The 2024 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 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams 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 26 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. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations at that point.
Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 9:
Arizona Cardinals
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- S Joey Blount
- DL Justin Jones (story)
- CB Garrett Williams (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Atlanta Falcons
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OL Storm Norton (practice window opened 10/22)
Eligible for activation:
- OLB Bralen Trice (story)
Activated:
- S Jordan Fuller (Week 8)
- DL Ta’Quon Graham (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 5
Baltimore Ravens
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OLB Adisa Isaac
- WR Dayton Wade
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 6
Buffalo Bills
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OL Tylan Grable
Activated:
- CB Maxwell Hairston (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 6
Carolina Panthers
Eligible for activation:
- G Robert Hunt (story)
- WR David Moore (story)
- G Chandler Zavala (story)
Activated:
- WR Jalen Coker (Week 7)
- C Austin Corbett (Week 7)
- DE LaBryan Ray (Week 5)
Activations remaining: 5
Chicago Bears
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- DE Austin Booker (10/7)
Eligible for activation:
- T Kiran Amegadjie
- CB Jaylon Johnson (story)
Activated:
- RB Travis Homer (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 6
Cincinnati Bengals
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- S Daijahn Anthony
- DE Cedric Johnson (practice window opened 10/22)
Eligible for activation:
- QB Joe Burrow (story)
Activated:
- G Lucas Patrick (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 5
Cleveland Browns
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Winston Reid
Activations remaining: 7
Dallas Cowboys
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- C Cooper Beebe (10/21)
Eligible for activation:
- S Malik Hooker (story)
- RB Phil Mafah (story)
- DT Perrion Winfrey
Activated:
- CB Caelen Carson (Week 7)
- WR Jonathan Mingo (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 5
Denver Broncos
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Drew Sanders
Eligible for activation:
- TE Lucas Krull (story)
Activated:
- LB Dre Greenlaw (Week 7)
- DL Malcolm Roach (Week 6)
Activations remaining: 5
Detroit Lions
Designated for return:
- S Daniel Thomas (10/27)
Eligible for activation:
- OLB Marcus Davenport (story)
- OL Jamarco Jones
- TE Shane Zylstra
Activations remaining: 8
Green Bay Packers
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- DL Brenton Cox
- WR Jayden Reed (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Houston Texans
Eligible for activation:
- FB Jakob Johnson
- TE Cade Stover (story)
- WR Justin Watson
Activated:
- S Jaylen Reed (Week 7)
- CB Jaylin Smith (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 6
Indianapolis Colts
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- CB Jaylon Jones (10/22)
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 7
Jacksonville Jaguars
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Jalen McLeod
Activations remaining: 7
Kansas City Chiefs
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activations remaining: 6
Las Vegas Raiders
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activations remaining: 7
Los Angeles Chargers
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LS Josh Harris
- DB Deane Leonard
Activated:
- OLB Khalil Mack (Week 7)
- ILB Denzel Perryman (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 4
Los Angeles Rams
Eligible for activation:
- CB Ahkello Witherspoon (story)
Activations remaining: 8
Miami Dolphins
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OL Andrew Meyer
- K Jason Sanders (story)
Designated for return:
- CB Jason Marshall (10/22)
Eligible for activation:
- G James Daniels (story)
- RT Austin Jackson (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Minnesota Vikings
Eligible for activation:
- RB Ty Chandler (story)
Activated:
- OLB Tyler Batty (Week 7)
- LB Blake Cashman (Week 7)
- FB C.J. Ham (Week 5)
- RB Aaron Jones (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 4
New England Patriots
Activated:
- LB Jahlani Tavai (Week 5)
Activations remaining: 7
New Orleans Saints
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- T Barry Wesley
Eligible for activation:
- S Julian Blackmon (story)
- DT Vernon Broughton
- WR Trey Palmer (story)
Activated:
- DL John Ridgeway (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 6
New York Giants
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- LB Chris Board
- LB Micah McFadden (story)
- CB Rico Payton
Activated:
- K Graham Gano (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 6
New York Jets
Activated:
- LB Ja’Markis Weston (Week 7)
- LB Quincy Williams (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 6
Philadelphia Eagles
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- CB Jakorian Bennett (10/22)
Eligible for activation:
- G Willie Lampkin
- OLB Nolan Smith (story)
- T Cameron Williams
Activated:
- WR Darius Cooper (Week 8)
Activations remaining: 6
Pittsburgh Steelers
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- DB Cory Trice
Designated for return:
- QB Will Howard (10/22)
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 7
San Francisco 49ers
Designated for return:
- OL Spencer Burford (10/22)
Eligible for activation:
- G Ben Bartch (story)
Activated:
- DL Kevin Givens (Week 7)
- TE George Kittle (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 6
Seattle Seahawks
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- FB Robbie Ouzts
Activations remaining: 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Eligible for activation:
- RT Luke Goedeke (story)
- DL Calijah Kancey (story)
- TE Ko Kieft
Activations remaining: 8
Tennessee Titans
Eligible for activation:
- S Mike Brown
- RB Kalel Mullings
Activated:
- RB Tyjae Spears (Week 5)
- DT T’Vondre Sweat (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 6
Washington Commanders
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- CB Jonathan Jones (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 7