HEADLINES

C.J. Stroud Returns To Practice; Texans QB Ruled Out For Week 12

November 18th, 2025 at 2:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:23pm: The Texans have officially ruled out Stroud and Pitre for Week 12, according to Wilson.

1:15pm: Davis Mills has started each of the Texans’ past two games. He is in line to handle QB1 duties for a third straight week, but C.J. Stroud is making progress in his recovery from a concussion.

Stroud has returned to practice on Tuesday, something ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime first reported was expected to take place. That is an encouraging step on Stroud’s path to returning to the lineup, although he is not expected to play in Week 12. The former No. 2 pick remains in concussion protocol, and the Texans are on a short week as they prepare to play the Bills on Thursday.

Stroud was concussed midway through Houston’s Week 9 loss to Denver. The team has managed to win each of its two contests since then with Mills at the helm. The Texans are 5-5 as a result, meaning a playoff berth is certainly attainable. Of course, having Stroud back to full health relatively soon will be key in determining their chances of making the postseason.

In an encouraging update, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports Stroud’s symptoms of headaches and sensitivity to light have subsided. That suggests the 24-year-old will be able to clear the remaining stages of the protocol relatively soon. If that proves to be the case, a return in time for a Week 13 matchup with the Colts could very well be in store.

Stroud played in all of Houston’s 19 combined regular and postseason contests last year, and he missed only two games as a rookie (although that absence was also caused by a concussion). The Ohio State product has not managed to replicate the production seen during his sensational debut campaign, but he profiles as Houston’s franchise passer for the foreseeable future. This coming offseason will be the first in which Stroud will be eligible for an extension.

Mills has thrown for 292 and 274 yards during his two starts so far, posting three touchdowns and one interception along the way. On Thursday, he will take on a Bills defense which has struggled mightily against the run in 2025 but ranks second in the NFL in terms of passing yards allowed per game. It will be interesting to see how Mills fares in what will be his final start provided Stroud continues to progress through his recovery.

Jalen Pitre returned to practice yesterday, and Wilson notes he is taking part in Tuesday’s work as well. Pitre, like Stroud, remains in concussion protocol at this time. Both players are working their way back, though, and a return by Week 13 would come as no surprise.

Rams To Sign LB Jesse Luketa

November 18th, 2025 at 11:16am CST by Adam La Rose

Jesse Luketa has yet to play in 2025. That situation is set to change shortly, however, as the fourth-year linebacker has a deal in place.

Luketa is set to sign with the Rams today, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. A thigh injury ended his 2024 campaign and with it his tenure with the Cardinals. The former seventh-rounder is now healthy, though, and he will look to establish a role for himself in Los Angeles down the stretch.

The 26-year-old Canadian made 31 appearances and three starts across his time with Arizona. Luketa primarily operated on special teams during that time, but he saw an increase in defensive workload with each passing season. In 2024, the Penn State product set a new career high in a number of categories, totaling 21 tackles and three sacks while adding one forced fumble.

At 8-2, the Rams lead the NFC West and currently occupy the conference’s No. 2 seed. Los Angeles can be considered a serious contender at this point, and adding further on defense represents a logical post-trade deadline priority. The Rams had already made a midseason move on that side of the ball by way of the Roger McCreary trade.

Los Angeles entered Tuesday with over $13MM in cap space. As a result, signing Luketa – who visited the Ravens last month – will not be a challenge, nor will it alter any other moves which may be planned over the closing stages of the regular season. It will be interesting to see how Luketa is used with his new team as he looks to boost his 2026 free agent stock.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. Suffers Partial ACL Tear, Likely Done For Season

November 17th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Connor Byrne

10:01pm: The Falcons will place Penix on IR, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report. Along with damage to his ACL, Penix aggravated a bone bruise and a knee sprain.

11:13am: Penix has a partial ACL tear and is expected to miss the rest of the season, according to Palmer.

9:55am: Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in a 30-27 loss to the Panthers on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Penix will go for a second opinion, but his chances of a 2025 return don’t look good. The Falcons believe Penix is done for the season, per James Palmer of The Athletic.

It seemed likely that Penix would miss at least some time when he exited early on Sunday. However, a possible season-ending injury comes as a surprise. Penix previously sat out a game this year with a bone bruise in his left knee, which he re-injured against Carolina. Kirk Cousins, who replaced Penix, will take over for the foreseeable future.

The Falcons used the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft on Penix, a stunning move after they signed Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM in guarantees in free agency.

Penix entered the NFL with a couple of major knee injuries in his past. Then with Indiana, Penix suffered season-ending right ACL tears in both 2018 and ’20. The southpaw finished his college career with a pair of healthy and productive seasons as a Washington Huskie, leading the Falcons to take a chance on him in the first round.

Penix began his pro career as Cousins’ backup, but the Falcons switched to the heir apparent late last season. After starting 7-7 under Cousins, the team replaced him with Penix. While Atlanta lost two of its final three games en route to an 8-9 finish, Penix showed head coach Raheem Morris enough to grab the reins as the team’s unquestioned starter entering this season. The demoted Cousins wanted out in the offseason, whether via trade or release. The Falcons wound up retaining him.

With Penix at the helm for all but one game this season, the Falcons have stumbled to a disappointing 3-7 record. Penix has underwhelmed at the head of an offense that ranks 18th in passing and 27th in scoring. He has completed 60.1% of passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 25-year-old ranks 17th in the league in QBR and 23rd in passer rating.

It remains to be seen whether Penix’s injury will be severe enough to affect his availability for any of 2026. In the meantime, the Falcons will turn back to Cousins. The Falcons gambled on a Cousins mega-deal despite the fact that he suffered a torn Achilles midway through his final season with the Vikings in 2023.

Cousins, who had been prolific passer throughout his career with Washington and Minnesota, hasn’t recaptured his old form since moving to Atlanta. In his lone start this year, a 34-10 loss to Miami in Week 8, Cousins went 21 for 31 for 173 yards. He finished a lackluster 6 for 14 for 48 yards in relief of Penix in Week 11.

Having lost five in a row to fall to 13th place in the NFC, the Cousins-led Falcons will need a miraculous run to earn a playoff berth. To worsen matters, Cousins will go at least one week without the Falcons’ No. 1 receiver, Drake London, who sprained his PCL against Carolina. London won’t play in New Orleans this Sunday, and it’s possible he’ll miss more time after that, per Rapoport.

Browns QB Dillon Gabriel In Concussion Protocol

November 17th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Dillon Gabriel exited the Browns’ Week 11 loss and was evaluated for a concussion, and he’ll now have to overcome league protocol if he hopes to play in Week 12. As expected, the rookie quarterback is in the concussion protocol, coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters today (including Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal).

[RELATED: Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Exits Week 11]

While it’s uncertain when Gabriel suffered his concussion yesterday, the team believes it occurred with about a minute remaining in the first half, when he was tackled by a group of Baltimore defenders. Stefanski revealed that the QB started showing symptoms during halftime, leading to the decision to pull him from the game.

The coach was noncommittal about the team’s QB plans for Week 12, noting that the priority was getting Gabriel healthy and through protocol. However, Stefanski did admit that the team would consider simply benching their starter for Week 12, paving the way for fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders to garner his first NFL start.

“Yeah, we’ll work through that in the next couple days and this week,” Stefanski said (via Easterling). “I’ll update you guys Wednesday as we get into Vegas preparations.”

Stefanski made it clear yesterday that Gabriel would return to the top of the depth chart once he’s healthy enough to play, so Sanders’ stint as QB1 would be short lived. The Colorado product struggled in his NFL debut yesterday, completing only four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and one interception.

With Gabriel in concussion protocol and Joe Flacco now in Cincinnati, the Browns are currently operating with one healthy QB on the active roster. For those wondering, Deshaun Watson won’t be an option for the foreseeable future. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that while Watson is “coming along well” in his recovery from his ruptured Achilles, he’s still not close to practicing with the Browns. While the veteran is eligible to be designated for return at any time, it seems likely that Watson will be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. If Gabriel is forced to miss Week 12, Bailey Zappe would likely serve as Cleveland’s QB2.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Dom Jones is likely heading to injured reserve, according to Easterling. The cornerback suffered a leg injury towards the end of Sunday’s loss. The undrafted rookie has emerged as a key special teamer in Cleveland this season, with the Colorado State product collecting five tackles.

Falcons To Designate LB Divine Deablo For Return

November 17th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons should soon have their starting inside linebacker back in the lineup. According to Terrin Waack of the team’s website, the Falcons will be designating Divine Deablo for return from injured reserve.

Deablo last saw the field in Week 7, when he suffered a fracture in his left forearm. Head coach Raheem Morris indicated that his linebacker should be back on the field for Week 12, meaning it will only be a minimum IR stay for the starter.

A former Raiders third-round pick, Deablo joined the Falcons this offseason via a two-year, $14MM deal. He was one of the team’s most productive defenders through the first six weeks, as the acquisition collected 24 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Notably, he ranks fourth among 81 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.

With Deablo out of the lineup, the Falcons have turned to JD Bertrand and Ronnie Harrison to play opposite Kaden Elliss in the middle of their defense. Harrison has seemed to leap Bertrand in recent weeks, with the journeyman collecting 22 tackles and two sacks in his four appearances. Deablo will likely slide back into his starting spot next to Elliss, but Morris indicated that Harrison will still be in line for a role moving forward.

“We played some really good ball with JD,” Morris said (via Waack). “But Ronnie has really earned more reps and more role, and it’s kind of been increased since he’s been here. A lot of credit to Ronnie, a man that’s come here with us from training camp and really increased his role from a practice squad player to a special teams player to now being out there with that first-team defense in some situations. The way he’s playing, it’s going to do nothing else but increase.”

As Waack notes, the 3-7 Falcons have dropped each of the four games they’ve played without Deablo in the lineup. While the linebacker won’t solve all of the team’s woes, he’ll surely help his squad as they look to make a late-season push.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/25

November 17th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Los Angeles Rams

  • Released: LB Jamil Muhammad

New England Patriots

The Patriots are shaking up their linebacker corps after Darius Harris landed on the practice squad IR today. The veteran got into three games with the big-league club in 2025, collecting four tackles while playing exclusively on special teams. Harris had a four-year stint with the Chiefs to begin his career, including a 2022 campaign where he tallied 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks. To take his place on the taxi squad, the Patriots added Otis Reese, who got his NFL start playing under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. The Ole Miss product got into 20 games with the Titans between 2023 and 2024, collecting 38 stops.

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/17/25

November 17th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Marcelino McCrary-Ball landed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3. When he returns, the defense will look a whole lot different than when he last played, and he could be in line for more responsibility with Quincy Williams facing an uncertain future with the organization. Before suffering his injury, McCrary-Ball collected 17 tackles and one forced fumble.

Cowboys Activate S Malik Hooker From IR

November 17th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys defense has struggled mightily in 2025, but the team will be getting some veteran reinforcement in time for Monday Night Football. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, the team has activated safety Malik Hooker from injured reserve.

[RELATED: Cowboys Designate Malik Hooker For Return]

Hooker suffered a toe injury back in Week 4 that has shelved him for more than a month. He was designated for return from IR just last Thursday, and the Cowboys didn’t take long to add him to the active roster.

After serving in a rotational role during his first season in Dallas, Hooker has emerged as one of the team’s most dependable defenders in recent years. He missed only a pair of games between 2022 and 2024, starting 38 of his 49 appearances while hauling in six interceptions. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him as an above-average safety in each of those three campaigns, including a 13th-place showing in 2022 and 14th-place finish in 2023.

After dropping down to 43rd at his position in 2024, PFR ranked Hooker only 58th among 93 qualifiers in 2025. Still, that should represent an upgrade over the revolving door of safeties the Cowboys have turned to next to Donovan Wilson, who has missed the past two contests with an elbow/shoulder issue. Juanyeh Thomas got an initial look in the starting lineup, while Markquese Bell has seen the bulk of the snaps at the position in recent weeks. Alijah Clark and Zion Childress have also gotten some run in the secondary.

To make room on the roster, the team placed rookie offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius on injured reserve. The sixth-round pick has been dealing with a knee injury that will sideline him for at least the next month. The Cowboys also promoted running back Malik Davis from the practice squad for tonight’s matchup against the Raiders.

Commanders To Sign K Jake Moody Off Bears’ Practice Squad

November 17th, 2025 at 5:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

It has not taken long for the Commanders to find their Matt Gay replacement. The veteran was cut earlier today, and his successor has already been identified.

Washington is signing Jake Moody off the Bears’ practice squad, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Moody ended up making two appearances with Chicago, having signed there after his inconsistent San Francisco tenure came to an end early in the campaign. Moody’s brief stint with the Bears saw him connect on eight of his nine field goal attempts and all three of his XP tries.

The 49ers selected Moody with the 99th pick in the 2023 draft, making him the fifth kicker since 2000 to be selected in the first three rounds. The Michigan product ended up earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors that season after he converted 84 percent of his FGA and 98.4 percent of his XPA. He also came up big in the postseason, including a Super Bowl performance where he was credited with 10 points.

He struggled a bit as a sophomore, as he made only 24 of his 34 field goal attempts. He had a particularly short leash to begin this year. In the season opener, he made only one of his three field goal attempts, with one of his misses being from only 27 yards out. Two days after that performance, the 49ers moved on.

Moody will now look to continue his career with his third squad of the 2025 campaign. Gay missed six of his 19 attempts before getting cut, and the team will surely be hoping for a better performance from their newest acquisition.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Jets Sign DT Khalen Saunders

November 17th, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:47pm: Sanders has now officially signed with the Jets, per a team announcement. He will look to handle a larger workload in New York over the coming weeks than he did in Jacksonville.

2:07pm: Khalen Saunders was cut by the Jaguars last week. It appears as though the veteran defensive tackle will not have to wait long to line up his next gig.

Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. Shortly before Pelissero’s report, veteran insider Jordan Schultz noted a deal was likely to be struck in the near future. Per Schultz, the list of teams which have shown interest in Saunders includes the Jets but also the Ravens, Colts and Cardinals.

In August, Saunders was traded from the Saints to the Jaguars. That move ended his two-year run in New Orleans but it did not yield a notable workload upon arrival with his new team. The 29-year-old played just two games with Jacksonville before the team elected to move on.

Saunders is a vested veteran, but since the end of his Jaguars tenure came after the trade deadline he went on waivers. Upon clearing, the former third-rounder became free to sign with any team. Nothing is officially in place yet, but a Jets agreement would come as little surprise given their reported interest on this front.

New York’s defensive tackle group was shaken up at the deadline by the blockbuster Quinnen Williams trade. The Jets received Mazi Smith from the Cowboys as part of the swap, but the team could still look to made further additions down the stretch. Signing Saunders would provide New York with a veteran presence who could audition for an extended stay with the team through 2026.

On the other hand, Saunders was understandably seen as a candidate to join a contender for the closing stages of the campaign. The 2-8 Jets (along with the 3-7 Cardinals, for that matter) certainly fit that description to much less of an extent than teams likes the Colts and Ravens. It will be interesting to see if a deal is nevertheless struck between Saunders and the Jets in the near future.

New York entered Monday with nearly $19MM in cap space. As such, a low-cost Saunders pact will not be a challenge for the team as its roster moves continue in the second half of the season.

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