Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/24
Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: P Michael Palardy
- Placed on IR: RB Emari Demercado, P Blake Gillikin
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from IR: DT Michael Pierce
- Elevated: CB Desmond King, LB William Kwenkeu
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: S Kareem Jackson, QB Mike White
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: RB Mike Boone, LB Jacoby Windmon
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: QB Logan Woodside
- Elevated: T Andrew Coker, K Cade York
- Placed on IR: LB Joe Bachie
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: CB Andrew Booth, T Dakoda Shepley
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: G Nick Gargiulo, CB Reese Taylor
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: S Jamal Adams, LB Abraham Beauplan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DE DJ Coleman
- Placed on IR: TE Evan Engram (story)
Houston Texans
- Elevated: TE Irv Smith Jr.
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, TE Anthony Firkser
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Laviska Shenault, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Placed on IR: WR Jalen Reagor
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from IR: WR Grant DuBose
- Signed to active roster: DT Matt Dickerson
- Elevated: T Ryan Hayes, LS Zach Triner
- Waived: QB Skylar Thompson
New England Patriots
- Elevated: TE Jack Westover
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/PUP: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
- Placed on IR: LB D’Marco Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
- Placed on IR: G Jon Runyan (story)
- Elevated: DB Raheem Layne
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: CB Kendall Sheffield
- Elevated: TE Zack Kuntz, WR Brandon Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: FB Khari Blasingame
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: DT Montravius Adams
- Placed on IR: T Calvin Anderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Artie Burns
- Elevated: QB Jaren Hall, RB George Holani
- Placed on IR: S Jerrick Reed II
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: P Jack Browning, S Ryan Neal
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: G Arlington Hambright, TE Thomas Odukoya
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis
Demercado has taken a backseat to Florida State third-round rookie Trey Benson, but he has averaged 9.3 yards per carry on 24 carries this year. Palardy will take over punting duties with Gillikin landing on injured reserve.
Jackson signed with Bills in late July, and although he was among the team’s final roster cuts he was immediately retained via a practice squad deal. This elevation means Week 15 will mark his first time spent on the active roster this season. The 36-year-old has started all but 10 of his 203 NFL games, but last season was marred by suspensions which led to his Broncos release. Jackson could suit up for Buffalo down the stretch as a gameday elevation in a bid to rebuild his stock to a degree.
With the playoffs nearly out of reach and quarterback Joe Burrow dealing with a few ailments (wrist and knee), the Bengals don’t seem to be taking any chances. Jake Browning will continue serving as the primary backup, while Woodside’s promotion will allow him to act as the emergency backup.
Adams has seen his biggest NFL roles during his time in Pittsburgh. Though he hasn’t gotten the same number of starts as he had in 2022 and 2023, he’s continued the same level of production. After missing the last four games, he’ll be looking to return to the field as early as tomorrow.
Texans Activate LB Christian Harris
Christian Harris is set to make his season debut in Week 15. The third-year linebacker was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Texans announcement. 
Harris was given the IR/designated for return designation made available for the first time this season during roster cutdowns. That move used up one of the team’s eight activations – two of which remain at this point – and ensured at least a four-game absence to begin the campaign. Harris has remained on the sidelines until now, but his return will be welcomed.
The 23-year-old returned to practice this week, a sign that he could be available for the stretch run. That will indeed be the case, and Harris could have an immediate path to playing time. A starter for 23 of his first 28 games, Harris is a candidate to see first-team action as early as tomorrow especially with Azeez Al-Shaair unavailable. The latter’s three-game suspension was upheld upon appeal, creating a vacancy in the starting lineup for the time being.
Harris logged a snap share of 89% as a rookie, an immediate sign of his importance to the Texans’ defense and his potential over the long term. The Alabama product saw his workload decline last year, but he recorded 101 tackles and a pair of sacks during the regular season. That was followed up by 15 total stops and a pick-six in the playoffs, leading to high expectations moving forward.
Harris’ calf injury has delayed his career progression, but Houston general manager Nick Caserio expressed optimism last week that a return to the lineup could take place shortly. That has proven to be the case, and Harris could play a key role for the Texans down the stretch. Sitting at 8-5 on the year, they are in position to win the AFC South and make another trip to the postseason; Harris could be an important figure over the remainder of the campaign on a unit which already ranks fifth in total defense.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/14/24
Bills Activate DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Baylon Spector
The Bills will have a pair of defensive reinforcements available for tomorrow’s game against the Lions. Dawuane Smoot and Baylon Spector have been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
Smoot and Spector were designated for return earlier this week, opening their respective 21-day practice windows. They have both avoided setbacks over the past few days, clearing the way for today’s move. Buffalo will have three activations available over the remainder of the regular season.
Smoot suffered a wrist injury in November, and surgery was required as a result. It was unclear at the time if the issue would be season-ending, but Smoot has managed to rehab in time for the closing weeks of the campaign. His return will be welcomed given his rotational role along the edge prior to the injury. The 29-year-old has made four starts and handled a 48% snap share in 2024, his debut Bills campaign.
While Smoot is a pending free agent, Spector is still attached to his rookie contract through 2025. The latter has similarly been a part-time defensive contributor this season, though, and his presence will be key down the stretch after the Bills dealt with multiple linebacker injuries earlier in the year. Spector, 26, was used almost exclusively on special teams during his first two seasons in the league but he has taken on an increased workload in 2024. With Terrel Bernard healthy and Matt Milano back in the fold, Buffalo’s LB situation is in a much better place now than it has been throughout the season.
In corresponding roster moves, offensive lineman Will Clapp and receiver Jalen Virgil were let go. Both players will now hit the waiver wire, although it is unlikely either of them will get claimed. Provided they reach free agency, they will be candidates to remain in the Bills’ organization via a practice squad deal.
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby To Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
It was already becoming known that the Raiders would be without star defensive end Maxx Crosby for this Monday’s game against the Falcons. Crosby, who missed the first game of his career earlier this year, is now reportedly set to miss the four remaining games of the 2024 season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Crosby missed the first game of his career in Week 4 because of an ankle injury he had suffered two weeks earlier, and he’s appeared on the team’s injury report in all but three weeks since because of it. After disappearing from the injury report in the last three weeks, Crosby reappeared on the report this week, not participating in any practices. The lack of availability in practice this week led the team to list him as “out” for the weekend, and now reports are determining that he could miss the remainder of the year because of his ankle, as well.
After sitting out this weekend, Crosby is scheduled to meet with foot and ankle specialist Dr. Rob Anderson. On Monday, they will determine just how much damage Crosby’s ankle sustained in Week 2, although the three-time Pro Bowler acknowledged in a Saturday social media post surgery will be required. With that being the case, he will be set to undergo arthroscopic surgery. Some doctors believe that the extent of the injury could be worse than initially thought and require two procedures, a determination that will be made based on what the arthroscopic surgery shows.
At a miserable 2-11, the Raiders have long been eliminated from playoff contention. In fact, tied with the Giants for the worst record in the NFL, Las Vegas is in contention to land the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. With little left to play for in 2024, it makes for the Raiders to shut Crosby down and get his physical rehabilitation started. His 2024 season is over, and his focus will now shift to making it back for 2025.
With the Raiders struggling through the season early, a number of teams reached out with trade interest for Crosby. Team owner Mark Davis made it excessively clear that he had no plans to trade his star defender before or after the trade deadline. After a rough season, Davis and company will likely have to continue batting away trade offers from teams looking for pass rushing help.
With Crosby likely to join Malcolm Koonce on injured reserve, the Raiders will need to turn to backups like Charles Snowden, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Tyree Wilson to start at defensive end. Snowden was arrested earlier this week for driving under the influence, so it will be interesting to see how Las Vegas deals with that situation.
Colts Place T Braden Smith On Non-Football Illness List
Braden Smith‘s personal matter will keep him off the field for the rest of the season. The Colts announced that they’ve placed the offensive tackle on the reserve/non-football illness list. In a corresponding move, the team has promoted guard Mark Glowinski from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation.
Smith sat out Indy’s Week 13 contest while dealing with the unreported personal issue, and the team was off during their Week 14 bye. When the Colts return to the field tomorrow, they’ll be without their starting OT, and they’ll have to navigate the rest of the season without the veteran.
The 2018 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Colts, starting 92 of his 94 appearances (plus another three playoff starts). Pro Football Focus has generally graded Smith as one of the league’s better OTs, including a 2023 campaign where he ranked fifth among 81 qualifying players. In 2024, Smith ranks 46th among 81 qualifiers.
Still attached to a four-year, $72.4MM contract he inked in 2021, Smith has struggled to stay on the field in recent years. With the lineman now out for the 2024 campaign, Smith will have missed at least five games in three of the past four years. Third-round rookie Matt Goncalves will continue to fill in at right tackle for the rest of the season.
Colts center Ryan Kelly won’t be activated for tomorrow’s game, meaning Tanor Bortolini will continue to start for the squad. With two OL mainstays out of the lineup, Glowinski will provide some veteran depth in case the Colts lose another blocker. Glowinski had a four-year stint as the Colts starting right guard before he left for the Giants during the 2022 offseason. The 32-year-old was cut back in March, but it took him until November to catch on with Indy’s practice squad.
Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Hoping To Return In 2024
Jonathan Allen‘s pectoral injury was once deemed season-ending, but the Commanders defensive lineman is still hoping to return in 2024. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Allen “has not abandoned hope” that he can return this season.
[RELATED: Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Suffers Season-Ending Pectoral Injury]
The veteran suffered his pectoral injury back in November, but there was some good news during his subsequent surgery. While it was initially believed that Allen tore his muscle, Keim notes that doctors discovered that Allen’s pectoral muscle was only partially torn. While Allen eventually landed on IR, there was growing hope that he could return for the stretch run of the 2024 campaign. Keim adds that later checkups helped maintain optimism that Allen could play again this season.
In anticipation of a potential return, the defensive lineman has been recently working out at team facilities with a hope of returning before the end of December. Keim writes that Allen would have to prove that he’s “regained all his strength” before he’d be allowed back on the field.
The 2017 first-round pick has spent his entire career in Washington, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods while transforming into one of the organization’s top defenders. After collecting 22 sacks and 22 QB hits between 2021 and 2023, Allen was continuing to produce in 2024, collected a pair of sacks and six QB hits through six games. The 29-year-old is on the books through 2025 (although none of his 15.5MM base salary for that year is guaranteed). With the organization also invested in Daron Payne and used a pair of recent second-round picks at the position (Phidarian Mathis, Jer’Zhan Newton), leading some teams to sniff around last offseason about a potential Allen trade.
With Allen out of the lineup, Mathis and Newton have basically split snaps playing next to Payne. Sheldon Day and Jalyn Holmes also saw an uptick in playing time when Allen went down with an injury. Mathis was a healthy scratch back in Week 13, so the team wouldn’t have any difficult decisions to make if Allen returns.
Chiefs Waive K Matthew Wright, Activate K Harrison Butker
Days after earning the Special Teams Player of the Week award, Matthew Wright has been cut. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have waived their fill-in kicker. In a corresponding move, the Chiefs have activated starting kicker Harrison Butker from IR, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Wright represented Kansas City’s third kicker of the 2024 campaign. Butker suffered a knee injury last month that ultimately landed him on injured reserve. The Chiefs initially turned to Jets practice squad kicker Spencer Shrader, who got into two games with the Chiefs. However, Shrader suffered a hamstring injury that also required a stint on IR, leading the Chiefs to add Wright from their practice squad to the active roster.
Over the past two weeks, Wright has been responsible for 26 of the Chiefs’ 38 points. This included a performance from last weekend where the kicker connected on all four of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning attempt that doinked off the upright before going in.
Wright has been called on as a fill-in throughout his career. Since 2020, he’s made appearances with five different squads, and he’s had offseason and/or practice squad gigs with a handful of additional teams. In total, he’s connected on 86.4 percent of his field goal tries and 95.2 percent of his XP attempts. He got his longest look as a starter in 2021 with the Jaguars, when he converted 21 of his 24 FGAs.
The Chiefs will now turn back to Butker, who’s served as the team’s kicker since the 2017 campaign. The veteran’s knee injury popped up in mid-November and ultimately required arthroscopic surgery. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Butker only ended up needing a minimum stay on IR, as the 29-year-old will return to the field after missing only four games.
Butker’s injury followed an offseason where the Chiefs made him the league’s highest-paid kicker with a $6.4MM-per-year deal. In nine games this year, the veteran has connected on 18 of his 20 field goal attempts and 21 of his 22 XP tries. Butker finished last season having converted a career-high 94.3 percent of his field goal tries and all 38 of his extra point attempts, and he was perfect during the Chief’s subsequent Super Bowl run.
Kyle Shanahan Addresses LB De’Vondre Campbell’s Refusal To Play In Week 15
10:20pm: Shanahan said on Friday (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) the team is still working out exactly how Campbell’s situation will be dealt with. He made it clear, however, that Campbell will not play again for the 49ers.
9:25am: Week 15 marked the return of Dre Greenlaw to the 49ers’ lineup, but the team’s linebacking corps dealt with injuries partway through the game. Greenlaw and Dee Winters were forced to exit the contest, opening the door for De’Vondre Campbell to step into the lineup. 
Campbell informed head coach Kyle Shanahan he would not enter the game, however. In the fourth quarter, Campbell departed San Francisco’s sideline and headed to the locker room. As one might expect, the team’s coaches and players have not reacted positively to the developments.
“People noticed, but when someone says that, you move on,” Shanahan said after the 49ers’ 12-6 loss (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football. That’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that, so we don’t need to talk about him anymore.”
Shanahan added the team will “figure out something” when asked if Campbell will be cut in the wake of his decision. San Francisco started the year shorthanded at the linebacker spot with Greenlaw rehabbing his Super Bowl Achilles tear, and a deal was in place with Eric Kendricks during free agency. Kendricks backed out and ultimately signed with the Cowboys, however, something which led to Campbell being targeted. The former Packers All-Pro took a one-year deal to operate as the 49ers’ weakside LB starter while Greenlaw recovered.
Over that span, Campbell was indeed a key starter on defense, logging a 90% snap share. The 31-year-old totaled 79 tackles through 13 games, second on the team behind only Fred Warner. As expected, though, Greenlaw handled first-team duties in his return before being forced to exit with a knee issue. With Winters also unavailable and Campbell declining to play, San Francisco turned to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to close out the game alongside Warner.
Campbell is attached to a veteran minimum base salary, so if he were to be placed on waivers interested teams could add him as an inexpensive depth option for the closing weeks of the season. If the 49ers prefer to keep him in the fold, a suspension could be in order (similar to the Ravens’ Diontae Johnson situation). In any event, it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds.
Cowboys Rumors: Free Agency, Prescott, McCarthy
The Cowboys’ 2024 campaign has not gone quite according to plan as the team sits at 5-8, fighting for their playoff lives. While some of the blame for this can be cast on injuries, the makeup of the roster has to be taken into account, as well. That means it’ll be up to coaching and team management to make the improvements necessary to turn this team into a playoff squad in 2025.
Many members of the Cowboys’ fanbase were up in arms following an offseason that saw little free agent movement. That lack of movement has, no doubt, contributed in some part to some of the team’s struggles this year. Despite this likelihood, chief operating officer/executive vice president/director of player personnel Stephen Jones, son of owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones, has claimed that this year could see another conservative offseason in the free agent market for the Cowboys, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The younger Jones told the media that free agent spending will be “really tight.” Starters like guard Zack Martin, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence are all in contract years, as are several other key pieces. There are plenty of areas, namely running back, that could use significant investment, as well.
With no commitment to free agent pursuit from ownership, Cowboys fans are going to need to look to the draft and internal development for answers to the team’s current weaknesses.
Here are a couple other rumors out of Dallas:
- According to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, quarterback Dak Prescott made a big stride in his recovery earlier this month, driving his vehicle while still walking with the assistance of a brace and crutches. Per Epstein, “Prescott expects his recovery window to conclude before 2025 offseason activities start.” Even with “no hard timeline” and an effort not to rush back, Prescott is hoping to have zero restrictions when the offseason arrives.
- There have been mixed opinions from pundits on the future of head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas. Many believe he will be fired come season end, while others are under the impression that the senior Jones will retain him. Jones has expressed that he’s open to keeping McCarthy around, but per DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr., Jones has identified a connection with Prescott as a key part of his decision-making. Luckily for McCarthy, Prescott recently endorsed the current head coach, but Jones has made it clear that he wants someone in the job who can get the most out of their franchise quarterback.