Bears Sign S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is joining his third organization of the 2025 season. The Bears are signing the 27-year-old to their active roster, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Gardner-Johnson appeared in 16 of the Eagles’ regular-season games in 2024 and tied a career high with six interceptions. He was also part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run, but they parted with him after the season.
In a trade that hasn’t worked out for either side, the Eagles sent Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Texans for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a fifth-rounder in next year’s draft.
Green, who couldn’t crack the Eagles’ roster, is now a member of the Ravens’ practice squad. Gardner-Johnson lasted just three games in Houston before the team released him. He reportedly clashed with teammates and was unhappy with his role in the Texans’ defense.
After the Texans said goodbye to him, Gardner-Johnson joined Green on the Ravens’ practice squad. It was a short-lived stay, however, as the Ravens moved on a week later. Gardner-Johnson signed with Baltimore before the team acquired safety Alohi Gilman from the Chargers. With Gilman’s arrival blocking a path to playing time, Gardner-Johnson’s agent asked for his client’s release. The Ravens granted it.
After a couple of weeks on the open market, Gardner-Johnson will indeed find a clearer avenue to playing time on Chicago’s active roster. He’ll also reunite with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who coached Gardner-Johnson in New Orleans from 2019-21. Those were Gardner-Johnson’s first three NFL seasons, a 43-game span in which he picked off five passes. Allen left a positive impression on Gardner-Johnson.
“He got my career going. I appreciate him,” Gardner-Johnson told the CHGO Bears podcast last February.
While the 4-3 Bears have two established starting safeties in Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard, who lead their defense in snaps, their secondary is dealing with multiple significant injuries. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are on IR. A groin injury has kept Johnson out since Week 1, while Gordon landed on the shelf with calf and groin issues before the Bears’ loss to the Ravens last Sunday. Gordon is Chicago’s top nickel corner, but the addition of Gardner-Johnson could help fill the void during his absence. The Bears plan to use Gardner-Johnson as a slot corner, head coach Ben Johnson announced (via Courtney Cronin of ESPN).
Steelers To Acquire S Kyle Dugger From Pats
The Steelers saw starting safety DeShon Elliott go down with a knee injury in a Week 8 loss to the Packers. They’re acting quickly to address the position. Pittsburgh will acquire safety Kyle Dugger and a 2026 seventh-round pick from New England for a 2026 sixth-rounder, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
This is the second trade of Tuesday for the Patriots, who previously sent defensive end Keion White and a seventh-rounder to the 49ers for a sixth-rounder.
At 5-2 and atop the AFC East, the Patriots aren’t in position to sell leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. However, both Dugger and White fell out of favor this year under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
A second-round pick of the Bill Belichick regime in 2020, Dugger quickly emerged as a key cog in the Patriots’ defense. He started between 13 and 17 games in each season from 2021-24 and racked up nine interceptions during that span.
The Patriots handed Dugger a four-year, $58MM extension with $32.5MM in guarantees in April 2024, locking him up through 2027. Despite that expensive commitment, Dugger emerged as a trade candidate late last summer when it became clear he was no longer a clean fit in the Patriots’ defense.
The Patriots held on to Dugger for the first couple months of the season, but he experienced a significant dip in playing time during the team’s hot start. Before the trade, Dugger saw action in a meager 38.4% of defensive snaps while working behind starting safeties Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins. Pro Football Focus ranks Dugger’s 2025 performance 62nd among 88 qualifying safeties. With Dugger gone, Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler are now the Patriots’ main reserves at safety.
The 29-year-old Dugger will now have a chance at a larger role with another division leader in Pittsburgh, which will place Elliott on IR, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Elliott will miss at least four games, which left the Steelers in the market for immediate help at safety. Pittsburgh will face four straight postseason contenders – the Colts, Chargers, Bengals, and Bears – with Elliott on the shelf.
The 4-3 Steelers have dropped two games in a row, largely as a result of an inability to stop the pass. Quarterbacks Joe Flacco (Bengals) and Jordan Love (Packers) combined to shred the Steelers for 702 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions over the past two weeks. Typically known for boasting a vaunted defense, the Steelers rank dead last in the league in passing yards per game allowed (273.3).
Dugger will now join a Steelers safety group consisting of Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and former Patriots teammate Jabrill Peppers. He and Peppers often started next to each other in New England from 2022-24. Peppers has taken on a reserve role in his first season in Pittsburgh, but Dugger could regain a starting job now that he’s headed to the Steel City.
No Extension Talks Between Cowboys, George Pickens?
Acquired from the Steelers last spring, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has gotten off to a fast start in his first season in Dallas. This could go down as Pickens’ only season in Dallas, though, as the team has not discussed a contract extension with the soon-to-be free agent or his representatives, according to Ed Werder of WFAA.
Werder’s report comes just a week after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed interest in locking up Pickens to a new deal.
“Any and everything about George Pickens has crossed our minds,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “Certainly he’s a topic of interest and discussions because of the success he’s having.”
Pickens expressed an openness to a Dallas extension back in August, but the price tag has likely gone up since then. During his three-season run in Pittsburgh, the former Georgia Bulldog averaged approximately 16 games, 59 catches, 947 yards, and four touchdowns per year. That’s solid production, albeit far from elite, and there was drama along the way.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said last December that Pickens needed to “grow up in a hurry” after he took two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Bengals. A few weeks later, Pickens showed up late for the Steelers’ Christmas Day game against the Chiefs, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reported last January. After trading Pickens to the Cowboys, Steelers general manager Omar Kahn stated that “a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
The “fresh start” has worked out well for Pickens and the Cowboys. Pickens has been an integral cog in one of the league’s most productive offenses, and there haven’t been any known issues behind the scenes. With 43 catches and 685 yards through eight games, Pickens is easily on track to surpass his career highs of 63 and 1,140 in those categories. He has already hauled in a personal-best six touchdowns.
Between Pickens’ spike in production and a lack of high-end receivers due to reach free agency in the offseason, the 24-year-old could push for a long-term deal in the $30MM-per-annum vicinity. That would be a hefty commitment for a Dallas team that’s already paying No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb $34MM per season on the four-year, $136MM pact it awarded him in August 2024. If the Cowboys are unable to hammer out a multiyear arrangement with Pickens, Werder points to the franchise tag as a possibility. That would cost the Cowboys around $28MM in 2026.
Latest On DeShon Elliott; Steelers Work Out Vonn Bell, Eddie Jackson
While a report on Monday indicated that injured Steelers safety DeShon Elliott could miss the rest of the season, that may not be the case. Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Elliott is “week-to-week,” adding that the team hasn’t discussed whether he’ll go on injured reserve (via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com).
While Elliott suffered a knee injury in a 35-25 loss to the Packers in Week 8, his ACL is reportedly intact. It does seem that the 28-year-old starter will miss time, though, and an IR placement would force a four-game absence.
The Steelers have dropped to 4-3 after losing two straight, but they’re still atop the AFC North. Over the next four weeks, they’ll face three AFC playoff hopefuls – the Colts, Chargers, and Bengals – before a meeting with the Bears.
Although the rival Bengals are a subpar 3-5, that’s good enough for second in the division. They defeated the Steelers in the teams’ first matchup in Week 7. Elliott led the Steelers with nine tackles in that game, but Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco went off for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 shootout. The Steelers’ defense had a similarly rough time last Sunday against Green Bay QB Jordan Love, who completed 29 of 37 passes for 360 yards and three scores.
Thanks to Elliott’s injury, Pittsburgh’s struggling defense is down to Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and Jabrill Peppers as its top options at safety. Looking to bolster their depth, the Steelers worked out free agents Vonn Bell and Eddie Jackson on Tuesday, according to Pryor.
A second-round pick of the Saints in 2016, Bell has spent a large portion of his career with the Bengals. In his second stint with Cincinnati last year, Bell played in all 17 of the team’s games, made 11 starts, and added 55 tackles and an interception. The 30-year-old has 117 starts on his resume, but he has gone without a deal since last season ended.
The Steelers are also familiar with Jackson, who played nine games with the division rival Ravens in 2024. They waived Jackson in late November, and he went on to appear in two games with the Chargers after they signed him to their practice squad.
Now 31, Jackson enjoyed plenty of success earlier in his career with the Bears after they used a fourth-round pick on him in 2017. Jackson stayed in Chicago through 2023, starting in all 100 of his games with the team, intercepting 15 passes, and earning two Pro Bowl nods. Like Bell, Jackson has gone unsigned since the end of last season.
Bills Sign Jordan Poyer, Jordan Phillips To Active Roster; Ed Oliver Placed On IR
Gearing up for a key showdown with the Chiefs on Sunday, the Bills announced that they’ve signed safety Jordan Poyer and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the practice squad to the active roster.
The team also placed defensive tackle Ed Oliver on injured reserve, a formality after he suffered a biceps tear in a win over the Panthers last Sunday. Oliver, who will undergo surgery, could return in the event of “a lengthy playoff run,” per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.
A Bill from 2017-23 and half of a top-tier safety tandem with Micah Hyde for a large portion of that stretch, Poyer spent last season with AFC East rival Miami after Buffalo released him. While Poyer made 16 starts for the Dolphins in 2024, he went without an interception for the second year in a row and was unable to land a deal until the Bills added him to their practice squad in late August.
In an ideal situation, the Bills may not have had to use the 34-year-old Poyer much (if at all) this season. They entered the campaign with Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop as their starting safeties. Damar Hamlin was in the fold as a prominent depth piece.
Bishop, the team leader in defensive snaps, is still standing. However, Rapp went on IR ahead of Week 8 with a nagging knee injury, and Hamlin has been on shelf since Oct. 11 with a pectoral issue. Head coach Sean McDermott didn’t seem optimistic that Hamlin would return this year when the team placed him on IR.
With Rapp and Hamlin down, Poyer played in his second game of the season in Week 8. The former first-team All-Pro logged 45 defensive snaps and five tackles in a 40-9 victory in Carolina. Barring the acquisition of a safety by the Nov. 4 trade deadline, which is reportedly a possibility, the Bills will go forward with Poyer and Bishop as their primary options at the position. Cam Lewis and Jordan Hancock are around in depth roles.
Phillips, now in his third stint with the Bills, has already received three standard gameday elevations from the practice squad this season. That’s the maximum number, meaning the Bills had no choice but to sign Phillips to their active roster in order to use him again. The 33-year-old played 23 defensive snaps against the Panthers and could see more action with injuries eating away at the interior of Buffalo’s line.
Along with Oliver, the Bills are dealing with the long-term absence of second-round rookie T.J. Sanders, who has been on IR with a knee injury since Oct. 11. Meanwhile, veteran starter DaQuan Jones has missed back-to-back games with a calf injury. It’s unclear whether Jones will play against the Chiefs. If not, Phillips will join fourth-round rookie Deone Walker and Larry Ogunjobi as the Bills’ top D-tackle options for Week 9.
Oliver missed four games earlier this year with an ankle injury, but his biceps tear is a massive shot to a Buffalo defense that hasn’t been able to contain opposing ground attacks in 2025. The Bills rank 31st in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed (150.3). That may be something for general manager Brandon Beane to address ahead of the deadline.
Browns Shopping S Rayshawn Jenkins
With the Nov. 4 trade deadline around the corner, the last-place Browns have swung a couple of deals in recent weeks. General manager Andrew Berry sent quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals and pulled off a cornerback swap with the Jaguars, acquiring Tyson Campbell for Greg Newsome.
While Berry is unlikely to conduct a pre-deadline fire sale, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him deal a couple of veterans on expiring contracts. As a soon-to-be free agent, safety Rayshawn Jenkins is a candidate for a change of scenery over the next week. The Browns are indeed “open to trading” Jenkins, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.
After dividing his first eight NFL seasons among the Chargers, Jaguars, and Seahawks, Jenkins joined the Browns on an inexpensive one-year deal worth $1.42MM last May. Jenkins came to Cleveland with 89 starts under his belt, including anywhere from nine to 17 over the previous six seasons. However, he hasn’t been a major factor on defense this year.
With Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit in place as the Browns’ starting safety tandem, the 31-year-old Jenkins played just 21.5% of defensive snaps during the team’s first eight games. He has tallied 21 tackles and an interception, the 11th of his career, thus far.
Hickman, who fended off Jenkins for a starting role over the summer, leads all Browns defenders in snaps and ranks as Pro Football Focus’ second-best safety. With him and Delpit entrenched in their roles, most of Jenkins’ playing time has come on special teams. His 55.6% ST snap share ranks fourth on the Browns. He leads the league with 13 special teams tackles.
With the Seahawks in the early stages of the offseason last winter, they let him seek a trade out of Seattle earlier this year. The Seahawks released Jenkins after they could not find a taker for a player attached to a $4.89MM base salary. With Jenkins now earning significantly less, Cleveland may have an easier time finding a trade partner in the coming days.
Cardinals Opening Practice Windows For Garrett Williams, BJ Ojulari
The Cardinals’ defense could welcome a pair of reinforcements in the coming weeks. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that the Cardinals opened cornerback Garrett Williams‘ 21-day practice window on Tuesday. Gannon added that the team will open outside linebacker BJ Ojulari‘s practice window on Thursday.
Now 2-5 after suffering five straight one-score losses, the Cardinals are coming off their bye and will face the Cowboys on Monday. While it’s unclear if Williams will be ready for that game, it would be ideal to have him back against a high-flying Cowboys attack.
Williams, who played both slot and outside corner early this season, was in on almost every Cardinals defensive snap before going on IR with a knee injury after Week 2. The Cardinals began 2-0 with Williams in the fold. The third-year man broke out last season with 58 tackles, nine passes defensed, and two interceptions over 16 games (11 starts). Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as the third-best corner in the NFL in 2024.
In Williams’ absence this season, the Cardinals have used safeties Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in nickel situations. Second-round rookie Will Johnson has received increased playing time on the outside. The Cardinals’ defense has fared respectably without Williams. The unit ranks seventh in passer rating against and 13th in points per game allowed, and it should get even stronger once Williams rejoins the fray.
Arizona hasn’t gotten anything from Ojulari since 2023, his rookie season. The former second-rounder from LSU appeared in all 17 games in his first year and picked up 40 tackles and four sacks. He tore his ACL during the ensuing summer and hasn’t played since. Ojulari, who opened this season on the reserve/PUP list, will give the Cardinals extra pass-rushing depth at OLB behind Josh Sweat and Baron Browning if he’s healthy enough to return in the next three weeks. Sweat and Browning have combined for seven of the Cardinals’ 12 sacks.
Arizona also made a few minor moves on Tuesday, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. After the Cardinals released running back Michael Carter and cornerback Darren Hall on Monday, they re-signed the pair to their practice squad. At the same time, they released two receivers – Bryson Green and D’Ernest Johnson – and tight end Nick Muse from the P-squad.
NFL To Review Ravens’ Week 8 Injury Report
A hamstring injury has kept Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson out for three games, but he’s expected to return Thursday against the Dolphins. The team announced Jackson was a full participant in a walkthrough on Monday.
As it geared up for a Week 8 matchup with Chicago, Baltimore erred in announcing Jackson as a full participant in last Friday’s practice. Jackson was in attendance for the entire practice, but he only took snaps with the scout team.
According to the NFL’s injury policy, “Participation on the scout team, no matter how extensive, by a player whose normal repetitions would be with the starters but for his medical condition, would not alter the player’s proper designation as ‘Limited Participation.’”
The Ravens issued a correction Saturday, changing his practice status to limited while ruling him out for the game. Despite Jackson’s absence, the Ravens defeated the Bears behind backup signal-caller Tyler Huntley.
Although Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the team made an “honest mistake” regarding Jackson’s injury designation last week (via Saad Yousuf of The Athletic), the NFL is now reviewing the matter, Mark Maske of the Washington Post relays.
“The league will look into this,” a league spokesperson said. “The league reviews any matter involving a change to a player’s status.”
The NFL’s investigation into the Ravens comes with the NBA embroiled in a gambling scandal since last Thursday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams on Friday “regarding the gambling policy for league and team staffers,” according to Maske. Additionally, the NFL Management Council sent a memo to teams regarding the league’s gambling policy for players.
Regarding the NBA scandal, the NFL wrote in the memo (via Maske), “These developments underscore the risks that all sports are facing in the current environment and serve as a reminder of the need to adhere strictly to the NFL Gambling Policy.”
The change in Jackson’s status on Saturday did not reveal “any unusual betting activity,” Maske writes, though it did lead to a significant change in the spread. The Ravens opened as 6.5-point favorites. That figure immediately plummeted to 1.5 after they ruled the two-time MVP out.
With the NBA in the midst of a PR nightmare, it’s possible the NFL will come down hard on the Ravens. Forfeiture of draft picks, fines, and suspensions could all be on the table. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the NFL’s “Personnel (Injury) Report Policy” states that the commissioner “may deprive the offending club of a selection choice or choices, and/or may fine the offending club and/or may fine or suspend with or without pay any involved individuals as appropriate.”
Even if the NFL finds that the Ravens did just make an “honest mistake,” the team still violated league policy. Although it could be minor, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Ravens receive some sort of punishment as a result.
Colts, Lions Seeking Cornerback Help
With the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaching, a couple of the NFL’s top teams are interested in bolstering their secondaries. The 7-1 Colts and 5-2 Lions are making calls for cornerback help, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Although the Colts own the league’s best record, their success has come despite a depleted cornerback group. Their issues at the position began when they lost third-round rookie Justin Walley to a season-ending ACL tear in August. He had been pushing for a starting role alongside No. 1 corner Charvarius Ward and slot CB Kenny Moore.
Walley’s injury led the Colts to sign veteran Xavien Howard, but that didn’t yield positive results. He abruptly retired after a rough showing over the Colts’ first four games.
Adding to the Colts’ problems, they placed Jaylon Jones on IR with a hamstring injury after Week 1 and sent Ward to the shelf with a concussion after Week 6. The team has continued to win without them, though, and could get both players back soon.
The Colts opened Jones’ 21-day practice window on Oct. 22, which should lead to a return in the near future. Ward, meanwhile, has missed two games and is only required to sit out two more. He’ll be eligible to rejoin Indy’s secondary after a Week 11 bye.
With Ward and Jones unavailable, the Colts have been relying on the relatively untested group of Mekhi Blackmon, undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards, Chris Lammons, and Cameron Mitchell to pick up the slack. While defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo‘s unit has persevered to allow the league’s sixth-fewest points per game (19.3), Indianapolis ranks a much less encouraging 28th against the pass.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard reportedly wants to acquire a “proven defensive playmaker,” an addition that could come in the secondary before the deadline.
The AFC South rival Titans traded corner Roger McCreary to the Rams on Monday, taking him off the board, but the Saints’ Alontae Taylor, the Seahawks’ Riq Woolen, and the Bengals’ Cam Taylor-Britt are among other names that have surfaced in the rumor mill. Taylor-Britt played under Anarumo, then Cincinnati’s D-coordinator, from 2022-24.
Any of Taylor, Woolen, or Taylor-Britt could also appeal to the Lions, who have joined the Colts in dealing with multiple injuries to notable cornerbacks. Starters D.J. Reed, a big-ticket offseason signing, and Terrion Arnold have been out of commission for the past few weeks.
Reed went on IR with a hamstring injury on Oct. 1. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 10, though it’s unclear if that will happen. Arnold last played on Oct. 5, but he’s making progress in his recovery from a shoulder injury. Head coach Dan Campbell said that Arnold will return to practice on Tuesday (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
Despite the absences of Reed, Arnold, and Avonte Maddox (hamstring), the Lions stymied Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and a banged-up receiving corps in Week 7. Amik Robertson, Nick Whiteside, Arthur Maulet, and Rock Ya-Sin led Lions corners in snaps in a 24-9 win.
Detroit is getting healthier coming out of its bye week, which could give general manager Brad Holmes less urgency to swing a trade in the coming days. However, Holmes is at least doing his due diligence with just over a week left until the deadline.
Steelers’ DeShon Elliott Unlikely To Return This Season
The Steelers lost defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale to a season-ending ACL tear in a 35-25 defeat against the Packers on Sunday. Safety DeShon Elliott, who also suffered a knee injury in Week 8, could join Ekuale on the shelf for the rest of the season. While Elliott’s ACL is intact, he’s unlikely to return this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Elliott missed two games in September with a knee injury, but the 28-year-old has otherwise started in all five appearances this season. A former Raven, Lion, and Dolphin, Elliott has amassed 69 starts in 77 games since entering the NFL in 2019.
After joining the Steelers on a two-year, $6MM contract in 2024, Elliott totaled a career-high 108 tackles with six passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and an interception over 15 games (14 starts). The Steelers were impressed enough to award Elliott a two-year, $12.5MM extension with $9.21MM in guarantees last June.
Elliott was off to a productive start this season before exiting on a cart in the second half on Sunday. He has picked up 38 tackles, two passes defensed, a forced fumble, and an interception. Pro Football Focus ranks Elliott 25th among 88 qualifying safeties this year. Unfortunately for Elliott and the Steelers, it doesn’t appear he’ll be able to add to those numbers during the final 10 games of the season.
The Steelers are still atop the AFC North, but they’re an unspectacular 4-3 after dropping two straight games. Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco and Packers QB Jordan Love torched the Steelers in those contests. They combined to complete 60 of 84 passes (71%) for 702 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Before a rematch with the second-place Bengals (3-5) in Week 11, Pittsburgh will face two other AFC contenders in the 7-1 Colts and the 5-3 Chargers. Losing Elliott heading into those matchups is an unwelcome development, but it appears the Steelers will have to proceed with Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and Jabrill Peppers as their top safety options.