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.
Dolphins Rumors: Chubb, Campbell, Minority Ownership
Dolphins veteran pass rusher Bradley Chubb has been quiet since opening the season on the team’s reserve/physically unable to perform list. We all knew it would be difficult for him to make a return in the 2024 season after suffering a torn ACL in a New Year’s Eve blowout loss, but we perhaps didn’t get the full story.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Chubb not only tore his ACL but his meniscus and patellar tendon, as well. He’s been rehabbing in order to make a comeback within the calendar year, and though his practice window was opened last week, it doesn’t appear he’s ready quite yet. Per Jackson, head coach Mike McDaniel expects Chubb to be ready for a Week 16 return.
Here are a couple other rumors coming out of Miami:
- Defensive lineman Calais Campbell may be 38 years old, but Father Time has not kept him from being a premier defender in the NFL. We’ve already heard that the Ravens made a late push at the trade deadline to bring him back to Baltimore, but according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, five other teams reached out, as well. We already reported that Baltimore attempted to send a 2026 fifth-rounder for Campbell, but one team was willing to up the offer to a fourth-round pick, given a later-round pick in return — a flattering offer for such an aged veteran.
- Back in October, we reported on the potential sale of a minority stake in the works for Miami. According to a team announcement, the minority, non-controlling interest sale was approved by the NFL at this week’s league meeting. The deal sends a 10 percent total stake in the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Miami Grand Prix to private equity firm Ares Management and a three percent stake to Joe Tsai, owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA’s New York Liberty.
NFL Coaching Rumors: Jacksonville, Smith, Mayo
The way the season is going in Jacksonville, it’s looking more and more likely that the Jaguars are going to have some new leadership in 2025. The consensus in league circles is that the team is highly likely to move on from head coach Doug Pederson. The question that seems to be trending lately for Jacksonville is whether or not general manager Trent Baalke will be soon to follow.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, there has been increased speculation on whether or not Baalke will be sticking around to choose Pederson’s replacement, should he be fired as expected. Having already been eliminated from playoff contention with a 3-10 record while, at this point, competing for a top draft slot, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Pederson is out, but with Baalke, it’s not as sure a thing.
In an appearance on Herd with Colin Cowherd, FOX Sports’s Jordan Schultz claimed he doesn’t believe Baalke gets fired because he’s entrenched himself with team owner Shahid Khan and chief football strategy officer Tony Khan.
Here are a few other rumors from coaching circles in the NFL:
- Arthur Smith‘s recent success jump-starting the career of veteran quarterback Russell Wilson has put him back in the head coaching spotlight. The Steelers offensive coordinator may have to wait a little longer, though. Per Graziano, Smith is more likely to find his way back into head coaching races after the 2025 season than in the upcoming offseason.
- Like the Jags, the Patriots are another team already eliminated from the post season and in the running for a top draft slot. That doesn’t appear to mean the same thing for New England’s head coach, though, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Jerod Mayo is only in his first year as Patriots head coach and as an NFL head coach in general. Team owner Robert Kraft was part of the decision to set Mayo up for a coach-in-waiting situation, so it’s hard to imagine that he’s lost the vision on that front this early.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/24
Friday’s minor NFL moves:
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: S Jalen Pitre (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Waived (with non-injury settlement): WR Odell Beckham Jr. (story)
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: DT Jaquelin Roy
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/24
Today’s practice squad transactions in the NFL:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Siaki Ika
New York Jets
- Released: DE Takk McKinley
Washington Commanders
- Released: WR Mike Strachan
Since being waived by the team that drafted him 26th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, McKinley has struggled to find a place in the NFL. Since 2020, McKinley has spent time on six different teams, failing to stick anywhere.
Azeez Al-Shaair’s Suspension Voids 2025 Guaranteed Salary
Azeez Al-Shaair‘s hit on Trevor Lawrence may cost him a lot more than the three game checks he won’t receive while suspended.
Al-Shaair is already missing out on $338k as a result of his three-game suspension, and the impact in 2025 could be far greater. Language in his three-year, $34MM deal with the Texans voids the guarantee on his $9MM base salary next season if the linebacker is suspended for more than two games due to an “on-the-field football act,” per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Al-Shaair’s suspension was upheld on appeal, voiding next year’s guarantees and giving Houston the option to release him after this season with cap savings of $9MM and a dead cap hit of $2.2MM in 2025.
However, Houston seems unlikely to take that path, especially after Texans general manager Nick Caserio backed his player and blasted the suspension as “embarrassing” last week. Al-Shaair remains in the team’s plans, per Jones, meaning that he should still be able to earn all $9MM of his 2025 base salary.
The Texans are not able to unilaterally reinstate the guarantees, even if they want to. They could try to leverage the situation into a contract renegotiation with Al-Shaair by offering him more guaranteed money in return for a pay cut, but doing so would risk ruining his relationship with the franchise.
Instead, Houston is most likely to keep Al-Shaair on the roster with his contract untouched, allowing him to collect his full $9MM salary next year to nullify the impact of the voided guarantees.
Panthers Activate Nick Scott From IR
The Panthers have swapped safeties on their roster, activating Nick Scott from injured reserve and waiving Jammie Robinson in a corresponding move, according to a team announcement.
Scott signed a one-year, $1.15MM contract with the Panthers in March and began the season playing primarily special teams. He took over as a starting safety after Jordan Fuller went down in Week 3 and played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps for the next four games. A hamstring injury in Week 7 forced Scott onto injured reserve, with undrafted rookie Demani Richardson filling in for two games before Fuller was activated from IR.
With Fuller back in the secondary alongside season-long starter Xavier Woods, Scott will likely return to a special teams-focused role with occasional appearances on defense as a third safety.
Robinson, meanwhile, will be available on waivers less than two years after being drafted by the Panthers in the fifth-round of the 2023 draft. He started two games at safety as a rookie, but played just 64 defensive snaps all season. His main duties were on special teams, a pattern that continued into 2024 with 97 special teams snaps and 11 on defense. Carolina will absorb dead cap hits of $82k in 2024 and $265k in 2025, per OverTheCap.
If a team claims Robinson off of waivers, they will owe him just over $200k for the rest of the season along with $2.175MM in non-guaranteed salary across 2025 and 2026. A team looking for special teams depth that sees Robinson as a potential multi-year contributor could put in a claim for his inexpensive contract.