Bills Sign DE Shaq Lawson
Shaq Lawson visited the Bills yesterday, and his workout clearly went well. A third Buffalo stint is in store to close out the season. 
Lawson has signed to the Bills’ practice squad, per a team announcement. He could find himself in the lineup as early as Week 13 by signing to Buffalo’s active roster or by being made one of the team’s gameday elevations from the taxi squad. In any case, Lawson will provide depth along the defensive front on a team needing reinforcements in that area.
Buffalo has struggled against the run in 2025. The team has allowed an average of 149 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 30th in the NFL. Lawson will not be expected to handle a major workload upon rejoining the Bills once again, but he could provide an experienced depth presence up front. Similarly, the 31-year-old could chip in as a pass-rush contributor down the stretch.
Lawson played with the Bills from 2016-19 and then again from 2022-23. The former first-rounder has topped four sacks only once in a season during his career, but he has proven to be a consistent rotational contributor while racking up 110 appearances and 38 starts. Lawson’s last regular season game was his only 2024 appearance, which came with the Panthers.
Now, the Clemson product will join the likes of safety Jordan Poyer and wideout Gabe Davis as veterans brought back to Buffalo for 2025. The play of those three will be worth watching as the 7-4 Bills close out the season. Top spot in the AFC East will be difficult to attain this year, but a wild-card berth is still very much in play.
In a corresponding move, the Bills have released defensive end Andre Jones Jr. The 27-year-old has made 16 regular season appearances in his career, all of which were with the Commanders in 2023 and ’24. Jones did not survive roster cuts with Washington this summer, and he landed with the Bills on their taxi squad before the start of the season. After not seeing any game time so far in 2025, he is now a free agent.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/24/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR K.J. Osborn
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Dominique Hampton, TE Qadir Ismail, DL Jeremiah Martin
- Placed on IR: TE Nikola Kalinic
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OT Marques Cox
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Ameer Speed
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: WR Jimmy Holiday
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Maximilian Mang
- Released: K Jude McAtamney
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Anthony Goodlow
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Practice window opened: OL Tylan Grable
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Krys Barnes, RB DeeJay Dallas
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: QB Sean Clifford
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: S Tanner Ingle
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: K Matt Gay, LB Jalen Graham
The Bills should soon get some extra OL depth, as Grable returned to practice today. The former sixth-round pick landed on IR before the start of the season thanks to concussion symptoms, and that ended up keeping him off the practice field for months. Now, the Bills will have 21 days to consider adding the second-year player to the active roster. As a rookie in 2024, the UCF product got into four games (one start).
Commanders Open Noah Brown’s Practice Window; Latest On Jayden Daniels
The Commanders remain shorthanded on offense but at least one member of the unit could return this week. Receiver Noah Brown has returned to practice, per a team announcement. 
As a result, Brown’s 21-day activation window has been opened. He can be moved from injured reserve to the active roster at any point during that time. The ninth-year receiver has been limited to just two games in 2025 and has been on IR since mid-October.
A groin injury has left Brown unavailable for much of the current campaign, his second as a member of the Commanders. The former Cowboys seventh-rounder was among the players who followed Dan Quinn from Dallas to Washington last offseason, a move which allowed him to continue operating as a complementary pass-catching presence. Brown totaled 453 yards in 11 games during his first season in the nation’s capital.
A similar showing in 2025 would have come as little surprise, even with the Commanders adding a new receiver starter in the form of Deebo Samuel. Instead, Brown has been sidelined most of the year, making only three scoreless catches to date. The 29-year-old is a pending free agent, so any production down the stretch would be key in his case.
Coming off their bye week, the Commanders are 3-8 on the year. After a surprise run to the NFC title game in 2024, things have regressed to a large extent for Washington. Attention down the stretch will turn in large part to the health of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year is still dealing with the elbow injury he suffered late in the team’s blowout loss to the Seahawks.
Daniels’ non-throwing elbow was injured at that point, leading to Marcus Mariota taking over starting duties. The veteran is in line to make at least one more start for Washington. Quinn said (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala) Daniels is set to return to practice this week, but he noted he has not yet been cleared for contact. As a result, Mariota can be expected to handle QB1 duties in Week 13 against the Broncos.
Uncertainty has loomed over Daniels’ recovery timeline. Based on Quinn’s update, though, a return with some time to spare in the season will be a possibility. By the time Washington’s starting quarterback is in play to suit up, a better health situation at the WR spot could also be in store.
Saints Waive Brandin Cooks; Latest On WR’s Contract Restructure
NOVEMBER 24: As expected, Cooks has cleared waivers (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). He is now a free agent.
NOVEMBER 23: The Saints have officially put veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on waivers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio passes along a few of the “contractual technicalities” that were referenced in prior reporting on Cooks’ impending departure, technicalities which held up the transaction.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football had reported that Cooks negotiated his contract downward to facilitate his exit, which appears to be true to a degree. Per Florio, the 32-year-old wideout gave up his right to $420K in termination pay, which would not have been offset by the salary an acquiring team will have to give him.
In exchange, the team that originally drafted Cooks increased his guaranteed pay for 2026 – the final year of the two-year pact he signed this offseason – from $1.69MM to $5.94MM. A team claiming Cooks off waivers would have to absorb his contract, so bumping up the guaranteed money on the deal makes it more likely he will pass through waivers unclaimed, thus making him a free agent and therefore able to sign with any team he wants (read: a playoff contender).
Of course, the perennially cap-strapped Saints would not willingly put themselves on the hook for more money for a player they are trying to remove from the roster, so the revised contract also created a window for New Orleans to cut Cooks in a way that absolves the team of its 2026 obligation to him. The problem, according to Florio, is that league rules specifically prohibit a team from modifying a contract to deter a waiver claim, which is precisely what the Saints have done.
However, it presently appears as if the NFL is allowing the waiver process to move forward. One high-ranking official with another club expressed shock at the league’s willingness to do so, and the NFL has not responded to Florio’s request for comment or clarification.
Absent some sort of about-face on the league’s part, it looks like Cooks and the Saints will achieve their desired outcome and Cooks will soon hit the open market. As our Connor Byrne noted in the story linked above, a number of contending teams – including the Bills, Broncos, and Steelers – were in the hunt for a receiver at the trade deadline but were unable to land one. They are among the clubs that could show interest in Cooks if he does, in fact, become an FA.
The former first-round pick has 19 catches for 165 scoreless yards in 2025.
Eagles S Andrew Mukuba To Go On IR After Ankle Surgery
The Eagles are expected to place rookie safety Andrew Mukuba on injured reserve after he fractured his ankle late in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, per Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Mukuba, 22, was a second-round pick (No. 64 overall) in April’s draft and immediately took over a starting safety job in Philadelphia. He has played 93% of the team’s defensive snaps this season with 46 tackles, three passes defended, and two interceptions.
Mukuba will require surgery and is not certain to return this season, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He was carted off the field and had to be assisted into the locker room, per ESPN’s Tim McManus; after the game, he was wearing a walking boot and using crutches, according to Jeff McLaine of The Philadelphia Inquirer. To make matters worse for Philadelphia’s secondary, their other starting safety, Reed Blankenship, also left the game and did not return.
The injuries could put the Eagles in a tough spot. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio primarily uses two-high safety looks, and Mukuba and Blankenship have combined for 1,037 snaps as free safeties this season. The next-highest total on the team is 54 from backup safety Sydney Brown. He will step into a starting role with Mukuba sidelined, but if Blankenship misses time, Fangio will be scrambling for another option.
Philadelphia does not have another safety on their 53-man roster and only one on their practice squad. That would be second-year UDFA Andre’ Sam who has yet to play this season and did not appear on defense as a rookie. Veteran Marcus Epps is on injured reserve and will not be eligible to return for another week. Cornerback Cooper DeJean has the skillset to play safety, but very little experience in college or the NFL.
The Eagles’ next game is on Black Friday, giving them a short window to evaluate Blankenship’s injury and figure out a plan for their secondary. They may need to check in on available free agents and potentially host a few for workouts. Even if Blankenship is available for Week 13,
Rams To Sign LB Nate Landman To Extension
The Rams are signing linebacker Nate Landman to a contract extension, per an announcement from his agency, SportsTrust Advisors.
The deal is worth $22.5MM over three years with $15.6MM guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, a solid payday for the fourth-year linebacker, especially after signing a one-year, veteran-minimum deal in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Landman has started every game this year with a 93% snap share and a team-high 91 tackles playing alongside Omar Speights in the middle of the Rams defense. He also leads the NFL with four forced fumbles.
Landman, 27, is now under contract through 2028, giving him a long-term home after failing to find one this offseason. He signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and appeared in seven games as a rookie, primarily on special teams. In 2023, Landman stepped into a starting role alongside Kaden Elliss and finished third on the team with 110 tackles. Leg injuries at the beginning of the 2024 season briefly landed him on injured reserve, but he came back and recorded 81 tackles in 13 games, plus three forced fumbles for the second year in a row.
As a proven starter with a history of solid tackling and impact plays, Landman was expected to draw No. 2 linebacker interest in free agency this offseason. Instead, he took a $1.1MM offer from the Rams and earned himself 20 times that with his strong start this year. He could have played out the season to maximize his next contract, but the risk of injury, comfort in his new home, and relatively low career earnings as an UDFA were enough to motivate an early extension.
Los Angeles does not normally invest in the linebacker position, but Landman’s has undeniable appeal. His $7.5MM APY ranks 25th among linebacker contracts, per OverTheCap, an excellent value for a full-time starter. Six teams are paying one linebacker as least twice as much, while three teams have two linebackers earning at least $7.5MM per year. (The Bears fall into both categories.)
The Rams will now have Landman alongside Speights, a second-year UDFA, for 2026 and likely 2027, giving them an inexpensive linebacker duo and the financial flexibility to invest heavily in other parts of the roster. That will include extensions for Puka Nacua and the team’s young pass rushers. Los Angeles is still operating on a year-to-year basis with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and they could stand to invest in their secondary to bolster a pass defense that has not ranked better than 20th in the league since 2020.
Falcons Place Billy Bowman Jr., Zach Harrison On IR
The Falcons will be notably shorthanded on defense for the foreseeable future. Billy Bowman Jr.‘s Achilles injury will leave him sidelined over at least the next four games. 
Bowman went down during a walk-through yesterday morning. It was already known the fourth-round rookie would miss Week 12, but head coach Raheem Morris‘ comments suggested a long-term absence would be in store. The Falcons placed Bowman on injured reserve today, a which move certainly points in that direction.
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A hamstring injury led to earlier missed time in Bowman’s case but when on the field he has logged a defensive snap share of 80%. The Oklahoma product has joined fellow rookie Xavier Watts as a regular presence in the secondary and thus played a central role in the Falcons’ youth movement on defense. In six games, Bowman has recorded one interception, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble while serving as Atlanta’s top slot corner. His rookie campaign is in danger of being over, however, based on the severity of this latest ailment.
Joining Bowman on IR is Zach Harrison. The third-year defensive lineman is dealing with a knee injury and will be unavailable for an extended period as a result. Harrison missed only one game across his first two seasons with Atlanta, but a notable stretch on the sidelines will now be in store. The 24-year-old has become a starter in 2025 with the Falcons beginning the post-Grady Jarrett period along the defensive interior.
Harrison has taken advantage of the increased workload, posting 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss in just seven games. The former third-rounder will look to continue that production if he manages to return for the end of the campaign, one which is again on course to see the Falcons outside the playoff picture. Harrison’s rookie contract runs through 2026.
Atlanta did not immediately make any corresponding moves to fill Bowman and Harrison’s spots on the active roster. The team did, however, add safety Jammie Robinson and receiver Dylan Drummond from the practice squad as gameday elevations. Those two are in line to play tomorrow against the Saints.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/25
Here are Week 12’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Sunday slate tomorrow:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: CB Darren Hall
- Elevated: TE Pharaoh Brown, LB Channing Tindall
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: LB Chandler Martin, CB Amani Oruwariye
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: RB Gary Brightwell, CB Jalen Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: QB Bailey Zappe
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: LB Jamon Johnson, RB Pierre Strong
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: S Tanner Ingle
- Elevated: LB Elias Neal, WR Brennan Presley
New England Patriots
- Elevated: DT Jeremiah Pharms
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Dante Pettis, G William Sherman
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP: RB Eric Gray
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, WR Dalen Cambre
- Placed on IR: TE Thomas Fidone II
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- Waived: LB Ja’Markis Weston
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: LB Patrick O’Connell, LB Jamie Sheriff
- Placed on IR: WR Tory Horton (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: S Marcus Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: RB Kalel Mullings
- Elevated: WR Xavier Restrepo
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.
Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR
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% snap share 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 the 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.