No players are yet eligible to be activated from IR, but 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 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This will introduce 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 in August are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5. The same holds true for players moved to IR before Week 1, 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 are the players teams already protected via summer return designations:
Arizona Cardinals
Designated for return from IR:
- OL Christian Jones
- DL Darius Robinson (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Atlanta Falcons
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 7
Baltimore Ravens
Designated for return from IR:
- CB Arthur Maulet (story)
Activations remaining: 7
Buffalo Bills
Designated for return from IR:
- RB Darrynton Evans
- LB Matt Milano (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Carolina Panthers
Designated for return from IR:
- S Sam Franklin (story)
- CB Dane Jackson (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Chicago Bears
Designated for return from IR:
- OL Larry Borom
- DE Jacob Martin
Activations remaining: 6
Cincinnati Bengals
Designated for return from IR:
- DE Myles Murphy (story)
- P Brad Robbins
Activations remaining: 6
Cleveland Browns
Designated for return from reserve/non-football illness list:
Designated for return from reserve/non-football injury list:
- RB Nyheim Hines
Activations remaining: 6
Dallas Cowboys
Designated for return from IR:
- CB DaRon Bland (story)
Activations remaining: 7
Denver Broncos
Designated for return from IR:
- CB Damarri Mathis (story)
Activations remaining: 7
Detroit Lions
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 7
Green Bay Packers
Designated for return from IR:
- DL Jonathan Ford
Activations remaining: 7
Houston Texans
Designated for return from IR:
- LB Christian Harris
- DT Kurt Hinish
Activations remaining: 6
Indianapolis Colts
Designated for return from IR:
- DE Samson Ebukam (story)
- LB Cameron McGrone
Activations remaining: 6
Jacksonville Jaguars
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 6
Kansas City Chiefs
Activations remaining: 8
Las Vegas Raiders
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 7
Los Angeles Chargers
Designated for return from IR:
- LB Nick Niemann
Activations remaining: 7
Los Angeles Rams
Designated for return from IR:
- OL K.T. Leveston
- DL Larrell Murchison
Activations remaining: 6
Miami Dolphins
Designated for return from IR:
- WR River Cracraft
- CB Cam Smith
Minnesota Vikings
Designated for return from IR:
- OLB Gabriel Murphy
- G Dalton Risner (story)
Activations remaining: 6
New England Patriots
Designated for return from IR:
Designated for return from reserve/non-football illness list:
- DL Christian Barmore (story)
Activations remaining: 6
New Orleans Saints
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 7
New York Giants
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 7
New York Jets
Designated for return from IR:
- DT Leki Fotu
- TE Kenny Yeboah
Activations remaining: 6
Philadelphia Eagles
Designated for return from IR:
- TE Albert Okwuegbunam (story)
- WR Ainias Smith (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Pittsburgh Steelers
Designated for return from IR:
- OL Dylan Cook
- LB Jeremiah Moon
Activations remaining: 6
San Francisco 49ers
Designated for return from IR:
- DL Kalia Davis (story)
Activations remaining: 7
Seattle Seahawks
Activations remaining: 8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Designated for return from IR:
Activations remaining: 7
Tennessee Titans
Activations remaining: 8
Washington Commanders
Designated for return from IR:
- LB Jordan Magee
Activations remaining: 7