HEADLINES

Transactions News & Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/25

October 6th, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Connor Byrne

The latest practice squad updates from around the NFL…

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Davidson is returning to the Houston organization almost two months after it waived him from IR with an injury settlement in mid-August. The former Auburn Tiger entered the NFL as a second-round pick (47th overall) of the Falcons in 2020, but he has since combined for just four starts and two sacks in 24 games between Atlanta and Tennessee.

After waiving him over the weekend, the Jets are quickly reuniting with Williams. The 24-year-old committed a costly turnover in a loss to the Dolphins last Monday when he fumbled the opening kickoff return of the second half. He later opted to fair catch a punt at the Jets’ 3-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Jets opened the season with Xavier Gipson as their returner, but they cut him after a Week 1 fumble in a loss to the Steelers. With Isaiah Williams and Gipson unable to hold down the job, Avery Williams handled return duties in the Jets’ loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. He avoided fumbles while averaging 26.6 yards on five kickoff returns and 10.3 yards on four punt runbacks.

Chargers To Open LB Denzel Perryman’s Practice Window

October 6th, 2025 at 8:03pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Chargers have gone without injured linebacker Denzel Perryman for almost the entire season, but a return is on the horizon. The team plans to open Perryman’s practice window this week, head coach Jim Harbaugh announced (via Kris Rihm of ESPN). When that becomes official, the Chargers will have 21 days to activate Perryman from injured reserve.

[RELATED: Omarion Hampton Heads To IR]

The Chargers won their season opener over the AFC West rival Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5, but they lost Perryman to a high ankle sprain after he took just eight defensive snaps. While the team went on to a 3-0 start without Perryman, it has since dropped back-to-back games to the Giants and Commanders to fall to 3-2.

Thanks to their two-game skid, the Chargers now own the same record as the division-rival Broncos. The reigning AFC champion Chiefs could join those two as the division’s third 3-2 club if they pull out a road win over the Jaguars on Monday.

With Perryman out of commission, Troy Dye has taken over as a starter at linebacker alongside Daiyan Henley. Dye, mostly a backup for the Vikings and Chargers from 2020-24, has totaled 36 tackles and a sack this year. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his performance a respectable 30th among 74 qualifiers at his position.

At the very least, the Chargers seem to have a capable fallback option in Dye, which is important in light of Perryman’s extensive injury history. Along with already missing four full games in 2025, Perryman sat out either five or six contests in each of the previous three seasons. The 32-year-old has missed at least two games in all 11 of his NFL seasons since the Chargers chose him in the second round of the 2015 draft.

After stints with the Raiders and Texans, Perryman reunited with the Chargers before the 2024 campaign. He picked up 55 tackles and a sack in 11 games last season, leading the Chargers to re-sign the former Pro Bowler to a a one-year, $3.65MM deal in March.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/25

October 6th, 2025 at 7:15pm CST by Connor Byrne

Today’s minor moves from around the NFL…

Arizona Cardinals

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

Reiman suffered a season-ending right ankle injury in a loss to the Titans on Sunday and will spend the rest of the year on IR. The blocking tight end and Trey McBride backup logged 98 offensive snaps and 50 on special teams during the first five weeks of the season. He also caught three of five targets for 18 yards.

Morris, already elevated three times from the Jaguars’ practice squad this year, signed to their active roster before Monday’s matchup against the Chiefs. The 28-year-old has played just three offensive snaps this season, though he has seen action on about 54 percent of special teams snaps. A member of the Bills from 2022-24, Morris has tallied 15 catches, 146 yards, and three touchdowns in 48 games in the NFL.

After receiving a standard elevation from the practice squad, Tuipulotu is in line to play his second game of the season on Monday. The 6-foot-2, 307-pounder took three defensive snaps in the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers in Week 1.

Vannett appeared in three of the Vikings’ first five games before they released him. He only took the field for four offensive snaps and 20 on special teams.

49ers Open Malik Mustapha’s Practice Window

October 6th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Connor Byrne

Safety Malik Mustapha was an important part of the 49ers’ defense in 2024, but a right ACL injury suffered in Week 18 has prevented him from taking the field this year. That could change soon, however, as the 49ers opened Mustapha’s practice window on Monday. They now have 21 days to activate him from the physically unable to perform list.

A fourth-round pick from Wake Forest last year, Mustapha emerged as a 12-game starter over 16 contests as a rookie. The 5-foot-10, 206-pounder added 72 tackles, five passes defensed, and an interception to serve as a bright spot during a disappointing season for the 49ers.

A rash of injuries helped lead to a 6-11 record last year for San Francisco, which saw Mustapha exit early in its season-ending loss to the Cardinals. Mustapha previously tore the ACL in his right knee in college, and the latest injury forced him to undergo offseason surgery to repair the issue. His recovery has gone well enough that he could debut as early as this Sunday for an intriguing showdown with 4-1 Tampa Bay.

Despite once again battling a slew of notable injuries this season (including to quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and defensive end Nick Bosa, among others), the 49ers have joined the Buccaneers in starting 4-1. Their Robert Saleh-led defense, which is tied for eighth in the NFL in points per game allowed and 15th in yardage, has utilized safeties Marques Sigle and Jason Pinnock on 100 percent of snaps in Mustapha’s absence. Meanwhile, Ji’Ayir Brown has seen action on just over 15 percent of snaps. Any or all of those three could lose playing time when Mustapha rejoins the lineup.

Broncos LG Ben Powers Headed To IR

October 6th, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos earned an impressive comeback win on Sunday, but their offensive line will be shorthanded for an extended period. Left guard Ben Powers is dealing with a biceps injury which will lead to a notable absence.

Powers did not join the Broncos on their flight to London today. Instead, Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post notes he returned to Denver for evaluation on his injury. Testing has resulted in an unwanted prognosis. 9News’ Mike Klis reports Powers is heading to injured reserve.

The 28-year-old is set to miss at least the next four games as a result. However, Powers is in store for an extended absence. Per Klis, the team hopes to have him back in the fold at some point in December. That would represent a recovery timeline of roughly two months.

Since arriving in free agency in 2023, Powers has yet to miss a game. This absence will thus be a rare one, but it will also deal a blow to Denver’s highly-regarded offensive line. That unit played a critical role in quarterback Bo Nix‘s impressive rookie campaign and has remained strong in the early portion of the current season. Powers’ PFF evaluation to date has been in line with his previous Broncos performances.

The Oklahoma product is under contract through 2026, although none of his base salary for next year is locked in. Powers managing to return to full health late in the season could therefore prove to be key in ensuing he remains in Denver moving forward. In any case, the Broncos will be relying on one or more replacements along the interior of the O-line for the time being.

Raiders Release LB Germaine Pratt

October 6th, 2025 at 1:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Germaine Pratt‘s brief tenure with the Raiders has come to an end. The veteran linebacker has been released, head coach Pete Carroll announced on Monday.

When speaking about the decision, Carroll said (via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden) the team simply decided to move in a different direction. That is a clear indication Pratt was no longer in Vegas’ plans for the year. Indeed, the 29-year-old did not travel with the Raiders for their Week 5 game despite being healthy, as noted by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Pratt was long seen as a cut candidate for the Bengals this offseason, and in June he was let go. That marked an end to the former third-rounder’s Cincinnati stint, one which spanned the first six years of his career. Pratt was not on the open market for long, as he inked a Raiders deal shortly after his release. That one-year pact contained $3.75MM in guarantees, and the team will take on that amount as a dead money charge.

This release will create just over $1MM in cap space, adding to the roughly $7.6MM in funds the Raiders already had prior to this move. It will be interesting to see if Vegas pursues a free agent or trade acquisition at the linebacker position to fill Pratt’s roster spot. Failing that, internal options will be counted on the rest of the way.

Pratt was inactive yesterday but he served as a starter for each of the Raiders’ first four games, logging a snap share of 88% during that time. Replacing a workload of that size could prove to be difficult, although the speed with which this decision has been made demonstrates Vegas’ willingness to move on early in the campaign. Pratt posted 25 tackles and a pair of pass deflections in September.

Given today’s move, the NC State product is once again a free agent. Pratt has 100 appearances and 92 starts to his name. He will thus offer plenty of experience to any interested teams, although a backup gig could be in store provided a deal is worked out allowing him to continue playing in 2025.

Packers Open WR Christian Watson’s Practice Window

October 6th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Coming off their bye, the Packers could have a key offensive contributor in the fold soon. Wideout Christian Watson has returned to practice, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes.

Last week, head coach Matt LaFleur said (via Demovsky) the team was discussing opening Watson’s practice window right after the bye. Today’s news comes as no surprise as a result. The Packers now have 21 days to activate Watson from the reserve/PUP list.

An ACL tear ended the 26-year-old’s 2024 campaign. Watson has been rehabbing the injury since then, and he expressed optimism last month in his ability to return to practice when first eligible to do so. That would have meant having his window opened last week, but in any event today’s update is an encouraging sign. Watson will be expected to handle a notable role upon activation, especially with Jayden Reed recovering from multiple surgeries.

Injuries have prevented Watson from playing a full season to date in his career. The former second-rounder nevertheless signed an $11MM deal this offseason to ensure he will not depart in free agency during the spring. Watson’s ability to receive a longer commitment from Green Bay will obviously be tied to his health and the extent to which he can duplicate last season’s success. Prior to his Week 18 ACL tear, the North Dakota State alum posted a career-best 620 yards while averaging 21.4 yards per reception.

Much of the Packers’ long-term plans at the receiver spot remains uncertain. Romeo Doubs (who is currently in the final year of his rookie pact) could be playing his way into an extension, while Reed will be eligible for a second contract after this season. Part of the team’s decisions on those fronts will no doubt be influenced by Watson and his role in the passing game upon returning to action this season.

In other injury news, offensive lineman Jacob Monk has also had his 21-day activation window opened (h/t Demovsky). Monk was moved to injured reserve during roster cutdowns while being designated for return. As a result, he (along with running back MarShawn Lloyd) already counts toward Green Bay’s total in terms of IR activations for the year. Monk could join Watson on the Packers’ gameday roster as early as Week 6 depending on how the next few days play out.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/25

October 5th, 2025 at 8:48pm CST by Ely Allen

We have a rare Sunday transaction today:

Denver Broncos

Toure’s name came up earlier this week when he was hosted by the Giants following their loss of Malik Nabers. The former seventh-round pick for the Packers hasn’t played in a game since 2023, and in 22 games with Green Bay, he only reeled in 13 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown.

Unless one of them is released to make room for Toure on the practice squad, Toure will join three other receivers on Denver’s taxi squad. The Broncos only carry five receivers on their 53-man roster, so all four pass catchers on the practice squad stand a decent chance of being called up in case of injury.

Raiders TE Brock Bowers Will Not Play In Week 5

October 5th, 2025 at 7:39am CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 5: ESPN’s Adam Schefter offers some more specifics on Bowers’ knee, reporting that last year’s runner-up in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting has been playing through a bone bruise on his knee as well as a PCL injury. Naturally, those ailments have affected his performance, and doctors say rest is the only remedy. Bowers was simply unwilling to sideline himself until now.

Schefter adds that the Raiders consider Bowers week-to-week and will reevaluate him in the coming days to see if he can suit up in Week 6. He is officially inactive for Week 5.

OCTOBER 4: The Raiders could be down two tight ends on their trip to Indianapolis this this weekend. After Raiders columnist Paul Gutierrez reported that Michael Mayer would miss tomorrow’s game with a concussion, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added that starting tight end Brock Bowers‘ status for the game has been trending down as he’s been battling a knee injury.

While head coach Pete Carroll had seemed confident that the second-year pass catcher would be available, his absences from Thursday and Friday’s practices didn’t bode well for Bowers. While nothing official has been decided on his availability for tomorrow, Rapoport claims that “Bowers is trending toward not playing” against the Colts, leaving Las Vegas without their first- and second-string tight ends.

This leaves the Raiders with Ian Thomas and Carter Runyon as the only healthy tight ends on the 53-man roster. This is Thomas’ first year in Las Vegas after spending the first seven years of his career in Carolina. He’s never been much of an impact receiver in the passing game, but he can contribute some if needed. He’s appeared in all four games this season as a third option behind Bowers and Mayer, and he made his first start for the Raiders last week in Mayer’s first absence.

After being elevated and appearing in his first NFL game last weekend, Runyon was signed to the active roster from the practice squad earlier this week. The undrafted rookie out of Towson could find himself in the TE2 role for Las Vegas if Bowers can’t go tomorrow. After only appearing on special teams in his NFL game, Runyon could figure into the offense in his second.

The Raiders added a bit more depth at the position from the practice squad today by calling up Albert Okwuegbunam as a standard gameday elevation. Okwuegbunam has a chance to appear in his first game since 2023.

Vikings Place C Ryan Kelly On IR; J.J. McCarthy Uncertain For Week 7

October 4th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings continue to be burdened with injuries in 2025. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was the first to report today that Vikings center Ryan Kelly will be placed on injured reserve. The team’s official announcement shows that Minnesota will be getting a body back from IR, though, as it activates fullback C.J. Ham.

Kelly is in his first season with the Vikings after spending the first nine years of his career with the Colts. The four-time Pro Bowler will miss the next four games after suffering his second concussion in three weeks. Kelly is no stranger to injuries; he’s only ever played in every game of the regular season three times in his career, most recently missing seven games last year.

Surgery for a broken bone in his Kelly’s foot sidelined him for the first four games of his second year in the league, and after he returned for seven games, a concussion sidelined him for the remainder of that year. Since then, recurrent concussions and neck injuries saw him frequent the sideline for a couple weeks each year. Last season, he added a knee injury to his list of ailments, causing a stay on IR as he recovered from surgery.

Minnesota decided to look past his extensive injury history when signing him because Kelly has routinely performed as one of the better, more consistent centers in the league. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Kelly was playing some of the best football of his career for the Vikings this season before landing on the injured list.

Kelly becomes the third offensive lineman, the sixth offensive player, and the eighth overall player to land on IR from the Vikings’ roster. To make matter worse, starting right tackle Brian O’Neill, starting left guard Donovan Jackson, and backup center Michael Jurgens have all been ruled out for this weekend on the team’s injury report, leaving only left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right guard Will Fries as the last starters standing in front of backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who is starting with J.J. McCarthy ruled out, as well.

Blake Brandel, who started every game for Minnesota at left guard last year, filled in for Jackson last week, but the team’s depth chart has him listed as the third option at center behind Kelly and Jurgens. Justin Skule is listed as the primary backup for both tackle spots, and Joe Huber and Walter Rouse were the only other remaining healthy backups on the 53-man roster before today’s transactions.

The Vikings waived quarterback Desmond Ridder in order to sign practice squad rookie offensive lineman Vershon Lee to the 53-man roster. Lee adds incredible versatility to the offensive line after starting 40 games at three different positions in college at South Carolina — 18 at center, 16 at left guard, and six at right tackle. He finished his career as a center and could be an option if the team wants to keep Brandel at left guard.

The team also used one of its two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up guard Henry Byrd, who appeared in his first career game earlier this season after going undrafted in 2023. The other elevation was utilized to call up running back Cam Akers, as usual starter Aaron Jones is one of the six offensive players on IR.

The team cutting Ridder comes as a bit of a surprise considering some of the rumors surrounding McCarthy this weekend. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, sources have relayed that “McCarthy isn’t healthy, and while the target return has been Week 7 against the Eagles, it could still be longer.” This follows rumors that Minnesota may be using the injury to keep McCarthy off the field for a bit after they watched him struggle more than expected in his first two NFL games, arguing that the extra time could help him prepare a bit more for a return to play.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been extremely clear about the conditions for McCarthy’s return, though, saying that the second-year passer “won’t play until he’s had a full week of practice.” Since exiting Week 2 with an injury, he hasn’t yet practiced in any capacity. Still, O’Connell asserts that once his young quarterback is healthy, he’ll return to his starting role. With McCarthy still out and Ridder off the team, undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer stands as the only remaining quarterback on the roster to back up Wentz.

Despite a lot of tough news, the Vikings will see Ham return to the field. The two-time Pro Bowl fullback missed the start of the season with a knee injury. He’ll return to an offensive backfield that looks a bit different without the starting quarterback and running back.

Load More Posts