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2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

By | at November 22, 2025 9:00 pm

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 16:

Arizona Cardinals

Reverted to season-ending IR:

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:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Buffalo Bills

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: 3

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Detroit Lions

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Houston Texans

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Chargers

Activated:

Activations remaining: 0

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New England Patriots

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Philadelphia Eagles

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Pittsburgh Steelers

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

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Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/25

By | at November 22, 2025 6:43 pm

Here are Week 12’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Sunday slate tomorrow:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

There hasn’t been much of an update since it was reported that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was going through the league’s concussion protocol. He was able to get some limited practice time in yesterday, but he hasn’t yet been cleared. With Gabriel’s status up in the air, Zappe is getting called up in case he’s needed to back up the new starting rookie, Shedeur Sanders.

O’Connell and Sheriff are getting called up with linebackers Tyrice Knight out with a concussion and Ernest Jones questionable with a knee injury. This will be O’Connell’s third and final practice squad elevation, so if the Seahawks wants to see him play again this year, they will need to sign him to the active roster.

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Cardinals RT Jonah Williams To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

By | at November 21, 2025 12:20 pm

Cardinals right tackle Jonah Williams will miss the rest of the 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Friday (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss).

Williams, 28, started the Cardinals’ first nine games of the season before going down in Week 10. Kelvin Beachum closed out the game, but picked up a groin injury. He still started in Week 11, but had to be replaced by Josh Fryar. Beachum has missed practice all week, which will likely position Fryar, an undrafted rookie, for his first career start.

Williams is set to hit free agency this offseason, and he seems like a long shot to re-sign in Arizona. The Cardinals gave him a two-year, $30MM contract in 2024 after four years in Cincinnati, but since then, Williams has only started 15 games. He was excellent in 2024, allowing just seven pressures and zero sacks in six games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This year, he took a step back this year with 21 pressures and three sacks allowed through nine games. Williams’ contract will void on February 20, per OverTheCap, which will leave $7MM in dead money on the Cardinals’ salary cap.

The Cardinals seem headed towards a major shake-up this offseason after hopes of a 2025 bounce-back quickly gave way to disappointment over a losing record. Among their needs will be a new right tackle. No obvious long-term candidate is on the roster, though Fryar or Demontrey Jacobs could both have opportunities to audition this year.

Arizona also signed practice squad running back Jermar Jefferson to the active roster and filled his spot with running back Sincere McCormick, per team reporter Darren Urban. Those moves suggest that Trey Benson, who is on injured reserve with his practice window opened, is not ready to be activated and will not play on Sunday against the Jaguars.

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49ers LB Tatum Bethune To Miss Multiple Games

By | at November 20, 2025 5:03 pm

Even the 49ers’ injury replacements are getting hurt. Linebacker Tatum Bethune, who stepped in for All-Pro Fred Warner after he went down in Week 6, will now miss multiple games with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 11.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced (via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco) Bethune’s injury on Thursday and named five-year veteran Curtis Robinson as the team’s new starting middle linebacker. Robinson is primarily a special teams contributor, but has played the most defensive snaps of his career this season. That workload will grow further as he steps into a full-time role in the 49ers defense.

Bethune, 25, has not been able to replicate Warner’s all-around impact – few players in the NFL could. But he has been a reliable tackler, racking up 60 tackles in his five games before getting injured. San Francisco will be hoping that he can return before the end of the season to bolster a defense that has been decimated by injuries.

Sunday’s game against the Panthers will be Robinson’s first NFL start. Carolina’s offense has been extremely inconsistent this season, but Bryce Young just set a franchise record with 448 passing yards last week. The 49ers, meanwhile, just gave up 452 yards and an NFL-record 47 completions to Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals.

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Cardinals To Stick With GM Monti Ossenfort, HC Jonathan Gannon?

By | at November 19, 2025 10:20 pm

At 3-7, the Cardinals are headed for a last-place finish in the NFC West. Odds are they’ll miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. There may be questions about the job security of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon in the coming weeks as a result.

The Cardinals hired Ossenfort, previously a Titans executive, in January 2023. He picked Gannon, formerly the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, a month later. Arizona has gone a woeful 15-29 in two-plus seasons under its current regime.

Considering the team’s lack of progress, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that “opinions are split on whether Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill will take action.” ESPN colleague Dan Graziano expects Ossenfort and Gannon to remain in place, though.

Both Fowler and Graziano note that the Cardinals haven’t been in position to draft a franchise QB under Ossenfort and Gannon. Bidwill could give them the opportunity to do so in April.

The Cardinals’ present leadership inherited former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray when they arrived in Arizona. However, Murray’s time in the desert could soon run out. Statistically, the seventh-year man has endured an up-and-down career with the Cardinals. From a team standpoint, the Cardinals’ lone playoff appearance under Murray yielded disastrous results in a wild-card round loss to the Rams in January 2022. The Cardinals have finished below .500 in every season since then.

A season after helping the Cardinals to the playoffs, Murray tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2022 campaign. The recovery process limited him to eight games in 2023. Murray bounced back to play his first 17-game slate last season, but a mid-foot sprain has held him to five appearances this year. Murray has been on IR since Nov. 5. He won’t play again until Week 14 at the earliest.

With veteran backup Jacoby Brissett performing well in Murray’s place, it’s reportedly possible the latter has played his last snap with the Cardinals. Murray is still on the five-year, $230.5MM deal Arizona gave him in 2022, and he’s guaranteed $36.8MM in 2026. His $19.5MM salary for 2027 will vest on March 22, 2026. The Cardinals could trade or release Murray before then, which would enable them to escape that portion of the 28-year-old’s contract.

If the Cardinals move on from Murray ahead of next year’s draft, it would enable Ossenfort and Gannon to devote their attention to selecting his successor. Clayton Tune, a 2023 fifth-rounder who’s now with the Packers, is the only QB the Cardinals have drafted since they brought in Ossenfort and Gannon. Assuming those two stay in place, that figures to change next spring.

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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/25

By | at November 19, 2025 7:13 pm

Here are today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

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Cardinals Open RB Trey Benson’s Practice Window, Sign P Matt Haack

By | at November 19, 2025 3:19 pm

A knee injury has kept Cardinals running back Trey Benson out for most of the season, but a return is on the horizon. The Cardinals opened his practice window on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate him from IR.

Benson totaled 29 carries and 160 yards (5.5 YPC) in four games before landing on the shelf on Oct. 1. The 2024 third-round pick went down the week after the Cardinals lost starting running back James Conner to a season-ending foot injury.

With Benson and Conner out of commission, the Cardinals have turned to Zonovan Knight, Emari Demercado, and Michael Carter as their top three backs. Knight and Carter have each averaged under 3.5 yards per carry on a combined 93 attempts.

Demercado has totaled just 31 carries, but he has managed an outstanding 7.8 yards per rush. However, he’ll miss this Sunday’s game against the Jaguars with an ankle injury. It’s unclear whether Benson will be available to help fill the void.

While Benson’s Week 12 status is up in the air, the Cardinals are guaranteed to debut a new punter. After cutting Pat O’Donnell on Tuesday, the team signed veteran Matt Haack to its active roster on Wednesday, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Haack has played for five teams since his career began in 2017. His most recent action came over four games with the Giants last season. The 31-year-old owns a career average of 44.2 yards per punt with a net of 39.7.

Haack will be the third punter of 2025 for Arizona, which placed starter Blake Gillikin on IR with a back injury on Oct. 11. The Arizona State alumnus spent part of the 2023 offseason with the Cardinals. He tried out with the Cardinals when they were looking for Gillikin’s replacement, but they signed O’Donnell instead.

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Cardinals Release Punter Pat O’Donnell

By | at November 18, 2025 4:55 pm

The Cardinals will need to find a new punter before they face the Jaguars on Sunday. The team released Pat O’Donnell on Tuesday, per Zach Gershman of the team’s website.

O’Donnell was the second punter of the year for Arizona, which placed starter Blake Gillikin on IR with a back injury on Oct. 11. The Cardinals brought in O’Donnell as a result. Gillikin is is still on the shelf a little over a month later, leaving the Cardinals to look outside the organization for their next punter.

In five games with the Cardinals, O’Donnell punted 12 times and averaged 42.2 yards per try with a net of 36.2. He checked in well below the 2025 league averages of 47.7 and 41.2, respectively. Also a former Bear, Packer, and 49er, the 34-year-old has posted a 45.0-yard average and a 39.2 net since he made his NFL debut in 2014.

Along with the O’Donnell move, the Cardinals cut linebacker Jared Bartlett from their active roster on Tuesday. The team also released defensive lineman Anthony Goodlow from its practice squad.

Bartlett worked exclusively on special teams in his two games with the Cardinals this year. Goodlow has made three appearances in 2025 and totaled three tackles on 36 defensive snaps.

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NFL Minor Transactions: 11/17/25

By | at November 17, 2025 6:34 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Marcelino McCrary-Ball landed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3. When he returns, the defense will look a whole lot different than when he last played, and he could be in line for more responsibility with Quincy Williams facing an uncertain future with the organization. Before suffering his injury, McCrary-Ball collected 17 tackles and one forced fumble.

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Jets Sign DT Khalen Saunders

By | at November 17, 2025 4:47 pm

4:47pm: Sanders has now officially signed with the Jets, per a team announcement. He will look to handle a larger workload in New York over the coming weeks than he did in Jacksonville.

2:07pm: Khalen Saunders was cut by the Jaguars last week. It appears as though the veteran defensive tackle will not have to wait long to line up his next gig.

Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. Shortly before Pelissero’s report, veteran insider Jordan Schultz noted a deal was likely to be struck in the near future. Per Schultz, the list of teams which have shown interest in Saunders includes the Jets but also the Ravens, Colts and Cardinals.

In August, Saunders was traded from the Saints to the Jaguars. That move ended his two-year run in New Orleans but it did not yield a notable workload upon arrival with his new team. The 29-year-old played just two games with Jacksonville before the team elected to move on.

Saunders is a vested veteran, but since the end of his Jaguars tenure came after the trade deadline he went on waivers. Upon clearing, the former third-rounder became free to sign with any team. Nothing is officially in place yet, but a Jets agreement would come as little surprise given their reported interest on this front.

New York’s defensive tackle group was shaken up at the deadline by the blockbuster Quinnen Williams trade. The Jets received Mazi Smith from the Cowboys as part of the swap, but the team could still look to made further additions down the stretch. Signing Saunders would provide New York with a veteran presence who could audition for an extended stay with the team through 2026.

On the other hand, Saunders was understandably seen as a candidate to join a contender for the closing stages of the campaign. The 2-8 Jets (along with the 3-7 Cardinals, for that matter) certainly fit that description to much less of an extent than teams likes the Colts and Ravens. It will be interesting to see if a deal is nevertheless struck between Saunders and the Jets in the near future.

New York entered Monday with nearly $19MM in cap space. As such, a low-cost Saunders pact will not be a challenge for the team as its roster moves continue in the second half of the season.

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