HEADLINES

Browns Activate Cedric Tillman From IR

November 8th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

NOVEMBER 8: The Browns activated Tillman from IR on Saturday, per a team announcement, clearing the way for him to return on Sunday against the Jets. Cleveland also signed safety Christopher Edmonds to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared on special teams in two games in 2024 as an undrafted rookie but has yet to take the field this season.

NOVEMBER 3: The Browns designated wide receiver Cedric Tillman to return from injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. Cleveland also released veteran safety Damontae Kazee from the 53-man roster.

Tillman started the first four games of the season and caught 11 of his 20 targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns. That is somewhat disappointing given his 71% snap share across those contests. The 25-year-old wideout suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 that landed him on IR, but he will return to practice this week after the Browns’ Week 9 bye. He will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR. Freeing up a 53-man roster spot right away indicates that Tillman will be activated sooner rather than later.

The Browns have struggled to get much production out of their wide receivers this season. Jerry Jeudy has regressed from his career-best production in 2024, and Jamari Thrash and Isaiah Bond have not impressed in their first NFL action. The rookie will likely step back into rotational roles when Tillman returns to the lineup.

The team’s quarterback woes are certainly a factor in their passing game struggles, as well. In theory, the return of a big-body receiver like Tillman could make life easier on Dillon Gabriel, but the 2023 third-rounder has not lived up to his draft profile of a physical deep threat with only 11.0 yards per catch and a 10.5-yard average depth of target in his career.

Kazee, a nine-year veteran, signed a one-year deal with the Browns during the offseason. He appeared in four games this year with 11 snaps on defense and 37 on special teams. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes this parting of ways was a mutual decision, with Kazee forfeiting his remaining guarantees (more than $200K) to allow for a fresh start.

Panthers To Re-Evaluate OL Robert Hunt, Moving Austin Corbett Back To Guard

November 8th, 2025 at 11:36am CST by Nikhil Mehta

After a 1-3 start, the Panthers have won four of their five games despite a series of injuries to their top two quarterbacks and several offensive linemen.

Starting QB Bryce Young missed Week 8 with a high ankle sprain. In that game, backup Andy Dalton broke the thumb on his throwing hand. Young returned for Carolina’s next game.

Their offensive line has dealt with even more injuries. Week 1 starters Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett, along with versatile depth Chandler Zavala and Brady Christensen, have spent time on injured reserve; Hunt and Christensen are still there. The Panthers’ other three Week 1 starters – Ikem Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, and Taylor Moton – have all missed at least one game, and backup center Cade Mays was sidelined by knee and ankle injuries in Week 9. Nine different offensive linemen have taken at least 100 snaps this year.

That has caused a number of shuffles along Carolina’s offensive line, including a few switches between left guard and center by Corbett. With Mays back in the lineup, Corbett will now move to right guard, per The Athletic’s Joe Person, which he has not played in the last two seasons. However, he spent the previous four years starting at the position, so it should be a relatively easy change.

Hunt, meanwhile, is “right on track” in his recovery from his biceps tear, according to Panthers head coach Dave Canales (via Person). The team is still holding out hope that he could return for the last four games of the season, but they are planning to re-evaluate the veteran guard’s status this week.

Bears’ T.J. Edwards Undergoes Hand Surgery

November 8th, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Connor Byrne

Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand this week, head coach Ben Johnson announced (via Courtney Cronin of ESPN). While the Bears have already ruled Edwards out for Sunday’s game against the Giants, they are not planning to place him on injured reserve.

An IR stint would require at least a four-game absence, though the Bears are optimistic Edwards will return before then. He’ll play with a clubbed cast on his hand when he comes back.

The Bears have already placed four other defenders – cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, tackle Shemar Turner, and end Dayo Odeyingbo – on IR since late September. Thanks in part to their injury problems, the Bears rank 26th in total defense and 29th in points per game allowed.

Edwards, a 2019 undrafted free agent, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Eagles before inking a three-year, $19.5MM deal with the Bears in 2023. After back-to-back 17-start, 100-tackle seasons in Chicago, the team signed the former Wisconsin Badger to a two-year, $20MM extension last spring. However, multiple injuries have shelved Edwards in 2025.

A hamstring issue kept Edwards from playing in three of the 5-3 Bears’ first eight games. Edwards’ hamstring has bothered him all season, though he has nonetheless piled up 31 tackles. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance an impressive 12th among 78 qualifying linebackers.

With Edwards unable to play in Week 10, Noah Sewell will fill in alongside Tremaine Edmunds to comprise the Bears’ top LB duo. Sewell, a third-year man, has logged the first five starts of his career this season. He has amassed 39 tackles, though PFF hasn’t been enamored of his work, ranking him 58th at the position. Rookie fourth-rounder Ruben Hyppolite, a healthy scratch in four games this year, is next on the depth chart. Hyppolite has totaled just 18 defensive snaps.

Raiders QB Geno Smith Suffers Quad Contusion

November 8th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith suffered a quad contusion in Thursday night’s loss to the Broncos, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Smith was injured on a first-down scramble in the fourth quarter. Backup Kenny Pickett came in for two plays, but Smith emerged from the blue medical tent for the Raiders’ next offensive series. The injury is unlikely to keep the veteran quarterback out for long; the Raiders’ mini-bye before Week 11 could give him enough time to heal up.

However, Smith is having his worst season since taking over as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback in 2022. He has thrown only 11 touchdowns and a league-high 12 interceptions for a 81.4 passer rating, the fourth-lowest in the NFL. The Raiders offense as a whole ranks 30th in points and total offense.

Smith has struggled enough to raise questions abut the Raiders’ short- and long-term future at quarterback. Pickett seems unlikely to be an improvement, but 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell has looked, at a minimum, competent in 17 starts across his first two seasons. He is 7-10 as a starter with an 85.1 career passer rating; he’s also under contract in 2026. He could take over for Smith this season and potential be a bridge quarterback next year if the Raiders do not acquire a new option this offseason.

Smith, meanwhile, signed a two-year, $75MM extension after he was traded to Las Vegas earlier this year. Currently, $18.5MM of his 2026 salary is fully guaranteed, and a guarantee on the remaining $8MM vests early in the 2026 league year, per OverTheCap. That gives the Raiders a brief window in March to move on from the 12-year veteran with only $18.5MM in dead money (as Smith did not receiving a signing bonus with his new deal). Las Vegas would have paid Smith $58.5MM for one season – minus any salary offsets if he signs elsewhere – but they would then be able to reset on the false start to the Pete Carroll era.

NFL Mailbag: Trades, Steelers, Fins, Shaheed

November 7th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

This week's edition of the PFR mailbag answers multiple questions related to the trade deadline while also looking into the Steelers' chances of a Super Bowl run.

Krystal asks:

Which contender do you think will be hurt most by not making a deadline trade? What was your favorite trade outcome at this deadline?

The Chiefs did make a midseason addition by reuniting with Mike Pennel, although that was a free agent signing following his Bengals release. Kansas City was short on cap space but swinging a deal for someone like Breece Hall would have helped a backfield facing questions (and, to be fair, the Chiefs did make an offer on that front).

The Bills were also in the market for at least one addition with nothing taking place. Again, only a low-cost trade (in terms of finances) would have been feasible, but I expected something in their case. The buzz about a receiver addition made tons of sense, and it’s not as if the rentals who were moved came at an exorbitant price with respect to draft capital.

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Raiders Fire ST Coordinator Tom McMahon

November 7th, 2025 at 10:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Raiders have fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, per a team announcement.

Assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton II will take over the interim job. He previously was the special teams coordinator for the 49ers in 2016 and the Chargers in 2021.

McMahon arrived in Las Vegas in 2022 under new head coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was fired midway through his second season, but McMahon retained his job under Antonio Pierce. He also stayed on when Pete Carroll arrived in Las Vegas this offseason, but the Raiders’ special teams woes this season forced a change. Carroll and McMahon were seen exchanging words at the end of Thursday night’s loss to the Broncos, which included multiple special teams gaffes.

The Raiders’ 44.1 overall special teams grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is the worst in the league, and their 35.2 net yards per punt ranks second-lowest, indicating poor punt coverage. The Raiders also have 24 missed tackles and 19 penalties on special teams this season, per PFF.

Las Vegas’ special teams units have also struggled in key moments. In Week 4, the Bears blocked a would-be game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, and in Week 9, the Raiders allowed a 54-yard kickoff that set up the Jaguars’ game-winning touchdown in overtime. This firing also comes after the Broncos blocked a punt deep in Raiders territory, giving the hosts a short field ahead of what turned into a game-winning field goal in a 10-7 victory.

McMahon, 56, began his coaching career at the college level in 1992 before jumping to the pros in 2007 as the Falcons’ assistant special teams coach. He was hired by the Rams as their special teams coordinator in 2009 and later held the same job for the Chiefs (2012), Colts (2013-2017) and Broncos (2018-2021).

Titans’ Trade Deadline Approach Centered Around Cam Ward, Jeffery Simmons

November 7th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans had a couple different paths they could have followed in the runup to the trade deadline. Tied with the Saints for the worst record in the NFL, a fire sale of any desirable assets could have taken place. While they let teams know that every player on the roster but two was open for business, they ended up playing a bit of hardball, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The two players off the table, of course, were rookie No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi faces an uphill battle in his efforts to turn around a team that has gone 4-22 over the past two seasons. In making his plan for how he’ll accomplish this feat, Bongonzi pointed to the team that has won three of the last six Super Bowls and their reliance on cornerstone pieces.

“So, you try to identify, at least I think Cam is one,” Borgonzi told reporters, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. “You know, I think some of these rookies can be. I think Jeff is one. And I’m not going to go through every player on the roster, but you would try to identify maybe like three, four, five guys.”

He continued, “And you saw that in the past with Kansas City. It’s like the same four guys that have been there for that whole run there, right? And so, yeah, I do think there’s some cornerstone players here that can be part of this. Some of them are younger now, and they have to develop, and we need to continue to add to that.”

Specifically, he knows Ward needs to develop and improve, and his belief is that the rookie passer is doing so amidst struggles largely attributed to the quality of his supporting cast. The other rookies that may have a chance to establish themselves as cornerstone players with Ward are a trio of fourth-round pass-catchers. Receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor and tight end Gunnar Helm have all established a strong connection with Ward early. They have a chance to continue to develop chemistry and provide some roster continuity for their fledgling quarterback.

Ward’s other top targets this year, wide receiver Calvin Ridley and tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, were mentioned as trade candidates who might find homes with contenders for the right price. When no deals took place to move either player, it became apparent that, just because every player was available for a trade, it didn’t mean that they’d be cheap. Tennessee had shipped off cornerback Roger McCreary and pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones, netting a pair of fifth-round picks in exchange, but it was a different situation with the offensive pieces.

Because the team was prioritizing Ward’s growth and development, they couldn’t afford to let go of experienced offensive playmakers like Ridley and Okonkwo for nominal compensation. The Titans sought draft picks to assist in the continuation of their rebuild, but late-Day 3 pick swaps were not going to be enough to persuade them to relinquish those assets.

So, the deadline came and went with little noise on players deemed open for business. Borgonzi held on to the players he deemed valuable to the development of what he hopes will become a franchise QB, and he began his work of identifying potential cornerstone Titans.

Titans Waive S Quandre Diggs After Request

November 7th, 2025 at 8:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Titans veteran safety Quandre Diggs was placed on waivers today. First reported by Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt, the move doesn’t appear to be a performance-related transaction, at least not on the part of Diggs. According to Ian Rapoport, Diggs’ waiving was the result of Tennessee honoring the 32-year-old’s request to be released from his contract.

Diggs was in his second season with the Titans. This is actually the second season in a row in which Diggs won’t finish the season for Tennessee. Diggs’ 2024 campaign came to a close after eight starts when he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury. He played one more game for the team this year before being granted his exit. Despite not working as a full-time starter this year, Diggs saw plenty of time as the third safety on a defense that frequently featured an extra defensive back. Often, starters Xavier Woods and Amani Hooker would rotate from the defensive outfield to the box with Diggs’ presence deep allowing them to roam.

Diggs’ departure will thin out the secondary’s depth a bit. The Titans aren’t terribly short of bodies at the position, but experience will be lacking. Tennessee drafted former Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. in the third round of this year’s draft, they roster Kendell Brooks, and they were just awarded Jerrick Reed II off of waivers after he was cut in Seattle. Winston hasn’t seen much action so far in his rookie season, but he may be thrust a bit more into the spotlight with Diggs no longer in the fold. Brooks and Reed have mostly been special teamers so far in their young careers.

The loss of Diggs does come with some convenience. The Titans are currently on their bye week, so they’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to run the defense without him moving forward. As for Diggs, if he clears waivers, he’ll be able to choose where he works out and with whom he might sign.

Mac Jones To Start Week 10; Latest On Other 49ers Injuries

November 7th, 2025 at 7:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Every week, there seems to be something injury-related coming out of the Bay Area. Whether it’s somebody preparing to miss a lot of time, a “will he” or “won’t he” gametime decision, or questions on timetables for return, the 49ers have provided headlines all season. The latest such headline pertains to the middle option as a questionable Brock Purdy will watch Mac Jones start for the sixth week in a row, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

It’s become a weekly post with Purdy, who has been on the team’s injury report every week since he was hurt in the season opener. The 25-year-old has been getting closer and closer to coming back, and head coach Kyle Shanahan communicated that he could still be active as a backup to Jones. Third-string passer Adrian Martinez was signed from the practice squad to the active roster back in October as Purdy was nearing a return back then, so with three quarterbacks on the 53-man, Purdy could either be a primary backup or an emergency third option.

The quarterback role we do know, though, will be Jones, who will start under center for the eighth time this year. After winning his first three starts as an injury replacement, Jones has cooled off, alternating losses and wins since then. Despite a largely injured supporting cast around him, Jones is averaging a career-high 261.7 passing yards per game while also sporting the best touchdown:interception ratio (10:5) of his career. He’ll be looking to buck the trend of alternating finishes after beating the Giants last week.

One player we know won’t be out there is wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The second-year pass-catcher has been missing since Week 4 and is about to miss his sixth game in a row. Asked about what’s holding Pearsall from being able to play, Shanahan told the media that “he hasn’t been able to hit his normal speeds that would allow him to come back,” per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. Reporters noted the young wideout had been sighted doing sprints at practices and shooting jump shots in the locker room, but Shanahan was adamant that the team is waiting for Pearsall to be able to hit his old marks.

Pearsall isn’t the only receiver unavailable this week. Veteran wideout Brandon Aiyuk remains on the reserve/PUP list ten weeks into the season. November was offered up last month as a potential return window for the 27-year-old receiver. It’s now been over a year since Aiyuk has appeared in a game, and each week, expectations for Aiyuk’s 21-day practice window to be opened go unrealized. Shanahan continues to seem vaguely optimistic, with Vic Tafur of The Athletic quoting him as “pretty confident” that Aiyuk will be back sometime this season.

Given the extended absences of players like Purdy and Pearsall, among some others, there have been questions on why players missing so much time weren’t put on injured reserve. According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the primary reason is simply that they didn’t expect each player to be out for so long. Additionally, while the NFL has implemented the current system wherein teams can bring players back from IR, each team is only given eight such activations.

Lucky teams can put players with minor injuries on IR and activate them four weeks later just to manipulate roster numbers. With so many injuries week in and week out, the 49ers likely would’ve loved to place guys on IR so they could add healthy reinforcements to the roster. Knowing how many impact players they had already placed on IR, though, San Francisco needed to be weary of how it would be able to utilize its limited activations.

One player that did land on IR recently was edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. Gross-Matos had been out since Week 5 and was expected to make a return soon. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old defender strained his hamstring again near the end of last week, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. While it will take Gross-Matos some time to work his way back from the injury, Shanahan doesn’t believe he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

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