NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/20
We’ll keep track of the latest practice squad moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Seth Devalve
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Khari Lee
- Released: RB Dalyn Dawkins
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Ryan Glasgow
New York Jets
- Signed: C James Murray
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Jason Croom
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Josiah Coatney
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Alex Collins (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Cyril Grayson
- Released: WR John Hurst
Washington Football Team
- Signed: LB Justin Phillips
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Matt Judon
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: C Sam Tecklenburg
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Elijah Lee
- Waived: C Evan Brown
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: CB Kevin Toliver
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jalen Elliott
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: S Henry Black, G Ben Braden, CB Stanford Samuels
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Theo Riddick
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed off Raiders’ practice squad: CB Dylan Mabin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Epps; Epps tested positive for the coronavirus but is believed to be asymptomatic, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link)
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: OL Tony Bergstrom, WR River Cracraft, S Johnathan Cyprien, TE Daniel Helm, RB Austin Walter, WR Kevin White
- Placed on IR: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, TE George Kittle (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LS Matthew Orzech
49ers To Activate Jordan Reed Off IR
Entering their Week 9 game brutally thin at the pass-catcher spots, the 49ers will have some help Thursday night. They are set to activate Jordan Reed from IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Reed has been on San Francisco’s IR since late September, when an MCL issue sidelined him after a productive game against the Jets. The longtime Washington tight end has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career, but the 49ers need bodies to catch passes against the Packers.
San Francisco is down George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne because of injuries and COVID-19 issues. Richie James is also questionable with an ankle injury. Reed and Ross Dwelley figure to pick up the slack for Kittle, while the 49ers will need to promote some wide receivers from their practice squad ahead of tonight’s game.
After missing the entire 2019 season because of a concussion and subsequently considering retirement, Reed signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal this offseason. The 30-year-old tight end managed to play 13 games in 2018 — when he caught 54 passes for 558 yards and two TDs — and did produce a seven-catch, 50-yard, two-TD game in Week 2 against the Jets.
49ers-Packers Still On Track
COVID-19 forced the 49ers to close their facility this week, but their Thursday night game against the Packers is still set to go on as scheduled (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).
[RELATED: COVID-19 Positive Closes 49ers Facility]
In recent days, the Niners have been forced to place a number of players on the reserve list, including offensive tackle Trent Williams and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Kendrick Bourne. The Packers, meanwhile, will be without running back AJ Dillon due to his positive test. And, because Dillon was in close contact with fellow RB Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin, they will also be barred from playing.
The 49ers have entered the league’s “intensive protocol” to help mitigate potential spread, but as of this writing, the league is planning to go full speed ahead on Thursday night. The Niners were already set for an uphill battle thanks to prior injuries, and they’ll now have to forge ahead without many of their top receivers. Meanwhile, the Packers’ backfield could be extra shallow, depending on the status of Aaron Jones‘ calf injury.
COVID-19 Positive Closes 49ers Facility
The 49ers have closed their team facility after receiving their latest COVID-19 test results, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has tested positive for the coronavirus and it’s not immediately clear whether he’s the only player to do so. 
This news comes just one day before the 49ers’ scheduled game against the Packers. At this moment, the game is still slated to go ahead as scheduled at Levi’s Stadium.
The NFL continues to grapple with COVID-19 positives and protocols in place to protect its employees. On Tuesday, Broncos GM John Elway and CEO Joe Ellis both learned of new positive tests that will keep them away from the club in the coming days. Meanwhile, Packers running back AJ Dillon has already been ruled out for this week due to his test results. Dillon was also in close contact with fellow RB Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin, sending them to the reserve list.
During the preseason, the Niners placed wide receiver Richie James Jr., running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and linebacker Fred Warner on the COVID-19 list. Today’s news marks their first positive test since the start of the regular season.
Kwon Alexander Trade Details
- The conditional fifth-round pick that the Saints sent the 49ers in the Kwon Alexander trade has a bit more intrigue. The MMQB’s Albert Breer tweets that it’s a 2022 pick that’s heading to San Francisco, although that could turn into a 2021 selection based on “play-time markers.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/20
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Terrell Bonds, LB Tyus Bowser, DB DeShon Elliott, LB L.J. Fort, LB Malik Harrison, LB Matt Judon, LB Patrick Queen
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: OT Lachavious Simmons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OG Germain Ifedi, OT Jason Spriggs
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: TE Jake Butt
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jarrad Davis
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Titans): DT Isaiah Mack
- Placed on IR: TE Devin Asiasi
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: S Adrian Colbert
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: LB Bryce Hager, S Bennett Jackson
- Released: OL Jimmy Murray
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Jullian Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Released: LS Beau Brinkley
49ers Waive WR Dante Pettis
Dante Pettis‘ disappointing tenure with the 49ers has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that San Francisco is waiving the wide receiver. The 49ers made the move after “trying and failing to trade” the former second-rounder.
It’s not a huge surprise that Pettis was on the trade block. After all, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the team was shopping the wideout last month. Shanahan seemed to somewhat walk back those comments after the 49ers had suffered a handful of receiver injuries, but it was still clear that Pettis probably wasn’t going to stick around San Francisco long term.
Other teams apparently weren’t willing to give up even a conditional draft pick for Pettis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t find another gig. As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out on Twitter, it’ll only cost a team around $264K in cap space to claim the receiver, so there’s a chance that Pettis may not even hit free agency.
The Washington product was a second-round pick (No. 44) by the 49ers in 2018. He had a solid rookie campaign, hauling in 27 catches for 467 yards and five scores in 12 games (seven starts). He saw time in 11 games (four starts) in 2019, but his production plummeted, as he finished with 11 catches for 109 yards and two scores.
Pettis had basically been phased out of the 49ers offense in 2020. While he’s appeared in five games (one start), he’s mostly appeared on special teams (collecting two punt returns, one kick return, and a lost fumble). He appeared in 73-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, but other than three offensive snaps in Week 8, Pettis hasn’t appeared on offense since September.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/20
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OT Lachavious Simmons
- Placed on IR: RT Bobby Massie
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: TE Jason Croom
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: WR Dante Pettis
George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo Both To Miss Extended Time
The 49ers just can’t seem to catch a break. Already one of the most banged up teams in the league, San Francisco will now be without two of their most important pieces moving forward.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo aggravated the high ankle sprain that has been bothering him for weeks during their loss to the Seahawks Sunday and is expected to miss “an extended period of time,” sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). Meanwhile Kittle has a “small fracture” in his foot and will also miss extended time, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Garoppolo is expected to be out a minimum of six weeks and “possibly longer” if he ends up needing surgery, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
In a follow-up tweet, Rapoport noted that it’s unclear if Kittle will be able to return this season. Either way, it sounds like both are headed for a stint on injured reserve (minimum three-game absences). Kittle is expected to be out eight weeks, Schefter tweets. It would be hard for things to be much worse from an injury standpoint for the defending NFC champions right now.
The 49ers have already dealt with significant injuries to key players like Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Raheem Mostert, Richard Sherman, and many others. Nick Mullens played well in relief of Jimmy G agains Seattle and will presumably start moving forward, although he was temporarily replaced by C.J. Beathard as the number two a couple of weeks ago.
Kittle is one of the league’s best players and critical in both the run and pass games. He missed a couple of contests earlier this year with a knee injury. The NFC West is tougher than ever, and at 4-4 San Fran is in danger of slipping out of the playoff race. Their trade of Kwon Alexander for a draft pick Monday could signal they realize 2020 isn’t their year. Kyle Shanahan has gotten it done under bad circumstances in the past, but he really has his work cut out for him now.