Chargers LB Denzel Perryman Issued Two-Game Suspension
TODAY: Perryman’s suspension has been upheld, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
DECEMBER 22: The Chargers’ defense has been among the league’s best in 2025. The unit is set to be shorthanded for the closing stages of the regular season, however. 
Linebacker Denzel Perryman has been issued a two-game suspension, the NFL announced on Monday. Perryman’s discipline comes in the wake of repeated violations of “playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players.” This ban stems from a play during yesterday’s game against the Cowboys.
“During the second quarter, Perryman was penalized for unnecessary roughness for delivering a forcible blow to the helmet of Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy while he was on the ground after making a catch,” a league statement reads in part (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
Perryman received an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play in question. He is eligible to appeal the suspension. Otherwise, the 33-year-old will be sidelined for Week 17 against the Texans and Week 18 against the Broncos. Los Angeles sits at 11-4 on the year. The season finale against Denver could prove to be pivotal in deciding the AFC West and potentially the No. 1 seed in the conference.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports Perryman will indeed appeal his suspension. The hearing on the matter will take place tomorrow. As a result, it will not take long to find out if the two-game ban will be upheld or if its length will be reduced. Perryman has totaled 47 tackles in 10 games this season, his second with the Chargers.
Los Angeles ranks in the top 10 in the NFL across several defensive categories this season. Maintaining that level of play will be critical down the stretch and into the playoffs. As it stands now, however, Perryman will not be available for the next two weeks.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Eugene Asante
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB M.J. Devonshire
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Michael Reid
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Thomas Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Placed on practice squad/injured: S Delarrin Turner-Yell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Royce Freeman
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Jack Henderson
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Elijah Mitchell, WR Brandon Smith
- Released: OT Sebastian Gutierrez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Tyler Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Nick Jackson
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/23/25
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Designated for return from IR: OL Luke Newman
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: RB Quinshon Judkins (story)
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: CB Ajani Carter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: RB Jaret Patterson
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: OL Brenden Jaimes
- Placed on IR: DT Joshua Farmer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Returned to practice: RB Josh Williams
Washington Commanders
- Waived: WR Jamal Agnew
Buccaneers running back Josh Williams returned to practice today after serving his six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the player’s suspension has been officially lifted and he’s now attached to the exempt/commissioner permission designation, which doesn’t count against the 53-man roster limit. However, Williams will need to be activated to the actual roster if the Buccaneers want him on the field before the season ends. The running back has seen time in three games this season, collecting 11 yards on four touches.
Meanwhile, Jamal Agnew won’t be joining the Commanders after he was claimed off waivers yesterday. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the veteran wide receiver was waived today with a failed physical designation.
Cardinals Sign K Joshua Karty
The Cardinals have turned to a division rival for some extra depth at kicker. The team announced that they’ve signed Joshua Karty to the 53-man roster.
Karty was previously on the Rams practice squad, where he’s been lingering since getting replaced by Harrison Mevis in late November. The 2024 sixth-round lived up to his draft billing as a rookie, converting on 85.3 percent of his field goal tries. However, he struggled as a sophomore, converting 10 of his 15 FG tries before getting benched.
Now in Arizona, Karty will provide some competition for Chad Ryland. The former Patriots draft pick has served as the Cardinals’ full-time kicker for the better part of the past two years. He had a standout performance in 2024 but has similarly struggled in 2025, missing eight field goals. That includes a showing from this past weekend when Ryland miss two of his six field goal attempts.
“It’s disappointing when it doesn’t happen for whatever reason – operation, protection, kicker, whatever,” special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said of Ryland’s performance (via the team’s website). “[The Falcons game] did start off well … there were positives and negatives. I try to not focus too much on results and being consistent on technique, process, reps. I thought last Thursday was one of [Chad’s] better days striking the ball. On game day, we’ve got to be able to make those kicks, and we have to be good around him as well.”
With two games remaining, it seems likely that Karty will get the majority of the looks at kicker over Ryland. However, considering the incumbent’s restricted free agent status after this season, there’s a good chance he sticks around the roster for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
The Cardinals weren’t done making moves today. The team officially placed defensive lineman Walter Nolen III and cornerback Garrett Williams on injured reserve, moves that were anticipated. The team also signed cornerback Kalen King from the Panthers practice squad. The former seventh-round pick got into one game for Carolina this season.
Steelers WR D.K. Metcalf Issued Two-Game Suspension
TODAY: Metcalf’s suspension has been upheld, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The wide receiver will officially miss the final two games of the regular season. Notably, Metcalf will also see $45MM in future guarantees voided, including the $25MM that was fully guaranteed for the 2026 season.
DECEMBER 22: D.K. Metcalf‘s interaction with a fan during the first half of yesterday’s Steelers-Lions game led to the widespread expectation it would result in league discipline. After a league review, a suspension has been handed down. 
Metcalf has received a two-game suspension, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. That would keep the Pittsburgh wideout unavailable for the remainder of the regular season if upheld. Per Pelissero, Metcalf plans to appeal. As things stand, he is set to lose just over $555K in pay.
Metcalf grabbed and then released the shirt of a fan in the stands who has since identified himself as Ryan Kennedy (video link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). No flags were thrown as a result of the incident, and the Steelers did not take any action stemming from it. Metcalf declined to speak to reporters after the game.
Earlier today, Pelissero was the first to report that Metcalf and Kennedy have a history with one another, with Metcalf having reported Kennedy to security last year while he was playing for the Seahawks. A verbal exchange between the two sparked yesterday’s incident. Metcalf has alleged Kennedy used derogatory language toward himself and his mother. Kennedy “categorically denies” doing so, as noted in a statement issued by his attorneys. According to Kennedy, the incident stemmed from Metcalf taking issue with being called by his full name.
With no penalty being issued, the league office was not allowed by rule to direct an ejection in this case. Nevertheless, it comes as little surprise a suspension has been issued given the NFL’s policy regarding altercations with fans. Metcalf ultimately made four receptions during Sunday’s win, three of which came after the incident.
Pittsburgh wound up winning in Week 16, moving the team’s record to 9-6. With Baltimore losing shortly after that contest ended, the Steelers are in a commanding position regarding the AFC North standings. A Ravens loss in Week 17 (Saturday against the Packers) or a win by Pittsburgh one day later (against the Browns) would be enough to clinch the division. Pending the outcome of the appeal, though, Metcalf will be unavailable for the Cleveland matchup and a Week 18 Baltimore game which could prove to be pivotal.
The offseason trade acquisition has been hot and cold in terms of production this season with the Steelers playing through inconsistency on offense. In all, Metcalf has totaled 850 yards and six touchdowns on 59 receptions during his debut Pittsburgh campaign. He comfortably leads the team in yardage, especially when compared to the Steelers’ other receivers. The remainder of that group will be tasked with filling in over a brief period, though.
OT Trent Williams Intends To Play In 2026
Trent Williams has been attached to retirement speculation for several years, but it doesn’t sound like the offensive lineman is close to hanging up his cleats. When asked about his status beyond the 2025 season, Williams made it clear that he’ll at least be back on the field next year.
“I’m nowhere near done, so I’ve got a few more years,” said Williams (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “I’m not leaving. I’m not going nowhere.”
After he missed the 49ers’ last seven games of the 2024 season due to a bruise in his ankle joint, the OT once again staved off retirement rumblings. Besides being one of the league’s oldest players, there doesn’t seem to be much merit to Williams calling it a career.
For starters, the lineman has continued to perform as one of the league’s top offensive tackles. Pro Football Focus currently ranks the 37-year-old third among 83 qualifying tackles, the sixth-straight year he’s positioned to finish in the top-10. Williams was also named to his 12th Pro Bowl today. As Branch notes, this broke a tie with Anthony Munoz, Jonathan Ogden and Willie Roaf for the most in league history among offensive tackles.
Williams is also under contract through the 2026 season, and his average annual value still ranks second among offensive tackles. After inking a three-year, $82MM extension back in 2024, Williams can probably expect at least one more lucrative contract before his career is through.
To top it off, Williams has indicated that he’s interested in playing through his age-40 season. Barring an unexpected drop off, Williams shouldn’t lack for suitors, so it seems likelier than not that his plan will come to fruition.
Jets Place Justin Fields On IR
Jets quarterback Justin Fields‘ first (and likely lone) season with the organization will end on injured reserve. The Jets have placed Fields on IR with a knee injury, head coach Aaron Glenn announced (via Rich Cimini of ESPN).
Fields went 11th overall to the Bears in the 2021 draft, but he was unable to establish himself as their long-awaited answer under center. He spent 2024 in Pittsburgh and mostly worked as a backup behind Russell Wilson. The Jets’ new regime of Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey saw enough positives to hand Fields a two-year, $40MM contract in free agency last March. The deal came with $30MM in guarantees. It will go down as a regrettable investment, though, with the Jets “likely” to release Fields by the middle of March, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
Fields started in six of the Jets’ first seven games this year. His only absence came as a result of a concussion that kept him out of a loss to the Buccaneers in Week 3. Fields struggled when healthy, though, and Glenn pulled him for Tyrod Taylor in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers in Week 7. Owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields’ performance the next day.
“It looks like (Glenn) is turning around part of it,” Johnson said on Oct. 21 (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving. If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league. You have to play consistently at that position and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
In the wake of Johnson’s comments, it appeared Glenn would start Taylor over Fields in a Week 8 matchup in Cincinnati. However, a knee injury to Taylor prevented that from happening. Fields wound up enjoying one of his most productive passing days of the season in a 39-38 win. The 26-year-old completed 21 of 32 attempts for 244 yards and a touchdown.
Fields was unable to build on his strong showing against the Bengals in a post-bye, special teams-driven win over the Browns in Week 10. After a loss to the Patriots the next week, Glenn pulled the plug on Fields and replaced him with Taylor. It turns out that was Fields’ last appearance of 2025.
Over nine games (all starts), Fields connected on 62.7% of passes, averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, and threw seven touchdowns against one interception. Although Fields put up a passable 89.5 rating, his 37.3 QBR ranks 28th among 32 qualifiers. As has typically been the case, the mobile Fields was more a threat on the ground than through the air this year. He ran for 383 yards, posted a robust 5.4 YPC, and added four more TDs.
Like Fields, Taylor hasn’t been any kind of solution for the Jets this season. Now 3-12, they’ve started undrafted rookie Brady Cook in back-to-back games (both losses). Cook, who will start again versus New England on Sunday, could finish out the season as the Jets’ starter. Not long after the campaign ends, the Jets may wave goodbye to Fields and Taylor, a soon-to-be free agent. While Fields expects to garner more starting opportunities in the future, another chance will likely have to come with a different organization.
Vikings Claim QB Brett Rypien
With injured quarterback J.J. McCarthy set to miss Week 17, the Vikings are welcoming Brett Rypien back to the organization. They claimed Rypien off waivers from the Colts on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.
Rypien will quickly land on his feet just one day after the Colts waived him. The 29-year-old spent two-plus months with the Colts, but he didn’t see any game action as a member of the organization.
After Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in Week 14, Indianapolis shockingly brought Philip Rivers, 44, out of retirement. Rivers has started two straight games since then (and will keep the reins in Week 17), while rookie sixth-rounder Riley Leonard has backed him up.
Since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2019, Rypien has spent time with eight NFL franchises. That includes a run with the Vikings from August 2024 through last summer.
The Vikings elected to enter this season with McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer as their top three QBs, leaving Rypien as the odd man out. He caught on with the Bengals after the Vikings released him. While Rypien appeared in one game with Cincinnati, he hasn’t attempted a pass this season.
Over 17 games and six starts in the NFL, Rypien has completed 58.3% of passes with 5.7 yards per attempt, four touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 59.9 rating. Those aren’t impressive numbers, but Rypien will give the Vikings a second healthy QB option for this week’s game against the Lions. McCarthy will miss at least one game with a hairline fracture in his right hand, and Wentz is unavailable after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October. Brosmer, an undrafted rookie, will make his second career start on Thursday.
Keon Coleman A Healthy Scratch In Week 16; ‘Professionalism’ An Issue
Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman played a pivotal role in a 41-40 victory over the Ravens in Week 1. Coleman began his second NFL season with eight receptions, 112 yards, and a touchdown to help spark a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback. A 2025 breakout looked like a possibility at that point, but Coleman’s impact has been minimal since then.
Heading into Week 17, Coleman has underwhelmed with 36 catches, 355 yards, and four TDs in 12 games. Despite owning one of the league’s least effective receiving groups, and despite using a second-round pick on Coleman in 2024, the Bills have made him a healthy scratch multiple times.
Head coach Sean McDermott first benched Coleman ahead of a Week 11 win over the Buccaneers. He was inactive again the next week. McDermott punished Coleman after he was late to a team meeting, which wasn’t the first time Coleman had an issue with punctuality.
“It’s a professionalism thing — but he’s going to be OK. We need him,” a team source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN at the time.
The Bills didn’t consider releasing Coleman at that point, according to Fowler, but the 22-year-old hasn’t regained a guaranteed spot since then. After appearing in three straight games and combining for four grabs, 25 yards, and a TD, Coleman sat out a 23-20 win over the Browns last Sunday. McDermott confirmed he was a healthy scratch (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
With McDermott scratching both Coleman and Gabe Davis, the Bills rolled with Khalil Shakir, Josh Palmer, Brandin Cooks, Tyrell Shavers, and Mecole Hardman as their receivers in Cleveland. Shakir led the unit with a paltry 34 yards on four catches. Palmer, Cooks, Shavers, and Hardman combined for 23 yards on two receptions. Cooks and Hardman each went without a catch.
“Just a combination of receivers, offensively, that we wanted up,” McDermott said of his receiver choices in Week 16 (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN). “And then obviously, Mecole was moved into the 5 spot there for primarily special teams purposes, but also a little bit of receiver as well.”
The Bills are 11-4 and on the way to the playoffs for the seventh straight year, but their receiving corps’ lack of production has been a problem throughout 2025. Shakir, a solid slot target, has been the only consistent option. The dearth of quality receivers hasn’t helped reigning MVP quarterback Josh Allen‘s cause, though he and league-leading rusher James Cook have still lifted Buffalo’s offense to a No. 4 ranking this year.
Along with Coleman not developing as hoped, the free agent addition of Palmer has been a swing and a miss. The former Charger, now in the first season of a three-year, $36MM contract, has hauled in 20 passes for 290 yards and no TDs in 10 games. Cooks, Curtis Samuel (currently injured), and Elijah Moore (now on Denver’s practice squad) join Palmer as veteran receivers who have recently come up short after choosing Buffalo in free agency.
With Palmer injured at the time, general manager Brandon Beane was in the market for a receiver addition in advance of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Beane reportedly made a significant offer to the division rival Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle, but he came up empty. While Beane reeled in Cooks in late November after the Saints released him, the 32-year-old hasn’t provided a boost to the offense. Despite an impressive resume that includes 730 receptions, Cooks has caught just one of five targets in four games with the Bills.
Regardless of how the rest of the campaign plays out, Beane will likely focus a good deal of offseason attention on the receiver position. It’s a “distinct possibility” that Shakir will be the only current Bills receiver who has a major role next year, Buscaglia contends. If Buffalo doesn’t trade or release Coleman in the offseason, he may wind up as a low-end option on the depth chart for the second straight year. That wasn’t what Buffalo had in mind when it used a high selection on Coleman just a few weeks after trading away former No. 1 wideout Stefon Diggs.
Colts To Start Philip Rivers In Week 17
Fans of Philip Rivers‘ comeback story will have at least one more chance to observe it. The Colts’ Week 16 loss has all but buried them in the playoff race, but Shane Steichen will not turn to one of his younger passers for Week 17.
Rivers will start against the Jaguars on Sunday, the third-year HC said (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). Sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard is a healthy option on Indianapolis’ bench, and Anthony Richardson is in the IR-return window. It is not known if Richardson will return this season (or play for the Colts again), but Leonard is signed through the 2028 season.
Tied to the veteran minimum, Rivers submitted impressive work against the 49ers — all things considered — and finished 23 of 35 for 277 yards and two touchdowns. While the 44-year-old QB also threw a pick-six to help San Francisco to a blowout win, this is already one of the most memorable comebacks in modern sports history.
A national audience observed Rivers’ form Monday, and he had the Colts in an early shootout with the favored 49ers. Finding Alec Pierce for two touchdowns early, Rivers had surpassed his Seahawks showing for yardage in the first quarter. The 49ers largely bottled up Jonathan Taylor, leaving Rivers to do more work. Although deep shots did not work out for the recently unretired Rivers, he made plenty happen on shorter throws.
This Rivers human interest story notwithstanding, the Colts are passing up a chance to look at Leonard as a starter here. While it is understandable Steichen will start Rivers while the team is still standing in the playoff race, ESPN’s FPI gives Indianapolis a 2% chance to make the postseason.
Leonard should remain in Indy’s plans as a backup option for 2026; Richardson’s path is cloudier. The Colts parked the former No. 4 overall pick on the bench throughout Daniel Jones‘ healthy stretch this season, after the two had competed for the job. Jones winning the camp competition did not go over too well with Richardson in the first place. The erratic Florida product later suffered an orbital fracture in a freak locker-room accident. While Richardson is back at practice, Rivers starting again does not point to an activation from IR this week. If Richardson is activated for Week 18, who the Colts turn to in what could be a meaningless game will still bring intrigue.
If the Colts are eliminated, Steichen would presumably give stronger consideration to starting Leonard or Richardson in Week 18. Rivers, who had said he had not given strong consideration to an unretirement in a few years, all but certainly has two games remaining as a Colt. He has delayed his Hall of Fame clock by five years. While the former Chargers mainstay is not a lock to reach Canton, he has certainly tacked on a memorable ending — and at least three TD passes — to an 18-year career.