NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/8/21
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Parker Hesse
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Ito Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Cre’von LeBlanc
- Released: WR Damon Hazelton
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: WR JJ Koski
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Will Compton
- Released: S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL James Carpenter, OL Jerald Hawkins
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Travis Toivonen
New York Jets
- Signed: S Elijah Benton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: P Drue Chrisman, LS Rex Sunahara
- Released: DB Linden Stephens, WR Tyler Vaughns
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: S Tony Jefferson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: NT Niles Scott
49ers Add RB Brian Hill To Practice Squad
San Francisco is adding another piece to its running back room. Four-year veteran Brian Hill will join the team’s practice squad, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (via Twitter). 
A Falcons fifth-round pick in 2017, Hill has spent most of his career in Atlanta. He totaled 982 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 202 carries (an average of 4.7 per carry), adding 38 receptions for 313 yards and one score during his time with the Falcons. Atlanta’s new regime did not re-sign him this offseason.
In between his Atlanta exit and this signing, Hill spent time with the Titans and Browns. The former Wyoming back has yet to see any action this season, however. The Browns released Hill from their practice squad last week.
Injuries in the 49ers’ backfield point to Hill as an option. Elijah Mitchell and Trenton Cannon are dealing with concussions, while Jeff Wilson‘s knee injury also has him in question. Mitchell also went through an MRI on his knee Wednesday, per Maiocco, who adds the scan came back clean (Twitter link). Trey Sermon is on IR and ineligible to return this week. The 49ers’ only sure thing at the position is currently JaMycal Hasty. Although Hasty has seen intermittent work with the 49ers over the past two seasons, he played one offensive snap in San Francisco’s Week 13 game.
49ers CB Emmanuel Moseley To Miss “A Few Weeks”
The injuries keep piling up for the 49ers, and now one of their starting defensive backs will be sidelined for at least the next few games. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered a high ankle sprain and will miss “a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (on Twitter).
Moseley missed a pair of games to begin the year thanks to a knee injury, but he’s otherwise started all 10 games for San Francisco this season. The 25-year-old has been one of the team’s most reliable defensive backs, collecting 36 tackles and 10 passes defended. He was limited to only nine defensive snaps before exiting yesterday’s loss to the Seahawks. Rookie fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir saw the bulk of the snaps in Moseley’s stead, but he was eventually replaced by Dontae Johnson. The team is also rostering third-round rookie Ambry Thomas.
More injury updates out of San Francisco: running back Elijah Mitchell is in concussion protocol after suffering symptoms this morning. The rookie standout briefly exited yesterday’s game before returning, and he finished the day with 84 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Mitchell has been the team’s leading back this season, and the 49ers might have to turn to Jeff Wilson if starter is forced to miss any time.
There was a scary moment for the 49ers yesterday, when running back Trenton Cannon was forced to go to the hospital after suffering a concussion (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic on Twitter). While Cannon is in concussion protocol, the running back has been released from the hospital and is heading back to San Francisco, per Wagoner. The 27-year-old has spent the majority of his time on special teams this season, and he’s returned 16 kicks for San Francisco.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: DE Breeland Speaks
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB James Morgan
New York Giants
- Signed: S Natrell Jamerson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Austin Mack, LB Curtis Robinson
- Released: WR Devin Funchess, LB Justin March
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Tuzar Skipper
RB Trey Sermon Placed On IR
The 49ers will be without rookie running back Trey Sermon for at least the next three weeks. Sermon was knocked out of San Francisco’s win over the Vikings after suffering an ankle injury. After Sermon was carted off of the field, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he had suffered a bad ankle sprain.
Since being drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Sermon has spent much of his rookie season as a special teams player. Early in the season, as San Francisco experienced injuries to it’s top three projected running backs – Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and Elijah Mitchell – Sermon was called upon to carry the load. As soon as Mitchell was available again, Sermon was relegated back to a mostly special teams role.
Sermon’s absence is just latest of a litany of injuries in their running back room as they’ve seen Mostert, Wilson, Mitchell, Sermon, and Jamycal Hasty all miss time this year. San Francisco will hope that the severity of Sermon’s condition is limited and that he will be able to return after three games. If so, Sermon will rejoin a roster slowly starting to get healthy as they make a push for playoff contention.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: LS Beau Brinkley, RB Tavien Feaster, LB Joe Walker, LB Tahir Whitehead, CB Jace Whittaker
- Placed on IR: S James Wiggins
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: DE Steven Means
- Promoted: RB Qadree Ollison
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: DB Robert Jackson, RB Nate McCrary
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Frankie Luvu
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: WR Auden Tate
- Promoted: G Keaton Sutherland, WR Pooka Williams, RB Trayveon Williams
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB Damarea Crockett
- Waived: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: LB Tavante Beckett, LB Rashod Berry, DE Bruce Hector
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: C Justin Britt, LB Christian Kirksey
- Promoted: S Jonathan Owens, RB Jaylen Samuels, DL Chris Smith
- Waived: CB Cre’von LeBlanc
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: DT Jay Tufele
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: TE Matt Bushman, FB Sutton Smith, WR Dillon Stoner
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: WR Brandon Powell, RB Mekhi Sargent
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Jake Bargas, DB Myles Dorn, DE Kenny Willekes
- Waived: DE Eddie Yarbrough
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Pharoh Cooper, DB Steven Parker, DB Jarren Williams
New York Jets
- Signed: K Alex Kessman
- Waived: K Matt Ammendola
- Promoted: DE Ronald Blair, TE Dan Brown, RB Austin Walter
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Jared Mayden
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: DL Carlos Davis
- Promoted: OL Chaz Green
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: LB Tyrell Adams, WR River Cracraft, LB Justin March
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: RB Adrian Peterson (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Logan Woodside
49ers Rule Out Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw For Week 13
As expected, Deebo Samuel will not play for the 49ers in Week 13. The third-year wide receiver suffered a groin strain and could miss multiple games. San Francisco’s linebacking corps will be shorthanded as well.
Dre Greenlaw, who returned from a lengthy IR stay last week, is back among the 49ers’ inactives. The team ruled out its third-year linebacker starter because of a groin injury.
Samuel has been prone to injuries as a pro. He missed the start of last season because of a Jones fracture in his foot. After returning, the former second-round pick suffered a hamstring injury that led to the then-malady-riddled 49ers shutting him down for the rest of the season.
Sunday will mark Samuel’s 11th missed game as a 49er, though the Pro Bowl-bound talent said during an appearance on CBS Sports HQ this week (via 49ers Webzone) he has no doubt he will be back for Week 14. Through 11 games, Samuel has already cleared 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and has tacked on 203 rushing yards.
This will be Greenlaw’s 10th missed game this season. The 49ers are also likely to be without Fred Warner on their defensive second level. The All-Pro suffered a hamstring strain during San Francisco’s win over Minnesota, and he is doubtful to play Sunday in Seattle. This leaves Azeez Al-Shaair as the 49ers’ lone healthy starter at linebacker.
Additionally, Kyle Shanahan said Dee Ford is unlikely to be activated off IR ahead of Sunday’s game, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. The 49ers designated Ford for return on Nov. 25. He has three weeks from that date to come back. Should Ford’s ramp-up period not include an activation by Dec. 16, he would spend the rest of the season on IR. Ford is attempting to play through a back injury Shanahan has acknowledged will likely plague the oft-injured pass rusher for the rest of his career and beyond.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Blake Countess, DB Robert Jackson
- Placed on PS-IR: K Jake Verity
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Dee Virgin
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Curtis Bolton
- Released: T Darrin Paulo
New England Patriots
- Released: CB Thakarius Keyes
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: C Luke Juriga
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Justin March, S Doug Middleton
- Released: S Kai Nacua
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Elijah Benton, WR Cade Johnson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/30/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: LS Kyle Nelson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Joe Jackson, G Hjalte Froholdt
- Released: RB Brian Hill
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OT Adrian Ealy, RB Kerrith Whyte
- Released: LB Curtis Robinson
Detroit Lions
- Released: OL Darrin Paulo
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Thakarius Keyes, RB Devine Ozigbo
- Released: NT Niles Scott
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Dan Brown
- Released: QB James Morgan
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on injured list: WR Devin Funchess
Tennessee Titans
- Released: WR Austin Mack
Latest on 49ers’ Deebo Samuel
In yesterday’s win over the Vikings, Niners’ wide receiver Deebo Samuel left the game with a groin injury. Kyle Shanahan has updated the media with news that Samuel suffered a strain and is expected to miss 1-2 weeks, according to a tweet from Nick Wagoner of ESPN.
Prior to leaving last night, Samuel had been enjoying a breakout year, utilizing health and experience to tally a team-leading 1,006 yards on 56 catches. He’s also currently second on the team in rushing yards with 203. Not to mention, he leads the team in both rushing and receiving TDs with five of each.
While San Francisco still has star tight end George Kittle to rely on, they’ll need second-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk to step up in Samuel’s absence. Shanahan’s update also included news on linebacker Fred Warner who will miss at least this week with a strained hamstring. This is the first game Warner will have missed since being drafted in 2018, snapping a 62-game consecutive start streak (including postseason games). They hope to see him back in action for the Bengals.