Texans Place Two On IR, Add K Matthew Wright To Practice Squad
A pair of Texans defenders are heading to injured reserve. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the team is placing cornerback Jaylin Smith and defensive end Darrell Taylor on IR.
Smith will miss at least the next four games while he nurses an undisclosed injury. The rookie third-round pick has played sparingly in 2025, getting into 31 defensive snaps and 78 special teams snaps in four games. The USC product was serving as a back-of-the-depth-chart boundary corner for Houston, and journeyman Tremon Smith will likely soak up any remaining backup snaps at the position.
Taylor has also barely seen the field during his first season with the franchise. The defensive lineman has gotten into four games, and he’s mostly split his 64 snaps between defense and special teams. The former second-round pick compiled 21.5 sacks in three seasons with Seattle before spending the 2024 campaign in Chicago. An ankle issue will sideline him through November.
Elsewhere in Houston, the team made some adjustments to their practice squad. According to Wilson, the team added kicker Matthew Wright and released tight end Dalton Keene.
Per Wilson, Texans starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is dealing with a lower body injury that will put his status for Week 10 in doubt. Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle is a bit more definitive with his report, noting that Fairbairn isn’t expected to play this weekend. The veteran is coming off a Week 9 performance where he connected on five of his six field goal attempts.
Wright is apparently the team’s solution to temporarily fill that spot. The Texans represent the veteran’s 11th NFL team, although he’s mostly been limited to cameos in his previous spots. In total, Wright has appeared in 31 career games, connecting on 87.5 percent of his field goal tries (56 for 64) and 95.6 percent of his XP attempts (43 for 45).
A former Patriots draft pick, Keene has spent parts of the past three seasons in Houston. He’s been limited to a single game during his Texans tenure.
Ravens Acquire Dre’Mont Jones From Titans
NOVEMBER 4: Details on the conditions for the pick have emerged, courtesy of Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The selection will upgrade to a fourth-rounder if Jones records at least two sacks with his new team and if the Ravens make the playoffs. Baltimore has nine games remaining and is currently two games out of both the top spot in the AFC North and the conference’s final wild-card position.
NOVEMBER 3: With Lamar Jackson back under center, the 3-5 Ravens are hoping they can make a late-season run to the playoffs. The front office is showing trust in their current squad by adding some reinforcement ahead of the trade deadline.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Ravens have acquired edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones from the Titans. In exchange, Baltimore will be sending a conditional fifth-round pick to Tennessee that could turn into a fourth-round selection. The fifth-round pick was acquired from the Jets during this past year’s draft.
Jones should provide the Ravens with some immediate help on the edge. Baltimore’s defense has collected only 11 sacks in 2025, tied for the second-lowest total in the NFL. The team has also lost some depth at the position, as Odafe Oweh was dealt to the Chargers and Tavius Robinson was lost to a broken foot that should sideline him through at least November. Carl Lawson was recently brought in as a temporary fix, although the veteran has yet to see the field with his new squad.
Jones isn’t one of the most prolific pass rushers in the NFL, but he’s still shown an ability to get after the quarterback. The former Broncos third-round pick has never exceeded 6.5 sacks in a single season, but he’s also managed to collect at least four sacks in each of the past six years.
He was actually trending towards one of the most productive seasons of his career during his first season with Tennessee in 2025. Through nine games, the veteran has collected 4.5 sacks along with 26 tackles, five tackles for loss, and nine QB hits. Pro Football Focus has only ranked him 63rd among 119 qualifying edge defenders this season, although the site has given him an above-average grade for his pass-rush ability.
The acquisition should immediately find a role in Baltimore. Mike Green will continue to pace the Ravens’ pass-rush unit, but Jones could easily slide in ahead of Kyle Van Noy and David Ojabo on the depth chart. The team could also soon welcome back 2024 third-rounder Adisa Isaac, although the pass rusher doesn’t have much of an NFL track record.
Attached to a one-year, $8.5MM deal, Jones represents a clear rental for the Ravens. While Baltimore has had a disappointing start to their 2025 campaign, the team’s upcoming schedule should help them remain in the playoff hunt for the second half of the season. It will be interesting to see if the team continues to add ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. It was uncertain if the organization would be buyers or sellers heading into Week 10, but the team is clearly signaling that they want to add.
As for the Titans, the front office could continue to be aggressive over the next day. The team previously dealt cornerback Roger McCreary to the Rams, while the likes of Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and T’Vondre Sweat have all been mentioned as trade candidates.
Lions Confident Marcus Davenport Will Return This Season
The Lions are expected to have a quiet trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean the team won’t be getting some reinforcement. Speaking to reporters last week, coach Dan Campbell expressed optimism that Marcus Davenport will return to the field at some point during the 2025 campaign.
[RELATED: Lions Unlikely To Be Active At Trade Deadline]
“I can’t give you a definitive, ‘This is when he’s going to be back,'” Campbell said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I am just very confident he is going to be back. We’re going to get him back here.”
Davenport has struggled to see the field since joining the Lions ahead of the 2024 campaign. He was limited to two games during his first season in Detroit because of a triceps injury, and he’s only made a pair of appearances in 2025 thanks to a pectoral strain. The veteran has been sitting on injured reserve since Week 3.
Injuries have been a theme throughout Davenport’s career. The former first-round pick missed 19 games in five seasons with the Saints. He had a staggering five surgeries during the 2022 offseason, including a partial amputation of a finger. He still earned a one-year, $13MM contract from the Vikings in 2023, but he got into only four games with the team before suffering a season-ending high ankle sprain.
When Davenport has been on the field, he’s shown flashes of being an elite edge rusher. He totaled 10.5 sacks through his first two seasons in the NFL, and he had a nine-sack showing in 2021. Even though he’s been limited to a total of eight games over the past three years, he’s still managed to collect 3.5 sacks, including one in 56 snaps this season.
While the Lions clearly can’t be overly reliant on the pass rusher, they will surely find a way to use him. With Josh Paschal also sidelined, the Lions have turned to the likes of Al-Quadin Muhammad and Tyler Lacy opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Muhammad has been especially productive in a part-time role, collecting six sacks in eight games. Still, a player of Davenport’s caliber could at the very least provide Detroit’s defense with an extra body during the second half of the season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Jacob Bayer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Danny Gray
- Released: OL Sua Opeta
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: CB Beanie Bishop
NFL Minor Transactions: 11/3/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DE Michael Hoecht (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Released: LB Kristian Welch
Dak Prescott Hoping To Play Into His 40s
After being limited to eight games in 2024, Dak Prescott has rebounded nicely through the first half of the 2025 campaign. The 32-year-old quarterback currently sports a career-high 70.3-percent completion percentage and is showing no signs of slowing down. Thanks to his continued production, the Cowboys signal caller is confident he can spend close to another decade in the NFL.
“Forties would be a good number,” Prescott estimated when asked about a potential retirement age (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “I’ve been through some injuries; played very physical in college so if I can get to 40 playing at the standard that I want, that would be awesome.”
Prescott has indeed dealt with his fair share of injuries through his first 10 years in the NFL. He was limited to only five games in 2020 after suffering a fractured ankle, and he missed another five contests in 2022 thanks to a thumb injury. A hamstring tear in 2024 represented the third major injury of his career.
To the player’s credit, he’s rebounded nicely in each instance. He finished second in Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2021, tossing a career-high 37 touchdowns while guiding Dallas to 11 wins. His 2022 campaign was arguably the best of his career, as he paced the NFL with 36 touchdowns while finishing second in MVP voting. While the Cowboys’ defense is to blame for the team’s struggles in 2025, Prescott currently has the highest QBR of his career.
Those past injuries could eventually impact his on-field ability, but there’s no real reason to be pessimistic about Prescott’s goal of playing into his 40s. We’ve seen plenty of recent quarterbacks play well past this milestone. Tom Brady played until he was 45 and Drew Brees played until he was 41, while Aaron Rodgers (41) and Joe Flacco (40) are currently starting for teams. If Prescott manages to stay relatively healthy over the second half of his career, there’s no reason why he can’t join that club.
The main question will be if Dak is able to remain under center with the Cowboys. Prescott is currently signed through the 2028 season, which would be his age-35 campaign. If the former fourth-round pick hopes to stick in Dallas, it’ll likely require multiple extensions. The long-time QB once replaced an age-36 Tony Romo (who was dealing with a compression fracture in his back), and Prescott will similarly have to stave off the team’s future investments at the position.
Even if he isn’t allowed to extend his career in Dallas, it sounds like Prescott is motivated to stay on the field as long as possible.
“[My perspective] has definitely changed; I can see it more realistically now,” Prescott said (via Archer). “And I think as much as anything, the fun and the peace that this game still gives me 10 years in is going to be hard [to move on from]. You can’t supplement it, so as long as I can do this at a level that I’m proud and happy with, I’ll keep trying.”
Chiefs OT Josh Simmons Returns To Team Facility, Expected Back In Lineup In Week 11
The Chiefs are set to get some major reinforcement on their offensive line. According to Jordan Schultz, rookie left tackle Josh Simmons has returned to the team facility after tending to a personal matter. It sounds like Simmons should be back in the lineup when the Chiefs return from bye in Week 11.
[RELATED: Chiefs LT Josh Simmons To Return In A Few Weeks]
Simmons was a late addition to Kansas City’s injury report in Week 5 with an illness. He got into that game but proceeded to miss the next four contests. We haven’t gotten any definitive details on the personal matter he was dealing with, and his absence was tagged with a non-injury-related/personal designation.
Either way, it sounds like the first-round pick will soon be back protecting Patrick Mahomes‘ blind side. The former Ohio State product started each of Kansas City’s first five games this season, with Pro Football Focus grading him 43rd among 75 qualifying offensive tackles. The site has been particularly bullish on his pass-blocking ability, although they dinged him for his run-blocking prowess.
With the rookie out of the lineup, the Chiefs have turned to offseason acquisition Jaylon Moore. The veteran inked a two-year, $30MM deal with the Chiefs this offseason with the expectation that he’d compete for a starting spot opposite RT Jawaan Taylor. With Simmons running with the starting gig, Moore transitioned to a high-priced depth piece, but the Chiefs have been fortunate to have him on the roster in recent weeks. Pro Football Focus has graded the former 49ers draft pick as the 30th-best tackle in 2025.
When Simmons returns to the lineup, Moore will likely settle back into a bench role. This is a unique luxury that few contenders can tout, and there’s a chance the Chiefs get creative with their OL options during the stretch run of the season.
Giants WR Jalin Hyatt Seeking “Fresh Start Elsewhere”
NOVEMBER 3: Hyatt is among the players the Giants have discussed with other teams recently, Fowler’s colleague Jordan Raanan reports. That points to a deal being possible in the near future, although nothing seems imminent at this time.
OCTOBER 29: If Jalin Hyatt has his way, he’ll be playing elsewhere after the trade deadline. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Giants wide receiver “would like a fresh start elsewhere.”
There were naturally some high hopes for the Tennessee product when the Giants selected him in the third round of the 2023 draft. However, the wideout has yet to emerge on offense. He showed flashes as a rookie, when he hauled in 23 catches for 373 yards in 17 games (seven starts).
Since then, he’s been limited to 11 total catches in 21 games, including only three receptions in five appearances this year. The receiver was a healthy scratch in Week 8, and he didn’t practice today while recovering from wisdom teeth removal.
Hyatt’s chances of leading the depth chart took a hit when the team added Malik Nabers in 2024. The Giants have also continued to be reliant on Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton, clouding Hyatt’s future role with the organization. Even with Nabers’ season-ending injury in Week 4, Hyatt has been limited to only 123 offensive snaps in 2025, with Lil’Jordan Humphrey recently leaping him on the depth chart.
As a result, Hyatt is hoping to carve out a role elsewhere. WR-needy teams will surely be targeting players with longer track records, so it’s unlikely that the 24-year-old would have many obvious suitors. Rather, Hyatt’s best chances of establishing himself would be catching on with a rebuilding squad, and that may ultimately require the player getting cut instead of traded.
Bengals DT McKinnley Jackson Requests Trade Or Release
OCTOBER 31: Head coach Zac Taylor said (via Baby) he and Jackson have engaged in “great conversations” about the situation. He added Pennel’s departure will lead to more opportunities for other players along the defensive line moving forward, so it will be interesting to see if an uptick in usage will be in store for Jackson.
OCTOBER 30: Yet another defender wants out of Cincinnati. Bengals defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson has requested a trade or his release, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.
The Bengals selected the Texas A&M product in the third round (No. 97) of the 2024 draft. After starting his rookie season on injured reserve with a knee issue, Jackson got into each of the Bengals’ remaining 13 games. He saw 248 of his 299 snaps on defense, and he finished his rookie season with 15 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Jackson has barely seen the field as a sophomore. He got into six defensive snaps back in Week 5, but he’s otherwise been sidelined, including healthy scratches in six of Cincy’s eight games. As Baby notes, this downtick in playing time coincided with Al Golden taking over for Lou Anarumo at defensive coordinator.
While the Bengals managed Trey Hendrickson‘s very-public push for a new contract (and the corresponding trade rumblings), the team has dealt with a handful of additional requests on defense. Linebacker Logan Wilson requested a trade last week, while veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel asked for and was granted his release on Tuesday. Pennel has since landed back with the Chiefs.
Jackson’s situation is a bit different than that of Wilson and Pennel considering his lack of track record. While teams could gamble on the DT’s youth and relatively inexpensive rookie contract, Jackson’s best chance of reviving his career elsewhere would be via his Bengals release and a subsequent taxi squad gig.
Chiefs Shopping For Defensive Line Depth
The Chiefs reunited with defensive tackle Mike Pennel yesterday, but the team may not be done adding defensive line help. According to Jordan Schultz, the Chiefs are currently shopping for a defensive lineman.
[RELATED: Chiefs To Bring Back DT Mike Pennel]
While Kansas City’s offense keeps adding reinforcement, it seemed likely that the front office would look to add to the defense ahead of the trade deadline. The Chiefs have lost defensive end Felix Anudike- Uzomah and second-round defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott for the season, and they’ve gotten one of the worst DT performances in the NFL from Derrick Nnadi. While Pennel should help shore up the middle of the defensive line, the team could still seek additional depth at that position.
The Chiefs could also look to add on the edge. George Karlaftis continues to come into his own, pacing the squad with 4.5 sacks. Otherwise, Kansas City hasn’t gotten more than a pair of sacks from any one individual on the team. That includes veteran Chris Jones, who has tallied only two sacks following his five-sack showing in 2024. Even if Kansas City doesn’t have to be as reliant on the veteran’s pass-rush ability, they’ll surely be looking to pair him with some extra depth ahead of the second half of the season.
While the defense will surely be a priority for the Chiefs front office, they could also look to add to their offense over the next few days. We already heard rumblings that they could add some running back depth, and that was before Isiah Pacheco suffered an MCL injury. Left tackle Josh Simmons will also be sidelined for a few more weeks while he deals with a personal matter, but any Super Bowl contender would be sniffing around for OL depth, anyway.
Brett Veach has generally been active with midseason moves, and this season will be no exception. While the organization has generally had more luck with scooping up midseason free agents vs. trades, we can confidently say the Chiefs will add some reinforcement ahead of the stretch run.