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Dolphins Activate Austin Jackson From IR

November 29th, 2025 at 3:41pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Dolphins have gone almost all season without right tackle Austin Jackson, who landed on IR after a Week 1 loss to the Colts. Jackson is now ready to return, though, as the team activated him on Saturday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Jackson suffered a toe injury in the Dolphins’ opener, leading to a 10-game absence. Larry Borom took over as left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s blindside protector at right tackle while Jackson was out. Borom, who has played 600 offensive snaps this year, ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 57th-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers.

A first-round pick in 2020, Jackson has started in 55 of 57 games in his five-plus seasons with the Dolphins. Injuries have been a frequent problem for Jackson, however, as he missed 15 games in 2022 and has sat out 19 of 27 since last season.

Jackson’s under contract through 2026 on a three-year, $36MM extension, but that December 2023 agreement came with former general manager Chris Grier at the controls. The Dolphins parted with Grier in October. His successor, whether it’s interim GM Champ Kelly or someone else, will decide Jackson’s future in the offseason. The 26-year-old could be a candidate for release then. In the meantime, he’ll aim for a healthy finish to the season.

Along with activating Jackson and tight end Darren Waller (previously reported), the Dolphins waived offensive lineman Kion Smith and TE Hayden Rucci on Saturday.

Part of the Miami organization since 2021, Smith has totaled 20 appearances with the team. He got into nine games in 2023 before missing all of 2024 with a torn ACL. Smith returned to play in the Dolphins’ first 11 games this year, picking up a pair of starts along the way.

Rucci, undrafted from Wisconsin in 2024, made his first four appearances this year. He totaled 81 snaps (42 on special teams, 39 on offense) before the Dolphins cut him.

Dolphins To Activate Darren Waller From IR

November 29th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins are expected to activate Darren Waller from injured reserve for their Week 13 matchup with the Saints, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Waller landed on injured reserve after suffering a pectoral strain in Week 7. He completed his mandatory four-game absence and was designated to return earlier this week. He participated in all three practices and is designated as questionable for Sunday’s game.

Waller’s return will boost a Dolphins tight end room that has struggled to produce this year. Other than Waller, none of Miami’s tight ends have scored a touchdown this year, and the position group as a whole has contributed just 28 receptions for 269 yards. In Waller’s three games before getting injured, he made 10 catches for 117 yards and four touchdowns.

Miami will need to clear a 53-man roster spot to complete Waller’s activation, but it is not clear who will be waived. The Dolphins have three tight ends – Julian Hill, Tanner Conner, and Greg Dulcich – on their active roster, plus fullback Alec Ingold. Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to value Hill, Conner, and Ingold’s blocking prowess, but Dulcich has been a better pass-catcher than all three since Waller went down. He has eight catches for 89 yards in three games for an average of 22.2 yards per game, more than what Hill and Conner’s combined total.

Rams Activate Ahkello Witherspoon From IR

November 29th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Connor Byrne

With the Rams off to a 9-2 start, they’ll get back a notable defender as they vie for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Rams activated cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon from IR on Saturday, per a team announcement.

Owners of the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense, the Rams’ excellence has come despite limited contributions from Witherspoon. The 30-year-old broke his scapula in Week 2 and wound up missing two and a half months.

The Rams opened Witherspoon’s 21-day practice window on Wednesday. He’ll make a quick return to play Sunday against the playoff-contending Panthers.

A former 49er, Seahawk, and Steeler, Witherspoon entered the season on his third straight one-year deal with the Rams. He was a 17-game starter in 2023 who came off the bench in eight of 13 appearances in 2024. Witherspoon worked as a starter this year before going on IR.

After losing Witherspoon, the Rams turned to Emmanuel Forbes, Cobie Durant, and Darious Williams as their top corners. Josh Wallace and Derion Kendrick are around as healthy depth. The Rams claimed Kendrick off waivers from the Seahawks after they placed in-season trade addition Roger McCreary on IR on Wednesday. The former Titan logged just one defensive snap in his first four games with L.A., though, and Witherspoon’s comeback will more than make up for his absence.

Witherspoon’s activation from IR is the first the Rams have used this year, leaving them with seven more. The team opened wide receiver Tutu Atwell‘s practice window on Wednesday, and his activation appears imminent. McCreary, safety Quentin Lake, right tackle Rob Havenstein, and tight end Tyler Higbee are candidates to return later this season.

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/28/25

November 28th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor NFL transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Washington Commanders

With leading receiver Drake London set to miss his second straight game with a knee injury, Drummond joins the 53-man roster off the taxi squad. He was unable to be a standard gameday practice squad elevation, since he’d already been elevated three times this year.

Chosen is headed to the waiver wire after three games with Washington. He caught five balls for 53 yards on eight targets as an elevation off the practice squad, but after getting signed to the 53-man roster two and a half weeks ago, he only saw one target in the team’s overtime loss to Miami.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/28/25

November 28th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

Finding himself on waivers after missing two extra point attempts at MetLife last weekend, Havrisik went unclaimed on the waiver wire. Brandon McManus is back off the injury report, but Havrisik will remain on the taxi squad in Green Bay, just in case.

Reynolds’ five-year run in Detroit finally has come to an end. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown University in 2019, Reynolds bounced around before landing with the Lions just before the start of the 2021 season. After two years with Detroit’s practice squad, Reynolds spent most of the last two and a half years on the team’s 53-man roster until getting waived yesterday. He brings a bit more experience to the Patriots’ taxi squad backs over Baker, the undrafted rookie from Elon.

Cardinals Release Xavier Thomas; Baron Browning To Return In Week 13

November 28th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cardinals will have outside linebackers Baron Browning and BJ Ojulari on the field together for the first time this season in Week 13.

Browning is returning from a two-game absence due to a concussion, while Ojulari missed Arizona’s first nine games as he recovered from last year’s knee injury. With both players back in the fold, the Cardinals waived 2024 fifth-rounder Xavier Thomas, per team reporter Darren Urban.

Despite playing 54% of the team’s defensive snaps in his nine appearances, Browning has just 26 tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss on the season. However, he has been credited with 22 pressures and a 12.5% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which both rank third among the Cardinals’ pass rushers. Based on those numbers, he is due for some better production for the rest of the season.

Thomas only appeared in four games this season with 15 snaps on defense and 42 on special teams. As a rookie, Thomas played 208 snaps with 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss, but the addition of Josh Sweat this offseason and the return of Ojulari in Week 11 pushed him out of the rotation. Thomas will hit waivers and leave a dead cap hit of $93k in 2025 and $186k in 2026.

Bills Place Curtis Samuel On IR, Promote WR Gabe Davis

November 28th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills swapped wide receivers on their active roster on Friday by placing Curtis Samuel on injured reserve and signing Gabe Davis from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Samuel was sidelined with knee and elbow injuries in Week 12, his fifth absence of the season after missing Weeks 1 through 4. He has only logged 81 receiving yards in six games despite a 40% snap share when active. This is his second disappointing campaign in a row after signing in Buffalo during the 2024 offseason. His three-year, $24MM contract has not aged well and he will likely be released as a cap casualty in the offseason. A pre-June 1 cut would save $6.275MM against the Bills’ 2026 salary cap with $3.45MM in dead money, per OverTheCap. A release after June 1 would save $8MM in 2026 with $1.725MM of dead money in 2026 and 2027.

Davis reunited with the Bills just before the start of the regular season, but did not see the field until second-year wideout Keon Coleman was benched in Week 11. Davis has started the last two games and caught four of his six targets for 62 yards on 59 snaps. His promotion to the 53-man roster indicates that he will continue to feature in Buffalo’s passing game for the rest of the season.

The Bills will also be without a number of key starters for their Week 13 matchup against the Steelers. Left tackle Dion Dawkins, right tackle Spencer Brown, and linebacker Terrel Bernard will all be sidelined on Sunday, according to the team’s injury report.

Dawkins briefly left last week’s game against the Texans to be checked for a concussion, but was cleared to return. After the game, however, symptoms reappeared, forcing the nine-year veteran into concussion protocol. He did not participate in practice this week.

Brown also went down in Week 12. His shoulder injury happened after Dawkins returned to the game; both tackles were replaced by swing tackle Ryan Van Demark in their respective absences. Van Demark will likely start at left tackle, which will set up rookie Chase Lundt to make his first career start at right tackle. The sixth-round pick has made one appearance this season, a three-snap effort in Week 4.

Bernard suffered an elbow injury in Houston, which will likely result in an uptick in work for Shaq Thompson and Dorian Williams. Bernard is tied for the most solo tackles and tackles for loss on the Bills defense.

Though Brown and Bernard could miss multiple games with their injuries, they are not expected to land on injured reserve, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.

Rams Waive K Joshua Karty

November 28th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Los Angeles Rams waived Joshua Karty on Friday, per a team announcement, meaning that Harrison Mevis will take over the team’s kicking job for the rest of the season

The Rams signed Mevis to their practice squad at the beginning of November after some early season struggles from Karty. Mevis won a practice competition ahead of a Week 10 matchup with the 49ers. He his six extra points in that game and three in the next, enough to earn a spot on the active roster and another game as the team’s kicker.

In Week 12, he was finally tested on field goals, and he hit both of his attempts from 40 and 52 yards. He made another four extra points, too, enough to earn the confidence of the Rams’ coaching staff moving forward, at least enough for the team to move on from Karty.

Karty will go on waivers, though he seems unlikely to be claimed given his struggles this season. His performance as a rookie in 2024 – with an 88.3% make rate and five conversions on six attempts from over 50 yards – indicates he has the talent and leg strength to be a kicker in the NFL. An injury to another kicker could give him another chance this season, and he will likely seek an opportunity to compete for a starting job in 2026.

Vikings Rule Out QB J.J. McCarthy; Max Brosmer To Make First Start

November 28th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Vikings have ruled out quarterback J.J. McCarthy for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, per a team announcement, setting undrafted rookie Max Brosmer up for his first NFL start.

The Vikings will also elevate former Rams quarterback John Wolford from the practice squad to serve as Brosmer’s backup.

McCarthy was placed in concussion protocol after symptoms popped up on the Vikings’ flight home from their Week 12 loss to the Packers. He was a limited participant in practice this week but did not receive clearance to play on Sunday against the Packers. This will be McCarthy’s sixth absence this season after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2. He returned in Week 9 and started the next four games before going down once more.

As a result, Brosmer will make the first start of his career. He went undrafted in April and signed with the Vikings to compete with veteran Brett Rypien for the team’s QB3 job. Brosmer won and made the 53-man roster behind McCarthy and Carson Wentz, who was signed after prospective backup Sam Howell was traded to the Eagles.

Brosmer has played in three games this season amid the injuries to McCarthy and Wentz. He has taken only 19 snaps and thrown eight passes, five of which were completed for a total of 42 yards. Getting in a full week of practice with the Vikings’ starting offense may help the 24-year-old perform better in his first start.

Brosmer was a three-year starter for the New Hampshire Wildcats and led the FCS in 2023 with 3,464 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air. He transferred to the University of Minnesota in 2024 and put together a solid but unspectacular season, leading the Golden Gophers to a 8-5 record as a starter without notable individual stats. A strong showing in Week 13 (as well as any other appearances for the rest of the season) should position him to compete for the backup quarterback job next season.

McCarthy has struggled enough this year that Brosmer pushing him for the starting gig in 2026 feels within the realm of possibility, too. Vikings head coach Kevin McConnell‘s former boss, Kyle Shanahan, went to an unheralded young quarterback to replace his handpicked top-10 selection once it became clear that Brock Purdy offered more than Trey Lance. It’s not inconceivable that McConnell could find himself in the same position next year.

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/27/25

November 27th, 2025 at 7:23pm CST by Ely Allen

Happy Thanksgiving! Here are the holiday’s minor NFL transactions and some standard gameday elevations for today’s night game and tomorrow’s Black Friday game:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Philadelphia Eagles

Newman and Brown were removed from the Bears’ 53-man roster as corresponding moves to make room for their two activations off injured reserve today.

Martin is being called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation for the third time this year. If the Ravens would like him to play in any more games after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.

Lampkin was designated to return from IR back on November 6, and his 21-day practice squad window has come and gone without an activation by the Eagles. The undrafted rookie out of North Carolina will spend the rest of his rookie season on IR, as a result of not being activated.

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