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C.J. Henderson

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

August 27th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.

Atlanta Falcons

Signed to practice squad:

Carolina Panthers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Claimed:

  • WR Trey Palmer (from Buccaneers), G Xavier Truss (from Broncos)

Signed to practice squad:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed to practice squad:

Falcons Cull Roster To 53 Players

August 26th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Falcons trimmed their roster down to 53 players with the following moves:

Released

Waived

Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)

Placed on reserve/PUP

Placed on reserve/NFI

  • LB Malik Verdon

Released from IR with injury settlement

Fuller, Harrison, and Henderson all have previous starting experience in the secondary, though Harrison has since converted to linebacker and exclusively played special teams last season. Fuller missed half of the 2024 season due to injury, while Henderson, a former top-10 draft pick, spent the year with the Steelers but didn’t appear in a regular-season game.

With right tackle Kaleb McGary landing on season-ending IR, Parker could be a candidate to have a handshake agreement to be signed to the practice squad and remain in the team’s game day plans for the season. He will be crucial tackle depth with Norton sidelined for at least four weeks (and likely more) after ankle surgery

Bryant was a projected Day 3 pick who surprisingly went undrafted. Though he didn’t do enough to make the 53-man roster, the Falcons are hoping that he can clear waivers and return to the practice squad, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Though Younghoe Koo is coming off a down year, the Falcons are sticking with the veteran kicker and waived Krieg, a German-born rookie. The Falcons are planning to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. As an international player, Krieg is eligible to be an extra, 17th player on Atlanta’s practice squad.

Washington is expected to spend his third NFL season on the Falcons’ practice squad, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was only elevated once in 2024 and played exclusively special teams in that game.

Graham started 16 games over his first four years in the NFL but saw his snap share drop to a career low in 2024. He’ll be out for a minimum of four games with an undisclosed injury.

Falcons To Release CB C.J. Henderson

August 26th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

After the joining the Falcons earlier this month, C.J. Henderson will not make the team’s initial 53-man roster. The former first-round cornerback is being released, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.

As Schultz notes, however, Atlanta is planning on retaining Henderson via the practice squad. For that to be possible, he will have to avoid signing with any interested teams upon reaching free agency once the Falcons’ cuts are official. Of course, agreements of that nature are commonplace around the NFL with respect to roster maneuvering.

Henderson had multiple suitors in 2025, including a new opportunity with the Steelers. The former Jaguar and Panther instead elected to return to the NFC South by joining the Falcons shortly after a workout with the team. The 26-year-old’s Atlanta pact did not contain any guaranteed money, however; as such, today’s move will not incur any dead money charges while creating $1.03MM in cap savings.

The No. 9 pick in 2020, Henderson was dealt from the Jags after playing only 10 games for them. His Carolina tenure saw him remain healthy for the most part, but struggles in coverage were a consistent issue. Finishing last season on injured reserve, he did not see any game time with Pittsburgh. That resulted in a tempered market despite his age and draft pedigree.

Provided Henderson winds up on Atlanta’s practice squad, he will offer depth behind starters AJ Terrell and Mike Hughes, returnees Dee Alford and Clark Phillips and fourth-round rookie Billy Bowman. Elevations to the active roster will mark his first opportunity to see regular season game time.

Falcons To Sign CB C.J. Henderson

August 14th, 2025 at 9:45am CST by Adam La Rose

C.J. Henderson‘s recent Falcons workout has produced an agreement. The former first-round corner is set to sign with Atlanta pending a physical, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Recapping Falcons’ Offseason]

Henderson’s brief Jaguars stint did not go as planned, and the No. 9 selection in 2020 was traded after playing just 10 games for Jacksonville. The move allowed him to spend two-plus seasons in Carolina. During that time, Henderson handled a varied workload but consistently struggled in coverage, hindering his free agent market.

A Steelers deal saw Henderson on the move once again last year, but he did not see any playing time before landing on injured reserve. To little surprise, then, it has taken until well into training camp for the 26-year-old to line up his next opportunity. On the other hand, Henderson worked out with Pittsburgh last week, and Rapoport notes he drew interest from “several suitors.”

In any case, Henderson will quickly turn his attention to competing for a roster spot in Atlanta. The Falcons have AJ Terrell atop the cornerback depth chart once again for 2025, with Mike Hughes being added via free agency. He will be counted on to handle a starting role, while Dee Alford and Clark Phillips are still in place from last year. Henderson will look to spend Atlanta’s remaining practices and preseason games carving out a depth spot in the secondary.

The Falcons entered Thursday with less than $5MM in cap space, ranking them near the bottom of the league in terms of available funds. Henderson’s pact will not be a costly one, though, so Atlanta should still have the flexibility to make other roster moves in the coming weeks if needed.

DB Rumors: Savage, Jaguars, Horn, Steelers, Sutton, Lions, Texans, Patriots

August 6th, 2025 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars‘ Jourdan Lewis signing covers their slot cornerback position, moving Darnell Savage into a pure safety role. Savage had split time between the slot and traditional safety responsibilities last season, but Lewis’ arrival narrows the former first-rounder’s path to playing time. Savage is not a lock to start alongside FA pickup Eric Murray, however, with ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco indicating veterans Andrew Wingard and Antonio Johnson are competing for the other Jags safety spot. Wingard appears a slight favorite entering the preseason slate, per DiRocco.

Moving to a backup role would be a blow for Savage, who is tied to a three-year, $21.75MM deal. While the Trent Baalke-Doug Pederson regime authorized that contract, it would cost the Jags more than $10MM to cut Savage and more than $8MM to trade him. Both scenarios defray money to 2026, as we are well past June 1, so the 2025 cap hit would be manageable in each case. But this will be a position battle to watch. Wingard’s six Jags seasons make him the team’s second-longest-tenured player, behind only punter Logan Cooke, but while he has been a part-timer (28 starts), Savage has logged 82 starts between his time in Green Bay and Jacksonville. That said, DiRocco adds Wingard had beaten out Johnson — a 2023 fifth-rounder who has now made 11 career starts — for a gig alongside the since-departed Andre Cisco last year. A preseason knee injury scuttled that plan.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

  • The Panthers saw a car accident alter their quarterback plan last year. The minor injuries Andy Dalton sustained in a wreck near the stadium moved Bryce Young back into the starting lineup. Carolina looks to have dodged a bullet in another car-accident storyline, as Jaycee Horn is believed (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to have sustained minor maladies in a crash Wednesday morning. Horn confirmed as much (on Twitter). Injuries have hounded Horn throughout his career, but the Panthers gave the 2024 Pro Bowler a $25MM-per-year extension.
  • Rock Ya-Sin‘s veteran-minimum Lions contract (one year, $1.17MM) now includes a position switch. The defending NFC North champs are trying the journeyman cornerback at safety, Lions.com’s Tim Twentyman notes. New safeties coach Jim O’Neil had told Ya-Sin to prepare for some safety work in camp; Ya-Sin had not played safety since high school. The Lions are deep at corner, housing Avonte Maddox and Ennis Rakestraw as backups behind a Terrion Arnold–D.J. Reed–Amik Robertson top three. Ya-Sin may now be vying for a spot behind standout safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
  • Former Lions CB starter Cameron Sutton received his walking papers after a spring 2024 arrest produced a domestic battery by strangulation charge. His case has since been dismissed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. The Lions cut bait on a three-year, $33MM deal, leading Sutton to the Steelers. The NFL handed him an eight-game suspension last season. Sutton, 30, is a free agent after starting two Steelers games last season.
  • The Steelers checked in on C.J. Henderson via a Tuesday workout (per Wilson). A former top-10 Jaguars pick, Henderson auditioned for the Falcons last week. The Steelers, who rostered Henderson for part of last season, signed another CB from that workout (Daryl Porter Jr.). After 22 Panthers starts from 2021-23, Henderson landed on the Steelers’ IR in November, not playing a 2024 snap.
  • Jalen Mills joins Sutton and Henderson in being unsigned; the Eagles, Patriots and Jets regular completed a Texans workout Tuesday, Wilson adds. Mills, 31, made eight starts with the Jets last season, running his career total — split between safety and corner — to 91.
  • A sixth-round Seahawks pick in 2024, DJ James spent most of last season on the Patriots‘ practice squad. While James has yet to play a regular-season snap, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed expects him to make the Pats’ 53-man roster. With Carlton Davis and Christian Gonzalez being held out of team drills, James has worked alongside Alex Austin as first-teamers filling in. James failed to make Seattle’s 53-man roster last August.

Falcons Host CB C.J. Henderson

July 31st, 2025 at 7:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

Safety Jordan Whitehead lined up a Falcons visit shortly after receiving medical clearance. He is not the only free agent defensive back on Atlanta’s radar.

Cornerback C.J. Henderson worked out for the Falcons today, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. No deal is imminent at this time, he adds. Today’s news marks the first known visit this offseason in the case of the former top-1o pick.

Expectations were high for Henderson upon arrival with the Jaguars in 2020. Things did not go according to plan, however, and after struggling in a starting role with Jacksonville he was traded to the Panthers early in his second season. Over the course of 39 games with Carolina, the Florida product started 22 games but consistently struggled in coverage. Henderson joined the Texans last spring but failed to survive roster cuts.

That was followed by a stint on the Steelers’ practice squad, although a neck injury contributed to the 26-year-old never making an appearance. Henderson understandably remains unsigned well into training camp, but that could soon change based on how today’s workout went. Atlanta currently sits near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space; with roughly $4.9MM available, though, a league minimum pact would be affordable.

The Falcons added Mike Hughes in free agency as a starter to complement A.J. Terrell. Dee Alford and Clark Phillips remain in place from last year, but Henderson could be a candidate for a spot on the end of the roster in the event he were to sign. Failing that, his attention will again turn to finding a gig in 2025.

Steelers Place CB C.J Henderson On IR

November 16th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

C.J Henderson has yet to make his Steelers debut, and that will remain the case for an extended period. The former first-rounder corner was placed on injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.

Henderson joined the Steelers in September, initially inking a practice squad deal. He was promoted to the active roster last month amidst interest from other teams, but he has still yet to make an appearance. A neck injury will now keep Henderson sidelined for at least the next four games as Pittsburgh looks to remain atop the AFC North.

Pittsburgh enters Week 11 with a 7-2 record ahead of a critical matchup with the Ravens. The team’s defense has remained among the league’s best units with both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at the helm; the Steelers have allowed 16.2 points per games this year, the second-best mark in the NFL. The team’s secondary has not been as strong, as Pittsburgh sits just 19th against the pass.

Henderson’s absence will require the Steelers to continue leaning heavily on Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson as starters at the cornerback spot. The likes of undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop along with Cameron Sutton – recently reinstated from suspension – are in place to handle rotational roles in the secondary. Missed time will further hinder Henderson’s ability to carve out a role with the Steelers.

The 26-year-old entered the league with high expectations but he played only 10 games with the Jaguars before being traded during his second season to the Panthers. Henderson made 22 starts with Carolina, but his struggles in coverage continued during his time with the team. The Florida product took a one-year deal with the Texans in free agency, but he did not survive roster cutdowns. Having yet to make an impact in Pittsburgh, Henderson is no doubt looking at another tepid market this spring.

In a corresponding move, the Steelers signed running back Jonathan Ward to the active roster. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have handled the bulk of the rushing load in 2024, as expected. Ward, 27, has received only five carries so far this season but he has contributed on special teams. He will feature in that capacity tomorrow provided he is part of the gameday lineup.

Steelers Sign CB C.J. Henderson To Active Roster

October 21st, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

C.J. Henderson has earned a promotion to Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have signed the practice-squad cornerback to the active roster.

The former first-round pick joined the Steelers practice squad in late September. While today’s move comes after Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson aggravated his shoulder injury last night, Rapoport notes that Henderson was also drawing interest from other cornerback-needy squads. By adding Henderson to the active roster, the Steelers now control the player’s fate this season.

The ninth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Henderson showed flashes as a rookie with the Jaguars, hauling in an interception to go along with 36 tackles. He ended his rookie campaign on IR with a shoulder injury, and he only got into two games with Jacksonville in 2021 before getting dealt to Carolina. He ultimately spent two-plus seasons with the Panthers, finding himself in and out of the starting lineup. Pro Football Focus was never especially fond of Henderson’s performance, with the site often giving him one of the worst positional grades in pass coverage.

After hitting free agency this past offseason, Henderson quickly caught on with the Texans. He was among the team’s final cuts, and it took him about a month before he got an offer from the Steelers.

Joey Porter Jr. and Jackson have soaked up the majority of Pittsburgh’s snaps at CB this season, although the latter has been limited in each of the past two weeks while dealing with his shoulder injury. With Beanie Bishop Jr. penciled in as the nickelback, James Pierre has been tasked with filling in during Week 6 and Week 7, with the former UDFA getting into a season-high 35 snaps yesterday. With only those four aforementioned CBs on the active roster, Henderson could be in line for a role if Jackson if forced to miss any time.

Steelers Add CB C.J. Henderson To Practice Squad

September 25th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers have added a former first-round pick to their secondary. The team announced that they’ve signed defensive back C.J. Henderson to the practice squad.

The Jaguars selected Henderson with the ninth-overall pick in the 2020 draft. The Florida product showed flashes of his first-round pedigree as a rookie, finishing with 36 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble in eight games before landing on injured reserve with a groin injury.

Henderson was dealt to the Panthers during his sophomore campaign and proceeded to spend two-plus seasons in Carolina, starting 22 of his 39 appearances. The cornerback occasionally filled up the stat sheet, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with tw0 interceptions and six passes defended. However, Pro Football Focus was never especially fond of Henderson’s performance, often giving him one of the worst positional grades in pass coverage.

The 25-year-old caught on with the Texans this offseason but didn’t make it through final cuts with his new squad. After remaining unsigned through the first few weeks of the regular season, Henderson has now found a new home in Pittsburgh. The veteran will still face an uphill battle to earn a promotion, as he joins a Steelers practice squad that already includes cornerbacks Anthony Averett, D’Shawn Jamison, and Thomas Graham Jr..

Texans Place Case Keenum On Season-Ending IR, Reduce Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several vested veterans hit the chopping block in Houston. Here is how the defending NFC South champions reached 53 today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on season-ending IR:

Placed on IR/designated for return:

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

Placed on reserve/suspended list:

Keenum was headed into the second season of a two-year deal with his original NFL team, but a major injury will sidetrack the veteran arm. A foot injury will sideline the 36-year-old quarterback, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Keenum is expected to be down for three or four months, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds. Houston still has Davis Mills, who is in a contract year, as its top backup behind C.J. Stroud.

A calf injury will shut down Harris for the time being, Wilson adds. The Texans used both their allotted IR-return moves. The team used the 2022 third-round pick as a 12-game starter last season. Harris has played at least 71% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in both of his seasons, explaining his being prioritized via the NFL’s IR rule tweak. Despite being a 2022 UDFA, Hinish has been a key rotational player in Houston in each of his two pro seasons.

Horton is in remission from his bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The second-year player completed his final treatment this spring but did not practice with the team during training camp. The Texans’ run of WR cuts leaves 2022 second-rounder John Metchie, who missed his rookie season after a leukemia diagnosis, and Robert Woods on the roster behind starters Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs. Cutting Jordan, a sixth-round pick from Louisville, leaves Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers rostered behind Joe Mixon.

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