in informing the organization’s ultimate decision on both fronts, so connections to the candidates for each post are important to monitor. In that regard, Vrabel is a candidate to watch closely.
“Rick Spielman loves Mike Vrabel,” an anonymous executive told La Canfora. “He’s always loved Vrabel. That’s the guy they want.” A GM concurred that Vrabel (meeting the criteria of an experienced NFL head coach) is the Jets’ preferred option.
The Titans made the postseason during three of Vrabel’s first four seasons at the helm, including a trip to the AFC title game in 2019. Over his final two years, though, the team went 13-21 and Tennessee cleaned house by resetting on the sidelines and in the front office. Vrabel’s stock has not taken a hit, given the fact he has been floated as a candidate for the Bears and – should they make a change this winter – the Patriots.
The Browns made a new commitment to Kevin Stefanski with an offseason extension, and owner Jimmy Haslam recently confirmed an organizational reset is not being considered. If Vrabel is to land another head coaching opportunity this offseason, it will therefore come with an outside organization. The Jets will no doubt continue to be linked to him over the coming weeks.
Titans Bench QB Will Levis For Week 16
10:02pm: Tennessee’s Levis plan is at least on hold; a quarterback switch will happen this week. Levis will head to the bench for Week 16, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. It would stand to reason Rudolph is moving up the depth chart; he is the only other QB on the Titans’ 53-man roster. It will indeed be Rudolph in Week 16, Callahan confirmed, doing so while indicating he was not ready to make post-2024 proclamations regarding Levis.
Still, this could mark a significant change for the Titans, who had themed their offseason around adding pieces to maximize Levis. The 2023 second-round pick has not taken a noticeable step forward, and the team will sit him down — perhaps to close out the season. If a three-game benching commences, it would certainly be worth monitoring if the Titans will be aggressive to add a starter-caliber option in 2025. Given the events of this season, such a push seems likely.
8:57am: The Titans have remained steadfast in their support of Will Levis this season, but that stance may shift over the waning stages of the season. Head coach Brian Callahan said (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport) the team is contemplating a change under center. 
Levis entered the 2024 campaign as Tennessee’s undisputed starter, and a central storyline for the team was his development during first full season atop the depth chart. Callahan’s first head coaching gig likewise came with the mandate of guiding the 25-year-old while the organization evaluated his potential as a franchise passer. Levis dealt with an AC joint sprain in October, but before and after that injury he has not lived up to expectations.
The 2023 second-round pick has struggled with turnovers throughout the campaign, and that trend continued on Sunday. During the third quarter of the Titans’ Week 15 loss, Levis was benched after throwing three interceptions. That brought his total on the season to 12 (matching his number of touchdown passes) in 11 games. Mason Rudolph finished the contest, and Callahan’s comments leave the door open to Rudolph starting in Week 16. The former Steeler made three starts while Levis was sidelined earlier in the year.
The team made it clear at that time, however, that Levis would reclaim the No. 1 spot when he was healthy. Indeed, the Penn State and Kentucky product took over in Week 10 and has started every contest since. If the Titans were to make a change, though, it would represent a strong signal Levis will be replaced atop the depth chart by a new passer this offseason. Sitting at 3-11 on the year, the Titans are in contention to land the top pick in April’s draft, something which would give them the opportunity to reset under center.
Rudolph saw his lengthy tenure with Pittsburgh come to an end this offseason, and he took a one-year deal with Tennessee. A run of starts would provide him with the opportunity to boost his 2025 free agent stock; it would also, of course, point further to Levis’ run as a QB1 option coming to an end. Two more years remain on his rookie contract, but it very much remains to be seen how the Titans will proceed at the position during that span.
Teddy Bridgewater Eyeing NFL Comeback
Teddy Bridgewater retired from the NFL after the 2023 season, but he revealed that he is interested with signing with a team this season (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).
After retirement, Bridgewater took the head coaching job at Miami Northwestern Senior High School and led his alma mater to a state championship in his first season.
But the former first-round pick has kept an eye on the NFL, saying on NFL Network that he “might be signing with a team” in the coming weeks before returning to Miami Northwestern in February.
Bridgewater explained that his team knew of his plan, saying “We wanted to win a state championship, and then Coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back in February and continue coaching high school football.”
Bridgewater didn’t name any interested teams when asked, so no signing appears imminent.
“Right now, I’m enjoying this state championship,” he said with a smile.
Bridgewater was the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and earned a starting job with the Vikings as a rookie. He led the team to an 11-5 record in 2015, earning Pro Bowl honors along the way. He suffered a brutal knee injury during training camp in 2016, resulting in a 19-month recovery period with one final appearance for Minnesota in Week 15 of the 2017 season.
The Vikings let Bridgewater walk in free agency, which began several years of moving from team to team. He first signed with the Jets, who traded him to the Saints. Bridgewater stayed in New Orleans for two seasons before stints with the Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins, and Lions.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/24
Here are the latest practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jalen Virgil, OL Will Clapp
- Released: DE Kameron Cline, DT Branson Deen
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris, S Jaylen Key
Cleveland Browns
- Released: TE Cameron Latu
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Stantly Thomas-Oliver
- Released: DE Isaiah Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Kalen DeLoach
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: TE Cole Fotheringham
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Isaiah McKenzie, QB Skylar Thompson
New England Patriots
- Released: G Liam Fornadel
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji
- Signed: OT John Leglue
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Austen Pleasants, LB Chandler Wooten
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Mason Pline
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: DE DeVere Levelston
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Tyree Jackson
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR/R Kazmeir Allen
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24
Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: OL Tylan Grable
- Waived: DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: LB Trevin Wallace, LB Claudin Cherelus
- Waived: DB Anthony Brown
- Signed to active roster: WR Dan Chisena, LB Jacoby Windmon
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: K Cade York
Detroit Lions
- Signed from Jaguars’ practice squad: LB Anthony Pittman
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: LB Nick Hampton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on commissioners/suspended list: DE Janarius Robinson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: LS Jake McQuaide
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Ambry Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Artie Burns
After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.
The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.
Jerry Jones Shoots Down Micah Parsons Trade Speculation
The Cowboys’ disappointing season has stirred much speculation about the future of the franchise, but owner Jerry Jones adamantly shot down any chance of trading Micah Parsons.
“That’s never been uttered in this organization that we don’t have a future with Micah Parsons,” Jones said on Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan via ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Recent comments from Cowboys executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones snowballed into speculation that the team was considering trading their All-Pro pass rusher.
“Obviously we’re totally all-in on Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb],” said Jones via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “but after that, then you still shape things, including Micah [Parsons]. But Micah’s a great player. You don’t do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house.”
That led to a postgame question for Parsons on Sunday regarding a potential offseason trade.
“I understand how that business side goes. There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I’m here or anywhere else,” responded Parsons, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Obviously I’ve stated that I want to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side.”
While Parsons could earn one of the league’s biggest defensive contracts on the open market, he seems open to less money if that means staying in Dallas.
“So, I would rather just be in the best situation, you know? At that point, I don’t think there’s a big difference between $30 million and $40 million in my eyes, you know?” said Parsons on December 9, per Archer. “At the end of the day,whatever it takes for me just to continue to be a Cowboy until I retire, that’s what I want,” he continued.
The Cowboys picked up Parsons’ fifth-year option in March, keeping him under contract in 2025 for $21.3MM, but a long-term extension would free up more money for Dallas to address other holes on their roster.
Chargers Designate Hayden Hurst To Return From IR
The Chargers designated Hayden Hurst to return from injured reserve on Monday, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, giving the veteran tight end 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster.
Hurst was placed on injured reserve on November 25 with a hip injury, but returned to practice as soon as his minimum four-week IR period ended. The Chargers have a short week ahead of a Thursday night matchup with the Broncos, but Hurst could play if he practices fully this week.
Even if Hurst returns right away, he won’t see a major role in the offense. He only saw 10 targets in the Chargers’ first four games with just two since. Will Dissly has taken over as the team’s top tight end in the meantime, and Stone Smartt has emerged as a more effective secondary option with 104 yards on eight receptions in his last two games.
Hurst’s reunion with offensive coordinator Greg Roman has not gone as planned. The Chargers hoped to revitalize the career of the former first-rounder in Roman’s tight end-heavy scheme, but Hurst is heading towards career-low numbers in several receiving categories.
Barring a major turnaround over the next three games, Hurst will likely be looking for his sixth different NFL team since 2019. Dissly is signed through 2026 and Smartt will be easy to retain this offseason as a restricted free agent, making Hurst surplus to requirements in Los Angele. Even finding a new home might be difficult, as he will turn 32 before the 2025 season begins and lacks a proven track record as a pass-catcher.