Bears Place S Eddie Jackson, WR Darnell Mooney On IR
Having already traded away two accomplished veterans on defense before the deadline, the Bears will go the rest of the way without their other defensive Pro Bowler.
The foot injury Eddie Jackson suffered against the Jets in Week 12 led the team to move him to IR, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets the veteran safety is expected to miss the rest of the season. It is a Lisfranc injury, according to Rapoport and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The Bears also moved Darnell Mooney to IR. The third-year wide receiver had already been ruled out for the season’s remainder.
A fourth-round pick in 2017, Jackson is the longest-tenured Bears defensive starter. After the trade of Roquan Smith, he holds that distinction by a considerable margin. Jackson, whom the Bears extended immediately once be became eligible for a deal in January 2020, has lined up as a starter in all 88 games he has played — dating back to Week 1 of his rookie year. This will be the former Pro Bowler’s longest absence as a pro.
After giving Jackson his worst grade as a pro in 2021, Pro Football Focus viewed this as a bounce-back season. Jackson’s four interceptions lead the Bears — he is the only defender still with the team to have picked off more than one pass this season — and represent his highest INT total since his 2018 All-Pro campaign. Jackson has also forced two fumbles and registered 80 tackles.
The Bears already faced the Jets shorthanded in the secondary, with rookie starters Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon missing what turned out to be another Mike White showcase event. Chicago, which traded Robert Quinn days before unloading Smith, has allowed at least 27 points in each of its past five games. Jackson’s absence will certainly make matters more difficult for a team barreling toward a top-five draft choice in 2023. The Bears have not picked in the top five since trading up for Mitch Trubisky in 2017.
Jackson’s four-year, $58.6MM extension calls for a nonguaranteed $13MM base salary in 2023. While the Bears stripped away every other piece from their Vic Fangio– and Chuck Pagano-era defenses this year, Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes all signs point to Jackson sticking around next season (subscription required). Jackson will turn 29 next week.
Patriots, LB Jahlani Tavai Agree To Extension
The Patriots have taken care of business early with one of their pending free agents. The team has reached agreement on a two-year, $4.4MM extension with linebacker Jahlani Tavai (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). The deal includes an $850K signing bonus, Yates’ colleague Mike Reiss tweets. 
A second-round pick of the Lions in 2019, Tavai started 16 of 31 games in Detroit to begin his career. Over that two-year span, he totaled 168 tackles and 3.5 sacks, but failed to live up to his draft stock. The Lions attempted to trade him in the lead-in to the 2021 campaign, but were unable to find a willing suitor. They made him one of their final roster cuts, marking another disappointing end to a recent high draft pick for the team.
The Hawaii product immediately found himself on New England’s practice squad, giving him a change of scenery which has allowed him to take a step forward in his career. Tavai played primarily on special teams in 2021, something which has continued this year He has taken on a significant defensive role as well, however, with seven starts and a 52% snap share on defense. The 26-year-old has racked up 38 stops and 1.5 sacks in his hybrid role, earning a career-best PFF grade of 71.8 in the process.
That made him a logical extension candidate with his rookie contract set to expire at the end of the season. This deal will keep him on the books through 2024, allowing him to continue to play a notable part at the second level of the Patriots’ defense. That unit has seen plenty of turnover recently, of course, so some stability will be welcomed on both sides.
New England ranks in the top 10 in several major categories defensively this season, helping lead the team to a 6-5 record and putting them in playoff contention. Tavai will no doubt be a contributor down the stretch for not only the rest of this season, but the short-term future afterwards as he continues to prosper in his second NFL home.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/22
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: WR Andre Baccellia
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return: RB Mike Boone
- Waived: RB Devine Ozigbo
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: TE Nikola Kalinic, LB Forrest Rhyne
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: RB Anthony McFarland Jr., WR Cody White
Boone has been out since Week 7 with an ankle injury; the Broncos have three weeks to activate him. Signed in 2021, Boone has played a third-string role for most of his time in Denver. But Melvin Gordon‘s fumbling problem persisting led to some increased work before the ankle malady. The Broncos have three injury activations remaining.
Bills Designate G Ike Boettger For Return
Tre’Davious White made his long-awaited return from a Thanksgiving 2021 injury, and the Bills are soon set to see how their other player who suffered a major injury late last season looks.
Buffalo designated guard Ike Boettger for return from the reserve/PUP list Monday, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets, opening his three-week practice window. Out since suffering an Achilles tear in Week 16 last season, Boettger must return in that three-week window or be moved to season-ending IR.
Injuries have hit the Bills hard this season, and while the team has been relatively healthy along its offensive line, Boettger’s return would certainly bolster the unit. The former UDFA had been working as a starter in the weeks leading up to his injury last season.
Buffalo has made some changes at guard since Boettger last played. Rodger Saffold and Ryan Bates are now the Bills’ starters, with the team not re-signing Darryl Williams and Jon Feliciano. The Bills matched the Bears’ Bates RFA offer sheet this offseason, traded Cody Ford to the Cardinals and also added Greg Van Roten, who started against the Lions on Thursday.
Boettger, 28, has made 19 starts over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus rates Bates and Saffold outside the top 50 at guard; neither has missed a game this season. Bates has played both guard and center this year, stepping in at center to replace Mitch Morse in Week 12. Morse has since returned to practice.
With Saffold, Bates, Van Roten and Boettger in the fold, the Bills will have some options along their interior O-line. The team has seen injuries decimate its defense, most recently injecting uncertainty into Von Miller‘s situation, but its offense has not encountered as much trouble. Despite the Bills’ high volume of injuries, they are in great shape in terms of activations. They have only used one (White) of their eight allowed injury activations.
49ers Add Janoris Jenkins To Practice Squad
Out of football since the Titans released him in March, Janoris Jenkins will catch on for an 11th NFL season. The 49ers added the veteran cornerback to their practice squad Monday.
A.k.a. “Jackrabbit,” the former second-round pick has bounced around since coming into the league; the 49ers are team No. 5 for the longtime starter. The 49ers will release cornerback Ka’dar Hollman from their practice squad to clear a space, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
Jenkins, 34, will become the league’s oldest active cornerback. He has 138 career starts and 27 interceptions on his resume. The former Rams, Giants, Saints and Titans cover man’s eight pick-sixes are tied for eighth in NFL history. His most recent defensive TD came with the Saints in 2020.
Both New Orleans and Tennessee made Jenkins a cap casualty over the past two years. The Titans gave Jenkins a two-year, $15MM deal in March 2021 and used him as a full-time player in a retooled secondary. The former Florida recruit-turned-Division II standout started 13 games and played 93% of the Titans’ defensive snaps, starting in the team’s playoff game.
While it is interesting a player with Jenkins’ accomplishments is settling for a practice squad deal, the league’s expanded P-squads during the 2020s have opened the door to many similar agreements. The 49ers lost starter Emmanuel Moseley for the season and saw Jason Verrett go down with another major injury not long after. While San Francisco’s defense (zero second-half points allowed over the past four games) is getting by fine without these veterans, Jenkins stands to provide some experience and insurance down the stretch.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/28/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Myron Cunningham
- Placed on IR: T Will Holden
- Released: WR Chester Rogers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Bryan Edwards, RB Melvin Gordon (story)
- Released: LB Azur Kamara
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from practice squad IR: WR Freddie Swain
- Signed: T Kendall Lamm
- Released: OL Grant Hermanns, WR Calvin Jackson
Ravens Open Practice Window For RB J.K. Dobbins
The Ravens are reeling from another blown fourth quarter lead, but the AFC North leaders are receiving good news on the health front. Head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that running back J.K. Dobbins will return to practice this week, meaning his three-week IR return window is open. 
Dobbins missed the entire 2021 campaign with a major knee injury, and Baltimore remained cautious in bringing him back. He made his 2022 debut in Week 3, but only suited up for four games. Logging less of a workload than many would have expected, the 23-year-old saw double-digit carries in just one of those contests, however. He underwent knee surgery in October, a procedure which landed him on IR.
That led to concerns about a new injury, but the Ohio State product clarified that the latest surgery was actually a cleanup procedure stemming from the first one. He and the team aimed for the extra time off to allow him to recover in full in advance of the stretch run and postseason, where he will no doubt be a contributor on offense.
As a rookie, Dobbins posted 805 rushing yards and nine touchdowns despite not taking on the starter’s role until midseason. His 6.0 yards per carry led to considerable optimism for the tandem formed between he and veteran Gus Edwards, but he too missed all of 2021. The latter has also been limited to just three games this season as a result to a conservative return from his knee injury, as well as a hamstring ailment suffered in Week 8. The next time both Dobbins and Edwards are on the field together will be the first since the 2020 postseason, though the Ravens have still been successful on the ground this year, averaging 163 rushing yards per game (in no small part due to quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s production).
Dobbins will now join safety Marcus Williams in being designated for return. He has three weeks to be activated, or become ineligible to return this season. Baltimore will have two of their eight activations remaining assuming the pair are brought back in the near future, as the team looks to maintain its division lead.
Chiefs To Sign RB Melvin Gordon To Practice Squad
Melvin Gordon has found his next NFL home, and it will allow him to remain in the AFC West. The veteran running back is joining the Chiefs on their practice squad, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Gordon himself has confirmed the move. 
Gordon was waived last week, ending his tenure in Denver on a low note. The 29-year-old’s production had fallen off notably compared to his first two campaigns in the Mile High City, and five lost fumbles made for a significant talking point. As the Broncos’ offense continued to search for answers in the backfield, the two sides parted ways, allowing him to catch on elsewhere to finish the season.
Gordon indicated not long after he went unclaimed that there were multiple teams, including playoff contenders, which were showing interest in him. The AFC-leading Chiefs would certainly qualify as such, with a 9-2 record and the league’s top scoring and total offense. Much of their production has come through the air, however, with the team’s ground game ranking only 19th in the league with an average of 115 yards per game.
Kansas City is also thin in the backfield at the moment with Clyde Edwards-Helaire being placed on IR due to a high ankle sprain. That has cleared the way for the team’s leading rusher, rookie Isiah Pacheco, to continue operating as the lead back. Gordon could provide veteran insurance behind him if, as expected, he finds himself on the active roster soon.
Denver and Kansas City have yet to play each other this season, so Gordon could have two opportunities (in Weeks 14 and 17) to suit up against his former team in much the same way he did as a Bronco against his original employer, the Chargers. How much of a role he has on his third AFC West club could be worth watching as the Chiefs look to go on another deep postseason run.
Giants Designate Ben Bredeson, Azeez Ojulari, Tony Jefferson For Return
The Giants were one of the surprise stories of the NFL during the early portion of the season, but the team has become increasingly hampered by injuries on both sides of the ball lately. New York will soon be receiving reinforcements, however, as the team has designated three players for return from IR. 
Left guard Ben Bredeson is among the trio, something which will soon give the Giants another starting option up front. The former fourth-rounder was not projected to be a first-teamer to begin the campaign, but an injury to Shane Lemieux changed those plans. Bredeson played in a rotation with rookie Joshua Ezeudu through the first two games of the season, but then operated as a full-time starter before landing on IR last month. His return may not need to be rushed, given the fact that Lemieux has since been activated.
Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari could provide the Giants with depth at the position if he is able to remain healthy. The 2021 second-rounder impressed as a rookie with a team-leading eight sacks, but has hardly played this year. Ojulari spent time on the NFI list in the summer due to a calf injury, but was not placed on IR right away with the team hoping he could suit up at some point in September. That was the case, as the Georgia product played in Weeks 3 and 4, but a reaggravation of the previous ailment has kept him sidelined ever since. If he can regain his form from last season and serve as a bookend to rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York’s pass rush could receive a considerable boost.
Lastly, veteran safety Tony Jefferson‘s practice window has been opened. The 30-year-old has only played three games in 2022, after following Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale from Baltimore to the Big Apple. The Giants are dealing with starter Xavier McKinney currently on the shelf due to an ATV accident earlier this month. That could leave defensive snaps available for Jefferson upon his return, especially if the team opts to use more three-safety packages amidst their injuries at cornerback.
Each player now has a three-week time period within which they must be activated to be eligible to play again in 2022. If all three are brought back, the Giants will have used up each of their remaining activations for the season, but they will also have at least rotational contributors in place for the stretch run.
Deshaun Watson Reinstated, Cleared For Browns Debut
1:37pm: The Browns have officially added Watson to their active roster, per a team announcement. To make room, Joshua Dobbs was waived, though Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that the Browns have expressed an interest in keeping him in the fold on their practice squad should he go unclaimed.
10:00am: During the first 12 weeks of the season, the dominant storyline relating to the Browns has not been the team’s play on the field, but rather the status of their long-term starting quarterback. Deshaun Watson has complied with all conditions of his suspension and now, as expected, has been officially reinstated by the NFL (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). 
The news clears the way for Watson to make his Browns debut this Sunday, in what will be his first game action since the end of the 2020 regular season. Cleveland’s next opponent – Houston – was the location of the first five years of the former first-rounder’s career, although he didn’t see the field in 2021 amidst his ongoing trade request.
The Texans were unable to make good on that until Watson’s legal situation became clearer. The 27-year-old was not charged with a criminal offense in the wake of dozens of sexual misconduct and sexual assault allegations, leading to a bidding war to acquire him via a trade and sizable extension. The Browns eventually won out, sending a trade package including three first-round picks to the Texans, and signing Watson to a five-year, $230MM deal which is fully guaranteed.
The fact that that move came with civil suits pending – all but one of which, with respect to those in place at the time of Watson’s acquisition, have since been settled – made it one of the most controversial in NFL history. A six-game suspension was initially handed down following a lengthy league investigation and arbitration procedure, but that was met with widespread criticism. The NFL and NFLPA later agreed to an 11-game ban which was coupled with a $5MM fine and mandatory counseling.
Per the terms of that agreement, Watson’s involvement in team activities was restricted to begin the year. It was two weeks ago that he was permitted to practice in full for the first time, which he did. That left the Browns in a situation where splitting first-team reps between he and bridge starter Jacoby Brissett became necessary.
The latter has guided Cleveland to a 4-7 record, though regardless of the team’s success, Watson was always expected to take the field immediately. With the door slightly ajar for a run to an AFC Wild Card spot, the maligned passer will take the field as Cleveland’s No. 1 for the stretch run, beginning in Week 13.