Raiders Shut Down DE Maxx Crosby
With the Raiders approaching a critical game regarding their chances at the No. 1 pick, they are moving forward without another critical player in the lineup. Maxx Crosby will not play against the Giants on Sunday. 
Vegas informed Crosby he will be inactive on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The five-time Pro Bowler wants to play down the stretch despite the fact the Raiders have long been out of playoff contention. The team’s preference would be for Crosby to be sidelined for the final two weeks of the season, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer adds. Head coach Pete Carroll has since confirmed (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) the team is shutting down its top player.
Per Glazer, Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the decision to sit him and left the team facility upon learning the news. He adds this episode could invite a new round of speculation regarding the decorated edge rusher’s future in Las Vegas. Crosby has of course been tied to trade talk over the years, but owner Mark Davis has fiercely denied any suggestions about a parting of ways receiving consideration.
“Yeah, I don’t give a s— about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said earlier this week when asked about the No. 1 selection in April’s draft (h/t Rapoport). “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. Being a great leader, being an influence.”
This Crosby decision comes shortly after standout tight end Brock Bowers was moved to injured reserve. That ended his season in time for the Sunday Giants matchup which will see the NFL’s two 2-13 teams play each other. The loser will secure an inside track for the top pick; doing so for Vegas in particular would be critical. Drafting first overall would allow the Raiders to land a quarterback capable of taking over from Geno Smith as the team’s starter over the long term.
Crosby has dealt with a knee injury for much of the year, but he has managed to play all 15 games so far in 2025. A second-team All-Pro selection on two occasions, he has remained one of the league’s top EDGE producers this season. Crosby has totaled 10 sacks, reaching double-digits in that regard for the fourth time in his seven-year career.
This past spring, Crosby worked out a three-year, $106.5MM extension. That pact very briefly made him the league’s highest-paid pass rusher in terms of AAV, but five players now sit ahead of Crosby at this point. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2029, but it will be interesting to see if today’s developments make any difference with respect to his commitment to the franchise.
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 12/26/25
Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 3pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
Latest On Bengals, Joe Burrow
Nearing the end of an injury-wrecked 2025 campaign, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss out on postseason play for the third year in a row. It’s not what he or the Bengals envisioned when they won the AFC in 2021 and followed it up with a second straight conference title game appearance the next season.
A toe injury kept Burrow out for nine games earlier this season. Since he returned in Week 13, questions about Burrow’s future in Cincinnati have persisted.
Burrow shut down the possibility of an Andrew Luck-esque early retirement or a trade request a couple of weeks ago. The 29-year-old added last week that he expects to remain with the Bengals in 2026. Indeed, there’s no indication Burrow wants out of Cincinnati, per Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“I truly think he wants to be here,” a team source told Fowler.
Assuming that’s the case, the Bengals will hope for a healthier season from Burrow in 2026. That alone would give them a far better chance to contend, but it may not be enough without significant improvements elsewhere. Consider that in 2024, Burrow’s lone 17-game season to date, the Bengals only managed nine wins despite brilliant production from the two-time Pro Bowler.
The Bengals are 4-2 in Burrow’s starts this year, but he reportedly believes the team has to “play perfect” to win. A defense that ranks last in the NFL in points allowed and 31st in yardage surrendered has been a major problem. The expected departure of defensive end Trey Hendrickson in free agency would only add to the Bengals’ issues on that side of the ball.
Burrow endorsed a Hendrickson extension last spring, but a multiyear pact didn’t come together. After a contentious battle, the Bengals agreed to increase Hendrickson’s 2025 salary from $16MM to $30MM. He only played seven games this year before undergoing season-ending core muscle surgery.
The Bengals are on track to enter the offseason with a projected $110MM in cap space (via Zak Koeppel of NFL.com). That could help the team retain Hendrickson if the two sides are open to continuing their relationship. Regardless, the Bengals will have plenty of money and a high first-round draft pick to play with as they aim to better their roster around their franchise signal-caller.
If the Bengals are in a similar spot a year from now, Burrow’s frustration could grow, but league executives Fowler has spoken with don’t expect them to ever consider trading him. As things stand, Burrow is in line to remain in Cincinnati through 2029 on the five-year, $275MM extension he signed in 2023.
DC Matt Eberflus Trending Down In Dallas
There’s been no shortage of coverage on this site concerning the diminishing job safety of Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. As team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones‘ negative comments on the situation continue to escalate, the likelihood that Eberflus gets a Year 2 in Dallas continues to fall. As Jon Machota of The Athletic so candidly put it, “at this point, a second season of Eberflus as DC would be a surprise.” 
Early on in the season, as the Cowboys ranked 32nd in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed, the team stood behind its defensive play-caller. Some of the early struggles were attributed to the growing pains of a defense that lost its best player only a week before the start of the regular season. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer preached patience and belief in his coordinator, asserting that things would improve over time.
Even Jones admitted that Eberflus was dealing with adversity and clung to his “tremendous experience” as some buyer’s remorse appeared to creep in. Just under three weeks later, executive vice president Stephen Jones echoed Schottenheimer and his father’s comments, expressing hope that the situation would “continue to evolve” and even expressing hope that Eberflus would return as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2026.
At that point in time, the Cowboys remained the second-worst scoring defense while just climbing out of the basement to be 31st in total defense, as well. A week ago, the unit had worked its way up two more slots in total defense while remaining at 31st in points allowed. For the first time last week, Jones brought up the potential of a coaching change, calling the consideration of making “adjustments…regarding coaching” a “legit question.”
Following a three-score loss to the Chargers in Week 16, Jones announced that no firings would occur in the final two weeks of the season but that a full evaluation of all coaches would occur when the season was over. Shortly following the team’s Week 17 win over the division-rival Commanders, though, Jones was quick to make it crystal clear that he still was not happy with the team’s defensive performance.
“No, no, not at all,” Jones replied when asked if he was pleased with the defensive coaching staff and scheme, per Machota. “We have a lot of work to do there. I’m sorry if I have let my enthusiasm for the win yesterday misrepresent. No, not at all. We got a lot of work to do over there, but we can do it.”
In the victory, Dallas allowed rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt just his second 100-yard rushing performance on only 11 carries. Additionally, the Cowboys only walked away victorious after just holding off a second-half comeback by Washington’s third-string veteran quarterback, Josh Johnson.
The issues of personnel seem to have been removed from consideration when defending Eberflus as of late. While the loss of Micah Parsons is certainly difficult to come back from and multiple injuries have made things even more difficult, the acquisitions of All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson have not been enough to turn the tide in Dallas. In fact, adding to Jones’ frustrations, Wilson didn’t play a single snap in yesterday’s game, despite not appearing on the injury report or being designated as inactive. What’s worse, Jones didn’t seem to know why Wilson didn’t play.
“I don’t have an explanation for you for why Wilson wasn’t in there,” Jones told the media. “We planned to have him in there. He needs to be in there. He has good instincts. The reason we got him was because he reads the play quick and can basically be in his lane of responsibility and react quick…that’s why we got him.”
As Jones seems to struggle to find anything nice to say about his defensive coordinator, it seems Eberflus’ position in Dallas is becoming more and more tenuous. If the team’s season finale against the Giants in any way resembles the two teams’ Week 2 40-37 overtime affair, Eberflus may not even last until his post-season evaluation.
Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson Declares For Draft
A week ago, Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson announced on Instagram that he was declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, forgoing his final season of eligibility. Tyson is projected to be a consensus first-round pick and is thought by many to be the clear WR1 of the class. 
Initially a three-star prospect out of Allen HS (TX), Tyson had a slow start to his recruitment. In a talent-rich area of an extremely talent-rich state, Tyson only saw offers rolling in from the likes of Sam Houston State, Campbell, New Mexico, Tulsa, Texas State, and Colorado State. So, in the summer before his senior season, when Tyson took an official visit to Colorado and earned an offer over a month later, he committed soon after to the Buffaloes and then-head coach Karl Dorrell.
In one of Colorado’s worst years in program history, Dorrell was fired only five games into what would be a one-win season. When new head coach Deion Sanders arrived, prompting one of the largest mass replacements in college football history that saw 57 outgoing transfers replaced by 52 incoming student athletes, Tyson joined the crowd in searching for a new home. Luckily for the true freshman, Tyson’s last three games at Colorado put up some pretty attractive film for the portal as he combined for 13 catches, 344 yards, and two touchdowns over that span.
Tyson found his way to Tempe in the transfer portal but was limited to only three games in 2023 due to knee injuries and had to take a redshirt year as the Sun Devils struggled to a 3-9 season following the implosion of star freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada. Last year, Arizona State rebounded to 11-3 with a berth in the College Football Playoff thanks to breakout campaigns from a redshirt sophomore Tyson and transfer running back Cam Skattebo. Recording a team-leading 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, Tyson delivered the first 1,000-yard receiving season for a Sun Devil since Brandon Aiyuk‘s 2019 campaign.
With Skattebo off to the NFL, all eyes were on Tyson to see what he might do in 2025 as the main event in Tempe. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury held him out of three-and-a-half games this season, but Tyson still dominated when on the field, leading Arizona State once again with 61 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns. Following his declaration, Tyson’s expected to sit out his team’s New Year’s Eve bowl game, so those numbers for 2025 should be final.
Bulking and growing into a 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame over his years as a Sun Devil, Tyson excites scouts with his pro potential. With strong top-end speed and elite route-running, Tyson is often an open target, but even more frustrating for defensive backs is that — even when he is blanketed by coverage — Tyson is one of the NCAA’s best when winning at the catch point and outmuscling the defense for 50-50 balls.
The draft’s potential WR1 isn’t perfect, though. An issue with drops (five as a true freshman in 2022) followed him from Boulder to Tempe as he logged seven in his first full season for the Sun Devils after redshirting. Scouts were hoping to see major improvement in that field this year, and Tyson delivered, only dropping one pass on 100 targets as he learned from one of the best in wide receivers coach Hines Ward.
The injury issues throughout his career may throw up a red flag, as well. After knee issues forced his redshirt in 2023 and a collarbone injury forced him to miss Arizona State’s playoff push last year, this year’s hamstring issue is only the latest challenge Tyson has worked through. The 21-year-old has shown enough, though, that his high ceiling may silence any concerns scouts may have about his durability.
So far in the pre-draft process, Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Tyson as his WR1 and his eighth-best overall prospect in his midseason rankings, two slots above his WR2, Carnell Tate of Ohio State. A few weeks later, ESPN’s Matt Miller gave Tate WR1 respect as his No. 8 overall prospect with WR2 Tyson coming in at No. 14. Miller’s ESPN peer Mel Kiper Jr. sided with Brugler, though, as he gave the nod to Tyson as his seventh-best overall prospect with Tate slotting in at No. 9 overall.
The two have a few months to make their case to be the first pass-catcher whose name is called on that fateful Thursday night in Pittsburgh. Tyson will likely be working to get as healthy as possible in preparation to combat any questions on his health in the interviews to come. It’s one of the few things he can do as he’s already put some of the NCAA’s best football on film over the past two years.
Jets Defense Loses Three To IR
As one of the first teams eliminated from playoff contention, the Jets don’t have much to play for down the stretch. That makes it slightly more bearable that today they put three defenders on injured reserve. 
The biggest loss to the unit is that of third-year defensive end Will McDonald. The former first-round selection out of Iowa State has followed up last year’s breakout 10.5-sack campaign with another strong season. A starter in 14 of 15 contests this year, McDonald leads the Jets in sacks (8.0) and tackles for loss (10). As McDonald sits out the rest of the way with a knee injury, the Green & White will close the season with Micheal Clemons and Braiden McGregor filling in across from Jermaine Johnson.
The Jets’ second IR placement simply confirms the end of a rookie’s season. Seventh-round Miami-product Kiko Mauigoa was expected to be a core special teamer and reserve linebacker in his first year as a pro. When starter Quincy Williams was placed on IR three weeks into the season, Mauigoa stepped in to start eight of the next nine games, though his contributions started to tail off in those last few weeks with Williams coming back into the picture. The rookie has missed the team’s last two games with a shoulder injury and has officially been shut down until 2026.
The last loss going into the final two weeks of the season is that of defensive tackle Jay Tufele. Signing with the Jets after finishing out his rookie contract in Cincinnati, Tufele looked to be competing for a starting job early in the offseason. Ultimately, he found himself coming off the bench behind Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs, earning two starts in a healthy rotation. With Tufele’s season ending, depth pieces Khalen Saunders and Payton Page should compete for snaps behind Phillips and Briggs, assuming recent trade acquisition Mazi Smith continues to be designated as a healthy scratch.
With games against the division-rival Patriots and Bills to close out the season, a depleted Jets defense may put up little resistance against two formidable offenses playing for division titles and a potential playoff first-round bye.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/26/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves and some standard gameday practice squad elevations for Saturday:
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated for return from IR: DT Sam Roberts
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Chargers’ practice squad: C Sam Mustipher
- Waived: G Calvin Throckmorton
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: LB Kristian Welch
Houston Texans
- Signed from practice squad: S K’Von Wallace
- Elevated: DT Leki Fotu, G Sidy Sow
- Waived: CB Ameer Speed
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: T Foster Sarell, S Marcus Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: TE Moliki Matavao
- Placed on IR: TE Foster Moreau
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: CB Kemon Hall
A day after placing starting center Luke Wattenberg on injured reserve and commending backup Alex Forsyth for starting in his place, Denver adds a bit more depth and experience at the position. Forsyth, a seventh-round pick out of Oregon last year, has only five starts in his first two years of play, but the team seemed to think he filled in well during yesterday’s victory of over the Chiefs. Mustipher, once a full-time starter in Chicago, should add depth and a potential starting option in case Forsyth’s inexperience starts to show.
Williams is being elevated for the third and final time by the Chargers this season. If Los Angeles wants to see him play in another game this season, they’ll need to sign the veteran safety to the 53-man roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/26/25
Today’s few taxi squad transactions:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Tanner McLachlan
New York Giants
- Signed: S Patrick McMorris
After spending the summer with the team that drafted him in Miami and failing to make the Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster, McMorris spent nearly three weeks with New York’s practice squad. Since then, the second-year Cal product has been off and on with the Cardinals’ taxi squad up until his release on Christmas Eve. He’ll now revisit the Giants as a member of their practice squad in the closing weeks of the regular season.
Jaguars Extend WR Jakobi Meyers
DECEMBER 25: The Meyers pact contains $30MM guaranteed at signing, as detailed by Over the Cap. That figure consists of a $7MM signing bonus, a $10MM option bonus in 2026 and his full salary ($6MM) for next year. Meyers’ base pay for 2027 is already partially locked in, and his new deal contains annual per-game and workout bonuses.
DECEMBER 18: Jakobi Meyers has been in Jacksonville for just over a month, and the Jaguars are already committing to the wide receiver for the long haul. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are signing Meyers to a three-year extension. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the three-year pact is worth $60MM, including $40MM guaranteed. The $20MM average annual value will place Meyers 25th on the list of the league’s highest-paid WRs. The $40MM in guaranteed money now ranks 24th at the position.
The Jaguars acquired Meyers from the Raiders in early November for fourth- and sixth-round picks. The veteran has seen a significant role in his first six appearances with the organization, hauling in 27 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Most notably, the Jaguars have gone 5-1 in those six games and are second in points scored over that span. As James Palmer of NFL Network details, people in the Jaguars organization believe the receiver has “transformed” the offense, with Jordan Schultz adding that he’s never heard a team speak so “glowingly and positively” about a midseason acquisition.
With Meyers now locked in for the next few years, Trevor Lawrence can count on some continuity with his receivers corps. The Jaguars have used their last two first-round picks on wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. Thomas has taken a bit of a step back following a productive rookie campaign, while Hunter’s rookie season ended with only 298 receiving yards. Still, the trio should now lead one of the most intriguing WR rooms moving forward.
Meyers proved his consistency early on in his NFL career. Despite the Patriots alternating between Tom Brady, Cam Newton, and Mac Jones at QB, the wide receiver managed to carve out a role in each of his first three seasons. New England curiously decided to pivot to JuJu Smith-Schuster during the 2023 offseason, opening the door for Meyers to ink a three-year deal with the Raiders. The wideout experienced another carousel of QBs in Las Vegas, but he still managed to compile 1,881 yards and 14 touchdowns through his first two years with the organization.
As an impending free agent, Meyers seemed like a prime trade candidate heading into this year’s deadline. In seven games with the Raiders in 2025, the veteran hauled in 33 catches for 352 yards. In total, he’s snagged 60 catches for 707 yards and three touchdowns this season. Meyers’ extension will remove him from what was already an underwhelming WR free agency class. Mike Evans will lead that grouping, with the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson, Deebo Samuel and former Jaguar Christian Kirk representing the other top names on the market.
Bears Hopeful Rome Odunze, Kyler Gordon Will Return This Season
DECEMBER 26: Odunze has officially been ruled out for Week 17, meaning the Bears will once again be shorthanded at the receiver spot on Sunday. Attention will now turn to a return for the regular season finale or the opening week of the playoffs.
DECEMBER 25: No matter what happens over the last two weeks of the regular season, the 11-4 Bears are heading for the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Like most successful teams, they’ve had to overcome injuries to important contributors. Wide receiver Rome Odunze and cornerback Kyler Gordon are among key Bears who have missed time this year. Both players could return in the coming weeks.
Chicago has gone three straight games without Odunze, who’s dealing with a stress fracture in his foot. Odunze is trending toward missing this Sunday’s high-stakes meeting with the 49ers, another contender for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bears have considered placing Odunze on injured reserve, but doing so now would render him ineligible for two playoff games (if the team advances that far). Head coach Ben Johnson still believes Odunze is “going to be able to help us this year” (via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune).
Perhaps Odunze will be ready for a Week 18 matchup against Detroit. If not, an immediate postseason return appears realistic.
With 44 catches, 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games, Odunze led all Bears receivers in those categories before his absence. The Bears have won two of three without him, though, with D.J. Moore and two rookies – first-round tight end Colston Loveland and second-round receiver Luther Burden – serving as quarterback Caleb Williams‘ most reliable targets for a large portion of that stretch.
Burden missed a thrilling Week 16 win over the Packers with an ankle injury, but he combined for 10 receptions and 151 yards in the previous two weeks. After returning to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, it’s possible Burden will reenter the lineup on Sunday.
While Odunze has avoided a stint on IR, Gordon hasn’t been as fortunate. Gordon’s regular season came to an early end when a groin injury forced him to IR on Dec. 13. The standout nickel corner was previously on IR this season with groin and calf issues. He also missed the Bears’ first four games with a hamstring malady. Gordon has played just three games during an injury-ravaged 2025, though Johnson said he’s “hopeful” the 26-year-old will come back in the playoffs (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network). He’ll be eligible for activation in the first round.
The late-October free agent addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson has helped cover for Gordon’s health struggles this year. In eight games with the Bears, Gardner-Johnson has put up 40 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions. He was on the field for 78% of defensive snaps against Green Bay before departing with a knee injury. With Gardner-Johnson a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, there’s hope he’ll be available against the surging 49ers.