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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

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/25

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

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

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.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/25

November 19th, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/25

November 19th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Designated for return from reserve/PUP: RB Eric Gray

Pittsburgh Steelers

21 days have gone by since the Steelers opened Trice’s practice window. They’ve made the decision not to activate him from injured reserve, so he will remain on IR without the possibility of being activated.

Gray has been on New York’s physically unable to perform list since they set their initial 53-man roster. With rookie running back Cam Skattebo hitting IR earlier in the season, Gray’s return could add some needed depth at the position.

Bengals Designate Mike Gesicki For Return

November 19th, 2025 at 5:12pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Bengals announced that they have designated tight end Mike Gesicki to return from IR. The team also opened safety Daijahn Anthony‘s practice window. The Bengals will have 21 days to activate both players.

There’s a chance Cincinnati will get Gesicki back as early as this Sunday against New England. Head coach Zac Taylor said Gesicki is “ready to hit the ground running” after missing four games with a pectoral injury (via Ben Baby of ESPN).

Gesicki began his career with the Dolphins and spent 2023 with the Patriots before joining the Bengals. They inked him to a one-year, $3.25MM deal heading into 2024. It proved to be a shrewd investment, as Gesicki caught 65 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns during a 17-game season.

The Bengals were impressed enough with Gesicki’s 2024 output to give him a raise. They re-signed the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder to a three-year, $25.5MM pact last March.

Before going on IR, Gesicki was unable to approach last year’s production. He opened this season catching just eight of 16 targets for 61 yards in six games, though Gesicki barely worked with Joe Burrow during that stretch. The franchise quarterback suffered a toe injury in Week 2 and hasn’t returned yet, but he’s likely to come back in the next couple of weeks.

Gesicki has also barely played with the Bengals’ current starting QB, Joe Flacco, who debuted with the team the week the tight end sustained his injury. If Gesicki takes the field this week, he’ll provide Flacco another target with No. 1 wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase serving a one-game suspension.

The Bengals haven’t gotten what they expected from Gesicki this year, but fellow tight end Noah Fant has performed well. The late-July free agent signing has secured 30 of 34 targets for 256 yards and three TDs. Gesicki will rejoin Fant and blocking specialist Drew Sample as Cincinnati’s top three TEs when the team activates him.

Anthony, a seventh-round pick in 2024, appeared in 13 games as a rookie. Almost all of his snaps (168 of 179) came on special teams. The Bengals placed him on IR with a return designation when they made their final cuts on Aug. 26. Anthony’s hamstring injury wasn’t expected to shelve him for long, but the 25-year-old has missed all 10 of the Bengals’ games so far.

49ers Sign K Matt Gay

November 19th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Eddy Pineiro has handled kicking duties in the wake of the 49ers moving on from Jake Moody early in the season. Another contributor in that regard will be needed for at least one week.

Pineiro is dealing with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). He is week-to-week as a result. In response, the 49ers have hosted a total of five free agent kickers in recent days. A replacement has been found from that group.

Matt Gay has agreed to a deal with San Francisco, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. This news comes days after Gay’s tenure with the Commanders came to an end. The veteran continued to have struggles from long range on field goal attempts, but he will look to rebound during a brief stint in the Bay Area. The move is now official, with Gay joining the 49ers’ practice squad and receiver Russell Gage being released in a corresponding move.

Per the transactions wire (h/t Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), Gay was joined by Cade York, John Parker Romo, Anders Carlson and Tanner Brown in taking part in a workout with the 49ers in recent days. The team has elected to go with experience after completing that process. Gay has made 100 career regular season appearances. During that time, he has delivered consistent performances from within 50 yards and on extra point attempts.

The 31-year-old has connected on just seven of his 18 field goal tries from beyond 50 yards dating back to last season, however. Struggles in that regard led to Washington cutting ties (and signing Moody as a replacement). While the 49ers’ former draftee will look to carve out a spot in the nation’s capital for the remainder of the campaign, Gay will aim to serve as a short-term replacement for San Francisco.

Pineiro has played in 10 games for the 49ers. Over that span, he has missed four extra point kicks but gone 22-for-22 on field goals. That includes connecting on each of his six FG attempts from 50-plus yards. Pineiro will thus likely reprise his kicking role once he is healthy. In the meantime, Gay will serve as his replacement.

Rams Place Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee, Quentin Lake On IR

November 19th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Rams are losing a trio of key contributors for at least four games apiece. The team has placed right tackle Rob Havenstein, tight end Tyler Higbee, and safety Quentin Lake on IR, head coach Sean McVay announced (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). McVay is hopeful all three will return this season.

Lake’s IR placement comes as no surprise after it was revealed Wednesday that he underwent elbow surgery. Havenstein played 100% of offensive snaps in a win over the Seahawks last Sunday, but McVay said he’s dealing with knee and ankle issues. Higbee suffered an ankle injury of his own against Seattle.

Havenstein’s ankle issue kept him out of three games earlier this season. When healthy enough to play in 2025, the 11th-year Ram has continued to serve as a full-time starter. Havenstein has started in all 148 regular-season games since the then-St. Louis Rams picked him in the second round of the 2015 draft.

Warren McClendon, who has made three starts this year, is likely to step in for Havenstein again. Meanwhile, the Rams will turn to tight ends Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson, and Terrance Ferguson to pick up the slack in Higbee’s absence.

Higbee, who has totaled 20 catches, 190 yards, and two touchdowns in nine games, leads Rams TEs with 318 offensive snaps. Allen (293) and Parkinson (248) aren’t far behind. Those two have combined for 28 receptions, 237 yards, and five scores. Ferguson was a second-round pick in last spring’s draft, but the rookie from Oregon hasn’t been a significant contributor so far. While Ferguson has averaged a whopping 27.6 yards per catch, he has only picked up five grabs through his first eight games.

Thanks in part to Havenstein, Higbee, and Lake, the Rams have gotten off to an 8-2 start. They’re right behind the Eagles, also 8-2, for the No.1 seed in the NFC. Aside from the NFC West rival Cardinals in Week 14, the Rams will face nothing but playoff contenders (the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Lions) during their four-game stretch without those three players.

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