Transactions - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals Activate TE Mike Gesicki From IR

November 21st, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

On Wednesday, Mike Gesicki returned to practice. No setbacks have taken place since, and the veteran tight end is set to suit up this week as a result.

Gesicki was activated from injured reserve by the Bengals on Friday, per a team announcement. He is therefore in line to play in Week 12 against the Patriots. Cincinnati will be without Ja’Marr Chase on Sunday due to his one-game suspension. Getting Gesicki back will help compensate for his absence.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

It remains to be seen if Joe Burrow will be able to play on Sunday. Even if that is not the case, the team’s offense will be closer to full strength with Gesicki back in the fold. The 30-year-old made six appearances in 2025 before landing on IR due to a pectoral injury. Prior to going down, he managed just eight scoreless catches.

An uptick in production could be in store down the stretch, though, especially once Burrow is on the field. Gesicki posted a 65-665-2 statline in 2024, his debut Bengals season. That made the former second-rounder a strong complementary option in the passing game behind Chase and fellow receiver Tee Higgins. Things have not been the same this season, but a rebound will be targeted over the closing stages of the season in this case.

Gesicki initially joined the Bengals on a one-year deal. His strong showing led to a $25.5MM contract being worked out this past offseason, and the Penn State product is owed a $2MM roster bonus next spring. With plenty of money still owing on his contract, Gesicki’s performances down the stretch will be worth watching closely.

In a corresponding roster move, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt has been moved to IR. That comes as little surprise since the pending free agent is in danger of missing the remainder of the season due to a Lisfranc injury. Taylor-Britt will be sidelined for at least the next four games, but that absence could extend much longer.

Packers Open WR Jayden Reed’s Practice Window

November 21st, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers are still without tight end Tucker Kraft. Their receiving corps could receive a boost in the near future, though.

Jayden Reed returned to practice on Friday, as noted by The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. His 21-day activation window is now open as a result. Reed has been on injured reserve since undergoing foot and clavicle surgeries in mid-September.

The 25-year-old’s absence has limited him to just two games in 2025. Reed led the team in receiving yards during each of his first two seasons in the league. As a result, his return will give the Packers a notable boost in the passing game. That is especially true, of course, with Kraft’s standout campaign having come to an abrupt end due to an ACL tear.

Green Bay sits mid-pack in the NFL in a number of offensive categories. Becoming more efficient through the air would be key for the team down the stretch, and Reed’s return could prove to be pivotal in that regard. The timing of this news comes as little surprise, with the Packers’ Thanksgiving game against the Lions previously being viewed as a target for him to suit up.

Indeed, it would come as a surprise if Reed were to be available this Sunday after just one practice. The former second-rounder’s status will nevertheless be worth watching closely as Green Bay’s Thanksgiving contest approaches. Schneidman predicts Week 14 could be a realistic return date in Reed’s case given the length of his absence depending how things progress over the coming days.

Romeo Doubs has led the way for Green Bay in terms of receiver production (499 yards, four touchdowns on 39 catches) and he is averaging a career-best 50 yards per game in 2025. Christian Watson is now healthy, and he has joined first-round rookie Matthew Golden as an option in the passing game. Reed will look to do so as well in the near future while the 6-3-1 Packers continue jockeying for position in the NFC North.

Reed is approaching the first offseason in which he will be eligible for an extension. Green Bay’s young pass-catching group is highly affordable, but long-terms investments in some of its members will be needed shortly. Reed could help his chances of securing an extension with a strong showing late in the year once he returns to game action.

Cardinals RT Jonah Williams To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

November 21st, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Cardinals right tackle Jonah Williams will miss the rest of the 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Friday (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss).

Williams, 28, started the Cardinals’ first nine games of the season before going down in Week 10. Kelvin Beachum closed out the game, but picked up a groin injury. He still started in Week 11, but had to be replaced by Josh Fryar. Beachum has missed practice all week, which will likely position Fryar, an undrafted rookie, for his first career start.

Williams is set to hit free agency this offseason, and he seems like a long shot to re-sign in Arizona. The Cardinals gave him a two-year, $30MM contract in 2024 after four years in Cincinnati, but since then, Williams has only started 15 games. He was excellent in 2024, allowing just seven pressures and zero sacks in six games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This year, he took a step back this year with 21 pressures and three sacks allowed through nine games. Williams’ contract will void on February 20, per OverTheCap, which will leave $7MM in dead money on the Cardinals’ salary cap.

The Cardinals seem headed towards a major shake-up this offseason after hopes of a 2025 bounce-back quickly gave way to disappointment over a losing record. Among their needs will be a new right tackle. No obvious long-term candidate is on the roster, though Fryar or Demontrey Jacobs could both have opportunities to audition this year.

Arizona also signed practice squad running back Jermar Jefferson to the active roster and filled his spot with running back Sincere McCormick, per team reporter Darren Urban. Those moves suggest that Trey Benson, who is on injured reserve with his practice window opened, is not ready to be activated and will not play on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Browns Extend DE Alex Wright

November 20th, 2025 at 9:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns are signing defensive end Alex Wright to a three-year, $33MM extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal also includes $21MM in guaranteed money, and it has since been made official.

Wright, 25, is in the final year of his rookie contract and will now stay in Cleveland through 2028. He has emerged as an impact run defender this season with nine tackles for loss, a career-high and tied for the eighth-most among all NFL defenders. Wright is also on pace to record the most tackles of his career and could put up his best pass-rushing numbers, too, though that part of his game is far less impactful.

Wright was a somewhat surprising third-round pick in 2022 after solid but unspectacular production at UAB, almost all of which came against Conference USA opponents. He started four games in placed of an injured Za’Darius Smith as a rookie, but did not flash until his second season when he put up five sacks and six tackles for loss on a 38% snap share. In 2024, he suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Week 4, but had a smooth recovery and was able to participate in the Browns’ offseason program.

Wright’s $11MM APY is in the same range of what Malcolm Koonce, Dorance Armstrong, and DeMarcus Lawrence have received in the last two years, per OverTheCap. His pass-rushing production has not hit the same peaks, but he is younger and just as good of a run defender as his similarly-paid contemporaries.

All in all, it’s not a bad deal for the Browns to lock down an inexpensive starter opposite Myles Garrett, who has the fourth-biggest contract of any defender in the league. Keeping Wright does not break the bank for Cleveland, who are projected to be over the 2026 salary cap with just 44 players under contract. There are ways to clear up more space, but paying $11MM per year for a high-end run defender with the league’s best pass rusher on the other side of the line seems to be a logical roster management strategy. It also makes sense for the Browns to use some of their 2025 cap space on a signing bonus for an extension rather than having all the new money kick in next year.

Cleveland’s other pending free agents include all five of their starting offensive linemen, tight end David Njoku, linebacker Devin Bush, and safety Ronnie Hickman. It seems unlikely they will move on from their entire O-line, but rookie Harold Fannin appears set to take over for Njoku. Bush and Hickman could also be seeking more substantial paydays in free agency after signing ‘prove it’ deals this offseason and doing so thus far this year.

Saints Waive WR Brandin Cooks

November 20th, 2025 at 8:20pm CST by Connor Byrne

NOVEMBER 20: While the Saints/Cooks divorce still appears to be happening, there is a slight holdup. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the move still hasn’t gone through as the two sides work through “contractual technicalities.” The wideout is still destined for the waiver wire before potentially hitting free agency.

NOVEMBER 19: Well-traveled wide receiver Brandin Cooks could land with another team in the coming days. The Saints and Cooks mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. Cooks will be free to sign anywhere if he goes through waivers unclaimed.

The move to cut Cooks came after he renegotiated his contract down, according to Underhill. He had a little over $2MM in guarantees left, including a 2026 salary of approximately $1.7MM, NewOrleans.Football colleague Mike Triplett notes.

Now 32 years old, Cooks entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Saints in 2014. After spending his first three years in New Orleans, he divided the next eight among the Patriots, Rams, Texans, and Cowboys. Cooks returned to the Saints on a two-year, $13MM pact last March.

With the Saints well out of contention, Cooks’ name came up in the rumor mill ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. A trade involving Cooks would have been his fifth. That would have set a new NFL record, but the Saints didn’t find a taker. However, one could emerge now that adding Cooks won’t require surrendering draft compensation.

The Bills, Broncos, and Steelers are among contenders that were looking for receivers before the deadline. None of those teams acquired one, which could make any of them logical landing spots for Cooks. It’s worth pointing out that Cooks began his career under Broncos head coach Sean Payton, then with the Saints.

Whether it’s Denver or another club, Cooks’ next employer will be picking up someone who has recorded 729 catches, 9,697 yards, and 60 touchdowns in 168 career regular-season games. While that’s excellent production, Cooks’ output has experienced a dramatic decline over the past couple of years.

Cooks caught 26 of 54 targets for 259 yards and three TDs in 10 games with the Cowboys last season. In his reunion with the Saints this year, Cooks grabbed 19 of 25 targets for just 165 yards and no scores. Cooks played 34 offensive snaps in a win over Carolina in Week 10, which proved to be his final game with the Saints, but rookie quarterback Tyler Shough didn’t target him.

Now that he’s leaving New Orleans, there’s a good chance Cooks will enter into a better QB situation than he had with the Saints this year or the Cowboys in 2024. Before working with the inexperienced duo of Shough and Spencer Rattler in New Orleans, Cooks mostly teamed with Cowboys backup Cooper Rush last season. He hasn’t paired with an above-average QB since Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 of 2024.

For their part, the Saints have now subtracted a pair of notable veteran receivers this month. Cooks is following Rashid Shaheed, whom the Saints traded to the Seahawks, out the door. Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Mason Tipton are the only WRs left on the Saints’ active roster.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/25

November 20th, 2025 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Cleveland Browns

Signed: WR Kaden Davis
Placed on IR: LB Cameron McGrone

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: C Doug Kramer
Released: RB Myles Gaskin

Washington Commanders

Signed: WR Jacoby Jones
Released: S Daryl Worley

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/25

November 20th, 2025 at 7:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Designated for return from IR: CB Khalil Dorsey

Minnesota Vikings

Waived: CB Dwight McGlothern

It’s encouraging to learn that Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey is back on the practice field. The player broke his leg towards the end of the 2024 campaign but was able to work his way back for the start of the 2025 season. After getting into the first four games, Dorsey was sidelined with a concussion, and as he worked his way through protocol, he suffered a wrist injury that landed him on IR. The former UDFA has appeared in 37 career games, collecting 31 tackles and three passes defended. He’s also seen some time as a returner.

Bills Place WR Mecole Hardman On IR, Promote WR Gabriel Davis From Practice Squad

November 20th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills are down another offensive weapon. Less than a week after making his Bills debut, Mecole Hardman is heading to injured reserve, according to the team.

The veteran wideout seemed to be trending towards being at least inactive for Thursday Night Football. After getting into seven offensive snaps on Sunday, the receiver didn’t practice this week while nursing a calf injury. Now, that injury will keep him off the field for at least the next month.

After spending the preseason with the Packers, Hardman landed on Green Bay’s practice squad to start the 2025 campaign. He was released after only a few weeks, and he was a free agent until landing with Buffalo’s taxi squad earlier this month. He was quickly activated to the active roster, and he garnered a single target in his team debut.

Besides a brief stop with the Jets, Hardman had spent the majority of his career playing with the Chiefs. After averaging close to 600 receiving yards per season through his first three years in the NFL, Hardman has been limited to only 511 yards since 2022. He hauled in only 12 catches in 12 games with the Chiefs in 2024, although he did serve as the team’s primary punt returner.

The Bills will be digging into their offensive depth tonight against the Texans. Besides Hardman, the team will also be without tight end Dalton Kincaid, receiver Curtis Samuel, and probably wideout Keon Coleman, who is heading towards a second-straight week of sitting on the sideline. As a result, the team has once again elevated Gabe Davis from the practice squad.

The former Bills standout reunited with the team back in September but sat out the first few months as he continued to recover from a torn meniscus and torn PCL. He made his season debut on Sunday, hauling in three catches for 40 yards. He’ll join a receiver corps that also includes Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, and Elijah Moore. With Kincaid out, the Bills have also promoted TE Keleki Latu from the practice squad.

Texans Waive RB Dameon Pierce

November 20th, 2025 at 4:27pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Texans waived fourth-year running back Dameon Pierce on Thursday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. To fill his spot on the active roster, cornerback Ajani Carter was signed from the practice squad.

Pierce, 25, once seemed like he could be the future of the Texans’ backfield before injuries derailed his time in Houston. The former Florida Gator was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and earned a starting job as a rookie. Pierce racked up 939 yards in 13 games – 72.2 yards per game, the eighth-most in the league – before a high ankle sprain landed him on injured reserve and ended his season.

The Texans signed veteran Devin Singletary during the 2023 offseason and handed him the lead back role. Pierce struggled behind him, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry and missing three games due to another ankle sprain. Houston then got Joe Mixon, reducing Pierce’s workload further. Another injury, this time to his hamstring, sidelined him at the start of the 2024 season and limited his work for the rest of the year. He finished with just 40 carries for 293 yards, though 92 of those came on a single rush. Without that play, he still averaged a solid 5.15 yards per carry, but again, Houston looked elsewhere in the offseason, signing Nick Chubb and draft Woody Marks with a fourth-round pick.

With Mixon sidelined by a foot injury to start the 2025 season, Chubb and Marks have led the backfield with just 10 carries for Pierce. Mixon is now expected to miss the rest of the season, which was reported hours before Pierce’s release hit the NFL’s transaction wire, making it a somewhat surprising move. If anything, it speaks volumes about how much Pierce fell out of favor under DeMeco Ryans‘ regime. Despite a promising rookie season, Pierce’s opportunities undeniably plummeted after Ryans was hired. Other teams will now have a chance to claim him off waivers; if that does not happen, he will be free to sign with any team (or their practice squad) as a free agent.

Carter, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Houston, signed with the Texans’ practice squad in September and saw his first NFL action against the Titans last week. His special teams work must have satisfied the coaches, earning him a 53-man roster spot and a role on game days for the foreseeable future.

The Texans also elevated veteran safety Jalen Mills and undrafted rookie linebacker Jackson Woodard to the active roster for Thursday night’s matchup with the Bills.