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Cardinals To Stick With GM Monti Ossenfort, HC Jonathan Gannon?

November 19th, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Connor Byrne

At 3-7, the Cardinals are headed for a last-place finish in the NFC West. Odds are they’ll miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. There may be questions about the job security of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon in the coming weeks as a result.

The Cardinals hired Ossenfort, previously a Titans executive, in January 2023. He picked Gannon, formerly the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, a month later. Arizona has gone a woeful 15-29 in two-plus seasons under its current regime.

Considering the team’s lack of progress, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that “opinions are split on whether Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill will take action.” ESPN colleague Dan Graziano expects Ossenfort and Gannon to remain in place, though.

Both Fowler and Graziano note that the Cardinals haven’t been in position to draft a franchise QB under Ossenfort and Gannon. Bidwill could give them the opportunity to do so in April.

The Cardinals’ present leadership inherited former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray when they arrived in Arizona. However, Murray’s time in the desert could soon run out. Statistically, the seventh-year man has endured an up-and-down career with the Cardinals. From a team standpoint, the Cardinals’ lone playoff appearance under Murray yielded disastrous results in a wild-card round loss to the Rams in January 2022. The Cardinals have finished below .500 in every season since then.

A season after helping the Cardinals to the playoffs, Murray tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2022 campaign. The recovery process limited him to eight games in 2023. Murray bounced back to play his first 17-game slate last season, but a mid-foot sprain has held him to five appearances this year. Murray has been on IR since Nov. 5. He won’t play again until Week 14 at the earliest.

With veteran backup Jacoby Brissett performing well in Murray’s place, it’s reportedly possible the latter has played his last snap with the Cardinals. Murray is still on the five-year, $230.5MM deal Arizona gave him in 2022, and he’s guaranteed $36.8MM in 2026. His $19.5MM salary for 2027 will vest on March 22, 2026. The Cardinals could trade or release Murray before then, which would enable them to escape that portion of the 28-year-old’s contract.

If the Cardinals move on from Murray ahead of next year’s draft, it would enable Ossenfort and Gannon to devote their attention to selecting his successor. Clayton Tune, a 2023 fifth-rounder who’s now with the Packers, is the only QB the Cardinals have drafted since they brought in Ossenfort and Gannon. Assuming those two stay in place, that figures to change next spring.

Seahawks DT Johnathan Hankins Will Not Play In 2025

November 19th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

Johnathan Hankins was a regular for the Seahawks last season. The veteran defensive tackle will not see any time on the field for Seattle in 2025, however.

A back injury suffered in the offseason landed Hankins on the reserve/NFI list during roster cutdowns. An absence of at least four games was ensured by the move, but the 33-year-old has yet to play in 2025. Head coach Mike Macdonald said on Wednesday (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) a return for the closing stages of the campaign will not take place.

In 2024, Hankins made eight starts and handled a defensive snap share of 35%. The former second-rounder totaled 30 tackles, one sack and the first interception of his career during his debut Seahawks season. A similar showing this time around would have been expected, but instead Seattle will remain shorthanded up front the rest of the way. The team ranks sixth in the NFL against the run, so Hankins’ absence has not proven to be too much of an issue so far.

Hankins has played on one-year pacts dating back to 2021. A veteran of five NFL teams, the Ohio State product landed $2.05MM on his first Seahawks contract. He re-signed in April, securing a slight raise in terms of overall value ($2.12MM) and guarantees ($350K). Needless to say, another one-year contract will await Hankins when his next gig is in place.

Seattle was among the teams to add at the trade deadline by acquiring wideout Rashid Shaheed from the Saints. No moves were made along the defensive line, though. With it now known Hankins will not return at any point this year, the Seahawks could look to make a depth addition up front via the free agent market. The team currently has $17.59MM in cap space.

Bengals Designate Mike Gesicki For Return

November 19th, 2025 at 5:12pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Bengals announced that they have designated tight end Mike Gesicki to return from IR. The team also opened safety Daijahn Anthony‘s practice window. The Bengals will have 21 days to activate both players.

There’s a chance Cincinnati will get Gesicki back as early as this Sunday against New England. Head coach Zac Taylor said Gesicki is “ready to hit the ground running” after missing four games with a pectoral injury (via Ben Baby of ESPN).

Gesicki began his career with the Dolphins and spent 2023 with the Patriots before joining the Bengals. They inked him to a one-year, $3.25MM deal heading into 2024. It proved to be a shrewd investment, as Gesicki caught 65 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns during a 17-game season.

The Bengals were impressed enough with Gesicki’s 2024 output to give him a raise. They re-signed the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder to a three-year, $25.5MM pact last March.

Before going on IR, Gesicki was unable to approach last year’s production. He opened this season catching just eight of 16 targets for 61 yards in six games, though Gesicki barely worked with Joe Burrow during that stretch. The franchise quarterback suffered a toe injury in Week 2 and hasn’t returned yet, but he’s likely to come back in the next couple of weeks.

Gesicki has also barely played with the Bengals’ current starting QB, Joe Flacco, who debuted with the team the week the tight end sustained his injury. If Gesicki takes the field this week, he’ll provide Flacco another target with No. 1 wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase serving a one-game suspension.

The Bengals haven’t gotten what they expected from Gesicki this year, but fellow tight end Noah Fant has performed well. The late-July free agent signing has secured 30 of 34 targets for 256 yards and three TDs. Gesicki will rejoin Fant and blocking specialist Drew Sample as Cincinnati’s top three TEs when the team activates him.

Anthony, a seventh-round pick in 2024, appeared in 13 games as a rookie. Almost all of his snaps (168 of 179) came on special teams. The Bengals placed him on IR with a return designation when they made their final cuts on Aug. 26. Anthony’s hamstring injury wasn’t expected to shelve him for long, but the 25-year-old has missed all 10 of the Bengals’ games so far.

49ers Sign K Matt Gay

November 19th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Eddy Pineiro has handled kicking duties in the wake of the 49ers moving on from Jake Moody early in the season. Another contributor in that regard will be needed for at least one week.

Pineiro is dealing with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). He is week-to-week as a result. In response, the 49ers have hosted a total of five free agent kickers in recent days. A replacement has been found from that group.

Matt Gay has agreed to a deal with San Francisco, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. This news comes days after Gay’s tenure with the Commanders came to an end. The veteran continued to have struggles from long range on field goal attempts, but he will look to rebound during a brief stint in the Bay Area. The move is now official, with Gay joining the 49ers’ practice squad and receiver Russell Gage being released in a corresponding move.

Per the transactions wire (h/t Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), Gay was joined by Cade York, John Parker Romo, Anders Carlson and Tanner Brown in taking part in a workout with the 49ers in recent days. The team has elected to go with experience after completing that process. Gay has made 100 career regular season appearances. During that time, he has delivered consistent performances from within 50 yards and on extra point attempts.

The 31-year-old has connected on just seven of his 18 field goal tries from beyond 50 yards dating back to last season, however. Struggles in that regard led to Washington cutting ties (and signing Moody as a replacement). While the 49ers’ former draftee will look to carve out a spot in the nation’s capital for the remainder of the campaign, Gay will aim to serve as a short-term replacement for San Francisco.

Pineiro has played in 10 games for the 49ers. Over that span, he has missed four extra point kicks but gone 22-for-22 on field goals. That includes connecting on each of his six FG attempts from 50-plus yards. Pineiro will thus likely reprise his kicking role once he is healthy. In the meantime, Gay will serve as his replacement.

Rams Place Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee, Quentin Lake On IR

November 19th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Rams are losing a trio of key contributors for at least four games apiece. The team has placed right tackle Rob Havenstein, tight end Tyler Higbee, and safety Quentin Lake on IR, head coach Sean McVay announced (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). McVay is hopeful all three will return this season.

Lake’s IR placement comes as no surprise after it was revealed Wednesday that he underwent elbow surgery. Havenstein played 100% of offensive snaps in a win over the Seahawks last Sunday, but McVay said he’s dealing with knee and ankle issues. Higbee suffered an ankle injury of his own against Seattle.

Havenstein’s ankle issue kept him out of three games earlier this season. When healthy enough to play in 2025, the 11th-year Ram has continued to serve as a full-time starter. Havenstein has started in all 148 regular-season games since the then-St. Louis Rams picked him in the second round of the 2025 draft.

Warren McClendon, who has made three starts this year, is likely to step in for Havenstein again. Meanwhile, the Rams will turn to tight ends Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson, and Terrance Ferguson to pick up the slack in Higbee’s absence.

Higbee, who has totaled 20 catches, 190 yards, and two touchdowns in nine games, leads Rams TEs with 318 offensive snaps. Allen (293) and Parkinson (248) aren’t far behind. Those two have combined for 28 receptions, 237 yards, and five scores. Ferguson was a second-round pick in last spring’s draft, but the rookie from Oregon hasn’t been a significant contributor so far. While Ferguson has averaged a whopping 27.6 yards per catch, he has only picked up five grabs through his first eight games.

Thanks in part to Havenstein, Higbee, and Lake, the Rams have gotten off to an 8-2 start. They’re right behind the Eagles, also 8-2, for the No.1 seed in the NFC. Aside from the NFC West rival Cardinals in Week 14, the Rams will face nothing but playoff contenders (the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Lions) during their four-game stretch without those three players.

NFL’s Paris Debut Expected To Include Saints, Could Take Place In 2026

November 19th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Europe remains a key target for the NFL’s ongoing international expansion. One of the cities yet to host a regular season game is Paris, but that could change soon.

France has been on the league’s radar since at least 2022. A number of new European markets have been explored in recent years, including debut regular games in Ireland and Spain taking place in 2025. Dublin and Madrid could very well continue to serve as host cities moving forward, and Paris could join them as early as next year.

“You might hear in the next couple weeks that we might be having a game internationally, and that game may be in Paris,” Saints president Dennis Lauscha said (via NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan). “We have the rights to the country of France and Monaco, so that makes so much sense, we think. We’re really excited about that [possibility].”

The Saints are currently the only NFL team with international marketing rights in France. As such, it would come as no surprise if they were to be the designated home team for the league’s first ever Paris contest. Lauscha added a game there could take place as early as next season. That timing would align with the NFL’s process in terms of evaluating venues and logistical matters relative to other new host cities.

The league hopes to stage eight international games in 2026. Broadly speaking, one of the league’s goals for continued growth outside the United States is to eventually have each team play one game overseas per year. That setup could very well include Paris on a regular basis. France’s largest venue is the Stade de France, and it would presumably play host to any games held in the country.

Divisional matchups have taken place in international games, but they are rare. As such, New Orleans’ opponent for any 2026 game to be held in Paris would likely come from the team’s remaining slate of home game. That leaves the Browns, Steelers, Packers and Vikings among the potential candidates to play in the league’s first France contest.

Cardinals Open RB Trey Benson’s Practice Window, Sign P Matt Haack

November 19th, 2025 at 3:19pm CST by Connor Byrne

A knee injury has kept Cardinals running back Trey Benson out for most of the season, but a return is on the horizon. The Cardinals opened his practice window on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate him from IR.

Benson totaled 29 carries and 160 yards (5.5 YPC) in four games before landing on the shelf on Oct. 1. The 2024 third-round pick went down the week after the Cardinals lost starting running back James Conner to a season-ending foot injury.

With Benson and Conner out of commission, the Cardinals have turned to Zonovan Knight, Emari Demercado, and Michael Carter as their top three backs. Knight and Carter have each averaged under 3.5 yards per carry on a combined 93 attempts.

Demercado has totaled just 31 carries, but he has managed an outstanding 7.8 yards per rush. However, he’ll miss this Sunday’s game against the Jaguars with an ankle injury. It’s unclear whether Benson will be available to help fill the void.

While Benson’s Week 12 status is up in the air, the Cardinals are guaranteed to debut a new punter. After cutting Pat O’Donnell on Tuesday, the team signed veteran Matt Haack to its active roster on Wednesday, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Haack has played for five teams since his career began in 2017. His most recent action came over four games with the Giants last season. The 31-year-old owns a career average of 44.2 yards per punt with a net of 39.7.

Haack will be the third punter of 2025 for Arizona, which placed starter Blake Gillikin on IR with a back injury on Oct. 11. The Arizona State alumnus spent part of the 2023 offseason with the Cardinals. He tried out with the Cardinals when they were looking for Gillikin’s replacement, but they signed O’Donnell instead.

Raiders Activate QB Aidan O’Connell From IR

November 19th, 2025 at 2:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Aidan O’Connell has yet to play this season while recovering from a fractured wrist. The third-year quarterback is now in position to return to the Raiders’ gameday lineup, however.

O’Connell was activated from injured reserve on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The 27-year-old suffered his injury in training camp, ensuring missed time during the regular season would be in store. Many expected the Raiders to move O’Connell to IR during roster cutdowns and in doing so make hi m one of many players around the league who were designated for return at that point.

Instead, Vegas carried O’Connell on the roster until moving him to IR one day after cutdowns. In need of a backup option, the team traded for Kenny Pickett in a move which cleared some of Cleveland’s quarterback logjam ahead of the season. Pickett has made a pair of appearances so far this year.

Geno Smith has handled QB1 duties in 2025, his reunion season with head coach Pete Carroll. Things have not gone according to plan on offense for the 2-8 Raiders, but no change under center is currently receiving consideration. Smith will continue in the starter’s role as a result. O’Connell could replace Pickett as the Raiders’ backup, though. Pickett is a pending free agent while O’Connell’s rookie deal runs through 2026.

Taken in the fourth round of the 2023 draft by a previous Raiders regime, O’Connell has made 17 starts to date in his career. The Purdue product – whose practice window was opened three weeks ago – is not in position to add to that total any time soon. Still, it will be interesting to see how O’Connell is handled by the Raiders under Carroll and first-year general manager John Spytek moving forward.

Today’s move leaves the Raiders with six IR activations on the year. O’Connell’s first game action could come as early as Week 12 against the Browns.

Bears Designate Kyler Gordon To Return From IR

November 19th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bears designated cornerback Kyler Gordon to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, per a team announcement.

Gordon has dealt with multiple injuries already this season. His hamstring sidelined him for the first five weeks of the year, though he was not placed on an injured list. He went down again in Week 7 with groin and calf issues that landed him on injured reserve in late October.

The Bears expressed optimism last week that Gordon would return this year (along with fellow injured cornerback Jaylon Johnson). That optimism has materialized in the form of a return to practice, bringing Gordon one step closer to re-joining his team on game days.

Gordon broke out in 2024 as one of the league’s top slot corners and earned a three-year, $40MM extension this offseason. During his first stint on the sidelines this year, Nick McCloud stepped up as the Bears’ nickel. During his second absence, the Bears have relied on C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot, who arrived in Chicago shortly after Gordon was placed on injured reserve.

Head coach Ben Johnson praised Gardner-Johnson on Wednesday when asked about the team’s plans for Gordon’s return, saying (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin) that the veteran safety is “a guy we’re going to want on the field.”

The Bears have a few different options to use both Gordon and Gardner-Johnson once Gordon is ready to play. Obviously, rotating the two early on would be an effective way to ease Gordon back into action, which may be a key consideration after multiple injuries this season. Gardner-Johnson has also played 47 snaps in the box (and 16 off the edge) in his last two games in Chicago, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so he could take on a prominent role in

Gordon will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Jets CB Kris Boyd Upgraded To Stable Condition

November 19th, 2025 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 19: Boyd has been upgraded to stable condition, an NYPD spokesman announced Wednesday (via Rich Cimini of ESPN). Jets teammates Jamien Sherwood and Irvin Charles were with Boyd when the shooting occurred, Cimini reports. No arrests have been made.

NOVEMBER 18: Jets cornerback Kris Boyd remains in hospital at this time as he continues to recover from the gunshot wound he suffered over the weekend. More details on his situation have emerged.

The bullet which struck Boyd in his abdomen wound up being lodged in his lung, per a report from Bill Hutchinson and Aaron Katersky of ABC News. The report adds that Boyd has undergone “multiple medical procedures” since arriving at Bellevue Hospital in New York. The 29-year-old remains in critical but stable condition at this time.

NYPD detectives were able to speak with Boyd shortly after he was hospitalized, per the report. He informed police he spent Saturday night at Sei Less restaurant with a group of friends. While departing the restaurant after it closed around 2:00am Sunday morning, Boyd and his party engaged in a confrontation with another group. The situation resulted in Boyd being shot by the suspect who has yet to be apprehended.

Detectives hope to be able to speak further with Boyd when he is in position to do so. It remains to be seen when that will be the case, although an update provided on Sunday by one of his friends was encouraging with respect to a full recovery being possible. Keeping in line with their original statement on the matter, the Jets have not commented since the incident.

A seventh-round pick in 2019, Boyd entered the NFL as a member of the Vikings. He spent his first four seasons in Minnesota before splitting the 2023 campaign with the Cardinals and Texans. The Texas product spent all of last year with Houston before joining the Jets in free agency. Boyd was moved to season-ending IR in August, setting him up for a lengthy recovery process on the injury front. The earliest point at which he can suit up is the start of the 2026 season, although attention is of course currently focused on his current situation.