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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/25

October 20th, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It didn’t take long for Arthur Maulet to earn a full-time spot on the Lions active roster. The veteran cornerback just joined the organization earlier this month, and he already had one promotion in Week 6. He’ll likely continue seeing a rotational role in Detroit’s secondary moving forward, although his addition is partly due to absences from Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed.

The Patriots snagged a linebacker from the Chargers today. Caleb Murphy has some familiarity with Mike Vrabel, as the former Titans coach added the linebacker as an undrafted free agent back in 2023. Murphy has gotten into 14 games in stints with the Titans and Chargers, compiling 17 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

WR Tyler Lockett Granted Release By Titans

October 20th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Tyler Lockett‘s stint in Tennessee has unceremoniously come to an end. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the veteran wideout asked for and was granted his release by the Titans today. The move allows Lockett to sign with another team after 4pmET on Wednesday.

After spending 10 seasons in Seattle to begin his career, Lockett was released by the Seahawks this past offseason. He quickly caught on with the Titans via a one-year, $4MM deal. The hope was that the receiver would provide another experienced target for Cam Ward, but the acquisition clearly wasn’t clicking with his new offense.

Through seven games, Lockett has hauled in 10 of his 21 targets for 70 yards. While he’s garnered the third-most snaps among Titans receivers, his role has been trending downwards in recent weeks. This seemed to culminate yesterday, when the 33-year-old was firmly playing as the WR4 despite Calvin Ridley being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

This move should now work out for both sides. The 1-6 Titans will get an opportunity to get a longer look at their younger wideouts, including Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, who hauled in his first-career touchdown during yesterday’s loss. Paul Kuharsky wonders if the Titans may also lean more into two tight end sets, which would presumably consist of Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm.

For Lockett, the veteran will have an opportunity to catch on with a more competitive squad, although he may be hard pressed to find a significant role with a new team. Lockett’s numbers dropped a bit during his final seasons in Seattle, including a 2024 campaign where he finished with 49 receptions for 600 yards and two touchdowns.

This was a far cry from the four-straight 1,000-yard campaigns he put up between 2019 and 2022, and his recent role in Tennessee could indicate that he doesn’t have a whole lot left in the tank. At the very least, the veteran can now ride off into the sunset with a team that’s perhaps destined for the postseason.

Bills Designate CB Maxwell Hairston For Return

October 20th, 2025 at 4:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Maxwell Hairston is moving closer to his NFL debut. The first-round rookie had his practice window opened by the Bills on Monday, per the transactions wire.

Last week, head coach Sean McDermott indicated a return to practice would be coming shortly. As such. today’s news comes as little surprise. The Bills now have 21 days to activate Hairston and avoid having him revert to season-ending injured reserve.

During roster cutdowns, Buffalo moved Hairston to IR with a return designation. That used up one of the team’s IR activations, meaning another will not be needed once the 22-year-old is officially brought back into the fold. More importantly, having Hairston available will provide a boost to Buffalo’s secondary – a unit which may be without fellow rookie Dorian Strong the rest of the way – as early as Week 8 as the team returns from its bye.

The Bills sit second in the NFL in pass defense, but their play against the run has been an issue so far. Buffalo has surrendered an average of 156 yards per game on the ground, the second-worst figure in the league. Adding Hairston to the mix is unlikely to make much of a different against the run, but the Kentucky product could certainly help a defense which has posted just two interceptions to date.

Over the course of his college career, Hairston posted six interceptions. Five of those came in 2023, although his lone pick from last season was returned for a touchdown. The 5-11, 183-pounder will look to add a playmaking element to Buffalo’s cornerback room early and often in his career. The Bills have Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White atop the depth chart for perimeter corners; Hairston will look to compete with the latter for playing time upon being activated.

Lions DT Alim McNeill To Make Season Debut In Week 7

October 20th, 2025 at 3:52pm CST by Connor Byrne

OCTOBER 20: With no setbacks having taken place in recent days, McNeill is indeed set to make his debut tonight. The Lions have activated him from the reserve/PUP list, per a team announcement.

OCTOBER 15: After returning to practice earlier this month, Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill is nearing his long-awaited season debut. Head coach Dan Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday that McNeill will suit up against the Buccaneers in Week 7 in a showdown between NFC contenders (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

“Barring something happening this week, Alim’s fricking playing, man,” Campbell said.

McNeill, now in his fifth season, has emerged as an integral piece of Detroit’s defensive line since the team chose him in the third round of the 2021 draft. After mostly working as a reserve as a rookie, the 6-foot-2, 310-pounder has started in all 44 appearances since his second year. McNeill totaled 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 14 games last season before suffering a torn ACL in a mid-December loss to the Bills.

Now 10 months removed from his injury, the 25-year-old McNeill is ready to return to action. Notably, Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of McNeil landing a four-year, $97MM contract extension. Considering the Lions’ investment in McNeil, they may ease him back in upon his return. The Lions have a bye following their matchup with the Buccaneers, which will give McNeill a week to rest after his first game back.

Although he missed the Lions’ last three regular-season games, McNeil still led their defensive tackles in snaps in 2024. D.J. Reader has paced the group this year, while first-round rookie Tyleik Williams has received the second-most snaps. Roy Lopez, Pat O’Connor, and Tyler Lacy have also gotten a good chunk of playing time in depth roles during McNeill’s absence.

Despite going without McNeill this season, Detroit’s defense still ranks fourth in the NFL in sacks and ninth in yards per game, though it’s a middle-of-the-pack 15th in points per contest. With the 4-2 Lions looking to bounce back from a loss to the Chiefs and down a few key defenders in their secondary (D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Brian Branch if his one-game suspension holds up), McNeill will be a welcome reinforcement against the Bucs (5-1), the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Texans Activate Denico Autry, Jaylen Reed

October 20th, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shortly before their 21-day activations windows closed, both Denico Autry and Jaylen Reed are back in the fold. Both defenders were activated by the Texans on Monday, per a team announcement.

Autry was moved to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns. Reed, meanwhile, was classified as injured reserve-designated for return at that time. In both cases, an absence of at least the first four games of the season was guaranteed. Both players returned to practice at the beginning of October, opening their three-week activation windows.

Most of that time has been used up, but the timing of today’s move ensures Autry and Reed will be in the fold moving forward. They are both on the active roster in time to play in tonight’s contest against the Seahawks. Houston already has the league’s No. 1 defense in terms of points allowed per game (12.2), and that unit will now have reinforcements.

Autry dealt with a lingering knee injury dating back to last season while preparing for the current campaign. Upon returning from suspension last year, the 35-year-old posted three sacks in 10 games. That marked a notable decline relative to his highly productive Titans stint prior to arriving in Houston. Still, the 12th-year veteran will offer solid depth to the pass rush tandem of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.

Reed was taken in the sixth round of April’s draft. He will look to provide depth at the safety spot, something which would be welcomed after the decision to move on from C.J. Gardner-Johnson during the season. A large special teams workload could await Reed during his rookie campaign. The Texans still have seven of their eight allotted IR activations for the season since designating Reed for return in August used one.

In a corresponding move, cornerback Zion Childress has been waived. The undrafted rookie made a pair of appearances with Dallas before signing to Houston’s active roster. That did not result in further playing time, though, and Childress will now hit the waiver wire.

Titans Activate DT T’Vondre Sweat From IR

October 18th, 2025 at 8:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

T’Vondre Sweat is in line to make his return in Week 7. The second-year defensive tackle was activated from injured reserve Saturday, per a Titans announcement.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

Sweat had his 21-day practice window opened on Wednesday. As a result, today’s move comes as little surprise. After suffering an ankle injury in Week 1, Sweat was unsuccessful in his efforts to return to action. That resulted in an IR stint, but he has been activated after missing the required four games.

As a rookie, Sweat played in all 17 games and logged a 66% snap share. The Texas product has only played 29 snaps so far this season due to the injury, but he will be expected to reprise his role as a starter upon return. Sweat, 24, entered the league known as a run-stopping presence and topped 50 tackles last season. Managing to remain a consistent presence at least on early downs will be key in his second year.

Having moved on from head coach Brian Callahan and replaced him internally with Mike McCoy, plenty of attention will be paid to the Titans over the coming weeks. The team’s offense in particular will be under scrutiny, with quarterback Cam Ward‘s development obviously the top priority. Tennessee’s defense has plenty of room for improvement as well, though, as it sits near the bottom of the NFL in many categories. The Titans rank 25th against the run entering Sunday’s action.

Sweat will particularly look to help in that regard moving forward. With a 1-5 record, Tennessee is seen as a strong seller’s candidate ahead of the trade deadline with postseason contention not expected. As McCoy makes his return to an NFL head coaching gig and begins to audition for the full-time role, Sweat will be back in the fold.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/25

October 18th, 2025 at 7:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad elevations as we head to the seventh Sunday of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

As injured reserve activations start to dominate the headlines, a couple teams are making minor additions off their injured lists. In Homer, the Bears are getting a veteran special teamer and some running back depth. Monk adds depth to Green Bay’s offensive line. And Weston will do the same for a linebacking corps in New York that has seen rookie fifth-round pick Francisco Mauigoa starting in place of an injured Quincy Williams.

Ford in Chicago, Sewell in New Orleans, and Jacobs in Tennessee are all being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. In order to appear in any more games after this weekend, their respective teams will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.

Vikings Activate LB Blake Cashman From IR

October 18th, 2025 at 7:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Blake Cashman is positioned to make his return in Week 7. The veteran linebacker was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Vikings announcement.

Cashman had his practice window opened earlier this week. That left Minnesota with 21 days to bring him back into the fold, but it is of course a positive development that he has been activated after one week of practice. Cashman will be expected to return to his full-time starting role.

The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 and has been unavailable since. Having Cashman back in place will be critical for the Vikings’ defense, though, considering his impact from last season. During his debut campaign with his hometown team, Cashman set a career high in tackles (112), sacks (4.5) and pass deflections (eight). Expectations will be high for another productive season if he can remain healthy the rest of the way.

Cashman is under contract for 2026. With none of his base salary for next year guaranteed, however, the former fifth-rounder’s future could be somewhat uncertain based on how the coming months play out. Cashman managing to duplicate his impact from 2024 would no doubt ensure he remains in place for next season, but a contract adjustment could be in store one way or another. For now, attention will turn to Cashman’s ability to boost a defense which ranks fifth in scoring but only 24th against the run.

In addition to Cashman, the Vikings have also activated pass rusher Tyler Batty. The undrafted rookie was given the designated for return tag during roster cutdowns, and he returned to practice at the start of October. Minnesota now has five IR activations remaining on the year.

Broncos Activate LB Dre Greenlaw From IR

October 18th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 18: As expected, Greenlaw is indeed back in the fold. The Broncos officially activated him on Saturday, per a team announcement. Today’s move leaves Denver with five IR activations for the remainder of the campaign.

OCTOBER 15: The Broncos’ defense smothered the Jets in London, covering for an inconsistent offense. Denver sacked Justin Fields nine times and holds a runaway lead in that category this season, also seeing its secondary provide a considerable boost to open the year.

Denver, though, has shown a vulnerability on its defensive second level. The team has Alex Singleton back, but the aging linebacker is coming off an ACL tear. Dre Greenlaw has also been out. The latter issue may be resolved soon. Greenlaw returned to practice Wednesday, per 9News’ Mike Klis, officially opening his 21-day IR-return window.

[RELATED: 2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Given a three-year, $31.5MM deal to leave San Francisco for Colorado, Greenlaw only secured $11.5MM guaranteed at signing. The standout linebacker having missed almost all of the 2024 season — due to a historically ill-timed (for the 49ers) Achilles tear suffered during Super Bowl LVIII — significantly impacted his market. But Greenlaw still drew extensive interest. He opted to reaffirm his Broncos commitment despite an 11th-hour push from the 49ers for him to return. Though, Denver has seen next to nothing from its investment thus far.

Following the deal, Greenlaw sustained multiple quad-related setbacks. He sustained a strained quad while training on his own this offseason, and while a training camp return commenced, a separate quad issue surfaced in July. Greenlaw encountered a recovery setback, per the Denver Post’s Luca Evans, leading to an IR placement before Week 3. It represents a good sign for the Broncos that Greenlaw is practicing when first eligible, but he has certainly proven unreliable over the past two seasons.

Singleton has struggled in coverage, though he has not missed any time since returning from the ACL tear. Greenlaw was set to begin the season on a pitch count before his setback, so it would stand to reason the Broncos ease him into action. They may need to see a lot from Greenlaw in his truncated season, as a $2MM guarantee is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. Otherwise, the Broncos can escape this contract fairly easily after one season.

PFR’s No. 40 free agent, Greenlaw was one of the NFL’s better all-around linebackers when healthy as a 49er. Before his injury significantly impacted the 49ers in their Chiefs Super Bowl rematch, he worked as a dynamic Fred Warner wingman. Pro Football Focus graded Greenlaw ninth among non-rush ‘backers in 2022 and 23rd in ’23, viewing him as a plus coverage player. The former fifth-round pick made 247 tackles in that span. That skillset would benefit a Broncos team that does not have many weaknesses on defense. Vance Joseph‘s unit enters Week 7 ranked second in points and yardage.

Greenlaw fill-in Justin Strnad has contributed to the Broncos’ NFL-leading sack total (30), registering 3.5 despite his role as an off-ball LB. It will be interesting to see how much time the re-signed backup/spot starter receives once Greenlaw returns. Having traveled to Philadelphia and London with the team, Greenlaw would appear close to debuting. But his recent past will assuredly keep Strnad on call.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/25

October 18th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

When Ehlinger was released yesterday to make room for linebacker Dre Greenlaw to come off injured reserve, it was announced that Ehlinger was expected to remain in Denver on a practice squad contract. Both sides followed through on that report today.

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