NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/21/23
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Released: T Austen Pleasants
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- Released: WR Michael Bandy
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Montrell Washington
Humphrey was let go yesterday, but he will immediately find himself back in Denver’s lineup on Sunday. The team announced he has been elevated upon re-signing with the practice squad, meaning Week 7 will be his third and final gameday elevation. The Broncos will need to sign him to the active roster after that point to keep him in the fold for the rest of the season.
Packers Activate CB Eric Stokes
The Packers are set to have another high-profile cornerback available in time for their Week 7 contest. Eric Stokes was activated from the PUP list on Saturday, clearing the way for a return to game action tomorrow. 
Stokes was designated for return more than two weeks ago, so the Packers could only have afforded for him to miss one more contest before risking him reverting to season-ending IR. Instead, the former first-rounder will now be able to suit up for the first time since last November, the point at which his second NFL campaign came to an end.
Stokes underwent foot and knee surgeries this offseason to address the ailments which limited him to nine contests last year. Those injuries also added to the time both he and fellow CB Jaire Alexander have missed during their time in Green Bay, which has severely limited their ability to take the field together. Alexander is comfortably set to continue his starting role upon the team’s return from the bye, but the same cannot be said of Stokes.
The latter, as foreshadowed in the offseason, is likely to take on backup duties as he works his way back into the fold. Green Bay has Alexander, along with Rasul Douglas and Keisean Nixon in place atop the CB depth chart, and no member of that trio will be asked to move positions or take on second-team duties with Stokes now in play. The Georgia alum has started 23 of his 25 games to date, and he showed considerable promise as a rookie with one interception and 14 pass deflections.
Last year, however, Stokes allowed a completion percentage of 80% when in coverage, leading to an opposing passer rating of 123.5. The Packers’ defense as a whole has generally failed to live up to expectations under DC Joe Barry, but Stokes will personally face notable scrutiny upon return in whatever capacity he serves in. Sitting at 2-3, Green Bay ranks ninth in the NFL against the pass, so it comes as little surprise that the team will not alter its backfield to accommodate Stokes’ return. At a minimum, he will provide depth at the CB spot as he prepares to suit up for the first time in nearly one calendar year.
Eagles Sign WR Julio Jones
OCTOBER 21: To little surprise, Jones will make his Eagles debut on Sunday. The team announced he (along with cornerback Mekhi Garner) is a game day elevation for Week 7. Jones will thus revert back to the taxi squad after the contest, allowing two more game day call-ups before a signing on the active roster will be required. It will be interesting to see how large of a role he plays within an already capable Eagles offense during Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Dolphins.
OCTOBER 17: Already rostering one of the NFL’s top wide receiver tandems, the Eagles will add an All-Decade player to the mix. The team agreed to a deal with Julio Jones on Tuesday.
Jones, who has not played since his Buccaneers one-off in 2022, signed a one-year contract with the Eagles, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be Jones’ age-34 season. Jones will reunite with ex-Titans teammate A.J. Brown and former Falcons sidekick Olamide Zaccheaus.
This is a practice squad deal, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Since the league expanded P-squads to 16 players in 2020, teams have used the increased flexibility to stash veterans and provide ramp-up periods. The Eagles did this recently with Bradley Roby, who joined the team on a P-squad agreement before moving up to the 53-man roster days later. Jones should be expected to be on Philly’s active roster soon, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones indicating a real chance exists this transaction will happen before Week 7.
The Eagles are adding Jones not long after placing their No. 3 wideout, Quez Watkins, on IR. Watkins has missed three games this season and landed on IR ahead of Week 6 because of a hamstring ailment. The 5-1 team brought in Marquez Callaway and Dezmon Patmon for workouts Monday, Schefter adds, but will go with one of this era’s best receiving options. Jones is obviously well into his post-prime period by this point, but the 6-foot-3 target supplies tremendous experience — both as a lead target on a Super Bowl team and a supporting-caster on playoff-bound squads.
Philly has shown a willingness to bring in accomplished veterans near the end of their careers, doing so in 2022, when they aided their run defense by signing defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph midway through last season. Both vets stayed on the team through Super Bowl LVII. Jones, who played in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons, will sign on to chase a ring in what could very well be his final season.
Jones authored the most statistically productive five-year run by a pass catcher in NFL history, totaling 7,994 receiving yards from 2014-18. That stretch produced two first-team All-Pro nods, and Jones ripped off three second-team All-Pro seasons during his lengthy peak, one that effectively concluded with the 2019 season. That 15-game Atlanta slate represents a line of demarcation of sorts for Jones, who saw injury trouble wrap his prime during the 2020 slate. He has missed 21 games due to injury over the past three years.
The initial months of the Terry Fontenot–Arthur Smith Falcons partnership led to a Jones trade to the Titans. Brown had pushed for the Titans to acquire Jones in 2021, and while the duo played together for a team that booked home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs, both missed time due to injuries. The hamstring trouble that slowed Jones in 2020 followed him to Tennessee. He finished the ’21 season with 34 catches for 434 yards and one touchdown. Signing with the Buccaneers last year, Jones worked as an auxiliary target alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The 12-year veteran tallied 24 catches for 299 yards and two scores for a Bucs team that cratered offensively, though a porous NFC South kept the Tom Brady-fronted team afloat en route to a playoff berth. Jones missed games but did not land on IR during his Tampa stay.
Returning this year will delay Jones’ Hall of Fame induction, though given the waits receivers regularly endure en route to Canton, the former No. 6 overall pick may not be a lock for first-ballot enshrinement. Nevertheless, the surefire Hall of Famer will join an Eagles team that endured an ugly loss to the Jets. Brown and DeVonta Smith are coming off a 1,000-1,000 season, and Zaccheaus finished with 533 yards for the 2022 Falcons. Though, the diminutive Philly native has just 74 yards this year. Watkins cannot return until Week 12, leaving a bit of a void behind Brown and Smith. Howie Roseman will see if Jones can help fill it for the Super Bowl-contending squad.
Broncos To Activate OLB Baron Browning From PUP List
The Broncos’ altered edge rush group will welcome back a key member as early as tomorrow. Baron Browning is set to be activated from the reserve/PUP list, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 
Denver began the season with veterans Randy Gregory and Frank Clark as notable members of their pass-rush contingent. However, the former has been traded to the 49ers, while the latter was released after no interested teams could be found in a pick swap. Those moves cleared a path to increased playing time for the team’s younger contributors, a group which includes Browning.
The 24-year-old figures to take on snaps alongside Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, who have combined to post 9.5 of the Broncos’ 14 sacks this season. Drafted as an inside linebacker, Browning was shifted to the outside last season and he showed considerable promise after the move. The Ohio State alum was limited to 58 tackles and one quarterback hit as a rookie, but the transition to an OLB alignment the following season resulted in five sacks, 12 QB hits and 18 pressures.
Browning suffered a meniscus injury this offseason, something which required surgery back in June. As a result of the procedure, he was moved to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns, a designation which guaranteed at least a four-week absence. A recent report indicated Week 7 was the likely point at which he would make his debut, though, so today’s news comes as little surprise.
The Broncos’ defense has been the league’s worst in a number of categories this season, contributing in large part to the team’s 1-5 record. Denver is thus well-positioned to be in the sellers category in advance of the October 31 trade deadline, though offensive contributors appear likelier to be on the move compared to defensive ones. In any event, Browning’s return will be welcomed given the promise he showed in his first campaign as an edge rusher, along with the depth it gives the team with respect to healthy OLB options.
Cardinals Activate S Budda Baker
Kyler Murray‘s 2023 debut will have to wait at least one more week, but the Cardinals will have another top player back in the fold tomorrow. Safety Budda Baker has been activated from injured reserve and is expected to play in Week 7, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The team has since confirmed the move.
Baker, like Murray, was designated for return earlier this week. That move opened up both players’ 21-day practice window during which activation is required to avoid season-ending IR. Murray’s ramp-up period will give backup quarterback Josh Dobbs at least one more game at the helm, but Arizona’s defense will welcome Baker’s return to game action.
The latter suffered a hamstring injury during practice in advance of Week 2, which led to his IR stint. That marked the longest injury absence of his career, and left Arizona without the two-time All-Pro on the backend. Baker will give a notable boost to an Arizona defense which ranks 22nd in the league in passing yards allowed per gam (243) and which has seen only two defensive backs record an interception so far.
The 27-year-old had an eventful offseason, with his desire for a market-leading contract leading to a trade request which eventually went public. In the end, team and player worked out a compromise which guaranteed his 2023 compensation (including a $13.1MM base salary), but he remains signed through 2024 at a non-guaranteed figure of $14.6MM. With the Cardinals sitting at 1-5, many expect the rebuilding team to adopt a sellers stance ahead of the upcoming deadline.
The play of Baker – who has earned Pro Bowl acclaim in each of the past four seasons and five overall – will no doubt go a long way in determining his potential trade market. He has eclipsed 100 tackles four times in his career along with multiple interceptions every year from 2020-22. It will be worth watching how much interest he generates upon return, as the Cardinals look to continue their trend of better-than-expected performances this season.
Bringing Baker back will use up one of Arizona’s seven remaining IR activations. Murray’s return (from the PUP list) will not count toward that total, but it will likewise be a notable development for the Cardinals as they look to get healthier in the coming weeks.
Dolphins Activate RB Jeff Wilson Jr. From IR
The high-powered Dolphins offense is adding some more talent to the mix. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Dolphins have activated running back Jeff Wilson Jr. from injured reserve. 
The activation comes at a good time for the Dolphins. Rookie sensation De’Von Achane landed on injured reserve with a knee injury, and UDFA rookie Chris Brooks has also been shelved for at least the next four weeks. That left Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed as the only healthy RBs on the roster, but Wilson will provide an experienced option that the Dolphins can add to the mix.
Wilson, who has missed time due to finger and rib issues, was deemed ready to play in time for last week. However, roster calculus led his 2023 debut being delayed until Week 7, something head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed earlier in the week would take place. Today’s expected move will use up one of Miami’s seven remaining IR activations.
Mostert has had success as the Dolphins’ top back, recording 20 touches in a game on two occasions so far this season. The 31-year-old has found the end zone in all but one contest in 2023, and he leads the NFL with nine rushing touchdowns. His role as RB1 will likely not be in doubt with Wilson back in the picture, but the latter has proven to be an efficient complimentary option both with the 49ers and the Dolphins. Both backs inked two-year deals this offseason, and with Achane currently unavailable, they will aim to prove those investments to be worthwhile.
Wilson, 27, averaged 4.7 yards per carry in his eight games in South Beach last season after being dealt away by the 49ers following their Christian McCaffrey acquisition. The former UDFA saw a 53% snap share in Miami in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how large of a workload he handles upon return this year. The Dolphins lead the league in both passing (324) and rushing (182) yards per game through six weeks, and Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Eagles figures to be an offensive shootout. Miami will have another option in the backfield for that contest as Wilson prepares to make his season debut.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers Activate WR Diontae Johnson, Place TE Pat Freiermuth On IR
The Steelers will welcome back a key member of their offense, but they’re also set to lose their starting tight end for at least the next month. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers have activated wide receiver Diontae Johnson from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the Steelers have placed tight end Pat Freiermuth on injured reserve.
Johnson suffered a hamstring injury during the season opener that ultimately required a stint on injured reserve. The receiver was designated to return to practice earlier this week, opening his 21-day window to be activated.
The former third-round pick has been a productive member of the Steelers offense through his first four seasons in the NFL. Johnson earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2021 after finishing with 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. With Kenny Pickett taking over for Ben Roethlisberger in 2022, Johnson’s numbers took a bit of a step back, with the receiver finishing the campaign with 86 catches for 882 yards and no touchdowns.
George Pickens has picked up the slack through the first chunk of the season, hauling in 22 catches for 393 yards. Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin have combined for only 280 yards, so Johnson will surely provide a spark to Pittsburgh’s offense.
“I am very excited. It’s been a long process, fighting to get back. I am looking forward to showing them I am ready for Sunday,” Johnson said this week (via the team’s website).
Freiermuth suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 that forced him to miss the following week’s game, but the tight end was expected to be good to go following the Week 6 bye. Freiermuth aggravated the hamstring injury during practice this week, and now he’ll miss at least the next four games while recovering from the injury.
The former second-round pick had a standout sophomore season in 2022, finishing with 63 catches for 732 yards. He’s struggled to put up similar production in 2023, even with Johnson out of the lineup. In four games, Freiermuth has hauled in only eight passes for 53 yards.
Rookie third-round pick Darnell Washington should jump to the top of the depth chart with Freiermuth out. The Steelers are also rostering Connor Heyward and Rodney Williams at the position, with Noah Gindorff currently sitting on the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/23
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Released: CB JoeJuan Williams
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers (from Chiefs): DT Keondre Coburn
- Released: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): CB Ameer Speed
- Waived: WR Amari Rodgers
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: RB Chris Brooks
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: G Tommy Kraemer
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/20/23
Friday’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB Tony Jones Jr.
- Released: QB Jeff Driskel
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Kindle Vildor
- Released: LB Brandon Smith
Cardinals Designate Kyler Murray, Budda Baker For Return
OCTOBER 20: The Cardinals ruled out Murray for Week 7, a move which comes as little surprise as they continue to proceed with caution with their franchise passer. That means his earliest return could come the following Sunday in a home contest against the Ravens, by which point some or all of his second week of pre-activation practicing will have taken place. Baker, meanwhile, could be in the lineup against the Seahawks in Week 7 since he is listed as questionable.
As ESPN’s Josh Weinfus notes, Arizona now sees Murray as being physically able to play. Signficant rust needs to be shaken off, however, while the former No. 1 pick also needs to acclimate to the team’s new offense led by Drew Petzing. He will have ample time in that regard, and Dobbs could be in line for further starts beyond Week 7. Much of the team’s plans with Murry will depend on the progress he makes in the coming days while he continues his ramp-up period.
OCTOBER 18: Earlier this week, Jonathan Gannon hinted at Kyler Murray returning to the practice field. The Cardinals have operated cautiously with their Pro Bowl quarterback, but they will see him practice again beginning Wednesday.
The Cardinals designated Murray for return from the reserve/PUP list. The team also designated Budda Baker for return; Baker has been on IR since the Monday after Week 2. Both players will have three weeks to be activated, though only Baker’s return designation would count against the eight-activation limit associated with IR. Either player failing to be activated, however, would result a season-ending designation. The Cardinals have used one of their eight allotted IR activations so far this season.
Murray suffered a torn ACL on December 12, 2022 and is well within range of a normal return timetable. Baker sustained a hamstring injury that kept him out for Week 2. While the Cardinals have predictably stumbled out of the starting blocks, sitting 1-5, the undermanned team has shown steady fight in its early-season outings. Murray would certainly stand to improve the Cardinals’ chances of picking up victories, and while rumblings of a potential 2024 separation amid a rebuild have surfaced, Gannon has said consistently Murray is part of the team’s future.
Arizona has used late-summer trade acquisition Josh Dobbs as its starter, scrapping the initial Colt McCoy plan upon making the trade with Cleveland. Dobbs has offered respectable work in his first true go-round as a starter, though he has completed less than 50% of his passes over the past two weeks. With the Cardinals slow-playing Murray’s return, it should probably be expected the journeyman backup/rocket scientist will see a bit more time. Gannon said Murray will need time to ramp up before playing again, pointing to more Dobbs starts during the regular QB1’s PUP-return window.
The Cardinals gave Murray a five-year, $230.5MM extension in July 2022 but saw the dual-threat standout struggle in what became Kliff Kingsbury‘s final season. Clashes between Murray and the coach that brought him to the desert ensued, with a 4-13 season leading to the ousters of Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim. Gannon said Murray was a key reason he took the Cardinals’ job. While the Cardinals hold two first-round picks in 2024, the Texans (3-3) are faring better than expected. Arizona’s shot at the No. 1 pick would more likely come from its own choice. Murray would stand to impede beneath-the-surface organizational aspirations at the top pick, but it certainly looks like the former No. 1 overall draftee will suit up soon.
Murray, 26, ripped off original-ballot Pro Bowl seasons in 2020 and ’21, leading the Cardinals to the playoffs in the latter slate. Murray completed a career-high 69.2% of his passes in 2021, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. Last season produced a 6.1 Y/A figure, injecting some uncertainty into Murray’s trajectory. Close to completing his rehab journey, Murray is in line to offer an update on his mid-20s form (while debuting in a better Cardinals uniform). Early this offseason, Michael Bidwill projected an early-season return. But reports had pegged a midseason re-emergence as the more likely scenario. Wednesday’s designation puts Murray on track to hit that target.
Bidwill said both Murray and Baker helped the Cardinals choose Gannon, a hire that concluded a meandering search. Baker requested a trade in February; the ask became known in April. Seeking a contract closer to the top of the safety pyramid, Baker begrudgingly returned to the team during minicamp. The sides reached a resolution, but Baker’s 2024 salary is nonguaranteed.
With Baker likely to be healthy before the Oct. 31 trade deadline, he is bound to come up in trade rumors. The Cardinals will be expected to deal some assets soon, as they are rebuilding under first-year GM Monti Ossenfort. The Cards have resisted to take steps on this front, though it will be interesting to see if a notable offer surfaces soon. The perennial Pro Bowler is the Cardinals’ longest-tenured defensive starter.