Jared Veldheer

NFL Suspends Jared Veldheer

Free agent Jared Veldheer has been hit with a six-game ban (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The reason for the suspension is not immediately clear, but it will likely hurt the tackle’s chances of finding a deal this summer. 

Veldheer, a 2010 third-round pick out of Hillsdale, has put together a 12-year career, appearing in 121 career regular season games. He joined the Colts in late December, and he ended up playing 100-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 17 and the Wild Card Round. After that, he hooked on with the Packers, making him the first player in NFL history to play at least one postseason game for two different teams in the same year. It was all thanks the loophole provided by last season’s COVID-19 practice-squad rules.

It’s worth noting that Veldheer will turn 34 in June, so it’s not clear whether he’s planning on playing this year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/15/21

Here are the latest NFL minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Green Bay Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

OL Jared Veldheer To Sign With Packers

Offensive lineman Jared Veldheer is set to make NFL history this weekend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the veteran is signing with the Packers.

Per Schefter, this signing will make Veldheer the first player in NFL history to play at least one postseason game for two different organizations in the same year; Veldheer started for the Colts in their playoff loss to the Bills this past weekend. Thanks in part to Indy’s loss and Veldheer‘s initial placement on the practice squad, Green Bay was able to swoop in and sign him.

Schefter notes (on Twitter) that COVID-19 practice-squad rules allowed this to happen, meaning it will likely be the only time in league history that we see a player appear in postseason games for different teams in the same year. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Veldheer must be signed to Green Bay’s 53-man roster.

This won’t be the 33-year-old’s first stint with Green Bay; he joined the Packers late last season and ended up starting a playoff game. It’s uncertain if Veldheer will be starting this time around, but at the very least, he sounds like he’ll serve as insurance for offensive tackle Ricky Wagner, who’s currently dealing with a knee injury.

Veldheer, a 2010 third-round pick out of Hillsdale, has put together a 12-year career, appearing in 121 career regular season games. He joined the Colts in late December, and he ended up playing 100-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 17 and the Wild Card Round.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves right here:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
  • Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted: DB John Brannon

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Colts To Sign Jared Veldheer

The Colts are set to sign tackle Jared Veldheer to the practice squad, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Veldheer will likely be elevated to the varsity squad between now and Sunday to help fill the void for Anthony Castonzo.

[RELATED: Colts’ Anthony Castonzo Done For Year]

Veldheer, 33, spent some time with the Packers late last year and even started in a playoff game. After that, he retired for the second time in his career. Now, he’s making yet another return with yet another opportunity for postseason action.

With the season on the brink, the Colts are left paper thin at left tackle. Veteran Will Holden, who started against the Steelers, has an ankle injury of his own that will keep him out this weekend. The Colts may turn to Chaz Green, but the right tackle hasn’t performed well on the opposite side. On short notice, Veldheer could see snaps against the Jaguars.

Another option as the Colts shuffle the front five: All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson does his best work on the interior, but he’s also played some LT in emergency spots.

Colts Working Out OT Jared Veldheer

The Colts need to win on Sunday to stay alive in the AFC playoff race, and they’re very banged up at tackle at the moment. The team was playing fourth-string tackles during their Week 16 loss to the Steelers, and now the team is bringing in veteran tackle Jared Veldheer for a workout as a result, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Stud left tackle Anthony Castonzo is dealing with lingering knee and ankle issues, while right tackle Braden Smith missed last week’s game on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Normal backup left tackle Le’Raven Clark initially would’ve been filling in for Castonzo, but he’s got a torn Achilles. Then Clark’s replacement Will Holden went down with an ankle injury. Thus is life as a teammate of Philip Rivers.

Veldheer is a vet with a lot of starting experience. He started 13 games for Arizona in 2017 and 12 for Denver in 2018. He’s now in the midst of a Brett Favre-esque retirement saga. After signing with the Patriots the following year he elected to retire, only to come out of retirement and play in two games for Green Bay late last season. After almost signing with the Cowboys earlier this season, he once again elected to retire back in September. Apparently he’s waffling yet again and willing to consider another comeback.

When Castonzo left a game against the Raiders two weeks ago the team briefly flirted with moving All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to tackle, although Castonzo was able to return shortly thereafter. Nelson filled in admirably during his short first stint at tackle, and it’ll be interesting to see if they consider making that switch again with all the injuries. Veldheer is only 33, so he should theoretically have something left in the tank physically. At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s protecting Rivers’ blindside on Sunday against the Jaguars.

OT Jared Veldheer Retires

Jared Veldheer has decided to hang up his cleats. The veteran offensive tackle has chosen to retire after previously looking like he was about to sign with the Cowboys, a source told Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

Veldheer worked out for the team in Dallas last week, had begun their COVID-19 protocols, and Archer writes that he was expected to sign. The Cowboys had a $2.5MM contract prepared that was just awaiting Veldheer’s signature when he called it off, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

Veldheer changing his mind isn’t exactly anything new, as he originally retired shortly after signing with the Patriots last year. He then asked to be released from the reserve/retired list last November, and ended up getting claimed by the Packers.He announced in March that he intended to keep playing 2020, but didn’t draw much reported interest until this Cowboys meeting.

Dallas is dealing with injuries to Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, and Cameron Erving, so they were looking for some veteran tackle help.A third-round pick of the Raiders back in 2010, Veldheer carved out a nice career for himself.

Assuming he’s done for good this time, the Michigan product will finish with 113 starts under his belt. Most recently he started 12 games for Denver at right tackle in 2018, and 13 for Arizona the year before.

Cowboys Working Out T Jared Veldheer

Jared Veldheer has began COVID-19 protocols, upon arriving in Dallas earlier this week, and is working out for the team Friday, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

The Cowboys brought in Veldheer on Wednesday, per Michael Gehlken of the Morning News (on Twitter), and may be prepared to make an emergency addition. Dallas is down its top two right tackles — La’el Collins and Cameron Erving. Both are on IR.

Rookie UDFA Terence Steele started at right tackle against the Rams in Week 1. Veldheer obviously brings far more experience, though the veteran blocker has not started a game since 2018. The former Raiders, Cardinals and Broncos starter retired in 2019, shortly after a Patriots agreement, but resumed his career to play in two games with the Packers.

Veldheer, now 33, has made 113 career starts. Considering the Cowboys also have Tyron Smith classified as questionable, it is not hard to envision them moving forward with Veldheer ahead of Week 2. Smith did not practice this week due to a neck injury. Veldheer has extensive experience at both left and right tackles, playing on the left side in Oakland and to start his Arizona stay. He has been a right tackle since 2017.

Jared Veldheer To Continue Playing

Jared Veldheer already retired from the NFL once. His next retirement can wait. The Packers free agent plans to continue playing in 2020, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 

Veldheer’s first exit from the game didn’t stick. In May of last year, he walked away from the NFL shortly after signing with the Patriots. But, in late November, the Pats granted his request to be released from the retired list. The Packers swooped in to claim him, and he went on to suit up for them in a pair of games.

Multiple teams inquired about Veldheer at the combine, Schefter hears, so it sounds like he’ll have a decent market waiting for him in a couple of weeks. Interested clubs will want to take a close look at his hip, however – he cited that lingering injury as the main reason for his abrupt and short-lived retirement last year.

Veldheer may be past his prime, but he did start 12 games for the Broncos in 2018. And, up until last year, he was a starter for almost every season since 2010.

Veldheer has appeared in 120 career games with 113 starts throughout his career. After starting out with the Raiders for his first four years, the third-round pick suited up for the Cardinals and Broncos before hooking on with the Packers in 2019.