Tag: NFI list

Lions activate Hendon Hooker from the NFI list

Lions activate rookie QB Hendon Hooker from the NFI list and waive kicker Riley Patterson

The long road back to being on the football field has finally arrived at the desired endpoint for Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker. Detroit activated the rookie from the non-football injury (NFI) list on Tuesday.

Hooker had been designated to return nearly three weeks ago, and that activation came with one day left on the 21-day clock. Hooker has been recovering from a torn ACL suffered over a year ago while he was playing collegiately at Tennessee. He will be Detroit’s No. 3 quarterback behind Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater.

Activating Hooker allows him to be a full participant in practices and to be actively coached, neither of which were permitted while he was on the reserve list.

To make room on the roster, the Lions waived kicker Riley Patterson. He had lost the kicking gig to Michael Badgley.

Lions have started QB Hendon Hooker’s window for activation

Lions have started QB Hendon Hooker’s window for activation

Hendon Hooker is on the clock to get back on the field. The Lions formally opened the activation window for the rookie quarterback to join the active roster.

The Lions now have 21 days to either activate Hooker from the non-football injury list or keep him on the shelf for the remainder of the season. Hooker is returning from a torn ACL, which he suffered while at Tennessee in November of 2022.

The third-round pick has not been able to practice with the team while on the NFI list. As head coach Dan Campbell indicated earlier this week, the idea of getting actual practice reps is very appealing to the Lions.

OG Chris Reed expected to stay on NFI list, miss first 4 games

We seem to have clarity on the status of Reed moving forward

Offensive lineman Chris Reed hasn’t practiced since the beginning of training camp due to injury. He was placed on the non-football injury list to start training camp. According to The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Reed is expected to stay on the non-football injury list and miss the first four games of the season.

This appeared to be the pathway for Reed because he hadn’t practiced all of training camp and that direction was made even more clear when it was reported that he restructured his contract recently.

Reed was scheduled to have a base of $1.4 million with $600k guaranteed. The restructure dropped his base salary down to $1.165 million but that is now fully guaranteed.

With the Vikings keeping Reed on the NFI list, the offensive line will have another open spot on the 53-man roster.

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Packers place LB Tariq Carpenter, S Tarvarius Moore on non-football injury list

The Packers placed Tariq Carpenter and Tarvarius Moore on the non-football injury list to open training camp.

The Green Bay Packers placed linebacker Tariq Carpenter and safety Tarvarius Moore on the non-football injury (NFI) list to open training camp, according to the league’s transaction report.

Veterans reported to camp on Tuesday. The first training camp practice is scheduled for Wednesday.

Carpenter and Moore join rookies Grant DuBose and Camren McDonald on the NFI list. Rashan Gary, Eric Stokes and Jeff Cotton were placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Carpenter, a 2022 seventh-round pick, is making the transition to full-time linebacker entering Year 2. Moore, who was once a starter at safety for the 49ers, signed with the Packers in March. Both could be key special teamers for Rich Bisaccia.

Coach Matt LaFleur may be able to provide more information on the return timeline of the two players on Wednesday. Carpenter and Moore were both participants during the offseason workout program.

Although both have a strong chance of making the roster, neither Carpenter nor Moore can afford to miss too many reps during camp. Carpenter is a core special teamer but is now changing positions, while Moore is attempting to win a starting job at safety.

Players placed on the NFI list still count against the 90-man roster but can come off the list at any point. The “non-football injury” designation is used for injuries sustained away from NFL practices or games.

Veteran WR Marvin Jones will start camp on the NFI list

The Lions place veteran WR Marvin Jones on NFI list to start training camp

In a surprising development, the Detroit Lions have placed wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. on the non-football injury list to start training camp.

It’s surprising because Jones was an active participant in the June minicamp and showed no signs of any injury. The NFI designation indicates Jones suffered some sort of limiting ailment outside of formal football work after the minicamp.

Jones returned to Detroit this offseason after spending two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was previously in Detroit from 2016-2020. The wily veteran is expected to add some downfield threat to the offense as well as serving as a mentor to the young WR corps.

Packers rookies Grant DuBose, Camren McDonald open training camp on NFI list

A pair of Packers rookies are opening training camp on the non-football injury list.

Seventh-round pick Grant DuBose and undrafted free agent Camren McDonald will both begin training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list for the Green Bay Packers.

The pair were part of a six-player transaction for the Packers on Friday, the first day of camp reporting for rookies, injured players and quarterbacks. Rashan Gary, Eric Stokes, Jake Hanson and Jeff Cotton were placed on the physically unable to participate (PUP) list, while DuBose and McDonald landed on the NFI list.

DuBose, a receiver from Charlotte, and McDonald, a tight end from Florida State, both suffered injuries away from an NFL practice and were eligible for placement on the non-football injury list. Both rookies remain on the 90-man roster and can be activated at any time.

The Packers made DuBose the 256th overall pick. He missed the entire offseason workout program with an unspecified injury. McDonald suffered an injury while working out during Florida State’s pro day, although it’s uncertain if that issue is the one kepeing him out of action now.

DuBose will attempt to make the roster as a backup wide receiver. McDonald fits the profile of a move tight end in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

Any missed time for the rookies, especially after the injuries affected the offseason workout program, will impact their ability to make the 53-man roster during training camp.

Hendon Hooker among 3 Lions placed on the NFI list to start camp

Rookie QB Hendon Hooker among 3 Lions placed on the NFI list to start training camp

The Detroit Lions made some procedural roster moves to start the 2023 training camp. Three players were placed on the non-football injury list.

The most notable player hitting the active NFI list is third-round rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker. He is still recovering from knee surgery that Hooker had at the end of his college career at Tennessee.

Hooker is joined by tight end Derrick Deese Jr. and defensive lineman Zach Morton. Deese was healthy enough to participate in the recent minicamp, so something came up between those OTAs in June and now.

The players are eligible to be activated from the list at any time during the offseason. The NFI list is for players dealing with injuries that occurred outside the NFL. Even though Hooker’s injury happened while playing football, he wasn’t yet in the NFL so it qualifies as a non-football injury instead of the physically unable to perform, or PUP list.

Jameson Williams will not be designated to return before the Lions bye in Week 6

Rookie WR Jameson Williams will not be designated to return before the Lions bye in Week 6

The late great Tom Petty was correct. The waiting is the hardest part.

Unfortunately, the Detroit Lions will have to wait just a little longer to see first-round wide receiver Jameson Williams take the field. Williams is close to returning, but head coach Dan Campbell closed the door on designating Williams for return from the non-football injury list until at least after the team’s bye in Week 6.

“it’s really picking up in a good way,” Campbell said of Williams’ recovery from January knee surgery. However, the Lions aren’t in any hurry to speed up the process with their prized rookie weapon.

Teams can designate players to return from the reserve/NFI list, the same as the PUP list. The designation starts a three-week clock to either activate the player or see them placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Detroit won’t start Williams’ clock to return until after the bye in Week 6.

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Lions can now activate players off PUP and IR lists

Six players are eligible to be activated, though fans shouldn’t expect them all this week

The NFL season is now through Week 4 with the exception of Monday Night Football. For the Detroit Lions, completing the fourth game of the season carries a little extra importance.

Now that four games are in the books, the Lions have several players who are finally eligible to come off various injury lists. Players who were placed on the reserve/PUP list before the season, as well as those placed on injured reserve before Week 1, can be activated.

For Detroit, it’s a meaty list:

  • FB Jason Cabinda (PUP)
  • CB Jerry Jacobs (PUP)
  • DL Levi Onwuzurike (IR)
  • DE Romeo Okwara (PUP)
  • Josh Paschal (PUP)
  • WR Jameson Williams (NFI)

Jacobs has already been cleared to practice, making him the most likely candidate to return for Week 5. Based on conversations with team sources, Jacobs is likely the only player who fans could realistically expect to see before the Week 6 bye. Staying on the reserve lists through the bye gets the players two more weeks of rehabilitation for their various injuries.

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Predicting the 1st roster cutdown for the Lions

All NFL teams have to cut to 85 players by Tuesday afternoon, but the Lions might not have to make any moves at all

All NFL teams have to cut down from 90 players to a maximum of 85 before Tuesday, August 16th at 4 p.m. ET. For the Detroit Lions, the impending cutdown could be anticlimactic.

The Lions currently have five players who are on either the physically unable to perform (PUP) or non-football injury (NFI) lists. Those players count against the 90-man roster even though they’re not actively cleared to practice or play.

The quintet:

  • WR Jameson Williams (NFI)
  • FB Jason Cabinda (PUP)
  • CB Jerry Jacobs (PUP)
  • DE Romeo Okwara (PUP)
  • DL Josh Paschal (PUP)

The Lions don’t have to make any decision on those five players until August 23rd. That’s the day when rosters must be trimmed down to 80 from 85, and it’s also the point where something needs to happen to players on the PUP or NFI.

From the league’s handbook for 2022:

Simultaneously with the roster reduction to 80 players, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness may select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; terminate or request waivers with the designation of Failed Physical or Non- Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness List.

In short, the Lions won’t have to cut anyone by Tuesday afternoon if they don’t want to. Not releasing anyone would be a good sign that none of the five listed players are going to play in the second preseason game in Indianapolis.

However, the Lions do have some walking wounded players who are not on the lists. If players like DT Levi Onwuzurike, WR Quintez Cephus, S Ifeatu Melifonwu and WR Josh Johnson — all missed every practice last week as well as the Falcons game — aren’t apt to be ready for the week in Indianapolis, the Lions could choose to make a move for depth purposes. Johnson, an undrafted rookie from Tulsa, is the only player here who is in any immediate roster jeopardy.

Should the Lions opt to trim someone off the active roster, my top five candidates in order: TE Nolan Givan, OL Logan Stenberg, OT Obinna Eze, TE Derrick Deese Jr. and Johnson. I don’t see head coach Dan Campbell ending the kicking competition just yet.

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