HEADLINES

Jags Sign S Juan Thornhill To Practice Squad

November 17th, 2025 at 1:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Juan Thornhill‘s time with the Steelers came to an end one week ago. After being cut by Pittsburgh, the veteran safety cleared waivers and became a free agent.

In short order, a deal has been lined up in this case. Thornhill signed with the Jaguars on Monday, per a team announcement. To little surprise, this is a practice squad arrangement. It will be interesting to see how quickly Thornhill sees game time with his new team.

The seventh-year veteran severed as a full-time starter through much of his career prior to 2025. Thornhill was a first-team regular in Kansas City while playing out his rookie contract and again in Cleveland for two seasons after doing so. In Pittsburgh, however, things did not go as planned. The 30-year-old logged a defensive snap share of 49%, the lowest of his career.

The Steelers lost DeShon Elliott to a knee injury, something which brought about shuffling at the safety position. Pittsburgh swung a trade for Kyle Dugger shortly before moving on from Thornhill. Dugger and Jalen Ramsey have since operated as a safety tandem for the AFC North leaders.

The Jaguars secured a blowout win on Sunday, improving their record to 6-4. Thornhill will look to carve out a role on a team which moved on from another veteran defensive back in Darnell Savage in September. Andrew Wingard and Eric Murray have operated as safety starters in 2025 for Jacksonville, and that setup is likely to continue. Thornhill will look to serve as a backup capable of chipping in on special teams.

Jacksonville entered Monday with $8.75MM in cap space. This Thornhill signing will no doubt check in well short of the $7MM AAV he secured with his second contract and the $3MM he signed for with the Steelers this offseason. Nevertheless, he could prove to be a valuable low-cost addition down the stretch.

Dolphins CB JuJu Brents To Undergo Season-Ending Foot Surgery

November 17th, 2025 at 12:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

JuJu Brents did not survive roster cuts with the Colts this summer, but he managed to find a role with the Dolphins in 2025. The third-year corner’s season is set to come to an end, however.

Brents is set to undergo foot surgery which will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. The report adds he will be be recovered in full by the start of next season. In the meantime, Miami will be left without yet another corner during the closing stages of the season.

Dating back to the summer, the Dolphins have been hit by a slew of major injuries at that position. The team’s need for depth in the secondary led to Brents being claimed off waivers in August. That move allowed the 25-year-old to carve out a rotational role with his new team. Brents made seven appearances and two starts as a Dolphin prior to suffering the injury, totaling 14 tackles.

One year remains on Brents’ rookie contract, so the Dolphins could elect to keep him in the fold through the coming offseason. Doing so would allow him to compete for a place on what could be a much different looking CB depth chart than what the team currently has. Of course, a decision on that front will be made not by Chris Grier but rather by interim general manager Champ Kelly or his full-time replacement.

Miami has won two straight games to move to 4-7 on the year. The team ranks 13th in the NFL against the pass despite being shorthanded in the secondary all season. Maintaining that level of performance will be more difficult moving forward with Brents no longer in the picture.

Lions ‘Hopeful’ TE Sam LaPorta Will Return This Season

November 17th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Connor Byrne

The Lions’ offense lost a significant weapon when the team placed tight end Sam LaPorta on injured reserve this past Saturday. LaPorta will miss at least four games with a back injury, and it doesn’t seem certain that he’ll return this season.

“I’m hopeful, but I really don’t know,” head coach Dan Campbell said of a potential LaPorta comeback (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

Campbell’s comments came after a 16-9 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. Detroit’s offense endured a miserable night in its first game without LaPorta this season. The unit finished 3 for 13 on third downs and failed to convert any of its five fourth-down tries. Quarterback Jared Goff completed just 14 of 37 passes for 255 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Backup tight end Brock Wright, LaPorta’s replacement, caught two passes for eight yards.

LaPorta has established himself as one of the NFL’s top tight ends since debuting as a second-round pick in 2023. He hasn’t caught fewer than three passes in a game or recorded a drop in 2025. The 24-year-old has pulled in 40 of 49 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. LaPorta ranks in the top three among Lions in catches, targets, yards, and TDs.

If all goes well in his recovery, LaPorta will return in Week 15 against the Rams, which is setting up as an important game for both teams. The 8-2 Rams are currently the second seed in the NFC. The Lions were the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs last January, but they’re now No. 8 after falling to 6-4 on Sunday.

Having already doubled last year’s loss total, the Lions have to make up ground over the next three weeks (if not longer) without LaPorta. That stretch includes a crucial Thanksgiving Day meeting with the NFC North rival Packers (6-3-1), who defeated the Lions in the teams’ first matchup this year.

Latest On Giants’ HC Search, DC Shane Bowen

November 17th, 2025 at 9:25am CST by Rory Parks

NOVEMBER 17: The Giants aren’t making any changes to their coaching staff this week, Kafka told reporters (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN). Bowen will remain the team’s defensive coordinator. “Status quo,” Kafka said of his staff.

NOVEMBER 16: Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has been on the hot seat for some time, and Sunday’s loss to the Packers may have been the final straw. Connor Hughes of SNY.tv says the “odds are” that Bowen will be fired in short order.

Bowen worked under Mike Vrabel as the Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2021-23. When Tennessee cleaned house at the end of the 2023 slate, Bowen joined the Giants’ staff, though his first year on the job did not go especially well; Big Blue finished in the bottom-10 in terms of total defense and just outside the bottom-10 in terms of points allowed in 2024.

Nonetheless, the Giants retained head coach Brian Daboll and his top lieutenants, Bowen and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, this offseason. Of course, Daboll was fired just last week, and Kafka was elevated to interim HC. 

According to Hughes, the only reason Bowen was not axed at the same time as Daboll is because the team did not want to put Kafka at a disadvantage. Instead, the Giants wanted him to spend a full week at the controls, attend defensive meetings – which is something he naturally had not done in his capacity as OC – and draw his own conclusions about the current staff.

After Sunday’s defeat, which marked the fourth time this season the 2-9 Giants have squandered a lead in the fourth quarter, Kafka certainly did not give Bowen a vote of confidence. 

“We’ll evaluate everything,” Kafka succinctly stated (via Hughes).

In addition to the fourth quarter collapses, New York has allowed the fourth-most yards per game (383.0), and the club is 28th in points allowed (27.3 points per game). As such, a Bowen ouster would not be surprising.

Kafka has been linked to outside head coaching interest in the past, so while the Giants will not be vying for a playoff spot this year, their performance will impact Kafka’s own coaching future. In addition to their interim bench boss, of course, the Giants will also consider a number of other options for the full-time HC gig this offseason.

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer (video link), that search – which will be spearheaded by GM Joe Schoen – will not be overly expansive. Schoen will have to determine if he prefers a candidate who will be directly responsible for quarterback Jaxson Dart’s development or if he thinks the so-called “leader of men” profile (e.g. Mike Tomlin, Dan Campbell) is more important. Either way, Glazer does not think a college coach will be under consideration.

If true, that would eliminate Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman from the Giants’ list, which contradicts a recent report naming Freeman as a viable target. Some of the names that Glazer thinks will make the cut (Mike McCarthy, Lou Anarumo, Steve Spagnuolo) have already been linked to the post, while three others (Matt Nagy, Arthur Smith, Chris Shula) had not been publicly connected to New York.

Glazer spent extra time considering Shula’s candidacy. The Rams’ defensive coordinator could be yet another member of the Sean McVay coaching tree to receive HC consideration elsewhere, and according to Glazer, McVay has worked more closely with Shula than any of his former proteges. 

Shula, 39, was recently named as a “prime candidate” to land a head coaching job in the 2026 cycle.

NFL Return Still Possible For Bill Belichick?

November 17th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Connor Byrne

Head coach Bill Belichick‘s first season with the University of North Carolina hasn’t gone well. While the Tar Heels entered the weekend on a two-game winning streak, that ended with a 28-12 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday. They’re now 4-6 with two games left. North Carolina will need to close out its regular season with wins over Duke and North Carolina State just to gain eligibility for a bowl game.

If we’re to believe Belichick, he’s committed to North Carolina, which signed him to a five-year, $50MM contract with the first three seasons guaranteed. Before the Wake Forest loss, Belichick took to Instagram on Friday to shoot down any potential interest in the Giants’ head coaching position or any other NFL vacancy that could open up in the next couple of months.

While the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach may not sound eager to return to the pros, “at least one team has done very initial homework on Belichick and the situation at North Carolina,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network says. Pelissero adds that Belichick’s Instagram statement may have been issued in part to reassure recruits, and it doesn’t mean he’ll reject NFL interest if teams seeking a head coach come calling in January.

Belichick’s name came up in connection to NFL vacancies last winter, but he didn’t interview with anyone. That came a year after Belichick was a serious candidate to take over as Atlanta’s head coach. The position instead went to Raheem Morris, leaving Belichick “surprised and embarrassed,” according to Pelissero.

Belichick’s pursuit of the Falcons job was public knowledge. Now, if he does come back to the NFL, it’s going to occur “in the dark of night,” Pelissero reports. It wouldn’t be a public process. An interested team would go through the league-mandated protocol before offering its HC job to Belichick.

Along with the Giants, who moved on from Brian Daboll last week, the Titans fired their head coach (Brian Callahan) earlier this season. They and other franchises that dismiss their HCs between now and January will consider a slew of candidates. Belichick would carry a better resume than any other potential hire, but it’s very much in question whether anyone will show major interest in the soon-to-be 74-year-old.

In the event Belichick does make an improbable NFL comeback, it would renew his chances of chasing down Don Shula as the all-time regular-season wins leader among head coaches. Between his 29 years with Cleveland and New England, Belichick amassed 302 wins. Shula piled up 328 victories in 33 years between the Colts and Dolphins. Belichick trails only Shula and Bears legend George Halas (318 wins in 40 years) on the all-time list.

NFL To Review Ja’Marr Chase-Jalen Ramsey Incident; Latest On Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers

November 17th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Rory Parks

NOVEMBER 17: Despite the “tiny fracture” in his wrist, Rodgers “is pushing to play” on Sunday, according to Rapoport, who hears there’s a “50/50” chance it will happen. It will come down to whether Rodgers is able to grip the football.

NOVEMBER 16, 10:05pm: Per Schefter, there is concern that Rodgers sustained a “slight break” in his left wrist. More clarity, including how much time Rodgers might miss, will come after his evaluation on Monday. It sounds as if some missed time is expected, because Schefter followed his report regarding the possible break with a post suggesting Rudolph will be under center when the Steelers face the Bears in Week 12.

Nonetheless, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says this is not expected to be a long-term issue.

5:54pm: The Bengals lost an important divisional game against the Steelers on Sunday, dropping them to 3-7. Already without starting quarterback Joe Burrow until at least Week 13, Cincinnati may also lose its top wideout, Ja’Marr Chase, for a game. 

In the fourth quarter of the Bengals-Steelers contest, Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase. While passing along a video of the incident, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says Ramsey’s transgression appears to have been more of a grab of Chase’s facemask than a true punch. Ramsey and Chase had already been flagged for offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, however, so Ramsey presumably would have been ejected regardless.

Ramsey’s teammate, Joey Porter Jr., told reporters after the game that Chase spit on Ramsey, which triggered the mercurial defensive back’s reaction (video link via ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin). Porter acknowledges he did not see the alleged expectoration, and Chase unequivocally denied it (via Martin).

But in a video passed along by Fox 19 sports photographer Austin Briski, it appears Ramsey was correct and that Chase did, in fact, spit on him. Head referee Bill Vinovich said in the postgame pool report that neither he nor any other members of his crew witnessed that part of the altercation (from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

An NFL spokesman told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the league will be reviewing the incident. And, as Garafolo reminds us, league precedent indicates spitting does merit a suspension.

Eagles DT Jalen Carter technically was not suspended for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first regular season game of the 2025 slate. However, that was only because the incident took place immediately after the opening kickoff, and before Carter even played a snap (Carter was fined the amount of a full game check). Since the Chase-Ramsey incident transpired in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s matchup, Chase could certainly be hit with a brief ban as well as a fine.

The spitting saga overshadowed the fact that the Steelers played half of the game without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The soon-to-be 42-year-old sustained a left wrist injury late in the first half and did not return. Per Rapoport, Rodgers will undergo an evaluation on his wrist on Monday morning.

Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Jets CB Kris Boyd In Critical Condition Following Shooting

November 16th, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Ely Allen

9:24pm: Ernest Quander, one of Boyd’s closest friends, provided an encouraging update on Boyd’s status.

“He’s all good right now. He’s in good condition. He’s doing real good,” Quander told Alex Oliveira of the New York Post. “He’s a soldier, through tough times. He’s fine. He’s fine.”

11:24am: A quick update from an NYPD spokesman — provided by ESPN’s Rich Cimini — informs us that Boyd is in “critical but stable condition” at this moment. The spokesman also provided additional details on the gunshot wound sustained by Boyd “to the abdomen.” There have still be no arrests as the investigation remains ongoing.

11:10am: Early Sunday morning brought a troubling report out of Midtown in New York concerning the life and safety of Jets cornerback Kris Boyd, who is reportedly in critical condition and “clinging to life” following a shooting, per Joe Marino, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, and Kirsten Fleming of the New York Post.

The shooting reportedly took place on West 38th Street near Seventh Avenue around 2:00am this morning. Police were not the ones to identify the victim of the shooting as Boyd to reporters, but the New York Post cites other sources for confirmation of identity. To this point, no shooters have been arrested, and the event is under investigation. Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS relayed the following message from a Jets spokesperson:

We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time.

Two luxury vehicles, a BMW X6 SUV and Mercedes-Benz Maybach, reportedly fled the scene. The BMW was allegedly carrying the shooter, according to the Post’s sources, though witnesses were said to be uncooperative. It is unclear if Boyd was the intended target.

Boyd first came to the NFL as a seventh-round pick out of Texas in 2019. He played out his rookie contract in Minnesota, earning six starts across four years with the Vikings. In 2023, he was signed then cut by the Cardinals before landing on the Texans’ practice squad. He found his way to the team’s 53-man roster before the end of the season and played every game for Houston last year as a core special teamer.

This past March, Boyd signed a one-year deal with the Jets but was placed on injured reserve before the start of the regular season without a designation to return. We here at PFR send our best hopes and wishes to Boyd and his family as he remains in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Joe Burrow To Return Regardless Of Bengals’ Record; Latest On Trey Hendrickson

November 16th, 2025 at 9:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Joe Burrow having returned to practice this week, attention around the Bengals has turned to his ability to suit up for the closing stages of the season. Playoff consideration is far from certain in Cincinnati’s case, but that will not impact Burrow’s recovery process.

The Bengals exited Sunday’s game against the Steelers with a 3-7 record. The state of the AFC North leaves the door slightly open to a run at top spot in the division for Cincinnati, something which would of course be more likely in the event Burrow were to return in the near future. Even if the team falls out of contention, though, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network writes Burrow will suit up upon receiving full medical clearance.

For now, the 28-year-old has been limited to seven-on-seven work in practice as he awaits clearance for full participation. Even when Burrow is back in game action, Rapoport notes he is expected to do so with a metal plate in his shoe, adding Burrow will not have full mobility. Nevertheless, a return around Thanksgiving or one week later remains the target.

The Bengals’ offense received a boost thanks to the midseason Joe Flacco trade. Defensive struggles have remained an issue for the team, however, and they threaten to result in another year defined by the failure to meet expectations. Burrow is under contract through 2029, and a cautious approach would be understandable from the team’s perspective given the financial commitment made to the former No. 1 pick. Burrow is nonetheless on track to see the field soon.

Cincinnati hopes the same will be true of Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals elected to retain him past the trade deadline despite lowering their asking price to a second-round pick. Last year’s sack leader is out for Week 11, his third missed came of the season. Hendrickson is dealing with a core muscle injury, Rapoport reports. He adds a move to injured reserve has received consideration but team and player are aiming to avoid it.

Likewise, Hendrickson hopes to avoid undergoing surgery to address the issue until after the season is over. The latest round of failed extension talks in this case resulted in the four-time Pro Bowler agreeing to a straight raise regarding his 2025 compensation. Hendrickson, 31 in December, could receive the franchise tag this spring but otherwise he remains on track for free agency.

Of course, Hendrickson’s value will take a hit if he remains sidelined for an extended period. If things go according to plan, though, he will be healthy along with Burrow for the closing weeks of the season.

Falcons Fear QB Michael Penix Jr. Could Miss Time Due To Knee Injury

November 16th, 2025 at 7:49pm CST by Rory Parks

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. missed his team’s Week 8 matchup, a blowout loss to the Dolphins, due to a bone bruise in his knee. That same issue could now force him to miss more time.

According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Penix is believed to have aggravated the prior injury during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, which forced him out of the game early. Atlanta fears its QB1 could be sidelined for a stretch.

The Falcons’ selection of Penix in last year’s draft was perhaps the biggest surprise of the event, as the club had just signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative free agent contract. Cousins’ demotion in favor of Penix during the 2024 campaign triggered plenty of trade/release speculation this offseason, though the trade deadline has passed and Cousins remains on the roster.

The 37-year-old was not particularly impressive in relief of Penix in the above-referenced Miami contest, and while Penix has flashed at times, his overall body of work puts him in the bottom half of the league in terms of both traditional quarterback rating (86.8) and QBR (53.6). The Falcons have now lost four in a row, and Penix started the last three games in that span (although those losses came by a combined 10 points, and the last two defeats were decided in overtime).

Now sitting at 3-7 and in third place in the NFC South, the Falcons will surely be cautious with Penix. Cousins will again step into the starting lineup for however long Penix is out, and if he performs well, he could perhaps convince a team in need of a bridge passer this offseason to swing a trade for him.

Coming into Sunday’s Week 11 game, Penix had completed just 58.8% of his passes, which was the third-worst mark in the league among qualified players. While the Falcons were just inside the top half of the league in terms of total offense, they were a bottom-six outfit in terms of points per game.

Per Tori McElhaney of the team’s official website, top wideout Drake London also exited Sunday’s loss early due to a knee injury of his own. London’s hip ailment forced him to miss the game that Cousins started earlier this year, so it will be bad luck for both London and the veteran passer if the knee injury leads to missed time.

Fortunately, he may be able to avoid that. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, London’s malady is not believed to be overly serious, though an MRI on Monday will reveal more.

Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Exits Week 11 Game Due To Possible Concussion; Shedeur Sanders Replaces Gabriel

November 16th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel played the first half of Sunday’s Week 11 matchup against the Ravens, but he was evaluated for a concussion at halftime and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Shedeur Sanders entered the game in relief of Gabriel and got his first taste of regular season action at the professional level.

Sanders, of course, was one of the most-discussed players in this year’s NFL news cycle. The polarizing prospect was once considered to have first-round upside, but he ultimately dropped to the fifth round of the 2025 draft before the Browns finally put an end to his precipitous slide (two rounds after Cleveland selected Gabriel). Veteran Joe Flacco opened the season as the club’s starting quarterback, but following his demotion in favor of Gabriel, Sanders remained the third-string passer.

Even after the trade that sent Flacco to the Bengals, head coach Kevin Stefanski did not immediately name Sanders as Gabriel’s backup. Practice squadder Bailey Zappe appeared to be in consideration for the role, which led to further questions about Sanders’ progress in practice.

Although Stefanski ultimately did tap Sanders as the Browns’ QB2 behind Gabriel, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that the team did not seem anxious to get the second-generation talent into a game. In the end, Gabriel’s head injury forced Stefanski’s hand.

At the end of September, Albert Breer of SI.com expressed his belief that neither Gabriel nor Sanders could do anything this season to prevent the Browns from selecting a passer in the first round of the 2026 draft. Through the first five starts of his pro career, Gabriel did not do anything to refute that notion, as he led the team to a 1-4 record while posting a poor quarterback rating and QBR of 80.4 and 32.3, respectively.

Breer recently reiterated his opinion that Cleveland’s 2026 starting quarterback is not presently on the roster. Interestingly, however, he said he can envision a scenario in which Deshaun Watson takes the field this season.

Watson, who is recovering from a second Achilles tear, is presently on the Browns’ reserve/PUP list. The latest reporting on the matter suggested the embattled passer is unlikely to play in 2025, but Breer’s note injects a little more intrigue into the situation. 

Due to Watson’s albatross contract, the Browns would be hit with a ghastly $131.16MM dead cap charge if they were to cut him in the offseason, which lends credence to Breer’s belief that it can’t hurt to have Cleveland trot him out this year if he is healthy enough to play. On the other hand, that obviously would prevent additional evaluation of Gabriel and/or Sanders.

The Browns went into halftime of the Baltimore contest with a 16-10 lead but lost 23-16. Sanders was unable to engineer any scoring drives, and he completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. He added three rushes for 16 yards.

In fairness to Sanders, he had taken no practice reps with the first-team offense, as Stefanski told reporters after the game (via Zac Jackson of The Athletic). Stefanski added Gabriel will return to his QB1 post whenever he clears the concussion protocol.

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