NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/21
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Zack Johnson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Thaddeus Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Bryan Mills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: T Jonathan Hubbard
Buccaneers Activate Antonio Brown Off Reserve/COVID-19 List
Antonio Brown will join Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in returning to New England this week. The Buccaneers activated their high-profile No. 3 wide receiver Thursday.
A positive COVID-19 test landed Brown on the Bucs’ virus list ahead of their Week 3 Rams tilt. Brown is vaccinated, as the Bucs’ team rate hit 100%, making for a quicker return for the 12th-year veteran. Brown’s return comes shortly after the Bucs lost No. 4 wideout Scotty Miller to an injury, one that will keep him out a while.
Brown played in Week 1 for the first time since 2018 but has missed the past three Week 3s. The Patriots signed the mercurial receiver shortly after the Raiders cut him ahead of the 2019 season and used him in Week 2 of that year. But a report of Brown sending intimidating text messages to a woman who’d accused him of sexual misconduct led the Patriots to cut him after less than two weeks.
Brown, 33, will now return to Foxborough with fellow ex-Patriots Brady and Gronkowski, though Brown’s trip back to Massachusetts will be obviously overshadowed. This game will be Brown’s first against one of the three teams that parted ways with him in 2019. The Bucs do not play the Steelers or Raiders this season. Thanks to a strong season opener, Brown has six receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown this year.
LeSean McCoy Retires From NFL
LeSean McCoy is hanging up his cleats. The veteran running back will sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Eagles, capping his career after 12 NFL seasons. 
McCoy, 33, spent last year with the Buccaneers and captured his second Super Bowl ring. Afterwards, he seemed intent on playing in 2021.
“The only thing is it has to be the right team,” McCoy said. “I can’t go from two Super Bowls to playing with BA (Bruce Arians), Andy Reid, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes to not even having a team that’s competing. I’m still a competitor. To bring me back, I have to play for a team that is a contender, or with some young guys I could help out. I still want to be effective and get a shot to play and showcase my talent. I still have some more highlights to give out.”
McCoy played sparingly for Tampa last season, getting only ten carries and 15 receptions in ten games. Of course, he was also one of the most accomplished running backs of the past decade. McCoy made six Pro Bowls in seven seasons from 2011-17.
After 12 years with the Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, and Bucs, McCoy racked up 11,071 rushing yards. Another couple of seasons could have put him at 12,000 — every retired RB who has eclipsed 12,000 is in the Hall of Fame. Others who ended their careers between 11,000 and 12,000 — Fred Taylor, Steven Jackson, and Corey Dillon — have not been inducted, but McCoy could potentially find his way to Canton.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Doctson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: OL Sua Opeta
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated to return: OT Cedric Ogbuehi
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: Scott Miller
Buccaneers Host Richard Sherman
The Buccaneers are meeting with Richard Sherman (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This marks Sherman’s first free agent visit of the season, though he has interest from multiple contenders (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowler, could join the Bucs in time for this week’s matchup against the Patriots. He’d go a long way towards filling in for the Bucs’ litany of injuries in the secondary. So far, they’re down Sean Murphy-Bunting (elbow), Jamel Dean (knee), and Carlton Davis (abdomen; ribs). Dean should return sometime soon, but he probably won’t be ready for Week 4.
Sherman made headlines for all the wrong reasons this summer, but he has reportedly received counseling since his July arrest. Meanwhile, his former employers — the 49ers and Seahawks — have both expressed interest in recent months. Ultimately, the defending champs could come away with the former Legion of Boom leader, who is reportedly back to the weight of his salad days.
The 33-year-old turned in a so-so 2018 for the Niners, rebounded for a strong 2019, and lost much of 2020 to injury. Even though he’s no longer in his prime, Sherman could provide a big and timely boost for the Bucs.
Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller To Miss “Significant Amount Of Time”
Scotty Miller will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The Buccaneers wideout is set to miss “a significant amount of time,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Miller is still awaiting test results that will determine how long he’ll be out, but an IR stint seems likely.
Head coach Bruce Arians referred to the injury as “severe turf toe” earlier today, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine (via Twitter). Standard “turf toe” could lead to a one-month absence or a season-ending injury. During this past year’s playoffs, Patrick Mahomes dealt with a turf toe injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. In other words, the timeline could be variable, but at the very least, Miller will probably be sidelined for at least the next four weeks.
The 2019 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers, and he made a name for himself in 2020 with Tom Brady under center. The wideout finished the year with 33 receptions for 501 yards and three scores, and he added another four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown in the playoffs.
After appearing in only 20 snaps through the first two weeks of the season, Miller got into a season-high 32 snaps last night and hauled in his first two catches of the season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Daelin Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed (off Raiders practice squad): WR David Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: RB Trey Ragas
New York Giants
- Signed (off WFT practice squad): G Wes Martin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated off Reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kevin Minter
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/21
The weekly Saturday bunch of minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Juwan Green
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Josh Bynes, DL Reginald McKenzie, CB Kevon Seymour, T Andre Smith
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DL Margus Hunt
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Sean Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: TE Jordan Franks
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: K Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: DE Kevin Strong
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris, QB Brett Hundley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Phillip Dorsett
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Trey Ragas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: OLB Emeke Egbule, DL Joe Gaziano
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Tyler Hall, RB Buddy Howell
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Ameer Abdullah, G Dakota Dozier, CB Parry Nickerson
- Waived: T Blake Brandel
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Jahlani Tavai
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR C.J. Board, C Jonotthan Harrison
- Placed on IR: LB Cam Brown
New York Jets
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DL Kevin Givens
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: DT Robert Nkemdiche, WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Rashard Robinson, TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: FB Tory Carter, DL Woodrow Hamilton
Buccaneers Rework OL Ali Marpet’s Contract
The Buccaneers have reworked Ali Marpet‘s contract. The team converted $5MM of the lineman’s contract into a guaranteed roster bonus. The move will open up about $4MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Specifically, the team added a pair of void years, and the offensive lineman’s cap charge will increase $1MM for each of the remaining “four” years on his contract. Marpet signed a five-year, $55.125MM extension (including more than $27MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers in 2018 that (barring a legitimate extension) will last through the 2023 season.
The two sides did something similar in 2020. Marpet agreed to convert a portion of his salary into a signing bonus, opening up a similar $4MM chunk of cap space for the Buccaneers.
Marpet joined the organization as a second-round pick in 2015, and he’s spent his entire six-plus-year career in Tampa Bay. The lineman has started each of his 87 games since entering the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning 2020 campaign where he started each of his 13 regular season games and all four of his postseason contests.
The 28-year-old has started each of the team’s two games this season, appearing in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.
JPP To Miss Bucs' Week 3 Tilt
- In addition to being unlikely to have Antonio Brown available, the Buccaneers will be down Jason Pierre-Paul against the Rams. The 11th-year pass rusher will miss Week 3 with hand and shoulder injuries; he did not practice this week. Tampa Bay will be set to use first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka more extensively in L.A.