Rams Place RB Blake Corum On IR
Blake Corum‘s rookie season has officially come to an end. The Rams announced that they’ve placed the first-year running back on injured reserve.
Corum suffered a fractured forearm during the Rams’ season finale. The injury will knock Corum out for the entire postseason, and the team has opened his roster spot by placing the rookie on IR.
A former standout at Michigan, Corum’s college career culminated with him earning the National Championship Offensive MVP. He was ultimately the third RB off the board (behind Jonathon Brooks and Trey Benson) when the Rams selected him in the third round of this past year’s draft.
With Kyren Williams dominating the backfield shares, snaps were difficult to come by for the Rams other RBs. Ronnie Rivers seemed to be the team’s initial choice for RB2, but the rookie eventually overtook his teammate, with Corum garnering the majority of the team’s backup RB snaps after their Week 6 bye. Corum ended up finishing his rookie campaign having compiled 265 yards from scrimmage on 65 touches.
With the rookie out of the lineup, Rivers will likely step up as the team’s top backup. The team is also rostering Cody Schrader, and the team announced that they’ve added veteran RB Royce Freeman to the practice squad.
Vikings Sign Daniel Jones To Active Roster
After spending more than a month on the Vikings’ practice squad, Daniel Jones is making the move up. Minnesota is signing the veteran quarterback to its 53-man roster.
To make room for the former Giants starter, the Vikings waived Brett Rypien. This marks the second time this year Rypien has been let go; the Bears released him in August. Rypien had resided on Minnesota’s active roster since signing with the team two days later.
As this is a true signing rather than a practice squad elevation, Jones would now net the Vikings a compensatory pick — depending on how Minnesota proceeds in free agency — in the 2026 draft, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes. Jones would have been in line to fetch the Giants a comp pick, but the NFC East team forfeited that right by waiving him.
Talent-wise, Jones would make sense as the player who would be best suited to replace Sam Darnold in the event of an injury, but backup Nick Mullens has been in Kevin O’Connell‘s system for three seasons now. Mullens, however, went 0-3 as a Minnesota starter last season. Jones went 2-8 with the Giants this year, as far as wins and losses go, and did not come close to justifying the four-year, $160MM extension the Giants bailed on midway through. That said, Jones played efficiently in 2022 and is a former No. 6 overall pick. It would stand to reason this move to the 53 would position him as a player the Vikings would strongly consider using in an emergency.
For the first time in his career, Darnold has not missed a start during a season. Illnesses and injuries have plagued the former Jets No. 3 overall pick during his starter seasons, removing Darnold’s 2023 49ers stay from this equation. The former Jets and Panthers starter missed three games apiece in 2018 and ’19 and then was sidelined for four in 2020. A broken collarbone sidelined Darnold for much of the 2021 season, and a high ankle sprain — sustained after Baker Mayfield had beaten him out for Carolina’s QB1 gig — kept him out for much of the 2022 slate. Though, the Vikings have seen Darnold provide stability after J.J. McCarthy‘s season-ending knee injury.
While Darnold has transformed his free agency stock — to the point the Vikings may use the franchise tag to keep him off the market — Jones’ is rather murky. A thin QB crop, even factoring in Kirk Cousins‘ likely release, would stand to help the six-year Giants starter. But his injury past and mostly shaky track record (zero seasons north of 7.0 yards per attempt) will make teams hesitant. For now, he is in place as insurance on a 14-3 Vikings team. Free agency will loom soon after.
Ezekiel Elliott To Sign With Chargers Practice Squad
After requesting his release from the Cowboys in pursuit of a playoff run, Ezekiel Elliott has landed with a postseason squad. The veteran running back is signing with the Chargers practice squad, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
[RELATED: Cowboys Release Ezekiel Elliott]
Elliott attracted interest from a handful of playoff-bound teams, according to Schultz. The running back ultimately chose the Chargers because he liked the fit alongside coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that there’s hope that Elliott can get “up to speed quickly” and contribute to his squad in the playoffs.
Following a one-season stop in New England, Elliott returned to the Cowboys this past offseason. With Tony Pollard no longer in the picture, there was hope that the long-time Dallas star could once again lead the backfield. The veteran saw a somewhat significant role to begin the season, including the season opener when he ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
As the season went on, Elliott found himself definitively behind Rico Dowdle on the depth chart. The veteran generally struggled when he was on the field, as his 3.1 yards-per-carry represented a new career-low. Elliott also faced discipline in November for his “habitual tardiness,” leading to his Week 9 absence. With the Cowboys firmly out of the playoff picture entering the final week of the season, Elliott requested and was granted his release as he pursued an opportunity with a playoff team.
He’ll find that opportunity in Los Angeles, where the Chargers have navigated a new RB corps in 2024. J.K. Dobbins recently returned to his RB1 role after missing four weeks with a sprained knee, but fellow RB Gus Edwards is currently nursing his own ankle issue. Hassan Haskins and rookie Kimani Vidal have filled in admirably at times for the Chargers throughout the 2024 campaign, but considering Dobbins’ injury history, some extra depth certainly won’t hurt.
Of course, expectations have to be managed for the team’s newest addition. Even as Elliott found the end zone 12 times during the 2022 campaign, the RB was already showing signs of decline, leading to the Cowboys bailing from his six-year, $90MM extension. He didn’t look a whole lot better during his lone season with the Patriots, and he hit a new low this season with only 295 yards from scrimmage. The Chargers are set to take on the Texans this Saturday, so it may be unrealistic for Elliott to earn the team’s trust in less than a week. If the Chargers win their Wild Card matchup and Edwards is still sidelined, then Elliott could potentially play a goal-line role for the team in later rounds.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/6/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL William Sherman
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/25
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Released: RB Royce Freeman
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: QB Will Grier, LB Darius Harris
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: RB Tyler Goodson, LB Segun Olubi
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed (two years): CB Jason Maitre
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: K Charlie Smyth
A number of impending free agents quickly re-signed with their current organizations today. While these players aren’t shoo-ins for roster spots in 2025, they are attached to actual NFL contracts (vs. reserve/futures contracts, which would need to be converted into real contracts if a player makes a 53-man roster).
In addition to hanging on to kicker Charlie Smyth today, the Saints also had to deal with some notable details on a previously-agreed-upon contract. The NFL rejected the team’s contract to safety Travion Fluellen, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The organization later revised the agreement, bumping the contract from a two-year pact to a three-year pact. It’s uncertain why the league rejected the initial deal, although it could be due to Fluellen’s status as a former UFL player.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/25
With the regular season having come to an end, many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts. This allows organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Andre Baccellia, CB Jaden Davis, CB Darren Hall, OL Matthew Jones, WR Tejhaun Palmer, TE Bernhard Seikovits, DL Ben Stille
Atlanta Falcons
- DT Junior Aho, WR Phillip Dorsett, RB Elijah Dotson, WR Dylan Drummond, G Joey Fisher, G Jovaughn Gwyn, DB Lamar Jackson, QB Emory Jones, DE Khalid Kareem, WR Jesse Matthews, DB Benny Sapp III, OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- RB Emani Bailey, G Ja’Tyre Carter, TE Dominique Dafney, LB Kenny Dyson, LB Thomas Incoom, WR T.J. Luther, TE Jordan Matthews, WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- OL Theo Benedet, OL Chris Glaser, WR John Jackson, LB Carl Jones Jr., DL Jamree Kromah, QB Austin Reed, OL Ricky Stromberg, WR Samori Toure, TE Joel Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- G Javion Cohen, S Trey Dean, DE Marcus Haynes, OT Roy Mbaeteka, TE Tre’ McKitty, OT Julian Pearl, DE Elerson Smith, K Andre Szmyt, OT Lorenzo Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- G Jack Anderson, DB Luq Barcoo, DT Denzel Daxon, WR Kelvin Harmon, LB Brock Mogensen, WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper, DB Troy Pride Jr., LB Luiji Vilain, WR Seth Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Salvon Ahmed, LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, QB Jason Bean, S Marcel Dabo, CB Alex Johnson, G Atonio Mafi, TE Sean McKeon, WR D.J. Montgomery, DE Durell Nchami, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, DT Pheldarius Payne, G Josh Sills, WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- DE David Agoha, OT Gottlieb Ayedze, CB M.J. Devonshire, CB Keenan Isaac, WR Shedrick Jackson, WR Tyreik McAllister, DE Ovie Oghoufo, C Will Putnam, LB Brandon Smith, RB Isaiah Spiller, OT Dalton Wagner, WR Kristian Wilkerson
New York Giants
- K Jude McAtamney, DL Ross Blacklock, C Bryan Hudson, C Jimmy Morrissey, DL Casey Rogers
New York Jets
- OL Zack Bailey, RB Zach Evans, T Obinna Eze, TE Zack Kuntz, G Kohl Levao, QB Adrian Martinez, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Brandon Smith, DB Tre Swilling, WR Easop Winston
San Francisco 49ers
- DL Jonathan Garvin, OL Sebastian Gutierrez, DL Tarron Jackson, OL Zack Johnson, CB Chase Lucas, S Jaylen Mahoney, QB Tanner Mordecai, OL Drake Nugent, WR Terique Owens, TE Mason Pline, WR Trent Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Quinton Bohanna, CB Ryan Cooper, LB Michael Dowell, CB Tyler Hall, C Mike Novitsky, DE Kenneth Odumegwu, S Ty Okada, WR Cornell Powell, LB Jamie Sheriff, LB Tyreke Smith, CB Damarion Williams
Tennessee Titans
- DT McTelvin Agim, DT Abdullah Anderson, LB Curtis Bolton, OL Chandler Brewer, DT Isaiah Iton, CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, OLB Kyron Johnson, WR Stanley Morgan, TE Thomas Odukoya, S Gervarrius Owens, T Isaiah Prince, RB Jabari Small
Jaguars OL Tyler Shatley Retires
Reserve veteran lineman Tyler Shatley has officially hung up his cleats, retiring from the NFL after an 11-year career, per a team announcement with a message from Shatley. Shatley spent his entire career in Jacksonville, serving as a key primary backup on the offensive line. 
Shatley, 33, came to the NFL originally as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson. Signing as part of the 2014 rookie class in Jacksonville, Shatley was a surprise member of the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie, though he only appeared in one game. A year later, he was playing in 13 games as a special teams lineman.
In 2016, Shatley got his first shots on the offense, starting two games at center and two games at left guard in injury relief. By 2017, he had established himself as a go-to sixth man on the interior of the offensive line, once again being called up to start four games at center in relief of an injured Brandon Linder, who had earned the starting job the year before. He also served as the emergency long snapper for a short time that season. In 2018, Shatley got his first extended stretch of starting experience, closing out the final seven games of the season with Linder on injured reserve.
A healthy 2019 season for Linder pushed Shatley back to the bench and special teams for a year, but more injuries in 2020 and 2021 once again limited Linder to nine games apiece, opening the door for more playing time for Shatley at center.
After Linder retired, Shatley lost out on the starting gig to replace him, but a season-ending injury to starting left guard Ben Bartch opened up the door for Shatley to make a long-term return to the starting lineup. Last year, the Jaguars struggled the find consistency along their offensive line, and though he couldn’t carve out a consistent role, Shatley was key in ensuring there was coverage along the line.
Coming into the 2024 NFL season, for the first time, Shatley failed to make the 53-man roster. The Jaguars didn’t leave him without a job for long, signing him to the practice squad in late-November. He didn’t make an in-game appearance in this final year in Jacksonville, but no doubt his presence on the practice squad gave the team some assurance that depth was available.
It takes a lot to remain in the NFL for 11 years, especially on the active roster for 10 of those years and especially with all 11 years being on the same team. Shatley may have never earned big contracts or superstar recognition, but his 11 years with the Jaguars are a testament to his reliability and importance to their roster makeup.
Bucs S Jordan Whitehead Placed On NFI
As the Buccaneers push for one of the league’s final unresolved playoff spots, they’ll be without a key defender. The Buccaneers placed safety Jordan Whitehead on the reserve/non-football injury list today, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. 
Per Stroud, Whitehead was involved in an automobile accident this morning. The veteran “suffered injuries significant enough” to warrant placement on NFI. Stroud notes that the player is okay but is still expected to miss multiple weeks, making it unlikely he’ll play again until the 2025 campaign. ESPN’s Jenna Laine reports that Whitehead’s accident occurred on his way to the facility this morning. He’s at the hospital undergoing tests, he’s alert, but he will miss some time.
Whitehead, a seventh-year veteran, has been a starter in the league ever since the early days of his rookie season after getting drafted by the Buccaneers in the fourth round in 2018 out of Pitt. Following four strong seasons on his rookie contract, in which he totaled five interceptions, 25 passes defensed, 22 tackles for loss, and two sacks, Whitehead signed a two-year $14.5MM deal with the Jets. After two more strong seasons as a starter in New York — six interceptions, 17 passes defensed, seven tackles for loss — Whitehead found his way back to Tampa Bay on a two-year, $9MM contract.
Whitehead has dealt with a couple minor injuries in the past, missing six games over his first four years with the Buccaneers. Following two completely healthy years with the Jets, Whitehead’s season will end with a career-low 12 games played in 2024. He’d recently worked his way back from a pectoral injury that landed him on injured reserve after four missed games, but today’s accident will put him back on an injured list to end the year.
In addition to Tampa Bay’s postseason push, this development comes as the Buccaneers are navigating a number of injuries to their safeties corps. Greg Auman of FOX Sports observes that the team will be without their top three safeties tomorrow Whitehead, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Christian Izien, leaving the team with Kaevon Merriweather, Mike Edwards, and Tykee Smith at the position (along with Tavierre Thomas as potential depth).
In a statement released by the team, it was announced that the team would sign practice squad safety Ryan Neal to the 53-man roster in light of Whitehead’s injury. Neal was elevated recently for one of the games Whitehead missed on IR, playing on special teams and sparingly on defense.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Lions Activate Kalif Raymond, Alex Anzalone; Emmanuel Moseley Moved To NFI List
The Lions will have reinforcements on both sides of the ball for tomorrow night’s pivotal game. Receiver Kalif Raymond and linebacker Alex Anzalone have both been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
Raymond had been on injured reserve since November due to a foot injury, but he returned to practice last week. That opened his 21-day activation window, but of course bringing him onto the active roster in time for Week 18 required today’s transaction. Raymond will be in place to provide complimentary production in the passing game behind top wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams along with tight end Sam LaPorta. Detroit’s offense has remained much healthier than the team’s defense this year, but having additional depth at the receiver spot (not to mention the top punt return option) in time for the playoffs will be a welcomed development.
Getting Anzalone back will also be key as the Lions look to lock up the top seed in the NFC. The 30-year-old had his practice window opened on Wednesday, although questions remained about his ability to suit up for tomorrow’s game. Anzalone is listed as questionable for Sunday due to the broken forearm which induced his IR stint, but his ability to recover to the point of activation is a strong sign he will be in the lineup. If so, Detroit’s linebacking corps will see a starter return to the fold and the team’s defense as a whole will get a key presence back.
The news is not all positive for the Lions on the injury front, however. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. That designation requires at least a four-game absence, meaning he is all-but assured of missing the remainder of the campaign. Moseley’s debut Lions season (2023) ended with an ACL tear in Week 1, and the follow-up has not gone according to plan either. The pending free agent has been limited to only two games this year, something which will hurt his stock. Being without Moseley (who last played in Week 16) will be especially notable given the absence of fellow corner Carlton Davis.
The Lions have a long list of other players who could be in contention to be activated down the road, especially if they can manage a deep playoff run. Winning the NFC North and securing the first-round bye would be helpful in that regard, but losing to the Vikings in the NFL’s final regular season contest would drop Detroit to the No. 5 seed. In any case, adding to the list of healthy contributors will be key for the Lions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25
The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: S Andre Chachere
- Elevated: RB Tony Jones Jr., T Luke Tenuta
- Placed on IR: T Jackson Barton
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: OL Will Clapp, DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: RB Miles Sanders (story)
- Placed on IR: LB Amaré Barno
- Signed to active roster: DE DeShawn Williams
- Elevated: OLB Thomas Incoom, OLB Kenny Dyson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DT Domenique Davis, WR Kendric Pryor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: QB Will Grier
- Elevated: CB Troy Pride
- Placed on IR: CB Kemon Hall
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: DE Matt Henningsen
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: DB Morice Norris
- Elevated: DL Chris Smith, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB D’Angelo Ross
- Elevated: DE Solomon Byrd, S Russ Yeast
- Placed on IR: LB Jamal Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DE Joe Gaziano
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: LB Blake Lynch, QB Chris Oladokun
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE John Samuel Shenker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: S Alohi Gilman (story)
- Elevated: WR Dez Fitzpatrick, S Eddie Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: T AJ Arcuri, OLB Keir Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: T Ryan Hayes, QB Skylar Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: LB Calvin Munson, OLB Gabriel Murphy
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Miles Battle, DE Truman Jones, LB Monty Rice, TE Jack Westover
- Elevated: WR Alex Erickson, TE Mitchell Wilcox
- Placed on IR: C Ben Brown, S Jabrill Peppers, WR Ja’Lynn Polk
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: S Millard Bradford, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: RB Dante Miller
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, T Tyre Phillips
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: CB Sauce Gardner
- Signed to active roster: DL Bruce Hector
- Elevated: CB Tre Swilling, OL Zack Bailey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Alex Barrett, LB DaShaun White
- Elevations: G Drake Nugent, WR Trent Taylor
- Placed on IR: G Spencer Burford, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: CB Artie Burns, NT Brandon Pili
- Elevated: DT Quinton Bohanna, TE Tyler Mabry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: CB Dallis Flowers, LB Deion Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DE Khalid Duke, WR Tay Martin
- Elevated: S Gervarrius Owens, K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: LB Otis Reese
Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.
Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.
Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).
Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.