Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Trey Hill
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Curtis Jacobs
Thursday’s taxi squad moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Corey Ballentine
Ballentine’s only regular season appearance to date has come with New England, but he spent training camp with the Packers. The 29-year-old was among Green Bay’s final roster cuts, and after recently being let go by the Patriots he was free to join any interested suitor. Dallas would obviously qualify (at least for the next few days) given the team’s upcoming matchup with Green Bay.
SEPTEMBER 25: Bennett revealed on Friday (via ESPN’s Tim McManus) his IR move was brought about by a pectoral injury. The issue has been in place since Week 1, but during Sunday’s win over the Rams it was “tweaked.” Bennett will look to reprise his depth role upon returning to full health.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Eagles lost two pass-rushing pillars during the offseason, seeing Brandon Graham retire and Josh Sweat sign with the Cardinals. Those moves increased Nolan Smith‘s importance to the team.
Philadelphia will need to get by without its top edge rusher for the foreseeable future, however. The team placed Smith on IR today, with cornerback Jakorian Bennett joining the young sack artist in being sidelined for at least four games via an IR transition. Philly also placed wide receiver Darius Cooper on IR.
None of these injuries are believed to be season-ending, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s EJ Smith, who adds surgeries are not expected for Smith, Bennett or Cooper. All would be eligible to return in Week 8, but with the Eagles’ bye in Week 9, an extra recovery week will factor into the club’s decision-making here. Indeed, The Athletic’s Zack Berman indicates the Eagles hope each will be recovered around the bye.
Smith tweaked the triceps injury he had surgically addressed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. He suffered a strained triceps muscle in Week 3, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who indicates an injury absence that runs through Philly’s Week 9 bye is anticipated. An aggravation months later is certainly a storyline to follow for the Eagles, particularly given Smith’s impact on their pass rush. For now, the expectation is a midseason return.
The 2023 first-round pick suffered a triceps tear in Super Bowl LIX, joining Graham in sustaining that injury during the Eagles’ February romp. Graham re-tore the triceps he rehabbed, and Smith has now aggravated his. The key difference here being Graham did not undergo surgery during his speedy recovery, while Smith did go under the knife this offseason.
Despite their 3-0 record, the Eagles have struggled to pressure quarterbacks this season. They have three sacks in three games; Smith has yet to record one, while new starter Jalyx Hunt is also sackless through three games. More pressure will be on Hunt, a former third-rounder, now. The Eagles did make a key addition before Week 2, ending Za’Darius Smith‘s free agency stay. The nomadic edge rusher will be expected to play a bigger role moving forward. Za’Darius Smith, 33, has three double-digit sack seasons on his resume and recorded nine between stays in Cleveland and Detroit last year.
Tallying only one QB hit this season, Nolan Smith notched 6.5 sacks and 11 QB hits in 2024. The speed rusher came up big in the playoffs, registering four sacks during the Eagles’ three NFC postseason games and two hits on Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. This represents a key year for Nolan Smith, whose fifth-year option will need to be exercised or declined shortly after the draft. How he fares to close out this season could well determine how Philly proceeds there.
The Eagles’ late-summer trade binge included a Bennett addition, nabbing him from the Raiders. Bennett has played a small part on defense early, logging only 24 defensive snaps. He started 11 games with the Raiders from 2023-24. A former UDFA, Cooper has only played 20 offensive snaps. He does not have a reception in his pro career yet.
Philly signed safety Marcus Epps, tight end Cameron Latu and cornerback Parry Nickerson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Linebacker Lance Dixon, cornerback Eli Ricks and wideout Quez Watkins are now on the P-squad.
SEPTEMBER 25: Though Gardner-Johnson requested a trade, the Texans made no attempt to move him, according to Ryans (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). Ryan’s comments indicate that the team wanted to get Gardner-Johnson out of Houston as soon as possible, aligning with the report about the tension he created in the locker room.
SEPTEMBER 24: C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s time in Houston has proven to be short-lived. The veteran safety is being released, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 
2025 has seen Gardner-Johnson serve as a starter for Houston, his fourth career team. The former Saint, Lion and Eagle (on two occasions) enjoyed a highly productive second Philadelphia stint last year. To his surprise, the 27-year-old was traded this offseason in a swap which saw former first-round guard Kenyon Green head the other way.
That move appeared to give Houston another veteran presence in the secondary and add further to a defense which faced high expectations entering 2025. That unit has fared well with an average of just 17 points allowed per game, but the Texans are moving on nonetheless. Jalen Mills was recently brought back into the fold as a depth option at safety, while Jimmie Ward was removed from the commissioner’s exempt list yesterday. In the wake of those developments, Gardner-Johnson is being let go.
Friction with teammates was an issue in this case, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Gardner-Johnson criticized other members of the Houston secondary and was unhappy with his role in the team’s scheme, per Wilson. Without even one month in the books, the decision has been made on the team’s part to move on rather than attempting to salvage the situation. Wilson adds a trade request was issued prior to today’s cut.
Team and player recently agreed to a restructure, with Gardner-Johnson’s base salary for 2025 being reduced to the veteran minimum in exchange for a conversion to a signing bonus. That spread out guaranteed cap charges over several years, an indication this relationship would continue through at least the remainder of the campaign. Instead, Houston will take on a $5.66MM dead money charge for 2025 as a result of this move.
Mills and (when he is healthy) Ward represent options to take on a starting role at the safety spot. Ward has been a key figure when available during his Texans tenure, but an NFL investigation stemming from domestic violence allegations is ongoing and he is currently on the reserve/PUP list while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. In any case, Calen Bullock is set to remain in place as a safety starter moving forward. M.J. Stewart is currently in line to join him as a first-team presence.
Gardner-Johnson is now set to hit free agency. With two six-interception seasons and four campaigns of at least eight pass deflections to his name, the former fourth-rounder is not lacking in production. Today’s move marks the latest example of a team preferring not to keep him in the fold in spite of that, however. As such, it will be interesting to see if a strong market develops over the near future.
For the second time, after spending a season with the Eagles, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson only played three games with his new team. The first time, in Detroit, an injury in the second game of the season forced him to the sideline until the regular season finale. This year, Houston released the veteran defensive back and will now need to fill his role on the defense. 
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, another veteran defensive back, M.J. Stewart will be the next man up at the position. A second-round pick out of North Carolina in 2018, Stewart started his career as a slot cornerback for the Buccaneers. He made six starts in his first two seasons but missed 11 games and was waived before the start of his third year.
The Browns picked Stewart up off waivers, and while splitting time at nickelback with Kevin Johnson, Stewart snagged the only two interceptions of his career. He stuck around with the Browns for the final year of his rookie contract, and Cleveland began to give him a bit of run at safety. Though he was still splitting his time between the slot and the defensive outfield, Stewart began to look more comfortable as a defender, grading out as the team’s third-best defender that 2021 season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
As a free agent, Stewart signed with the Texans, and though he’s mostly been a special teamer during his time in Houston, when the depth piece did appear on defense, he was lining up the most as a safety. In those first three years with the team, he was always an available option to sub into the first team defense in case of injuries, and he was called to do so a few times. That’s why head coach DeMeco Ryans feels comfortable turning to him now, in the wake of Gardner-Johnson’s departure.
Stewart may not need to be relied upon for long, though. Veteran safety Jimmie Ward was recently removed from the commissioner’s exempt list as he distances himself from an assault family violence charge. Despite the removal, Ward still isn’t quite ready to return to the field as he remains on the reserve/physically unable to perform list following a pair of offseason foot surgeries. Per Wilson, Ward is expected to be ready to return to practice activities in the next few weeks, barring any disciplinary action on behalf of the NFL concerning the resolution of his legal situation.
Houston will add a bit of depth to the position, as well. Wilson reports that undrafted rookie Zion Childress has been signed to the team’s active roster off of the Cowboys‘ practice squad. Childress has been called up twice by Dallas as a standard gameday practice squad elevation but has only appeared on special teams, so far. With Stewart stepping into the starting role, Childress may stand to fill Stewart’s special teams role with an ability to step up, if necessary.
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: RB D’Ernest Johnson, WR Anthony Miller
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB AJ Woods, WR Michael Woods
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Quinton Jefferson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Quintez Cephus
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Tim Jones
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Royce Newman, TE Gee Scott Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Kevin Austin
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: QB Hunter Dekkers
New York Giants
- Signed: OLB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Lawrance Toafili
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE William Bradley-King, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Released: S Derrick Canteen
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Jerrick Reed II
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: FB Adam Prentice
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: TE Ross Dwelley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: RB Najee Harris (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Robert Beal Jr.
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: S D’Anthony Bell
- Placed on IR: FB Robbie Ouzts
Free Agents
- Suspended: WR Jahmal Banks
Prentice had been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation the maximum three times under a single practice squad contract. The Broncos may allow him to stick around for a bit, as he takes linebacker Dre Greenlaw‘s roster spot while he recovers on injured reserve, but they can always release Prentice and sign him back to the practice squad, resetting his elevation count back to zero under a new deal.
Ouzts heads to IR after suffering an ankle injury in the team’s win over New Orleans this past weekend. The fifth-round rookie out of Alabama converted to the position from the tight end role he played in Tuscaloosa, and he had started two of his first three games in the NFL in his new role.
Banks, currently a free agent, has received a six-week suspension from the NFL. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska, Banks spent the offseason in Baltimore before getting cut in the days leading up to the roster cut deadline.
The Browns are looking for help on the blind side after losing offensive tackle Dawand Jones to a season-ending injury in Week 3. After Jones underwent surgery on his knee, the team placed him on injured reserve. 
Jones opened the season as Cleveland’s starting left tackle but flipped to the right side in Week 3 with veteran Cornelius Lucas was struggling to fill in for an injured Jack Conklin. Lucas allowed five pressures in each of the Browns’ first two games of the season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so the team moved him to the blind side hoping for some improved play until Jones and Conklin could move back to their normal spots.
That approach did not go to plan, as Lucas struggled even more at left tackle in Week 3, allowing nine pressures, while Jones went down just four plays into the game. Even if Conklin is able to return in Week 4, Lucas doesn’t seem like a viable starter on either side. As a result, the Browns are already exploring other left tackle options with several weeks until the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The trade route would be an interesting one for Cleveland. The best targets are going to likely be aging veterans on expiring deals, especially if they aren’t playing to the levels of their prime. The teams with those players are likely either expecting them to leave in free agency or not planning on re-signing them. Players like Rob Havenstein with the Rams or Colts tackle Braden Smith come to mind. As opposed to letting good players walk away and getting nothing in return, Los Angeles and Indianapolis could instead attempt to bring in some trade value for their potentially departing assets.
But then again, one has to look at Cleveland and how the Browns are set up. The team is clearly not in a win-now mode, so how much good would it do to part with valuable draft assets in exchange for a short-term rental. With so many young players throughout the roster and an intriguing pick collection next year, the Browns may be hesitant to part with any draft capital solely for a temporary fix.
They’ll have plenty of time to explore that avenue, though, and others. Just this morning they signed Thayer Munford to their active roster off the Patriots’ practice squad. A former seventh-round pick for the Raiders, Munford started 18 games over the first three years of his rookie contract in Las Vegas. Munford appears to be the first of many options that Cleveland will explore as they work to rebuild their offensive line on the fly.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
The Ravens signed veteran defensive tackles Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to their practice squad on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
Baltimore’s D-line additions come during an injury crisis for the unit, as Nnamdi Madubuike will be out for at least another week, according to head coach John Harbaugh. Harbaugh said that he couldn’t comment further, but the uncertainty surrounding the star defensive tackle’s neck injury is growing into a major concern for the Ravens defense.
The team’s other two starting defensive linemen, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington, also missed Wednesday’s practice, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. As a result, Bryan and Tupou could both be pressed into action as soon as this weekend against the Chiefs.
Bryan was actually drafted three picks before Lamar Jackson in the 2018 draft, but never lived up to that billing with only 5.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss on his rookie contract with the Jaguars. Bryan started 16 games for the Browns in 2022 before handling a rotational role for the Colts defense in 2023 and 2024.
Tupou spent the first six years of his career in Cincinnati before joining the Ravens in 2024. He appeared in three games in purple and black last year, also amid injuries to Baltimore’s defensive line, with one sack and one tackle for loss.
Bryan and Tupou both worked out for the Ravens on Wednesday prior to signing with the practice squad, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. Former Jaguars defensive tackle Jeremiah Ledbetter also tried out in Baltimore, but did not impress enough to earn a contract.
Jarvis Brownlee has served as a starter for much of his time in Tennessee, but his tenure there is coming to an end. The second-year corner is being traded from the Titans to the Jets, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal is now official.
Per Schultz, this deal will see late-round picks swapped in 2026. Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds Brownlee and a seventh-rounder in next year’s draft are being exchanged for a sixth-round pick. The Titans will take on a modest dead cap figure ($789K) as part of this agreement. Schultz reports the Patriots also showed interest before the swap was worked out.
[RELATED: Traded 2026 Draft Picks]
Brownlee joined the Titans as a fifth-round pick in 2024, and with the team dealing with injuries in the secondary he took on a large role. Playing in all 17 games, he made 14 starts and logged over 900 defensive snaps. Brownlee started each of Tennessee’s first two games this season before missing Week 3.
This move will leave the Titans without an important figure at the cornerback spot as they look to rebound from a poor start to the year. Tennessee is among the NFL’s 0-3 teams, and earlier today head coach Brian Callahan announced he has ceded offensive play-calling duties. It will be interesting to see how that impacts the team on that side of the ball, but changes will also be in store on defense with Brownlee not in the fold.
The Jets are also 0-3 to begin the campaign. New York’s cornerback room is led by Sauce Gardner – who reset the position’s market with his extension this offseason – along with free agent addition Brandon Stephens and veteran slot man Michael Carter II. Brownlee, who notched one interception and nine pass deflections as a rookie, will look to take on a backup role with his new team. The 24-year-old has struggled in coverage this season compared to his showing in that regard in 2024.
Under contract through 2027, Brownlee represents a low-cost addition for the Jets and one who could remain in place for years to come. It will be interesting to see how large of a workload he handles upon arrival in New York.