HEADLINES

Robert Saleh Expected To Draw HC Interest

November 21st, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is expected to draw head coaching interest during this offseason’s hiring cycle, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Saleh, 46, had a difficult tenure as the head coach of the Jets from 2021 to 2024. He quickly turned the league’s 32nd-ranked defense into one of the league’s best, but he could never get a handle on the offensive side of the ball, due in large part to poor quarterback play from Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.

Saleh’s first offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur, actually improved the offense from 2021 to 2022, but a rough stretch at the end of his second season led to his dismissal. Nathaniel Hackett took over in 2023 as part of Joe Douglas’ ill-fated pursuit of Rodgers and was clearly not up to the task. Saleh’s struggles in New York could also be attributed to questionable roster management from general manager Joe Douglas and interference from owner Woody Johnson.

Saleh was fired just five games into the 2024 season and quickly reunited with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco this offseason. The 49ers defense ranks 25th in total defense but 15th in points allowed. The uninspiring results are understandable given major injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, their two best defenders. Edge rushers Yetur Gross-Matos and Mykel Williams have also been on injured reserve.

Despite being fired midseason, Saleh interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Cowboys, Jaguars, and Raiders, and was reportedly Jacksonville’s No. 2 choice behind Liam Coen. That shows that NFL teams still believe Saleh is a capable head coach who may not have been given a fair shake in New York. He also has plenty of relationships with young coaches from the Shanahan-Sean McVay tree that teams will covet as potential offensive coordinator hires.

Since leaving New York, LaFleur has been McVay’s offensive coordinator in Los Angeles but could jump at the chance to call plays again. If Mike McDaniel is fired in Miami, he could reunite with Saleh after the two spent time together under Shanahan in San Francisco.

Saleh will still have to nail his interviews and sell a new team on his vision for the future. After his experience in New York, he may be looking for more synergy with ownership and the front office

Bills T Spencer Brown, LB Terrel Bernard Could Hit IR

November 21st, 2025 at 10:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bills got roughed up in a Thursday night loss in Houston and could see two starters head to injured reserve, as a result. With just six weeks left in the season, Buffalo could potentially lose right tackle Spencer Brown and linebacker Terrel Bernard for at least four weeks as head coach Sean McDermott disclosed today that IR could be a possibility for both players, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.

After a night in which the Bills gave up eight sacks, the prospect of losing one of their bookend tackles is a scary one. And while Brown is more well-regarded for his run blocking abilities, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark didn’t fare much better against the Texans’ pass rush as he filled in for Brown last night. Buscaglia noted that Brown was spotted in a sling following the loss in Houston, and Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News provided the update today that Brown’s shoulder injury would require further evaluation.

Based on McDermott’s comments today, the result of the evaluation could end Brown’s season. A placement on IR would require at least a four-week absence, giving Brown a chance to come back in Week 17 at the earliest. If Brown’s shoulder isn’t able to heal in that time, his regular season contributions may be done, and he could be out for a potential postseason run, as well. This would be a first for Brown, who, in his young career, has never had a stint on IR.

Since missing two separate two-week stretches as a rookie, Brown only sat out of four games over the next four seasons. This reliability and run-blocking prowess earned Brown the four-year, $72MM extension he signed before the final year of his rookie contract last year. For whatever time Brown ends up missing, Van Demark will likely step in to start. The fourth-year undrafted UConn alum has three starts for Buffalo in the past two seasons.

Playing through an ankle injury that’s been nagging him over the past five weeks, Bernard hurt his elbow in last night’s game and was described as “week-to-week” by Skurski. The former third-round pick out of Baylor has been a leading tackler for the team over the last three years. After leading the team with 143 in his first year as a full-time starter in 2023, he finished second on the team last year despite missing four games. He’s currently second on the team behind safety Cole Bishop, who’s played one more contest than Bernard.

Luckily for Buffalo, the defense saw veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson return to the field last night after missing three weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury. If Bernard is out for any amount of time, Thompson is a strong candidate to step in amongst starters Matt Milano and Dorian Williams in the front seven.

The team hasn’t resigned to four-week absences for these two starters just yet, though. While an IR placement remains a possibility for both players, there’s a chance both could avoid the lengthy absence. Regardless, despite having a week and half of rest before their next contest, McDermott told reporters that “it doesn’t look great” for Brown and Bernard’s chances of playing in Week 13.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/21/25

November 21st, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s practice squad moves as we head into the weekend:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A three-time All-Pro special teamer over seven years in New Orleans, Gray landed on Baltimore’s practice squad this year after failing to make the Saints’ initial 53. He was signed off Baltimore’s taxi squad to the Broncos’ active roster, where the veteran appeared in one game before getting waived with an injury designation.

This marks the fourth time Barnhart, an undrafted free agent last year, has been signed to and cut from a practice squad after twice going through that cycle with the Chargers then lasting a week in October with the Broncos.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/25

November 21st, 2025 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Miami Dolphins

Foskey joins Cincinnati’s 53-man roster after appearing in two games off the practice squad. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster for the Saints, who drafted him in the second round two years ago, Foskey gets an opportunity in Cinci, where the Bengals have four defensive ends on the injury report with two already ruled out for the weekend.

Colbert suffered a stinger in this weekend’s game in Madrid. His time on the 53-man roster comes to an end after a short month and a half.

Travis Kelce: Chiefs Future To Be Decided Before 2026 League Year Begins

November 21st, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Leading up to the Chiefs’ loss in Super Bowl LIX, questions were raised about a potential Travis Kelce retirement. The future Hall of Famer ultimately made it clear his career would continue in 2025.

As of June, Kelce had not committed to suiting up beyond the current season. The pending free agent’s future is still not certain on that front, but he has offered an update on his situation. Kelce’s latest comments indicate he will have a decision in place before the start of the 2026 league year.

“I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity, whether I come back or not — or whether they want me back or not,” the 36-year-old said (via ESPN’s Nate Taylor). “I’d like to make that decision before they’ve got to get draft picks and free agency opens to fill the roster appropriately.”

Kelce specified he will not arrive at a commitment one way or another until this coming offseason. The three-time Super Bowl champion will not play for a team other than Kansas City, but the Chiefs will need to decide on a new financial commitment in the near future. Kelce agreed to a two-year, $34.25MM pact in 2024; that deal places him near the top of the financial pecking order at the tight end spot.

A pay cut would come as a surprise if the four-time All-Pro does wind up playing next year. On the other hand, Kansas City could benefit from another one-year Kelce accord. A 2010s All-Decade Team member, he saw a major downturn in production last season before experiencing a notable turnaround in 2025. Kelce has posted 631 yards and four touchdowns on 50 catches so far this year.

It remains to be seen if Kelce’s resurgence will be enough for the Chiefs to reach the playoffs, and the team faces a number of questions heading into the offseason either way. One of the main talking points surrounding Kansas City will of course surround Kelce and his desire to continue playing. This will no doubt remain a storyline until further clarity emerges.

The 2026 league year will begin on March 11 with free agency officially opening. By that point, based on today’s comments, Kelce and the Chiefs will know where they stand with respect to retirement.

Broncos, K Wil Lutz Agree To Extension

November 21st, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Wil Lutz has enjoyed a strong tenure with the Broncos. The veteran kicker will remain in the Mile High City for the foreseeable future.

Lutz and the Broncos have agreed to a three-year extension, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. As a result of the deal, the 31-year-old will be on the books through 2028. Lutz (who was on track for free agency) has been with Denver since 2023, head coach Sean Payton‘s first year with the Broncos.

The former Saints reunited after Lutz spent a total of six seasons with New Orleans. The former UDFA had by far the worst campaign of his career in 2022, sparking a trade from the Saints to the Broncos. Things have gone much better in Denver, with Lutz posting field goal success rates of 88.2% and 91.2% during his first two seasons there.

In 2025, the Georgia State product has remained one of the league’s most consistent kickers. Lutz has only missed three of his 20 field goal attempts; he has also gone 24-for-24 on extra point tries. With four game-winning kicks so far this season, Lutz leads the league in that regard. He has served as a key factor in the Broncos’ 9-2 record, and expectations will remain high moving forward.

After playing out the final year of his deal during his debut Broncos season, Lutz inked a two-year pact averaging $4.2MM per season. It will be interesting to see where this newest contract checks in from a financial perspective. The kicker market now includes 10 players attached to an AAV of $5MM or more and two averaging at least $6MM annually. Lutz should not be expected to move to the top of the pecking order, but a small raise would come as little surprise.

The Broncos have a number of starters on both sides of the ball who are still on track to see their contracts expire at the end of the season. At least one notable piece of business has now been taken care of on that front, however, and Denver could look to handle more pending free agents over the coming weeks.

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin Likely To Play In Week 12; RB Bucky Irving Nearing Return

November 21st, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Injuries have increasingly become an issue for the Buccaneers, but one notable return at the receiver position can be expected. Chris Godwin was a full participant in practice yesterday, the first time that was the case since his most recent game action.

Godwin is “definitely trending toward playing,” head coach Todd Bowles said on Friday (via the team’s website). A return in that case would be welcomed by a Tampa Bay team which has been without Mike Evans since Week 7. A broken clavicle will keep Evans sidelined for much of the regular season, leaving Godwin and rookie Emeka Egbuka to handle the load at the receiver spot down the stretch.

Ebuka enjoyed a stellar start to the year, but since Godwin went down the first-rounder has understandably seen a downturn in production. Defenses will be less likely to focus primarily on Egbuka once even one half of the Evans-Godwin tandem is back in place. That could very well be the case for Sunday, although offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard suggested Godwin could be on a pitch count during his return game.

The 29-year-old was leading the league in receptions when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in 2024. Godwin has not been able to carry on in terms of production due to his latest ailment, but expectations will be high once he is back in the fold. A nine-year Tampa Bay veteran, Godwin elected to remain in place this past offseason by inking a three-year, $66MM pact. Remaining healthy moving forward will thus be critical to his impact in 2025 but also beyond the current season.

In other injury news, lead running back Bucky Irving will not suit up on Sunday night against the Rams. Bowles said (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times) Irving “didn’t handle” the situation well when he was injured, but added the 23-year-old is “trending up” regarding a return in Week 13. Tampa Bay will take on Carolina in what could be Irving’s first game action since September.

The Bucs still lead the NFC South, but the 6-4 team has lost three of its last four games. Rebounding down the stretch will be key if Tampa is to top the division once again in 2025, and a more positive outlook on the health front is taking shape.

Texans Waive RB Dameon Pierce

November 21st, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

NOVEMBER 21: Pierce may clear waivers today due to the timing of when his Texans tenure ended, but Wilson reports there are multiple teams interested in him. If/when Pierce reaches free agency, a new deal could be lined up in short order.

NOVEMBER 20: The Texans waived fourth-year running back Dameon Pierce on Thursday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. To fill his spot on the active roster, cornerback Ajani Carter was signed from the practice squad.

Pierce, 25, once seemed like he could be the future of the Texans’ backfield before injuries derailed his time in Houston. The former Florida Gator was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and earned a starting job as a rookie. Pierce racked up 939 yards in 13 games – 72.2 yards per game, the eighth-most in the league – before a high ankle sprain landed him on injured reserve and ended his season.

The Texans signed veteran Devin Singletary during the 2023 offseason and handed him the lead back role. Pierce struggled behind him, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry and missing three games due to another ankle sprain. Houston then got Joe Mixon, reducing Pierce’s workload further. Another injury, this time to his hamstring, sidelined him at the start of the 2024 season and limited his work for the rest of the year. He finished with just 40 carries for 293 yards, though 92 of those came on a single rush. Without that play, he still averaged a solid 5.15 yards per carry, but again, Houston looked elsewhere in the offseason, signing Nick Chubb and draft Woody Marks with a fourth-round pick.

With Mixon sidelined by a foot injury to start the 2025 season, Chubb and Marks have led the backfield with just 10 carries for Pierce. Mixon is now expected to miss the rest of the season, which was reported hours before Pierce’s release hit the NFL’s transaction wire, making it a somewhat surprising move. If anything, it speaks volumes about how much Pierce fell out of favor under DeMeco Ryans‘ regime. Despite a promising rookie season, Pierce’s opportunities undeniably plummeted after Ryans was hired. Other teams will now have a chance to claim him off waivers; if that does not happen, he will be free to sign with any team (or their practice squad) as a free agent.

Carter, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Houston, signed with the Texans’ practice squad in September and saw his first NFL action against the Titans last week. His special teams work must have satisfied the coaches, earning him a 53-man roster spot and a role on game days for the foreseeable future.

The Texans also elevated veteran safety Jalen Mills and undrafted rookie linebacker Jackson Woodard to the active roster for Thursday night’s matchup with the Bills.

Bengals Activate TE Mike Gesicki From IR

November 21st, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

On Wednesday, Mike Gesicki returned to practice. No setbacks have taken place since, and the veteran tight end is set to suit up this week as a result.

Gesicki was activated from injured reserve by the Bengals on Friday, per a team announcement. He is therefore in line to play in Week 12 against the Patriots. Cincinnati will be without Ja’Marr Chase on Sunday due to his one-game suspension. Getting Gesicki back will help compensate for his absence.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

It remains to be seen if Joe Burrow will be able to play on Sunday. Even if that is not the case, the team’s offense will be closer to full strength with Gesicki back in the fold. The 30-year-old made six appearances in 2025 before landing on IR due to a pectoral injury. Prior to going down, he managed just eight scoreless catches.

An uptick in production could be in store down the stretch, though, especially once Burrow is on the field. Gesicki posted a 65-665-2 statline in 2024, his debut Bengals season. That made the former second-rounder a strong complementary option in the passing game behind Chase and fellow receiver Tee Higgins. Things have not been the same this season, but a rebound will be targeted over the closing stages of the season in this case.

Gesicki initially joined the Bengals on a one-year deal. His strong showing led to a $25.5MM contract being worked out this past offseason, and the Penn State product is owed a $2MM roster bonus next spring. With plenty of money still owing on his contract, Gesicki’s performances down the stretch will be worth watching closely.

In a corresponding roster move, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt has been moved to IR. That comes as little surprise since the pending free agent is in danger of missing the remainder of the season due to a Lisfranc injury. Taylor-Britt will be sidelined for at least the next four games, but that absence could extend much longer.

Giants Rule Out QB Jaxson Dart For Week 12

November 21st, 2025 at 1:44pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka announced that Jaxson Dart is still in concussion protocol and will not play in Week 12 against the Lions.

The team was expecting their rookie quarterback to be cleared for Sunday’s game, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, but they will instead turn to Jameis Winston for a second game in a row. Winston started last week against the Packers and completed 19 of his 29 passes for 201 yards, plus a rushing touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, after Green Bay got back on top with a touchdown of their own, Winston threw an interception to dash any hopes of a late comeback. He will be looking for better results in Detroit, though the Lions’ defense projects to be a difficult matchup.

Dart went down at the end of the third quarter of New York’s Week 10 loss in Chicago. Russell Wilson finished the drive with a field goal, but the Bears scored 14 unanswered points to hand the Giants their eighth loss. In the wake of that game, Brian Daboll was fired and replaced with Kafka for the remainder of the campaign. That change on the sidelines saw a swap in the QB depth chart, one which will last at least one more game.

Dart has remained in concussion protocol since suffering his injury, but he did take a step toward a return by participating in practice earlier this week (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). The first-rounder will look to continue making progress over the coming days. New York’s schedule includes a Week 13 matchup with New England before the team’s bye week.

A cautious approach in Dart’s case would of course come as little surprise given his status as the team’s present and future under center and its 2-9 record. One of Kafka’s priorities once Dart is back in the fold will be a reduction in the number of hits the Ole Miss product takes. As Raanan’s colleague Adam Schefter writes, Dart has been hit a total of 84 times between passing situations and QB runs since he took over the starter’s gig in Week 4. Reducing that figure is something which has been stressed to the 22-year-old from people inside and outside the Giants’ building, per Schefter.

Winston, added in free agency prior to the Dart selection, is under contract through 2026 (as opposed to Wilson, who is a pending free agent). The veteran half of New York’s quarterback tandem for next season will look to lead the team to a win in his second Giants start, while Dart’s status will remain one to watch.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

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