Jets Sign DT Khalen Saunders
4:47pm: Sanders has now officially signed with the Jets, per a team announcement. He will look to handle a larger workload in New York over the coming weeks than he did in Jacksonville.
2:07pm: Khalen Saunders was cut by the Jaguars last week. It appears as though the veteran defensive tackle will not have to wait long to line up his next gig. 
Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. Shortly before Pelissero’s report, veteran insider Jordan Schultz noted a deal was likely to be struck in the near future. Per Schultz, the list of teams which have shown interest in Saunders includes the Jets but also the Ravens, Colts and Cardinals.
In August, Saunders was traded from the Saints to the Jaguars. That move ended his two-year run in New Orleans but it did not yield a notable workload upon arrival with his new team. The 29-year-old played just two games with Jacksonville before the team elected to move on.
Saunders is a vested veteran, but since the end of his Jaguars tenure came after the trade deadline he went on waivers. Upon clearing, the former third-rounder became free to sign with any team. Nothing is officially in place yet, but a Jets agreement would come as little surprise given their reported interest on this front.
New York’s defensive tackle group was shaken up at the deadline by the blockbuster Quinnen Williams trade. The Jets received Mazi Smith from the Cowboys as part of the swap, but the team could still look to made further additions down the stretch. Signing Saunders would provide New York with a veteran presence who could audition for an extended stay with the team through 2026.
On the other hand, Saunders was understandably seen as a candidate to join a contender for the closing stages of the campaign. The 2-8 Jets (along with the 3-7 Cardinals, for that matter) certainly fit that description to much less of an extent than teams likes the Colts and Ravens. It will be interesting to see if a deal is nevertheless struck between Saunders and the Jets in the near future.
New York entered Monday with nearly $19MM in cap space. As such, a low-cost Saunders pact will not be a challenge for the team as its roster moves continue in the second half of the season.
Commanders Release K Matt Gay
Matt Gay‘s struggles continued on Sunday. The veteran kicker’s time in the nation’s capital has come to an end as a result. 
Gay was released on Monday, per a Commanders announcement. He will now hit the waiver wire. In the likely event no claims are made, the 31-year-old will become a free agent. Based on how the 2025 season has gone, it will be interesting to see how much interest Gay generates.
“The performance, you’ve got to have it,” head coach Dan Quinn said of the decision to move on (via ESPN’s John Keim). “We wanted it to work long term with Matt. It wasn’t [about] one game.”
Gay has played in 10 of the Commanders’ 11 games this season. Over that span, he connected on just 13 of 19 attempts. Five of his misses came from beyond 50 yards, including two during yesterday’s game against the Dolphins. Washington wound up losing that contest 16-13 in overtime. Moving forward, the team will be in the market for a kicker addition to close out the season.
A Pro Bowler in 2021, Gay enjoyed a strong run during his time with the Rams and Colts. Accuracy from short range (including extra points) has been a consistent positive in his case, but long-distance field goals have remained an issue at every stop during his career. Gay’s overall success rate on tries beyond 50 yards sits at just 59.2%.
Recent years have seen a massive uptick in the range for many kickers around the league, and as such an ability to consistently convert from 50 yards (or well beyond) has increasingly become the expectation for NFL teams. With that in mind, Gay may struggle to generate a market among potential suitors for the remainder of the year as well as the coming offseason.
Jags Sign S Juan Thornhill To Practice Squad
Juan Thornhill‘s time with the Steelers came to an end one week ago. After being cut by Pittsburgh, the veteran safety cleared waivers and became a free agent. 
In short order, a deal has been lined up in this case. Thornhill signed with the Jaguars on Monday, per a team announcement. To little surprise, this is a practice squad arrangement. It will be interesting to see how quickly Thornhill sees game time with his new team.
The seventh-year veteran severed as a full-time starter through much of his career prior to 2025. Thornhill was a first-team regular in Kansas City while playing out his rookie contract and again in Cleveland for two seasons after doing so. In Pittsburgh, however, things did not go as planned. The 30-year-old logged a defensive snap share of 49%, the lowest of his career.
The Steelers lost DeShon Elliott to a knee injury, something which brought about shuffling at the safety position. Pittsburgh swung a trade for Kyle Dugger shortly before moving on from Thornhill. Dugger and Jalen Ramsey have since operated as a safety tandem for the AFC North leaders.
The Jaguars secured a blowout win on Sunday, improving their record to 6-4. Thornhill will look to carve out a role on a team which moved on from another veteran defensive back in Darnell Savage in September. Andrew Wingard and Eric Murray have operated as safety starters in 2025 for Jacksonville, and that setup is likely to continue. Thornhill will look to serve as a backup capable of chipping in on special teams.
Jacksonville entered Monday with $8.75MM in cap space. This Thornhill signing will no doubt check in well short of the $7MM AAV he secured with his second contract and the $3MM he signed for with the Steelers this offseason. Nevertheless, he could prove to be a valuable low-cost addition down the stretch.
Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins Out For Season
9:23pm: Dobbins has already undergone surgery for a Lisfranc injury, CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson reports. His recovery process is underway as a result, but the Broncos will be shorthanded in the backfield the rest of the way.
2:26pm: We knew the Broncos would be without starting running back J.K. Dobbins after he had been ruled out yesterday. We even knew that a stint on injured reserve was in consideration, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Dobbins is dealing with a significant ligament issue in his foot that — per the opinions of several experts — will require season-ending surgery. 
He has indeed been placed on IR and will remain there for the rest of the regular season. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that there is still a possibility Dobbins could return after the regular season ends, though it would likely require the team to make it to the Super Bowl. Pelissero details that Dobbins’ injury didn’t include a fracture but just a small tear, and the projected timeline for the recovery of that diagnosis would see him coming back in time for the league’s final game of the season.
Since getting drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, injuries have been a huge part of Dobbins’ NFL story. As a rookie splitting time with Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards, Dobbins led the room with 805 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns while sporting an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. Before his sophomore campaign could get started, he was sidelined for the season with a torn ACL, suffered in the team’s final preseason game.
Returning to the field two weeks into the 2022 season, Dobbins took over as RB1. After only four games back, Dobbins suffered another knee injury and was placed on IR for the second time. He was activated later in the year and delivered four strong performances to finish the season averaging 5.7 yards per carry. In 2023, the worst occurred once again. In Baltimore’s season opener, Dobbins left the game with a torn Achilles tendon, leading to his third IR placement and his second season-ending surgery.
Leaving Baltimore with the expiration of his rookie deal, Dobbins landed with the Chargers, beating out Edwards — who also left Baltimore for LA — for the starting job thanks to a huge Week 1 performance. Dobbins showed some durability for the first time since his rookie year, starting the first 12 games of the season before a matchup with his former team saw him suffer an MCL sprain. He was placed on IR (for the fourth time) for four games but was able to return to close out the season.
Now in Denver, Dobbins has played in all 10 games for the Broncos this year. The foot injury news popped up this week, and the new details today confirm the worst: Dobbins will be placed on IR for the fifth time in six years and will undergo his third season-ending surgery. Once again showing his mettle with a strong season this year, Dobbins had Denver considering an extension before the injury sidelined him. The Broncos will now have to factor his injury history even more into any considerations concerning a new contract.
Luckily for the Broncos, they still roster second-round rookie RJ Harvey. For the most part, throughout his rookie season, Harvey has played a major second fiddle to Dobbins, but he has displayed some strong potential with big plays here and there both on the ground and through the air. He’ll likely take the lead out of the backfield with Dobbins out, but Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin both remain on the roster with him, and McLaughlin boasts an impressive volume of backup experience.
Taking Dobbins’ place on IR will be linebacker Garret Wallow, who is being activated from IR after being designated to return earlier this week. The Broncos are also signing cornerback Reese Taylor from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, waiving wide receiver Trent Sherfield to make room, and veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis and linebacker Jordan Turner will be called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations. This will be Lewis’ third such elevation, so Denver will need to sign him to the active roster if they want him to appear in any games after this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/25
Here are today’s minor NFL moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s slate of games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Giants’ practice squad: DT Elijah Garcia
- Elevated: CB Cobee Bryant, S Jammie Robinson
- Waived: G Andrew Stueber
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed from practice squad: DT Taven Bryan
- Elevated: LB Chandler Martin, CB Amani Oruwariye
- Placed on IR: LB Jay Higgins
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Krys Barnes, S Israel Mukuamu
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DE Isaiah Foskey, RB Kendall Milton
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: DT Sam Kamara, LB Cameron McGrone
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DT Matt Dickerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: RB Amar Johnson, RB Trayveon Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: K Harrison Mevis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: CB D’Shawn Jamison, LB Mark Robinson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed from practice squad: DE Clelin Ferrell
- Elevated: CB Eli Apple
- Waived: QB Adrian Martinez
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: LB Nick Jackson, OLB Mohamed Kamara
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Mike Brown
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: RB Chase Edmonds, CB Tre Hawkins
With the 49ers set to see their starting quarterback return, Martinez’s presence on the 53-man roster is no longer necessary. He’ll likely find his way back to the team’s practice squad.
The Panthers’ two elevations, Barnes and Mukuamu, are direct reflections of injury absences for tomorrow’s game. With Trevin Wallace and Lathan Ransom ruled out for Sunday, Carolina made the decision to call up another player at each position.
Mevis will once again be called upon for kicking duties in Los Angeles. In his NFL debut last week, he was untested in terms of field goal attempts, but he converted all six extra point attempts in a blowout win in San Francisco.
Kamara in Tampa Bay is being called up for the third time this season. If the Buccaneers intend to play him in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster, much as the Ravens did after Bryan exhausted all three of his standard gameday practice squad elevations.
Seahawks Activate OL Christian Haynes, Place C Jalen Sundell On IR
The Seahawks will have a different look up front when they play their pivotal game against the Rams tomorrow. The team’s roster shuffling in advance of the game includes a pair of offensive line moves. 
Christian Haynes has been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement. The second-year blocker has not played this season, but his practice window was opened just over two weeks ago. Haynes is now back on the active roster in time to play on Sunday.
The timing of Haynes’ return is key. Seattle lost starting center Jalen Sundell to a knee injury in Week 10, leading the expectation a long-term absence could be in store. Sundell will indeed be sidelined for an extended period, as the Seahawks have moved him to IR. A new first-team option will be needed at the center spot over at least the next four games as a result.
After Sundell went down in Week 10, Olu Oluwatimi took over as his replacement. Sundell won a training camp competition with Oluwatimi, but the latter could regain a starting role if the Seahawks keep him in place for the time being. Another option would be to insert Haynes into the starting lineup immediately upon returning to action by playing him at center.
Haynes, 25, made 16 appearances but no starts during his rookie season. The former third-rounder worked exclusively at guard during that time. However, head coach Mike Macdonald recently named Haynes as an option to fill in for Sundell at center. In any case, sixth-round rookie Bryce Cabeldue remains likely to continue operating as a backup along the interior with Haynes now available.
Seattle’s other Saturday roster move was the decision to make linebacker Patrick O’Connell a gameday elevation. The 26-year-old has made one appearance to date in 2025 and seven in his career, all with the Seahawks.
Bills Activate DT T.J. Sanders From IR, Sign WR Mecole Hardman To Active Roster
Knee surgery has left T.J. Sanders unavailable since he last played in Week 4. The second-round rookie is set to return to action tomorrow, however. 
Sanders was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Bills announcement. The move comes as no surprise since his practice window was opened earlier this week. Buffalo now has five IR activations remaining for the regular season.
Injuries along the defensive front have been an issue in 2025 for the Bills. Ed Oliver‘s biceps tear will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, while Michael Hoecht suffered an Achilles tear during just his second appearance of the campaign. Most recently, Landon Jackson has landed on IR and his availability regarding a return late in the year is in question.
Buffalo has allowed an average of nearly 148 yards per game on the ground this season, which ranks 30th in the league. Reinforcements along the defensive interior will be key as the team looks to make needed improvements in that regard. Sanders logged a 49% snap share prior to suffering his injury, and a notable workload should be expected once again as he returns to the lineup.
In other roster news, the Bills have signed Mecole Hardman from the practice squad to the active roster. The veteran wideout recently joined the team via a taxi squad pact and he will see playing time in short order. Hardman will not be expected to handle much in the way of offensive snaps early in his Buffalo tenure, but he could see usage in the return game right away. To make room for him on the roster, Brandon Codrington was waived.
Gabe Davis is also set to make his season debut tomorrow. The veteran receiver returned to Buffalo just before the start of the season before spending a lengthy period on the practice squad IR list. Davis is now healthy and with the team struggling for production at the WR spot, he will look to carve out at least a rotational role as a familiar Josh Allen target.
Dalton Kincaid will not play against the Buccaneers on Sunday. Depth at that position will come in the form of Keleki Latu, who joins Davis as a gameday elevation from the practice squad. Latu will make his NFL debut if he dresses tomorrow.
Giants Place OL Evan Neal On IR
The Giants placed offensive lineman Evan Neal on injured reserve, per a team announcement, likely ending the former first-round pick’s season and time in New York.
Neal has not appeared in a game all year but popped up on this week’s injury report with a hamstring issue that kept him out of practice. He could be activated after his four-game stint on IR is up, but his lack of a game day role suggests that the Giants would rather use the roster spot on another player.
It is hard to see Neal, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft, as anything but a bust. He was named the Giants’ starting right tackle as a rookie and kept it for the whole season, though he missed a few games due to an MCL sprain. Neal was benched midway through his second year and did not make enough progress over the subsequent offseason to get his job back. Injuries along the Giants’ offensive line in 2024 pressed Neal back into duty at right tackle for the last seven games of the season.
The Giants turned down Neal’s fifth-year option in May and were hoping a change to guard could salvage the final year of his rookie contract. The position switch did not take, and Neal is now poised to hit free agency as a potential reclamation project for another team.
New York’s other Saturday roster moves including the promotion of kicker Younghoe Koo to the active roster from the practice squad. Graham Gano was placed on injured reserve (for a second time) earlier this week, so Koo will take over the team’s kicking duties for the next four games. He made all four of his kicks in Week 10, though they all came inside of 40 yards.
The Giants also elevated wide receiver Dalen Cambre and defensive lineman Elijah Chatman from the practice squad for Sunday’s matchup against the Packers. Cambre, an undrafted rookie out of Louisiana, will make his NFL debut, likely as a special teams contributor. He could see some time on offense with veteran wideout Darius Slayton ruled out. Chatman, meanwhile, will make his 2025 debut with Chauncey Golston and Rakeem Nunez-Roches both expected to be sidelined. Chatman made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie last year and appeared in all 17 games with a 39% snap share, but he could not replicate the feat this season.
Texans Activate TE Cade Stover, FB Jakob Johnson Off IR
The Texans offense is getting some reinforcement at the tight end position this weekend. After suffering a broken foot in Houston’s season opener, second-year tight end Cade Stover has been activated off of injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Full back Jakob Johnson will join Stover as an activation from IR today, according to an announcement from the team. 
Tight end has been a position of attrition for the Texans this year. It looked like Houston was set to come in with a fairly strong, diverse group in 2025. Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan are strong receiving options, while Stover gets a lot of run as a blocking tight end, though he has decent hands, as well. Unfortunately, Jordan, coming off an early-season ACL tear from the prior year, was placed on IR before the end of training camp, unable to be activated at any point this year.
Luckily, behind their trio, Houston also rostered Harrison Bryant, whom they had acquired in the trade that send John Metchie to the Eagles. Bryant started the year on the Texans’ practice squad but was signed to the 53-man roster upon Stover’s placement on IR. Both Schultz and Bryant have taken their lumps recently. Schultz is set to play through a reported shoulder injury and illness this week, while Bryant has been ruled out with neck and shoulder injuries. Bryant has now been placed on IR due to those injuries, making Stover’s return to the lineup that much timelier.
In order to make room for both Stover and Johnson on the 53-man roster, cornerback Damon Arnette was waived. He only spent a week on the active roster and will likely return to the practice squad. The Texans also announced that rookie cornerback Ajani Carter and veteran safety Jalen Mills will serve as the team’s standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/25
Today’s only practice squad update:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: G Jaxson Kirkland
Kirkland had been brought up twice as a standard gameday practice squad elevation but hadn’t seen any playing time this year. Now, he’ll be placed on the injured list to allow the team to sign a new practice squad player in his slot, if they so choose.