NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/20/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Chicago Bears
- WR Maurice Alexander, RB Brittain Brown, TE Stephen Carlson, LS Luke Elkin, DB Dallis Flowers, DL Jonathan Garvin, LB Dominique Hampton, OL Kyle Hergel, TE Nikola Kalinic, DB Dontae Manning, DL Jeremiah Martin, DB Gervarrius Owens, WR JP Richardson, LB Nephi Sewell
Green Bay Packers
- DL Jaden Crumedy, QB Kyle McCord
Houston Texans
- DE Solomon Byrd, C Eli Cox, WR Josh Kelly, TE Luke Lachey, S Kaevon Merriweather, G Sidy Sow, DT Junior Tafuna, LB Xavier Thomas, WR Jared Wayne
Philadelphia Eagles
- CB Ambry Thomas
Pittsburgh Steelers
- DB Doneiko Slaughter, OL Lorenzo Thompson
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Isaac Alarcon, DL Evan Anderson, CB Eli Apple, WR Junior Bergen, DL William Bradley-King, DB Derrick Canteen, LB Andrew Farmer, S Darrick Forrest, LB Jalen Graham, QB Adrian Martinez, OL Drake Nugent, OL Brandon Parker, WR Malik Turner, DL Sebastian Valdez
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/20/26
Today’s practice squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: C Michael Deiter
With Broncos starting center Luke Wattenberg expected to return from IR for the AFC Championship Game, the team decided to move on from veteran center Michael Deiter. The 29-year-old got into 17 games for the Commanders last season and appeared in two games with them in 2025. He caught on with the Broncos practice squad earlier this month. Taking his place is Brandon Johnson, who is the son of former Colorado Rockies catcher Charles Johnson and cousin of former NFL standout Chad Johnson. The wideout has seen time in 23 career games, hauling in 26 catches for 335 yards and five touchdowns.
Falcons Interview Drew Terrell For OC Job
Drew Terrell‘s coordinator candidacy is starting to heat up. We learned yesterday that the Cardinals passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach interviewed for the Chargers OC job, and now NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Terrell also interviewed for the Falcons job.
[RELATED: Chargers Interview Drew Terrell For OC]
Following his four-year collegiate career at Stanford (where he was recruited by Jim Harbaugh), Terrell kicked off his coaching career with a job at Virginia Tech. He quickly moved on to Michigan’s staff under his former college coach before taking his first NFL coaching gig with the Panthers in 2018.
Terrell joined the Commanders franchise in 2020 and quickly earned a promotion to WRs coach, where he guided the likes of Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. He lost out on the Cardinals OC job in 2023 but still ended up joining their staff as the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach. While Terrell struggled to get the most out of Marvin Harrison during his time in Arizona, he has played a key role in the development of Michael Wilson and (to a lesser extent) Trey McBride.
Terrell has turned into a relatively popular name during this year’s hiring cycle, as he’s scheduled interviews with the Commanders and Chargers. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to join Kevin Stefanski‘s new staff in Atlanta. While Tommy Rees is the favorite for the Falcons OC job, Terrell represents the team’s first official interview for the position.
Buccaneers Hire Danny Smith As ST Coordinator
The Buccaneers are turning to a veteran coach to guide their special teams. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Tampa Bay is hiring Danny Smith as their new special teams coordinator.
Smith’s coaching career dates back to the 1970s, when he served as a graduate assistant at Edinboro. After spending more than a decade in college football, he got his first NFL job with the Eagles in 1995. Since then, he’s had stints with Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, and Pittsburgh.
He most recently served as the Steelers special teams coordinator, a job he held since 2013. During his time with the organization, Smith was credited with the development of kicker Chris Boswell, who currently ranks second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
Following Mike Tomlin‘s departure, Smith considered new opportunities. The 72-year-old now lands with the Buccaneers, who have been seeking a replacement for the ousted Thomas McGaughey. Smith interviewed for the job on Friday, and Todd Bowles didn’t take long to make a hire. The gum-chewing coordinator beat out the likes of Craig Aukerman, Anthony Levine Sr., Michael Clay, and Jett Modkins for the job.
George Kittle Eyeing Early-Season Return
It was assumed that George Kittle‘s Achilles injury would sideline him for a significant chunk of the 2026 campaign. However, the 49ers tight end is confident he’ll be back much earlier thanks to a “best-case scenario” tear.
[RELATED: 49ers’ George Kittle Suffers Torn Achilles]
Speaking to reporters today, Kittle discussed last week’s injury and the subsequent surgery, noting that doctors confirmed the team’s assessment that he suffered a “clean tear” near his soleus, which is located higher on his Achilles tendon.
“They didn’t have to drill into my heel,” Kittle said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “And where the repair was, there’s more blood flow. And so it takes some time off the recovery time. So he’s very excited about everything. My recovery — when I’ll be running, when I’ll be ready to go play again — he’s very excited about it. So that puts me in a really good mood. It’s not as bad as other ones.”
Kittle wouldn’t commit to a definitive timeline, teasing that it would ultimately be a “surprise.” However, the tight end did acknowledge that he expects to be back before November, and he even hinted that he could push for a Week 1 return. As Branch notes, the latter scenario would require an eight-month recovery, which isn’t completely unfounded. Branch cites the roughly six-month recoveries for Michael Crabtree and Cam Akers, as well as Ben Roethlisberger‘s three-month turnaround (although the QB wasn’t cleared to play).
For further intrigue, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this past weekend that Kittle had also undergone a “SpeedBridge repair,” which carries a bit more risk but should get him back on the field sooner (via Alex Simon of SFGate.com). The player was operated on by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team physician for the Rams and Dodgers. ElAttrache has also operated on the likes of Nick Bosa (twice), Tom Brady, and Kobe Bryant.
Kittle suffered the injury in the second quarter of San Francisco’s wild-card victory over the Eagles. The tight end said he felt pain when he planted his right foot in anticipation of a tackle, and he immediately knew what injury he had suffered
Chargers Interview Drew Terrell For OC
The Chargers continue their search for a new offensive coordinator, and they’re now turning to an unexpected spot to potentially fill the role. The team announced this evening that they completed an interview with Cardinals passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Drew Terrell.
The former Stanford wideout started his NFL coaching career with the Panthers in 2018. He made a name for himself during his three-year stint in Washington, where he served as a receivers coach. During his time with the organization, he oversaw Terry McLaurin‘s development into a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout, and he was also at the helm for one of Curtis Samuel‘s most productive campaigns.
He lost out on the Cardinals offensive coordinator job in 2023 but ended up still joining the organization as their passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. While Marvin Harrison hasn’t truly broken out under the coach’s tutelage, Terrell did squeeze out an unexpected 1,000-yard campaign from Michael Wilson in 2025. Of course, Trey McBride has also emerged as one of the league’s premier pass-catching TEs while Terrell has served as the passing game coordinator.
While Terrell would appear to be a somewhat random addition to the Chargers’ OC search, he does have some connection to Jim Harbaugh. Terrell worked under the coach while working as a graduate assistant on Michigan’s staff.
Greg Roman was canned as the Chargers offensive coordinator following a low-score outing in the team’s playoff loss to the Patriots. Harbaugh has generally been targeting veteran coaches for the role, with the likes of Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll, Arthur Smith, Marcus Brady, Shane Day, and Brian Callahan interviewing for the gig.
Packers To Interview Christian Parker For DC Job
With Jeff Hafley heading to Miami, the Packers are now in need of a new defensive coordinator. We’ve now got our first candidate for the opening. According to Jordan Schultz, the Packers will interview Eagles DBs coach and pass-game coordinator Christian Parker for the job.
[RELATED: Dolphins Hire Jeff Hafley As Head Coach]
This would be a bit of a homecoming for Parker, who started his NFL coaching career in Green Bay. Following a two-year stint as a Packers defensive quality control coach, Parker moved to the Eagles to serve as their defensive backs coach in 2021. He spent three years in that role before earning the added responsibility of passing game coordinator in 2024.
Most recently, Parker has been credited with the development of cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Both of the 2024 draft picks have emerged as key starters in Philly, and the duo both earned spots in the top-10 of Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings this season. Parker was also part of Vic Fangio‘s defensive staff that ranked No. 1 against the pass during their Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign. While the defense took a slight step back in 2025 (finishing eighth overall), that didn’t do much to hurt Parker’s coordinator candidacy.
The 34-year-old has emerged as a name to watch during each of the past two hiring cycles. He interviewed for the Saints gig last offseason, and he’s expected to garner a second interview with the Cowboys this year.
If he ends up earning the Packers job, he’ll be tasked with turning around a defense that slightly disappointed this past year. The Packers ranked top 10 in points (sixth) and yards (fifth) in 2024, but the unit was less successful in 2025 (11th scoring and 12th in total defense). Part of that was due to Micah Parsons‘ season-ending injury, and Hafley’s popularity in this year’s coaching carousel proved that Green Bay’s defensive approach was still highly regarded.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/19/26
Today’s reserve/futures contracts:
Buffalo Bills
- DT Tommy Akingbesote, LB Jimmy Ciarlo, OL Travis Clayton, DB Te’Cory Couch, CB M.J. Devonshire, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Stephen Gosnell, WR Mecole Hardman, LB Keonta Jenkins, DE Andre Jones Jr., DT Zion Logue, DB Daryl Porter Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- CB Michael Reid
Pittsburgh Steelers
Bengals Extend TE Tanner Hudson
The Bengals are keeping Tanner Hudson around for at least another year. The team announced that they’ve signed the tight end to a one-year extension.
Following stints with the Buccaneers, 49ers, and Giants to begin his career, Hudson joined the Bengals practice squad late in the 2022 campaign. He stuck around Cincinnati for the following three seasons, getting into 38 games with the organization.
His best season came in 2023, when he hauled in 39 catches for 352 yards. He’s followed that up with 19-catch showings in both 2024 and 2025. This past season, Hudson got into a career-high 15 games, although he was limited to only 148 offensive snaps. He found himself fourth on the depth chart to begin the season, but he was mostly splitting reps with Noah Fant and Mike Gesicki behind Drew Sample by the time the season ended.
After inking a one-year, $1.255MM deal to stick with the Bengals last offseason, Hudson was set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Instead, he’ll be sticking with Cincy through the offseason and likely through the 2026 campaign. Fant is also an impending free agent, so perhaps Hudson could find himself higher on the depth chart next season.
Giants Request DC Interview With Daronte Jones
We heard this past weekend that Daronte Jones was set for a second interview for the Cowboys defensive coordinator job. Now, a division rival has entered the fray. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants have requested permission to interview the Vikings passing game coordinator for their own defensive coordinator vacancy.
Jones had a long stint coaching college football before taking his first NFL gig with the Dolphins in 2016. Since then, he’s quickly climbed the ranks, serving as a cornerbacks/DBs coach with the Bengals and later the Vikings. This is actually his second stint in Minnesota, with Jones briefly leaving the organization to serve as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
After returning as the Vikings defensive backs coach in 2022, he earned a promotion to defensive pass game coordinator in 2023. He emerged as a popular defensive coordinator target during last year’s hiring cycle, interviewing for the Bears, Jaguars, and Saints gigs. He also interviewed for the Giants opening in 2024.
He ended up sticking in Minnesota for the 2025 campaign and is once again a candidate for multiple openings. The Jets interviewed him for their defensive coordinator vacancy, and the Cowboys moved him on to the second round of their search. There have also been rumblings that Jones could just earn a promotion to the role in Minnesota if Brian Flores ends up leaving.
John Harbaugh is now in the process of building out his staff with the Giants. He’s likely going to hire old friend Todd Monken to serve as his offensive coordinator, and we’ve heard that former assistant Anthony Weaver could be a candidate for the DC role. However, it seems like Harbaugh is willing to at least consider outside names as he looks to fill his staff.