Colts To Host CB Mike Hilton
Mike Hilton found himself amongst the Dolphins’ roster cuts yesterday. A long stay on the open market may not be needed this time, however. 
Hilton has lined up a visit with the Colts for tomorrow, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. A workout in Indianapolis will take place, and a deal could be struck shortly thereafter. Per Schultz, a mutual interest exists for an agreement in this case.
It would come as little surprise if Hilton were to wind up with the Colts. He has four years of experience working with Lou Anarumo dating back to their time together in Cincinnati. Anarumo was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator during that span, and he is now at the helm of the Colts’ defense.
Injuries in the secondary have been an issue for Indianapolis this offseason, so the prospect of additions well into the summer has been consistent. Xavien Howard is set to return to the NFL after sitting out the 2024 campaign. He too is a familiar face to Anarumo. As an illustration of the team’s uncertain situation at the CB spot, Howard could step into a starting role despite only signing last week.
Hilton, on the other hand, would not be expected to handle a first-team role if he joined the team. The 31-year-old has operated in the slot for much of his career, but the Colts already have Kenny Moore to handle those duties. Hilton could serve as a veteran backup option, though, as a veteran of 123 games. Hilton is free to sign at any time, and it will be interesting to see how tomorrow’s workout goes. It could produce an agreement on the active roster of Indianapolis’ initial practice squad.
Texans S Jimmie Ward Placed On Commissioner’s Exempt List
Jimmie Ward is already in position to miss the first four games of the season, but health is not the only factor which could impact his return to to action. The Texans safety was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list Tuesday, per a league announcement. 
Ward is therefore prohibited from practicing or playing for Houston until he is removed from the list. Since he will begin the season on the reserve/PUP list, those conditions are already in place for September. Still, this development is a sign Ward’s legal situation is unsettled in the NFL’s view.
The 34-year-old was arrested in June on an assault family violence charge. Following that third-degree felony case’s opening, Ward was prohibited from consuming alcohol as a condition of his bail. He was arrested earlier this month for violating it, and a grand jury will decide whether to indict Ward on the underlying felony charge on September 2, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Ward is also the subject of a civil suit stemming from the matter.
NFL investigations often do not begin in earnest until after the legal process winds down. As a result, it comes as little surprise Ward has been moved to the league’s equivalent of paid leave with an indefinite period on tap before his case is concluded. League discipline does not require a criminal conviction, so a fine and/or suspension could be looming regardless of how the coming weeks unfold with respect to the case.
Houston will rely on trade acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson as a key figure at the safety spot in 2025. Calen Bullock is also on track for a starting spot, while rookie Jaylen Reed is set to handle a backup role. The Texans’ full list of Tuesday cuts has not yet emerged, but their roster decisions will need to take into account Ward’s absence for the next month and potentially beyond that point.
Panthers Release WR Hunter Renfrow, Finalize Roster Cuts
With time to spare in advance of today’s deadline, the Panthers have finalized their roster moves to get to 53. Here are Carolina’s Tuesday transactions:
Released:
- LB Krys Barnes
- OLB Boogie Basham
- WR Hunter Renfrow
- LB Jon Rhattigan
- DT Shy Tuttle (story)
Waived:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew
- DE Jared Harrison-Hunte
- OL Jarrett Kingston
- LB Maz Mwansa
- TE Bryce Pierre
- WR Ja’seem Reed
- CB Michael Reid
- DT Sam Roberts
- OL Michael Tarquin
- S Trevian Thomas
- OL Brandon Walton
Waived-injured:
Waived via injury settlement:
Placed on IR-designated for return:
- DE LaBryan Ray
Renfrow’s efforts to return to the NFL have been dealt a blow with today’s move. The Clemson product and South Carolina native took a one-year pact in his bid to continue his career after missing all of last season. Renfrow’s pact contained $50K guaranteed, however, and with the Panthers’ other wideouts impressing in camp this release loomed as a possibility. A practice squad deal could be in store in the coming days in this case, but absent an agreement on that front the 29-year-old will seek out a new opportunity.
Carolina was among the teams which announced a list of cuts yesterday in advance of today’s deadline. Among the players waived was quarterback Bryce Perkins. He will be a candidate to sign on the practice squad starting tomorrow (provided no waiver claims are made), but The Athletic’s Joe Person reports Perkins is not in the team’s plans at this point. Roberts, on the other hand, is seen as a taxi squad candidate in the event he clears (h/t Aaron Wilson of KPRC2).
Ray’s IR handling means he will miss at least the first four games of the season. Whereas players moved to IR before today are out for the season, though, Ray is among those eligible to return later in the year. Activating him will count toward Carolina’s allocation of eight for the season whenever he is back in the fold.
Seahawks To Release WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is among the Seahawks’ cuts ahead of this afternoon’s deadline. The veteran wideout is being released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
This move comes as little surprise considering the way Valdes-Scantling’s summer has gone. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes, the 30-year-old was outdone during training camp by fifth-round rookie Tory Horton. As a result, Horton is on track to operate as Seattle’s No. 3 receiver behind returnee Jaxon Smith-Njigba and free agent addition Cooper Kupp. Without a track record of special teams play, Valdes-Scantling is not a strong candidate for a backup gig.
Upon signing in Seattle, the former fifth-rounder took a one-year pact. The deal contained $3MM in guarantees, making this one of the more expensive cut decisions of the day so far. While the Seahawks will absorb that amount as a dead money hit, they will offset it to an extent with $955K in cap savings. The team will now move forward with its other WR options.
Changes at the receiver position were expected in 2025, and that proved to be the case. D.K. Metcalf‘s talks on an extension led to the decision a parting of ways would be be best, leading to his trade to the Steelers. Longtime starter Tyler Lockett was also released as expected. While a Kupp homecoming will give Seattle a veteran presence to augment Smith-Njigba, the Ohio State product will be counted on to carry the load this season. Horton’s role as a starter will be interesting to see as well.
Valdes-Scantling has played for four teams across his seven-year career. He has averaged 17.4 yards per catch in the NFL, and a market could exist for his services over the coming days amongst teams eyeing a vertical threat.
Falcons To Release CB C.J. Henderson
After the joining the Falcons earlier this month, C.J. Henderson will not make the team’s initial 53-man roster. The former first-round cornerback is being released, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
As Schultz notes, however, Atlanta is planning on retaining Henderson via the practice squad. For that to be possible, he will have to avoid signing with any interested teams upon reaching free agency once the Falcons’ cuts are official. Of course, agreements of that nature are commonplace around the NFL with respect to roster maneuvering.
Henderson had multiple suitors in 2025, including a new opportunity with the Steelers. The former Jaguar and Panther instead elected to return to the NFC South by joining the Falcons shortly after a workout with the team. The 26-year-old’s Atlanta pact did not contain any guaranteed money, however; as such, today’s move will not incur any dead money charges while creating $1.03MM in cap savings.
The No. 9 pick in 2020, Henderson was dealt from the Jags after playing only 10 games for them. His Carolina tenure saw him remain healthy for the most part, but struggles in coverage were a consistent issue. Finishing last season on injured reserve, he did not see any game time with Pittsburgh. That resulted in a tempered market despite his age and draft pedigree.
Provided Henderson winds up on Atlanta’s practice squad, he will offer depth behind starters AJ Terrell and Mike Hughes, returnees Dee Alford and Clark Phillips and fourth-round rookie Billy Bowman. Elevations to the active roster will mark his first opportunity to see regular season game time.
Cowboys To Trade T Asim Richards To Saints
Tuesday’s third NFL trade will also be the third to involve an offensive tackle changing teams. Asim Richards is on the move. 
Richards is being traded from the Cowboys to the Saints, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move will end his run in Dallas, which began in 2023 when he joined the team as a fifth-round pick. Over his two years in the league, Richards totaled 21 appearances and made one start. Per Schefter, the Cowboys will receive a 2028 sixth-round pick in exchange for Richards and a seventh-rounder that same year.
Healthy depth along the offensive line has recently emerged as an issue for the Saints. As a result, it comes as little surprise they are among the teams using the period before this afternoon’s cutdown deadline to make a move up front. New Orleans is in need of backups behind Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga, so a swing tackle role could be in store for Richards.
The 24-year-old saw time as a guard during the preseason, so playing time along the interior could be possible as well. In any case, Richards will now turn his attention to carving out a second-team gig with the Saints instead of quite possibly being waived by the Cowboys later today. Dallas will generate $1.03MM in cap savings with this move, while New Orleans will take on the final two years of his rookie contract.
Dallas will move forward with Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele as starters at the tackle spots. The team’s depth chart beyond those two will become clearer over the coming days as the Cowboys’ practice squad takes shape. Today’s move ensures, though, that Richards will not be in the team’s plans for 2025.
K Eddy Pineiro Visits Dolphins
The Dolphins find themselves in need of a kicker for the start of the campaign. In addition to today’s roster cuts, the team is in the process of seeking out a temporary Jason Sanders fill-in. 
As Sanders recovers from a hip injury, another veteran has received a look. Miami hosted Eddy Pineiro today for a workout, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He is among the top options still on the market at the kicker position.
Sanders has not missed a game in his seven-year Dolphins career. With a reported recovery timeline of four to five weeks, though, an absence spanning at least a few regular season contests will be in store. Miami is thus in need of an expereinced contributor capable of handling kicking duties in September. Pineiro would certainly fit the bill as a veteran of 70 games.
The former Bear and Jet worked as the Panthers’ kicker from 2022-24. Over that span, he connected on 80 of 90 field goal attempts – including eight of 11 kicks from beyond 50 yards. Pineiro missed seven extra point attempts with Carolina, something which informed the team’s decision to move on this offseason. Still, he would be expected to serve as an effective kicking option provided a deal gets struck.
Of course, a strong showing with the Dolphins would be key in helping Pineiro land another gig for 2025 once Sanders – who is under contract for another two years – is healthy. Miami will likely wait until cuts are finished and the process of forming its practice squad takes place beginning tomorrow before a signing takes place. If no agreement is reached following this workout, the Dolphins will need to look elsewhere on the free agent market.
Steelers To Release WR Robert Woods
As expected, Robert Woods is heading to free agency. The veteran wideout is among the Steelers’ Tuesday roster cuts, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. 
Last week, it became clear Woods was a candidate to be released. The 33-year-old has found himself buried on the WR depth chart in spite of persistent questions about Pittsburgh’s secondary options at the position. Per Rapoport, a return on the practice squad could be possible in this case.
In any event, Woods intends to continue his career in 2025. A veteran of 12 NFL seasons, he his far removed from his peak Rams seasons. The former second-rounder has seen his production drop for each of the past six campaigns, and he made just 20 scoreless catches last year with the Texans. His Pittsburgh pact came about as part of Woods’ efforts to earn a depth spot on his latest team.
That $2MM contract contained $745K guaranteed, so the Steelers will absorb that figure as a dead money charge. The team will create $1.26MM in cap savings, however. It will be interesting to see if that slight uptick in available funds will be put toward an addition at the receiver spot ahead of Week 1. Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson have been preparing for increased roles as complements to D.K. Metcalf this summer, but Pittsburgh has shown sustained interest in free agent Gabriel Davis.
A report from yesterday indicated the Steelers were among the teams still active in the WR trade market. Woods’ release should not notably alter the team’s plans on that front, so once the dust settles following final roster cuts Pittsburgh could still seek out a new pass-catching option.
Texans To Release CB Arthur Maulet, LB Nick Niemann
Arthur Maulet joined the Texans in search of at least a depth role in the team’s secondary, but that has not panned out. The veteran slot corner is among Houston’s roster cuts, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. 
Linebacker Nick Niemann is also being released, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The special teams ace took a two-year Houston pact this spring which included $4MM in total guarantees. Part of that figure will be offset once a new team adds him, but the Texans will absorb a $3.25MM dead money charge in 2025 as a result of this move.
Maulet spent the 2023 and ’24 campaigns in Baltimore. When healthy, he enjoyed a strong run as the team’s top slot corner. Injuries limited the 32-year-old to just three games last season, however, something which hurt his market. Maulet signed roughly one month ago in a bid to carve out a defensive gig in Houston.
The Texans are set along the perimeter with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, but the Maulet signing came about after Ronald Darby‘s retirement. That appeared to open the door to another veteran earning a spot, and Wilson notes Maulet fared well during training camp and the preseason. Barring a practice squad agreement being worked out in the next day or so, a fresh start will be needed in his case.
Niemann played out his rookie contract with the Chargers, totaling 64 games along the way. The 27-year-old only made three starts on defense, but he racked up nearly 1,300 snaps on special teams. That third phase track record should lead to interest from outside suitors as he reaches free agency late in the summer.
Saints To Waive QB Jake Haener
The Saints have still not named their starting quarterback, but they have elected to move on from their projected No. 3 option. Jake Haener is being waived, Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.
Not part of the latter stages of the Saints’ quarterback battle, Haener will be cut with two years remaining on his rookie deal. The Saints drafted the Fresno State product in the 2023 fourth round. He is due a $1.03MM base salary in 2025.
Haener will be a candidate to pass through waivers to a practice squad. With New Orleans only having two QBs on its current roster (Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough), it would make sense a player the team developed for two years would be a candidate for that emergency QB3 role. But the Saints did change coaching staffs this offseason, potentially pointing Haener elsewhere. A practice squad arrangement could indeed be in store, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football notes.
The Saints gave Haener one start last season, doing so after initially turning to Rattler — a 2024 fifth-round pick — to fill in for an injured Derek Carr. Haener both relieved Rattler during Carr’s first bout of injury trouble and then received a Week 15 start amid Carr’s second 2024 hiatus. Interim HC Darren Rizzi benched Haener during that start, going back to Rattler for the rest of the season.
Completing 4 of 10 passes before being benched in December, Haener holds a 46.2% completion rate (compiled over 39 attempts last season). He is certainly a backup- or QB3-type arm at this point, seeing as the Saints’ ongoing QB battle moved on without him. Haener suffered an oblique strain during the team’s offseason program, hurting his chances of winning the 2025 job following Carr’s retirement. Kellen Moore will determine a starter soon, with the Saints being the last team with an unsettled QB situation.