HEADLINES

Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Connor Byrne

3:32pm: The Bears indeed placed Edmunds on injured reserve today as they expect him to miss four to six weeks because of his groin injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Chicago is leaving the door open for Edmunds to come back for a potential playoff run. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon will not yet be activated from IR.

Joining Edmunds on IR will be backup running back Roschon Johnson. He and recently activated fellow back Travis Homer were ruled out for tomorrow, so practice squad rusher Brittain Brown has been signed to the 53-man roster, along with practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr., to fill the newly vacant roster slots. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden have been designated as the Bears’ two standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the taxi squad after tomorrow’s game.

1:58pm: Although the Bears haven’t announced it, their media website indicates that they’ve placed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on IR, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have already ruled out Edmunds for Week 12 with a groin injury.

If the Bears do put Edmunds on IR, it would require at least a four-game absence. Even if that doesn’t happen, a source told Biggs that Edmunds is likely to miss multiple weeks.

With the Bears at 7-3 and pushing for their first playoff berth since 2020, a long-term Edmunds absence would be an awful development for their defense. The career-long starter and former Bills first-round pick has been a key piece for the Bears since they signed him to a four-year, $72.5MM contract in 2023. Now in his eighth NFL season, Edmunds has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers this year.

Just 10 games into 2025, Edmunds has already matched a career high with four interceptions, and his nine passes defensed are tied for his second-highest mark. His 97.4% snap share ranks third among Bears defenders, trailing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. With 89 tackles, Edmunds is on track to go over 100 yet again. The Virginia Tech product has recorded triple-digit tackles in all of his professional seasons, but his streak could be in jeopardy if he misses significant time.

Edmunds’ output this year has led Pro Football Focus to rank his performance 20th among 81 qualifying LBs. He and T.J. Edwards (ranked 13th) have formed a top-notch duo when healthy, though the latter is also out of commission. Multiple injuries have limited Edwards to five games this season. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand earlier this month, and he’ll miss his third straight game Sunday against the AFC North-leading Steelers.

Noah Sewell has filled in for Edwards, but he’s dealing with an elbow injury that will shelve him for the Pittsburgh game. That means the Bears won’t have any of their top three linebackers this week.

The injuries to Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell leave D’Marco Jackson, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as the only healthy LBs on Chicago’s active roster. Ogbongbemiga is the lone member of the trio who has made an NFL start (he picked up two with the Chargers back in 2021), but he has played exclusively on special teams in two games this season.

Lions Activate CBs D.J. Reed, Khalil Dorsey From IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Ely Allen

A banged-up secondary in Detroit will see some reinforcements as the Lions activate both D.J. Reed and Khalil Dorsey from injured reserve. The Lions have removed both cornerbacks from their injury report, meaning they should be available for a matchup with the Giants on Sunday.

Reed was a headlining offseason pickup for the Lions, who signed the former 49er, Seahawk, and Jet to a three-year, $48MM deal after losing Carlton Davis to the Patriots. Before suffering a hamstring strain, Reed started in each of his first four games with Detroit and notched 16 tackles, four passes defensed, and an interception. He led Lions cornerbacks with an 88% snap share before missing all of October and most of November.

A week after the Lions placed Reed on IR, Dorsey joined him on the shelf. A wrist injury has held the fourth-year depth corner and special teamer to four games in 2025. He and Reed are returning to a secondary that will go without fellow CB Terrion Arnold (concussion) for the second week in a row. Reed, Amik Robertson, and Rock Ya-Sin will lead the Lions’ group of corners against Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston, who’s starting in place of the injured Jaxson Dart.

With Reed and Dorsey back, the Lions waived safety Erick Hallett and linebacker Ty Summers. Hallett started in one of two games with Detroit this season and made eight tackles. Summers has played in five of the Lions’ first 10 contests, and all 66 of his snaps this year have come on special teams. 

In an additional move, the Lions elevated tight end Anthony Firkser from the practice squad. Firkser joined the Lions’ practice squad on November 11. He’ll give the Lions a look at another option at tight end tomorrow with standout Sam LaPorta likely to miss the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Jaguars TE Brenton Strange Activated Off IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars are getting a key cog back in their offense today. In preparation for tomorrow’s matchup with the Cardinals, Jacksonville has activated tight end Brenton Strange from injured reserve.

The team also announced defensive tackle Matt Dickerson and safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig as standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow. Dickerson was called up as an elevation last week, but Silmon-Craig will be making his NFL debut, if the undrafted rookie out of Colorado sees the field in Arizona.

Strange has been an interesting weapon in Duval since getting drafted in the second round two years ago out of Penn State. As a rookie sharing a position room with Evan Engram and Luke Farrell, Strange mostly heard his named called as a second tight end in heavy run packages. By Year 2, though, Strange passed up Farrell on the depth chart, and though his strengths came as a run blocking tight end, he dominated the field time during stretches missed by Engram due to injury and reeled in 40 receptions for 411 yards and two touchdowns as a result.

With Engram and Farrell no longer on the roster, Strange was expected to have a breakout year in 2025. After he exited Jacksonville’s Week 5 game with a quad injury, the team predicted at least a five-week absence. With five weekends having passed between that prediction and now, it’s safe to say they pretty much nailed that call.

Over his extended absence, the Jaguars haven’t really seen a tight end step up to fill his void. Veteran Johnny Mundt has done an admirable job of taking up Strange’s duties as a blocking tight end, and Hunter Long has gotten some run, as well, but quarterback Trevor Lawrence hasn’t really looked their way in the passing game. The two have combined for 19 catches on 32 targets, totaling 168 yards and two touchdowns so far this year. In four and a half games before injury, Strange, alone, tallied 20 catches on eight fewer targets for 204 yards.

Lawrence should be happy to get Strange back in the lineup. Since Strange last played in early-October, Lawrence has seen rookie No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter‘s season ended, and his top target, Brian Thomas Jr., has already been ruled out for the third game in a row. Strange will be added to a passing attack now led by receivers Parker Washington and Dyami Brown.

Vikings Activate C Ryan Kelly From IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Connor Byrne

Vikings center Ryan Kelly will return in Week 12. The team announced that it has activated Kelly from IR. He’ll head into Sunday’s game against the NFC North rival Packers without an injury designation.

Kelly spent his first nine NFL seasons in Indianapolis, where he started in all 121 appearances and made four Pro Bowls. He left for Minnesota’s two-year, $18MM offer last March.

Two concussions have limited Kelly to three games in his first season with the Vikings. They placed him on IR after his second head injury knocked him out of a Week 4 loss to the Steelers. Blake Brandel started in his absence.

Between Kelly’s concussion issues and starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s high ankle sprain earlier this season, the two haven’t had much chance to form a rapport in 2025. They paired together in the Vikings’ season-opening win over Chicago and their Week 2 loss to Atlanta. Carson Wentz was under center against Pittsburgh.

Kelly and McCarthy will reunite Sunday in an enormous game for two teams trying to keep pace with the NFC North-leading Bears (7-3). The 6-3-1 Packers are nipping at the Bears’ heels, but the 4-6 Vikings can ill afford another loss after Chicago knocked them off last week.

In addition to activating Kelly, the Vikings signed cornerback Dwight McGlothern to their practice squad and elevated him for Sunday’s game. They released running back Cam Akers from the practice squad to make room.

The Vikings quickly brought back McGlothern after waiving him on Thursday. He has played in eight of Minnesota’s games this year and totaled 47 snaps (31 on defense, 16 on special teams). Akers has made three appearances with the Vikings this season and rushed for 19 yards on five carries. 

Broncos Expect CB Patrick Surtain, LB Alex Singleton Back After Bye

November 22nd, 2025 at 2:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Broncos were able to pull off a crucial win for the division race last week despite being without star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and starting linebacker Alex Singleton. As they look to build onto an eight-game win streak, the team is optimistic that the defense won’t continue to be short-handed following this week’s bye, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Surtain hasn’t played since October, when he sustained a pectoral injury against the Cowboys. In the immediate aftermath, the Broncos called the two-time first-team All Pro “week-to-week.” They were aware that recovery could take over a week but weren’t willing yet to place him on injured reserve and guarantee a four-game absence.

When Surtain exited with injury four weeks ago, Denver turned to Kris Abrams-Draine, a fifth-round pick last year out of Mizzou, to finish the game in his place, keeping first-round rookie Jahdae Barron in his rotational role in the slot. Up to that point in the season, Abrams-Draine had only played two snaps on defense.

The Broncos did give Barron a chance to start across from Riley Moss the next week against the Texans, but some early struggles led to Abrams-Draine taking the first-team role back partway through the game. Abrams-Draine started each of the next two games, and even though Surtain’s expected return should reduce his role moving forward, he’ll likely get more defensive opportunities after playing the first half of the season mainly as a special teamer.

Last week was only Singleton’s first missed game of the year, but the nature of the absence left plenty of room for concern for his future availability. Singleton underwent surgery earlier this month to have a cancerous tumor removed from one of his testicles, but Fowler reports that, in his recovery, Singleton “has received encouraging results post-surgery.” Singleton is considered slightly less likely than Surtain to play in Week 13, but both players are reportedly trending very much in the right direction.

Colts Hoping DT DeForest Buckner Returns This Season

November 22nd, 2025 at 1:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Colts are optimistic that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner can recover from his neck injury in time to play again this season, per FOX59’s Mike Chappell.

Buckner went down in Week 9 and landed on injured reserve shortly after. The exact nature of his injury was not disclosed, but neck issues are always cause for concern. He has been rehabbing at the team’s facility in Indianapolis with the goal of returning this season, though the team has not issued a timeline.

Buckner, 31, was having another strong year anchoring the Colts defense with 42 sacks, four sacks, and nine tackles in nine games. He has been exceptionally consistent over his decade in the NFL. In each of the last seven years, he has put up at least 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. However, this is his second year in a row with a stint on injured reserve. He returned from an early absence in 2024 with per-game numbers that line up with the rest of his career. The Colts will be hoping for a similar result this year to give a late-season boost to their defense that could maintain their contender status heading into the postseason.

In the meantime, Neville Gallimore and Adetomiwa Adebawore will both fill Buckner’s snaps along the defensive line. It will be hard for either one to replicate his impact, but both have put in solid efforts. Gallimore has 2.5 sacks in 10 games after zero in 2024 and just four in the four years before that, and Adebawore stepped up with a career-high five tackles in Week 10.

However, having an interior disruptor of Buckner’s caliber could be crucial in the postseason. The Colts are well-positioned to qualify, but getting Buckner on the field might keep them from turning into a pumpkin in the first round.

Cowboys Waive CB Kaiir Elam

November 22nd, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Cowboys made a trade for cornerback Kaiir Elam last March, but they’re moving on eight months later. The team announced that it has waived Elam. He’ll be free to sign anywhere if he goes unclaimed. If a team does claim Elam, it would take on the fully guaranteed $1MM left on his contract.

Elam isn’t far removed from going in the first round of the 2022 draft. The Bills traded up two spots to take Elam 23rd overall after a successful three-year run at Florida. It proved to be an ill-advised decision for Buffalo, though the team did find its No. 1 corner much later in the draft when it chose Christian Benford in the sixth round.

Elam wound up starting in 12 of 29 appearances with the Bills and totaling two interceptions. Both picks came during his rookie season. An ankle injury helped limit Elam to three games in his second year. He returned to play in 13 games in 2024, mostly working as a reserve. In his final game with the Bills, an AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs last January, Elam struggled filling in for Benford after the latter left early with a concussion.

The Bills cut the cord on Elam two months after the Chiefs knocked them out. They sent Elam and a 2025 sixth-round choice to the Cowboys for a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 seventh-rounder. While Dallas believed enough in Elam to take a cheap flier on him, it unsurprisingly declined his fifth-year option (worth around $12.68MM) not long after acquiring him.

Elam ended up starting in seven of 10 games with the Cowboys, who own the NFL’s 30th-ranked pass defense. The 24-year-old contributed to their woes, allowing 25 completions, 372 yards, and three touchdowns before the Cowboys cut him. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a 105.0 passer rating when throwing Elam’s way this season. Pro Football Focus rates his performance 61st among 108 cornerbacks.

With rookie corner Shavon Revel debuting in Week 11 after missing the Cowboys’ first nine games, Elam didn’t play a snap in their win over the Raiders on Monday. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus left Elam on the bench in favor of Revel, Caelen Carson, DaRon Bland, and Reddy Steward. Trevon Diggs could rejoin that group in the coming weeks if he returns from a concussion that forced him to IR on Oct. 25.

With Elam no longer occupying a spot, the Cowboys signed running back Malik Davis from their practice squad to their active roster on Saturday. Davis has recorded seven carries for 26 yards in four games this season. Most of his work (67 of 90 snaps) has come on special teams.

Falcons Work Out WR K.J. Osborn

November 22nd, 2025 at 12:24pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Falcons worked out veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn on Friday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. No deal has come together, and it’s unclear if the Falcons are considering signing Osborn.

Now 28 years old, Osborn entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Vikings in 2020. After going without a reception in nine games as a rookie, Osborn emerged as a weapon in the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins-led aerial attack from 2021-23. Osborn averaged 53 catches, 615 catches, and five touchdowns per season during that three-year run. He missed just one game and amassed 30 starts along the way.

While Osborn was productive in Minnesota, his success hasn’t transferred elsewhere. He left the Vikings for the Patriots’ one-year, $4MM offer in free agency in March 2024. Osborn wasn’t a fit in New England, though, as he caught just seven passes for 57 yards in seven games with the team.

With his numbers down significantly, Osborn told the Patriots he wanted a trade before last year’s deadline in November. They didn’t find a taker, but the Patriots and Osborn agreed to a mutual parting of ways a month later.

The Commanders claimed Osborn after the Patriots waived him in December. He played only one game with Washington and didn’t catch a pass. Hoping 2024 was an aberration, the Commanders re-signed Osborn last March. They ended up releasing Osborn during final cuts on Aug. 26, and he hasn’t landed elsewhere since then.

Joining the struggling Falcons (3-7) would reunite Osborn with Cousins, who’s taking over as their No. 1 signal-caller for the rest of the season. The Falcons lost starter Michael Penix Jr. to a major knee injury last week. They’ll also go without their No. 1 receiver, Drake London, against the Saints in Week 12. A PCL sprain could shelve London for multiple games.

London’s injury is especially unfortunate for an Atlanta team that has gotten little production from the rest of its wideouts. Darnell Mooney is the team’s only other receiver with double-digit catches, having pulled in 16 in eight games. That explains why the Falcons are looking outside for help.

Colts Activate CB Charvarius Ward From IR

November 22nd, 2025 at 11:36am CST by Connor Byrne

Indianapolis is getting a major defensive piece back ahead of a crucial Week 12 showdown with the Chiefs. The Colts announced that they have activated cornerback Charvarius Ward from IR.

After the Colts opened Ward’s practice window on Wednesday, he’ll play Sunday for the first time since he suffered a concussion in warmups in Week 6. It was the second concussion of the year for Ward, who has missed six of 10 games during the Colts’ 8-2 start.

Ward, 29, revealed earlier this week that he had doubts that he’d play again after his latest concussion (via James Boyd of The Athletic). However, Ward said he’s back to normal, no longer experiencing dizziness, and “ready” to return.

Ward, whom the Colts signed to a three-year, $60MM contract last March, has held his own over four starts this season. The former Chief and 49er has recorded 13 tackles and three passes defensed. Pro Football Focus rated him as the game’s second-best corner before he went on IR.

With Ward unavailable at the time, the Colts pulled off a stunning trade with the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner on Nov. 4. He debuted with the Colts in a Week 10 win over the Falcons, leading their corners in snaps. Mekhi Blackmon acted as the Colts’ other starting boundary CB, but Ward will now slot into that spot to give the Colts an imposing duo as they come off their bye. Along with Gardner and Ward, the Colts boast an outstanding nickel corner in Kenny Moore.

While the Colts are staring at a tough remaining slate featuring matchups with several playoff contenders, having the Gardner-Ward-Moore corner trio in place should be a significant advantage. The AFC South-leading Colts will enter Sunday third in the conference, but their hope is that a shutdown secondary will help propel them to the No. 1 spot and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

With Ward returning, the Colts waived cornerback Cameron Mitchell on Saturday. The 24-year-old began the season with the Browns, but they waived him in late September. Mitchell caught on with the Colts’ practice squad and wound up appearing in four games before they cut him. He played 100 defensive snaps and picked up five tackles with Indianapolis.

NFC Injury Updates: Giants, Rams, Packers, Falcons, Seahawks

November 22nd, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Connor Byrne

Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo will sit out Sunday’s matchup with the Lions because of a sprained MCL. It’ll be the fourth straight absence for Adebo, though the Giants haven’t placed him on IR. He was on track to play in the Giants’ loss to the Packers last week before suffering a setback in warmups, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. It’s unclear whether Adebo will be ready to return against the Patriots in Week 13. If not, he’ll have an extra week to recover with the Giants on a bye after that. Adebo missed 10 games with a broken leg in 2024, his final season with the Saints, but still scored a three-year, $54MM contract in free agency. In his first seven games with the Giants (all starts), Adebo has recorded 48 tackles and four passes defensed.

More injury updates from around the NFC…

  • The Rams are “getting close” to exploring opening cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon‘s 21-day practice window, according to head coach Sean McVay (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). Witherspoon broke his clavicle in a Week 2 win over the Titans, forcing him to go on IR. Expectations then were that Witherspoon would need 12 weeks to recover. If his timeline hasn’t changed, he could return in the first half of December. Meanwhile, McVay is optimistic that wide receiver Tutu Atwell (hamstring) will be back in the lineup in Week 13. Atwell, who has been on IR since Oct. 27, will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday.
  • Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness has missed five games in a row with a foot injury. He’s officially questionable for a matchup with the rival Vikings on Sunday, but the Packers are hopeful he’ll play (via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). The former first-round pick opened the season with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first five games.
  • Falcons defensive back Billy Bowman will miss Week 12 after sustaining an Achilles injury during a walk-through on Friday morning, head coach Raheem Morris revealed (via Tori McElhaney of the team’s website). Morris said it’s “not good,” which suggests Bowman is in line for a lengthy absence. It’s the second noteworthy injury of the year for Bowman, a fourth-round rookie from Oklahoma who missed three games earlier in the season with a hamstring problem. In his first six games (one start), Bowman has flashed some playmaking ability with 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble.
  • The Seahawks have considered an IR stint for rookie receiver Tory Horton, head coach Mike Macdonald said (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). Macdonald revealed that information before the Seahawks’ loss to the Rams in Week 11. Horton missed that game with a shin injury, his second straight absence, and the Seahawks have ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the Titans. The fifth-round pick scored two touchdowns in his most recent appearance, a win over the Commanders in Week 9. While Horton has just 13 catches for 161 yards in eight games, he has already found the end zone six times, including once on a punt return.
  • The Giants placed offensive lineman Evan Neal on IR with a hamstring issue last week. It turns out Neal suffered the injury during a workout, interim head coach Mike Kafka announced (via Duggan). The 2022 seventh overall pick and former tackle didn’t play a snap this year after a demotion to backup guard duties. It seems unlikely Neal will return in 2025. The 25-year-old is scheduled to reach free agency in the offseason at an inopportune time.
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