Rams To Prioritize WR Puka Nacua Extension This Offseason
Puka Nacua has remained one of the league’s top receivers in 2025. The coming offseason will be the first during which a Rams extension will be possible, and signs are pointing to one being worked out. 
The Rams view a new Nacua contract as a priority, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (video link). That comes as little surprise, of course. The 2023 fifth-rounder has been a star since arriving in the league. Nacua has increased his yards per game average every year in his career; entering today’s action, it stands at 98.8 for 2025.
Given that elite level of production, a central question in this case will be tied to finances. Nacua certainly has a case to become the league’s top earner at the receiver spot, especially given the expectation the salary cap will see another notable jump in 2026. For now, the position’s market includes nine contracts averaging $30MM or more per season.
Justin Jefferson led the way with an AAV of $35MM until Ja’Marr Chase finalized his Bengals extension this past spring. Chase’s pact averages $40.25MM per year and includes just under $110MM in total guarantees (with a large portion of that fully locked in). It will be interesting to see if Nacua, 24, can approach the top spot in the WR pecking order once his second Rams contract is worked out.
On that note, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes the Nacua talks will be closely monitored around the NFL. Many in the league feel the receiver market has surged at too high of a pace, and a leveling off period could be in store as a result. If not, Nacua is among the wideouts who could move the bar even higher. In any case, negotiations between Los Angeles and the Pro Bowler will make for one of the team’s top storylines during the 2026 offseason.
The Rams moved on from Cooper Kupp in March, ending his decorated eight-year run with the team. Fellow veteran Davante Adams was signed as a replacement on a two-year, $44MM contract. That investment has paid major dividends, with Adams scoring 14 touchdowns and counting in 2025. Tutu Atwell was retained on a one-year pact, but it would come as little surprise if he were to depart in free agency after the season.
Without any long-term deals at the receiver spot, Los Angeles should be in line for a massive commitment in Nacua’s case. The BYU product hopes to retire by the age of 30, meaning he may only play on two NFL contracts in his career. The second one could be in place relatively soon, depending on the progress of extension talks.
Cardinals WR Andre Baccellia Hospitalized With Neck Injury
During today’s Cardinals-Texans game, Andre Baccellia suffered a neck injury. The Arizona receiver will not return as further testing takes place. 
Baccellia was taken off the field on a stretcher, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest. The 28-year-old has been transported to a hospital for further evaluation. Per an update from the team, Baccellia is alert and has movement in all of his extremities.
A former UDFA signed by Kansas City, each of Baccellia’s 17 regular season appearances have come with the Cardinals. He operated on a part-time offensive and special teams basis for 2022 and ’23. After not seeing the field last year, Baccellia was among Arizona’s roster cuts following training camp. To little surprise, he was immediately retained via a practice squad deal. In November, Baccellia was signed to the Cards’ active roster.
Since then, he has once again chipped in as a depth option on offense. Baccellia also saw the field for 24 special teams snaps heading into today’s game. The Washington product is under contract through 2026, so his status will have an impact not only on the closing games of this season but also next year.
Injuries have been a major issue across the board for the Cardinals in 2025. The team entered Sunday’s game with a record of 3-10, and the receiver depth chart has been thinned out with Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s heel injury. Losing Baccellia will not have as large of an effect on Arizona’s offense, but his absence will still be felt. For all involved, attention will now turn to Baccellia’s prognosis.
NFL Approves Funding For Flag Football League
In October, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed the league’s intention of starting a professional flag football league. A key step in that direction recently took place. 
During this past week’s virtual league meeting, owners approved a proposal to fund a flag league. Specifically, the “32 Equity” investment entity has now been cleared to join with a to-be-announced partner with the aim of getting a new league off the ground. Up to $32MM in funds can be invested by the NFL.
“[This] vote represents a critical step in establishing flag football as a premier global sport,” a statement from NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent reads. “We are developing the infrastructure to accelerate the game’s growth to new heights by creating a clear pathway for aspiring athletes to progress from youth and high school programs through college and now to the professional level.
“We look forward to forming a partnership to bring this vision to life and deliver a world-class professional flag football experience for elite athletes and fans alike.”
Flag football’s popularity has seen a sharp increase in the United States and abroad during recent years. The NFL has played a leading role in the growth of the game at the high school and collegiate levels, something which is set to continue for the foreseeable future. A pro league represents a logical next step in the overall development of flag football, and it comes as little surprise the NFL will be heavily involved.
This latest development comes against the backdrop of flag football making its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. The league was instrumental in ensuring that would be the case, and NFL players have been cleared to participate. Before that takes place, a pro football league will likely be in operation.
Ravens, DT Travis Jones Agree To Extension
DECEMBER 12: Jones secured a signing bonus worth just over $9MM, as detailed by Over the Cap. His guarantee figure includes his $1.22MM base salary for next season and a $6.5MM option bonus. Jones’ cap hit will spike to $16.35MM in 2027 and remain the same the following year. A $1MM roster bonus is due on the fifth day of the league year in 2028.
DECEMBER 11: Travis Jones loomed as one of the Ravens’ top pending free agents for 2026. The fourth-year defensive tackle will not be reaching the open market, however. 
Jones and the Ravens have agreed to a three-year extension, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. As a result, Jones will be under contract through the 2028 campaign. This news – which is now official, per a team announcement – means one of the league’s top pending free agents at the position will not become available in March.
The Jones pact is worth $40.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That works out to an average annual value of $13.5MM, a sharp increase in the former third-rounder’s compensation compared to his rookie contract. Given the nature of the DT market, however, this deal will be viewed as a team-friendly one provided Jones can maintain his current level of play against the run. Jones will receive $25MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds.
A rotational presence during his first two seasons in the NFL, Jones became a starter in 2023. The 26-year-old set a new career high with 42 tackles last year, a figure he has a strong chance of surpassing this campaign. Jones has only posted five sacks and 21 quarterback pressures to date in his career, and as such expectations will remain low regarding his future production against the pass. Still, his run-stopping presence will be welcomed in Baltimore for years to come.
The context leading up to this agreement helps explain its timing. As Zrebiec notes, a CBA issue meant Jones had actually been on track for restricted free agency this spring with one of his previous seasons not accruing for contract purposes. A grievance was filed on his behalf by the NFLPA, with a hearing scheduled for today. The outcome of that process would have determined Jones’ future regarding his free agent status. Being an RFA would have likely set him up for a second-round tender only covering the 2026 season.
Instead, that has now become a moot point. Negotiations between the Ravens and Jones’ agent prior to the hearing finalized this agreement, one which will ensure stability along the defensive interior for the foreseeable future. This extension comes amidst questions regarding fellow defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike‘s status. The All-Pro landed on IR in September due to a neck injury, and it was learned shortly thereafter that he would not return this season. Madubuike is on the books through 2027 on a pact averaging $24.5MM per season, so his recovery outlook will be critical moving forward.
In any case, Jones’ future is no longer in doubt. The UConn product was one of several pending free agents whom the Ravens viewed as high priorities for new deals. Another was tight end Mark Andrews, and team and player recently worked out a three-year deal in that case as well. As the 6-7 Ravens continue to push for top spot in the AFC North, it will be interesting to see if other agreements such as this one wind up being finalized prior to free agency.
Seahawks Activate C Jalen Sundell, TE Eric Saubert From IR
Jalen Sundell has been sidelined for the Seahawks during each of the team’s past four games. Seattle’s starting center will be available for Week 15, however. 
Sundell has been activated from injured reserve. The 26-year-old suffered a knee injury, prompting his shift to IR. Encouragingly, though, he has managed to recover after missing the minimum number of games.
On Monday, it became clear Sundell would return to practice this week. With no setbacks having been encountered, he will be in the lineup tomorrow against the Colts. It remains to be seen if the former UDFA will immediately reprise his role at center, the position he earned during training camp. Head coach Mike Macdonald declined to say how Sundell would be handled upon activation.
Olu Oluwatimi has served as the Seahawks’ starting center since Sundell went down. With both now healthy, Macdonald will need to decide to move Oluwatimi back to the bench or contemplate playing Sundell at right guard. Taking the latter route would see Anthony Bradford lose his first-team spot.
In any case, the Seahawks will have healthy depth up front for the closing stages of the campaign. At the tight end position, meanwhile, Eric Saubert is back in the fold. The journeyman has also been activated from IR on the day he and the team agreed to a one-year contract extension. Saubert has played a rotational role as a run blocking presence this season, but with rookie Elijah Arroyo now on IR himself, he could see a slight uptick in usage for a brief stint.
At 10-3, Seattle is still in contention to land the top seed in the NFC. The team now has two IR activations remaining for the stretch run of the regular season.
Colts Expect Daniel Jones To Recover From Achilles Tear By Training Camp
On Tuesday of this week, Daniel Jones underwent surgery on the Achilles tear which brought an early end to his 2025 season. A recovery timeline has now emerged for the pending free agent. 
The Colts expect Jones to be sidelined for a period of six to eight months, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That is notably shorter than the standard recovery timeframe in the case of Achilles tears. If it holds true, however, Jones will meet the team’s target of receiving clearance in time for training camp next summer.
Of course, it remains to be seen if Indianapolis will still have Jones in place by that point. The former No. 6 pick inked a one-year free agent deal and took on starting duties for 2025. Largely speaking, things went far better than anyone expected and the Colts were 7-1 at one point this season. A drop in play on the part of the team occurred when Jones also attempted to play through a fracture in his fibula prior to suffering his Achilles tear.
That injury cast doubt on whether or not a new Colts pact will be agreed to during the coming offseason. As Schefter and colleague Stephen Holder note, though, the team expects to retain Jones for at least 2026. Per Holder, the timeline in place for the 28-year-old is likely to inform Indy’s plans at the quarterback position this spring. No talks on a new contract had taken place prior to Jones going down but will commence this offseason, per Schefter.
A new Colts pact would certainly not come as a surprise, but the structure of such a contract will no doubt be impacted by the injury. That leaves Jones’ financial future as a major storyline around the NFL leading up to a free agent period set to be devoid of other established starters (or at least those who are not approaching the tail end of their careers). Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard are also in place, but they are now viewed as QB1 options for the Colts at this point.
With Jones sidelined, Richardson on IR and Leonard dealing with a PCL sprain suffered in Week 14, it will be Philip Rivers leading the offense tomorrow. Indianapolis (8-5) is currently outside of the playoff picture, and Rivers could be counted on to handle starting duties the rest of the way. After the season, attention will turn to Jones and his ability to meet a loft recovery target.
Seahawks, Eric Saubert Agree To Extension
Eric Saubert‘s tenure in Seattle will continue beyond the closing stages of the season. The veteran tight end has agreed to a Seahawks extension, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
This is a one-year deal, per Schultz. Saubert was on track for free agency this spring, but that will no longer be the case. Seattle is the eighth team Saubert has played for over the course of his career (and the 11th he has been a member of), and this news means it will be the third with which he has spent more than one year.
The Seahawks released Saubert in October. At that time, he was attached to a veteran salary benefit contract. Players on deals of that kind cannot receive in-season extensions, something which was a team goal in this case. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson explains, Seattle’s decision to immediately re-sign Saubert to a standard contract was based on the desire to keep him in place for 2026.
The Seahawks also have third-year tight end AJ Barner and second-round rookie Elijah Arroyo in place on the depth chart. Those two have combined to make 55 catches this season, and they will remain key elements of Seattle’s offense moving forward (although the latter has landed on IR). Saubert, as expected, has chipped in as a blocking presence when on the field. The 31-year-old has registered only one reception in seven games this season.
Nevertheless, Saubert has contributed on special teams in addition to his work as a run blocker. The former fifth-rounder will be tasked with continuing in that role through the end of this season but also into next year. With Barner and Arroyo attached to their rookie contracts, Saubert will round out a cost-effective TE trio through at least next season.
Giants Designate CB Art Green For Return From IR, Activate LB Darius Muasau
DECEMBER 13: Green remains on IR at this point but Muasau has been activated, per a team announcement. That will allow him to return to action in Week 15.
DECEMBER 9: The Giants could have a pair of defenders back in the fold in time for their Week 15 game. Linebacker Darius Muasau and cornerback Art Green have been designated for return from injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
Muasau has been on IR for one month due to an ankle injury. Green, meanwhile, has been sidelined one week longer while recovering from a hamstring ailment. Both players now have up to 21 days to practice before they must be brought back onto the active roster.
In the case of Muasau in particular, having him available for the closing stages of the season would be a welcomed development. The 2024 sixth-rounder made seven starts as a rookie, and he remained a first-team presence through the current campaign before being injured. Muasau has logged a 56% snap share in 2025, totaling 32 tackles and one sack in eight games. He will look to resume that level of production upon returning to action.
Bobby Okereke has remained a starter this season, his third in New York. Fellow linebacker Micah McFadden has not played since undergoing foot surgery in September, though, something which has created a vacancy in the Giants’ starting lineup. Muasau, 24, finishing strong would help his chances of securing his spot as a defensive regular for 2026.
Green will not be expected to see the field on defense when he returns. The former UDFA is also in his second season with New York, but he has strictly contributed on special teams to date. Having logged a snap share of 78% in that regard prior to his injury, Green will no doubt reprise his role as a key third phase presence once he is activated.
Rams Activate WR Tutu Atwell From IR
DECEMBER 13: Los Angeles officially made the move today to activate Atwell from injured reserve. After sitting out the last seven weeks, the speedy wideout will return for the closing stretch of the regular season in time for a nice runup to a likely postseason run.
Additionally, the Rams have announced that they will call up safety Tanner Ingle as a standard gameday practice squad elevation for tomorrow’s game.
DECEMBER 11: The Rams have one of the league’s best receiver tandems in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The team will soon be even healthier at the position. 
Tutu Atwell had his 21-day practice window opened on November 26. He is now set to suit up in time for Sunday’s contest against the Lions. Head coach Sean McVay said (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop) Atwell will be activated from injured reserve this week.
The fifth-year Ram landed on IR in late October due to a hamstring injury. There was initial optimism Atwell would only miss the minimum four games while recovering and then return to the lineup in Week 13. Instead, he has been absent for the past six contests. During that span, Los Angeles has gone 5-1 to remain in strong contention for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Nevertheless, getting Atwell back in the fold will give the Rams a boost on offense. The former second-rounder posted a career high in catches (42) and yards (562) last season. That resulted in a one-year, $10MM pact being worked out in March. With the deal being guaranteed in full, expectations were high in the case of a player who had previously been linked to trade speculation.
To date in 2025, Atwell has only managed four receptions in six games. The Louisville product will look to serve as a complementary option in the passing game down the stretch and into the postseason while he approaches free agency. The Rams, meanwhile, will continue to reply heavily on Nacua (who leads the league with 93 catches) and Adams (who is pacing the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns).
Having only brought back Ahkello Witherspoon so far this season, Los Angeles still has seven IR activations remaining at this point. That figure will drop to six in the near future when Atwell is officially returned to the active roster.
Colts Sign QB Philip Rivers To Active Roster
DECEMBER 13: The Colts officially signed Rivers to their active roster from their practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They could have used practice squad elevations for the next three games – after this week’s drama, no team would dare poach him – but he seems poised to start for the rest of the season. If that is the case, adding him to the active roster now makes sense.
The move also cements one of the most ironic aspects of Rivers’ decision to come out of retirement. He was a semi-finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year; now, he will not be eligible until 2031.
DECEMBER 12: Once Philip Rivers‘ deal with the Colts was officially in place, attention turned to the matter of when he would play. The now-unretired passer looks to be on course to make his NFL return this Sunday. 
Rivers has practiced each of the past two days, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes it is clear which quarterback the Colts are preparing to get the nod for Week 15. Barring an unforeseen development, Rivers will be in place against the Seahawks. Provided that proves to be the case, it will add further to one of the NFL’s most interesting and unexpected stories in recent memory.
Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear ended his impressive debut season in Indianapolis and left the Colts thin on the QB depth chart. Backup Anthony Richardson remains on injured reserve, while sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard suffered a PCL sprain in Week 14 upon taking over from Jones. Brett Rypien is on the active roster after spending time on the practice squad, but Rivers is viewed as a better option for leading the Colts back into a playoff spot down the stretch.
Comebacks have been considered on more than one occasion in the 44-year-old’s case, but this is the first which has come to bear. Rivers immediately expressed interest in a second Colts stint upon being contacted by the team this past Sunday, as detailed by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Rivers and head coach Shane Steichen (who worked together during their shared time with the Chargers) have remained in contact since their time together ended, with the former using the latter’s offense on the high school team he coaches.
Rivers will presumably reprise his role as the head coach of his eldest son’s HS team next fall. Before that point, however, he is in line to briefly resume his NFL playing career. Doing so will restart the eight-time Pro Bowler’s five-year waiting period with respect to eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the meantime, Rivers will aim to guide the Colts to a win against a Seahawks defense which ranks near the top of the NFL in several categories.
Indianapolis sits at 8-5, an illustration of how far the team has fallen from a hugely successful start to the campaign. With the Jaguars (9-4) and Texans (8-5) firmly in contention for the AFC South title, a home playoff game is far less certain than it once looked. Securing a wild-card spot will be a strong challenge in its own right, and if the Colts are to achieve that feat it appears Rivers will be tasked with handling QB1 duties right away.