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 each team’s activation puzzles look for Week 5:
Arizona Cardinals
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
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:
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
Activations remaining: 7
Chicago Bears
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
- DE Austin Booker (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Cincinnati Bengals
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
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 (story)
- DE Payton Turner
Eligible for activation:
- CB Caelen Carson
- RB Phil Mafah (story)
Activations remaining: 6
Denver Broncos
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Drew Sanders
Activations remaining: 7
Detroit Lions
Eligible for activation:
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):
Activations remaining: 7
Indianapolis Colts
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
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
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
- FB C.J. Ham
Activations remaining: 6
New England Patriots
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
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):
Eligible for activation:
- CB Rico Payton
Activations remaining: 7
New York Jets
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activations remaining: 7
Philadelphia Eagles
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
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):
Activations remaining: 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Activations remaining: 8
Tennessee Titans
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- RB Tyjae Spears (story)
Activations remaining: 7
Washington Commanders
Activations remaining: 8