LB Shaquille Leonard Retires
After seeing his All-Pro career come to an abrupt halt through injuries, Shaquille Leonard is hanging up his cleats. The veteran linebacker has retired as a member of the Colts, the team announced on Wednesday. 
Leonard entered the league in 2018 and immediately established himself as one of the game’s top defenders. The former second-rounder was left off the Pro Bowl roster during his debut campaign despite earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. That season also marked the first of three times Leonard found himself on the first All-Pro team.
While playing out his rookie contract, Leonard operated as a full-time starter and avoided any major injuries. Given his production along with a strong track record of availability, it came as little surprise when a record-breaking extension was worked out. In August 2021, the South Carolina State product inked a five-year, $98.5MM pact which made him the league’s top earner for linebackers.
Expectations were high as a result of the deal, but after only one more season with a clean bill of health, missed time became a major problem in this case. Back issues derailed Leonard’s career and limited him to just three games played in 2022. The following year, he saw his workload reduced before ultimately being cut midseason. Leonard caught on with the Eagles, but he handled only a part-time defensive role across five appearances.
Last June, Leonard made it clear he was open to continuing his career while noting his belief his body was healthy once again. In spite of that, no known offers were made and he spent the entire campaign without a deal in hand. After once again going through an offseason with no agreements being reached, Leonard has now elected to move on at the age of 30.
Earning four straight Pro Bowl nods on his rookie deal, Leonard recorded no fewer than 121 tackles per season during that span while adding 11 interceptions and a whopping 17 forced fumbles. He totaled 78 combined regular and postseason games during his injury-shortened NFL tenure while amassing $52.5MM in career earnings.
NFL Minor Transactions: 9/30/25
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: OLB DJ Johnson
- Waived/injured: WR Dalevon Campbell
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OT Brant Banks
Houston Texans
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: OL Jarrett Kingston
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: LB Buddy Johnson
- Waived: LB Cameron McGrone
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: TE Carter Runyon
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: S Sebastian Castro
- Placed on IR: S Rashad Wisdom
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25
Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DT Jordan Phillips
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: LB Carl Jones
- Elevated: TE Stephen Carlson, DT Jonathan Ford
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: WR Jalen Cropper
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Jackson Meeks
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Myles Bryant, CB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Mike Hilton, G Josh Sills
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Quintin Morris, WR Austin Trammell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: CB Kevin Knowles, DT Brodric Martin
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Carter Runyon
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: T Foster Sarell, RB Kimani Vidal
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, C Brenden Jaimes
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: DE Fadil Diggs, LB Nephi Sewell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: CB Eli Apple
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, RB Jordan Mims
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Antonio Hamilton, WR Tay Martin
With Colts cornerback Kenny Moore presumed to potentially miss a few weeks, the recent signee, Hilton, will get his opportunity to supplement the team’s secondary. He may be able to earn an official spot on the 53-man roster with an impactful game. Similarly, Cropper may be able to get into his first NFL game since going undrafted in 2023 as he gets elevated to a receiving corps that will sorely miss CeeDee Lamb.
Morris is getting called up for the third time for Jacksonville. If the Jaguars intend for him to appear in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/25
As teams enter Week 4, here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Elliott Brown, S Patrick McMorris
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Ben Sauls, WR Deven Thompkins
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Otis Reese
- Released: CB Jalen Kimber
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Dan Chisena
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Luke Floriea
- Released: DE K.J. Henry
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jakobie Keeney-James
- Released: WR Mecole Hardman
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: WR Tyler Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Roy Mbaeteka, OL Kadeem Telfort
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Lucky Jackson, RB Xazavian Valladay
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Tyron Herring
- Released: DB Corey Ballentine
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on injured reserve: RB Jacardia Wright
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Caden Prieskorn, DL Desmond Watson
- Released: S Jack Henderson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Raheem Blackshear
The Falcons’ kicking rollercoaster took another turn in Week 3 with John Parker Romo missing both of his attempts in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Granted, those kicks came from 49 and 55 yards, so Atlanta may have some patience after signing Romo to a two-year contract last week. The Falcons still brought in some potential competition in Sauls, an undrafted rookie who spent training camp with the Steelers and made five of his six field goals in the preseason.
Wright is expected to be out for four to six weeks due to a foot injury, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Watson signed with the Buccaneers after the draft but remained on the non-football injury list as he worked to get his weight to a more manageable level. He was waived during final roster cuts, but the team hosted him for a workout last week, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman. Watson met the team’s athletic requirements to earn his way back on the practice squad, according to Auman, and will return just in time for the Bucs’ Week 4 matchup with the Eagles. The massive nose tackle does feel like a direct counter to the tush push, but Bowles previously said (via Auman) that Watson wouldn’t be re-signed just for one matchup and would instead need to be ready to contribute to the defense as a whole.
Colts, CB Mike Hilton Agree To Deal; CB Kenny Moore To Miss Time
11:45am: Moore’s calf injury is expected to leave him sidelined for multiple weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Given that update, the Hilton signing comes as no surprise. Per Rapoport, his addition has come about via a practice squad deal, but Hilton could land on the active roster in short order.
11:02am: Shortly after Miami release, Mike Hilton met with the Colts. No deal was worked out with the veteran corner, but that has now changed. 
Hilton is signing with Indianapolis, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The pact represents a reunion between the veteran slot corner and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. The latter led Cincinnati’s defense from 2019-24, overlapping with Hilton over that span.
As such, it came as little surprise when a Colts visit took place shortly before the start of the season. After no agreement was reached, Hilton also met with the Eagles. Upon seeing the first three weeks (with tonight’s contest pending) of the campaign go by without a contract in hand, though, Hilton now has his next NFL gig lined up. He could see notable playing time right away.
Kenny Moore suffered a calf injury yesterday, meaning the Colts’ regular slot starter could be unavailable for a period. ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports there is initial optimism with respect to a serious injury having been avoided in this case. Further testing will nevertheless take place on Monday, and more clarity will presumably emerge once that takes place.
In any event, Hilton will be counted on to play a role on a Colts secondary which dealt with a number of ailments even before the Moore injury. Having amassed 56 starts and 123 appearances in the regular season, Hilton represents a highly experienced option to be brought in during the season (and his familiarity with Anarumo’s scheme should make his acclimation process a relatively seamless one). The 31-year-old’s production has been consistent over the course of his career, and the same has generally been true in coverage.
Details on the pact are not known at this point, but it would come as no surprise if this were to be a deal near the veteran minimum covering the remainder of the campaign. Indianapolis entered Monday with roughly $4.8MM in cap space, and that figure will be lowered to an extent once the Hilton agreement become official. He will look to chip in defensively as the 3-0 Colts aim to maintain their strong start.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Keith Taylor
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Malik Hamm
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Kendric Pryor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tre Avery, WR Gage Larvadain, T Joshua Miles, T Tyre Phillips
- Released: OT Logan Brown, DT Ralph Holley, CB LaMareon James
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Malik Cunningham, TE Ross Dwelley
- Released: LB Monty Rice
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Jimmy Morrissey
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Cole Christiansen
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Dalen Cambre, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Curtis Jacobs
- Released: TE Qadir Ismail, DB Patrick McMorris
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Isaiah Hodgins
Washington Commanders
- Signed: G Tyler Cooper, WR Tay Martin
- Placed on IR: G Darrian Dalcourt
The Steelers added a notable wide receiver to their taxi squad in Isaiah Hodgins. The wideout bounced between the Giants practice squad and active roster in 2024, but he’s not far removed from a stretch between 2022 and 2023 when he hauled in 58 catches for 622 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll be joining a group of practice squad WRs that includes Rakim Jarrett and rookie Ke’Shawn Williams.
Speaking of the Giants, they added a veteran linebacker in Neville Hewitt. The 32-year-old has appeared in 146 games in time with the Dolphins, Jets, and Texans. His best season came with New York in 2020, when he compiled 134 tackles and a pair of sacks. He mostly saw a special teams role while in Houston, but he rebounded in 2024, tallying 59 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in 17 games (four starts).
NFL Minor Transactions: 9/16/25
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Maema Njongmeta (off Bengals practice squad), C Nick Samac (off Ravens practice squad)
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: OL Trystan Colon
- Placed on IR: TE Shane Zylstra
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: LB Austin Ajiake
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: CB Tre Brown
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: LB Swayze Bozeman
- Placed on IR: LB Chris Board
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/25
Here’s are today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: TE Josiah Deguara
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: LB Keonta Jenkins, DT Zion Logue
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: WR Ryan Flournoy
- Elevated: CB Zion Childress, CB Robert Rochell
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: FB Adam Prentice, LB Garret Wallow
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: LB Monty Rice
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: RB Ulysses Bentley IV, CB Chris Lammons
- Placed on IR: CB Jaylon Jones (story)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Quintin Morris
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: CB Cornell Armstrong
- Elevated: K Riley Patterson, RB Jeff Wilson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: CB Fabian Moreau, OLB Gabriel Murphy
New England Patriots
- Elevated: CB Kobee Minor, LB Mark Robinson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: DE Jonah Williams
- Elevated: S Terrell Burgess, DE Fadil Diggs
- Placed on IR: S Julian Blackmon (story)
New York Giants
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, DT Elijah Garcia
New York Jets
- Elevated: CB Korie Black
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Marcus Epps, TE Cameron Latu
- Placed on IR: T Cameron Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: LB Jon Rhattigan
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: LB Curtis Robinson
- Elevated: QB Adrian Martinez, TE Brayden Willis
- Waived: DE Robert Beal Jr.
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: S D’Anthony Bell, DT Brandon Pili
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: C Corey Levin
- Elevated: RB Jordan Mims, T John Ojukwu
- Waived: T Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson
With one quarterback on the reserve/non-football injury list and starter Brock Purdy inactive, Martinez comes up with the potential to appear in his first ever NFL game, though Niners fans hope his presence will not be necessary.
Bell will be active for tomorrow’s game as the Seahawks work to replace second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori in the secondary. Emmanwori has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Similarly, Wallow will be part of the Broncos’ efforts to fill in for injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who has been ruled out for the second week in a row.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/25
Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: DE Xavier Carlton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Trey Washington
- Released: S Darrick Forrest
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Lawrence Cager
- Released: P Mitch Wishnowsky
The Commanders needed Wishnowsky as insurance with regular punter Tress Way dealing with back issues throughout the week, but having made it through Week 2 with a heathy Way, Washington brings back Cager, whom they dropped to make room for Wishnowsky.
Carlton was moved off the practice squad to make room for former third-round kicker Jake Moody, who cleared waivers after getting cut from San Francisco this week and signed a practice squad deal in Chicago.
NFL Injury Updates: Wharton, Lions, Colts
Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton suffered a hamstring injury in his Panthers debut and will miss time as a result.
Head coach Dave Canales said (via team reporter Darin Gantt) that Wharton’s absence would be “somewhere in the two- to four-week range.” That could preclude a move to injured reserve, as Wharton would be sidelined for a mandatory four week after his placement. Given the nature of his injury, the Panthers likely want to get him back on the practice field sooner as he ramps up to game readiness.
Wharton, 27, signed in Carolina this offseason for $15MM per year with the hopes of combining with Derrick Brown and A’Shawn Robinson to upgrade the Panthers’ interior pass rush. The former Chief put up a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024 and added two more in the playoffs.
Until Wharton returns to the field, the Panthers will lean on a backups Bobby Brown and Jaden Crumedy. Rookie Cam Jackson should also get more opportunities after sitting as a healthy scratch in Week 1.
Here are several other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Lions offensive tackle Jamarco Jones, who was placed on injured reserve before Week 1, will be out for the season with an ankle injury, per Justin Rodgers of the Detroit Football Network. Safety Daniel Thomas, meanwhile, is planning to play through a broken hand, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
- The Texans‘ offense has taken another hit with center Jake Andrews sustaining a high ankle sprain, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The veteran starter has an unclear return timeline with backup Jarrett Patterson set to take his place.
- Eagles running back Will Shipley sustained a fractured rib in Week 1, according to 97.5 The Fanatic’s Derrick Gunn, partially explaining the team’s recent acquisition of Tank Bigsby from the Jaguars. In addition to replacing Shipley as Saquon Barkley‘s primary backup, Bigsby will also be able to contribute as a returner on special teams.
- The Colts could be without multiple pieces of their secondary in Week 2, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. Starter Charvarius Ward is still in concussion protocol, and third-year corner Jaylon Jones could land on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Head coach Shane Steichen said that Jones would be “out for a while” and declined to put a timeline on his return.
- The Packers will be without a pair of starting offensive linemen on Thursday night against the Commanders. Left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Tom were both ruled out with 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan and rookie third-rounder Anthony Belton taking their respective places.