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Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/25

November 22nd, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Week 12’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Sunday slate tomorrow:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

There hasn’t been much of an update since it was reported that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was going through the league’s concussion protocol. He was able to get some limited practice time in yesterday, but he hasn’t yet been cleared. With Gabriel’s status up in the air, Zappe is getting called up in case he’s needed to back up the new starting rookie, Shedeur Sanders.

O’Connell and Sheriff are getting called up with linebackers Tyrice Knight out with a concussion and Ernest Jones questionable with a knee injury. This will be O’Connell’s third and final practice squad elevation, so if the Seahawks wants to see him play again this year, they will need to sign him to the active roster.

Eagles Won’t Place RT Lane Johnson On IR With Lisfranc Sprain

November 22nd, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Connor Byrne

NOVEMBER 22: As it turns out, Johnson will avoid placement on injured reserve. Per McLane, the veteran right tackle won’t require surgery for the Lisfranc injury to his right foot, so the original four- to six-week prediction is no longer the expectation. The fact that he won’t end up on IR indicates a strong possibility that he will be able return within four games, making a Week 14 return the new target date.

NOVEMBER 18: X-rays will not be possible until the inflammation in Johnson’s ankle subsides, McLane notes. As a result, it could be one week or more until a determination regarding surgery is ultimately made.

NOVEMBER 17: The Eagles pulled off a 16-9 win over the Lions on Sunday, but they lost one of their best players in the process. Right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and will miss four to six weeks, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.

There’s optimism that this isn’t a season-ending injury. However, it won’t be confirmed until the results of Johnson’s X-rays come back, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. At the very least, an IR placement looks like a strong possibility.

If Johnson goes on IR before the Eagles-Cowboys game this Sunday, he’ll be eligible to return in Week 16. Fred Johnson will presumably step in as the Eagles’ right tackle over the next several weeks.

Lane Johnson, 35, has evolved into a potential Hall of Famer since the Eagles chose him fourth overall in 2013. The former Oklahoma Sooner has started in all 168 career regular-season games. Johnson has picked up six Pro Bowl invitations, earned All-Pro honors five times, and won two Super Bowls along the way.

Johnson was a key part of a dominant offensive line that helped lead the Eagles to a championship last season. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has continued his standout play this year, as Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 16th among 62 qualifying OTs.

Fortunately for the Eagles, who improved to 8-2 in Week 11, they should coast to an NFC East title even without Johnson. The 3-5-1 Cowboys are well behind them, while the Commanders and Giants are a combined 5-17. However, losing Johnson could have a negative effect on Philadelphia’s chances to lock up the conference’s No. 1 seed. The 8-2 Rams are among the teams nipping at the Eagles’ heels.

Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Connor Byrne

3:32pm: The Bears indeed placed Edmunds on injured reserve today as they expect him to miss four to six weeks because of his groin injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Chicago is leaving the door open for Edmunds to come back for a potential playoff run. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon will not yet be activated from IR.

Joining Edmunds on IR will be backup running back Roschon Johnson. He and recently activated fellow back Travis Homer were ruled out for tomorrow, so practice squad rusher Brittain Brown has been signed to the 53-man roster, along with practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr., to fill the newly vacant roster slots. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden have been designated as the Bears’ two standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the taxi squad after tomorrow’s game.

1:58pm: Although the Bears haven’t announced it, their media website indicates that they’ve placed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on IR, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have already ruled out Edmunds for Week 12 with a groin injury.

If the Bears do put Edmunds on IR, it would require at least a four-game absence. Even if that doesn’t happen, a source told Biggs that Edmunds is likely to miss multiple weeks.

With the Bears at 7-3 and pushing for their first playoff berth since 2020, a long-term Edmunds absence would be an awful development for their defense. The career-long starter and former Bills first-round pick has been a key piece for the Bears since they signed him to a four-year, $72.5MM contract in 2023. Now in his eighth NFL season, Edmunds has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers this year.

Just 10 games into 2025, Edmunds has already matched a career high with four interceptions, and his nine passes defensed are tied for his second-highest mark. His 97.4% ranks third among Bears defenders, trailing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. With 89 tackles, Edmunds is on track to go over 100 yet again. The Virginia Tech product has recorded triple-digit tackles in all of his professional seasons, but his streak could be in jeopardy if he misses significant time.

Edmunds’ output this year has led Pro Football Focus to rank his performance 20th among 81 qualifying LBs. He and T.J. Edwards (ranked 13th) have formed a top-notch duo when healthy, though the latter is also out of commission. Multiple injuries have limited Edwards to five games this season. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand earlier this month, and he’ll miss his third straight game Sunday against the AFC North-leading Steelers.

Noah Sewell has filled in for Edwards, but he’s dealing with an elbow injury that will shelve him for the Pittsburgh game. That means the Bears won’t have any of their top three linebackers this week.

The injuries to Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell leave D’Marco Jackson, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as he only healthy LBs on Chicago’s active roster. Ogbongbemiga is the lone member of the trio who has made an NFL start (he picked up two with the Chargers back in 2021), but he has played exclusively on special teams in two games this season.

Lions Activate CBs D.J. Reed, Khalil Dorsey From IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Ely Allen

A banged-up secondary in Detroit will see some reinforcements as the Lions activate both D.J. Reed and Khalil Dorsey from injured reserve. The Lions have removed both cornerbacks from their injury report, meaning they should be available for a matchup with the Giants on Sunday.

Reed was a headlining offseason pickup for the Lions, who signed the former 49er, Seahawk, and Jet to a three-year, $48MM deal after losing Carlton Davis to the Patriots. Before suffering a hamstring strain, Reed started in each of his first four games with Detroit and notched 16 tackles, four passes defensed, and an interception. He led Lions cornerbacks with an 88% snap share before missing all of October and most of November.

A week after the Lions placed Reed on IR, Dorsey joined him on the shelf. A wrist injury has held the fourth-year depth corner and special teamer to four games in 2025. He and Reed are returning to a secondary that will go without fellow CB Terrion Arnold (concussion) for the second week in a row. Reed, Amik Robertson, and Rock Ya-Sin will lead the Lions’ group of corners against Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston, who’s starting in place of the injured Jaxson Dart.

With Reed and Dorsey back, the Lions waived safety Erick Hallett and linebacker Ty Summers. Hallett started in one of two games with Detroit this season and made eight tackles. Summers has played in five of the Lions’ first 10 contests, and all 66 of his snaps this year have come on special teams. 

In an additional move, the Lions elevated tight end Anthony Firkser from the practice squad. Firkser joined the Lions’ practice squad on November 11. He’ll give the Lions a look at another option at tight end tomorrow with standout Sam LaPorta likely to miss the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Jaguars TE Brenton Strange Activated Off IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars are getting a key cog back in their offense today. In preparation for tomorrow’s matchup with the Cardinals, the Jacksonville has activated tight end Brenton Strange from injured reserve.

The team also announced defensive tackle Matt Dickerson and safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig as standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow. Dickerson was called up as an elevation last week, but Silmon-Craig will be making his NFL debut if the undrafted rookie out of Colorado sees the field in Arizona.

Strange has been an interesting weapon in Duval since getting drafted in the second round two years ago from Penn State. As a rookie sharing a position room with Evan Engram and Luke Farrell, Strange mostly heard his named called as a second tight end in heavy run packages. By Year 2, Strange passed up Farrell on the depth chart, and though his strengths came as a run blocking tight end, he dominated the field time during stretches missed by Engram due to injury, reeling in 40 receptions for 411 yards and two touchdowns as a result.

With Engram and Farrell no longer on the roster, Strange was expected to have a breakout year in 2025. After he exited Jacksonville’s Week 5 game with a quad injury, the team predicted at least a five-week absence. With five weekends having passed between that prediction and now, it’s safe to say they nailed that call.

Over his extended absence, the Jaguars haven’t really seen a tight end step up to fill his void. Veteran Johnny Mundt has done an admirable job of taking up Strange’s duties as a blocking tight end, and Hunter Long has gotten some run, as well, but quarterback Trevor Lawrence hasn’t really looked their way in the passing game. The two combine for 19 catches on 32 targets, totaling 168 yards and two touchdowns. In four and a half games before injury, Strange, alone, tallied 20 catches on eight fewer targets for 204 yards.

Lawrence should be happy to get Strange back in the lineup. Since Strange last played in early-October, Lawrence has seen rookie No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter‘s season ended, and his top target, Brian Thomas Jr., has already been ruled out for the third game in a row. Strange will be added to a passing attack now led by receivers Parker Washington and Dyami Brown.

Vikings Activate C Ryan Kelly From IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Connor Byrne

Vikings center Ryan Kelly will return in Week 12. The team announced that it has activated Kelly from IR. He’ll head into Sunday’s game against the NFC North rival Packers without an injury designation.

Kelly spent his first nine NFL seasons in Indianapolis, where he started in all 121 appearances and made four Pro Bowls. He left for Minnesota’s two-year, $18MM offer last March.

Two concussions have limited Kelly to three games in his first season with the Vikings. They placed him on IR after his second head injury knocked him out of a Week 4 loss to the Steelers. Blake Brandel started in his absence.

Between Kelly’s concussions issues and starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s high ankle sprain earlier this season, the two haven’t had much chance to form a rapport in 2025. They paired together in the Vikings’ season-opening win over Chicago and their Week 2 loss to Atlanta. Carson Wentz was under center against Pittsburgh.

Kelly and McCarthy will reunite Sunday in an enormous game for two teams trying to keep pace with the NFC North-leading Bears (7-3). The 6-3-1 Packers are nipping at the Bears’ heels, but the 4-6 Vikings can ill afford another loss after Chicago knocked them off last week.

In addition to activating Kelly, the Vikings signed cornerback Dwight McGlothern to their practice squad and elevated him for tomorrow’s game. They released running back Cam Akers from the taxi squad to make room.

The Vikings quickly brought back McGlothern after waiving him on Thursday. He has played in eight of Minnesota’s games this year and totaled 47 snaps (31 on defense, 16 on special teams). Akers has made three appearances with the Vikings this season and rushed for 19 yards on five carries. 

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. To Miss Start Of 2026 Season?

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Connor Byrne

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s season ended last week when he suffered a partially torn left ACL in a loss to the Panthers. It’s possible the recovery process will take long enough to jeopardize Penix’s availability for the beginning of the 2026 campaign, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.

Penix will undergo surgery “sooner than later,” head coach Raheem Morris said this week. Morris also expressed optimism that Penix will be ready for Week 1 next season, but he added “that’s a guestimation by me, not medical information.”

It’s doubtful that Penix will be a full participant in the Falcons’ offseason program, according to Kendall. That could decrease his chances of taking the field in the Falcons’ 2026 season opener, which would throw a wrench into Morris’ plans.

If Penix isn’t ready at the outset of next year, it’s unclear who will take the reins for the Falcons. Kirk Cousins will finish this season as the Falcons’ starter, but his time in Atlanta could end soon after that.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $160MM contract with $90MM fully guaranteed a little over a month before drafting Penix eighth overall in 2024. The decision to splurge on the former Washington and Minnesota starter has blown up in Atlanta’s face. Cousins performed poorly enough last year that Morris demoted him in favor of Penix in Week 15. Penix kept the starting job until his injury, leaving Cousins as a ridiculously overpriced backup since last December.

Cousins still has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s due to count an untenable $57.5MM against the Falcons’ salary cap in both 2026 and ’27. An offseason release seems likely. Cutting Cousins would allow the Falcons to spread a much more manageable $35MM hit over the next two seasons, Kendall notes.

Moving on from Cousins with Penix recovering from surgery would put the Falcons in the market for QB insurance during the offseason. They’ll likely consider various free agent and trade options. The Falcons could also draft someone, but it would have to come after the first round. They’re not in position to use another Round 1 selection on a signal-caller until 2027, having traded their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams at last year’s draft. With the Falcons off to a 3-7 start, that pick could wind up in the top 10.

In a best-case scenario for the Falcons, a healthy Penix will establish himself as a franchise passer next season. However, it’s concerning that the 25-year-old carries a lengthy injury history, including two right ACL tears in college. He also hasn’t offered high-level production over his first 12 starts in the NFL. The Falcons have gone 4-8 with Penix at the controls. It’s too soon to write Penix off, but the Falcons will have to come up with an effective backup plan this offseason in the wake of his latest injury.

Broncos Expect CB Patrick Surtain, LB Alex Singleton Back After Bye

November 22nd, 2025 at 2:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Broncos were able to pull off a crucial win for the division race last week despite being without star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and starting linebacker Alex Singleton. As they look to build onto an eight-game win streak, the team is optimistic that the defense won’t continue to be short-handed following this week’s bye, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Surtain hasn’t played since October, when he sustained a pectoral injury against the Cowboys. In the immediate aftermath, the Broncos called the two-time first-team All Pro “week-to-week.” They were aware that recovery could take over a week but weren’t willing yet to place him on injured reserve and guarantee a four-game absence.

When Surtain exited with injury four weeks ago, Denver turned to Kris Abrams-Draine, a fifth-round pick last year out of Mizzou, to finish the game in his place, keeping first-round rookie Jahdae Barron in his rotational role in the slot. Up to that point in the season, Abrams-Draine had only played two snaps on defense.

The Broncos did give Barron a chance to start across from Riley Moss the next week against the Texans, but some early struggles led to Abrams-Draine taking the first-team role back partway through the game. Abrams-Draine started each of the next two games, and even though Surtain’s expected return should reduce his role moving forward, he’ll likely get more defensive opportunities after playing the first half of the season mainly as a special teamer.

Last week was only Singleton’s first missed game of the year, but the nature of the absence left plenty of room for concern for his future availability. Singleton underwent surgery earlier this month to have a cancerous tumor removed from one of his testicles, but Fowler reports that, in his recovery, Singleton “has received encouraging results post-surgery.” Singleton is considered slightly less likely than Surtain to play in Week 13, but both players are reportedly trending very much in the right direction.

Colts Hoping DT DeForest Buckner Returns This Season

November 22nd, 2025 at 1:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Colts are optimistic that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner can recover from his neck injury in time to play again this season, per FOX59’s Mike Chappell.

Buckner went down in Week 9 and landed on injured reserve shortly after. The exact nature of his injury was not disclosed, but neck issues are always cause for concern. He has been rehabbing at the team’s facility in Indianapolis with the goal of returning this season, though the team has not issued a timeline.

Buckner, 31, was having another strong year anchoring the Colts defense with 42 sacks, four sacks, and nine tackles in nine games. He has been exceptionally consistent over his decade in the NFL. In each of the last seven years, he has put up at least 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. However, this is his second year in a row with a stint on injured reserve. He returned from an early absence in 2024 with per-game numbers that line up with the rest of his career. The Colts will be hoping for a similar result this year to give a late-season boost to their defense that could maintain their contender status heading into the postseason.

In the meantime, Neville Gallimore and Adetomiwa Adebawore will both fill Buckner’s snaps along the defensive line. It will be hard for either one to replicate his impact, but both have put in solid efforts. Gallimore has 2.5 sacks in 10 games after zero in 2024 and just four in the four years before that, and Adebawore stepped up with a career-high five tackles in Week 10.

However, having an interior disruptor of Buckner’s caliber could be crucial in the postseason. The Colts are well-positioned to qualify, but getting Buckner on the field might keep them from turning into a pumpkin in the first round.

Cowboys Waive CB Kaiir Elam

November 22nd, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Cowboys made a trade for cornerback Kaiir Elam last March, but they’re moving on eight months later. The team announced that it has waived Elam. He’ll be free to sign anywhere if he goes unclaimed. If a team does claim Elam, it would take on the fully guaranteed $1MM left on his contract.

Elam isn’t far removed from going in the first round of the 2022 draft. The Bills traded up two spots to take Elam 23rd overall after a successful three-year run at Florida. It proved to be an ill-advised decision for Buffalo, though the team did find its No. 1 corner much later in the draft when it chose Christian Benford in the sixth round.

Elam wound up starting in 12 of 29 appearances with the Bills and totaling two interceptions. Both picks came during his rookie season. An ankle injury helped limit Elam to three games in his second year. He returned to play in 13 games in 2024, mostly working as a reserve. In his final game with the Bills, an AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs last January, Elam struggled filling in for Benford after the latter left early with a concussion.

The Bills cut the cord on Elam two months after the Chiefs knocked them out. They sent Elam and a 2025 sixth-round choice to the Cowboys for a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 seventh-rounder. While Dallas believed enough in Elam to take a cheap flier on him, it unsurprisingly declined his fifth-year option (worth around $12.68MM) not long after acquiring him.

Elam ended up starting in seven of 10 games with the Cowboys, who own the NFL’s 30th-ranked pass defense. The 24-year-old contributed to their woes, allowing 25 completions, 372 yards, and three touchdowns before the Cowboys cut him. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a 105.0 passer rating when throwing Elam’s way this season. Pro Football Focus rates his performance 61st among 108 cornerbacks.

With rookie corner Shavon Revel debuting in Week 11 after missing the Cowboys’ first nine games, Elam didn’t play a snap in their win over the Raiders on Monday. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus left Elam on the bench in favor of Revel, Caelen Carson, DaRon Bland, and Reddy Steward. Trevon Diggs could rejoin that group in the coming weeks if he returns from a concussion that forced him to IR on Oct. 25.

With Elam no longer occupying a spot, the Cowboys signed running back Malik Davis from their practice squad to their active roster on Saturday. Davis has recorded seven carries for 26 yards in four games this season. Most of his work (67 of 90 snaps) has come on special teams.

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