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Broncos Designate Dre Greenlaw For Return

October 15th, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ defense smothered the Jets in London, covering for an inconsistent offense. Denver sacked Justin Fields nine times and holds a runaway lead in that category this season, also seeing its secondary provide a considerable boost to open the year.

Denver, though, has shown a vulnerability on its defensive second level. The team has Alex Singleton back, but the aging linebacker is coming off an ACL tear. Dre Greenlaw has also been out. The latter issue may be resolved soon. Greenlaw returned to practice Wednesday, per 9News’ Mike Klis, officially opening his 21-day IR-return window.

[RELATED: 2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Given a three-year, $31.5MM deal to leave San Francisco for Colorado, Greenlaw only secured $11.5MM guaranteed at signing. The standout linebacker having missed almost all of the 2024 season — due to a historically ill-timed (for the 49ers) Achilles tear suffered during Super Bowl LVIII — significantly impacted his market. But Greenlaw still drew extensive interest. He opted to reaffirm his Broncos commitment despite an 11th-hour push from the 49ers for him to return. Though, Denver has seen next to nothing from its investment thus far.

Following the deal, Greenlaw sustained multiple quad-related setbacks. He sustained a strained quad while training on his own this offseason, and while a training camp return commenced, a separate quad issue surfaced in July. Greenlaw encountered a recovery setback, per the Denver Post’s Luca Evans, leading to an IR placement before Week 3. It represents a good sign for the Broncos that Greenlaw is practicing when first eligible, but he has certainly proven unreliable over the past two seasons.

Singleton has struggled in coverage, though he has not missed any time since returning from the ACL tear. Greenlaw was set to begin the season on a pitch count before his setback, so it would stand to reason the Broncos ease him into action. They may need to see a lot from Greenlaw in his truncated season, as a $2MM guarantee is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. Otherwise, the Broncos can escape this contract fairly easily after one season.

PFR’s No. 40 free agent, Greenlaw was one of the NFL’s better all-around linebackers when healthy as a 49er. Before his injury significantly impacted the 49ers in their Chiefs Super Bowl rematch, he worked as a dynamic Fred Warner wingman. Pro Football Focus graded Greenlaw ninth among non-rush ‘backers in 2022 and 23rd in ’23, viewing him as a plus coverage player. The former fifth-round pick made 247 tackles in that span. That skillset would benefit a Broncos team that does not have many weaknesses on defense. Vance Joseph‘s unit enters Week 7 ranked second in points and yardage.

Greenlaw fill-in Justin Strnad has contributed to the Broncos’ NFL-leading sack total (30), registering 3.5 despite his role as an off-ball LB. It will be interesting to see how much time the re-signed backup/spot starter receives once Greenlaw returns. Having traveled to Philadelphia and London with the team, Greenlaw would appear close to debuting. But his recent past will assuredly keep Strnad on call.

49ers Open George Kittle’s Practice Window

October 15th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Connor Byrne

Star tight end George Kittle has been on IR since Sept. 9, but he’s finally nearing a return. The 49ers opened Kittle’s practice window on Wednesday, according to Clayton Holloway of NFL Network. They’ll have 21 days to activate him.

Kittle, who suffered a hamstring injury in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks, will practice on a limited basis on Wednesday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones will join Kittle as limited participants (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic).

Purdy, out back-to-back games with a toe injury, is viewed as more limited than Jones. While Jones is battling knee and oblique issues, he could make his third straight start Sunday against the Falcons.

Kittle has already missed five games this season, which is the second-highest total of his nine-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler entered 2025 off four consecutive seasons of at least 14 games played. He continued to thrive during a 15-game slate in 2024, catching 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.

The 49ers were likely expecting more of the same from Kittle this season. Instead, he has been among many high-profile injury casualties for the club. San Francisco’s offense has gotten one appearance from Kittle, two from Purdy, and none from receiver Brandon Aiyuk. On the other side of the ball, the team has seen heart-and-soul defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa go down with season-ending injuries in recent weeks. Despite that, the 49ers have gotten off to a 4-2 start.

Without Kittle, the 49ers have turned to the little-known Jake Tonges as their primary tight end. To Tonges’ credit, he has done well filling in for Kittle. He entered the season with no catches over four games (all with Chicago in 2022), but Tonges has racked up 25 receptions, 34 targets, 224 yards, and three scores in six contests this year. He’ll serve as a solid No. 2 option at tight end when Kittle is back in the lineup, perhaps as early as this week.

The 49ers could also get Aiyuk back soon, which will further bolster their offense down the stretch as they vie for a playoff berth. Facing a fellow NFC postseason contender this week in the 3-2 Falcons, the 49ers may again have to overcome a Purdy absence. After signing a five-year, $265MM contract extension in the offseason, Purdy has been sidelined for most of 2025. Jones has held his own as a fill-in, but thanks in part to his own injury troubles, he struggled in a loss to the Buccaneers in Week 6.

Titans Designate T’Vondre Sweat For Return

October 15th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Titans have opened mammoth defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat practice window, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The team will have 21 days to activate Sweat from injured reserve.

[RELATED: Fallout on Brian Callahan’s firing]

A second-round pick from Texas in 2024, Sweat appeared in all 17 games for the Titans and started 16 as a rookie. Sweat ranked seventh on the Titans’ defense in snaps (699) and collected 51 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble during a standout debut campaign next to three-time Pro Bowler Jeffrey Simmons.

While Sweat enjoyed a healthy first season in the NFL, he has only played in one game this year – a Week 1 loss to the Broncos. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury in that contest. Sweat had been working toward a return ahead of Week 3, but after he re-injured his ankle, the Titans put him on IR on Sept. 20.

Having missed four games since the Titans placed him on the shelf, Sweat is eligible to return Sunday against the Patriots for interim head coach Mike McCoy‘s debut on the job. It’s unclear if Sweat will be ready by then.

Even though Sweat has been out for most of the season, Simmons has continued to dominate. He has posted an 87% snap share and picked up 4.5 sacks, serving as a rare bright spot during a 1-5 start for the Titans.  James Lynch and Shy Tuttle trail behind him in the pecking order at defensive tackle. Those two figure to lose playing time when Sweat comes back.

Along with welcoming Sweat back to practice on Wednesday, the Titans re-signed cornerback Alex Johnson to their practice squad. They previously released him from their P-squad on Oct. 7.

Cardinals Open DL Walter Nolen’s Practice Window

October 15th, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Connor Byrne

After moving defensive tackle Walter Nolen to the reserve/PUP list in late August, the Cardinals haven’t gotten any contributions from the first-round rookie this season. That could change soon, though, as head coach Jonathan Gannon said the team will open Nolen’s practice window on Wednesday (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Arizona will have 21 days to activate him.

Thanks to a calf injury, Nolen will have a delayed start to his NFL career after going 16th overall in the draft. Nolen spent his first two seasons in college with Texas A&M before transferring to Mississippi ahead of the 2024 campaign. The 300-pounder earned All-America and first-team All-SEC honors during his only year with Ole Miss, leading the Cardinals to identify him as a potential long-term cornerstone.

The addition of Nolen was part of an offseason front seven makeover for Arizona, which has gotten off to a 2-4 start. The team also signed former Eagle Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4MM deal, handed Dalvin Tomlinson a two-year, $29MM pact, and reunited with Calais Campbell on a one-year, $5.5MM accord. While Sweat and Campbell have combined for eight sacks, the rest of the defense has only picked up three. The unit ranks an underwhelming 24th in yards per game, but it’s a more respectable 13th against the run and 14th in points surrendered.

Tomlinson and Campbell have started in all six games this year, while 2024 first-rounder Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, and PJ Mustipher have also accrued significant playing time along the interior. A pectoral injury has held Robinson out since Week 4, but he’ll join Nolen in returning to practice on Wednesday (via Urban). Those two and Bilal Nichols, who has played just one game this year, should replenish the Cardinals’ depth along the line when they’re all in the lineup.

While Nolen and Robinson are on their way back, the Cardinals will go the rest of 2025 without tight end Travis Vokolek. Gannon announced Vokolek’s season-ending IR placement on Wednesday. Before succumbing to a neck injury, Vokolek appeared in five games this year and didn’t catch a pass in 32 offensive snaps. He played 45 snaps on special teams. He’s the second Trey McBride backup to land on IR over the past week and a half, joining Tip Reiman.

Commanders Place Noah Brown On IR

October 15th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Connor Byrne

The Commanders have already gone most of the season without wide receiver Noah Brown, who has been dealing with a groin injury. Brown’s absence will extend for at least four more games, as the team placed him on IR on Wednesday. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 11.

Brown, who last played in a Week 2 loss to the Packers, has caught three of seven targets for 36 yards this season. The 29-year-old appeared to be making progress when he returned to practice last week, but head coach Dan Quinn said his injury “didn’t respond” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic). Quinn added that Brown will not require surgery (via John Keim of ESPN.com).

Without Brown and fellow injured receiver Terry McLaurin (quad), the Commanders fell to 3-3 with a loss to the Bears in Week 6. Quinn said McLaurin will practice this week, meaning he could play against the division-rival Cowboys on Sunday.

With only two appearances from Brown and three from McLaurin this season, the Commanders and second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels have had to count on Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Jaylin Lane to step up as targets alongside Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz. Despite the injuries, Washington’s offense still ranks seventh in the NFL in points per game and 12th in total yards.

Along with placing Brown on IR on Wednesday, the Commanders announced the signing of defensive end Drake Jackson and signed guard Julian Good-Jones to their practice squad. Good-Jones had been a free agent since the Commanders released him with an injury designation on Aug. 20. The 28-year-old made his lone regular-season appearance in the NFL with Washington in 2023.

Bengals Place Mike Gesicki On IR

October 15th, 2025 at 10:34am CST by Connor Byrne

The Bengals have placed tight end Mike Gesicki on IR with a pectoral injury, according to a team announcement. Gesicki will miss at least four games. With the Bengals’ bye coming during that stretch, Gesicki won’t be eligible to return until Week 12 against the Patriots, one of his former teams.

After spending the 2023 campaign in New England, Gesicki headed to Cincinnati on a one-year, $3.25MM deal. He served as a solid complementary weapon in the Bengals’ Joe Burrow-led passing attack last season, hauling in 65 of 83 targets for 665 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That was enough to convince the Bengals to bring back Gesicki on a three-year, $25.5MM pact.

With Burrow out since suffering a toe injury in Week 2, Gesicki’s production has dropped off in the first season of his new contract. He caught eight of 16 targets for a paltry 61 yards and no scores during the Bengals’ first five games. The 30-year-old didn’t record any stats during new starting QB Joe Flacco‘s debut last week – a loss to the Packers – before his injury forced him to exit in the first half.

Gesicki has logged a 36.7% snap share this season, which ranks second among Bengals tight ends. Drew Sample (49.2) leads the way, while Noah Fant (30.7) has also gotten a fair amount of playing time. Those two could see more action with Gesicki on the shelf. Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy round out the Bengals’ TE depth chart, though the former is in concussion protocol, per Ben Baby of ESPN.com.

Panthers Designate Austin Corbett For Return

October 15th, 2025 at 9:30am CST by Connor Byrne

OCTOBER 15: As planned, the Panthers have designated Corbett for return and opened his practice window, per Joe Person of The Athletic. He will have three weeks to practice with the team before he must be moved to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR.

OCTOBER 14: Carolina has gone most of the season without starting center Austin Corbett, but he’s progressing toward a return. The Panthers are planning to open Corbett’s practice window on Wednesday, according to Darin Gantt of the team’s website. Once that happens, the Panthers will have 21 days to activate Corbett from injured reserve.

The Panthers’ offensive line took multiple hits in a Week 2 defeat to Arizona, losing Corbett and right guard Robert Hunt to significant injuries. Corbett went down with a Grade C MCL injury, while Hunt tore his left biceps. It’s uncertain if Hunt will return this year, but the team is about to set the wheels in motion on a Corbett comeback.

Despite their O-line injuries, the Panthers have won three of four since an 0-2 start. Running back Rico Dowdle has unexpectedly amassed a jaw-dropping 389 yards on the ground during a two-game winning streak. Fourth-year man Cade Mays has been filling in for Corbett in the middle of the line, while Brady Christensen is starting in Hunt’s place.

Now in his fourth season in Carolina, injuries have been a frequent occurrence during Corbett’s tenure with the team. After a 17-game 2022, he missed 13 contests in 2023 and sat out another 12 last season. Despite that, Corbett beat out Mays for the starting center job during the summer.

If Corbett comes off IR in the next few weeks, the Panthers will have to decide whether to plug him back in over Mays. Notably, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks Mays’ early season performance eighth among 35 centers.

It seems likely that Carolina will announce a move with Corbett on Wednesday. In the meantime, the team made a couple of minor transactions on Tuesday. The Panthers waived defensive back Trevian Thomas and released offensive lineman Darrian Dalcourt from their practice squad.

Thomas, an undrafted rookie from Arkansa State, earned a call-up from the practice squad for Week 5. He played 12 special teams snaps in a win over the Dolphins. Dalcourt signed with the Panthers’ practice squad last week after a stint with the Commanders.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/25

October 14th, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: G Karsen Barnhart, LB Garrett Nelson

Green Bay Packers

  • Released: K Mark McNamee

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: OT Bayron Matos, QB Brett Rypien
  • Released: OT Marcellus Johnson

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Signed: TE Marshall Lang
  • Released: DB Tyron Herring, TE Gee Scott Jr.

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

  • Released: G Tyler Cooper

With Anthony Richardson heading to injured reserve with an eye injury, the Colts are set to add some QB depth in veteran Brett Rypien, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The 29-year-old brings four games of starting experience to Indy, with his most recent start coming with the Rams in 2023. In total, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his career passes for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Riley Leonard will temporarily be the QB2 behind Daniel Jones, but there’s a chance Rypien eventually works his way up to the active roster.

The Chargers moved on from a notable edge defender today in Clelin Ferrell. The former Raiders first-round pick started all 17 games for the 49ers just two years ago, with the edge rusher finishing that campaign with 3.5 sacks and 13 QB hits. He started 10 of his 14 appearances with the Commanders in 2024, adding another 3.5 sacks to his resume. After being among Washington’s final preseason cuts, Ferrell caught on with the Chargers practice squad and ended up getting into one game with the big-league club.

The Eagles moved on from a pair of skill players today. Audric Estime was a fifth-round pick by the Broncos last year, with the running back compiling 337 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 81 touches. He was waived by Denver back in August and landed on Philly’s practice squad. Javon Baker was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in last year’s draft, but he was limited to a single catch in 11 games.

Titans Place LB Oluwafemi Oladejo On IR

October 14th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Ben Levine

Oluwafemi Oladejo‘s leg injury is going to cost him some games. According to Paul Kuharsky, the Titans linebacker is heading to injured reserve. Linebacker Ali Gaye has been signed to the active roster to take his teammate’s place.

Kuharsky adds some context, noting that the rookie suffered a fractured leg during Sunday’s loss. Fortunately, the injury won’t be a season ender, but it will still sideline the linebacker for at least the next month.

Oladejo was selected by the Titans in the second round of this year’s draft following a breakout 2024 campaign at UCLA. The rookie has mostly been deployed as an edge rusher in 2025, and he collected 13 tackles through his first six career games. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been particularly fond of his NFL performance so far, grading him 101st among 110 qualifying edge defenders.

Jihad Ward saw a season-high 51 defensive snaps this past weekend, and he’ll likely play opposite Dre’Mont Jones on the defensive line. The team is also rostering Arden Key, although the veteran missed Week 6 while nursing a quad injury. Sophomore Jaylen Harrell could be in line for more playing time, as well.

Gaye is another option, although the linebacker will likely have to work his way up the depth chart. The former UDFA got into 15 games for the Titans in 2024, finishing with eight tackles and one sack while getting into about 20 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.

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