NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE David Wells, P Ryan Winslow
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: OT Adrian Ealy
- Placed on COVID-19 list: QB Chris Streveler
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on COVID-19 list: DE Austin Larkin
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Ledarius Mack
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on COVID-19 list: RB JaQuan Hardy
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Damarea Crockett
- Placed on COVID-19 list: OT Drew Himmelman
- Released: LB Avery Williamson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from COVID-19 list: CB Corey Ballentine, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman
Houston Texans
- Signed: K Dominik Eberle
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: P Johnny Townsend
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DB Tony Brown
- Released: TE Matt Bushman
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from COVID-19 list: G Kyle Hinton
- Placed on COVID-19 list: CB Tye Smith
- Signed: RB A.J. Rose
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Casey Tucker
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Lakiem Williams
Washington Football Team
- Released: QB Jordan Ta’amu
NFL COVID List Updates: 12/23/21
We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on list: DE Marlon Davidson
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on list: TE Josh Oliver
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from list: LB Tyrel Dodson
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on list: OL Dennis Daley, C Pat Elflein
Chicago Bears
- Activated from list: QB Andy Dalton, DE Mario Edwards Jr.
- Placed on list: DT Akiem Hicks
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on list: S Malik Hooker
Denver Broncos
- Placed on list: C Lloyd Cushenberry
Detroit Lions
- Placed on list: WR Trinity Benson
Houston Texans
- Placed on list: OL Justin Britt, OL Tytus Howard, DE Jordan Jenkins, CB Lonnie Johnson, DT Roy Lopez, S Eric Murray
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from list: DE Chris Jones, CB Charvarius Ward
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on list: OL Jermaine Eluemunor, S Roderic Teamer
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from list: S Antoine Brooks, S JuJu Hughes, TE Johnny Mundt
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from list: S Jevon Holland
- Placed on list: FB Cethan Carter, C Greg Mancz, LB Duke Riley
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from list: WR Dan Chisena
New York Giants
- Activated from list: WR Kadarius Toney
New York Jets
- Placed on list: QB Joe Flacco, OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on list: DE Ryan Kerrigan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on list: DE Isaiah Buggs, RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on list: WR Jaelon Darden, DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches
Washington Football Team
- Activated from list: S Darrick Forrest, QB Taylor Heinicke, TE Temarrick Hemingway, LB David Mayo
- Placed on list: G Zack Bailey
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: LB Sam Kamara
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: WR Danny Amendola, DL DeMarcus Walker
New York Jets
- Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: S Kai Nacua
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DE Cameron Malveaux
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: RB Brian Hill, LB Curtis Robinson, S Jarrod Wilson
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return: OL Jamarco Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: WR A.J. Brown (story), DB Chris Jackson
- Promoted: T Christian DiLauro, OL Daniel Munyer, DL Kevin Strong
Washington Football Team
- Designated for return: K Joey Slye
Rams Designate RB Cam Akers For Return
The Rams made an interesting transaction Thursday, putting the wheels in motion for a potential Cam Akers return. Akers, who suffered an Achilles tear in July, is now on the Rams’ designated-to-return list.
Akers has spent the past five months on IR, but Sean McVay said in late October the second-year back had a chance to come back if the Rams made the playoffs. With the team once again on track for the postseason, Akers may be in that equation.
Akers must be activated 21 days from today, or he will revert to season-ending IR. He would need to be moved to the active roster before a Rams wild-card game.
Late-season returns from offseason Achilles tears have happened in the not-so-distant past. Terrell Suggs came back in late October of the 2012 season, after sustaining a tear in early May. Michael Crabtree was out a bit longer in 2013, going down in late May before returning to the 49ers in early December of that season. The Rams are keeping the door open to Akers making a late return.
Los Angeles used Akers as its primary back down the stretch last season. He started both of L.A.’s postseason games as a rookie, rushing for 131 yards in a wild-card win against the Seahawks. The Florida State product also delivered a 171-yard effort in his first start, against the Patriots, late in that regular season. He would be an interesting weapon for the Rams, who added Sony Michel via trade after Akers went down this summer.
The Rams have used Darrell Henderson as their primary back this year, though he has run into injury and COVID-19 issues. Henderson returned Tuesday, but the Rams kept Michel as their lead back. Michel carried 18 times to Henderson’s six in the Rams’ win in Seattle.
Titans Place Rodger Saffold On COVID-19 List, Rule Out Taylor Lewan For Week 16
THURSDAY: Backup left tackle Kendall Lamm also revealed he tested positive (Twitter link via Buck Reising of WGFX), putting the Titans in a bind up front ahead of a matchup with the 49ers’ Nick Bosa-spearheaded defensive line.
WEDNESDAY: The Titans’ two most experienced offensive linemen will miss Thursday night’s game. Rodger Saffold landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, while Tennessee also ruled out Taylor Lewan due to injury.
A 2019 free agent addition, Saffold has been the Titans’ left guard starter in 44 of a possible 47 games over the past three seasons. He practiced fully on Monday and Tuesday but will be scratched for Week 16.
Lewan is down because of a back injury. The Titans’ longtime left tackle did not practice this week. This will be the eighth-year blocker’s third absence this season. Lewan finished last season on IR, missing 11 games. Both blockers have made significant contributions to both Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill‘s success over the past three years.
Missing the left side of their O-line will certainly add to the Titans’ issues on offense. They have been without Henry, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones for most of the past month and change. However, Brown has a chance to come back to face the 49ers on Thursday; the Titans designated him for return from IR earlier this week. Jones, despite leaving another game early because of his recurring hamstring issue, does not have an injury designation and will suit up against San Francisco.
Titans To Activate A.J. Brown For Week 16
Ryan Tannehill will have both his top wide receivers available against the 49ers. A.J. Brown will be activated off IR to rejoin the team for Thursday night’s game, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter).
Out since Week 11 with a chest injury, Brown returned to practice earlier this week. He was on track to return barring a setback. Evidently setback-free during practice, the young pass-catching talent will play tonight.
[RELATED: Derrick Henry On Track For Playoff Return]
The Titans have seen their offensive production crater for much of the season’s second half. They lost Henry in Week 8 and have seen Julio Jones bounce in and out of action because of a nagging hamstring issue. Jones, however, does not have an injury designation going into tonight’s matchup.
After posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his career, Brown has missed four games during his third campaign. Brown, who is less than a month from being eligible for an extension, enters Thursday’s game with 46 receptions for 615 yards and three touchdowns this season. His presence will certainly help a Titans outfit attempting to hold off the Colts, a team they swept with their playmakers available but one that has made up a bit of ground during the stretch without Henry and Brown.
Vikings Move Dalvin Cook To Reserve/COVID-19 List
Another playoff contender will be without a key weapon in Week 16. The Vikings placed Dalvin Cook on their reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.
This will sideline the Pro Bowl running back for Sunday’s game against the Rams, with the door open to a Week 17 absence against the Packers. This news points to Alexander Mattison starting in the backfield. The third-year Cook backup tested positive for the coronavirus last week but was activated Wednesday.
Cook’s virus-list placement adds another Pro Bowler this week, following the likes of Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and J.C. Tretter. While the Chiefs are uncertain about their skill-position stars’ availability, the Vikings are certain to be without Cook. He is unvaccinated, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. That requires a 10-day isolation period, which will keep Cook out of practice ahead of Minnesota’s Week 17 matchup against Green Bay. Cook tested positive, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He is out 10 days.
The Vikings have seen Mattison play well in Cook’s stead during his three-year tenure. They will count on another strong performance in a pivotal matchup. Mattison has two 100-yard rushing games and another 90-yarder in three starts. The former third-round pick is, however, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry; Cook exited Week 15 at 4.7.
Cook is two games removed from a 200-yard performance against the Steelers, and he earned his third straight Pro Bowl nod on Wednesday. The fifth-year standout has gained 1,067 rushing yards, doing so in just 11 games during a season in which he has missed more time due to injury. This virus positive will run Cook’s absence count to four games this year.
J.C. Tretter Tests Positive For COVID-19
The Browns are set to run into more offensive line unavailability because of the coronavirus. J.C. Tretter announced (via Twitter) he turned in a positive COVID-19 test Thursday.
Barring a false positive, this will rule the Pro Bowl snapper out for the Browns’ Christmas Day matchup against the Packers. Tretter’s positive test follows Jedrick Wills and Wyatt Teller also doing so. Teller returned to play against the Raiders after testing positive, but the two-day window here would make Tretter following suit all but impossible.
Wills remains on the Browns’ virus list, but swing man James Hudson is back on the active roster, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes. Cleveland tinkered with its O-line as a result of Wills’ positive, sliding Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio to left tackle. Tretter, however, has not missed a game since signing with the Browns in 2017. The Browns also moved Grant Delpit off their virus list.
Tretter, 30, is also the NFLPA president. He said the union’s push to postpone three games last week — rather than cancel them, a path Tretter indicated the NFL preferred — led to the three Week 15 games being moved rather than players losing out on per-game salaries. His absence Saturday will certainly affect a top-tier Browns O-line in a pivotal game. The Browns’ shorthanded loss Monday dropped them to 7-7; FiveThirtyEight.com gives Cleveland a 15% chance to make the playoffs.
Saints Place Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Saints are the latest team with a virus issue. It may well lead the playoff-contending squad starting a rookie at quarterback Monday night.
New Orleans placed Trevor Siemian on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier Thursday morning, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds that Taysom Hill will also be moved to the virus list (Twitter link). Rookie Ian Book is the next man up. The Notre Dame product is likely to get the call Monday night.
Book would be New Orleans’ fourth QB starter this season, following Jameis Winston, Siemian and Hill. The Saints selected the ex-Fighting Irish standout in the fourth round. This certainly could stall the Saints’ recent momentum. After nearly falling out of the playoff race during a stretch without Alvin Kamara, the Saints have won two straight — including a 9-0 win in Tampa that doubled as Tom Brady‘s first shutout loss in 15 years.
Sean Payton has not been at the facility this week; the 16th-year head coach remains away from the team after testing positive for COVID last week. The Saints chose Book 133rd overall. He started three seasons at Notre Dame, topping out with a 34-touchdown pass season as a junior in 2019.
Book is also the winningest starting QB in Notre Dame history. He stands to be tasked with helping the Saints stay on the No. 7 seed line in the NFC playoff race. The Saints’ win over the Buccaneers moved them to 7-7; FiveThirtyEight.com gives the team a 44% chance to make the playoffs. New Orleans being forced to give the keys to a Day 3 rookie with zero regular-season snaps will impact those odds.
The Saints also added seven more players to their reserve/COVID-19 list. Malcolm Jenkins is among them. Joining the veteran safety are safety Jeff Heath, guard James Carpenter, offensive lineman Jordan Mills, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, D-tackle Christian Ringo and linebacker Kaden Elliss.
Panthers Place K Zane Gonzalez On IR
Zane Gonzalez‘s season has come to an end. The Panthers announced today that they placed the veteran kicker on injured reserve. The IR stint will force Gonzalez to miss at least three games, and with only three games remaining on the schedule, his season has effectively come to an end.
The 26-year-old was signed off the Lions practice squad in September, replacing the likes of Joey Slye and Ryan Santoso. Gonzalez missed a field goal in Week 4, but he’s since made 17-straight, making him 20-for-22 for the season. The veteran also connected on 22 of his 23 extra point tries. Gonzalez will be a free agent this offseason.
Gonzalez suffered a quad injury prior to Sunday’s win over the Bills. Wideout Brandon Zylstra was forced to handle kickoffs, while the team generally went for fourth downs and two-point conversations without a healthy kicker.
The Panthers will temporarily turn to Lirim Hajrullahu, who was signed off the Washington Football Team practice squad today. The 31-year-old made his NFL debut earlier this season. connecting on five extra point tries for the Cowboys. Carolina also added kicker Alex Kessman to the practice squad.