TE Chris Herndon Suspended Eight Weeks
Chris Herndon has been hit with a significant ban. The free agent tight end has been suspended for eight weeks, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). That means Herndon will be banned from taking the field for the rest of the 2022 campaign.
We’ve yet to hear a reason for Herndon’s latest suspension. The tight end was previously banned for four games during the 2019 season for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse.
Herndon was a fourth-round pick by the Jets back in 2018. He had his most productive professional season as a rookie, finishing the year with 39 receptions for 502 yards and four touchdowns. That aforementioned suspension (plus a hamstring injury) knocked him out for the beginning of the 2019 campaign, and he only got into one game that season before landing on injured reserve with a broken rib.
He managed to return for the 2020 season and got into all 16 games (13 starts) for the Jets, finishing with 31 receptions for 287 yards and three scores. Prior to the 2021 season, Herndon was packaged with a sixth-round pick and sent to the Vikings for a fourth-round selection. The tight end started five of his 16 games for Minnesota in 2021, hauling in only four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Herndon joined the Saints this past August but was cut before the end of the preseason. The 26-year-old hasn’t had any reported workouts during the 2022 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated for return: G Jalen Mayfield
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: LS Mitchell Fraboni
- Designated for return: LS Jacob Bobenmoyer
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Tyron Johnson
- Designated for return: DL Michael Dwumfour
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed off Browns practice squad: DL Tyeler Davison
- Placed on IR: DL Christian Covington, DL Otito Ogbonnia (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Designated for return: G David Edwards
- Placed on IR: T Chandler Brewer, T Alaric Jackson, WR Cooper Kupp (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from PUP: TE Tyree Jackson
- Designated for return: DE Janarius Robinson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return: DE DeMarvin Leal
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: K Josh Lambo
- Waived: WR Chris Conley
Cardinals Designate WR Marquise Brown For Return
The Cardinals should soon have a key member of their receiving corps back in the fold. Marquise Brown has been designated for return from IR, per a team announcement. 
The move opens up Brown’s 21-day window to be activated. If he is not brought back onto the active roster within that timeframe, he will be ineligible to return for the remainder of the season. Fortunately, that seems highly unlikely to take place; head coach Kliff Kingsbury left open the possibility of Brown suiting up for Arizona’s upcoming Monday night game against San Francisco.
The 25-year-old suffered a foot injury one month ago. It was initially feared that it could have sidelined him for the remainder of the season, but further testing and consultation led to a much more positive prognosis of a four-to-six week recovery timeline. Returning in time for Week 11 would mark the short end of that scale, but it could provide a much-needed boost to the Cardinals’ passing attack.
Arizona began the year without DeAndre Hopkins due to his six-game PED suspension. By the time the three-time All-Pro was back on the field, though, Brown had went down with the injury. The Cardinals acquired Robbie Anderson from the Panthers around the time the latter was placed on IR, as they gave the disgruntled wideout a new home while attempting to replace Brown’s vertical speed.
Playing on the final year of his rookie contract, Brown began his first season in the desert with expectations to take on a No. 1 role in Hopkins’ absence. His arrival also came, of course, after his offseason trade request led to a draft-day trade which saw the Ravens ship him out for a first-round pick. He racked up 485 yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches upon being reunited with former college teammate Kyler Murray. The Oklahoma alum is in line to play on the fifth-year option next season.
With a number of high-end pass-catchers unavailable throughout the year, Arizona has fallen short of expectations through the air, ranking 16th in the league in passing yards per game. Pairing Hopkins and Brown will be especially critical moving forward, given that tight end Zach Ertz is out for the season with a knee injury. At 4-6 and in fourth in the NFC West, the Cardinals will hope Brown’s return will spur a late-season run.
Lions Designate Romeo Okwara, DJ Chark For Return, Aiming For Late-Season Jameson Williams Look
Coming off their second straight win, the Lions made some notable transactions Wednesday. They designated Romeo Okwara and DJ Chark for return.
In his third season with Detroit, Okwara has been on the team’s reserve/PUP list all season. He has been recovering from a torn Achilles for more than 13 months. Chark has been out since Week 3. The free agency pickup his now missed 19 games over the past two seasons.
While Chark returning stands to bolster a Lions attack that has seen its top skill-position players either miss time (Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Andre Swift) or be traded (T.J. Hockenson), the Lions’ plans with Jameson Williams take big-picture precedence. Still sidelined from the ACL tear he suffered in last season’s national championship game, Williams remains in the picture for this season’s Lions. The team is hoping for Williams to return to practice after Thanksgiving, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
It would be a nice bonus for the rebuilding Lions to have Williams see game action this season, but that may not be a guarantee. The team has been cautious with the first-round pick. Previous reports indicated a midseason return to practice was in play, but the franchise has pushed back the timetable. Considering the current team’s status and Williams’ long-term importance to the organization, it is unsurprising his rehab run is approaching the 11-month mark.
The Lions having a St. Brown-Chark-Williams trio together for this season’s final games would represent a nice evaluation window for the future. St. Brown and Williams will almost certainly be 2023 Lions starters. It is unclear if Chark will be in the team’s post-2022 plans. The former Jaguars second-rounder, who signed a one-year deal worth $10MM in March, missed almost all of last season with a broken ankle. An injury to that same ankle has shelved Chark this year. After initially leaving him on their 53-man roster, the Lions moved Chark to IR. He has seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in his Detroit debut.
Okwara, 27, remains attached to the three-year, $37MM deal he signed in 2021. The Lions have rostered the elder Okwara since 2018, when they claimed him off waivers from the Giants. He has 10- and 7.5-sack seasons on his Detroit resume, with the 10-sack campaign in 2020 prompting the Lions to re-sign him. The seventh-year edge rusher has not yet seen extended run with younger brother Julian, whom the Lions drafted in the 2020 third round.
Both Chark and Romeo Okwara can be moved onto the Lions’ 53-man roster at any point over the next three weeks. Residing on Detroit’s reserve/NFI list, Williams would have the same timeline once he returns to practice. The Lions are in fairly good shape, activation-wise, holding five going into Week 11.
Texans Claim WR Amari Rodgers
For a second straight day, the Texans will use their top spot in the waiver priority to land a skill-position player. After acquiring Eno Benjamin, Houston made a claim for Amari Rodgers on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s DJ Bien-Aime (on Twitter).
Struggles in his return-game role and an inability to see much playing time on offense led the Packers to waive Rodgers. The Texans are picking up his third-round contract, which runs through 2024.
Although Wednesday’s waiver report will not surface until this afternoon, the Texans making a claim renders every other team’s interest irrelevant. At 1-7-1, Houston is first in line to add recently cut players. The team will take a look at Rodgers, who disappointed after being a key Green Bay wide receiver investment.
The only Packers receiver draftee from 2019-21, Rodgers never established himself in Matt LaFleur‘s offense. He has also run into extensive fumbling problems. His five fumbles lead all non-quarterbacks this season. Rodgers’ most recent fumble, coming in the Packers’ Week 10 win over the Cowboys, led the team to cut bait.
Rodgers has not accumulated many stats as a pro, playing just 201 offensive snaps in two seasons and making only eight catches for 95 yards. But he established himself as a Day 2 prospect during a promising senior season at Clemson. The 5-foot-9 slot player became Trevor Lawrence‘s top target in 2020, taking over for Tee Higgins amid Justyn Ross‘ full-season absence. Rodgers caught 77 passes for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns for that Tigers iteration, leading the Packers to draft him 85th overall.
Rodgers, 23, will join a receiving corps that, for now, houses Brandin Cooks. The disgruntled wide receiver, despite signing an extension in April, had hoped for a trade at the deadline. When nothing materialized, an impasse between the veteran and the Texans ensued. Cooks missed the Texans’ Week 9 game but played against the Giants. The team has stripped Cooks of his captaincy. The Texans will pair Rodgers with another 2021 third-rounder, Nico Collins, who went off the board four picks after the Clemson product. Houston also has 2022 second-rounder John Metchie under contract, but the Alabama product is out for the season due to a leukemia battle.
It makes sense for the Texans to take fliers on players like Rodgers and Benjamin. Both are under rookie-deal control for multiple seasons, and the team does not have many solidified long-term contributors just yet. Although the Texans’ 2022 performances are not moving the needle much, with their draft status being the more pertinent topic, seeing how the team uses the recently cut performers will be notable.
Dallas Goedert To Miss “Extended Time”
NOVEMBER 16: This injury will shut Goedert down for at least four weeks. The Eagles have placed the high-priced tight end on IR.
NOVEMBER 15: The Eagles will be without a key offensive weapon for the next few weeks. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that tight end Dallas Goedert will miss “extended time” with a shoulder injury.
Goedert suffered the injury during last night’s loss to the Commanders, with the tight end hurting his shoulder on a controversial no-call. Fortunately, the tight end isn’t expected to be shelved for the rest of the regular season and should get some run before the playoffs. ESPN’s Tim McManus tweets that the Eagles haven’t decided whether they’ll place Goedert on IR, so it sounds like there’s some optimism that he could be back at some point over the next four weeks.
The 27-year-old has continued to build off a career year in 2021 that saw him finish with 830 receiving yards. In nine starts this season, Goedert hauled in 43 receptions for 544 yards and three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus currently ranks him fourth at the position, although the site hasn’t been particularly fond of his blocking ability.
Goedert has played the third-most snaps at the position in 2022 (behind Cole Kmet and former teammate Zach Ertz), and the Eagles lack experienced depth behind the starter. Rookie Grant Calcaterra should get some reps at the position, although the sixth-rounder has generally played TE3 behind blocker Jack Stoll. Tyree Jackson, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has been practicing since late October and could eventually be activated.
Eagles To Sign DT Linval Joseph
Linval Joseph will have a chance to see action in a 13th NFL season. The Eagles are signing the veteran defensive tackle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The former Giants, Vikings and Chargers interior defender recently visited the Jets. No signing followed, but the Eagles will provide an opportunity. Philadelphia has struggled against the run in each of its past two games; Joseph stands to provide some help for the 8-1 team on this front.
After playing out his two-year Chargers contract, Joseph has spent the past eight months in free agency. He will join an Eagles team that has devoted significant funds to its defensive line. Philly recently dealt for Robert Quinn, adding the veteran edge rusher to a position group that already featured five veteran contracts (Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Derek Barnett) and first-round pick Jordan Davis. The team has seen Davis’ recent absence hurt its efforts against the run.
Davis suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 8. In the two games without the mammoth D-tackle, the Eagles have respectively given up 168 and 152 rushing yards. Dameon Pierce did not experience much of a blip in his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign against then-unbeaten Philly in Week 9, and the Commanders’ Brian Robinson–Antonio Gibson duo steadily wore down an Eagles defense on the field for much of Monday night’s upset loss. The Commanders’ 49 rush attempts were the most by a non-Eagle or Raven squad over the past five years.
At 34, Joseph should not be considered a candidate for an every-down role. After his two-year Chargers contract expired in March, not much free agency interest came the nose tackle’s way. But he has a lengthy history of being a run-game deterrent. His 330-plus-pound frame, as of 2021 at least, stands to help an Eagles team that has run into staffing issues on run downs recently.
The former Giants draftee broke into their starting lineup in his second season — Big Blue’s fourth Super Bowl-winning campaign — and used his New York tenure as a springboard to sign two nice Minnesota contracts and an L.A. accord. The former second-round pick served as a key cog during the Vikings’ run of top-10 defenses under Mike Zimmer in the late 2010s, working as a nose in Zimmer’s 4-3 scheme.
For his career, Joseph has started 162 games. That is in the top 30 all time for pure defensive tackles. With Cox and Hargrave present, Joseph may not have a chance to move into the top 20. But the Eagles are offering an opportunity for the veteran run defender to contribute for a Super Bowl contender.
In a corresponding move, the Eagles are placing Marlon Tuipulotu on IR, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Tuipulotu has seen more time since Davis went down. The 2021 sixth-round pick has played at least 43% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps over the past three games. But he will be shut down for at least the next four.
Titans Place CB Caleb Farley On IR
Caleb Farley will miss at least the next four weeks. The Titans announced that they have placed the former first-round cornerback on injured reserve.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), Farley suffered a disc injury on Sunday. He’ll undergo more tests to determine the severity of the injury and how much time he’ll ultimately miss. ESPN’s Turron Davenport writes that Farley is feared to have suffered a herniated disk, an injury that would likely require surgery and knock him out for the rest of the 2022 campaign.
It was thanks in part to a back injury that Farley fell down the draft board to the Titans during the 2021 draft. Farley got into six games as a rookie before suffering a torn ACL, and while there was hope that he’d return as a starter in 2022, that hadn’t been the case through the first half of the season. The 24-year-old has started only one of his nine appearances, collecting 10 tackles. Prior to his injury, he hadn’t played a defensive snap since Week 5.
The Titans made a handful of additional moves on Tuesday. The team promoted linebacker Joe Schobert and defensive lineman Larrell Murchison from the practice squad. Schobert has seen time in three games for Tennessee this season, compiling nine tackles and one forced fumble. The former Pro Bowler has seven seasons of his experience, including an 112-tackle campaign in 2021. Murchison, a Titans fifth-round pick in 2020, has collected one tackle in three games this season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Michael Dogbe
- Released: OL Sage Doxtater, LB Blake Lynch
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Devon Key
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB T.J. Carrie
- Released: S Kenny Robinson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Isaac Rochell
- Released: WR Cyril Grayson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Antonio Callaway, C Brock Hoffman
- Released: DE Mika Tafua
- Placed on IR: C Alec Lindstrom
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Victor Bolden Jr.
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB AJ Parker
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE Tim Ward
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Alex Bachman, S Will Redmond
- Released: WR Michael Young
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
- Released: TE Darrell Daniels
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Malcolm Brown
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Parry Nickerson
New England Patriots
- Released: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New Orleans Saints
- Released: RB Derrick Gore, RB Jordan Howard
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Vernon Butler, OL Devery Hamilton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: WR Auden Tate
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Hamilcar Rashed
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Jacob Eason, WR Dazz Newsome
- Released: QB Kurt Benkert
- Placed on IR: WR Tajae Sharpe
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Davontae Harris, K Josh Lambo, DB Greg Mabin, LB Andre Smith
- Released: DB Shyheim Carter, OL Eric Smith
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/22
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: OL Rashaad Coward
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DE Kingsley Jonathan
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Dolphins practice squad: DT Ben Stille
- Waived: DT Roderick Perry II
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to active roster: RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Waived: CB Isaac Yiadom
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated off PUP: CB Tre Brown