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Jets S Chuck Clark Designated For Return From IR

November 13th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

A year after missing the entire 2023 NFL season with a torn ACL, Jets safety Chuck Clark finally returned to the field as a starter for his new team this year. Unfortunately, Clark found himself on injured reserve once again six games into the 2024 NFL season. After the minimum required four missed games, Clark is now being designated to return from IR, per Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Clark‘s troubles staying on the field do not date back to his time in Baltimore. The former Ravens strong safety only missed two games over the first six years of his career, but since being traded to New York, he has missed 21 games. He missed all 17 games in 2023 with a torn ACL and has missed four more since being placed on injured reserve.

Despite Clark missing the entirety of his only season under contract with New York, the Jets elected to keep him around, re-signing him and fellow free agent Ashtyn Davis while watching Jordan Whitehead walk in free agency. The Jets held an offseason competition for the starting two jobs between Clark, Davis, and Tony Adams after Adams and Whitehead started most of last year. Clark ended up beating out Davis to start the first six games of the season alongside Adams, with Davis getting playing time here and there off the bench.

Instead of Davis taking over for Clark in the starting role, as was initially thought to be the preferred course of action, veteran Jalen Mills took over starting duties in Clark’s absence. If Clark is able to return soon, it will only bolster some impressive safety depth for a defense that already ranks third in passing yards allowed this season. His tackling prowess could help improve a run defense that ranks 26th in yards allowed, though.

Initially sidelined with the diagnosis of a high-ankle sprain, the minimal four-game absence was expected, allowing Clark to potentially return to the field this week in time for a Sunday night matchup against the Colts. The NFL has since flexed the matchup to noon. If Clark isn’t quite ready to return this week, an additional two weeks could be available for recovery as the Jets’ bye week falls right after the team’s contest versus Indianapolis.

The Jets won’t have too much wiggle room after that, though, as today’s transaction opens a 21-day practice window for Clark. If the 29-year-old safety is unable to return by the close of that window, he’ll revert to season-ending IR.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/24

November 13th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed off Commanders’ practice squad: CB Chigozie Anusiem

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): TE Jack Stoll

Falcons Designate OLB Lorenzo Carter For Return From IR

November 13th, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons have spent the last four weeks without starting outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter. Carter’s absence is the result of an unexpected stint on injured reserve following a concussion suffered in a Week 6 win in Carolina. According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Carter has officially been designated to return from IR.

The situation began on the first Wednesday of the week following his last game appearance. The week’s initial injury report showed that Carter was in the NFL’s concussion protocol. He had originally been placed on the team’s injury report under the designation of “illness” after not practicing, but Atlanta updated the designation to “concussion” by the end of the day. Carter missed the team’s next two practices before ultimately being ruled out for the Falcons’ next game.

What made the sequence of events so surprising is that concussions rarely warrant a stint on IR. At a minimum, we’ve seen players navigate the league’s concussion protocol in days. To see Carter being ruled out for four weeks because of the head injury added some uncertainty to his situation.

Carter had been the starter across from Matt Judon for every game before hitting the IR, except for one in which the team only started one outside linebacker. In his extended absence, James Smith-Williams took over the starting job across from Judon, with Arnold Ebiketie filling into the rotation a good amount, as well.

Despite trading for a star pass rusher in Judon, the Falcons pass rush has been virtually nonexistent in 2024. Atlanta ranks dead-last in the league in sacks (9), despite sitting at 15th in the NFL in quarterback hurries and 14th in quarterback knockdowns. Currently, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett leads the team with 2.5 sacks, Judon is second with 1.5, and five other players add a sack each.

Carter’s return to the field may not elevate the Falcons’ pass rush into an elite unit — his career high sack total is five — but at the very least, his eventual addition provides another weapon to a struggling unit. Today’s transaction opens the 21-day practice window for Carter. If, at the end of the three week-period, he’s unable to be activated, Carter will return to season-ending IR. He was limited in practice today.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/24

November 13th, 2024 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers continue to deal with injuries on special teams. As a result, they’re bringing in the 33-year-old veteran out of Miami (FL). O’Donnell spent eight years in Chicago as the Bears’ primary punter before playing a season in Green Bay. If Mitch Wishnowsky‘s back injury forces him to miss game time, O’Donnell could see his first NFL action since 2022.

Broncos Designate Josh Reynolds For Return

November 13th, 2024 at 5:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Broncos have designated wide receiver Josh Reynolds for return from injured reserve and opened his 21-day practice window, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

Reynolds landed on injured reserve on October 12 after undergoing finger surgery. He also was wounded in a shooting two weeks later outside of a Denver nightclub, though he was only treated for minor injuries.

The veteran receiver was a full participant in his first practice in a month, per the Broncos’ official injury report. Denver is well behind the Chiefs in the AFC West, but they remain in contention for a wildcard spot with a 5-5 record through 10 weeks. Reynolds’ return will add an experienced target into an offense that is averaging just 186.6 passing yards per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL.

Reynolds’ absence did allow the Broncos to give more snaps to their young receiving corps, with rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele both seeing increased playing time in recent weeks. Franklin has disappointed after a productive career at Oregon, catching just 15 of his 29 targets for 144 yards in nine games. Vele, however, has been able to make up much of Reynolds’ production with an 81.5% catch rate and 35.8 yards per game, just shy of Reynolds’ 36.6 yards per game to start the season.

Reynolds will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster. Otherwise, he reverts to season-ending injured reserve and would not play again this year.

Dolphins Waive LB David Long

November 13th, 2024 at 4:24pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins made a somewhat shocking move by waiving linebacker David Long on Wednesday to make room for waiver claim tight end Jack Stoll, according to a team announcement.

Long was voted by his teammates to be a team captain in Miami at the start of the season, making his midseason departure a surprise after starting six of the Dolphins’ eight games this year. Anthony Walker took over Long’s starting role in the last two games, and the arrival of former Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson via waivers made Long surplus to requirements in Miami.

Instead, the Dolphins prioritized Stoll to add another tight end to their roster after Alec Ingold missed Monday night’s game with a calf injury. The 2023 Pro Bowler played 39% of the team’s offensive snaps when healthy this year, consistent with his usage since head coach Mike McDaniel‘s arrival in 2022. The Dolphins’ use of heavy personnel required them to add another tight end in case Ingold’s absence extends into Week 11.

Despite losing his starting job this season, Long could still draw interest on waivers from a team looking for linebacker depth. He was in the second year of a two-year, $10MM contract with the Dolphins signed during the 2023 offseason, per OverTheCap. Miami will eat a dead cap hit of at least $2.21MM – the 2024 prorated portion of his signing bonus – plus $444,444 in guaranteed salary if Long is not claimed off waivers. If another team claims Long, they will owe him $2MM for the rest of the year and the Dolphins will not be on the hook for his remaining guaranteed salary. If Long clears waivers, he will become a free agent and can sign with whatever team he likes, while Miami will have a $2.65MM dead cap hit on their books.

The Eagles waived Stoll on Tuesday to make room on their 53-man roster for the activation of left tackle Jordan Mailata from injured reserve.

Eagles Activate Jordan Mailata From IR

November 13th, 2024 at 3:16pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Eagles activated starting left tackle Jordan Mailata from injured reserve on Wednesday, per a team announcement.

Mailata injured his hamstring in Week 6, landing him on injured reserve and sidelining him for at least four games. The fifth-year tackle kept his absence to a minimum, returning to practice as soon as he was eligible after Week 10. Mailata’s activation puts him in line to start in the Eagles’ crucial Week 11 divisional matchup with the Commanders on Thursday night.

Mailata has been a crucial part of the Eagles’ offensive line since he earned a starting role in 2020. The 2018 seventh-round pick struggled with injuries in his first two NFL seasons, but has largely stayed healthy since. His ascendance from developmental former rugby player to star offensive tackle has resulted in two extensions from the Eagles totaling $130 million over seven years.

The 27-year-old Australian began the 2024 season with the same consistency he demonstrated over the previous three years, allowing just eight pressures and one sack across 185 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His absence, along with an injury to All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, has taken the Eagles’ normally-reliable offensive line to the bottom of the league. Their 27 sacks allowed are the 10th-most in the NFL, and their 10.2% sack rate is the third-highest.

Philadelphia has relied on Fred Johnson to play both tackle spots this season. However, the former Florida Gator has struggled in the first stretch of extended playing time in his career, allowing 32 pressures and seven sacks across his 193 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF. With Mailata returning to the starting lineup opposing Lane Johnson, the Eagles’ offensive line will be at full-strength for the first time since Week 6.

Seahawks Activate Abraham Lucas, Place George Fant On IR

November 13th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks activated right tackle Abraham Lucas from the Physically Unable to Perform list and placed George Fant on injured reserve on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated on Monday that he expected Lucas to start in Week 11 after finally recovering from offseason knee surgery. However, his activation is no guarantee that he make his season debut on Sunday. Seattle opened Lucas’ practice window 21 days ago, so he had to be moved to the active roster to avoid reverting to the PUP list for the rest of the season.

The Seahawks will certainly be hoping that Lucas can start at right tackle this weekend after moving Fant to injured reserve for the second time this season. He suffered a knee injury after 19 snaps in Week 1 and returned in Week 9 for just 17 snaps before re-injuring his knee and exiting the game.

This is the second year in a row that Seattle has struggled with health at the tackle position. Left tackle Charles Cross injured his toe in Week 1 in 2023 and missed the next three games. Lucas was placed on injured reserve after a knee injury in Week 1 and returned in Week 13 for five starts before going down once more, with then-head coach Pete Carroll calling it a “chronic” problem. The Seahawks then signed Fant to a two-year, $9.1MM in the offseason as insurance for Lucas’ ongoing recovery from knee surgery. Fant appeared in 16 games for the Texans in 2023, but played just 36 snaps this season with knee issues of his own.

All of the tackle injuries have pressed 2021 sixth-rounder Stone Forsythe into a starting role for the second year in a row. He started eight games in 2023 – three at left tackle and five at right tackle – along with four relief appearances across the two positions. Forsythe then replaced Fant in Week 1 this year and started the next five games at right tackle before landing on injured reserve with a hand injury. Rookie Michael Jerrell then started in Weeks 7 and 8 before relieving Fant in Week 9 after the recurrence of his knee injury.

While Lucas is expected to play in Week 11, Jerrell will start at right tackle if the Seahawks wants to give their 2022 third-rounder more time before he takes the field.

Dolphins Designate G Isaiah Wynn For Return; Latest On OLB Bradley Chubb

November 13th, 2024 at 12:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins received a tough blow recently, with Austin Jackson set for season-ending knee surgery. That continued an injury-plagued stretch for the team up front, but after a season-saving win over the Rams, Miami received some better news on the O-line front.

Out for more than a year, Isaiah Wynn is finally ready to practice. The Dolphins will designate the would-be guard starter for return from the PUP list today, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Wynn re-signed with the team this offseason but has been down since October 2023 due to a quad injury.

A former tackle starter in New England, Wynn came to Miami with little momentum due to an unimpressive Patriots contract year that also involved injury trouble. The former first-round pick, who missed his entire rookie season due to injury, caught on with the Dolphins and won the team’s left guard job entering last season. Wynn held that gig until his quadriceps setback, which removed him from Miami’s O-line equation seven games into the season.

The Dolphins nevertheless re-signed Wynn this offseason, giving him a one-year deal worth $1.89MM. This marked a slight pay cut after Wynn played for $2.3MM in 2023. Miami bid farewell to multiple long-term starters in March, with Christian Wilkins and right guard Robert Hunt becoming two of this year’s highest-paid free agents. The Dolphins, who also released Xavien Howard and Jerome Baker to reach cap compliance, made low-level moves — in re-signing Wynn and Robert Jones — following the Hunt defection.

Wynn, 28, has already missed half of his first two seasons with the Dolphins. It will be interesting to see if he needs a lengthy ramp-up period before returning to Miami’s 53-man roster. Pro Football Focus did not rate Wynn especially well as Miami’s LG last season, but he started all seven games he played. The Dolphins have used Jones as their left guard in Wynn’s absence. Jones has started all nine games at that spot this season, while Liam Eichenberg has manned the RG job post-Hunt.

While Wynn is moving close to a return, Mike McDaniel said Bradley Chubb is not yet ready. Also spending all of this season on the reserve/PUP list, Chubb is rehabbing an ACL tear sustained in Week 17 of last season. McDaniel said (via Jackson) linebacker Cameron Goode, who suffered a patella tendon tear in Week 17, is a bit ahead of Chubb in terms of recovery.

This is turning into a lost season for Chubb, who is signed to a five-year, $110MM extension that runs through the 2027 season. The Dolphins, who also saw free agency addition Shaq Barrett retire, are down Jaelan Phillips for the year as well. Anything they get from Chubb will probably be considered a bonus, but with the playoffs still a possibility, Miami certainly could benefit from a late-season Chubb return.

Bears Waive G Nate Davis

November 13th, 2024 at 9:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a week after the Bears were unable to find a trade partner to unload Nate Davis, the team is moving on from the underwhelming free agent signing. Chicago cut Davis on Wednesday.

Although Davis is a vested veteran, he will head to waivers due to the trade deadline having passed. He is tied to a through-2025 contract, one the Bears did not view him as justifying. After trade efforts proved fruitless, this cut comes shortly after the Bears dismissed Shane Waldron as their OC.

A waiver claim should be considered unlikely due to Davis’ performance and prorated base salary. The benched blocker is owed $3.9MM in remaining base pay for this season, as he entered the year with a fully guaranteed $8.75MM base salary for the second year of his contract.

The Bears gave Davis a three-year, $30MM deal in 2023 but did not see the commitment pay off. The Maine native was mentioned as a 2025 cut candidate, but the Bears — who are giving the play-calling reins to pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown — are not waiting.

Davis, 28, has not played since Week 5. Even with would-be starter Ryan Bates on IR, the Bears deactivated Davis to insert Matt Pryor into their starting lineup. A former third-round pick, Davis had been a four-year starter for the Titans who commanded a nice market last year. He did not impress too much in Year 1 with the Bears, who used him as a starter in all 11 games he played. Davis came back to start just two games this season, and the Bears will take on some dead money to dump this contract.

The deal includes no guaranteed money beyond 2024, but it does feature $2MM in prorated signing bonus. The Bears will eat that and, assuming no one claims Davis, the remaining $3.9MM on his 2024 salary. This marks a steep fall for Davis, who had started 54 games in Tennessee and was a generally durable player on an O-line that featured some injury trouble at other spots. As the Titans dealt with Taylor Lewan‘s knee trouble and struggled to replace Jack Conklin at right tackle, they could depend on Davis, a starter during Derrick Henry‘s two journeys to rushing titles.

Pro Football Focus ranked Davis as a top-25 guard from 2020-22. Among guards in the 2023 free agent class, only Ben Powers fared better in terms of AAV. The Bears had attempted to pair an eight-figure Davis AAV with Teven Jenkins‘ rookie contract. No serious Jenkins extension talks have begun, as Chicago’s line has underwhelmed this season. A new coaching staff will presumably be tasked with improving the group next year, and it will be interesting to see if GM Ryan Poles will be given a chance to formulate the plan up front. As of now, the third-year front office boss looks like a slightly better bet to stay than HC Matt Eberflus.

The Bears have Bates healthy again, as the trade pickup’s Week 1 injury kept him off the field for two months. Bates returned to the starting lineup against the Patriots, a game in which the Bears allowed nine sacks. Bates is under contract through 2025, while Jenkins is in a walk year.

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