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2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 8th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 26 became eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations once the postseason begins.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Chicago Bears

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activations remaining: 7

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Chargers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 5

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New York Jets

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Reverted to season-ending IR

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

San Francisco 49ers

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Tennessee Titans

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Washington Commanders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/25

November 8th, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Several teams around the NFL made tweaks to their rosters on Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s slate of games. Here are all the latest moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Week 10 will mark the debut for both players the Chargers gave the IR-designated for return label during roster cutdowns in August. Their activations had already been accounted for, but Hand’s had not. With those three now back in the fold, the Bolts have three IR activations remaining on the season.

Cardinals To Place QB Kyler Murray On IR

November 7th, 2025 at 12:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 7: Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said (via Urban) he expects Murray to return this season. Whether or not he will reclaim the starting gig even if healthy is another matter, of course, and on that front Ossenfort added “a lot can happen” between now and when a decision may be required.

NOVEMBER 5: Headlines emerged Tuesday when Jonathan Gannon praised his team’s offensive direction under backup Jacoby Brissett, who will start in Week 10. But the Cardinals will have Brissett at the controls for much longer than expected.

Kyler Murray is heading to IR with his mid-foot sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This will sideline the Arizona starter for at least four games. It comes after some new information, per Gannon, who said (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban) he viewed Murray as having a chance to return in Week 10 previously.

The timing here is interesting, as Murray has been battling this injury since suffering it during the Cardinals’ Week 5 game. Gannon announced Murray was expected to return Monday night, but by Saturday, the team changed course and ruled him out. Tuesday morning, the third-year HC said nothing had changed with regard to the Cards’ QB depth chart. By Tuesday afternoon, Brissett was named the Week 10 starter — even if Murray could have dressed for the game.

Gannon was careful not to deem Murray benched when speaking Tuesday, as he pointed to the dual-threat passer needing to return to full strength. He repeated that today. Still, the Cards were seemingly ready to have Murray back for their Cowboys matchup. Days later, Brissett will be confirmed — barring injury — to end up starting for a sizable chunk of Arizona’s season. Brissett, 32, is tied to a two-year, $12.5MM deal.

Tuesday’s Murray update also brought a four- to eight-week return timetable. By placing him on IR, the Cardinals are veering toward the longer end of that recovery stretch. Surgery is not believed to be a consideration, but the former No. 1 overall pick’s rehab timeline will be extensive now that the IR move will be executed.

This will be the second IR stay of Murray’s career. He landed there in December 2022 because of the ACL tear he suffered. By the time he returned to action — midway through the 2023 season — the Cardinals had cleaned house, firing Kliff Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim. The Gannon-Monti Ossenfort duo, however, consistently praised Murray — chosen in Kingsbury’s first draft alongside Keim — and has stuck by him throughout its tenure. Murray, though, has not recaptured his Pro Bowl form from the Kingsbury years. This has led to speculation a Cards-Murray separation is coming in 2026.

Gannon’s praise for Brissett is certainly not unwarranted. As was the case during his 2022 Browns stopover, Brissett has run the offense better than the starter. Current Cardinals OC Drew Petzing was the Browns’ QBs coach while Brissett held the job during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension.

While Brissett has enjoyed an up-and-down career, five teams have asked him to be their starter — though, all of these assignments have been due to injuries or as a bridge option (for Drake Maye last season). Brissett is averaging 7.7 yards per attempt to Murray’s 6.0 this season, and the Cardinals are averaging 25.6 points per game under Brissett compared to 21.6 with Murray. This is still a small sample size, but Brissett’s 11-game sample under Petzing in 2022 did make him familiar with the offense coming into this season.

From a short- and long-term perspective, Brissett’s play over the next month will be interesting. While a Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield/Sam Darnold/Daniel Jones-like arc will be a bit difficult to envision here, Brissett faring well would give Gannon a decision to make when Murray returns to full strength.

Murray, 28, secured $32.84MM guaranteed of his $42.84MM 2026 compensation by remaining on Arizona’s roster back in March. If the Cardinals were to arrange a trade, Murray would count less than $18MM on their 2026 cap sheet. That could well become a front-burner conversation near season’s end, but for now, Murray will continue his rehab while on IR.

Cardinals Reunite With QB Jeff Driskel

November 6th, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cardinals signed Jeff Driskel to their practice squad, per a team announcement, adding a third quarterback to their team after playing Kyler Murray on injured reserve.

Driskel, 32, spent most of the 2023 season on Arizona’s practice squad. He was elevated for one game during the regular season but did not play. Last year, he played exactly one snap for the Commanders.

Originally a sixth-round pick by the 49ers in 2016, Driskel did not appear in a regular-season game until 2018 for the Bengals. He started five games that year, but spent the next four years with three different teams as a backup and third-stringer. He also started one game for the Browns at the end of the 2023 season.

2024 UDFA Kedon Slovis has been backing up Jacoby Brissett for a few weeks, but Driskel could take over relatively quickly due to his “experience and knowledge of the offense,” per CardsWire’s Howard Balzer. The seven-year veteran can be elevated from the practice squad for three games and would have to be promoted to the 53-man roster to be active on game days after that.

Driskel has appeared in a total of 25 games in his career with a 58.6% completion rate and a 79.4 passer rating. He does not offer much under center, and the Cardinals will be hoping that Brissett can stay healthy to avoid either Driskel or Slovis taking the field.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/25

November 5th, 2025 at 7:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LS Peter Bowden

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: DT Coziah Izzard

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Karsen Barnhart
  • Placed on IR: OL Tyler McLellan

Washington Commanders

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/5/25

November 5th, 2025 at 7:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/4/25

November 4th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions after a busy trade deadline:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Waived (with injury designation): S J.T. Gray

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Usually when a player retires in the middle of the season, it’s a free agent who hoped they’d find a home due to the attrition of the regular season but never do. Rarely do we see active players like Lovato retiring partway through a campaign like this. Lovato is choosing to go out on his own terms, though, as it appears he was close to being released. Los Angeles only signed Lovato just before the season because its regular long snapper, Josh Harris, got hurt and placed on the team’s injured reserve with a designation to return. Harris returned to practice last week, so seeing the writing on the wall, Lovato is saving the Chargers the trouble of releasing him.

Kane had been a core special teamer for the Ravens since getting drafted out of the seventh round last year but had been made a healthy scratch in each of the team’s past two games. Jackson, though, has emerged as a standout on the unit over three practice squad elevations. The Ravens wanted Jackson to keep playing, so he’ll take Kane’s spot on the 53-man roster.

Reed’s time on Seattle’s active roster was short-lived. They’ll likely plan for him to sign back to the practice squad, but he’ll have to clear waivers before they can bring him back. The same is expected of Davis in Dallas.

Jacoby Brissett To Remain Cardinals’ Starting QB

November 4th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jacoby Brissett helped lead the Cardinals to a win last night and continued to guide the offense in a way which invited questions about a change atop the quarterback depth chart. Head coach Jonathan Gannon shut those down, but a change of heart may have quickly taken place.

Brissett will in fact continue in his position as Arizona’s QB1, Gannon announced on Tuesday. It remains to be seen if Kyler Murray will be healthy in time for Week 10, but even in that event he will dress as the team’s backup. That would of course represent a major development.

Arizona’s offense has not matched expectations with Murray at the helm. By contrast, the unit has delivered more consistent performances during Brissett’s starts. Gannon’s comments about no permanent swap being considered came as little surprise given the team’s financial commitment to Murray. The former No. 1 pick is under contract through 2028 on a pact which averages $46.1MM per year. Spending any time on the bench while healthy would no doubt lead to a spike in speculation about his Cardinals future.

Gannon noted Murray continues to recover, leaving the door open to him being able to dress in Week 10. The 28-year-old faces the risk of reaggravating his foot injury in the event he returns to action too quickly, however. As such, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a timeline of four to eight weeks remains in place after consultations with multiple doctors. Surgery is not under consideration, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.

Gannon has repeatedly spoken glowingly about Murray, who is already owed $36.8MM in guarantees for next season. Similarly, his 2027 salary will vest this coming March. By that point, a clearer picture will emerge regarding Murray’s status in terms of his health and his standing with the franchise. The two-time Pro Bowler has started each of his 88 combined regular and postseason appearances to date.

Brissett, 32, has seen time with six NFL teams over the course of his career. He has posted strong numbers (102.5 passer rating, 6:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio) this season while overseeing the Cardinals’ offense. It remains to be seen if that will continue on a permanent basis, but in addition to Murray’s progress in recovery it will be worth monitoring how the team operates when both of its passers are healthy.

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon On Kyler Murray: ‘Nothing’s Changed’

November 4th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cardinals are not planning to keep Jacoby Brissett at quarterback after Kyler Murray returns from injury.

Murray has missed Arizona’s last three games with a foot injury. The offense has looked better with Brissett under center, averaging five more points per game in his starts compared to Murray’s. Brissett has three straight games with at least 260 passing yards and two touchdowns; Murray has none.

That has led to questions about the Cardinals sticking with Brissett after Murray comes back, but head coach Jonathan Gannon shut such talk down on Monday night.

“Nothing’s changed on that,” Gannon said (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss) when asked about making a change at quarterback.

However, the Cardinals have not found much success under Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort since they were hired together in 2023. They did not draft Murray or sign him to his current contract extension, and could be looking to find a different long-term quarterback that meshes better with their vision for the team.

It would still seem to be unwise for the Cardinals to bench Murray this year. Such a move could be an alarming sign to other teams and drop his trade value in the offseason, and he has enough guaranteed money remaining on his deal to make an outright release uncomfortable for Arizona’s salary cap.

It is also fair to wonder if Murray has been put in the best position to succeed. His results were much better with Kliff Kingsbury calling the offense rather than current OC Tommy Rees, and the Cardinals have not consistently had a strong offensive line since drafting Murray. The Cardinals seem to be approaching a major decision point regarding Murray’s future, but they seem unlikely to bench him before making that call.

Cardinals Activate DL Walter Nolen, CB Garrett Williams

November 3rd, 2025 at 3:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals will have a pair of defenders available in time for tonight’s game. Most notably, Walter Nolen is positioned to make his NFL debut against the Cowboys.

The first-round rookie has been activated, per a team announcement. Nolen was shifted to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns while continuing to recover from a calf injury. The Cardinals opened his practice window on October 15, though, which began the 21-day period for him to be activated.

To no surprise, Nolen has been brought into the fold in time to play tonight. The Texas A&M and Ole Miss product stood out as one of the top prospects in a loaded 2025 defensive tackle class. Expectations are high in his case as a result, although given his missed time a long-running acclimation period can be expected. Nevertheless, any contributions early on will be key for the Cardinals’ defensive front.

Arizona will also have an important figure available in the secondary beginning in Week 9. Cornerback Garrett Williams has been activated from injured reserve. The 24-year-old retuned to practice less than one week ago, and he has clearly not encountered any setbacks. Williams totaled 17 starts across his first two seasons in Arizona, and he was a first-team presence for each of his two appearances in 2025 before being sidelined with a knee injury.

Having him back will be critical against a high-powered Cowboys offense. Beyond that, Williams will be expected to reprise his role as a starter as the Cardinals look to end their streak of close defeats and remain in contention for the postseason. The team ranks just 24th against the pass this season, but having the Syracuse product back in the fold could bring about needed improvements. This move leaves Arizona with five IR activations available.

Nolen has plenty of time to develop as he plays out his rookie contract. Williams, on the other hand, will be eligible for an extension as early as this coming offseason. A strong run from this point on would help the latter’s chances of landing a new deal or at least cementing his status as an impact player for 2026. Both defenders could prove to be notable contributors for years to come if all goes according to plan.

With the Cardinals still thin in the backfield, Michael Carter is the team’s only gameday elevation for tonight. He has bounced on and off the roster while also seeing time on the practice squad, and he will look to chip in on offense during his fifth appearance of the campaign.

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