Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Detroit Lions
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Commanders
The Buccaneers have continued to withstand body blows on offense, but they may be getting some help after the bye. Tampa Bay will see right tackle Luke Goedeke back at practice this week.
Down since aggravating a foot injury in Week 2, Goedeke received a return designation, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. This injury came before the spree of skill-position maladies — affecting Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka — to plague the NFC South leaders. A Goedeke return would help a Bucs O-line that has missed other pieces at points.
While Goedeke has been sidelined, the Bucs lost right guard Cody Mauch for the season. They have yet to deploy Goedeke and starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs in a game together this season, with the All-Pro not debuting until Goedeke landed on IR. Having that duo back together would give Tampa Bay four of its five starting O-linemen — along with left guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton — together. This would certainly benefit Baker Mayfield, whose MVP push has included a shorthanded squad throughout.
Goedeke made a second-year move from guard to tackle, and his work on the edge moved him into position to secure a late-summer extension. The Bucs gave Goedeke a four-year, $90MM extension, locking him in through the 2029 season a year after extending Wirfs through 2030 at a then-record tackle rate. The Bucs have 21 days to activate Goedeke, and it certainly sounds like the team will have him available soon.
Tampa Bay is hoping to have Evans back at some point in December; the future Hall of Fame wideout suffered a broken clavicle last month. The team has not used IR for Godwin or Irving, but each has missed extensive time. Irving has been out for four games with foot and shoulder injuries, while Godwin — who did not debut until Week 5 due to his fractured ankle — has missed the past three contests with a fibula issue. Neither is assured to be back for Week 10, but the running back and wide receiver landing on IR remains a positive sign regarding near-future returns.
While Evans’ reemergence is a long way off, the Bucs could have nine of their 11 offensive starters back fairly soon. Goedeke, who will turn 27 this month, has started 40 career games. This will be his third season as a Wirfs bookend, with the Bucs having kicked the standout to left tackle in 2023. That duo helped Mayfield stabilize his career, and the resurgent quarterback having played well without several key pieces on offense bodes well for his form when most are back.
The Buccaneers surprised many when they selected Emeka Egbuka in the first round (No. 19 overall) of this year’s draft, as they already had a strong WR corps in place. But that corps has been depleted by injury, and several of its top players, including Jalen McMillan, are not guaranteed to return this season.
McMillan, a 2024 draftee, sustained what was initially called a “severely strained neck” during a preseason game in August, though head coach Todd Bowles recently described the injury as a neck fracture (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). ESPN’s Jenna Laine is unsure why the terminology is different now than it was in August, as McMillan’s MRI would have shown both the ligament damage (the strain) and the fracture.
Bowles characterized the apparent discrepancy as one of semantics in a follow-up text to the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s no different than it was,” he said. “A fracture. It’s the same to me.”
As Laine reiterates, McMillan did not require surgery on his injury, and Stroud says the fracture is actually mild. According to Stroud, the ligament issue, not the break, is what has forced McMillan to wear a brace and is taking the most time to heal.
An update from several weeks ago indicated McMillan remained in a brace and was targeting a December return – initially, the hope was that he would return this week – but Stroud reports McMillan was still in a brace as late as last week. And while Bowles said the Washington alum is improving, he did not offer a timeline for his return.
“He’s getting better. I don’t have a specific date for you, either, but he’s definitely getting better,” Bowles said on Monday. “When he gets out of the brace, we’ll see, but he’s definitely feeling better.”
Franchise stalwart Mike Evans has played in just four games this year and is not expected back until late December (if at all) due to a broken clavicle. Evans’ longtime running mate, Chris Godwin, has appeared in a mere two games thanks to the ankle injury he suffered last season and then a fibula injury he sustained upon his return this year.
Egbuka has been excellent in his first eight games as a pro and has helped the Bucs stay atop the NFC South despite their myriad injuries. Still, the team expressed interest in Marquez Valdes-Scantling before he agreed to sign with the Steelers, and it is fair to wonder whether GM Jason Licht could kick the tires on a different wideout addition from the free agent market or via trade prior to Tuesday’s deadline.
As one of three NFC West teams sporting a five-win record, the Seahawks do not fit the profile of a seller at the trade deadline. Nevertheless, a pair of notable defenders continue to be mentioned in trade talk.
Cornerback Tariq Woolen remains a name to watch ahead of the November 4 deadline. The most recent update on his status indicated he could remain in Seattle. Things could change in short order, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Seattle prefers to keep Woolen in place through the remainder of the season.
The former Pro Bowler has struggled this season and his rookie contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign. The same is also true of edge rusher Boye Mafe, who could very well depart in free agency this spring. As such, the 26-year-old is worth monitoring on the trade front. Schefter adds, though, that the Seahawks would also prefer to keep him.
Here are some other trade notes from around the NFC:
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.
The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.
In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.
All players designated for return on August 26 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations at that point.
Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 10:
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 4
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 7
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 4
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 8
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activations remaining: 7
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activations remaining: 6
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 7
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 4
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 8
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 6
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 4
Activated:
Activations remaining: 7
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 5
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Designated for return:
Eligible for activation:
Activations remaining: 8
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
Activations remaining: 7
Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s slate of games:
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Recently named QB2 Shedeur Sanders found his way to the injury report today with a back injury. By elevating Zappe, Cleveland is ensuring Sanders won’t play tomorrow, since in order to have three quarterbacks dressed for gameday, all three passers must be on the 53-man roster. Zappe will back up Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders will likely be in sweats. Similarly in Carolina, with Bryce Young set to sit this week, Hooker has been called up to back up Andy Dalton.
Both Buccaneers quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield and Teddy Bridgewater, were on the injury report this week, though neither received a “questionable” injury designation as result of their ailments. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that both passers are expected to be available, but with Bazelak taking up a spot on the active roster, it seems likely that only one other quarterback will be suited up alongside the practice squad callup. Because Bazelak’s not on the 53-man roster, only two passers can be active. Tampa Bay can still designate Bazelak as the inactive third quarterback, but doing so would seemingly be making this elevation moot.
There is no corresponding move necessary for Philadelphia to add Cooper. The team received a two-game roster exemption after signing veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, so they had an open roster spot.
For Basham in Carolina and Jennings in New England, this will be their third and final standard gameday practice squad elevations. If either of their respective teams want them to play in another game this season, they will need to first be signed to the 53-man roster.
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While several players were designated to return from injured reserve today, Norton and Johnson’s designations took place back on 8/26, the roster cut deadline. The Texans are in danger of being without their top three receivers in Week 8. Tank Dell is already on IR, but Nico Collins and Christian Kirk’s statuses for the weekend are up in the air as Collins deals with a concussion and Kirk has been dealing with n hamstring injury.
Not that they’ve needed him, since Aaron Rodgers has looked a bit more effective than he was in his days with the Jets, but Howard is nearing a return to the roster for the remainder of his rookie season. It will be interesting to see where the sixth-rounder slots in on the depth chart as he adds another level of security behind the 41-year-old Rodgers.
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After getting cut from the roster earlier today, McAtamney returns to his usual post on the practice squad. No corresponding move is necessary to make room for him on the practice squad, since McAtamney hails from Northern Ireland and qualifies for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and doesn’t count against the 16-man limit.
OCTOBER 22: Evans is set to undergo surgery this week, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The decorated wide receiver suffered a clean break, per Rapoport, who points to a roughly two-month recovery timetable — or a bit sooner. That would align with Monday night’s reporting, pegging an Evans return around Christmas.
OCTOBER 20: The snakebitten Buccaneers offense took another significant hit this evening. Mike Evans suffered a broken clavicle during tonight’s loss, coach Todd Bowles told reporters (via Greg Auman of FOX Sports). The injury is expected to sideline the wide receiver for the majority of the season, per James Palmer of The Athletic.
“He’ll be out mostly toward the end of the year,” Bowles told reporters (via Auman). “We’ll see what happens.”
Fortunately, it sounds like Bowles may have been estimating the worst-case scenario. Jordan Schultz reports that the wideout’s initial timeline is six to eight weeks, which would give him a couple of games before the playoffs.
This is a brutal blow for the veteran, who was just returning from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the apst three games. Evans suffered this latest injury in the first half of tonight’s game after nearly hauling in a deep pass from Baker Mayfield. The receiver stayed on the ground for a few moments before heading to the sideline. Evans was later carted to the locker room, with reports indicating he had suffered a shoulder injury and a concussion. The 32-year-old was held without a catch on four targets.
With Evans expected to miss much of the rest of the season, his historic streak of 11 straight seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards will come to an end. The receiver has also averaged more than 11 touchdowns per season over the past five years. In four games this season, the veteran has hauled in 14 catches for 140 yards and a score.
The Buccaneers’ offense has dealt with its fair share of injuries in 2025. Chris Godwin didn’t make his season debut until Week 4 after rehabbing the fractured ankle he suffered during the 2024 campaign. Godwin got into two games before suffering a fibula injury that’s sidelined him for the past two weeks. The Buccaneers have also been without Jalen McMillan, who finished his rookie season with 500 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Even running back Bucky Irving has missed a handful of games while dealing with foot and shoulder issues.
As a result of the injuries, the Buccaneers have had to lean on their depth. First rounder Emeka Egbuka has stepped up, hauling in 31 catches for 527 yards and five touchdowns. The rookie was questionable for tonight’s game with a hamstring injury but ended up being active. Seventh-round rookie Tez Johnson has hauled in scores in back-to-back weeks, while Sterling Shepard and Kameron Johnson continue to get offensive looks.
Still, while the Buccaneers have managed to get some offensive production elsewhere, the team will surely miss Evans as the season goes on. It sounded like Bowles didn’t dismiss a late-season return, so as long as the Buccaneers can remain in the hunt, there’s a chance they’ll get their WR leader back on the field before the postseason.
Egbuka not missing any games due to his hamstring issue giving the team a rare break at this injury-battered position. With Godwin uncertain moving forward, the Bucs will need to lean on their first-round pick. McMillan is not due back until at least December. While Tampa Bay could have its full receiver arsenal back by the holidays, the team will need to both lean on Egbuka and hope Godwin — who was not placed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season and has avoided IR related to his current injury — can return soon.
As for Evans, this deals a bit of a blow to his free agency stock. Playing an age-32 season, the likely Hall of Fame-bound pass catcher is on an expiring contract. He agreed to a two-year, $41MM deal just before free agency in 2024; although the Bucs have a well-established track record of re-signing key players shortly before free agency or early during the legal tampering period, the Egbuka pick and three-year, $66MM Godwin accord complicate Evans’ Tampa future. Evans also missed three games due to hamstring trouble in 2024.
Evans also said he will consider retirement after this season. Plenty of variables exist for the Bucs at wide receiver, but the team should still be well positioned by the end of the regular season.