Desmond King

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/24

Today’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

  • Signed: G Cade Mays
  • Released: T Marcellus Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: T Anim Dankwah

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

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.

Texans To Cut WRs Ben Skowronek, Noah Brown; CBs C.J. Henderson, Desmond King Also Released

For a second time this year, a team has made plans to waive Ben Skowronek. When the Rams were close to doing so in May, they found a trade partner. As of now, the Texans do not have a trade in place.

Houston is moving on from a wide receiver it acquired from Los Angeles, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reporting Skowronek will be cut. He will not be the only wideout Houston is releasing. The team is cutting Noah Brown, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets. Brown totaled 567 receiving yards in his Texans debut. That said, the Texans entered the week with a crowded wide receiver room.

Additionally, the Texans are moving on from cornerback C.J. Henderson, per Wilson. The team added the former Jacksonville top-10 pick in March, bringing him in along with ex-Lions top-five CB draftee Jeff Okudah. But Henderson has struggled during his pro career, being benched by the Panthers during a rocky three-season tenure. Henderson is a vested veteran and will return to free agency.

The Texans are also moving on from Desmond King, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. King, who began a second stint with the team after the Steelers cut him last year, re-signed with the Texans this offseason. The veteran was competing for the team’s slot cornerback role.

Second-round pick Kamari Lassiter is slated to start opposite Derek Stingley. The Texans also signed ex-Patriots slot defender Myles Bryant in late March. Okudah remains on Houston’s roster, being given a one-year deal worth $4.75MM. The Texans gave Henderson a one-year, $2MM pact; only $500K was guaranteed.

Some of these players figure to be under consideration for Texans practice squad spots, but they also may have options in free agency. Brown impressed as a fill-in player for an injury-plagued receiving corps last year, and the longtime Cowboys option signed a one-year deal worth $4MM. With Brown being guaranteed $3MM, it is a bit surprising the team is moving on from a player with back-to-back 500-plus-yard seasons on his resume.

The Texans, however, acquired Stefon Diggs via trade and have Tank Dell returning from injury. The team also used a 2022 second-round pick on John Metchie. Despite the Alabama alum and leukemia survivor generating trade interest, he remains with the club. So does Robert Woods, who is tied to a two-year, $14MM deal. The Texans gave up only a 2026 sixth-round pick for Skowronek, who functioned as a utility player of sorts for the Rams.

DB Notes: Owens, Giants, King, Chargers

The Bears have become a rather Olympic-friendly organization in recent years. Although Marquise Goodwin did not make the U.S. long jump team three years ago, Bears coaches backed the London Olympian-turned-NFL wideout’s bid to land on the Tokyo squad. A new Bears regime appears equally into the Olympic spirit. Goodwin did not need to miss any training camp time, but one of the Bears’ new signees looks set to receive a few excused absences for Olympics purposes.

Jonathan Owens, a sixth-year safety best known as the husband of gymnastics icon Simone Biles, will be given some time to attend Paris to support his wife. Biles said (via USA Today’s Nancy Armour) the Bears intend to allow the veteran safety “a couple days off” during training camp to watch her compete. Biles, who regularly attended Texans and Packers games to support Owens, is due to compete in her third Games from July 28-August 1. Owens signed a two-year, $3.8MM deal with the Bears this offseason. Although the former Houston and Green Bay cog worked as a starter over the past two seasons, he looks set to operate as a backup behind Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in his first Chicago season.

Here is the latest from the NFL secondary ranks:

  • Saquon Barkley‘s departure and Daniel Jones remaining in place as the starting quarterback have been the lead items — perhaps along with Brian Burns‘ arrival — from this Giants offseason. But Joe Schoen also identified cornerback as one of the team’s top needs going into free agency. The third-year GM said during the Hard Knocks: Offseason debut (h/t The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) CB was a front-line need along with wide receiver and the offensive line. The Giants did invest in a corner (Dru Phillips) in Round 3 and added former Jaguars slot defender Tre Herndon in June, but the team is counting on converted slot Cor’Dale Flott to replace Adoree’ Jackson alongside Deonte Banks. Schoen’s recently revealed assessment of the position may be of note as the team finishes assessing its pre-training camp depth chart.
  • Desmond King cited the Texans‘ emergence into an AFC contender as a key reason he agreed to re-sign this offseason. The team gave King a second chance after he washed out with the Steelers last year. “I’m going on my fourth year in Houston,” King said, via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “I’ve done seen the evolution of the team and the organization just being here for those first couple of years and seeing where it’s at now, knowing my capability and what I can bring to the team, why not be here with Houston?” King, who signed a one-year deal worth $1.8MM, has operated primarily as a slot player in Houston. He was with the team during David Culley and Lovie Smith‘s one-and-done seasons, before observing the Texans’ progress under DeMeco Ryans. With Tavierre Thomas now with the Buccaneers, King has a clear path to holding the Texans’ slot role this season.
  • A number of new faces will be part of the Chargers‘ two-deep this year. After going into last season with J.C. Jackson and Michael Davis in key roles at corner, the Bolts moved on from both. While Kristian Fulton has a path to a starting job, ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim notes another addition — fifth-round rookie Tarheeb Still — made perhaps the biggest impact among the Bolts’ rookies during the offseason program. DC Jesse Minter also offered praise for Still, a Maryland product, and it looks like he has a chance at securing a role alongside the likes of Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. in Jim Harbaugh‘s first season.

AFC Contract Details: Titans, Jeudy, Browns, Brown, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Texans

Here are contract details from some of the latest deals agreed to around the league.

  • Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans). Four years, $92MM. In addition to his $20MM signing bonus, Ridley will see his first two base salaries ($4.5MM, $22,5MM) fully guaranteed. If on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Ridley will receive a $3.02MM guarantee for his 2026 base salary ($20.24MM), per OverTheCap. If Ridley remains on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will earn a $1MM bonus. This still stands to give the Titans some 2026 flexibility.
  • Jerry Jeudy, WR (Browns). Three years, $52.5MM. The recently traded wideout’s base value, as expected, checks in lower than the initial numbers. The ex-Denver target will see guarantees into his the deal’s third year, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting $6MM will be guaranteed for 2026. Jeudy received $41MM guaranteed at signing.
  • Curtis Samuel, WR (Bills). Three years, $24MM. The Bills are guaranteeing $5MM of Samuel’s $6.91MM 2025 base salary at signing. The entire ’25 base is guaranteed for injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Samuel will be due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; his $6.51MM 2026 salary is nonguaranteed.
  • John Simpson, G (Jets). Two years, $12MM. This number is down a bit from the initial $18MM figure, which is the deal’s max value. Simpson will see $6MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets used three void years to spread out the cap hits; the fifth-year guard is on New York’s books at $3.2MM in 2024.
  • Folorunso Fatukasi, DT (Texans). One year, $5.2MM. The recent Jacksonville cut will receive $4.6MM guaranteed at signing on his Houston pact, Wilson tweets. The Texans tacked two void years onto the veteran nose tackle’s deal.
  • Trent Brown, T (Bengals). One year, $4.75MM. The veteran tackle will receive $2MM guaranteed, with OverTheCap indicating $1MM will be available in per-game roster bonuses with another $250K in play via a workout bonus. A bonus-laden structure is not new for Brown, who had weight clauses in his most recent two Patriots contracts.
  • Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets). One year, $3MM. The Jets are guaranteeing the former No. 3 overall pick $2.5MM, Cimini adds.
  • Mike Edwards, S (Bills). One year, $2.8MM. The former Tampa Bay and Kansas City safety can earn up to $4MM on his Buffalo deal, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. He is on the Bills’ cap at $2.8MM.
  • Cody Barton, LB (Broncos). One year, $2.46MM. The Broncos will land the veteran linebacker for more than $1MM cheaper than the Commanders did in 2023. Denver is guaranteeing $2.33MM of the deal, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
  • Desmond King, CB (Texans). One year, $1.8MM. Veteran slot cornerback/return man’s contract can max out at $2.2MM, Wilson tweets.

Texans Finalizing Deal With CB Desmond King

Taking care of a number of their own pending free agents on Saturday, the Texans are set to have a key member of their defense and special teams in the fold for 2024. Houston is finalizing a new deal with slot corner and returner Desmond King, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

[RELATED: Texans Re-Sign Eric Murray]

The one-year King deal will have a base value of $1.8MM with the potential to max out at $2.2MM, Wilson adds. The 29-year-old spent the 2021 and ’22 campaigns in Houston before being part of the team’s final roster cuts ahead of this past season. That led to a brief stint in Pittsburgh, but his lack of usage drove the Steelers to shop him ahead of the trade deadline.

With no takers emerging, King was waived and ultimately re-joined the Texans in November. The Iowa alum started three of seven regular season games upon return, as well as both of the team’s postseason contests. He totaled 64 tackles, two sacks and a pair of pass deflections in that span, proving his continued value to Houston. King logged 15 starts during his first Texans stint, and he will likely remain a key defender in 2024.

The former fifth-rounder also returned eight kicks and one punt in his limited time with Houston in 2023. King earned All-Pro acclaim for his special teams work with the Chargers in 2018, and he has maintained his role as a returner through much of his career. He will aim to improve on his 12.6 yards per return average with respect to kickoffs next season if he maintains his role as Houston’s top returner in 2024.

Houston entered Saturday with nearly $63MM in cap space, leaving plenty of flexibility for when free agency opens next week. The new deals for Murray and King will eat into that total slightly, but they will ensure stability on the backend as the team looks to replicate 2023’s surprise run to the divisional round.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/23

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

After missing the Cardinals’ last six games on injured reserve, Wilkinson is now on track to return to his starting left guard post this season. Arizona has used a mixture of Trystan Colon and Carter O’Donnell to fill the spot in the interim.

King found his way to the Texans’ practice squad after being waived by the Steelers and was elevated to game action last week. After starting 25 games for Houston in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, King will be a welcome addition back to the active roster.

Hardee has missed six games with a hamstring injury. The Pro Bowl special teamer returned to practice today alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Schweitzer. Schweitzer was one of several offensive linemen in New York who sustained injuries earlier this year, but after missing the four games required of an IR stint, Schweitzer is working to return, as well.

Texans Activate C Juice Scruggs From IR

NOVEMBER 25: Finally, some good news for the Texans’ interior offensive line. After season-ending injuries to Quessenberry and Kenyon and Kendrick Green, and Patterson, the substitute starter at center, getting carted off with a broken fibula, nearly a month ago, Houston is finally getting some reinforcement. The team announced that they have officially activated Scruggs from injured reserve, allowing the second-round rookie to finally be available to potentially make his NFL debut. Whether or not he plays or starts has yet to be determined. He has only been back at practice since Wednesday and is trying to unseat the team’s fourth option at center, Dieter, who currently ranks as the NFL’s 23rd-best center, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

In order to make room for Scruggs on the active roster, the Texans have waived linebacker Garret Wallow. Wallow spent most of this year on the practice squad after being waived halfway through his rookie contract in the preseason. The former fifth-round pick started five games in his first two seasons but only made an appearance this year when he was promoted to the active roster a week ago. If he clears waivers, Wallow will almost certainly be retained on a practice squad contract.

Lastly, the Texans announced that cornerback Desmond King and wide receiver Steven Sims have been activated from the practice squad as standard gameday elevations for tomorrow’s divisional matchup against the Jaguars. King has appeared in three games this year for the Steelers after spending the past two seasons in Houston as a starter. The Texans brought him back to their p-squad this week. Sims was elevated last week and caught both his targets for 25 yards. Sims also took punt returner duties, fielding two for 16 yards.

NOVEMBER 22: Juice Scruggs has endured a long journey back from the hamstring injury he suffered during the preseason. The second-round Texans draftee has not yet made his NFL debut, despite his injury occurring in the team’s preseason finale.

The Texans have finally designated the Penn State product for return Wednesday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Scruggs, who was moving toward being the Texans’ starting center during training camp, now has three weeks to be activated from IR. No activation in that span will make this a true redshirt year for the high-end interior O-line prospect.

Making multiple trades for O-linemen in August, the Texans have also seen long-term injuries affect their front. Projected guard starter Kenyon Green is out for the season, and trade pickup Kendrick Green joins him on season-ending IR. The team’s primary center starter last season, Scott Quessenberry, suffered season-ending injuries — ACL and MCL tears — early during training camp. That paved the way for Scruggs, but his hamstring setback has thus far defined his rookie year.

The Texans will give the No. 62 overall pick a chance to change that soon. Houston has also dealt with center availability issues in-season. Jarrett Patterson started seven games this season, but the sixth-round rookie is on IR after being carted off the field in Week 8. Free agent pickup Michael Deiter resides as option 4 for the Texans; the ex-Dolphins third-rounder has started the past three games at center.

Houston has just two IR activations remaining this season. It stands to reason Scruggs will be given a shot to come back. Though, the 6-4 team is contending for a playoff spot. A key performer going down with a short-term injury now could still be brought back later this season, but the ascending team may need to keep players on the active roster in the event of multiweek injuries going forward. DeMeco Ryans‘ previous team ran into this issue, with the 49ers using all their IR activations during the 2022 regular season.

Scruggs has already needed to overcome obstacles to keep his career going. A 2019 car accident left his playing future in serious doubt. The 6-3, 315-pound blocker earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, cementing his status as one of the top interior linemen in this year’s class.

Texans Re-Sign CB Desmond King

The Steelers tried to trade Desmond King before the deadline; no deal transpired. This led to Pittsburgh cutting its seldom-used cornerback last month. While no trade taker emerged, King has landed another opportunity.

Dealing with cornerback injuries at many points this season, the Texans will bring back the veteran slot defender. King is back in Houston on a practice squad deal. This agreement comes nearly three months after the Texans released King before setting their initial 53-man roster.

King played in three Steelers games this season, but his contributions came almost entirely on special teams. Used as a kick returner, King saw all of one defensive snap during his Pittsburgh tenure. The Steelers signed King shortly after his Texans release, but the partnership did not prove beneficial. Now, King will return to a team that used him regularly in recent years.

Houston has seen Derek Stingley Jr., Tavierre Thomas, Grayland Arnold and Jimmie Ward miss time this season. Ward, who has played some slot corner despite DeMeco Ryans recruiting him from San Francisco by indicating he would return to a full-time safety role, missed the Texans’ Week 11 matchup. Arnold, who has spent time in the slot as well, is currently on IR. King, 28, will be in position to add some insurance.

While King did not make Ryans’ initial Houston roster, he spent the offseason learning the ex-49ers DC’s system and worked as a defensive regular during the team’s David Culley– and Lovie Smith-coached seasons. King, 28, played 86% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in 2021 and logged a 78% snap share last season. He carries an All-Pro distinction as a slot corner and return man — both honors coming in 2018 when King was with the Chargers — and resides as one of the league’s more experienced slot defenders.

After King played on two rebuilding Texans teams that received minimal attention, he will join a Ryans-led outfit that has started 6-4. Pro Football Focus rated King 20th among corners last season, marking an improvement after early struggles in Smith’s defense. Following that 2021 season, however, the Texans gave King a two-year, $7MM deal. As Nick Caserio has handed out a host of lower-middle-class contracts during his run as Texans GM, King was the recipient of two of those. Both contracts averaged $3.5MM per year. King will attempt to reestablish his value on this lower-cost Houston pact.

Steelers Release CB Desmond King

OCTOBER 18: No trade partner emerged. The Steelers are moving on from the veteran corner via a release, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. This situation came about due to King’s lack of playing time, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly tweets. The Steelers are the second team to cut King in two months, with a Texans release sending him to Pittsburgh. With the trade deadline Oct. 31, vested veterans are not yet subject to waivers. King, 28, will head back into free agency.

OCTOBER 17: After joining the Steelers in August, it sounds like Desmond King won’t be sticking in Pittsburgh much longer. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Steelers plan to move on from the veteran cornerback.

The Steelers are hoping to find a trade partner for King, but Pelissero notes that the team will simply release the veteran if they can’t find a suitor.

After getting cut by the Texans at the end of the preseason, King quickly caught on with the Steelers. While the veteran was expected to provide some veteran depth to the secondary, he barely saw the field through the first month-plus. King has been limited to only three games this season, with only one of his 16 snaps coming on defense.

While the Steelers’ secondary has struggled this year, King clearly had a tough time climbing the depth chart. Chandon Sullivan emerged as the team’s primary nickelback opposite starters Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace, with rookie second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. soaking up the remaining snaps at the position.

King, a former fifth-round pick, served as mostly a slot corner during his time with the Chargers, but he established himself as a starter on the outside during his two-year stint with the Texans. Between 2021 and 2022, King collected 182 tackles and five interceptions in 25 starts (33 total games). With 98 regular season games on his resume, a DB-needy team will surely come calling.

Pittsburgh isn’t just subtracting a cornerback from their roster. Instead, they’re replacing King with cornerback Darius Rush, who the Steelers are expected to sign off the Chiefs practice squad (per Pelissero). The rookie fifth-round pick was cut by the Colts at the end of the preseason but the Chiefs were quick to claim him off waivers. Kansas City later removed Rush from the active roster and signed him to the practice squad, a move that helped the Steelers to swoop in and snag him.