NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/16/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LS Jake McQuaide
- Released: LS Zach Triner
The Dolphins used up their three practice squad elevations on Zach Triner, so the team will now turn to a new face to keep the seat warm. Jake McQuaide brings 194 games of experience to Miami, and he’ll serve as the team’s regular long snapper until Blake Ferguson is ready to be activated from NFI.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): S Jammie Robinson
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: LB Josh Woods
- Placed on IR: LB Troy Andersen
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: RB Darrynton Evans
Detroit Lions
- Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: LB Anthony Pittman
Tennessee Titans
- Designated to return from reserve/PUP: WR Colton Dowell
Anthony Pittman is back in Detroit after the Lions snagged the linebacker off the Jaguars’ practice squad. Pittman was once a special teams mainstay for the Lions, appearing in every game for the organization between 2021 and 2023. Over that time, he was limited to 134 defensive snaps (vs. 1,099 ST snaps), and he’ll likely see a similar role during his current stint with the squad.
Colton Dowell will return to practice this week after being designated for return from the PUP list. The wideout suffered a torn ACL last December, and coach Brian Callahan told reporters that they wanted to give a look at the player after he worked so hard during rehab (via the team’s website). A 2023 seventh-round pick, Dowell got into 10 games as a rookie.
Raiders Expected To Start Desmond Ridder In Week 15
6:10pm: Desmond Ridder will indeed be starting for the Raiders tonight. Aidan O’Connell is inactive and has been labeled as the team’s emergency third QB.
1:10pm: Aidan O’Connell suffered a knee injury in Week 14 which was originally feared to end his season. The second-year Raiders quarterback is actually facing a much less serious timeline, but he is still not expected to play tonight. 
As O’Connell rehabs his bone bruise, Vegas is set to turn elsewhere under center. The Raiders are expected to start Desmond Ridder in Week 15, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. O’Connell will take part in a pre-game warmup, but at this point Ridder is positioned to get the nod.
Provided that turns out to be the case, Ridder’s first start as a Raider will come against one of his former teams. The 25-year-old spent his first three seasons with Atlanta, Vegas’ Monday night opponent. In the wake of the Falcons’ reset at the QB spot this spring, Ridder was traded to the Cardinals in a swap for Rondale Moore. Arizona waived him during roster cutdowns, however, a move which opened the door to a departure. Ridder remained with the Cardinals on their practice squad until October.
O’Connell’s thumb injury led him to injured reserve at that time, creating the need for additional QB depth. Ridder was added as a backup option to Gardner Minshew, although the latter has since suffered a season-ending broken collarbone. With O’Connell now on the mend once again, Ridder is in line to see at least one start before the end of the campaign. The Raiders sit at 2-11 on the year, and Maxx Crosby‘s upcoming ankle surgery adds further to the extent to which 2024 is a lost season.
For Ridder, however, a run of starts would allow him to audition for either a depth role in Vegas for 2025 or a deal from another team. The Raiders are widely expected to pursue a quarterback this offseason via free agency and/or the draft (particularly if they land the No. 1 pick). Ridder should not be considered a contender for the starting gig in Vegas or on any other team, but his chances of securing a backup role could be boosted by his performance down the stretch.
Jets Interview Thomas Dimitroff For GM
Thomas Dimitroff is back on the NFL’s GM radar. After not interviewing for a job during the past three hiring periods, the former Falcons front office boss is in the mix for the Jets’ now-available position.
The Jets announced Monday they interviewed Dimitroff for the job. This marks the team’s first meeting with a candidate. They are set to follow this up with a Jon Robinson interview, and a Louis Riddick meeting is on tap as well. The Jets can interview candidates not employed by teams at any point, but they must wait until divisional-round week to talk with candidates attached to clubs.
[RELATED: Jets Attempted To Arrange Bill Belichick-Woody Johnson Meeting]
Dimitroff served as Atlanta’s GM from 2008-20, overseeing a run of playoff berths during Matt Ryan‘s tenure. Taking over the Falcons in the aftermath of the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal, Dimitroff chose Ryan third overall in his first draft at the helm and built rosters that booked playoff byes in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The ’16 season famously produced a commanding Super Bowl lead that ultimately disappeared during an infamous collapse.
The Falcons fired Dimitroff and HC Dan Quinn in October 2020. The team had journeyed to the playoffs six times during Dimitroff’s tenure, reaching the NFC championship game twice. The first instance featured a narrow loss to the 49ers, the second a dominant win over the Packers during Ryan’s 2016 MVP season. Although the Falcons pushed the Carson Wentz-less Eagles in a narrow 2017 divisional-round loss, they could not keep the momentum they established with the core that blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI. After back-to-back postseason absences in 2018 and ’19, the Falcons retooled in 2020.
Dimitroff, 58, last interviewed for a GM post in 2021, having met with the Lions about the gig that went to Brad Holmes. Dimitroff had attracted the Falcons’ attention after a run with the Patriots; he was the Pats’ scouting director from 2003-07, collecting two Super Bowl rings. The veteran exec worked in the NFL from 1993-2020 but has not held a position since. GMs receive second chances at a much lower rate than HCs, as only two second-chance GMs — Trent Baalke (Jaguars), Tom Telesco (Raiders) — are currently in place. Woody Johnson did hand his search over to two former GMs (Mike Tannenbaum, Rick Spielman), and Robinson also being on the radar would stand to keep the door open to a second-chance hire.
Although the Dimitroff years produced the most sustained success in Falcons history, his having been out of the NFL for more than four years will probably introduce a high hurdle in his path to this Jets position. The Jets are expected to conduct a thorough search to replace Joe Douglas, and that will surely include several execs currently employed by teams. That will stand to drag this process well into January.
Chiefs Waive RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
With Isiah Pacheco back, the Chiefs have stuck with Kareem Hunt as a key player on offense. Hunt’s Chiefs reunion continued a season of inactivity for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The former first-round pick is now off the team’s roster entirely.
The Chiefs cut Edwards-Helaire on Monday, the fifth-year running back announced. This will clear a roster spot in Kansas City, as Marquise Brown ramps up toward a possible Week 16 debut with the team.
Edwards-Helaire had begun his career as a starter for the team, but he was unable to deliver on expectations that came with a No. 32 overall draft slot. Pacheco, a former seventh-round pick, had usurped him; the Chiefs had Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon playing ahead of Edwards-Helaire last season. Despite the team not re-signing McKinnon, it did not find room for CEH on its gameday rosters. Since being activated off the reserve/non-football illness list, Edwards-Helaire has been a healthy scratch.
It is possible Edwards-Helaire could be brought back on a practice squad deal, but the LSU alum’s message certainly does not point to that happening. If this is it for the 5-foot-7 back in Kansas City, he will close his Missouri run with 32 starts, 1,845 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Chiefs used one of their activations to return Edwards-Helaire to the 53-man roster, doing so after having placed him on the NFI list to start the season. Once Pacheco suffered a broken leg in Week 2, however, Hunt quickly reentered the fray as the team’s primary back. Hunt remains on Kansas City’s roster, with UDFA Carson Steele still around as a third-stringer and Samaje Perine as a pass-down specialist. Teams do not make a habit of carrying five RBs, so the roster math makes sense here — especially with the Chiefs needing a spot for Brown.
Hosting J.K. Dobbins on a free agent visit April 2, the Chiefs instead chose to re-sign Edwards-Helaire to a one-year, $1.7MM deal. This release will leave the team on the hook for just less than $200K in dead money. Having neared a recovery from the shoulder injury that has sidelined him throughout the season, Brown is on track to be activated soon.
Debuting with a 138-yard, two-touchdown performance, Edwards-Helaire could not consistently display the pass-game chops that led to his first-round arrival. He also struggled with injuries, having missed time in each of his four seasons before this year’s NFI stint. Counting hte playoffs, Edwards-Helaire missed 24 games from 2020-23. Still, he profiles as an option for a running back-needy team on waivers. Clubs have until 3pm CT on Tuesday to submit a claim.
Dolphins, Odell Beckham Jr. Part Ways
DECEMBER 16: Beckham has indeed cleared waivers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Although it only would have taken a roughly $200K payment to carry Beckham for the rest of the season, the NFL’s other 31 teams passed. For a second time, Beckham is now a free agent in-season.
DECEMBER 15: Pelissero reports Beckham has a shortlist of teams he is interested in joining for the closing weeks of the season (video link). That would of course become a moot point if he were to be claimed off waivers tomorrow. If Beckham clears and reaches free agency, though, he could look to join one of the teams he is targeting an agreement with.
DECEMBER 13: Odell Beckham Jr. entered 2024 with the expectation of serving as a complementary option in the Dolphins’ offense, but his role has still be smaller than anticipated. The veteran wideout will now see his Miami tenure come to an end. 
Beckham asked to be let go, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The Dolphins will grant the request, he adds, meaning a move to the waiver wire will be forthcoming. Beckham is seeking an increased role on his next team, while playoff contenders may show interest in him as an insurance option for the stretch run. The Dolphins have now officially placed Beckham on waivers, where he will remain until Monday.
That will give teams plenty of time to contemplate putting in a claim; failing that, Beckham will become a free agent. The 32-year-old has made nine appearances since being activated from the PUP list in October. Over that span, however, he has registered only nine catches for 55 scoreless yards while handling a 20% snap share. Those figures could lead to several teams steering clear with respect to a waiver claim, although as Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes, Beckham is only owed roughly $200K for the rest of the campaign and is not on track to hit any incentive thresholds.
The three-time Pro Bowler had a lengthy free agency spell this past offseason as he recovered from a knee operation. He took on a one-year Dolphins deal with a base value of $3MM in anticipation of handling WR3 duties on his latest team. With that not being the case, team and player will move on as Miami seeks to remain in contention for a wild-card berth. The Dolphins’ offense has generally been less reliant on Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in 2024 than in years past, although over the past two games that pairing has served as the focal point of the offense.
Beckham had a one-and-done stint with the Ravens last season, one in which he posted a career-high 16.1 yards per catch. It came as no surprise that he was unable to secure anywhere near the $15MM he received in 2023 on his most recent pact, but this campaign can nevertheless be considered a disappointment. A small window of opportunity will exist for Beckham to rebuild his value to an extent if he manages to catch on with a team for the closing stages of the season, though.
The former Rams Super Bowl winner said ahead of the 2023 campaign he was giving thought to retirement. He has managed one more contract since then, but his status following the current season (regardless of if it includes an opportunity with another team) will be worth watching with respect to his career outlook.
Jets Attempted To Set Up Meeting Between Bill Belichick, Woody Johnson
Taking the job at North Carolina, Bill Belichick is now navigating college football’s transfer portal/NIL landscape that has caused so much instability within the sport. The Tar Heels are pitching to recruits and transfers the prospect of learning an NFL-style program, doing so after Belichick expressed considerable dissatisfaction with his standing within the league as a coaching free agent.
Rather than take another spin on the NFL’s HC carousel, Belichick accepted what amounts to a three-year, $30MM offer from the ACC school. An interesting buyout structure exists in Belichick’s North Carolina contract, dropping a payout from $10MM to $1MM after June 1, 2025. That would open the door to a potential NFL return.
While that buyout structure could conceivably affect players’ interest in coming to Chapel Hill, an NFL door is technically open. Though, Belichick’s age (73 in April) will offer a potential dealbreaker for teams looking to arrange longer-term plans. The 2026 HC carousel figures to produce Belichick rumors, depending on how his first Tar Heels season unfolds, but the 49-year NFL coach did contact at least one team about a 2025 job. Despite Belichick’s issues with the Jets, he reached out to Mike Tannenbaum — his coworker in Cleveland and with the Jets in the 1990s — about the job.
Running the Jets’ search, the former GM took this to the team, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes. This led to the Jets giving it consideration, to the point Breer adds the team attempted to set up a Belichick meeting with owner Woody Johnson. Belichick and Johnson have a frosty history, as it had been long reported the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC would not consider the Jets. Beyond Belichick’s 2000 resignation — which led to a trade agreement with the Patriots — along with the Jets being the team that triggered the NFL’s Spygate investigation (and eventual punishment) and Belichick recently criticizing Johnson’s ownership approach on the Manningcast, this effort reaching the stage it did is rather interesting.
Johnson has taken on an increased role in Jets personnel matters this year, impeding Joe Douglas on a potential Jerry Jeudy trade and Bryce Huff offer while later impacting the team’s situation with Haason Reddick. Belichick being open to working with the owner, who did not yet own the team when Belichick served as Bill Parcells‘ DC in the late 1990s, effectively speaks to his view of the Jets’ roster. The timelines did not matchup, however, as the Jets are at the beginning of what is expected to be a thorough search. With North Carolina needing an answer quickly, Belichick jumped and is skipping the 2025 HC carousel.
Belichick had done increased research on the evolving college game, which has changed significantly during the 2020s. He appears to be in the college ranks due to the control North Carolina has offered and a befuddlement at the NFL’s lack of interest. The league not showing more interest has “perplexed” the legendary coach’s inner circle, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes.
“I think there would’ve been some interest, but in the end, really, it’s not about what could’ve been or would’ve been, it’s about the opportunity at North Carolina,” Belichick said during an appearance on Sirius XM Radio’s Let’s Go! (video link). “I think this program is in the right spot now to take off.”
During his months-long media tour, Belichick and his agent did conduct backchannel communication with NFL owners to gauge interest, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. This occurred during the 2024 HC hiring period as well. Breer adds Belichick did not reach out to every team with a current HC vacancy, meaning either the Saints or Bears — potentially both — were not contacted. Belichick’s camp had viewed Chicago as an interesting destination but expects the NFC North team to hire an offense-oriented HC. At North Carolina, Belichick will oversee the football operation in a way he would not have been allowed to had he returned to the NFL.
The Jets are looking for a new HC-GM combination. Belichick had coached against numerous Jets power structures, working as the Patriots’ de facto GM. The NFL still has coaches operating with final say, but not many. Teams were skeptical Belichick would be able to cede power, even though he had attempted to convince Arthur Blank he was not asking for personnel power. He will have it at North Carolina and try to execute the Patriot Way, or a modified version of it, there in 2025.
Lions’ David Montgomery Out For Season
2:04pm: A brutal stretch for the Lions will impact the team’s backfield. Dan Campbell announced Monday afternoon Montgomery is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery. This will certainly change how Detroit proceeds on offense, as Montgomery and Gibbs have formed a lethal tandem since being paired together in 2023.
Montgomery’s extension secured $2MM guaranteed as part of his $5.49MM base salary next season; he is signed through 2027 as part of the deal. The Lions have veteran Craig Reynolds and fourth-round rookie Sione Vaki in place as backups behind Gibbs.
11:30am: The notable losses suffered on defense are not the only blows the Lions were dealt yesterday. Running back David Montgomery is dealing with an MCL injury and is out indefinitely, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Schefter adds Montgomery is set to undergo further testing on the injury; he will also seek out a second opinion on the matter. If he is to miss significant time (which Schefter notes is a distinct possibility), Detroit’s rushing attack will be greatly affected. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the injury is in fact an MCL tear.
As a result, it remains to be seen if Montgomery will be available again in 2024. Losing him for the rest of the year would deal a major blow to Detroit’s rushing attack given the effective tandem he has formed with Jahmyr Gibbs over the past two years. The Lions rank sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game in no small part due to Montgomery’s success.
The former Bear eclipsed 1,000 yards for the second time in his career in 2023, averaging a career-high 4.6 yards per attempt along the way. Montgomery’s efficiency has seen a slight decline this year, and an increased workload for Gibbs has lowered his per-game rushing output. Still, the Montgomery-Gibbs pairing has remained a focal point of the Lions’ elite offense, and losing one of the league’s top short yardage and goal line backs could be crippling down the stretch. Detroit remains in contention for the NFC’s No. 1 seed, but overcoming a long list of injuries will be needed to secure the first-round bye.
Montgomery landed a two-year extension in October in a move which ensured he would remain in the Motor City through Gibbs’ rookie contract. Expectations remained high in the wake of that raise, and that will still be the case whenever the 27-year-old is next on the field. If testing indicates Montgomery will not be available again in 2024, however, Gibbs will face a notably increased workload while Detroit’s passing game will be leaned on to compensate.
The defensive side of the ball has been hit much harder than the offensive side in the case of the 2024 Lions. Quarterback Jared Goff, along with Gibbs, wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and tight end Sam LaPorta – not to mention all five of the team’s O-line starters – are healthy at this point. Montgomery’s absence would nevertheless be acutely felt if he is in fact unable to return.
Bengals’ Sam Hubbard Likely Out For Season
Sam Hubbard scored the first offensive touchdown of his career on Sunday, but he will likely not be able to follow up that performance with any further action in 2024. The veteran Bengals defensive end is dealing with a PCL injury, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
Given the nature of the injury, Fowler adds Hubbard is unlikely to return to game action this season. Three weeks remain in Cincinnati’s schedule, and the team sits at 6-8 on the year. While still mathematically possible, a wild-card berth is therefore highly unlikely. The 29-year-old noted it is a PCL tear but added he will not require surgery (h/t Fowler’s colleague Ben Baby).
Hubbard has spent his entire seven-year career in Cincinnati, serving as a full-time starter since his rookie season concluded. The former third-rounder has been a consistent presence along the edge over that span, working as a complementary option to Trey Hendrickson since the latter’s arrival. While Hendrickson currently leads the NFL with 12.5 sacks, Hubbard and the rest of the team’s other edge rushers have struggled to deliver notable production in that department. With only a pair of sacks this season, Hubbard is set to conclude this campaign with his lowest output since 2020.
The Ohio State product is under contract for next season; he is owed $9.6MM. Given the structure of the pact, however, the Bengals would save that amount in cap space will generating a dead money charge of only $2MM with a release before or after June 1. Hubbard’s situation could therefore be one to monitor as Cincinnati weighs a number of key financial decisions during the spring. In the meantime, Hubbard’s attention will turn to recovery.
In addition to Hendrickson, the Bengals have the likes of Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai and sixth-round rookie Cedric Johnson as options along the edge. Hubbard has seen his playing time drop considerably over the past two seasons as the team attempts to develop younger options at the position. Those players will be in line for an increased workload to close out the campaign in Hubbard’s absence.
Dolphins’ Grant DuBose Hospitalized With Head Injury
DECEMBER 16: In a Monday update on DuBose’s condition, the Dolphins announced he has movement in his extremities and added initial tests on his status produced “positive results.” While DuBose remains in hospital at this point, the worst-case scenario has been avoided.
DECEMBER 15: A frightening scene took place during Sunday’s Dolphins-Texans contest. Miami receiver Grant DuBose took a hard hit from Houston safety Calen Bullock and was on the field for several minutes afterwards.
DuBose’s uniform was cut off and his facemask was unscrewed as medical personnel tended to him. A neck brace was put in place before the 23-year-old was stretchered off the field. The Dolphins announced shortly thereafter that he had been ruled out of the game with a head injury. The team revealed DuBose has been taken to hospital for further evaluation.
Fortunately, the Dolphins’ announcement also notes DuBose is currently in stable condition. When speaking after the game, head coach Mike McDaniel said DuBose will remain in hospital overnight. The 2023 seventh-rounder was making his third appearance of the season and first since September; his injury took place after Jaylen Waddle was forced to exit the contest with a knee ailment. Bullock was issued an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play.
DuBose did not make any appearances during his rookie season, and he was waived by the Packers during roster cutdowns this summer. The Dolphins claimed him off waivers, giving him a fresh start in Year 2. The Charlotte product played in two games early in the year before landing on injured reserve; he was activated yesterday. Now, the possibility remains he will miss the rest of the campaign depending on the nature of his prognosis.
By virtue of losing on Sunday, the Dolphins dropped to 6-8. Miami’s playoff chances took a major hit in the process, and DuBose may not have a role to play over the final three games of the campaign. In the immediate term, his recovery outlook from today’s injury will be important for team and player.