Chargers Sign S Marcus Williams
More than seven months after the Ravens released Marcus Williams, the veteran safety has secured his first post-Baltimore gig. The Chargers are signing the longtime starter to their practice squad, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
The Ravens designated Williams a post-June 1 cut this offseason, having demoted him during what became a disappointing tenure. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz was in Baltimore when the team signed Williams back in 2022, and after sending Alohi Gilman to the Ravens in the trade for Odafe Oweh, the Bolts will take a flier on Williams. This addition also comes as questions surround Derwin James‘ near-future availability after a Week 8 injury.
Los Angeles is also adding defensive tackle Kyle Peko to its practice squad and releasing running back Nyheim Miller-Hines from the 16-man unit. Williams joins ex-Ravens safety Tony Jefferson among the Bolts’ back-line crew. The Bolts also released wide receiver Luke Grimm from their P-squad, per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim.
This signing comes after Williams took part in a Chargers workout late last week. The Bolts also auditioned Marcus Maye, Lewis Cine and ex-Raven Daryl Worley, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Maye was an in-season Chargers addition last year, while Worley was part of many Ravens transactions in recent years. This could have been an 11th team for Worley, but instead it will be Williams receiving the opportunity.
Baltimore could not count on Williams, who signed a five-year deal worth $70MM as a 2022 free agent. Injuries and shaky play defined the ex-Saints draftee’s Maryland stay. The Ravens benched Williams midway through last season and made him a healthy scratch down the stretch. Acquired weeks before the Kyle Hamilton pick, Williams could not justify his $14MM-per-year contract. The Ravens reworked the deal in January to precede a release. Although Williams met with the Panthers and Steelers this offseason, no deal came to pass. He will now accept a practice squad invite.
A Saints standout who drew a franchise tag in 2021, Williams is now 29. He has made 106 career starts. Known partially for a mishap on the Vikings’ Minneapolis Miracle play, Williams was a key part of the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence — an ascent largely keyed by the team’s 2017 draft class. He has 20 career INTs. While his recent play left much to be desired, the former second-round pick will provide experienced depth behind James, Jefferson and Elijah Molden. James, though, is not certain to play in Week 9 due to a sprained ankle suffered against the Vikings. Williams stands to provide some insurance in case James misses time.
Peko also worked out for the Bolts last week, per Wilson, who adds Raekwon Davis participated as well. Davis has been out of football since the Colts cut him this offseason. The defensive tackle signed with Indianapolis in 2024. Peko, 32, has played for five teams in nine seasons.
Saints To Start Tyler Shough In Week 9
The Saints are making a change under center, installing rookie Tyler Shough as the new starter and benching Spencer Rattler, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rattler won a training camp battle for the Saints’ starting quarterback gig, but the team is 1-7 in his eight starts. Statistically, Rattler himself has not been horrible relative to some of the league’s other starters, but New Orleans ranks 29th in points scored and 27th in total yardage this year.
Shough, 26, was a second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in April’s draft who was widely seen as the Saints’ successor to Derek Carr. His age and draft profile as an NFL-ready quarterback raised expectations that he would start right away in New Orleans, but new head coach Kellen Moore made it clear in the spring that there would be a true competition in the preseason.
In the interim, however, Shough leveraged his draft status, the Saints’ quarterback situation, and new league contract precedent into a fully-guaranteed rookie deal, making it clear that he would get a shot at the starting job sooner than later. Rattler was expected to have a long leash at the beginning of the season, but it only extended out to eight starts.
Rattler was benched for Shough in Week 8, and though the rookie did not dazzle in his first extended regular-season action, he did enough to earn Moore’s confidence moving forward. Expectations will still be low for the rest of the season, as the rest of the Saints offensive line has struggled this season and won’t make Shough’s first start a walk in the park. Neither will a ferocious Rams defense that ranks second in the league with 26 sacks. But any progress Shough can make this year will give New Orleans a better idea if they’ve found a long-term starter or should focus on the 2026 draft class.
Rams Acquire Roger McCreary From Titans
Roger McCreary was known to be one of the Titans players on the trading block and he has now been dealt. The fourth-year cornerback is headed to the Rams. 
A trade has been agreed to between Tennessee and Los Angeles, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Conditional 2026 Day 3 picks are being swapped. The Titans will receive a fifth-rounder closer to the top of the round while the Rams are in line to collect the Titans’ sixth-round pick which ends up closest to the bottom of that round’s order. The swap is now official.
Tennessee traded away a fifth-round pick to the Rams last summer for linebacker Ernest Jones. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network clarifies, that selection now belongs to the Titans once more. The team will also still have a pair of sixth-round picks once it is determined which of Tennessee’s three selections in that round head to Los Angeles.
The Titans have struggled early in the 2025 campaign to the point head coach Brian Callahan was fired less than halfway through his second season at the helm. A new front office setup led by football operations president Chad Brinker and first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi is in place, something which has led many to believe a number of players acquired by previous regimes could be traded away over the coming days. With only quarterback Cam Ward and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons seen as being truly untouchable, it will be interesting to see if further moves are made after this one.
McCreary has amassed 38 starts to date in his career, with his heaviest workloads coming at the beginning of his Titans tenure. The Auburn product logged every snap as a rookie and handled a 92% snap share the following season. Since then, however, his workload has declined. McCreary has made just three starts in 2025, finding himself on the field for 60% of the team’s snaps while operating in the slot. A change of scenery will now put him in the mix to carve out a role in Los Angeles’ secondary.
The Rams have rotated Cobie Durant, Darious Williams and Emmanuel Forbes on the perimeter this season. That has left Quentin Lake to handle slot duties. He and McCreary, 25, will now compete for the top spot on the depth chart in that regard. Both Lake and McCreary are attached to the final year of their rookie contracts and are thus pending free agents. Prior to today’s trade, Dianna Russini of The Athletic identified the Rams as a team in the market for an addition on this front.
For the Titans, meanwhile, this move thins out their cornerbacks room even further. L’Jarius Sneed is on injured reserve, so losing McCreary leaves Tennessee with Jalyn Armour-Davis, Darrell Baker, Marcus Harris and Samuel Womack atop the depth chart to close out the season. The team sits mid-pack in terms of pass defense, but that could emerge as an issue moving forward as Tennessee (1-7) finishes the campaign.
With a 5-2 record, the Rams find themselves in a logjam atop the NFC West. After reaching the divisional round of the playoffs last year, making another postseason run is an obvious goal this time around. Further trades could be coming for Los Angeles, but at a minimum today’s deal will give the team depth in the secondary.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/25
A look at Monday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL…
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Caden Prieskorn
- Released: RB Ahmani Marshall
Detroit Lions
- Released: CB Kendall Fuller
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
- Released: DE Seth Coleman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: DE Titus Leo
Washington Commanders
- Released: WR Robbie Chosen
The Lions have moved on from Fuller just under two weeks after they brought him into the fold. A 104-game starter in the NFL, the 30-year-old joined the Lions on Oct. 14 with injuries ravaging their secondary. He didn’t appear in a game with the Lions, though, and they’re parting with him after their secondary held its own in a Week 7 win over the Buccaneers. Now coming off their bye, the Lions could get injured corner Terrion Arnold (shoulder) back from a two-game absence on Sunday against the Vikings. Arnold will participate in padded practice on Tuesday, per Rainer Sabin of the Detroit Free Press.
A second-round pick of the Chiefs in 2017, Kpassagnon played in four games with the Bears earlier this season. The 31-year-old picked up five tackles and a sack before the team released him on Oct. 21.
Chosen, who signed with the Commanders on Sept. 30, made his lone appearance with them in a loss to the Cowboys in Week 7. As part of what was a depleted receiving corps, Chosen hauled in all four targets for 36 yards. However, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are healthy again, leading the Commanders to cut ties with Chosen. Since debuting with the Jets in 2016, Chosen has amassed 384 receptions and 30 touchdowns.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/25
Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: RB Michael Carter, CB Darren Hall
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers (from Texans): TE Brenden Bates
- Waived: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: OL C.J. Hanson, DT Marlon Tuipulotu
Las Vegas Raiders
- Practice window opened: S Lonnie Johnson
- Waived: WR Justin Shorter
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed off waivers (from Packers): TE Ben Sims
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: DB Parry Nickerson
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return: FB Robbie Ouzts
With James Conner done for the year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 and Trey Benson on IR with a knee malady since Oct. 1, Carter leads the Cardinals with 35 carries. He has rushed for an inefficient 97 yards (2.8 per attempt), though, and could only muster 11 on seven carries in a Week 7 loss to the Packers.
The Cardinals, who will come off their bye in Week 9 to face the Cowboys, are now down to two RBs in Emari Demercado and Zonovan Knight. They also have D’Ernest Johnson and Jermar Jefferson on their practice squad. Benson will be eligible to return in Week 10.
Steelers To Sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Aaron Rodgers has not thrown his weight around in Pittsburgh to the degree he did in New York, but one of his former targets will join him in Pennsylvania. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Steelers workout will produce a deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This marks another nomadic year for Valdes-Scantling, who spent time with the Seahawks and 49ers. In 2024, he moved from Kansas City to Buffalo to New Orleans. This Pittsburgh trek does provide a notable reunion, as Rodgers and MVS played together from 2018-21 in Green Bay.
[RELATED: Steelers Eyeing Second Season With Rodgers]
The Buccaneers also showed interest in the veteran deep threat, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who adds the Steelers were interested after his Seahawks release. Dropped by two teams since August, Valdes-Scantling preferred the Rodgers reunion at this stage, per Schultz.
Now 31, MVS has lost considerable value since his three-year, $30MM Chiefs pact. But the Steelers will hope some familiarity can help — even if this is probably not the end of their much-rumored wideout pursuit. They were previously linked to Jakobi Meyers and Calvin Ridley.
Valdes-Scantling is still collecting guaranteed money from the Seahawks, who gave him a one-year deal worth $4MM. Seattle ate $3MM fully guaranteed by cutting MVS out of training camp. The reunion with Klint Kubiak proved short-lived, but the receiver-needy 49ers gave him a shot. That partnership ended earlier this month with an injury settlement. The eighth-year veteran appears ready to contribute in Pittsburgh, though Fowler adds this is likely a practice squad deal to start.
After making aggressive pursuits of receivers — most notably Brandon Aiyuk — last year, the Steelers are at it again. They have not seen anyone emerge as a reliable D.K. Metcalf complementary piece. Months ago, they came up as a potential destination for ex-MVS/Rodgers Packers teammate Allen Lazard. No move has transpired, but the team has been tied to the WR market once again. With Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave not expected to be moved, pickings appear slim for teams eyeing help here ahead of the November 4 deadline.
The Steelers, who did see Calvin Austin return to action Sunday night after a two-game absence, do not have a second wideout beyond 175 yards. Austin sits at 167, with Roman Wilson at 110. Tight ends have served as Rodgers auxiliary options. Valdes-Scantling played in five 49ers games this season, catching four passes for 40 yards. After being a Bills in-season release, MVS caught on with the Saints and impressed, posting 17 catches for 385 yards and four TDs.
This reunion comes after Rodgers influenced the Jets to sign Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023, when they also hired ex-Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett to the same position and signed ex-Green Bay blocker Billy Turner. Rodgers later pushed for Davante Adams at the 2024 trade deadline, getting his wish. The Steelers are more or less throwing a dart by placating Rodgers via this transaction, but it would not surprise to see MVS — who was part of Rodgers’ third and fourth MVP seasons (2020-21) — see time soon due to his familiarity with Pittsburgh’s high-profile QB.
The Bucs are currently without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. And Emeka Egbuka recently returned from a hamstring injury. For now, they will hope Godwin — who is not on IR — can make a near-future return to complement Egbuka. The team still has Sterling Shepard as a No. 3 option in that reality, with rookie Tez Johnson being utilized amid the injuries as well.
Commanders Sign Matthew Wright To Practice Squad, Elevate K For Week 8
The Commanders will attempt to derail the Chiefs without Jayden Daniels tonight, but their Marcus Mariota-led effort will involve a backup kicker as well. Matt Gay is out for this matchup, leading a former Chief back to Arrowhead Stadium for emergency duty.
Washington added Matthew Wright to its practice squad today, and that move will precede a second transaction involving the nomadic fill-in specialist. Following this practice squad signing, the Commanders announced Wright will be one of their gameday elevations. He will kick for the visitors tonight.
Gay suffered a back injury during practice, being moved to the injury report Saturday. That forced the Commanders into this 11th-hour addition. Wright will join defensive tackle Sheldon Day as gameday elevations, per the team. Day, though, has been on the team’s P-squad throughout the season. This will be Wright’s first game action, though he does have a notable past in Kansas City.
A previous Harrison Butker fill-in, Wright once set the Arrowhead Stadium record for longest field goal by booting a 59-yard try before halftime in a 2022 win over the Raiders. Butker returned the following week and broke the record by hitting a 62-yarder before the half in a loss to the Bills. Wright later circled back to the Chiefs as a 2024 Butker replacement, kicking in two games. This included a 19-17 win over the Chargers, when Wright clanked a field goal off the upright and through for one of the Chiefs’ many close 2024 wins.
Overall, the six-year veteran has kicked for six teams. His only extended work came in a 14-game run with the 2021 Jaguars. Wright has also kicked for the Steelers, Panthers, 49ers and Titans. The Tennessee work has come over the past two seasons. He stopped through as a Joey Slye replacement in one game this season. Last year, he kicked for the Titans, 49ers and Chiefs, making 15 of 16 field goal tries.
Gay, who signed with Washington soon after his Indianapolis release, remains on the team’s active roster. Though, it is not known if the veteran will be ready to return for Week 9.
Rams Place WR Tutu Atwell On IR
The Rams placed wide receiver Tutu Atwell on injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement.
Atwell missed the team’s Week 6 matchup with the Ravens due to a hamstring injury, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. Based on the Rams’ injury report, the fifth-year wideout appears to have suffered the injury in practice that week. He got back to full participation in Week 7, but only played 10 snaps in that game and now lands on IR after Los Angeles’ Week 8 bye.
Atwell will be on the shelf for at least four games. His earliest return would be on November 30 for the Rams’ Week 13 matchup with the Panthers.
The 2021 second-round pick has never quite lived up to his draft billing. He played 10 snaps on offense as a rookie with a bigger role as a returner, but landed on season-ending injured reserve halfway through the year. He took steps forward over his next three seasons, culminating in a strong 2024 showing. He saw a downtick in snap share, but still put up career-highs in terms of volume (42 receptions, 562 yards) and efficiency (67.7% catch rate, 9.1 yards per target).
That earned Atwell a one-year, $10MM deal with the Rams this offseason in the hopes that he could produce even more in a bigger role after the departure of Cooper Kupp. Shortly after, though, Los Angeles added Davante Adams. Not only did that bump Atwell down the depth chart, it also gave Matthew Stafford another All-Pro receiver to target. The veteran quarterback is known for funneling targets to his elite wideouts – like Calvin Johnson, Kupp, and Puka Nacua in past seasons – and has continued to do so with Nacua and Adams this year.
As a result, Atwell only has four catches this season, though he has taken them for 164 yards to average 41 yards per reception. His injury coincided with Nacua’s ongoing absence, however, rendering him unable to take advantage of the available targets.
The Rams will hope that Atwell can return this season and contribute in some capacity. He is set to hit free agency next offseason and seem unlikely to earn as lucrative a deal as he did this year.
Raiders Sign WR Tyler Lockett
Tyler Lockett‘s time with the Titans came to an end last week. The veteran wideout’s request to be release was granted, allowing him to hit the open market. 
In short order, Lockett’s next gig has been lined up. A deal is in place with the Raiders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. He adds Lockett will officially sign later today, putting him in line to make his Vegas debut as early as Week 9. The move has now taken place.
This news comes as little surprise. Lockett’s first 10 campaigns took place as a member of the Seahawks before he was cut this offseason. Much of that time in Seattle allowed him to overlap with Pete Carroll, who is now in place as the Raiders’ head coach. A reunion between the two is now in store to close out the 2025 season.
Lockett, 33, topped 1,000 yards each year from 2019-22 but saw his production decline over the course of his final two Seattle campaigns. Upon being released, the former Pro Bowler took a one-year, $4MM deal with the Titans. Tennessee has struggled on offense with rookie quarterback Cam Ward, though, and Lockett totaled just 70 scoreless yards during his brief tenure there. He will look to rebound in Vegas ahead of reaching the open market once again next spring.
The Raiders are among the teams in line to adopt a seller’s stance ahead of the trade deadline. Wideout Jakobi Meyers in particular could be on the move as contending teams look for rental additions to close out the campaign. It will be interesting to see if the Lockett addition has an impact on Vegas’ willingness to move on from Meyers over the coming days.
The Raiders have struggled across the board on offense this season, and improving during the post-bye portion of their schedule will be a key priority. Lockett will look to contribute on that front during the second half of the season. Finding success in that role could earn him an extended stay in Vegas and a more permanent second stint working with Carroll.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/25
Saturday’s lone taxi squad move:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OL Esa Pole
Pole was among the Chiefs’ final roster cuts this summer, leading to a waiver claim from the Jets. After being let go by New York earlier this week, though, he was free to sign with any team. Pole is now back with Kansas City on the team’s practice squad.