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 became 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 once the postseason begins.
Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 12:
Arizona Cardinals
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- RB Trey Benson (11/19)
Eligible for activation:
- S Joey Blount
- P Blake Gillikin (story)
- DL Justin Jones (story)
Activated:
- CB Garrett Williams (Week 9)
Activations remaining: 5
Atlanta Falcons
Reverted to season-ending IR:
Eligible for activation:
- CB Clark Phillips
- OLB Bralen Trice (story)
Activated:
- DL Ta’Quon Graham (Week 7)
- S Jordan Fuller (Week 8)
- LB Divine Deablo (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 4
Baltimore Ravens
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OLB Adisa Isaac
- WR Dayton Wade
Eligible for activation:
- OLB Tavius Robinson (story)
- DL Broderick Washington (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Buffalo Bills
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OL Tylan Grable
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- CB Maxwell Hairston (Week 8)
- DT T.J. Sanders (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 5
Carolina Panthers
Eligible for activation:
- G Robert Hunt (story)
- WR David Moore (story)
Activated:
- DE LaBryan Ray (Week 5)
- WR Jalen Coker (Week 7)
- C Austin Corbett (Week 7)
- G Chandler Zavala (Week 9)
Activations remaining: 4
Chicago Bears
Designated for return:
- CB Jaylon Johnson (11/14)
- CB Kyler Gordon (11/19)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- RB Travis Homer (Week 7)
- DE Austin Booker (Week 9)
- LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 5
Cincinnati Bengals
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- QB Joe Burrow (11/10)
Activated:
- G Lucas Patrick (Week 7)
- DE Cedric Johnson (Week 9)
- TE Mike Gesicki (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 4
Cleveland Browns
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Winston Reid
Eligible for activation:
- WR DeAndre Carter (story)
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Dallas Cowboys
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- RB Phil Mafah (story)
Activated:
- CB Caelen Carson (Week 7)
- WR Jonathan Mingo (Week 8)
- C Cooper Beebe (Week 9)
- S Malik Hooker (Week 11)
- DT Perrion Winfrey (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 2
Denver Broncos
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Drew Sanders
Designated for return:
- TE Garret Wallow (11/12)
Eligible for activation:
- TE Lucas Krull (story)
- OL Matt Peart (story)
- G Ben Powers (story)
Activated:
- DL Malcolm Roach (Week 6)
- LB Dre Greenlaw (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 5
Detroit Lions
Designated for return:
- OLB Marcus Davenport (11/12)
Eligible for activation:
- OL Jamarco Jones
- OL Giovanni Manu (story)
- TE Shane Zylstra
Activated:
- S Daniel Thomas (Week 10)
- CB Khalil Dorsey (Week 12)
- CB D.J. Reed (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 5
Green Bay Packers
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- RB MarShawn Lloyd (story)
Designated for return:
- WR Jayden Reed (11/21)
Eligible for activation:
- DL Brenton Cox
Activated:
- OL Jacob Monk (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 6
Houston Texans
Eligible for activation:
- DT Folorunso Fatukasi (story)
- WR Justin Watson
Activated:
- S Jaylen Reed (Week 7)
- CB Jaylin Smith (Week 8)
- FB Jakob Johnson (Week 11)
- TE Cade Stover (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 4
Indianapolis Colts
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- QB Anthony Richardson (story)
- S Daniel Scott
Activated:
- CB Jaylon Jones (Week 9)
- CB Charvarius Ward (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 5
Jacksonville Jaguars
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Jalen McLeod
Activated:
- TE Brenton Strange (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 6
Kansas City Chiefs
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activations remaining: 6
Las Vegas Raiders
Eligible for activation:
- LB Brennan Jackson
- LT Kolton Miller (story)
Activated:
- S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (Week 10)
- QB Aidan O’Connell (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 6
Los Angeles Chargers
Eligible for activation:
- RB Omarion Hampton (story)
Activated:
- OLB Khalil Mack (Week 7)
- ILB Denzel Perryman (Week 7)
- DT Da’Shawn Hand (Week 10)
- LS Josh Harris (Week 10)
- DB Deane Leonard (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 3
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:
- RT Austin Jackson (11/12)
Eligible for activation:
- G James Daniels (story)
Activated:
- CB Jason Marshall (Week 9)
Activations remaining: 5
Minnesota Vikings
Eligible for activation:
- RB Ty Chandler (story)
Activated:
- FB C.J. Ham (Week 5)
- OLB Tyler Batty (Week 7)
- LB Blake Cashman (Week 7)
- RB Aaron Jones (Week 8)
- C Ryan Kelly (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 3
New England Patriots
Activated:
- LB Jahlani Tavai (Week 5)
Activations remaining: 7
New Orleans Saints
Eligible for activation:
- S Julian Blackmon (story)
- DT Vernon Broughton
- WR Trey Palmer (story)
Activated:
- DL John Ridgeway (Week 8)
- T Barry Wesley (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 6
New York Giants
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- LB Chris Board
- LB Micah McFadden (story)
Activated:
- K Graham Gano (Week 8)
- CB Rico Payton (Week 9)
Activations remaining: 5
New York Jets
Eligible for activation:
- RB Braelon Allen (story)
Activated:
- LB Ja’Markis Weston (Week 7)
- LB Quincy Williams (Week 8)
- LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 5
Philadelphia Eagles
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- G Willie Lampkin (11/6)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- WR Darius Cooper (Week 8)
- OLB Nolan Smith (Week 10)
- CB Jakorian Bennett (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 4
Pittsburgh Steelers
Reverted to season-ending IR
- DB Cory Trice (practice window closed 11/19)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- LB Malik Harrison (Week 9)
- QB Will Howard (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 5
San Francisco 49ers
Activated:
- DL Kevin Givens (Week 7)
- TE George Kittle (Week 7)
- OL Spencer Burford (Week 8)
- G Ben Bartch (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 4
Seattle Seahawks
Activated:
- FB Robbie Ouzts (Week 9)
- G Christian Haynes (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Eligible for activation:
- DL Calijah Kancey (story)
- TE Ko Kieft
- S Rashad Wisdom
Activated:
- RT Luke Goedeke (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 7
Tennessee Titans
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- RB Tyjae Spears (Week 5)
- DT T’Vondre Sweat (Week 7)
- S Mike Brown (Week 11)
- RB Kalel Mullings (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 4
Washington Commanders
Designated for return:
- S Will Harris (11/12)
- DE Drake Jackson (11/13)
Eligible for activation:
- WR Noah Brown (story)
- DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste
Activated:
- CB Jonathan Jones (Week 7)
Activations remaining: 7