Designated To Return: Packers, Vikings
Teams may still designate players to return from IR during the playoffs, and the two NFC North squads still playing took advantage of this flexibility. Teams are designated two IR-return spots each season.
- Reserve offensive lineman Brett Jones returned to Vikings practice. The former Giants starting center went down with a knee injury in November. Since he went on IR in advance of Week 11, Jones is not eligible to suit up in the Vikings’ first-round game. Should the Vikings upset the Saints in Round 1, he would then be eligible to be activated for the divisional round. The Vikings signed Jones to a one-year deal this offseason but used him in only two games. With the Vikings having brought Josh Doctson off IR earlier this season, they are out of IR-return moves.
- The Packers followed suit, designating safety Raven Greene to return. Green Bay placed Greene on IR in September due to an ankle injury, making him eligible to be activated before the Packers’ divisional-round game. The second-year UDFA also finished the 2018 regular season on IR. Greene played in two games for the Packers this season, starting one. Green Bay used its first IR-return designation on tight end Jace Sternberger.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad updates here:
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DE Curtis Cothran, CB Kemon Hall
- Released: C John Keenoy
- Placed on PS-IR: TE Stacy Keely
Vikings Place DT Armon Watts On IR
The Vikings have placed defensive tackle Armon Watts on injured reserve. To fill his roster spot, they’ve signed defensive end Eddie Yarbrough off the Bills’ practice squad. 
The Vikings selected Watts out of Arkansas with a sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft. Watts did not play in the first half of the season, but he suited up for six of the team’s final seven games. In those games, he tallied 1.5 sacks.
Yarbrough appeared in 31 games for the Bills in 2017 and 2018, including six starts. This year, he missed the team’s final cut, but he hooked on with their practice squad. All of a sudden, Yarbrough has a chance at a Super Bowl ring.
The Vikings will face the Saints on Saturday in New Orleans. The secondary will have its work cut out for them as they try to keep a lid on Michael Thomas, so the Vikes are hoping for some pass rush pressure against Drew Brees.
Eagles Place Brandon Brooks On IR
The Eagles have officially placed guard Brandon Brooks on injured reserve. To fill his spot on the roster, they’ve signed wide receiver Shelton Gibson. 
Brooks suffered a shoulder injury in Eagles’ regular season finale and soon after, head coach Doug Pederson announced today that Brooks would be out for the playoffs. It’s a bad blow for the Birds – Brooks is one of the best at his position, and he was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl this year.
Despite suffering an Achilles tear in January, Brooks played in all 16 games for the Eagles in 2019, providing much-needed consistency for an offense that desperately needed it. On the plus side – right tackle Lane Johnson is aiming to play in the Eagles’ wild card weekend showdown against the Seahawks.
Gibson, 24, appeared in 20 games for the Eagles between 2017 and 2018. The former fifth-round pick has three career catches for 59 yards to his credit.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 12/31/19
Here are the reserve/futures deals handed out on New Year’s Eve:
Cincinnati Bengals
- CB Winston Rose
Detroit Lions
- C Russell Bodine, TE Paul Butler, TE Matt Sokol
Miami Dolphins
- LB Jake Carlock, LB Terrill Hanks, WR Andy Jones, TE Chris Myarick, T Chidi Okeke, DT Durval Queiroz Neto, WR T.J. Rahming, WR Terry Wright
New York Jets
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL Bans Rod Taylor
The NFL has suspended free agent guard Rod Taylor indefinitely, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Taylor is no stranger to the NFL’s disciplinary program and this latest ban could be his last. 
Taylor, 25, has now been hit with three separate suspensions from the NFL. First, there was a four-game suspension in September, believed to be tied to PEDs. Then, in October, he was handed a ten-game suspension for reasons unknown.
Taylor was a 2018 seventh-round draft choice by the Bengals. He ended up missing his entire rookie campaign after tearing his ACL on the first day of training camp. The team was confident he’d make the roster prior to the injury, but they didn’t like what he looked like when he returned. Taylor was ultimately waived by the organization in June.
As a senior at Ole Miss in 2017, Taylor started all 12 games at right tackle. Cincinnati had converted him to a guard before he went down. He’s versatile and talented, but Taylor will have a serious mountain to climb if he ever wants to play in the NFL again.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/19
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Tim White
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Jaylen Smith
Eagles Sign Elijah Holyfield
The Eagles have signed running back Elijah Holyfield, per a club announcement. He’ll take the place of defensive end Daeshon Hall, who was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL.
Holyfield is the son of boxing legend Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield. He’s also an accomplished athlete in his own right. In his final season at the University of Georgia, he ran for more than 1,000 yards. Holyfield went undrafted in 2019, however, and had to settle for a taxi squad spot with the Panthers when he was unable to make their Week 1 roster.
Now, Holyfield will provide insurance for the Eagles after Miles Sanders suffered an ankle injury in the season finale. It’s believed that Sanders will be good to go for the playoffs, but now they have some additional depth, just in case.
The Eagles’ playoff fight begins on Sunday, when they face the Seahawks in Philly.
49ers To Sign Earl Mitchell
The 49ers have agreed to sign Earl Mitchell, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (on Twitter). Mitchell will give the 49ers some help on the defensive line following Jullian Taylor‘s knee injury. 
[RELATED: Jullian Taylor Suffers Knee Injury]
Mitchell spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with San Francisco before signing with (and later getting released by) Seattle. The 32-year-old announced his retirement in November, but it turned out to be more of a boxer’s retirement.
Mitchell briefly latched on with the Seahawks this summer, but didn’t stick. Now, he returns to the Niners with a chance to make an impact in the playoffs. To date, Mitchell has appeared in 130 career regular season games with 66 starts.
He’ll have time to get familiar (again) with the 49ers. Thanks to their first-round bye, the Niners’ postseason won’t get underway until the divisional round kicks off on Jan. 11.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/19
A handful of minor moves to pass along:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Packers): CB Tony Brown
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers (from Texans): DE Joel Heath
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): S Josh Jones
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed (two years): LB Tuzar Skipper
As veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer points out (on Twitter), the waiver claims will be deferred to February 3rd (the day after the Super Bowl).