Ravens TE Isaiah Likely To Return In Week 4
SEPTEMBER 28: The Ravens are banged up at other positions (most notably the defensive line), but they will be at full strength with respect to the tight end spot. Baltimore’s list of inactives for today’s game (h/t Zrebiec) confirms Likely will indeed play.
SEPTEMBER 26: After two weeks of limited practice participation, Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely had his first full practice of the regular season today. Head coach John Harbaugh was judicious with his comments, relaying that Likely “looks good,” but the team will “have to see if it’s the best thing for (them) on Sunday” for Likely to play, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. 
Though, at the moment, they remain undecided, Harbaugh expressed hope that Likely would be able to play on Sunday, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken echoed those sentiments, per Hensley, emphasizing how Likely adds another tool to a potent Ravens offense.
Likely technically runs as TE2 behind veteran Mark Andrews, but each year, he’s shown an ability that could make him a top weapon on many other teams. His presence has been missed, too. Though the Ravens put up 81 points in their first two games, tight ends only accounted for two catches on five targets for seven yards. Andrews and Charlie Kolar got a boost in Week 3, but Likely will add another dynamic to the position group upon his eventual return.
The news is less positive for defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. After missing last week’s game, Madubuike did not participate in any practices this week as he deals with a neck injury. Harbaugh confirmed that the two-time Pro Bowler would not be available this weekend, per Hensley, and when pushed on his long-term availability, Harbaugh admitted some concern but declined to give any more information until the doctors are able to provide it to him.
Madubuike is a key piece of the Ravens pass rush with 19.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He was certainly missed on Monday as the Ravens failed to amass a single sack for the first time in 57 contests. Another reason for the defense’s struggles getting to the quarterback this past week was the absence of another key pass rusher, Kyle Van Noy.
According to Zrebiec, Van Noy returned to practice on Friday after also missing last week’s game. Van Noy’s career resurgence has seen him collect 21.5 sacks since arriving in Baltimore two years ago. After Madubuike (13.5) led the team in sacks in 2023, Van Noy (12.5) led the Ravens last year. With their two most-recent sack leaders out last week, it’s no wonder they were unable to get to Jared Goff.
Harbaugh said “it would mean a lot” to have Van Noy back on the field this weekend, per Hensley, but like with Likely, they’ll have to wait and see how Van Noy is doing come Sunday. With a matchup that usually sees offensive fireworks and heroics from Patrick Mahomes, the potential additions of Likely and Van Noy could be huge boosts for Baltimore. In the meantime, they’ll continue to gather information on Madubuike’s situation.
Clarity On Texans RB Joe Mixon’s 2025 Outlook Coming Soon?
The Texans have endured a winless start to the season. A key reason for the team’s struggles is a lack of success on the ground. 
Houston entered Sunday’s action sitting 23rd in the league in rushing yards. With a number of new offensive linemen in place and a shorthanded RB room, that development has come as little surprise. Joe Mixon – who handled a heavy workload in 2024 for the Texans and would be doing the same now if healthy – resides on the reserve/NFI list with a foot/ankle injury.
During roster cutdowns, general manager Nick Caserio indicated it was unclear if Mixon would be able to play at all in 2025. Like any other player on the NFI list at this point, the two-time Pro Bowler can be activated no earlier than Week 5. It certainly seems as though Mixon will remain sidelined past that point, but an update in this case could be coming shortly. Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes (subscription required) clarity on Mixon’s outlook is expected to emerge in mid-October.
Finding out more about Mixon’s outlook for this season would be welcomed by all involved. The 29-year-old served as a workhorse last season, his debut campaign for the Texans (245 carries). That produced the fifth 1,000-yard season of his career along with 12 total touchdowns. Expectations were high for a strong follow-up this year, but Mixon suffered the injury this summer and missed all of training camp while rehabbing.
A lengthy ramp-up period will thus be necessary even if Mixon is cleared to return at some point in 2025. The longtime Bengal is under contract through next year, but none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed, Much of Mixon’s financial future will depend on his health status as a result, so an update of any kind will be worth watching for during the midway mark of the campaign.
In the meantime, Houston will proceed with a backfield featuring free agent addition Nick Chubb along with the likes of Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale. That unit could receive a boost late in the campaign, depending on what transpires in Mixon’s case.
49ers Hosted DB Shilo Sanders
While Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is still awaiting his first snap in a regular season NFL game, his older brother, Shilo Sanders, is simply trying to get back into the league. Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Shilo worked out for the 49ers earlier this week.
Shilo, a defensive back, signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in May. Of course, he and Shedeur spent four collegiate seasons together, first at Jackson State and then at Colorado, all under head coach/father/NFL icon Deion Sanders. While Shedeur’s draft stock was one of the preeminent storylines of this offseason, Shilo’s NFL future largely flew under the radar.
Facing the same uphill battle that all UDFAs encounter, Shilo did not help his cause by getting flagged for pass interference and being ejected for throwing a punch in the Bucs’ preseason finale. The club ultimately waived him during final cutdowns at the end of August and elected against bringing him back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.
Shilo’s visit with San Francisco is the first time he has received publicly-reported interest since Tampa Bay waived him. The Niners were apparently looking for secondary/special teams depth, as they also hosted fellow DBs Brandon Joseph and Jaylen Mahoney at the same time, per Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports. The team ultimately added Mahoney – who saw action in three games with San Francisco last year – to the taxi squad, leaving Shilo to continue looking for an NFL employer.
Should he choose to explore a football career north of the border, he may have such an opportunity. As JC Abbott of 3DownNation.com writes, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League added Shilo to their negotiation list, just as they did with Shedeur earlier this year.
As a reminder, being on a CFL club’s negotiation list does not mean a player has expressed an interest in playing for that club, or even playing in the CFL at all. It merely means that the team will have the first opportunity to sign the player should he ever attempt to play in the league.
Cowboys’ Jadeveon Clowney Expects To Play In Week 4
SEPTEMBER 28: Clowney is expected to make his Dallas debut against the Packers in Week 4, per Machota. As the Cowboys go up against Micah Parsons, the superstar they traded to Green Bay shortly before the start of the season, they will hope Clowney can give their Parsons-less pass rush a lift.
SEPTEMBER 21: Clowney is indeed inactive for Week 3, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. His debut will need to wait at least one more week. In more positive injury news, cornerback Trevon Diggs – who emerged on the injury report yesterday – will be active.
SEPTEMBER 20: Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Friday afternoon (via team writer Patrik Walker) that edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney will be a game-time decision on Sunday, adding that “the lean is toward him not playing this week.”
However, owner Jerry Jones said on Friday morning (via the Athletic’s Jon Machota) that he expected Clowney to make his Cowboys debut, though his snap count might be limited. Clearly, the team has yet to make a final determination regarding their recent signing.
Even Clowney has waffled on his status for Week 3. When asked on Monday, he said that he expected to play in Chicago, adding, “That’s what I’m here for,” per Walker. On Friday, he was much less certain.
“Whatever they have planned, I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to get out there,” he said, according to Walker.
The former No. 1 overall pick missed training camp and is joining a different team for the third year in a row, so he needed some time to ramp up physically and get acclimated to a new scheme.
On Monday, Clowney also revealed that the addition of Kenny Clark was a major factor in bringing him to Dallas. He instructed his agent to reach out to the Cowboys “as soon as Kenny Clark signed here,” and days later, the deal was done.
Clowney has also been dealing with an unfortunate incident off the field. He was arrested in his hometown of Rock Hill, Texas while attempting to park at his aunt’s house before a high school football game, according to Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. Clowney was officially charged with trespassing and failure to provide his ID, per WSPA’s Doug Coats.
The 32-year-old also told Hill that he has dealt with similar situations in Texas in the past, but had never been arrested before. He is planning to fight the case.
Falcons OC Zac Robinson Expected To Be A Top Choice For OSU’s Head Coaching Job
In December, we learned Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would have been Oklahoma State’s top choice to replace head coach Mike Gundy if Gundy had not accepted a contract restructure to remain with the program. Now, after back-to-back embarrassing defeats, Gundy is out as Oklahoma State’s HC, and Robinson is again on the radar.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Robinson is on the “very short list” of candidates for Gundy’s job, which Gundy held for over 20 seasons. Now 38, Robinson played collegiately under Gundy, serving as OSU’s starting quarterback from 2007-09. One of Robinson’s former college teammates, Dez Bryant, quickly took to social media after Gundy’s ouster to advocate for Robinson as the long-time coach’s replacement.
Rapoport makes clear that, as of the time of his report, there has been no contact between Robinson and OSU, which has hired a search firm to aid in its quest for its next permanent head coach. And even if the search takes an expected turn in Robinson’s direction, there could be complications.
For instance, although national signing day is not until February, most high school stars commit to colleges in December, at which point the Falcons’ season will still be ongoing. So while Robinson could hire a staff to do the bulk of the recruiting work, he would be pulling double duty for a time, and the recruits may not have as much contact with their prospective head coach as they would like.
The situation would be difficult, but not unprecedented. As Rapoport points out, then-Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis charted a similar course when he was hired as Notre Dame’s head coach during the 2004 season (of course, the collegiate landscape has changed dramatically over the last two decades).
For now, Robinson will attempt to get the Falcons’ offense and second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. back on track. After a solid Week 1 effort against the Bucs, Penix has completed 31 of 57 passes (54.4% completion rate) for 307 yards and zero touchdowns against two interceptions in his last two games combined. The team was blanked in a 30-0 drubbing at the hands of the Panthers in Week 3.
It is unclear what an inability to right the ship will do to Robinson’s status with OSU, though it will obviously damage his NFL stock. Like many Sean McVay disciples, Robinson became a popular name in coaching circles not long after he joined McVay’s Rams staff as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019. He attracted OC interest from the Chargers and Ravens in 2023 and was one of the most popular names in the 2024 cycle, drawing OC interview requests from the Bucs, Bears, Patriots, Raiders, Saints, and Steelers in addition to the Falcons.
In his first year in charge of the Atlanta offense, which was quarterbacked first by Kirk Cousins and then by Penix, Robinson’s unit finished sixth in yards per game and 13th in points per game.
Commanders Rule Out Jayden Daniels For Week 4; QB Expected To Return In Week 5
SEPTEMBER 28: Daniels is expected to return for Washington’s Week 5 game against the Chargers, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). Rapoport says Daniels’ workout on Saturday went well.
SEPTEMBER 27: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave some updates on Daniels and McLaurin this morning. Fowler confirmed Reed’s report from yesterday that Daniels is pushing to play, but the medical and coaching staffs view his knee injury as a mobility issue. Per Fowler, if Daniels’ legs didn’t add so much to his game, the Commanders may be willing to stick him back there and force him to be a pocket passer for a few games until healthy. Instead, they’re opting to give him more time to heal his knee, so that he’ll be able to deliver a more complete product upon his return and avoid the disaster of further injury that the franchise has seen in the past.
While there’s a decent chance Daniels could return for Week 5, the question marks remain that week for McLaurin. While Fowler has been told that Fowler will not go on injured reserve, he’s still week-to-week without a clear timetable for a return.
SEPTEMBER 26: The Commanders ruled out star quarterback Jayden Daniels for their Week 4 matchup with the Falcons, per Tashan Reed of The Washington Post.
That decision will position Marcus Mariota to start for the second week in a row, this time facing his former team. He impressed against the Raiders last Sunday, completing 15 of his 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. He also added 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground as he led Washington’s offense to 34 points.
Daniels was pushing to play this week, per Reed, telling reporters on Wednesday that he feels back to full strength after spraining his knee in Week 2. He was absent from Friday’s practice but participated in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday. When asked about his activity level, he said that he did “enough to feel good if I play on Sunday.”
However, he admitted that his status would be “up to the doctors,” adding, “It’s not my decision.”
Despite concerns about Daniels’ propensity to take big hits as a runner, the 2024 first-round pick played through an October chest injury to start all 17 games as a rookie. Despite an apparent desire to do the same this year, the Commanders are taking a more cautious approach with their franchise quarterback.
Washington’s passing game will also be without multiple receivers on Sunday. As expected, Terry McLaurin was ruled out with a quad injury, and Noah Brown is likely to miss his second game in a row. The Commanders will need Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Jaylin Lane to step up alongside Deebo Samuel, who leads the team in receptions.
The Commanders did get some encouraging news for their offense on Friday with rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt returning to practice after missing the last two days. His availability would be crucial to a Commanders backfield that lost Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.
McLaurin did not practice at all this week, while RB JCM returned to practice on Friday and would be crucial on Sunday to a Commanders backfield that lost Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.
Cowboys G Tyler Booker Expected To Miss Extensive Time; Booker, WR CeeDee Lamb Could Be Placed On IR
SEPTEMBER 28: Team EVP Stephen Jones said the Cowboys will make a determination in the next few days as to whether Lamb and/or Booker will need to be placed on IR, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Both players are currently in walking boots.
SEPTEMBER 22: The Cowboys lost two offensive starters to high ankle sprains in Week 3. In addition to CeeDee Lamb going down, Tyler Booker will not be available to the team for the foreseeable future.
Booker is expected to miss at least three weeks because of the high ankle malady he sustained in Chicago, AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill reports. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer pegs the timetable at 4-6 weeks. The latter duration being where this settles would make the first-round pick an IR candidate.
This represents another bad break for the Cowboys, who have center Cooper Beebe on IR. Brought in after Zack Martin‘s retirement, Booker started at right guard in Dallas’ first three games. The injury also comes after second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton — the team’s 2024 first-round pick — missed several weeks due to a knee injury sustained early in training camp. Guyton returned in time for Week 1 but continues to see new faces along the O-line.
IR is a possibility for both Lamb and Booker, Jerry Jones said (via WFAA’s Ed Werder). This comes after a report indicated Lamb was not an IR candidate. An IR transaction would sideline either until Week 8. Booker played through the injury but will take a seat for a while.
If the Cowboys are planning on carrying Lamb on their 53-man roster, a Booker IR move would make more sense. Two of Dallas’ injury activations went to Jonathan Mingo and Payton Turner in August. The team will likely hold another for Beebe, and rookie running back Phil Mafah also landed on IR shortly after roster-cutdown day. These placements would stand to factor into the Cowboys’ decision with Booker.
Weeks after the Martin news, the Cowboys drafted Booker at No. 12 overall. Sporting a keen eye for first-round talent over the past several years, the Cowboys only placed 12 first-round grades on prospects this year. This led to the team staying at 12 and taking Booker, doing so after previously eyeing Tetairoa McMillan. The Cowboys identified four All-Pro O-linemen (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Martin, Tyler Smith) in Round 1 from 2011-22, and they will hope Booker — now opposite a guard-record contract given to Tyler Smith — will follow that path.
The Cowboys have 2023 UDFA T.J. Bass and waiver claim Trevor Keegan as options to replace Booker. Bass would seemingly be the more likely option, having started five games from 2023-24 and having played in all three Cowboys contests this season. Keegan has not played this year.
In better Cowboys news, cornerback DaRon Bland is on track to return for Week 4, Archer adds. Joining Tyler Smith as a recent extension recipient, missed Dallas’ past two games with a foot injury.
Chargers’ Minimalist Defensive Blueprint Proving Effective
The Chargers' defense made a surprising transformation last season, rocketing from the bottom quartile to No. 1 in points allowed. Los Angeles managed this without making many additions of note to join Tom Telesco-era staples Joey Bosa, Derwin James and Khalil Mack.
That trend continued this offseason, and the Chargers entered Week 1 with their most notable defensive move being a subtraction (the Bosa release). Early in Week 2, they lost Mack to a dislocated elbow. The team still held the Raiders to nine points and the Broncos to nine first downs, showing no signs of confirming their unexpected 2024 resurgence was fluky.
Twenty games into Jesse Minter's defensive coordinator tenure, his Bolts work appears quite legitimate. While the former Jim Harbaugh Michigan DC came up as a potential 2025 HC candidate, no team chose to interview him during this year's cycle. Even in a league that prioritizes offensive-oriented candidates, this qualified as surprising given the turnaround Minter steered last season. There is almost no chance the 42-year-old staffer goes interview-less in 2026, and this 20-game pace points to the Chargers needing to look for a new DC next year.
Russell Wilson Expected To Become Trade Target
Despite early reports that the Giants and quarterback Russell Wilson are expected to stay together, other expectations still persist that the veteran passer will become a trade target, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Injuries have not been uncommon this year, and New York has the luxury of having signed two veterans in the offseason. If needy team comes calling with a good enough offer, it will be difficult for the Giants decline. 
So far, both sides have been saying all the right things. Wilson has taken his benching in stride with a dedication to “respond in the right way” and serve as his successor’s mentor. He made sure to add, though, that he’s “not done,” and while that comment could be directed at his future following the expiration of his one-year deal in New York, it may also be directed at this season.
In New Orleans, second-round rookie quarterback Tyler Shough failed to beat out incumbent starer Spencer Rattler. Now, the winless Saints sit at 29th in scoring offense and may be searching for answers. They’ll want Rattler or Shough to earn some experience and develop a bit, but if neither quarterback shows potential to take over the offense, the team may want an early look at how Wilson might fit in.
The Bengals have a ton of offensive weapons, and though a one-game sample isn’t much, interim starting quarterback Jake Browning has not looked well-equipped to utilize them so far. If there’s really a belief that Joe Burrow could return to the active roster late in the season, trading for Wilson may give Cincinnati some hope at piling together enough wins to stay in the playoff race for a run with Burrow.
Other teams have seen injuries to their starting passers, but storing experienced backups like Carson Wentz, Tyrod Taylor, Mac Jones, and Marcus Mariota have helped the Vikings, Jets, 49ers, and Commanders to avoid disaster. Not every team may be so lucky in the case that their starting quarterback goes down, and such a scenario could certainly drive a team to pick up the phone and call New York.
The motives would be clear for both sides. For any team looking to trade for Wilson, they wouldn’t be asked to cover Wilson’s entire one-year, $10.5MM deal. Since $8MM of that contract came in the form of a signing bonus, any calling team would only be responsible for covering a portion of his $2MM base salary. As for the Giants, while they have confidence in rookie first-rounder, Jaxson Dart, any doubts of failure or injury are quickly remedied by the presence of Jameis Winston, who has proven to be an effective backup in the past.
Because of these factors, Wilson stands as a superfluous asset with potential value just burning a hole in New York’s pocket. With no significant need to hold on to Wilson and the potential that some needy team could offer up valuable draft capital or more, it’s hard to picture a future in which Wilson finishes the season with Big Blue.
Ravens Place DTs Nnamdi Madubuike, Broderick Washington On IR
It’s doubly bad news for an already struggling defense. In addition to the semi-expected placement of Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike on injured reserve, Madubuike’s draft classmate Broderick Washington is joining him there. Baltimore will now face a four-game stretch that includes the Chiefs, Texans, Rams, and Bears without two key pieces on their defensive line. 
The Madubuike move was semi-expected after head coach John Harbaugh expressed some concern about the two-time Pro Bowler’s long-term availability in a media session yesterday. Now, those concerns have been realized as the veteran lineman will embark on an extended absence with the aim to heal his troubling neck injury. His presence was greatly missed on Monday as the Ravens went sackless for the first time in 57 games without their 2023 team sack-leader.
Things won’t get much better with Washington joining Madubuike on IR because of an ankle injury. The Texas Tech product has not been nearly as productive as his A&M counterpart, Madubuike, but Washington has established himself as a dependable depth piece for Baltimore over six years with the team. Out of a possible 87 career games, Washington has started 22 of 73 game appearances and is usually good for a sack or two per year.
To make matters worse, another starting defensive tackle, Travis Jones, is currently listed as questionable for tomorrow’s trip to Kansas City with an ankle injury, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Playing on the final year of his rookie deal, this could be a big opportunity for Jones to gain some bargaining power for the offseason, but he’ll need to be on the field to make that a reality.
With Madubuike and Washington definitely out and Jones questionable, the Ravens are bringing up three defensive linemen for tomorrow’s game. Veteran lineman Brent Urban will be promoted to the 53-man roster after a short stay on the team’s practice squad. Recent practice squad signee Josh Tupou and C.J. Okoye will join Urban on Sunday, but as standard gameday practice squad elevations, they will revert back to the practice squad after the game.
That still leaves one open slot on the 53-man roster, and the Ravens will utilize it to promote practice squad tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden. This may be additional bad news as there was hope yesterday that Isaiah Likely would be ready to make his 2025 debut tomorrow. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that Likely won’t be available, but it could hint at Baltimore’s confidence in his likelihood to play.