NFL Minor Transactions: 10/21/25
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived from IR: WR Cade McDonald
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: CB Kevin Knowles
- Placed on IR: DT Omarr Norman-Lott
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: RB Velus Jones
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster (off Jets practice squad): CB Korie Black
Washington Commanders
- Sign: DE Jalyn Holmes
The Commanders turned to a familiar face to replace DoranceArmstrong, who is done for the season after suffering a knee injury this past weekend. Washington cut Jalyn Holmes just the other day to make room for guard Sam Cosmi on the active roster, but he quickly found his way back to the active roster. The defensive end has seen time in four games this season, and he collected a pair of sacks in 11 appearances with the franchise in 2024.
Dolphins TE Darren Waller Week To Week With Pectoral Strain
The Dolphins received some rare good news yesterday. After exiting Sunday’s loss to the Browns, tight end Darren Waller was diagnosed with a strained pectoral muscle, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The injury is not expected to require surgery, and the veteran is considered “week to week at this point.”
Waller exited Sunday’s contest before halftime and was later ruled questionable to return. Considering how the Dolphins season has gone so far (including a season-ending injury to WR1 Tyreek Hill), fans were surely anticipating the worst. Instead, it sounds like Waller’s absence should only be temporary.
After sitting out the 2024 season, Waller came out of retirement to join the Dolphins (via trade with the Giants) ahead of the 2025 campaign. After making his debut in Week 4, the veteran tight end immediately emerged as one of Tua Tagovailoa‘s preferred red zone targets. Through his first three games with his new squad, Waller hauled in four touchdowns, a number that is still tied third at his position.
Waller got into more than half of his team’s snaps in Week 5 and Week 6, so the Dolphins will have to find a solution to soak up some of those reps. The easiest option is to revert back to their TE grouping from the beginning of the season, when Julian Hill garnered a handful of additional snaps over Tanner Conner.
If Waller is destined for injured reserve, the team will likely turn to one of their practice squad tight ends for additional depth. The current options for that TE3 role are Hayden Rucci and Greg Dulcich.
Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw Suspended One Game
OCTOBER 21: Greenlaw’s suspension has been upheld on appeal, per NFL Senior VP of Football & International Communications Michael Signora. The Broncos linebacker will officially be sitting out Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.
OCTOBER 20: Dre Greenlaw has been hit with a one-game ban. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos linebacker has been suspended one game without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Per the NFL’s release (via Josina Anderson), Greenlaw “chased after referee Brad Allen and verbally threatened him as he tried to leave the field.” The league cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(b), which prohibits “the use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the League.” It’s uncertain what sparked Greenlaw’s outburst, but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo suspects it may have stemmed from the pass-interference penalty on a previous drive that ultimately got head coach Sean Payton flagged for arguing.
Garafolo notes that Greenlaw has three days to appeal his suspension. If it’s upheld, the linebacker will be forced to miss this Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.
It’s not ideal timing for the veteran, who was just making his Broncos debut after sitting out the first month-plus of the season while recovering from a quad injury. He ended up getting into about a quarter of his team’s defensive snaps yesterday, finishing with six total tackles and a QB hit. Greenlaw joined the Broncos on a three-year, $35MM deal after spending the first six seasons of his career with the 49ers. Injuries wiped out his 2021 and 2024 seasons, but he compiled a total of 247 tackles between 2022 and 2023.
Alex Singleton has yet to miss a defensive snap for the Broncos this season and will continue anchoring the linebackers room, but the team will have to get a bit creative with Greenlaw out for Week 8. Justin Strnad stepped up while his teammate was sidelined with an injury, and the former fifth-round pick will likely continue seeing a healthy dose of snaps against Dallas. Rookie Que Robinson has also seen an uptick in playing time since making his NFL debut in Week 6.
Chargers Sign LS Rick Lovato To Active Roster
Rick Lovato is back on the Chargers active roster. The team announced that they’ve signed the long snapper to their 53-man squad.
The veteran actually hasn’t missed a game for the Chargers this season. He caught on with the team’s practice squad in late August as he filled in for an injured Josh Harris. He got a single promotion before earning an actual roster spot ahead of Week 2.
However, Lovato’s future in Los Angeles seemed to temporarily be in doubt after the team suddenly released him last week. This was presumably a way of opening a roster spot, with Lovato still sticking around the organization via his second practice squad pact. With the roster shuffling presumably finished, Lovato is once again a member of the 53, and he’ll likely keep the gig until Harris is ready to return from his undisclosed injury.
Lovato found a home in Philadelphia for nearly a decade, as the long snapper didn’t miss a game for the Eagles between 2017 and 2024. During that time, the Old Dominion product earned a pair of Super Bowl rings and a Pro Bowl nod in 2019. He had the distinction of being one of four Eagles to be rostered for both Super Bowl LII and Super Bowl LIX (along with Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson, and Jake Elliott).
Eagles Approached Brandon Graham About Return Before Signing Za’Darius Smith
Brandon Graham seemed to shock nobody when he re-joined the Eagles following a very brief retirement. There were some pundits who assumed the Za’Darius Smith‘s sudden retirement accelerated Philly’s pursuit of their franchise leader in games played. While that was likely partly true, Graham revealed to NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that the Eagles actually approached him about a reunion before Smith even signed.
[RELATED: Brandon Graham Re-Signs With Eagles]
“[I] just wasn’t ready at the time,” Smith said (via NFL Media on X). “I wasn’t as confident as I am now because I didn’t think that opportunity would come for real.”
Smith inked a one-year, $9MM deal with the Eagles in early September and was expected to replace Graham’s leadership and pass-rush prowess. However, the free agent acquisition decided to call it a career after only five games with his new squad, at which time the front office approached Graham again. This time, the franchise legend was ready.
Graham left the door open for a potential return immediately following his retirement, and the veteran admitted he “got that itch” to continue playing after attending a training camp practice. It took more than a month for the actual deal to come to fruition, but as expected, Graham will soon be lining up on the edge for the Eagles defense.
While the Eagles added some much-needed pass-rush help to a defense that’s tallied only 11 sacks this season, they may not be done. Even before they added Graham, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the front office was sniffing around for some cornerback depth.
Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell have accounted for the majority of the team’s snaps at cornerback this season, with Adoree’ JacksonandKelee Ringo also taking on some leftover reps. Pro Football Focus has DeJean graded as the league’s eight-best cornerback this season, while Mitchell ranks 38th among 112 qualifiers. However, both Jackson and Ringo rank towards the bottom of the position in those same metrics, so the team is logically in the market for some reinforcement.
DeJean has seen the majority of his snaps as a slot CB this season, while Jackson and Ringo have mostly played out wide. DeJean’s versatility means the team doesn’t necessarily have to settle on an outside CB, but that would be the presumed target as they inch towards the trade deadline.
Russini also noted that the Eagles were seeking some help on the edge, although her report came out before news of Graham’s signing. For what it’s worth, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com hinted last night that the Eagles weren’t done adding to the position, even with Graham back on the roster.
Panthers To Add QB Mike White To Practice Squad
As Bryce Young nurses a high ankle sprain that’s expected to sideline him for at least Week 8, the Panthers are adding some quarterback depth. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers are signing Mike White to their practice squad.
[RELATED: Panthers QB Bryce Young Dealing With High Ankle Sprain]
After being drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, White embarked on a tour of the AFC East. He had a notable stop in New York, where he went 2-5 in seven starts with the Jets. That stint still represents the majority of his career tape, and he ended his stint with the team having completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,145 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
He spent the 2023 campaign serving as the QB2 in Miami behind Tua Tagovailoa, but after getting leaped on the depth chart by Skylar Thompson, he was cut loose at the end of the 2024 preseason. He ended up catching on with the Bills practice squad, where he’d spend the majority of the 2024 campaign.
White was among Buffalo’s final cuts at the end of this past preseason. He had a brief stop on the Bengals practice squad following Joe Burrow‘s injury, but he was cut loose a few weeks after signing.
Now, he’ll resurface in Carolina, where Young’s injury carries a recovery timeframe of two to four weeks. Andy Dalton will be the stopgap, and the Panthers will be counting on the veteran to carry the momentum from their active three-game winning streak. White will be an option to serve as the temporary QB2, although the Panthers are also rostering Hendon Hooker on their practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/20/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Colton Dowell
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB David Long Jr.
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Brayden Willis
David Long Jr. brings some experience to Indy’s practice squad, as the veteran defensive back has seen time in 79 career games. This included a 13-game showing with the Colts in 2024, although all but nine of his 117 snaps came on special teams. If he finds his way to the active roster, he’ll likely be eyeing a similar role this time around.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/25
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: CB Arthur Maulet
- Elevated: CB Tre Flowers, S Loren Strickland
- Released: LB Ty Summers
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB D’Angelo Ross
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Chargers): LB Caleb Murphy
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Shaquill Griffin, S Jerrick Reed II
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: G Mike Jordan, RB Owen Wright
It didn’t take long for Arthur Maulet to earn a full-time spot on the Lions active roster. The veteran cornerback just joined the organization earlier this month, and he already had one promotion in Week 6. He’ll likely continue seeing a rotational role in Detroit’s secondary moving forward, although his addition is partly due to absences from Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed.
The Patriots snagged a linebacker from the Chargers today. Caleb Murphy has some familiarity with Mike Vrabel, as the former Titans coach added the linebacker as an undrafted free agent back in 2023. Murphy has gotten into 14 games in stints with the Titans and Chargers, compiling 17 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
WR Tyler Lockett Granted Release By Titans
Tyler Lockett‘s stint in Tennessee has unceremoniously come to an end. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the veteran wideout asked for and was granted his release by the Titans today. The move allows Lockett to sign with another team after 4pmET on Wednesday.
After spending 10 seasons in Seattle to begin his career, Lockett was released by the Seahawks this past offseason. He quickly caught on with the Titans via a one-year, $4MM deal. The hope was that the receiver would provide another experienced target for Cam Ward, but the acquisition clearly wasn’t clicking with his new offense.
Through seven games, Lockett has hauled in 10 of his 21 targets for 70 yards. While he’s garnered the third-most snaps among Titans receivers, his role has been trending downwards in recent weeks. This seemed to culminate yesterday, when the 33-year-old was firmly playing as the WR4 despite Calvin Ridley being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
This move should now work out for both sides. The 1-6 Titans will get an opportunity to get a longer look at their younger wideouts, including Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, who hauled in his first-career touchdown during yesterday’s loss. Paul Kuharsky wonders if the Titans may also lean more into two tight end sets, which would presumably consist of Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm.
For Lockett, the veteran will have an opportunity to catch on with a more competitive squad, although he may be hard pressed to find a significant role with a new team. Lockett’s numbers dropped a bit during his final seasons in Seattle, including a 2024 campaign where he finished with 49 receptions for 600 yards and two touchdowns.
This was a far cry from the four-straight 1,000-yard campaigns he put up between 2019 and 2022, and his recent role in Tennessee could indicate that he doesn’t have a whole lot left in the tank. At the very least, the veteran can now ride off into the sunset with a team that’s perhaps destined for the postseason.
Commanders Sign WR Treylon Burks To Practice Squad
OCTOBER 17: The Burks deal is now official, per a team announcement. In a corresponding move, Martin has been released from Washington’s practice squad. It will be interesting to see if Burks is elevated to the gameday roster in time for Sunday.
OCTOBER 16: As the Commanders navigate a number of injuries to their receivers corps, the team is set to add a former first-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is expected to sign Treylon Burks to their practice squad.
Per Rapoport, Burks shouldn’t last long on the taxi squad, as the team intends to add him to the active roster as soon as possible. However, it seems unlikely that the player will make his team debut as soon as this Sunday.
Star wideout Terry McLaurin hasn’t played since Week 3 while dealing with a quad injury, and after being downgraded to a non-participant during today’s practice, it seems like he’s facing an uphill battle to play in Week 7. Noah Brown is currently sitting on IR with a groin injury, while Deebo Samuel seems unlikely to play this weekend as he nurses a heel issue.
Thanks to the injuries, the Commanders currently have three healthy receivers on their active roster in Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey, and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane. The team will surely dip into their practice squad options for this weekend, with that grouping featuring Jacoby Jones, Robbie Chosen, Ja’Corey Brooks, and Tay Martin.
While Burks probably won’t be an option for Week 7, he’ll likely soon find himself on the active roster, especially if McLaurin or Samuel still aren’t ready for Week 8. Burks struggled to live up to his first-round billing in Tennessee, as the wideout collected only 765 yards from scrimmage in three years with the organization. He had four catches in five appearances in 2024 before suffering an ACL injury that ended his season.
Burks was back at training camp with the Titans this past summer, but a fractured collarbone resulted in him being waived/injured. He subsequently landed on season-ending IR, but the team cut him earlier this month, allowing him to play elsewhere in 2025. The 25-year-old had an audition with the Broncos before landing in Washington.