Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan Could Return To Practice This Week
The Buccaneers receivers depth chart could soon be whole. Todd Bowles told reporters today that Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan could return to practice this week (via Greg Auman of FOX Sports). The coach did caution that the two players may not necessarily make their returns this Sunday against the Saints.
Evans missed three games earlier this season thanks to a hamstring injury, and his Week 7 return couldn’t have gone much worse. The veteran exited that contest in the first quarter with what was initially deemed a concussion. However, it was later revealed that the receiver had also suffered a broken clavicle, shelving him for several months.
The injury shut the door on Evans extending his 11-season streak of tallying at least 1,000 receiving yards. After finishing the 2024 campaign with 74 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns, Evans’ age-32 season has seen him haul in 14 receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown.
McMillan suffered a serious neck injury following an awkward fall during Tampa Bay’s second preseason contest. Bowles admitted that the second-year receiver had to “adjust to wearing a helmet” again (per Auman).
“He’s been running,” Bowles said. “It’s just a matter of him putting on a helmet and seeing where he is strength-wise with his neck. He’ll start doing more this week, and we’ll see exactly what [he can do] — whether it’s individual or whether it’s some more things this week as well — but he will start moving around.”
The 2024 third-round pick had a standout rookie campaign. The Washington product finished the 2024 season with 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns.
With Chris Godwin also missing time, Baker Mayfield has had to operate with a depleted group of wideouts in 2025. The team has gotten an All-Rookie performance from first-round WR Emeka Egbuka, with veteran Sterling Shepard and seventh-round rookie Tez Johnson also helping to soak up some snaps at the position.
Packers Open Practice Window On RB MarShawn Lloyd, DE Brenton Cox, DE Collin Oliver
The Packers will soon be getting some reinforcement on both sides of the ball. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, running back MarShawn Lloyd and defensive end Brenton Cox had their practice windows opened today. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston adds that the team has also opened the practice window on defensive end Collin Oliver.
Lloyd landed on IR before the start of the 2025 season with a hamstring injury. The 2024 third-round pick also spent most of his rookie campaign on injured reserve, collecting 18 yards from scrimmage in a single appearance. Lloyd may have a tough time cracking Green Bay’s depth chart upon his return, as the team has relied on the trio of Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, and Chris Brooks in 2025.
Cox suffered a groin injury back in Week 1 that ended up shelving him for close to three months. The former UDFA hasn’t gotten a lot of run through his three seasons in Green Bay, although he did show some pass-rush prowess in 2024. Despite being limited to about a third of his team’s defensive snaps in seven games, Cox finished last season with four sacks.
Oliver, a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, has been sidelined since training camp with a hamstring injury that required surgery. The defensive lineman was a standout in the Big 12, earning three All-Conference shoutouts while tallying 40.5 sacks. He was limited to only a pair of games in 2024 that ultimately contributed to a falling draft stock. Considering his time off the field, Oliver likely won’t be counted on to contribute during the stretch run of the season.
The Packers will now have 21 days to activate any of these three players to the active roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Brittain Brown
- Released: LB Dominique Hampton
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Andrew Armstrong, TE Giovanni Ricci, RB Jabari Small
- Released: CB Tre Flowers, OL Netane Muti
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Royce Freeman
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: K Joshua Karty
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Terrace Marshall
Joshua Karty is already back with the Rams. After getting waived by the team the other day, the kicker has landed back with the Rams practice squad. Harrison Mevis will continue to operate as the team’s kicker for the time being, and the Missouri product continued his perfect season with four XP makes yesterday. The organization apparently isn’t completely ready to hand over the gig to Mevis, however, as Karty will stick around as insurance.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/25
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: RB Jermar Jefferson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: CB Jalen Davis
- Placed on IR: LB Brian Asamoah
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): TE Hayden Rucci
- Designated for return from IR: TE Shane Zylstra
- Placed on reserve/retired list: C Frank Ragnow
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: WR Will Sheppard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Austin Trammell
New England Patriots
- Elevated: OL Brenden Jaimes, DT Jeremiah Pharms
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: LB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, WR Dalen Cambre
The Lions continue to work through their tight end depth with Sam LaPorta done for the season. The team’s first move today was claiming Hayden Rucci, who was waived by the Dolphins on Saturday. A former UDFA out of Wisconsin, Rucci spent much of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns in Miami. He got into four games with the organization this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
The Lions also welcomed Shane Zylstra back to practice today. The tight end has been out since Week 2, when he suffered an ankle injury while blocking on a punt return. The veteran has gotten into 31 games with the Lions since the 2021 season, hauling in 15 catches for 116 yards and four touchdowns.
Otherwise, the Lions placed center Frank Ragnow back on the reserve/retired list after the veteran failed his physical.
49ers G Ben Bartch Done For Season
Ben Bartch‘s season has ended early. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan revealed today that the guard has a foot sprain that will land him on IR and end his season, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
While subsequent tests will reveal more details, the organization believes Bartch suffered a Lisfranc injury. Shanahan told reporters that he isn’t confident the offensive lineman will be able to return in time for the postseason (per Barrows).
Bartch suffered the injury during the third quarter of yesterday’s win over the Browns. Spencer Burford filled in at left guard for the rest of the contest and will likely serve as the team’s starter for the remainder of the season. Fortunately for the 49ers, the coaching staff has been alternating between Bartch and Burford at the position throughout the campaign, so the fill-in has plenty of familiarity playing alongside the first-team offense. Matt Hennessy will likely slide into the backup LG role moving forward.
This is a disappointing development for Bartch, whose 2024 campaign ended early thanks to a high ankle sprain. That same injury forced Bartch to miss a handful of games earlier this season.
A former fourth-round pick, Bartch spent the first three-plus seasons of his career in Jacksonville, where he started 20 of his 41 appearances. He joined the 49ers during the 2023 campaign and has generally served as a reserve lineman for the franchise. In two-plus seasons with the 49ers, Bartch has started four of his 14 appearances.
Broncos Sign C Luke Wattenberg To Extension
Less than a week after inking kicker Wil Lutz to an extension, the Broncos are committing to another player for the long haul. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the Broncos have agreed to a four-year extension with center Luke Wattenberg.
[RELATED: Broncos Had “Preliminary” Extension Talks With C Luke Wattenberg]
The pact is worth $48MM, including $27MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. We heard yesterday that the team had “preliminary” talks with Wattenberg about a long-term deal, and the two sides must have made some significant progress during the team’s bye week.
Wattenberg’s contract vaults him towards the top of his position in both value and guarantees. The fourth-year player now ranks fifth at his position in both contract value and AAV, while the $27MM in guaranteed money only trails the whopping $35MM Creed Humphrey got from the Chiefs.
A 2022 fifth-round pick, Wattenberg only got into 128 offensive snaps through his first two seasons in the NFL. Since then, he’s started all 24 of his appearances for the Broncos, with an ankle injury keeping him sidelined for four games last season. Pro Football Focus currently ranks him 20th among 38 qualifying centers, although he finished 18th on the site in 2024.
Clearly, the Broncos believe in his upside, and the organization is intent on providing Bo Nix with some offensive continuity. The front office committed to both Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz in 2024, and with Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers also attached to sizable pacts, Denver has seemingly locked in their offensive line for at least the next few years.
With Lutz and Watternberg having signed extensions over the past week, we’ll now see if the Broncos can pull off a deal with Malcolm Roach. We heard yesterday that the front office had initial extension talks with the defensive lineman, although the veteran surely wouldn’t command the same payday as his teammates.
Steelers DT Daniel Ekuale Suspended Five Games
Daniel Ekuale was already out for the season, but now the Steelers defensive tackle will have to forego a paycheck over the next five weeks. That’s because Ekuale was slapped with a five-game suspension today, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
[RELATED: Steelers DL Daniel Ekuale Suffers ACL Tear]
Ekuale earned his temporary ban for violating the league’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, per Dulac. This represents the third suspension of the player’s career; Ekuale earned a four-game ban in 2018 and a two-game suspension in 2022 for the same violation.
The Washington State product bounced around the NFL a bit to begin his career before finding a home in New England. He spent four seasons with the Patriots, but he didn’t emerge as a key player until 2024. Ekuale finished that season having started all 16 of his appearance, with the defensive lineman setting career-highs in tackles (52) and QB hits (three). In 64 career games, the 31-year-old has collected 97 stops and six sacks.
His performance with the Patriots earned him a one-year, $2.8MM deal from the Steelers this past offseason. He got into seven games with his new squad, appearing in about 14 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Ekuale suffered a torn ACL back in Week 8 that ended his season prematurely. Considering that injury and his continued bans from the league office, the defensive lineman may face an uphill battle to find a job in 2026.
Jets Host CB Kaiir Elam
Kaiir Elam is already looking to land on his feet. Days after getting cut by the Cowboys, the cornerback had a visit with the Jets today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
[RELATED: Cowboys Waive CB Kaiir Elam]
With Shavon Revel recently making his NFL debut and Trevon Diggs on the verge of returning from a concussion, Elam was unceremoniously let go by the Cowboys the other day. The cornerback was acquired by Dallas back in March and ended up starting seven of his nine appearances with the franchise.
While the veteran wasn’t the sole reason for the Cowboys’ defensive struggles, he undoubtedly contributed to them. Elam allowed 25 completions, 372 yards, and three touchdowns this season, with opposing QBs managing a 105.0 passer rating when throwing his way. Pro Football Focus currently has the 24-year-old ranked 60th among 110 qualifying cornerbacks.
The 23rd pick in the 2022 draft, Elam looked like a future piece for the Bills, as the Florida product finished his rookie campaign with a pair of interceptions while starting six of his 13 appearances. He was limited to only three games in 2023, although he did come up with a key interception in a playoff win over the Steelers. Elam served mostly as a backup in 2024, and his struggles while filling in for Christian Benford during the playoffs ultimately spelled the end of his Bills tenure.
With Sauce Gardner (and, to a lesser extent, Michael Carter) no longer in the picture, the Jets have turned to a number of cornerbacks opposite Brandon Stephens. If Elam catches on with the organization, he’d likely compete with the likes of Jarvis Brownlee, Isaiah Oliver, and Azareye’h Thomas for reps.
NFL Minor Transactions: 11/25/25
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Quinton Jefferson, CB Nick Whiteside
New England Patriots
- Signed off Browns’ practice squad: OT Thayer Munford
- Placed on IR: CB Alex Austin
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: OT Barry Wesley
- Signed to active roster: RB Evan Hull
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Derion Kendrick
In addition to waiving cornerback Arthur Maulet, the Lions also moved on from defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson and cornerback Nick Whiteside. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, these moves were likely made in anticipation of upcoming activations from IR and PUP.
The Patriots started preparing for Will Campbell and Jared Wilson‘s absences by adding some experienced offensive line depth, as the team snagged Thayer Munford off the Browns practice squad today. The former seventh-round pick was mostly a part-time starter during his three seasons with the Raiders, although he did start a career-high 10 games for the organization in 2023.
Panthers Add LB/S Isaiah Simmons To Practice Squad
Isaiah Simmons has found a new home. The veteran defender has joined the Panthers practice squad, according to Darin Gantt of the team’s website. To make room on the taxi squad, the team released safety Trevian Thomas.
Simmons joined the Packers back in April but was among the team’s final preseason cuts. He’s been lingering in free agency since that time, with an October workout with the Steelers representing his lone visit of the 2025 campaign.
As Gantt notes, Simmons was once a candidate to be selected by the Panthers with the seventh-overall pick in the 2020 draft. Carolina ended up opting for defensive tackle Derrick Brown, and Simmons was snagged by the Cardinals with the following pick.
Simmons didn’t make it through his full rookie contract in Arizona. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the organization, collecting 7.5 sacks in 50 games (37 starts). He was traded to the Giants for a seventh-round pick ahead of the 2023 campaign, and he proceeded to spend the next two seasons in New York. Simmons transitioned to safety during his time with the Giants, starting five of his 34 appearances.
The Panthers will consider playing their new addition at both safety and linebacker, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The team’s most immediate need is at LB. The Panthers played without Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace last night before losing Claudin Cherelus to a concussion.