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Ravens, DT Travis Jones Agree To Extension

December 11th, 2025 at 10:37am CST by Adam La Rose

Travis Jones loomed as one of the Ravens’ top pending free agents for 2026. The fourth-year defensive tackle will not be reaching the open market, however.

Jones and the Ravens have agreed to a three-year extension, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. As a result, Jones will be under contract through the 2028 campaign. This news – which is now official, per a team announcement – means one of the league’s top pending free agents at the position will not become available in March.

The Jones pact is worth $40.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That works out to an average annual value of $13.5MM, a sharp increase in the former third-rounder’s compensation compared to his rookie contract. Given the nature of the DT market, however, this deal will be viewed as a team-friendly one provided Jones can maintain his current level of play against the run. Jones will receive $25MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds.

A rotational presence during his first two seasons in the NFL, Jones became a starter in 2023. The 26-year-old set a new career high with 42 tackles last year, a figure he has a strong chance of surpassing this campaign. Jones has only posted five sacks and 21 quarterback pressures to date in his career, and as such expectations will remain low regarding his future production against the pass. Still, his run-stopping presence will be welcomed in Baltimore for years to come.

The context leading up to this agreement helps explain its timing. As Zrebiec notes, a CBA issue meant Jones had actually been on track for restricted free agency this spring with one of his previous seasons not accruing for contract purposes. A grievance was filed on his behalf by the NFLPA, with a hearing scheduled for today. The outcome of that process would have determined Jones’ future regarding his free agent status. Being an RFA would have likely set him up for a second-round tender only covering the 2026 season.

Instead, that has now become a moot point. Negotiations between the Ravens and Jones’ agent prior to the hearing finalized this agreement, one which will ensure stability along the defensive interior for the foreseeable future. This extension comes amidst questions regarding fellow defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike‘s status. The All-Pro landed on IR in September due to a neck injury, and it was learned shortly thereafter that he would not return this season. Madubuike is on the books through 2027 on a pact averaging $24.5MM per season, so his recovery outlook will be critical moving forward.

In any case, Jones’ future is no longer in doubt. The UConn product was one of several pending free agents whom the Ravens viewed as high priorities for new deals. Another was tight end Mark Andrews, and team and player recently worked out a three-year deal in that case as well. As the 6-7 Ravens continue to push for top spot in the AFC North, it will be interesting to see if other agreements such as this one wind up being finalized prior to free agency.

Colts Open DeForest Buckner’s Practice Window

December 11th, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Connor Byrne

DECEMBER 11: Buckner revealed on Thursday (via Chappell) that he has been dealing with a herniated disc in his neck pressing against a nerve. If the issue is not resolved, surgery will be a possibility in the future. For now, the Colts will hope to have him available for the final four games of the season.

DECEMBER 10: The Colts have gone without defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, one of their most important players, for four straight games. Buckner is now working toward a return from IR. The Colts opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, Mike Chappell of FOX 59 relays.

Buckner, who last played in a loss to the Steelers in Week 9, has been on the shelf with a neck injury for a month. The Colts were 7-2 when Buckner went down, but they have lost three of four without him. Once the top seed in the AFC, 8-5 Indianapolis has dropped to eighth during what has been an injury-plagued several weeks.

Quarterback Daniel Jones is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward went on IR with his third concussion of the season on Wednesday, and fellow top CB Sauce Gardner seems likely to miss his second game in a row with a calf injury this Sunday. Gardner will not practice Wednesday, according to Chappell.

While the Colts’ defense won’t have Ward for the rest of the regular season, it could welcome back Buckner sometime in the next 21 days. The three-time Pro Bowler, 31, was enjoying another standout campaign before he went on IR. Buckner has notched 42 tackles, nine TFL, and four sacks in nine games. Despite a lengthy absence, he’s still tied for second among Colts in sacks, trailing only Laiatu Latu‘s 5.5. Pro Football Focus ranks Buckner as the league’s 12th-best interior D-lineman of 2025.

In the wake of Jones’ injury, it’s unclear who will quarterback the Colts for the rest of the season. Newly signed Philip Rivers, brought out of retirement at age 44, sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard, and journeyman Brett Rypien are their options. Considering the Colts’ questions at QB and a daunting slate of remaining opponents in the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans, their chances of rallying for a playoff spot appear slim. Getting Buckner back would improve their odds.

Rams To Activate WR Tutu Atwell From IR

December 11th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

The Rams have one of the league’s best receiver tandems in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The team will soon be even healthier at the position.

Tutu Atwell had his 21-day practice window opened on November 26. He is now set to suit up in time for Sunday’s contest against the Lions. Head coach Sean McVay said (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop) Atwell will be activated from injured reserve this week.

The fifth-year Ram landed on IR in late October due to a hamstring injury. There was initial optimism Atwell would only miss the minimum four games while recovering and then return to the lineup in Week 13. Instead, he has been absent for the past six contests. During that span, Los Angeles has gone 5-1 to remain in strong contention for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

Nevertheless, getting Atwell back in the fold will give the Rams a boost on offense. The former second-rounder posted a career high in catches (42) and yards (562) last season. That resulted in a one-year, $10MM pact being worked out in March. With the deal being guaranteed in full, expectations were high in the case of a player who had previously been linked to trade speculation.

To date in 2025, Atwell has only managed four receptions in six games. The Louisville product will look to serve as a complementary option in the passing game down the stretch and into the postseason while he approaches free agency. The Rams, meanwhile, will continue to reply heavily on Nacua (who leads the league with 93 catches) and Adams (who is pacing the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns).

Having only brought back Ahkello Witherspoon so far this season, Los Angeles still has seven IR activations remaining at this point. That figure will drop to six in the near future when Atwell is officially returned to the active roster.

Raiders Designate T Kolton Miller For Return From IR

December 10th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Ely Allen

With starting quarterback Geno Smith doubtful to play this week amidst a 2-11 start to the season, the Raiders’ 2025 campaign is circling the drain. That shouldn’t take away from the positive news that star left tackle Kolton Miller is nearing a return to the field.

Las Vegas announced today that Miller has returned to practice, opening his 21-day practice window in which he can be activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster. Miller has missed the last 10 weeks with a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. There’s little to play for, but these final four weeks will give Miller some opportunities to see exactly where he is in recovery and where he needs to get stronger in the offseason after a long rest.

Miller has been extremely reliable throughout his career, playing in 109 of a possible 116 games before this season and staring 107 of them. He missed two weeks in 2020, one game in 2022, and two separate two-game stretches in 2023. Before this season, he had never missed three games in a row, let alone nine.

In Miller’s absence, Stone Forsythe has been filling in for the team at left tackle, continuing in a role he had carried over from the team that drafted him. A sixth-round pick out of Florida back in 2021, Forsythe never earned a role as a full-time starter with the Seahawks, but he operated as the team’s swing tackle, starting 14 of 53 game appearances in four years.

Following the expiration of his rookie contract, Forsythe signed with the Giants as a free agent. After spending the offseason with New York, Forsythe failed to make the team’s initial 53-man roster and signed with Vegas the day after the roster cut deadline. The Raiders currently lead the NFL in sacks allowed, so new expected starter Kenny Pickett will likely rejoice to see Miller’s momentum pushing towards a return.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/10/25

December 10th, 2025 at 7:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s NFL practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Gipson is changing clubs for the third time this season after getting claimed off waivers by the Giants for the second time this year. After starting the season with the Jets and getting cut after a crucial fumble in Week 1, Gipson found his way across town to the other New York team. The Giants waived him after about two and a half weeks, and he was claimed by Philadelphia. His stint with the Eagles has been his longest with any team this year, but he’ll return to the Giants after getting waived once again.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/25

December 10th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s midweek minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

The Texans’ offense is getting healthy at just the right time. Despite not making much of an impact in the passing game, Bryant started three of eight game appearances earlier this year for the Texans and returns to a thin position group. Watson is coming back from a 13-week absence and will hope to continue working his way into a new offense.

The Eagles waived replacement long snapper Cal Adomitis yesterday, so it stands to reason that Hughlett will find himself back on the 53-man roster soon. Hinton’s 21-day practice window closed today, so he’ll add insult to injury in Philadelphia as he reverts to injured reserve without the ability to be activated while still using up one of the team’s eight allotted activations, since they designated him to return before final roster cuts.

Lions Open G Christian Mahogany’s Practice Window

December 10th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Left guards are beginning to dominate our late-afternoon coverage window. In addition to Broncos LG Ben Powers returning to practice amid a lengthy IR stay, the Lions will see their starting option do the same.

Christian Mahogany is back at practice, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the first-year starter is in the IR-return window. Like Powers in Denver, Detroit will have three weeks to activate Mahogany or lose him to season-ending IR.

Unlike Powers, Mahogany has only missed five games. The second-year blocker started the first eight Lions contests before going down with a knee injury. This will certainly be welcome news for a Detroit team in the thick of the wild-card race — and one that just saw Frank Ragnow‘s comeback attempt fall by the wayside.

Detroit has used Kayode Awosika, who has been with the team as a backup since 2022, as Mahogany’s replacement. Mahogany resided as a backup last season, with the Lions rostering Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler. Prior to Ragnow’s retirement, Zeitler defected to the Titans in free agency. Pro Football Focus has graded Mahogany fairly well in his first real go-round as a starter, ranking him 31st among guards this season. PFF slots Awosika 47th, which is still passable since 80 guards qualify as regulars this season.

This is not exactly good news on the level of Ragnow’s surprise unretirement, but after a hamstring injury surfaced during his physical, no such effort will take place this season. That scenario would have given the Lions an option of sliding center Graham Glasgow to guard, where he has extensive experience. Now, Glasgow will stay put as Mahogany readies to return.

The Lions also claimed defensive back Jalen Mills off waivers from the Texans, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. To make room on the 53-man roster, Detroit waived tight end Hayden Rucci. A 92-game starter during a career that has included extensive time at both safety and cornerback, Mills has played in four games (starting one) this season. Houston waived him Tuesday.

Mills, 31, has not played regularly at corner since 2022. Making a successful transition to safety, Mills has still seen regular time in the slot over the past three seasons — spent with the Patriots, Jets and Texans. Houston signed Mills to a one-year, $1.26MM deal; Detroit will be responsible for just less than $300K.

This comes after Brian Branch suffered an Achilles tear in Week 14; the standout defender already underwent surgery. Kerby Joseph has not played since Week 6, leaving the Lions in a tough spot. They are also down Terrion Arnold for the season. Joseph is aiming to return before season’s end.

Broncos Designate G Ben Powers For Return

December 10th, 2025 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reeling off 10 straight victories, the Broncos have used a strong offensive line to help assemble this win streak. They have missed one member of that front for most of the season, but the unit appears close to being at full strength again.

Denver designated Ben Powers for return Wednesday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. Powers has been the team’s left guard starter since his 2023 free agent signing. He is the only Denver regular up front to miss notable time this season.

A biceps injury sidelined Powers following the Broncos’ Week 5 win in Philadelphia. The team has used two replacement options. Matt Peart went down after one game in Powers’ place, with that injury giving way to Alex Palczewski. The former UDFA has started seven games at LG, shifting away from his role as the Broncos’ sixth O-lineman. Denver could restore its preferred six-OL package once Powers returns.

The Broncos made Powers a priority as a 2023 free agent, giving him a four-year deal worth $52MM. That contract, agreed to shortly before the Broncos signed right tackle Mike McGlinchey, included $27MM guaranteed at signing. The former Raven has validated the Broncos’ faith, starting 34 games from 2023-24.

ESPN’s run block win rate metric graded Powers as league’s best interior run blocker — after placing him seventh among guards and centers in 2023 — and he helped J.K. Dobbins to a hot start this season. The Broncos, though, have been forced to get by without Powers and Dobbins as of late. However, the team has continued to motor along — albeit with questions about its offense — in running its record to 11-2.

Powers’ status beyond this season is worth following, as the Broncos recently extended center Luke Wattenberg on a four-year deal worth $48MM. This gives Denver’s O-line five starters earning at least $12MM per year. O-lines are almost never constructed this way, inviting speculation about Powers’ future due to the cap savings that would come in a contract-year release. The Broncos would save $8.65MM by cutting Powers in 2026 ($13MM with a post-June 1 designation), and considering teams’ need for quality O-linemen, a trade would not be out of the question. Powers’ $18.4MM cap number trails only McGlinchey’s $23.8MM number on the Broncos’ 2026 payroll.

Then again, Pro Football Focus ranks Palczewski 63rd out of 80 qualified guards this season. The team also has Russell Wilson‘s dead money coming off the books, at long last, after this season. Next year represents a pivotal opportunity as a result, with Bo Nix tied to his rookie deal for at least one more season. Denver keeping Powers in an ultra-rare setup featuring five eight-figure-AAV O-linemen would be interesting. For now, it appears the 29-year-old blocker is on his way back to help a Denver Super Bowl push — one that could become an audition for guard-needy teams.

49ers To Designate DE Yetur Gross-Matos To Return From IR

December 10th, 2025 at 4:06pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers are designating defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos to return from injured reserve, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.

Gross-Matos, 27, appeared in San Francisco’s first five games of the season before going down with a hamstring strain. He spent a few weeks on the shelf before re-aggravating the injury at the end of October. That forced the six-year veteran onto IR on November 1, and his absence has now extended to eight games.

The 49ers have been decimated by injuries this season on both sides of the ball, and their defensive end room has been no exception. All-Pro Nick Bosa and first-round rookie Mykel Williams are both out for the season, which, along with Matos’ injury, has forced the team to pivot. Bryce Huff and Sam Okuayinonu have stepped up to lead the position group in snaps with mid-season acquisitions Keion White and Clelin Ferrell also taking on rotational roles.

Those four are not churning out high-level production – the 49ers are last in the NFL with 16 sacks – but they have stopped the run effectively and contributed to some turnovers in the last few weeks. That has kept San Francisco in the NFC playoff picture through their Week 14 bye. Getting Gross-Matos back would at least add some depth to the team’s defensive line, though he did not have a great start to the year. He only logged four tackles and one quarterback hit before he got hurt, but at the time, he occupied a 27% snap share. There may be much more playing time available once he returns to the field.

Gross-Matos will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR.

Buccaneers Activate WRs Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan From IR

December 10th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers have been shorthanded at wide receiver all season, with Jalen McMillan going down during preseason play. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have also missed significant chunks of the year, but Tampa Bay may finally have its deep wideout arsenal back in Week 15.

Evans and McMillan are coming off IR today, the team announced. While it is not a lock either will play in Week 15, this is a good sign one or both will be ready for the Bucs’ Thursday-night matchup with the Falcons. Todd Bowles said (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud) the duo could return for this game. Activations from IR certainly point to it.

Although the Bucs have seen injuries on offense play a big role in their season, Tampa Bay entered Week 15 in great shape in terms of injury activations. They had only used one (on right tackle Luke Goedeke) leading up to the Evans and McMillan moves. The team still has five activations to cover the rest of the regular season.

Evans has been down with a broken clavicle since Week 4. A December return emerged as the future Hall of Famer’s target window, and he has been pushing to play this week. Evans has yet to log a full practice since being designated for return, but he he has now gone through six limited sessions ahead of this Atlanta game. The Bucs have also seen their offense slow after a first-half surge.

While Evans would undoubtedly benefit from the mini-bye set to follow this Thursday assignment, the Bucs could certainly use him now. Bowles said (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) Evans has shown what he has needed to show, pointing to a Week 15 reemergence.

This season brought the longest absence of Evans’ career, and it will end his record-setting streak of 1,000-yard seasons at 11. The Bucs’ No. 1 wide receiver since before Jameis Winston‘s arrival, Evans has been one of the most consistent players in NFL history. He may never have threatened to be the NFL’s best receiver during his 12-year career, but the former top-10 pick has been ultra-reliable as Winston, Tom Brady and Mayfield have stopped through Tampa.

Evans’ presence helped Brady elevate the team to a championship, and it played a pivotal role in Mayfield’s resurgence. The Bucs are suddenly in a fight for the NFC South crown with the Panthers, so having their 6-foot-5 weapon back represents a key variable in this duel.

McMillan has been down since suffering a neck fracture during a preseason game. Initially referred to as a “severely strained neck,” McMillan’s injury injected obvious concern about his status after a productive rookie year. But the Bucs are close to having the 2024 third-round pick back, creating an interesting setup for Mayfield as the team attempts to end the lull that has defined a chunk of its season. The Bucs have fallen to 7-6, but two games against the Panthers loom to potentially repair the damage.

Last year, McMillan finished with 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns. Seven of those eight scores came in Tampa Bay’s final five games, as McMillan filled in for Godwin as Evans’ top sidekick. Despite having McMillan healthy (at the time) and re-signing Godwin to a three-year, $66MM deal, the Bucs drafted Emeka Egbuka at No. 19.

As other teams circled, Tampa Bay made one of the more surprising picks of this draft by adding a standout talent to a solid receiving corps. Egbuka has not disappointed, catching 54 balls for 806 yards and six TDs. He has slowed down over the past month, however, not topping 45 yards in a game in that span.

Egbuka will likely not see his role change much (if at all) with Evans and McMillan returning. But the Ohio State product has needed to shoulder plenty in the Bucs’ passing game due to the receiver injuries, which also included ankle and fibula issues for Godwin. The longtime Evans sidekick is finally rounding back into form, though, after missing nine games. The Bucs are close to having their optimal top quartet available, and we should see the offense Jason Licht and Co. envisioned this offseason when Evans and McMillan make long-awaited comebacks.

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