Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles
The Steelers could soon have reinforcements available on offense. Both wideout Diontae Johnson and running back Anthony McFarland returned to practice on Monday, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Steelers Not Moving On From OC Matt Canada]
Both players have been on injured reserve since Week 2, a move which guaranteed at least a four-week absence. The fact they have each started practicing at the first available opportunity is an encouraging sign for their availability as soon as this Sunday. Today’s move opens their three-week window to be activated and avoid reverting to season-ending IR.
A hamstring injury forced Johnson to miss the past four weeks, but he has been confident he would be able to return following the team’s bye. That seems likely given his immediate return to the practice field, and suiting up in Week 6 would be a welcomed development for a Steelers offense which is in need of improvement. Johnson has led Pittsburgh in receiving yards the past three years, and he has received at least 144 targets in each of those campaigns.
The 27-year-old has produced one 1,000-yard season in that span (1,136 in 2021), and he has been a consistent presence in the team’s passing game since his rookie year in 2019. That helped earn him a two-year, $36.71MM extension last offseason as Pittsburgh made the rare move of re-upping a homegrown receiver. Johnson will regain his starting spot upon return alongside George Pickens and Allen Robinson, and he will aim to end his touchdown-less streak which lasted all of 2022 and continued in his season debut of this year.
McFarland, on the other hand, will likely have a more challenging path to playing time when he is activated. The Maryland product sits firmly behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on the RB depth chart, and the latter two should be expected to carry the load moving forward. Once Johnson and McFarland are officially brought back, the Steelers will have six IR activations remaining.
The Steelers are currently on the bye, a time during which teams regularly make signficant coaching or personnel changes. None are expected to be made with respect to the coordinator in charge of Pittsburgh’s offense, however. 
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada still has the backing of head coach Mike Tomlin and Co., Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). As Russini adds, the Steelers would have already made a change regarding Canada if they had decided to move in a different direction. The latter will retain play-calling duties for the foreseeable future.
Canada was named as an OC who found himself on the hot seat last week, and speculation regarding his job security has continued for some time. Russini notes that the Steelers held a meeting to discuss the unit’s struggles, but that has not produced a change on the sidelines. In spite of that, Canada will still no doubt face pressure to deliver an improvement on what Pittsburgh has managed during his time at the helm to date.
The Steelers rank near the bottom of the league in several categories this season, and they have averaged just 15.8 points and less than 290 yards of offense per game. The passing and rushing attacks sit 26th and 30th, respectively, meaning the unit does not have one element to lean on to help mask the shortcomings of another. Injuries in the pass-catching corps and along the offensive line have been present in 2023, but as a whole quarterback Kenny Pickett and the players around him have fallen short of expectations.
Given the fact that Canada’s tenure (which began in 2021) has not yielded notable improvement with Pickett becoming more acclimated to the NFL, frustrations laid bare by the fans along with questions regarding his support from within the building have been understandable. At 3-2 on the strength of their defense, however, the Steelers are firmly in the running in the AFC North and the wild-card picture in the AFC as things currently stand.
Pittsburgh has a history of avoiding in-season coaching changes, so it comes as little surprise that Canada appears safe for the remainder of the campaign. As has been the case before, though, he will face plenty of scrutiny in the coming weeks with his long-term future in the organization a matter of speculation.
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants
Pittsburgh Steelers
Anthony Firkser will provide the Lions with some veteran tight end depth. Darrell Daniels has mostly transitioned to a fullback role and James Mitchell is sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaving Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright as the two healthy TEs on the roster. Firkser has seen time in 69 regular season games, hauling in 115 catches for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns. The 28-year-old tight end got into 11 games for the Falcons in 2022, finishing with nine catches for 100 yards.
Yodny Cajuste is back in New York after getting cut by the Jets back in August. The former third-round pick got into 17 games (five starts) for the Patriots between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was waived by New England back in May before catching on with the Jets for the preseason.
Here are Monday’s practice squad moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
Last month, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed offensive coordinator Matt Canada‘s job status and noted that he would not make a “knee-jerk reaction” with respect to Canada’s position. Given that the Steelers generally refrain from making a major coaching move during the season, and since Canada was retained for 2023 to offer some continuity for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, it seemed reasonable to expect that the OC would at least finish out the year in Pittsburgh.
However, that may not be the case. While Tomlin again said several days ago that he would not be making a change “at this juncture,” sources close to the situation tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Canada could find himself on the hot seat if Pittsburgh’s offensive output does not improve.
Based on the offense’s performance under Canada to date, it is difficult to forecast such improvement. Since getting promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in 2021, Canada has been unable to coax much production out of his unit. The Steelers dropped from 22nd in points scored in 2021 to 24th in 2022, and while they jumped from 25th to 19th in total yards, the passing offense took a major step back.
Of course, there are always going to be growing pains with a young passer like Pickett. Nonetheless, it is easy to understand why the Steelers faithful are frustrated and have taken to gracing their team with “Fire Canada” chants. Pittsburgh presently ranks 29th in total offense, is averaging just 15.5 points per game, and is one of four teams that have scored fewer than ten points in multiple games in 2023. As a result, Canada could soon find himself on the wrong side of Steelers history; the last time the team made a significant in-season coaching shakeup was in 1998, when then-HC Bill Cowher removed then-OC Ray Sherman’s play-calling duties.
Like the Steelers, the Saints are averaging just 15.5 points per game, and according to Rapoport, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is not necessarily a safe bet to make it through the end of the season. In fairness, New Orleans was 2-0 and was leading its Week 3 contest against the Packers 17-0 when a shoulder injury forced quarterback Derek Carr out of that game, which the team ultimately lost by an 18-17 score. Then, the Saints dropped a 26-9 decision to the Bucs in Week 4 while deploying a less-than-healthy Carr under center.
Still, even the Saints’ victories and near-victories have been earned largely on the strength of the defense, and they are just one of three teams that have scored fewer than 20 points in every game this season. Carmichael, a longtime Sean Payton lieutenant, has been New Orleans’ OC since 2009, so it would be somewhat jarring to see someone else in that role. But while HC Dennis Allen noted on October 2 that it was too soon to make a staff change, it sounds as if a change could be in the offing if there is no substantial improvement.
Here are the day’s minor transactions heading into Week 5:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Tennessee Titans
The Steelers received good news early in the week that the knee injury suffered by starting second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett was not a serious one. That news continues to improve as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Pickett is “good to go” for tomorrow’s game against the division-rival Ravens. 
The Ravens have already faced two backup quarterbacks so far this season in Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew and Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Their other two games have been against Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and a banged up Joe Burrow with the Bengals.
There were concerns over the possible severity of Pickett’s knee injury, but an MRI determined that it was a combination of a bone bruise and a muscle strain that was ailing the 25-year-old. Despite early concerns, Pickett was able to be a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday and was fully removed from the team’s injury report today.
If Pickett wasn’t able to go, or if he were to reaggravate his knee injury in the contest, Mitchell Trubisky would be the first name off the bench. The former Bears passer started five games for the Steelers last season, going 2-3 in those starts. Mason Rudolph would then serve as the primary backup behind Trubisky. Rudolph has 10 starts over his three years in Pittsburgh, going 5-4-1 in those games.
Luckily for the Steelers, they won’t have to depend on either of their backup options. Pickett and company will attempt to keep the Ravens from going 3-0 in AFC North road games to start the season.
New Dolphins wide receiver Chase Claypool has now been traded twice under his rookie contract with both of the teams trading him away doing so with criticisms that have nothing to do with his talent. The former second-round pick out of Notre Dame will have a chance to start anew in Miami, but the most recent developments in his career lead to a few points of interest. 
Firstly, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reflected on reports that came out about Claypool shortly after his initial trade from Pittsburgh to Chicago. The team had just used a second-round pick to add former Georgia wide out George Pickens. Additionally, the Steelers had just rewarded Diontae Johnson with a two-year, $36.71MM contract extension. The team was staking its claim on the pieces of the receiving corps it wanted to move forward with in the future, and all the while, Claypool was struggling to find where he fit in.
After a rookie season that saw him record 873 receiving yards for an outstanding nine touchdown receptions (and two more on the ground) and a sophomore outing where he nearly matched his receiving yards total while only catching two scores, Claypool struggled through much of the first few weeks of the 2022 season as Johnson and Pickens dominated the target share in the position room.
As he struggled, it was reported that there were internal issues concerning Claypool in Pittsburgh. He had reportedly become a “distraction” behind the scenes, and his trade was the result of weeks of effort trying to unload the problematic receiver. Those same vibes seem to be apparent in his departure from Chicago, where concerns about his effort on the field led to him being a healthy scratch from games as the Bears worked to offload him.
Many of the sources reporting these internal issues seem to hold the opinion that, at only 25 years old, Claypool has all the time in the world to turn his career around. He clearly has the talent that he displayed in his rookie year and should still be able to access it. Even better, he’s now landed in what could be a perfect opportunity to turn things around.
In Miami, Claypool becomes a low-risk, high-reward prospect for a team that can afford to swing and miss. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel even told the media that the team “wasn’t looking for another wide receiver, but this was a good chance to pounce on (an) opportunity that presented itself,” according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
To support McDaniel’s claim, Miami leads the league in total offense by a wide margin, thanks in large part to their league-leading 1,337 passing yards to date, which is even more than the two teams who have already played five games this season. Last year, the team’s top two wideouts, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, combined for 3,066 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns. This year, they added All-Pro return specialist and slot receiver Braxton Berrios, as well. Clearly, the team is well-stocked at the wide receiver position.
So, why not take a shot on Claypool for such a low asking price? Claypool, at 6-foot-4, adds a body type not present in the corps’ top three listed above, as none of Hill, Waddle, or Berrios even reach 5-foot-11. Claypool also doesn’t lack for top-end speed, an aspect of the game that the Dolphins clearly covet. The door is wide open for Claypool to walk through. He’s once again with a contending franchise and should be fighting for his life for his next NFL contract. Miami could be the perfect place to get it done.
This does seem to bring up some questions about the other big receiver in the corps, Cedrick Wilson. Miami signed him to a three-year, $22.8M contract last season before he got outplayed by Trent Sherfield for the WR3 spot. It was even reported in the offseason that the team was willing to trade Wilson. He’s continued to struggle to find the field this year, as well. With a potentially more capable big body in Claypool coming in, the Dolphins might view Wilson as even more expendable and look to find a trade partner who might reimburse their lost sixth-round pick.
Regardless, Claypool heads to South Beach with the opportunity to revive his flailing NFL career. He’ll have to work hard to find snaps behind Hill, Waddle, and Berrios, but his big frame provides him with the chance to earn some situational snaps and eventually expand his role. Miami may be his last chance to get himself together and stay in the NFL.
Today’s minor moves from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tennessee Titans
Mitchell could be a key piece back for Baltimore in the offensive backfield. After the season loss of running back J.K Dobbins, the Ravens have been operating with a committee that includes Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon, and Kenyan Drake. While just an undrafted rookie, Mitchell could immediately relieve the need for the use of Gordon or Drake off the practice squad. The East Carolina product flashed serious potential in the preseason and led the FBS last year with 54 runs of 10 or more yards.
Denver will certainly be hoping to add Browning back to its ailing defense soon. Especially with Randy Gregory finding himself off the roster today, Browning’s pass-rushing ability could be just what the team needs to get its defense back on track.