HEADLINES

Vikings Waive Adam Thielen; WR To Retire Following 2025 Season

December 1st, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Adam Thielen‘s second stint with the Vikings has come to an end. The veteran receiver was waived on Monday, per a team announcement.

Thielen was inactive for yesterday’s loss despite being healthy. Instead of finishing the season buried down the depth chart on a Minnesota team in line to miss the playoffs, he will now seek out a new situation for the stretch run. Thielen will hit the waiver wire and, provided he clears, become a free agent.

“Last week Adam’s representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season,” a team statement reads in part. “Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere.” 

Thielen spent his first 11 years and 10 NFL seasons with Minnesota. The former UDFA emerged as a key figure on offense for the Vikings, but a downturn in production ultimately led to his release in 2023. Thielen joined the Panthers in free agency, and during two years in Carolina he served as a full-time starter.

Amidst questions regarding a potential retirement decision, Thielen committed to playing one more season. The Panthers traded him back to the Vikings shortly before the start of the campaign. During his second run with his hometown team, the Minnesota State product has made just eight scoreless catches while handling a snap share of only 29%. The Vikings have struggled mightily on offense all season, something punctuated during yesterday’s shutout loss.

While the team looks for answers under center for 2025 and beyond, Thielen will look for a suitable fit over the closing weeks of the season. The two-time Pro Bowler hinted in May that this year would likely be his last. To no surprise, Thielen has since confirmed in a statement of his own that he will indeed be hanging up his cleats after the year comes to an end. It will be interesting to see if he lands with a contender and in doing so sets up a potential run at a first career Super Bowl.

The Panthers-Vikings trade included a conditional pick, but today’s news confirms its status. The final tally on the swap is Thielen, a 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder in exchange for fifth- and fourth-round selections in the next two drafts. Thielen accepted a pay cut to facilitate the move.

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are in line to remain atop the Vikings’ WR depth chart for years to come. The team will not have Thielen in place for the final few games of his career, however.

Cardinals Unsure Of QB Kyler Murray’s Return Timeline

December 1st, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:43pm: Gannon said this afternoon (via team reporter Darren Urban) Murray will not practice this week. Evaluation in this case will continue with Murray’s status still unclear.

9:54am: Kyler Murray appeared to be nearing a return to full health following a foot injury when it became clear he would not resume starting quarterback duties upon being medically cleared. Shortly thereafter, the Cardinals moved him to injured reserve.

That decision ensured an absence of at least four weeks. As early as Wednesday, though, Murray could return to practice. Head coach Jonathan Gannon was asked by ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss if the team plans on opening Murray’s practice window this week, but he replied, “I’m not sure.”

Since Gannon revealed Murray would not immediately reprise his starting role upon being cleared, speculation has understandably increased about a parting of ways taking place this coming offseason. Murray is already owed $36.8MM in guaranteed salary for 2026, so a trade or release would have major cap implications. The former No. 1 pick’s base salary ($19.5MM) is set to vest in March, so a decision will need to be made by that point.

A recent report indicated the Cardinals could elect to retain the current regime featuring Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort and in doing so allow for a reset under center. Gannon and Ossenfort were both hired in 2023, well after Murray had been drafted. Year 3 of the Ossenfort-Gannon tandem has not gone to plan, and Arizona sits at 3-9 on the year. That leaves the Cardinals as one of the teams already eliminated from playoff contention and a potential candidate to select a passer during the opening round of April’s draft.

Murray’s entire seven-year career has taken place in Arizona, but a change in organizational direction could leave him on the move relatively soon. The 28-year-old would be an interesting target for other teams seeking at least a short-term move at the position, but of course his market value will be heavily influenced by his health. Receiving clearance for the end of the campaign would be a welcomed development for all involved.

The coming days will thus be important with respect to Murray’s status over the closing weeks of the season. A return to full health – even without any accompanying playing time – would add an interesting layer to Arizona’s final games of 2025. Whether or not the team plans to open Murray’s practice window in the near future will be worth monitoring.

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

December 1st, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Week 12 saw the Giants become the first team in the NFL to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Based on yesterday’s results, another two teams from each conference saw their postseason chances officially come to an end.

The Titans, Saints, Raiders and Cardinals have now been eliminated as well. Attention in the case of those teams will increasingly turn toward the offseason. For some, questions about changes at the quarterback spot will be ongoing through the spring. Free agency is not expected to include many notable options, so the draft will be sought out in several instances as a means of finding a 2026 starter.

Of course, the incoming class of passers has largely underwhelmed this season. That has led to uncertainty regarding the ceiling for many of the top prospects at the quarterback position. Nevertheless, supply often outweighs demand at the top of the Day 1 order in the NFL draft. How things shake out over the closing weeks of the season will be key in determining which QB-needy teams find themselves in the best position to select a new QB1.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is an early look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (1-11)
  2. New York Giants (2-11)
  3. New Orleans Saints (2-10)
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-9)
  6. Washington Commanders (3-9)
  7. New York Jets (3-9)
  8. Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
  9. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
  11. Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
  12. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
  13. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
  15. Carolina Panthers (7-6)
  16. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
  17. Detroit Lions (7-5)
  18. Houston Texans (7-5)
  19. Baltimore Ravens (6-6)
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
  21. Buffalo Bills (8-4)
  22. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
  23. New York Jets (via Colts)
  24. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
  26. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
  27. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
  28. Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
  30. Chicago Bears (9-3)
  31. Denver Broncos (10-2)
  32. New England Patriots (11-2)

Giants’ Abdul Carter Benched For First Quarter Of Week 13

December 1st, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Connor Byrne

For the second time in three weeks, Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka publicly disciplined rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter on Monday. The 22-year-old missed “all or part of a team responsibility,” leading Kafka to bench him for the first quarter against the Patriots, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (Richie O’Leary of On3 first reported the news).

Carter, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, has reportedly had issues with tardiness throughout the season. While head coach Brian Daboll didn’t dole out any known punishment to Carter before his Nov. 10 firing, Kafka hasn’t been as forgiving.

In a Week 11 loss to the Packers, his debut taking over for Daboll, Kafka benched Carter for the Giants’ opening defensive series after he missed a walk-through. A report indicated Carter was absent from the walk-through because he fell asleep at the team’s facility.

Carter vehemently denied he was asleep, per Dunleavy. However, he did admit to “a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team.” 

Asked why Carter didn’t play in the first quarter on Monday, Kafka told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge it was a“coach’s decision.”

Carter’s one-quarter benching temporarily deprived the Giants of two key pass rushers. They were already without Kayvon Thibodeaux, who missed his third straight game with a shoulder injury.

The Patriots, who stand atop the AFC, jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Carter entered the game. The Pats wound up rolling to a a 33-15 win over the Giants, who fell to 2-11. They’re now 0-3 with Kafka at the controls.

Whether Kafka earns a full-time promotion (which seems doubtful) or the Giants hire someone else as their next head coach, getting through to Carter will be among that individual’s most important tasks. The Giants bet big on Carter after he was a force at Penn State, where he recorded 23.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2024 en route to Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Giants undoubtedly expect him to turn into a franchise cornerstone.

While Carter did pick up four tackles and a sack on Monday, his production with New York has fallen well short of his Penn State output so far. Carter has logged 31 tackles, 13 QB hits, and 1.5 sacks in his first 13 games as a pro. This will go down as a lost season for the Giants, but their chances of a 2026 rebound will improve with better on- and off-field results from Carter.

Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan Could Return To Practice This Week

December 1st, 2025 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers receivers depth chart could soon be whole. Todd Bowles told reporters today that Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan could return to practice this week (via Greg Auman of FOX Sports). The coach did caution that the two players may not necessarily make their returns this Sunday against the Saints.

Evans missed three games earlier this season thanks to a hamstring injury, and his Week 7 return couldn’t have gone much worse. The veteran exited that contest in the first quarter with what was initially deemed a concussion. However, it was later revealed that the receiver had also suffered a broken clavicle, shelving him for several months.

The injury shut the door on Evans extending his 11-season streak of tallying at least 1,000 receiving yards. After finishing the 2024 campaign with 74 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns, Evans’ age-32 season has seen him haul in 14 receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown.

McMillan suffered a serious neck injury following an awkward fall during Tampa Bay’s second preseason contest. Bowles admitted that the second-year receiver had to “adjust to wearing a helmet” again (per Auman).

“He’s been running,” Bowles said. “It’s just a matter of him putting on a helmet and seeing where he is strength-wise with his neck. He’ll start doing more this week, and we’ll see exactly what [he can do] — whether it’s individual or whether it’s some more things this week as well — but he will start moving around.”

The 2024 third-round pick had a standout rookie campaign. The Washington product finished the 2024 season with 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns.

With Chris Godwin also missing time, Baker Mayfield has had to operate with a depleted group of wideouts in 2025. The team has gotten an All-Rookie performance from first-round WR Emeka Egbuka, with veteran Sterling Shepard and seventh-round rookie Tez Johnson also helping to soak up some snaps at the position.

Broncos Host WR Elijah Moore

December 1st, 2025 at 8:49pm CST by Connor Byrne

Recently released wide receiver Elijah Moore could hop from one AFC playoff contender to another. Moore visited the AFC West-leading Broncos on Monday, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports.

Moore has been searching for a new team since Buffalo waived him last Wednesday. After the Bills added Brandin Cooks to what has been an underwhelming receiving corps in 2025, they and Moore mutually agreed to part ways.

Moore, a 2021 second-round pick from Mississippi, divided the first four seasons of his career between the Jets and Browns. The 5-foot-10, 178-pounder averaged roughly 50 catches, 541 yards, and two touchdowns per year during that span.

Despite his decent production in New York and Cleveland, Moore went without a free agent contract until after the draft. The Bills scooped him up in late April on a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2.5MM.

Although the Bills’ investment in Moore was modest, they got little to no value out of it. Moore played in nine games with Buffalo and snagged just nine of 17 targets for 112 yards. His only touchdown came on a four-yard run in Week 2. The Bills moved on after a Week 12 performance in which he caught one pass for minus-three yards in a loss to the Texans.

Like the Bills, the Broncos were reportedly interested in swinging a deal for a receiver before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Neither team succeeded on that front. The Broncos then reunited with Lil’Jordan Humphrey, whom they signed off the Giants’ practice squad, on Nov. 12.

With Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims locked in as the Broncos’ top four receivers, Humphrey has played just 23 offensive snaps over two games in his return to Denver. He didn’t catch a pass in either of those contests.

It’s unclear whether the Broncos are considering adding Moore to their active roster, which could come at Humphrey’s expense, or as veteran insurance on their practice squad. The Broncos’ taxi squad includes receivers Michael Bandy, A.T. Perry, and Kyrese Rowan, but those three have combined for just 23 catches in the pros.

Packers Open Practice Window On RB MarShawn Lloyd, DE Brenton Cox, DE Collin Oliver

December 1st, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers will soon be getting some reinforcement on both sides of the ball. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, running back MarShawn Lloyd and defensive end Brenton Cox had their practice windows opened today. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston adds that the team has also opened the practice window on defensive end Collin Oliver.

Lloyd landed on IR before the start of the 2025 season with a hamstring injury. The 2024 third-round pick also spent most of his rookie campaign on injured reserve, collecting 18 yards from scrimmage in a single appearance. Lloyd may have a tough time cracking Green Bay’s depth chart upon his return, as the team has relied on the trio of Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, and Chris Brooks in 2025.

Cox suffered a groin injury back in Week 1 that ended up shelving him for close to three months. The former UDFA hasn’t gotten a lot of run through his three seasons in Green Bay, although he did show some pass-rush prowess in 2024. Despite being limited to about a third of his team’s defensive snaps in seven games, Cox finished last season with four sacks.

Oliver, a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, has been sidelined since training camp with a hamstring injury that required surgery. The defensive lineman was a standout in the Big 12, earning three All-Conference shoutouts while tallying 40.5 sacks. He was limited to only a pair of games in 2024 that ultimately contributed to a falling draft stock. Considering his time off the field, Oliver likely won’t be counted on to contribute during the stretch run of the season.

The Packers will now have 21 days to activate any of these three players to the active roster.

Justin Herbert To Undergo Hand Surgery

December 1st, 2025 at 7:05pm CST by Ely Allen

TODAY: The Chargers announced that Herbert underwent successful surgery today. The quarterback is now day-to-day, and his status for next Monday’s matchup with the Eagles “will be determined later in the week.”

NOVEMBER 30: Following today’s victory over the Raiders, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told the media that quarterback Justin Herbert has suffered a broken bone in left (non-throwing) hand and that Herbert would be undergoing a procedure tomorrow to address the injury, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Harbaugh also told reporters that he doesn’t know whether Herbert will have to miss time because of the surgery or not.

It’s been a rough go for the Chargers offense this year. Injuries have taken their toll on a group that has seen both starting tackles and three running backs land on injured reserve. With so many pieces missing already, losing Herbert for even a week or two could be very hard for this team to weather. They’re currently a game behind the Broncos for the division lead, and it could be two, depending on the outcome of tonight’s game. They’re in a Wildcard spot at the moment, but there are multiple teams lapping at their heels in the standings.

With that in mind, it makes sense that Herbert will try not to miss any time because of this surgery. When asked if he would need to miss time, Herbert told reporters that doctors are “pretty hopeful” he won’t need to. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, Herbert wore a hard cast on his left hand underneath his glove today, so it stands to reason that that may be a postop option, as well. “It’s one of those things where you just stabilize it,” Herbert told reporters. “I’m not the doctor, but yeah, they were hopeful, so I think that’s a good thing.”

Rhim’s fellow ESPN staffer Adam Schefter added on that Herbert is approaching next week’s game as if he will be playing in it. The Chargers next contest will be a Monday night road trip to Philadelphia. If Herbert is forced to miss any time, backup quarterback Trey Lance would likely get the start. Lance has four games of starting experience from his time in San Francisco, plus a start for the Cowboys last year, but he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since his rookie campaign in 2021.

Popper pointed to a moment earlier in Herbert’s career, two years ago, in which Herbert broke a finger in his left hand early in the season. He didn’t miss any games because of the injury back in 2023. Herbert drew on that experience to underline his confidence in being able to play for Monday Night Football next week, telling reporters, “In terms of experience, I’ve gone through similar things, so I think it will be helpful.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/25

December 1st, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Joshua Karty is already back with the Rams. After getting waived by the team the other day, the kicker has landed back with the Rams practice squad. Harrison Mevis will continue to operate as the team’s kicker for the time being, and the Missouri product continued his perfect season with four XP makes yesterday. The organization apparently isn’t completely ready to hand over the gig to Mevis, however, as Karty will stick around as insurance.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/25

December 1st, 2025 at 6:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Giants

The Lions continue to work through their tight end depth with Sam LaPorta done for the season. The team’s first move today was claiming Hayden Rucci, who was waived by the Dolphins on Saturday. A former UDFA out of Wisconsin, Rucci spent much of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns in Miami. He got into four games with the organization this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

The Lions also welcomed Shane Zylstra back to practice today. The tight end has been out since Week 2, when he suffered an ankle injury while blocking on a punt return. The veteran has gotten into 31 games with the Lions since the 2021 season, hauling in 15 catches for 116 yards and four touchdowns.

Otherwise, the Lions placed center Frank Ragnow back on the reserve/retired list after the veteran failed his physical.

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