Joe Mixon Denies Report That He Won’t Play In 2025
NOVEMBER 22: When speaking on the situation earlier this week, Caserio said during an appearance on the Payne & Pendergrast radio show that there is still no firm timeline for Mixon’s return. In the ongoing absence of any clarity in this case, it remains to be seen if Mixon will be able to suit up at any point down the stretch.
NOVEMBER 20: Following news from earlier today that Joe Mixon was set to miss the entire 2025 campaign, the running back and his agent are pushing back. Shortly after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Mixon’s foot injury would prevent him from seeing the field this season, the veteran tweeted at the reporter.
[RELATED: Texans RB Joe Mixon Not Expected To Play In 2025]
“Now, I get everyone’s looking for splash news & clickbait… but I’m just curious, Ian how do you know more about me than me?” Mixon asked.
Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, was also quick to comment on the reports, cryptically tweeting that “[t]he truth and what comes out of his mouth is mere coincidence.”
This is a somewhat intriguing turn in this sudden saga, and as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, it leads to questions about who leaked information about Mixon’s injury status in the first place. As Florio notes, Texans GM Nick Caserio comes from the Patriots personnel department and runs a Belichickian, no-leak operation.
While the Texans wouldn’t have much incentive to lie about Mixon’s status, they could have some financial incentive to sit him for the entire 2025 season. As Florio notes, the Texans don’t have to pay the player’s $7MM salary since Mixon is sitting on the non-football injury list (although it’s important to note that the team can pay Mixon if they want, and there haven’t been any reports about how the team’s proceeding in this regard). Mixon also has $500K worth of per-game roster bonuses.
Mixon suffered a foot injury while working out in the offseason, and there haven’t been many reports about his progress up until today. Since we’re already in the second half of the season and the team has settled on a Nick Chubb/Woody Marks tandem, it’s not a particularly hot take to proclaim that Mixon won’t have a role on the 2025 iteration of the Texans. Perhaps the definitive nature of Rapoport’s report is what drew the ire of Mixon, and we won’t truly know whose narrative is correct until the end of the regular season.
Darren Sproles Expected To Join Broncos’ Coaching Staff
Darren Sproles is back in the NFL, but the former pass-catching RB is now joining the coaching ranks. During a recent appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams, Sproles revealed that he’s been invited by Sean Payton to join the Broncos as a coaching intern.
“Sean has called me up on it, and I think I’ll take him up on it,” Sproles said (h/t Trent Finnegan of DenverSports.com). “I feel like my next calling is to coach.”
Sproles had the most productive stretch of his career playing under Payton in New Orleans. The former Chargers fourth-round pick joined the Saints ahead of the 2011 season and proceeded to set career-highs in touches (173), yards from scrimmage (1,313), and touchdowns (nine). While he wouldn’t match those numbers again in his career, he still averaged more than 860 yards per season between 2012 and 2013.
With 553 receptions, Sproles rightfully earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier pass-catching backs. Naturally, the new coach is focused on working with similar players, and he pointed to Broncos practice squad RB Deuce Vaughn as the player he’s most excited to work with.
“I see a younger me. I see it in him,” Sproles said about Vaughn. “His quickness, his speed, the way he is in space, I just want to tweak a couple things from him, but I feel like he can have a long career. Especially if he’s there in Denver with Sean, Sean’s going to put him in the right positions.”
Sproles isn’t the only former player that Payton recruited to Denver. Terron Armstead revealed earlier this year that Payton called him shortly after he announced his retirement. While the former Pro Bowl OL has an open invitation to join the coaching staff, he isn’t as interested as Sproles in pivoting to a coaching career.
“I said, Sean, I appreciate you, but no I’m not doing it because his hours is—nah, it’s not for me,” Armstead recently told the media (h/t NOF Network).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/25
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Kaden Davis
- Placed on IR: LB Cameron McGrone
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: C Doug Kramer
- Released: RB Myles Gaskin
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Jacoby Jones
- Released: S Daryl Worley
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/25
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return from IR: CB Khalil Dorsey
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: CB Dwight McGlothern
It’s encouraging to learn that Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey is back on the practice field. The player broke his leg towards the end of the 2024 campaign but was able to work his way back for the start of the 2025 season. After getting into the first four games, Dorsey was sidelined with a concussion, and as he worked his way through protocol, he suffered a wrist injury that landed him on IR. The former UDFA has appeared in 37 career games, collecting 31 tackles and three passes defended. He’s also seen some time as a returner.
Bills Place WR Mecole Hardman On IR, Promote WR Gabriel Davis From Practice Squad
The Bills are down another offensive weapon. Less than a week after making his Bills debut, Mecole Hardman is heading to injured reserve, according to the team.
The veteran wideout seemed to be trending towards being at least inactive for Thursday Night Football. After getting into seven offensive snaps on Sunday, the receiver didn’t practice this week while nursing a calf injury. Now, that injury will keep him off the field for at least the next month.
After spending the preseason with the Packers, Hardman landed on Green Bay’s practice squad to start the 2025 campaign. He was released after only a few weeks, and he was a free agent until landing with Buffalo’s taxi squad earlier this month. He was quickly activated to the active roster, and he garnered a single target in his team debut.
Besides a brief stop with the Jets, Hardman had spent the majority of his career playing with the Chiefs. After averaging close to 600 receiving yards per season through his first three years in the NFL, Hardman has been limited to only 511 yards since 2022. He hauled in only 12 catches in 12 games with the Chiefs in 2024, although he did serve as the team’s primary punt returner.
The Bills will be digging into their offensive depth tonight against the Texans. Besides Hardman, the team will also be without tight end Dalton Kincaid, receiver Curtis Samuel, and probably wideout Keon Coleman, who is heading towards a second-straight week of sitting on the sideline. As a result, the team has once again elevated Gabe Davis from the practice squad.
The former Bills standout reunited with the team back in September but sat out the first few months as he continued to recover from a torn meniscus and torn PCL. He made his season debut on Sunday, hauling in three catches for 40 yards. He’ll join a receiver corps that also includes Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, and Elijah Moore. With Kincaid out, the Bills have also promoted TE Keleki Latu from the practice squad.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel In Concussion Protocol
Dillon Gabriel exited the Browns’ Week 11 loss and was evaluated for a concussion, and he’ll now have to overcome league protocol if he hopes to play in Week 12. As expected, the rookie quarterback is in the concussion protocol, coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters today (including Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal).
[RELATED: Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Exits Week 11]
While it’s uncertain when Gabriel suffered his concussion yesterday, the team believes it occurred with about a minute remaining in the first half, when he was tackled by a group of Baltimore defenders. Stefanski revealed that the QB started showing symptoms during halftime, leading to the decision to pull him from the game.
The coach was noncommittal about the team’s QB plans for Week 12, noting that the priority was getting Gabriel healthy and through protocol. However, Stefanski did admit that the team would consider simply benching their starter for Week 12, paving the way for fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders to garner his first NFL start.
“Yeah, we’ll work through that in the next couple days and this week,” Stefanski said (via Easterling). “I’ll update you guys Wednesday as we get into Vegas preparations.”
Stefanski made it clear yesterday that Gabriel would return to the top of the depth chart once he’s healthy enough to play, so Sanders’ stint as QB1 would be short lived. The Colorado product struggled in his NFL debut yesterday, completing only four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and one interception.
With Gabriel in concussion protocol and Joe Flacco now in Cincinnati, the Browns are currently operating with one healthy QB on the active roster. For those wondering, Deshaun Watson won’t be an option for the foreseeable future. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that while Watson is “coming along well” in his recovery from his ruptured Achilles, he’s still not close to practicing with the Browns. While the veteran is eligible to be designated for return at any time, it seems likely that Watson will be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. If Gabriel is forced to miss Week 12, Bailey Zappe would likely serve as Cleveland’s QB2.
Elsewhere on the injury front, Dom Jones is likely heading to injured reserve, according to Easterling. The cornerback suffered a leg injury towards the end of Sunday’s loss. The undrafted rookie has emerged as a key special teamer in Cleveland this season, with the Colorado State product collecting five tackles.
Falcons To Designate LB Divine Deablo For Return
The Falcons should soon have their starting inside linebacker back in the lineup. According to Terrin Waack of the team’s website, the Falcons will be designating Divine Deablo for return from injured reserve.
Deablo last saw the field in Week 7, when he suffered a fracture in his left forearm. Head coach Raheem Morris indicated that his linebacker should be back on the field for Week 12, meaning it will only be a minimum IR stay for the starter.
A former Raiders third-round pick, Deablo joined the Falcons this offseason via a two-year, $14MM deal. He was one of the team’s most productive defenders through the first six weeks, as the acquisition collected 24 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Notably, he ranks fourth among 81 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
With Deablo out of the lineup, the Falcons have turned to JD Bertrand and Ronnie Harrison to play opposite Kaden Elliss in the middle of their defense. Harrison has seemed to leap Bertrand in recent weeks, with the journeyman collecting 22 tackles and two sacks in his four appearances. Deablo will likely slide back into his starting spot next to Elliss, but Morris indicated that Harrison will still be in line for a role moving forward.
“We played some really good ball with JD,” Morris said (via Waack). “But Ronnie has really earned more reps and more role, and it’s kind of been increased since he’s been here. A lot of credit to Ronnie, a man that’s come here with us from training camp and really increased his role from a practice squad player to a special teams player to now being out there with that first-team defense in some situations. The way he’s playing, it’s going to do nothing else but increase.”
As Waack notes, the 3-7 Falcons have dropped each of the four games they’ve played without Deablo in the lineup. While the linebacker won’t solve all of the team’s woes, he’ll surely help his squad as they look to make a late-season push.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: LB Jamil Muhammad
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Otis Reese
- Placed on IR: LB Darius Harris
The Patriots are shaking up their linebacker corps after Darius Harris landed on the practice squad IR today. The veteran got into three games with the big-league club in 2025, collecting four tackles while playing exclusively on special teams. Harris had a four-year stint with the Chiefs to begin his career, including a 2022 campaign where he tallied 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks. To take his place on the taxi squad, the Patriots added Otis Reese, who got his NFL start playing under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. The Ole Miss product got into 20 games with the Titans between 2023 and 2024, collecting 38 stops.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/25
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: LB Jared Bartlett
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: CB D’Angelo Ross
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: S Kahlef Hailassie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevaed: G Atonio Mafi
New England Patriots
- Signed from practice squad: TE C.J. Dippre
- Waived: S John Saunders Jr.
New York Giants
- Waived: LB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Designated for return from IR: LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
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.
Cowboys Activate S Malik Hooker From IR
The Cowboys defense has struggled mightily in 2025, but the team will be getting some veteran reinforcement in time for Monday Night Football. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, the team has activated safety Malik Hooker from injured reserve.
[RELATED: Cowboys Designate Malik Hooker For Return]
Hooker suffered a toe injury back in Week 4 that has shelved him for more than a month. He was designated for return from IR just last Thursday, and the Cowboys didn’t take long to add him to the active roster.
After serving in a rotational role during his first season in Dallas, Hooker has emerged as one of the team’s most dependable defenders in recent years. He missed only a pair of games between 2022 and 2024, starting 38 of his 49 appearances while hauling in six interceptions. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him as an above-average safety in each of those three campaigns, including a 13th-place showing in 2022 and 14th-place finish in 2023.
After dropping down to 43rd at his position in 2024, PFR ranked Hooker only 58th among 93 qualifiers in 2025. Still, that should represent an upgrade over the revolving door of safeties the Cowboys have turned to next to Donovan Wilson, who has missed the past two contests with an elbow/shoulder issue. Juanyeh Thomas got an initial look in the starting lineup, while Markquese Bell has seen the bulk of the snaps at the position in recent weeks. Alijah Clark and Zion Childress have also gotten some run in the secondary.
To make room on the roster, the team placed rookie offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius on injured reserve. The sixth-round pick has been dealing with a knee injury that will sideline him for at least the next month. The Cowboys also promoted running back Malik Davis from the practice squad for tonight’s matchup against the Raiders.