Latest On WFT’s Logan Thomas
Logan Thomas‘ knee injury might not be so bad after all. “The MRI results came back [and] were better than we anticipated,” head coach Ron Rivera told reporters during his Monday afternoon press conference (Twitter link). 
“Obviously, there is some damage there,” Rivera continued. “It’s not as extensive as first thought. So, we’re sending for a few more tests just to make sure and we’ll go from there. So we’re still waiting on a little be more of an evaluation, but it is a little bit more positive than first anticipated.”
That’s a big step up from what we heard on Sunday — Thomas was initially believed to have suffered a torn ACL. A partial tear of a less critical ligament, like an MCL, could allow Thomas to return later this year.
The Washington Football Team advanced to 6-6 on the year with yesterday’s win over the Raiders. They now have a 51% chance of making the playoffs, according to Five Thirty Eight. If they keep trending in the right direction, Thomas could come back in time for the final stretch. On the flip side, if Washington slips in the coming weeks, they’ll probably shelve him the rest of the way.
In his six games this year, Thomas has 18 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns. No matter the outcome of his remaining tests, it’s safe to say that he’ll be held out of this week’s contest against the Cowboys.
WFT’s Logan Thomas Done For Year?
The Washington Football Team believes that Logan Thomas has suffered a torn ACL (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Further testing will likely confirm the news, shutting the tight end down for the rest of the year. 
[RELATED: WFT Adds FB Alex Armah To Practice Squad]
It’s been a trying year for Thomas, who just returned from a hamstring injury last week. In his six of 12 possible games this season, Thomas has caught 18 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns. That’s hardly the encore he expected after his career year in 2020 — 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Washington is still without No. 2 TE Ricky Seals-Jones. Seals-Jones saw the bulk of Washington’s TE targets after Thomas’ hammy injury, tallying 23 grabs for 230 yards and two scores across nine games. However, he’s been out since Week 10 thanks to a lingering hip issue. That leaves WFT with Sammis Reyes and fourth-round pick John Bates as their only healthy options.
In addition to the ACL, Thomas “likely” tore his MCL as well, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That could further complicate Thomas’ rehab and prevent him from joining the team for early offseason workouts.
WFT Adds FB Alex Armah To Practice Squad
Alex Armah has found a new gig. The fullback is signing with Washington Football Team, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The veteran will first join the practice squad before inevitably earning a promotion to the active roster.
The move reunites Armah with head coach Ron Rivera, who was responsible for the Panthers drafting the fullback in the sixth round of the 2017 draft. Armah spent the first four seasons of his career in Carolina, seeing time in 57 games (four starts).
He joined the Saints this past offseason and ended up getting into nine games (two starts), collecting 22 yards and one touchdown on six touches. New Orleans ultimately decided to move on from the 27-year-old earlier this week.
WFT doesn’t technically have a fullback on their roster or practice squad. The team is likely adding Armah due to his blocking ability and familiarity with offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s offense. Antonio Gibson should still get the bulk of the snaps at RB, but J.D. McKissic has been sidelined all week while he’s recovering from a concussion. Jaret Patterson and Wendell Smallwood could see backup snaps, but Armah could find himself on the field in passing situations.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/2/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: S Tyler Coyle
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: LB Christian Kirksey
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Dalvin Tomlinson
New England Patriots
- Designated for return: LB Harvey Langi
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: T Caleb Benenoch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Robert Spillane
Washington Football Team
- Activated off IR: CB Darryl Roberts
WFT To Place CB Benjamin St-Juste On IR
Washington rookie Benjamin St-Juste has run into a somewhat concerning situation during the second half of his rookie season. Ron Rivera said the third-round pick is back in Washington’s concussion protocol, marking the third time he has landed there this year.
St-Juste will be placed on IR, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (on Twitter). This will sideline the Big Ten product until at least Week 16. St-Juste also missed Week 4 due to a concussion. Washington will give the rookie more time off, cutting into its cornerback depth.
A Montreal native who played at Michigan and Minnesota, St-Juste went off the board to Washington with the No. 74 overall pick. The 6-foot-3 cornerback has seen full-time duty in a few games this year, starting from Weeks 6-8. Pro Football Focus has not been bullish on St-Juste’s performance, ranking him among the bottom 10 corners this season. Washington had used him in a special teams role over the past three weeks.
St-Juste has still played 55% of Washington’s defensive snaps this season. Though St-Juste did not start to open the season, Washington worked him in frequently before using him as a starter in Week 6. Former UDFA Danny Johnson has seen increased run alongside Kendall Fuller and William Jackson in recent weeks, however.
Washington To Sign K Brian Johnson
The Washington Football Team is moving on to its fourth kicker of the season. In the wake of Joey Slye‘s injury, Washington has agreed to sign kicker Brian Johnson off the Bears’ practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
[RELATED: Washington K Joey Slye To Miss Time]
Johnson, a Virginia Tech alum, actually succeeded Slye as the Hokies’ kicker. He kept that job from 2018 through 2020 and sank 20 of his 26 field goals as a senior. After graduation, he hooked on with the Bears’ taxi squad, before being plucked by the Saints in October.
Johnson went on to make all eight of his field goals across four games. Unfortunately, he also bricked three point-after attempts across his last two games in New Orleans, including a pair that cost them a win over the Titans. The Saints moved on to Brett Maher, but Johnson will have a chance at redemption in D.C. He’ll try to match Slye’s mostly solid work in Washington — 6-of-6 on FGs with only one missed/blocked XP.
Washington K Joey Slye To Miss Time
Washington kicker Joey Slye will be out for at least three weeks, according to head coach Ron Rivera (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). It’s not yet official, but Slye will “more than likely” land on the injured reserve list given the timeframe for recovery.
Slye injured his left leg last night while chasing down Seahawks defensive lineman Rasheem Green. As Green took his blocked XP back for two points, Slye slipped, fell, and had to be taken out of the game. After that, Washington had punter Tress Way handle kickoffs, but they opted against going for any field goals.
Slye signed with D.C. in November 9th to serve as their third kicker of the season. Since then, he’s nailed all six of his field goals while going 5-of-6 on extra point tries (he can thank Green for the lone blemish). Slye may be able to return by Week 17 but, in the interim, Washington will have to evaluate outside options.
On the plus side, running back J.D. McKissic is “all good” after his neck injury, according to agent Doug Hendrickson (on Twitter). They’ll hope for similar news on center/guard Wes Schweitzer, who was forced out of last night’s game with an ankle injury.
WFT To Activate Logan Thomas, Curtis Samuel
Washington will have two of their best offensive players in action tonight. Both tight end Logan Thomas and wide receiver Curtis Samuel have been cleared to play against the Seahawks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).
The WFT opened Thomas’ practice window last week by designating him for return. Before that, he spent six weeks on IR with a hamstring injury. Through his four games this year, Thomas has tallied 12 catches for 117 yards and two scores. After his career year in 2020 — 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns — there should be plenty more where that came from. Still, as head coach Ron Rivera has said, both he and Samuel will be on a pitch count against Seattle.
Samuel joined Washington on a three-year deal worth up to $35.25MM with $24.5MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, he’s been limited to just two games so far this year. Like Thomas, he’s also coming off of a career year with 1,051 yards from scrimmage, five touchdowns, and one heck of a highlight reel.
Washington enters tonight’s game at 4-6, enough for a ~34% chance of making the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight. With a win, they can inch a little closer to the Cowboys and improve their chances to about 46%.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/21
Today’s minor moves:
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: OL Phil Haynes
- Placed on IR: CB Tre Brown, OT Jamarco Jones
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: C Jon Toth
- Placed on IR: T Sam Cosmi
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/26/21
Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the league:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Nate Orchard
- Released: RB Kerrith Whyte
Minnesota Vikings
- Reinstated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jake Bargas
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Niles Scott
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB KeiVarae Russell
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: QB DeShone Kizer
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Austin Fort
Washington Football Team
- Released: C Tyler Gauthier