Transactions News & Rumors

49ers, WR Jauan Jennings Agree To Reworked Deal

While Jauan Jennings recently returned to practice without a new deal, it sounds like the 49ers have found a solution for his discontent over his contract. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have agreed to a deal that will add $3MM in playing-time incentives to the player’s contract.

[RELATED: 49ers’ Jauan Jennings Returns To Practice]

Attached to a two-year, $11.89MM contract that expires at season’s end, Jennings was set to earn $7.5MM in 2025. Thanks to today’s move, Jennings can now earn up to $10.5MM.

A report from July indicated that Jennings was seeking either an extension or a trade, although neither option ended up coming to fruition. The 49ers made it clear all along that they intended to keep Jennings for at least the 2025 season, and per Schefter, the organization offered a multi-year contract extension to the receiver. Instead, Jennings decided to bet on himself and accept the incentive-driven one-year raise.

A former seventh-round pick, Jennings had a breakout season in San Francisco in 2024. As the 49ers navigated a number of injuries on offense, Jennings stepped forward and hauled in 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns. The 28-year-old has also earned a reputation as one of the league’s best blocking WRs; Pro Football Focus ranked him first in run blocking and 13th in pass blocking last season.

With Deebo Samuel no longer in San Francisco and Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, the 49ers will be especially reliant on Jennings in 2025. While Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle will still command plenty of Brock Purdy‘s targets, the rest of the team’s receiver depth consists of former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, recent veteran addition Marquez Valdes-Scantling, rookie Jordan Watkins, and former Chiefs draft pick Skyy Moore.

If Jennings is able to maintain his play from last season, he could be setting himself up for a lucrative contract as a 2026 free agent. The rest of the current positional free agent class includes the likes of Mike Evans, George Pickens, and Jakobi Meyers.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Eli Ricks
  • Released: OL Hollin Pierce

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Released: DL Isaiah Raikes

The Ravens added a notable special teamer to their taxi squad today, agreeing to a deal with veteran J.T. Gray. The 29-year-old spent his entire professional career with the Saints before getting cut by the team last week. The majority of Gray’s playing time has come on special teams, where he’s earned three All-Pro nods for his efforts. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes, the veteran will likely see a role in Baltimore, as the team is still looking to fill holes left by a handful of departed core special teamers this past offseason.

To accommodate the addition of old friend Gabe Davis to the practice squad, the Bills had to get a bit creative. Temporarily, the team has released veteran safety Jordan Poyer, but the former Buffalo starter shouldn’t be gone for long. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Poyer is expected to rejoin the Bills practice squad once Davis is placed on the taxi squad injured list.

The Lions landed on a third-string quarterback after holding an audition earlier today. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the team has signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad. Beathard worked out for the team earlier today alongside Nathan Peterman. Beathard has only started one game since garnering 12 starts for the 49ers between 2017 and 2020. He split last season with the Jaguars and Dolphins without getting into a game. In Detroit, he’ll serve as a third-stringer behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/3/25

Today’s list of minor moves consists of players removed from injured reserve via injury settlements:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Released from IR: OT Caleb Etienne

Miami Dolphins

  • Released from IR: Bayron Matos

New York Giants

  • Released from IR: Jermaine Terry

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Cowboys To Extend FB Hunter Luepke

The Cowboys are signing fullback Hunter Luepke to a two-year contract extension, according to Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

The deal is worth a maximum value of $7.5MM and includes more than $5MM in fully guaranteed money, per Garafolo, representing a significant raise over the three-year, $2.715MM contract Luepke signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 (via OverTheCap). He made the 53-man roster as a rookie and appeared in all 17 regular-season games, primarily on special teams. He expanded his role in 2024, more than doubling his snap count as a key blocker for the Cowboys offense.

While the base value of Luepke’s extension has yet to be reported, it should place him among the top five fullbacks in terms of APY. He was headed into a contract year with the potential for a RFA tag next offseason. The lowest tag number is projected to be a non-guaranteed $3.453MM (via OTC), so the Cowboys gave Luepke some extra guarantees in exchange for two years of team control at a reasonable cost.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones justified the Micah Parsons trade by saying that he could sign several other players with the money that Parsons would have otherwise received.

“That’s a good trade when you need numbers,” said Jones on Good Morning America on Wednesday (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “I’ll take the numbers every time.”

Jones has started to follow through on his plans, signing DaRon Bland and Luepke to new contracts in the week since the Parsons trade and engaging Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith in extension talks as well. While none of those players have the individual impact that Parsons does, the Cowboys are at least using the money they saved to build a well-rounded roster for the future.

Buccaneers To Extend RT Luke Goedeke

The Buccaneers are signing right tackle Luke Goedeke to a four-year contract extension, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

The deal is worth $90MM with $50MM guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Goedeke’s $22.5MM APY is a slight increase on the deal signed by the Packers’ Zach Tom last month, making him the third-highest-paid right tackle and the 11th-highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

Goedeke was a two-year starter at right tackle for Central Michigan before the Buccaneers made him a second-round pick in 2022. He earned the starting left guard job out of training camp as a rookie, but struggled to adapt to the new position and was benched after Week 7. He then started in Week 18 at right tackle before moving back to left guard for the playoffs.

Tampa Bay moved Goedeke back to his natural position in 2023. He started every game during the regular season with significantly-improved results, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). A concussion sidelined him for four games in 2024, but he put up a strong performance across the season and entrenched himself as the Buccaneers’ long-term right tackle. The team’s decision-makers have now formalized that role with a deal that will keep Goedeke in Tampa Bay through the 2029 season.

Goedeke was set to head into the final year of his rookie contract before today’s deal. With the improvement the 26-year-old has shown each year, it was prudent for the Buccaneers to lock him down now, as opposed to letting him show another level of play in a contract year that might price himself out of Tampa Bay. While Goedeke is getting a strong deal to stay with the team that drafted him, the open market after a strong 2025 campaign could’ve made Goedeke a truly expensive commodity.

Right guard Cody Mauch will be in a similar situation as Goedeke next offseason, after having finished his third year of play, then it will be center Graham Barton the year after that. Barton, a first-rounder last year, would technically have a fifth-year option available to push back any possible deadline on extensions, but with the way offensive linemen are priced the same regardless of position in fifth-year option formulas, centers hardly see those options exercised.

With left tackle Tristan Wirfs under contract through 2030 following his extension last year, the Buccaneers now have the bookends to their offensive line secured for the foreseeable future. If the team works to extend Mauch and Barton in the future, as well, it will have done quick work to secure 80 percent of their offensive line long term. With the way the league has been won in the trenches in recent years, this focus on offensive line building could be a recipe for success.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Bills To Bring Back WR Gabe Davis

After one season out of Buffalo, Gabe Davis is on his way back. The veteran receiver has agreed to a Bills reunion, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Davis played out his rookie contract in Buffalo, establishing himself as a standout deep threat along the way. It came as no surprise when he departed on the open market, however. The 26-year-old landed a $13MM-per-year deal with the Jaguars in free agency. After one injury-filled campaign in Jacksonville, Davis was one of several receivers the team’s new regime elected to move on from.

That decision led to a long-running free agent process. Davis met with the 49ers, Giants and Saints once each this offseason, while also firmly remaining on the Steelers’ radar. A second visit with Pittsburgh took place last month, but no agreement was worked out. Shortly after that follow-up with the Steelers, Davis lined up a summit with the Bills. A familiar face to general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, the former third-rounder did enough to land a new opportunity with his original team. Other offers were in play as well, Schefter’s colleague ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds.

A meniscus tear limited Davis to 10 games last year, and medical evaluations were a key focus of his visits. To no surprise, Schefter notes this will be a practice squad agreement. Veterans often take the taxi squad route upon joining teams once roster cuts have taken place. Davis will continue working toward full strength with an eye on moving to the active roster in short order.

Buffalo extended Khalil Shakir this offseason, making him one of many players to receive a long-term commitment on a second contract. The team also added Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore in free agency after seeing Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins depart. 2024 second-rounder Keon Coleman is positioned to take a step forward this season, with Palmer and Shakir handling notable roles along the way.

When he finds himself on the active roster, Davis will look to carve out a spot as well. The UCF product averaged 16.7 yards per catch and scored 27 touchdowns with the Bills. A strong second stint in Buffalo would help rebuild his value on another commitment from the team or a pact sending him elsewhere next spring.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/25

Here are today’s minor moves as we inch a day closer to the start of the regular season:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived (with injury settlement): CB JayVian Farr, CB Roman Parodie

The 49ers are doing a bit of shuffling in their receiving corps, calling up Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad and cutting Gage. According to multiple sources, it’s believed that Gage will be immediately signed back to the team’s practice squad to remain with the team.

Haener was brought back to the active roster in New Orleans after being waived at the roster cut deadline. The Saints had three quarterbacks, with Iowa Western rookie practice squad passer Hunter Dekkers, but adding Haener gives the team a bit more experienced depth, if only barely, in what may be the league’s youngest quarterbacks room.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/2/25

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

The 12-year veteran wide receiver, Woods, had been signed to the Steelers’ practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Woods requested to be released from his practice squad contract but told Pittsburgh that he would be open to returning if a spot on the active roster opened up for him. The team granted his request.

The Cardinals are able to add two players while only releasing one because Daxon is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, having been born in the Bahamas. Teams can have one more than the 16-player limit for their practice squad, as long as the 17th players is in the IPPP.

Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, it’s believed that the Seahawks have made this transaction as a courtesy to Campbell, Gaines, and Laumea, who’ve all spent most of the offseason in Seattle with the team. This week on the practice squad will potentially get each player a minimum check for $13K, but the Seahawks are expected to bring Martinez and Jean-Charles back to the p-squad. The same has yet to be confirmed for Kight.

Texans To Extend QB Davis Mills

Last September, the Texans signed backup quarterback Davis Mills to an extension as he entered a contract year.

Almost exactly a year later, Houston is tacking on another year to Mills’ deal, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Mills’ extension is worth a fully guaranteed $7MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, securing his services through the 2026 season as the No. 2 quarterback behind C.J. Stroud.

Mills, a 2021 third-round pick, wrested the starting job away from Tyrod Taylor as a rookie and carried it into 2022. However, it quickly became clear that he was not a long-term option under center after throwing a league-high 15 interceptions in 15 games. His struggles led the Texans to a 3-13-1 record in 2022, allowing them to draft Stroud with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft. Over his two years as a starter, Mills completed 62.8% of his passes for 5,955 yards for 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.

Since then, Mills has served as Stroud’s backup with six games played and zero starts. Virtually all of his appearances have come at the end of blowouts with one true relief showing in 2023.

Mills’ 2024 extension was worth $5MM, so his new deal includes a solid raise as well as some security for another year. However, Stroud will become eligible for an extension next offseason, so Houston may not be able to spend premium backup money on Mills for the rest of the decade. The Texans drafted former Wisconsin and Florida quarterback Graham Mertz in the sixth round of April’s draft and may look to groom him as a successor to Mills in their quarterback room.

Titans, LB Kyzir White Agree To Deal

Kyzir White drew interest from a few teams on the market without striking a deal. No connections had emerged with Tennessee, but that is where the veteran linebacker is headed.

[RELATED: Recapping Titans’ Offseason]

White and the Titans have agreed to a deal, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. Nothing is official yet on this front, but TitansInsider’s Terry McCormick confirms White is set to join the fold. The eighth-year defender will offer plenty of experience and a starting-caliber option to his latest team. To no surprise, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes this will be a practice squad agreement.

White has logged 73 starts across his time with the Chargers, Eagles and Cardinals. The 29-year-old has surpassed 100 tackles in three of the past four seasons, and he set a new career high with 2.5 sacks in 2024. Expectations for similar production with Tennessee could be unrealistic based on the timing of this arrangement. Still, White could step into a prominent role right away.

The linebacker spot has seen plenty of turnover this offseason in the case of the Titans. Kenneth Murray was traded away, while Jerome BakerJack Gibbens and Luke Gifford departed in free agency. Cody Barton was added on a three-year deal, and he will be counted on to operate as a starter. 2024 fourth-rounder Cedric Gray could join him as a first-team presence.

Even in that event, White will offer Tennessee with a productive option to be elevated at some point. The West Virginia product took visits with the Lions and Colts this summer, but neither resulted in an agreement. Instead, White will spend this season with the Titans in a bid to earn his next contract much sooner in the 2026 offseason.