Injured Reserve Return Tracker

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations beginning in Week 5 will be added to this list.

Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 10:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return:

• RT Jonah Williams (Oct. 30)

Eligible for activation:

• CB Elijah Jones

Activated:

• OL Christian Jones (Week 8)
• DL Darius Robinson (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 6

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return from IR (August 27): 

• S DeMarcco Hellams (story)

Designated for return: 

• C Drew Dalman (Oct. 30)

Activated:

• LB Nathan Landman (Week 6)

Activations remaining: 6

Baltimore Ravens

Activated: 

• RB Rasheen Ali (Week 7)
• CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (Week 8)
• CB Arthur Maulet (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 5

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• RB Darrynton Evans (player released Oct. 29)
• LB Matt Milano (story)

Eligible for activation:

• OL Tylan Grable

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Designated for return from IR:

• S Jordan Fuller (Oct. 23)
• WR Adam Thielen (Oct. 23)

Activated:

• RB Jonathon Brooks (Week 10)
• DT Jaden Crumedy (Week 10)
• S Sam Franklin (Week 8)
• CB Dane Jackson (Week 7)
• TE Ian Thomas (Week 6)

Activations remaining: 3

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

• TE Stephen Carlson
• LS Patrick Scales (story)

Activated:

• OL Ryan Bates (Week 10)
• OL Larry Borom (Week 9)
• RB Travis Homer (Week 8)
• DE Jacob Martin (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 4

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated: 

• DT McKinnley Jackson (Week 5)
• DE Myles Murphy (Week 5)
• P Brad Robbins (Week 5)

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Reverted to season-ending IR:

• RB Nyheim Hines (story)

Eligible for activation:

• WR David Bell
• LB Tony Fields
• CB Myles Harden

Activated:

• LB Mohamoud Diabate (Week 6)
• G Michael Dunn (Week 6)
• DT Maurice Hurst (Week 6)
• G Wyatt Teller (Week 8)
• S Juan Thornhill (Week 7)

Activations remaining: 2

Dallas Cowboys

Eligible for activation:

• WR Brandin Cooks (story)
• OL Chuma Edoga (story)
• DE DeMarcus Lawrence (story)

Activated:

• CB DaRon Bland (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 7

Denver Broncos

Designated for return:

• S Delarrin Turner-Yell (Oct. 30)

Eligible for activation:

• RB Tyler Badie (story)
• WR Josh Reynolds (story)

Activated: 

• OLB Baron Browning (Week 7)
• RB Audric Estime (Week 6)
• CB Damarri Mathis (Week 7)
• T Mike McGlinchey (Week 7)
• C Luke Wattenberg (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 3

Detroit Lions

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• DL Brodric Martin (practice window opened Oct. 30)

Eligible for activation:

• ILB Derrick Barnes (could miss rest of season)
• DL John Cominsky (late-season return in play)
• S Ifeatu Melifonwu (story)
• CB Emmanuel Moseley (story)

Activations remaining: 7

Green Bay Packers

Eligible for activation:

• RB MarShawn Lloyd

Activated: 

• DL Jonathan Ford (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 7

Houston Texans

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• LB Christian Harris

Designated for return:

• CB Jeff Okudah (Nov. 4)

Eligible for activation:

• RB British Brooks

Activated:

• WR Nico Collins (Week 10)
• DT Kurt Hinish (Week 7)
• DE Dylan Horton (Week 5)
• DE Jerry Hughes (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 3

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• DE Samson Ebukam (story)

Eligible for activation:

• DL Tyquan Lewis (story)

Activated:

• DT DeForest Buckner (Week 8)
• LB Cameron McGrone (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• RB Keilan Robinson

Activated: 

• CB Tyson Campbell (Week 7)
• WR Devin Duvernay (Week 10)
• LB Foye Oluokun (Week 8)
• S Andrew Wingard (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Eligible for activation:

• WR Marquise Brown (regular-season return not expected)
• RB Isiah Pacheco (story)

Activated:

• RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Week 7)

Activations remaining: 7

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

• LB Luke Masterson

Activated:

• S Trey Taylor (Week 6)

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Eligible for activation:

• CB Asante Samuel Jr. (story)

Activated:

• WR DJ Chark (Week 9)
• RB Gus Edwards (Week 10)
• LB Nick Niemann (Week 6)

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Rams

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• OL K.T. Leveston

Eligible for activation:

• S John Johnson (story)
• OL Conor McDermott
• DL Larrell Murchison

Activated:

• OL Steve Avila (Week 10)
• OL Jonah Jackson (Week 10)
• DL Larrell Murchison (Week 5; later placed on IR a second time)
• WR Puka Nacua (Week 8)
• OL Joe Noteboom (Week 10)
• CB Darious Williams (Week 5)

Activations remaining: 1

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• WR River Cracraft (practice window opened Oct. 30)

Designated for return:

• S Patrick McMorris (Nov. 7)

Eligible for activation:

• WR Grant Dubose

Activated:

• CB Cam Smith (Week 7)
• QB Tua Tagovailoa (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 5

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• OLB Gabriel Murphy (practice window opened Nov. 6)

Eligible for activation:

• TE Nick Muse

Activated:

• G Dalton Risner (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 6

New England Patriots

Designated for return from reserve/non-football illness list (August 27):

• DL Christian Barmore (story)

Designated for return:

• CB Alex Austin (Oct. 30)

Eligible for activation:

• T Caedan Wallace (story)
• OLB Oshane Ximines

Activated:

• S Marte Mapu (Week 5)

Activations remaining: 6

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return: 

• C Erik McCoy (Nov. 7)
• LB Nephi Sewell (Oct. 30)

Activated:

• DB Will Harris (Week 10)
• C Shane Lemieux (Week 10)
• RB Kendre Miller (Week 6; placed back on IR)

Activations remaining: 5

New York Giants

Eligible for activation:

• LB Dyontae Johnson
• WR Gunner Olszewski
• OL Austin Schlottmann
• OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (story)

Activated:

• LB Matthew Adams (Week 5)
• K Graham Gano (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 6

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

• LB Zaire Barnes
• G Wes Schweitzer (story)

Activated:

• DT Leki Fotu (Week 6)
• TE Kenny Yeboah (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 6

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• TE Albert Okwuegbunam (released on Nov. 5)

Eligible for activation:

• WR Britain Covey (story)

Activated:

• WR Ainias Smith (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 6

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

• OL Dylan Cook

Eligible for activation:

• T Troy Fautanu (regular-season return not expected)
• DL Logan Lee
• DB Cory Trice

Activated: 

• LB Tyler Matakevich (Week 10)
• OLB Jeremiah Moon (Week 5)
• WR Ben Skowronek (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 4

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation: 

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos (story)
• CB Ambry Thomas

Designated for return:

• OL Jon Feliciano (Nov. 4)

Activated: 

• DL ​Kalia Davis (Week 5)
• RB Christian McCaffrey (Week 10)
• WR Ricky Pearsall (Week 7)

Activations remaining: 5

Seattle Seahawks

Activated:

• T George Fant (Week 9)
• S Jerrick Reed II (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

• LB SirVocea Dennis (out for regular season)
• CB Bryce Hall (story)
• LB Markees Watts

Activated: 

• DE Earnest Brown IV (Week 7)
• LS Evan Deckers (Week 10)
• WR Rakim Jarrett (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 5

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

• CB Chidobe Awuzie (story)

Activated: 

• LB Cedric Gray (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 7

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

• WR Jamison Crowder (story)

Activated:

• LB Jordan Magee (Week 8)
• QB Marcus Mariota (Week 5)

Activations remaining: 6