2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

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 5:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• G Hayden Conner
• T Christian Jones

Eligible for activation:

• DL Justin Jones (story)

Activations remaining: 6

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• DL Ta’Quon Graham
• OL Storm Norton

Eligible for activation:

• Bralen Trice (story)

Activations remaining: 6

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• OLB Adisa Isaac
• WR Dayton Wade

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• CB Maxwell Hairston (story)
• OL Tylan Grable

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• DE LaBryan Ray (practice window opened 10/1)

Activations remaining: 7

Chicago Bears

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• RB Travis Homer
• LB Amen Ogbongbemiga

Eligible for activation:

• DE Austin Booker (story)

Activations remaining: 6

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• S Daijahn Anthony
• DE Cedric Johnson

Activations remaining: 6

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LB Winston Reid

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• WR Jonathan Mingo (practice window opened 10/1)
• DE Payton Turner

Designated for return:

• CB Caelen Carson (10/1)

Eligible for activation:

• RB Phil Mafah (story)

Activations remaining: 6

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LB Drew Sanders

Eligible for activation:

• DL Malcolm Roach (story)

Activations remaining: 7

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

• OL Jamarco Jones

Activations remaining: 8

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• RB MarShawn Lloyd (story)
• OL Jacob Monk

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• S Jaylen Reed (practice window opened 10/1)

Activations remaining: 7

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LB Jaylon Carlies

Activations remaining: 7

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LB Jalen McLeod

Activations remaining: 7

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• TE Jake Briningstool
• CB Nazeeh Johnson

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (story)

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LS Josh Harris
• DB Deane Leonard

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Rams

Activations remaining: 8

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• OL Andrew Meyer
• K Jason Sanders (story)

Activations remaining: 6

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• OLB Tyler Batty (practice window opened 10/1)
• FB C.J. Ham (practice window opened 10/1)

Activations remaining: 6

New England Patriots

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LB Jahlani Tavai (practice window opened 10/1)

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• DL John Ridgeway
• T Barry Wesley

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• OL Joshua Ezeudu

Eligible for activation:

• CB Rico Payton

Activations remaining: 7

New York Jets

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• LB Ja’Markis Weston

Activations remaining: 7

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• T Myles Hinton

Eligible for activation:

• G Willie Lampkin

Activations remaining: 7

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• DB Cory Trice

Eligible for activation:

• QB Will Howard (story)

Activations remaining: 7

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• DL ​Kevin Givens (story)

Activations remaining: 7

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• G Christian Haynes

Activations remaining: 7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Activations remaining: 8

Tennessee Titans

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

• RB Tyjae Spears (practice window opened 10/1)

Activations remaining: 7

Washington Commanders

Activations remaining: 8