Saints’ Wil Lutz Designated For Return
Wil Lutz has been designated for return from the injured reserve list (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). It’s not clear if he’ll be ready for this week’s game against the Seahawks, but the Saints expect to see him in the next 21 days.
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Lutz has served as New Orleans’ primary kicker since 2016. All in all, he’s made 86.6% of his field goal tries across his five-year career, positioning him as one of the best kickers in the game. He’s also made 253 out of 260 extra point attempts in the elongated XP era. Unfortunately, he aggravated a groin issue in early August, leaving the Saints to scramble. First, they turned to Aldrick Rosas, who went 1-4 on field goal tries. He’s since been replaced by veteran Cody Parkey.
Lutz, 27, is still attached to a five-year, $20.25MM extension he signed in March 2019. He’ll aim to resume his post this week when the Saints face the Seahawks in Seattle.
Packers’ David Bakhtiari To Practice This Week
All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari will practice this week, according to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This will trigger a three-week return window for the lineman now that his ACL is mostly good to go. 
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Bakhtiari, 30, opened the year on the PUP list. He’s served as Green Bay’s starting left tackle ever since his 2013 rookie season and has blossomed into one of the league’s best. Bakhtiari earned first-team All-Pro acclaim twice between 2018-2020 and his absence was clearly felt in the NFC championship game. Bucs edge rushers Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett had a field day with Green Bay’s healthy tackles, underscoring his importance to the offense.
Even though Bakhtiari will practice, LaFleur isn’t sure if he’ll be ready to face the Washington Football Team this week. “There is a ramp up period,” LaFleur cautioned (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers: OT Brandon Knight (from Cowboys)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: G John Molchon
- Released: WR/KR Jaydon Mickens
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Amani Hooker
- Placed on IR: CB Kristian Fulton
Free Agents
- Suspended: OT Jarron Jones
Jones has slapped with a 10-game ban, effective Week 5. The former Steelers offensive lineman previously faced a pair of felony domestic violence charges.
Vikings Place Patrick Peterson On IR
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that Patrick Peterson will be placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Fortunately, it’s not believed to be a season-ender, so the cornerback could return in as little as three weeks, per league rules. 
Peterson joined the Vikes on a one-year, $8MM deal in March, choosing Minnesota over the incumbent Cardinals and other NFC clubs like the Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles. Through six games, the 31-year-old has tallied 13 stops and two passes defensed for his new club.
“I was just frustrated and upset at how [Cardinals] upper management handled the situation,” Peterson said earlier this year. “You tell me one thing, then when it’s time to talk, you turn your shoulder on me like it’s cold shoulder. I’ve been in this league a long time. Thirty years old. Grown man. Talk to me like a grown man, not like a child or your side piece.”
So far, things are going well for P2 in Minnesota. Still, he’ll have to rest up for a while before getting back to business.
Broncos LB Alexander Johnson Done For Year
Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson will miss the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle, per a club announcement. He’ll be placed on injured reserve today, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster. 
The Broncos are already without fellow starting ‘backer Josey Jewell, who also suffered a torn pec. It’s a bad blow to Vic Fangio‘s front seven and especially poor timing for Johnson. The middle linebacker is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the spring, after he wraps his one-year, $3.384MM tender.
Johnson, 30 in December, joined the Broncos in 2018 and found his way to the starting lineup in October of 2019. He immediately improved the team’s run defense and kept his first-string gig throughout 2020. Johnson made 124 tackles and forced two fumbles last season while Pro Football Focus rated the 255-pound defender as a top-25 off-ball linebacker. In his six games this year, Johnson recorded 32 stops, two sacks, and three passes defensed.
Meanwhile, the Broncos also say that wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is unlikely to play on Thursday night when they face the Browns.
Giants Add Benardrick McKinney To P-Squad
The Giants are set to add Benardrick McKinney to the practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). RapSheet hears that the linebacker had interest from multiple teams, but chose the Giants because he saw them as the best fit. 
McKinney was traded from the Texans to the Dolphins this year but didn’t make their final cut. When McKinney was at his best, he formed one of the league’s best run-stuffing tandems with Zach Cunningham. He earned Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and racked up 100+ tackles again in 2019. Last year, however, a shoulder injury limited him to just four games.
The 28-year-old (29 in November) was set to play for about $3MM this year following a restructure. The Giants will have him on call for a fraction of the price, providing insurance for their current group of ‘backers.
The Giants may give McKinney the best path to the field, but they won’t give him a great opportunity to see the postseason. Yesterday’s 38-11 showing against the Rams has dropped them to 1-5 with the Panthers on the horizon.
49ers To Sign Mychal Kendricks
The 49ers are set to sign Mychal Kendricks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal will become official by the end of the business day, pending the linebacker’s physical.
Kendricks spent training camp with the Niners, but they released him before the season due to a toe injury. He’s believed to be healthy now and ready to support SF’s front seven.
The veteran may have some rust to shake off. He’s yet to play in 2021 and his 2020 was limited to just two contests — one regular season game and one playoff game. Before all of that, he started 14 games for the Seahawks in 2019 but missed much of 2018 while dealing with legal matters.
Kendricks, who just turned 31 late last month, offers 91 pro starts and 19 sacks, despite being a career off-ball linebacker. The bulk of his work came with the Eagles, where he amassed 14 of his sacks and ~80% of his career 548 tackles.
Once Kendricks is signed, he’ll be eligible to play in Sunday’s game against the Colts.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Daren Bates
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Benardrick McKinney (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Deon Cain
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
Broncos Designate Jerry Jeudy To Return From IR, Promote John Brown
Jerry Jeudy‘s return from a high ankle sprain will not happen in Week 6, but the second-year wide receiver is on the verge of coming back. The Broncos are designating him for return from IR, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The team now has 21 days to activate Jeudy.
While Jeudy’s recovery process will now involve practice work, the Broncos plan to promote recently signed wide receiver John Brown to their active roster, Klis adds (on Twitter). A free agent since requesting his release from the Raiders in late August, Brown caught on with Denver’s practice squad earlier this week.
Brown would be in line to begin his Broncos career against the Raiders, though Klis adds it is not a certainty the Broncos dress the veteran Sunday. With the eighth-year veteran being called up from the taxi squad, Denver will have that option. The Broncos are also elevating wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland from their P-squad.
Down since his Week 1 injury, Jeudy has a chance to return Thursday against the Browns but would have a better chance of being activated ahead of Denver’s Week 8 game against Washington. The Broncos have been down Jeudy and 2020 second-round pick K.J. Hamler since Week 3, when Hamler suffered a season-ending ACL tear. They have lost each of their games without both of them in the lineup, though Denver did win in Week 2 and Week 3 — over the Jaguars and Jets — when Jeudy sat and Hamler played.
The Broncos’ offense has struggled for much of the past two games, and while Jeudy would represent a likely boost, Brown will step in for the time being. A two-time 1,000-yard receiver, Brown aided Josh Allen‘s development by serving as Buffalo’s No. 1 wideout in 2019. After a productive ’19 season, however, Brown battled injuries in 2020. The Bills released Brown this offseason, signing ex-Bronco Emmanuel Sanders to replace him. Brown, 31, did not make a great impression as a Raider and was cut after the preseason. The speed merchant will have a chance to reignite his career soon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/21
The Week 6 Saturday minor move blitz:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: RB Spencer Brown, G Michael Jordan
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: G Dieter Eiselen, RB Artavis Pierce
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: LB Joe Bachie, RB Trayveon Williams
- Placed on IR: G D’Ante Smith
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DT Sheldon Day, CB Herb Miller, T Alex Taylor
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Connor Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: FB Nick Ralston, TE Jeremy Sprinkle
- Waived: T Brandon Knight
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: CB Mike Ford
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Juwann Winfree
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: WR Nico Collins
- Promoted: QB Jeff Driskel, G Lane Taylor, OL Cole Toner
- Placed on IR: T Laremy Tunsil (story)
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: OL K.C. McDermott, WR Laquon Treadwell, K Matthew Wright
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DE Demone Harris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DL Kendal Vickers
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB Cole Christiansen, DL Breiden Fehoko
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: CB Donte Deayon
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: TE Luke Stocker
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Isaiah Wynn
- Promoted: OL James Ferentz
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Cam Brown
- Promoted: T Korey Cunningham, WR Dante Pettis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: T Zach Banner
- Placed on IR: J.J. Smith-Schuster (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Brown, C Ethan Pocic
- Promoted: WR Phillip Dorsett, QB Jake Luton
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, T David Steinmetz