Lions To Place WR Kalif Raymond On IR
The Lions will be without their primary punt returner for an extended stretch as a result of a Week 12 injury. They are placing Kalif Raymond on IR, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes.
Sustaining a foot injury, Raymond is not expected to miss the rest of the season. The Lions, who have five injury activations remaining, will likely hold one open for their top return man/auxiliary wide receiver moving forward. Raymond is in play to return before the regular season ends, per Rapoport; he would be eligible to come back in Week 17.
A journeyman before coming to Detroit, Raymond was in on the ground floor of Dan Campbell‘s rebuild. The Lions have rostered Raymond since Campbell and GM Brad Holmes arrived in 2021. The veteran wideout has signed three contracts with the team, the most recent a two-year deal worth $10.5MM. That pact runs through the 2025 season.
While Raymond has been one of the NFL’s better punt returners for a while, he has also helped an explosive Lions offense. He has 16 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns this season. That came after the 5-foot-8 weapon totaled 489 yards in 2023 and a career-high 616 in 2022. The Lions have turned to Jameson Williams as a regular this season, limiting the opportunities for their tertiary wideouts. Tim Patrick has become a regular in Ben Johnson‘s offense as well.
Raymond, 30, leads the NFL with 390 punt-return yards; this includes a 90-yard TD against the Titans last month. Raymond initially came over from Tennessee in 2021 and has been the Lions’ top punt-return option since arriving. Amon-Ra St. Brown (two) has the only two non-Raymond punt returns for Detroit this season. Both came after Raymond went down. It will be interesting to see if the Lions continue using their No. 1 receiver in that niche role in a non-emergency circumstance this week.
The 10-1 team already has two players — defensive lineman John Cominsky and linebacker Derrick Barnes — out with injuries that may allow for late-season returns. Both are on IR, though the team may need to reassess down the stretch in an effort to avoid burning through all of its activations. A playoff team that uses all eight of its regular-season activations, however, will receive two more in the postseason. That 2024 rule change will allow the Lions more flexibility.
Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins To Miss Time
Injuries depressed J.K. Dobbins‘ value as a first-time free agent this offseason, leading to a deal barely north of the veteran minimum. But the Chargers have still used the former Ravens second-round pick as their clear-cut lead back this season.
Another setback will pause Dobbins’ comeback year. The fifth-year back left Monday’s Ravens matchup with a knee injury, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates it is a sprain that will cost the current Bolts RB1 some time. Dobbins will miss this week’s Falcons matchup and is not certain to return the following week. It is an MCL sprain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter clarifies.
A setback for the Chargers, no doubt, though this is not exactly a blindsiding scenario. Dobbins missed 43 games over the course of his rookie contract with the Ravens, many of those absences coming about because of an ACL tear sustained just before the 2021 season.
Dobbins missed all of the ’21 campaign and then saw his return hit speedbumps in 2022, when nine more absences came about due to knee trouble. The Achilles tear Dobbins suffered in Week 1 of last season tanked his market, leading to a one-year deal worth $1.61MM while several other running backs — including two-time teammate Gus Edwards — landed better contracts during a busy offseason at the position.
Dobbins, however, outplayed Edwards to earn the lead Los Angeles role this season. He sits at 4.8 yards per carry (766 in total) with eight rushing touchdowns, including a go-ahead score to propel the Bolts past the Bengals in Week 11. Through 11 Chargers games, Dobbins has already set a single-season high for carries (as a pro) with 158. The former second-round pick’s previous most came as a rookie in 2020, when he handled 134 totes.
It will now be Edwards thrust into a role he was signed to play. Also missing the full 2021 season due to a knee injury, Edwards then missed a chunk of Baltimore’s 2022 season. Unlike Dobbins, however, Edwards was able to stay on the field following his rehab effort. He fetched a two-year, $6.5MM deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period — one of the most eventful days in RB history — doing so after an 810-yard, 13-touchdown 2023 season with Baltimore.
The Bolts have not seen too much from Edwards, however; he enters Week 13 with just 206 rushing yards (3.3 per carry). Rookie sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal stands to return to the backup role he played during the stretch Edwards missed because of an ankle injury. The Chargers have become increasingly pass-happy in recent weeks, relying on Justin Herbert‘s star-level skillset after initially focusing on the ground game early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure.
Dobbins’ injury may increase that aerial reliance over the coming weeks, and although Dobbins’ injury may not be season-ending, his extensive past with ailments may alter the Bolts’ run-game plans for the season’s remainder. Were Dobbins to land on IR, he would miss games against the Chiefs (Week 14) and Broncos (Week 16).
Browns Not Planning HC, GM Changes; Team Aiming To Add Deshaun Watson Competition
The Cardinals and Titans’ decisions during and after the 2022 season reveal how quickly organizations’ big-picture plans can change. After signing lengthy offseason extensions, Steve Keim and Jon Robinson were out of jobs by January 2023. The Browns’ historic Deshaun Watson misstep would naturally point to consideration into bailing on the extensions given to Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski.
A Browns ownership group known for quick-trigger decisions for a long time finally found a coach-GM pair it deemed worthy of extending. Prior to Stefanski’s arrival, no Browns HC had lasted longer than 40 games; the coach who did persist for that long (Hue Jackson) went 3-36-1. Under the Haslams’ leadership, no GM had lasted longer than two full seasons (John Dorsey). Berry changed that as well. As it stands, the current Cleveland football-ops bosses are on track to extend those tenures.
Although both Browns power brokers were believed to be aligned on the 2022 Watson trade, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the Haslams are not planning to make GM or HC changes in 2025. Browns ownership has been pleased with the way the duo has kept the team unified, even as this year’s squad has fallen well short of expectations after a 2023 playoff berth and the Browns entering the season with an NFL-most 12 players signed to eight-figure-per-year contracts.
Despite Watson’s poor play appearing to seal the 2022 trade’s place as the worst in NFL history (when finances are considered), the staffers tasked with making it work will be given a chance to rebound — likely with a new starting quarterback. Jimmy Haslam said soon after the trade Berry hatched the plan to fully guarantee the $230MM contract to move the Browns back in the race — after Watson had eliminated Cleveland from consideration in an otherwise-NFC South-based sweepstakes — so it would stand to reason his seat could be hotter than Stefanski’s given the latter’s accolades. Right now, though, neither’s seat appears too warm.
Cleveland’s Jameis Winston-led victory in a snowstorm moved the team to 3-8. This year’s Browns are on pace to check in with a worse record than they did under Freddie Kitchens (6-10). That season keyed Dorsey’s ouster, but it appears the Haslams will be uncharacteristically patient despite the Watson trade set to plague the Browns for at least two more years. The capital Stefanski and Berry have built through playoff berths in 2020 and ’23, both seasons producing Stefanski Coach of the Year nods, looks to be enough for the tandem to survive the historic QB mistake.
On the Watson front, Breer adds the Browns are likely to keep him around — if only because of the unfathomable dead money a 2025 release would bring — but add competition. Rather than bring in a backup as the team has done for three straight years (Jacoby Brissett, Dorian Thompson-Robinson/Joe Flacco, Winston), the Browns are expected to set their sights on a starter-caliber arm who can compete with Watson. Given Watson’s poor performance and Achilles tear, it probably should be expected the Browns will shop for a new starter soon.
This player may well need to be a draft choice, due to Watson’s contract — now featuring two $72.9MM cap numbers thanks to two Berry-authorized restructures — running through 2026. But Breer adds the Browns are likely to gauge the veteran market as well.
Stefanski and Berry stopped short of saying Watson will be expected to start again in 2025, though each factored the struggling QB’s injury rehab into the equation. Watson, however, saw his season end after a string of woeful performances, which brought questions to Stefanski about whether ownership was making him start the disappointing QB. It would cost the Browns $172MM to release Watson next year; even in a post-June 1 scenario, either half of the two-offseason dead money bill would break the record the Broncos recently shattered with their Russell Wilson release ($83MM-plus).
As the Browns prepare to pursue a potential new starter, Watson may be set for another season in limbo. After he requested a Texans trade only to see a slew of sexual assault/misconduct allegations surface, Houston made the former Pro Bowler a healthy scratch throughout the 2021 season. The Browns could slow-play Watson’s rehab by stashing him on the reserve/PUP list to start next season, but eventually a call to bench the sunk-cost passer will need to be made.
A post-June 1 cut scenario now looks more likely to involve 2026. Unless another restructure again knocks down Watson’s cap hit — which is quite possible considering no team has ever carried a $50MM-plus cap number on a payroll in-season — it would cost the Browns $99.8MM to dump Watson in 2026.
It is far from certain Berry and Stefanski will be making the decisions by then, an ownership duo famous for impulsive moves during its first several years in charge is not ready to pull the plug on what had been a successful regime (well, absent a quarterback move that has otherwise defined its run).
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Aaron Rodgers Not Committing To Playing In 2025, Would Like To Stay With Jets
Winding down a disappointing season and likely being set to wrap his tenure with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers backtracked a bit regarding his interest in playing a 21st NFL season. The four-time MVP’s latest Pat McAfee Show appearance produced more hesitancy.
Rodgers had said on multiple occasions he planned to play in 2025, doing so most recently two weeks ago. On Tuesday, he said he does not know if he will play in 2025, but if he does, he would prefer it be with the Jets (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). After firing Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, the Jets are expected to move on from their two-year quarterback. These conflicting aims will force what could be a difficult resolution in the offseason. As of now, Rodgers remains the Jets’ starter for Week 13.
“These have been two of the best years of my life, as much as it’s been frustrating and difficult, it’s been two really beautiful years,” Rodgers said Tuesday (via Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz). “Playing in New York would obviously be my first choice, if I wanna play.”
Set to turn 41 next week, Rodgers is closing out his 16th NFL season as a starter. Technically, this is Year 17 for the future Hall of Famer as a regular but he obviously saw the 2023 slate end after four plays. Rodgers has battled a few injuries this year as well, to the point a rumor surfaced he had skipped certain medical exams to avoid revealing how seriously he damaged his injured hamstring. Interim HC Jeff Ulbrich said that was “news to me.” The Jets are believed to be considering placing Rodgers on IR or benching him outright to close the season.
As for Rodgers’ current health, he said he “feels great right now.” He said no mandate came for an MRI on his injured hamstring, which has accompanied ankle and knee trouble this season. Regardless of Rodgers’ current health status, it remains likely the Jets will move on from him after this season.
A trade that involved two second-round picks going to the Packers has not worked out for the AFC East franchise, which is moving toward missing the playoffs for a 14th straight season. The Jets rank 27th in both scoring and total offense, and Rodgers has not closely resembled his MVP version. The most recent Trade Rumors Front Office post discussed potential landing spots for Rodgers, who would still stand to generate interest, though it would obviously also be worth wondering how willing a team would be to put up with the drama that follows him if sufficient on-field rewards did not accompany it.
Rumors about Rodgers’ relationship with Woody Johnson have produced conflicting accounts, one painting the owner as having lost confidence in the quarterback and the other indicating the drama was “overblown” and the two had dined together recently. Rodgers said Tuesday (via the New York Daily News’ Antwan Staley) he had actually had dinner with Christopher Johnson, who would serve as acting Jets owner if Woody again left to be President-Elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. Indicating he has talked to Christopher more than Woody during his time with the Jets, Rodgers said he had “a lot of love and appreciation and gratitude” for both the Johnsons. Rodgers also confirmed Woody Johnson had landed his plane at Jets practice last week just before firing Douglas, whom Rodgers hoped the team would retain.
Rodgers famously said he was 90% retired after the 2022 season, coming out of a much-discussed darkness retreat with intentions to play for the only team that showed significant interest in him. The Jets acquired Rodgers just before the 2023 draft. While Rodgers’ 2025 plans may not emerge for months, would another team be ready to sign up for a starter run if and when the Jets move on?
Jerry Jones Open To Retaining Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy Beyond 2024
Following the Cowboys’ postseason elimination last year, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones elected to keep head coach Mike McCarthy in place. He did not offer the former Super Bowl winner a new deal, however, leaving many to believe the 2024 campaign would be followed up by a change on the sidelines. 
Before Dak Prescott‘s season-ending injury, Dallas struggled in a number of categories and the team now sits at 4-7 with Prescott out of the picture. Optimism is low regarding a playoff push, but at a minimum McCarthy will remain in place for the remainder of the season. As for 2025, Jones is (at least publicly) open to the idea of giving McCarthy a second contract.
“I don’t think that’s crazy at all,” Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan regarding an extended McCarthy tenure (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “Listen, Mike McCarthy is an outstanding coach… This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. Bottom line is that no place in my body language or anything else have you seen indications about what we’re going to be doing relative to this [coaching] staff at the end of this year. And we shouldn’t. We got a lot of football left.”
Hired in 2020 as Jason Garrett‘s replacement, McCarthy came to Dallas with the mandate of delivering postseason success. That process did not get off to a strong start with a 6-10 campaign, but each of the following three seasons resulted in 12-5 records. The Cowboys’ inability to translate those regular season marks into a playoff run – McCarthy has won just one postseason game with Dallas – has resulted in his lame duck status. Jones has remained confident in the team’s 2024 prospects, so it comes as little surprise he has left the door open to maintaining the status quo on the sidelines for at least one more year.
Still, an improved showing the stretch would no doubt go a long way in helping McCarthy’s chances of remaining in place. The 61-year-old will be hard-pressed to keep the Cowboys in playoff contention even in the wake of Sunday’s wild win over the Commanders, but more consistent play on both sides of the ball could at least offer optimism for the 2025 season. The team has received reinforcements at some positions on the health front, something which could help lead to something of a turnaround over the coming weeks.
Plenty of key decisions loom in the near future from a roster-building perspective, but before free agency and the draft a call will need to be made regarding Dallas’ coaching staff. For now, at least, McCarthy could be in play to carry on in his current capacity.
Lions Waive LB James Houston
James Houston‘s stint in Detroit has come to an end. The Lions announced that they waived the pass rusher today.
A 2022 sixth-round pick, Houston made his NFL debut late in his rookie campaign. The Florida/Jackson State product ended up being a standout down the stretch of that season, compiling eight sacks in seven appearances. The Lions were hoping for even more in 2023, but Houston was limited to only a pair of games thanks to a fibula injury.
Houston has seen an inconsistent role in 2024. He was pushed out of the lineup towards the beginning of the season by Marcus Davenport, but he started seeing more snaps once Aidan Hutchinson went down. Houston has seen time in each of the past six games for Detroit, but the team has also given extended looks to Al-Quadin Muhammad, Za’Darius Smith, Isaac Ukwu, and Isaiah Thomas opposite Josh Paschal. Ultimately, Houston was the odd man out.
“It just never quite worked out,” coach Dan Campbell said today (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “And look, wish him the best of luck, and sometimes you just need a fresh start and this could be great for him, so wish him the best.”
Based on Campbell’s comments, it sounds like Houston won’t resurface on Detroit’s practice squad. Instead, the third-year player will look to revive his career elsewhere.
Dolphins OLB Shaquil Barrett Applies For Reinstatement
TODAY, 8:20pm: The Dolphins are considering Barrett’s reinstatement, but the team won’t have much time to make a decision. According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. the Dolphins will have to make a choice by this Thursday at 4:00pm ET. Week 13 is the deadline for retired players to return and play during the 2024 campaign.
If the Dolphins accept the player’s return, no additional transaction is needed (per Wolfe). If the Dolphins deny the player’s return, then Barrett will remain on the retired/reserve list for the rest of the season and won’t be eligible to play.
TODAY, 10:10am: Shaquil Barrett announced his retirement in July, a decision which seemed to bring his career to an end. The veteran pass rusher is now interested in a comeback, however. 
Barrett has applied for reinstatement, per his agents (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). He remains under contract to the Dolphins, who placed him on the reserve/retired list during the summer. The decision to step away from football came as a surprise to the team, although at the time the door remained open to a return.
Barrett’s five-year run with the Buccaneers came to an end this offseason, but he was in place to continue playing in 2024 when he inked a one-year Dolphins pact. That set him up to play a notable role in the team’s edge contingent, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports the 32-year-old is willing to suit up for the Dolphins provided he is reinstated.
Miami has been without Jaelan Phillips for most of the year after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. The team also has Bradley Chubb in the fold, but he has yet to make his 2024 debut as he continues rehabbing the ACL tear he suffered late last season. Those absences could allow Barrett to take on at least a rotational role down the stretch. First-round rookie Chop Robinson has shown promise in recent weeks, but added depth along the edge would certainly be welcomed by a Dolphins team looking to make a postseason push.
Barrett led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019, and he racked up 18 across the following two seasons. His workload and production declined after that, though, and he posted three sacks in 2022 before following it up with 4.5 last year. Incentives are present in his Dolphins pact, including $250K in per-game roster bonuses. Returning to action would boost the two-time Super Bowl winner’s earnings while also helping his case for playing in 2025 if he so desires.
If Barrett were to be placed on waivers, he would be available to interested teams if any were willing to put in a claim. Failing that, the two-time Pro Bowler would become a free agent. If the Dolphins match his willingness to play in Miami over the remainder of the campaign, though, he could see time for them in the near future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/24
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: CB Ka’dar Hollman (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: TE Peyton Hendershot
- Waived: DE Cameron Thomas
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): G Lester Cotton
- Waived: G Michael Jordan
New Orleans Saints
- Designated for return: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers (from Chargers): S A.J. Finley
- Waived: DT Myles Adams
The Patriots moved on from one of their OL starters today. Michael Jordan started all 11 games for New England this season, although that was mostly due to necessity. The veteran lineman ranks 73rd among 77 qualifying guards on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings. A former fourth-round pick, Jordan also has starting experience with the Bengals and Panthers.
New England will be replacing Jordan with Lester Cotton, who has spent the past few seasons in Miami. The lineman started a career-high eight games for the Dolphins in 2023, but he basically split his 100ish snaps between offense and special teams in 2024. The former UDFA could have a chance at more OL opportunities with his new squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/26/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Russ Yeast
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Tyler Shatley
- Released: OL Dieter Eiselen
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
- Activated from IR: TE Baylor Cupp
- Released: DE Truman Jones, OT Lucas Niang
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE McCallan Castles
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Zonovan Knight, WR Easop Winston Jr.
- Released: OL Zack Bailey
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE KJ Henry
- Released: DT Siaki Ika, WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Julius Welschof
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Ryan Cooper, WR Cornell Powell
- Released: RB Brittain Brown, CB Faion Hicks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Antonio Grier
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Stanley Morgan
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Viliami Fehoko Jr.
- Released: G Marquis Hayes
The Chiefs are set to roll with their third kicker of the season. With Harrison Butker on IR and Spencer Shrader sidelined with a hamstring injury, Kansas City had to add yet another leg to the roster. The team opted for Matthew Wright, who already has experience kicking with the franchise. Wright filled in for Butker twice in 2022, connecting on three field goals and eight extra points.
Wright has only got one extended look as a starter (when he got into 14 games with the Jaguars in 2021), but he’s still managed to get into at least one game per season over the past few years. Wright has already made an appearance in 2024, when he was responsible for 12 points in the 49ers win over the Seahawks last month.