Several Saints Drawing Trade Interest
Running back Alvin Kamara isn’t the only member of the Saints drawing interest in advance of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, EDGE Carl Granderson, linebacker Pete Werner, and offensive lineman Dillon Radunz are all on other teams’ radars, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
At 1-4 and unlikely to work their way into contention this year, the Saints are lining up as deadline sellers. Kamara appears unlikely to go anywhere, though, and Rapoport notes that the team is not planning a fire sale. However, that doesn’t mean the Saints won’t listen to offers on their potential trade candidates.
Shaheed, one of the league’s fastest players, is on pace for the most productive season of his career. After missing most of 2024 with a meniscus injury, Shaheed has returned to haul in 22 of 30 targets for 288 yards and two touchdowns in five games this year. He has also averaged 15.2 yards on six punt returns. The 27-year-old isn’t tied to New Orleans past this season, though, which may make a trade more likely. He’s on a $4.2MM base salary and due to reach free agency in the offseason.
The Saints may not have any urgency to part with Granderson, who’s signed through 2027 on the four-year, $52MM extension he received in 2023. Nevertheless, it’s no surprise teams have interest in the 28-year-old. After combining for 19.5 sacks from 2022-24, he has racked up 4.5 in five games this season. The 49ers are among contenders seeking pass-rushing upgrades, though it’s unclear if they have called the Saints about Granderson.
Werner, another staple in New Orleans’ front seven, has started in 52 of 61 contests (including four of five this year) since joining the team as a second-round pick in 2021. Like Granderson, Werner impressed the Saints enough earlier in his career to secure an extension. He’s under team control through 2027 on a three-year, $25MM pact. Werner has logged an 82.8% snap share and totaled 41 tackles this year, though Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his performance a lowly 65th among 72 qualifying linebackers.
After starting 15 games at right guard with the Titans last year, Radunz signed with the Saints on a one-year, $2.25MM deal in March. Now the backup to Saints left guard Trevor Penning and only a few months from returning to the open market, the 27-year-old Radunz wouldn’t command much in a trade.
The Saints have four games left before the deadline, including three against teams that are over .500. General manager Mickey Loomis will decide over the next few weeks who (if anyone) is expendable. Just a year removed from trading cornerback Marshon Lattimore (then a career-long Saint) to the Commanders, Loomis could be in for another active deadline this season.
49ers Activate Malik Mustapha From Reserve/PUP List
The 49ers will get a key defender back in time for their Week 6 matchup with the Buccaneers. The team announced that it has activated safety Malik Mustapha from the reserve/PUP list.
Mustapha will return to the field on Sunday for the first time since he suffered a right ACL injury in Week 18 last year. That was a sour ending to an impressive rookie season for Mustapha. The former Wake Forest defender played in 16 games (12 starts) and totaled 72 tackles, five passes defensed, and an interception in 2024.
Without Mustapha (and several other injured players) around this year, the 49ers have still managed a 4-1 start. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has deployed safeties Marques Sigle and Jason Pinnock on 100 percent of snaps in Mustapha’s absence. Ji’Ayir Brown has seen action on just over 15 percent of snaps. Mustapha should reemerge as an important part of the back end of San Francisco’s defense, leading to less playing time for any or all of Sigle, Pinnock, and Brown.
Along with activating Mustapha, the 49ers elevated defensive lineman Trevis Gipson from their practice squad and waived fellow D-lineman Robert Beal Jr.
Gipson is getting his second standard elevation of the season after playing 14 snaps (eight on defense, six on special teams) in a win over the Rams in Week 5. Beal has appeared in one game this year, the 49ers’ loss to the Jaguars in Week 4, and played 30 snaps (12 on defense, 18 on special teams).
NFC Injury Updates: Commanders, Lions, Mooney
The Commanders will head into a Monday night showdown against the Bears with a shorthanded receiving corps. Terry McLaurin (quad) and Noah Brown (groin) will miss the game, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
This will be the third straight absence for McLaurin, which isn’t what the Commanders had in mind when they signed the two-time Pro Bowler to a three-year, $87MM extension in late August. The agreement came after a well-publicized standoff between the two sides. The 30-year-old has caught 10 of 17 targets for 149 yards and no touchdowns in three games this season.
Washington has gone even longer without Brown, who hasn’t played since a Week 2 loss to the Packers. After a 35-catch 2024, his first season with the Commanders, Brown has hauled in three of seven targets for 36 yards in two games this year.
First-year Commander and former 49er Deebo Samuel has served as the team’s top target in McLaurin’s absence. Luke McCaffrey, who’s behind Brown on the depth chart, pulled in a 50-yard reception in a win over the Chargers last week. While McCaffrey only has seven catches this year, he has averaged 20.9 yards per grab and scored a pair of TDs.
More NFC injury updates heading into Week 6:
- The Lions will face the Chiefs on Sunday without starting left tackle Taylor Decker. The 10th-year man will miss his second game in a row as a result of a shoulder injury. Worsening matters for the Lions, they’ve also ruled out backup tackle Giovanni Manu. After making his first career start in place of Decker last week, Manu is down with a knee injury. With Decker and Manu unavailable, Dan Skipper is expected to start at left tackle in Kansas City.
- The Falcons will go without receiver Darnell Mooney on Monday against the Bills, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports. Mooney, who’s dealing with a hamstring injury, will miss his second game of the season. He missed a Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers after suffering a shoulder injury in late July. With 64 catches, 992 yards, and five touchdowns in his first season with the Falcons in 2024, the former Bear enjoyed one of the best years of his career. His production has dropped over three games this year, though, with Mooney having caught seven of 16 targets for 79 yards. No. 1 receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and running back Bijan Robinson are the only Falcons with double-digit receptions this season.
Bills To Place T.J. Sanders, Damar Hamlin On IR
The Bills will place defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and safety Damar Hamlin on injured reserve, head coach Sean McDermott announced (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). Sanders will undergo knee surgery, while Hamlin is dealing with a pectoral injury. Both players will miss at least four games. It’s more likely that Sanders will return than Hamlin this year, McDermott said.
The Bills moved up in last spring’s draft to grab Sanders with the 41st overall pick. The former South Carolina standout has gotten off to a slow start in the NFL. Over four games and 111 defensive snaps, Sanders has picked up two tackles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his performance 115th among 120 qualifying defensive tackles.
Although Sanders has struggled in the early going, losing him is an unwelcome hit to the Bills’ depth. They’ve already gone without their best defensive tackle, Ed Oliver, in every game since his tremendous Week 1 effort in a win over the Ravens. Oliver has been down with an ankle injury over the past few weeks, but he could return against the Falcons on Monday night.
If Oliver comes back this week, he’ll comprise the Bills’ top two at DT alongside DaQuan Jones. Rookie fourth-rounder Deone Walker, who has played well, is also in the mix. The Bills have Zion Logue, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis on their practice squad. Offseason free agent addition Larry Ogunjobi will be eligible to return from a six-game PED suspension after Buffalo’s Week 7 bye.
Logue has already received three standard gameday elevations this year, meaning the Bills will have to sign him to their active roster if they want to bring him back for a fourth game. Phillips and Mathis have gotten one call-up apiece, and the former is a candidate for a permanent roster spot in the wake of Sanders’ injury, according to Buscaglia.
Hamlin was a 14-game starter who logged 98% of defensive snaps in 2024, leading the Bills to re-sign him to a one-year, $2MM deal in the offseason. His playing time has significantly decreased this year, though. Hamlin has taken a backseat to second-year safety Cole Bishop and worked on a mere 4.2% of defensive snaps. It’s possible that the Bills will add former All-Pro and current practice squad safety Jordan Poyer to their roster to take Hamlin’s place, Buscaglia reports.
Poyer, now 34, was consistently one of Buffalo’s most valuable defenders during his previous stint with them from 2017-23. After the Bills released him in March 2024, Poyer hooked on with the division-rival Dolphins and made 16 starts for them last season. On the heels of his second straight interception-less year, Poyer went without a deal until the Bills signed him to their practice squad in late August. A month and a half later, Poyer may be on his way back to their active roster.
Brock Purdy Likely Out For Week 6; Mac Jones Expected To Start
It appears that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy‘s toe injury will force him to sit out again this week. Purdy did not practice on Thursday, setting up backup Mac Jones to start against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
San Francisco is heading into Tampa Bay for a battle of 4-1 NFC contenders, but the 49ers’ success has come despite limited contributions from Purdy. After securing a five-year, $265MM contract extension in May, turf toe has held Purdy out of three games this season. The former Mr. Irrelevant has completed 48 of 73 passes (65.8%) for 586 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions while winning one of two starts this year. He last played in a loss to the Jaguars in Week 4.
Jones, who joined the 49ers on a two-year, $7MM deal last March, has looked like one of the shrewdest signings of the offseason so far. The ex-Patriots first-round pick and multiyear starter has hit on 86 of 129 passes (66.7%) for 905 yards, six TDs, and a pick while helping the 49ers to a 3-0 record. Jones racked up 342 yards and two scores in a Week 5 victory over the NFC West rival Rams, but he hardly escaped L.A. unscathed.
Now nursing knee and oblique injuries, Jones was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. Although head coach Kyle Shanahan said Jones was unable to throw on Thursday (via Jerry McDonald of the Mercury News), he added that his No. 2 signal-caller “should be able to go on Sunday.”
With Purdy and Jones banged up, Adrian Martinez received reps with the first-team offense on Thursday. He’s in line to back up Jones for the fourth time this year. Previously with the Jets, who cut him in August, Martinez hasn’t seen any regular-season action since he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Kansas State in 2023. The 49ers signed Martinez from their practice squad to their active roster a week ago.
Bills Notes: Hairston, Bass, Strong, Milano
Hoping to improve their secondary after another postseason exit at the hands of the Chiefs in 2024, the Bills used their first-round pick in last spring’s draft on former Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Over a month into the season, though, they haven’t gotten any contributions from the 30th overall selection. Hairston remains on IR after spraining the LCL in his right knee early in training camp, and the team still hasn’t opened his 21-day practice window.
Asked Thursday if either Hairston or injured kicker Tyler Bass will play this season (via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News), head coach Sean McDermott offered a noncommittal, “We’ll see.”
The 4-1 Bills haven’t missed Bass, who has been on IR all season with a hip/groin issue. Big-legged veteran Matt Prater, signed days before the season, has connected on 10 of 11 field-goal tries while nailing all 15 extra-point attempts.
On the other hand, Hairston’s absence has stung. After running the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine (4.28 seconds), he was expected to add some much-needed speed and playmaking skills to Buffalo’s secondary this season. A healthy Hairston would have battled offseason free agent pickup Tre’Davious White for the No. 2 cornerback role opposite Christian Benford over the summer. Hairston’s injury essentially handed the job to White by default, and the former First-Team All-Pro has struggled to regain his past form as a result of age (30) and multiple serious injuries.
White suffered a torn ACL in November 2021, a devastating blow to a player who was in his prime at the time, and then tore his Achilles in October 2023. The Bills released White in March 2024. However, they saw enough positives from him during a season divided between the Rams and Ravens that they brought him back on a one-year deal worth up to $6.8MM last April. The move hasn’t worked out thus far.
Since missing a Week 1 win over the Ravens with a groin injury, White has started four games in a row and yielded a 72.2 percent completion rate and a 101.6 passer rating. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his performance 72nd out of 105 qualifying corners. Alarmingly, Benford checks in at an even worse 75th overall after scoring a four-year, $69MM contract extension in April. Neither player has picked off a pass this year on a defense that has just two interceptions (one from linebacker Terrel Bernard, the other from safety Cole Bishop).
Worsening matters for the Bills’ cornerback group, injured rookie Dorian Strong will see a neck specialist and may miss the rest of the season, according to McDermott (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). The sixth-round pick went on IR last week after playing the first four games of his career. He started the Bills’ opener in place of White. Strong has hardly stood out this year, but his absence is detrimental to the Bills’ depth at corner and on special teams. Ja’Marcus Ingram, who has been a healthy inactive twice this season, is now the team’s No. 3 boundary CB behind Benford and White.
If the Bills’ problems at corner don’t improve, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see general manager Brandon Beane target the position leading up to the Nov. 4 deadline. Beane, who has typically been active at the deadline, is just two years removed from swinging a noteworthy deadline deal for a corner.
A few weeks after White’s Achilles injury, Beane acquired Rasul Douglas and a fifth-round pick from the Packers for a third-rounder. Douglas wound up serving as a full-time starter for the Bills through the 2024 campaign. They let him walk in free agency last offseason after his performance declined, leading Douglas to join the division-rival Dolphins in August.
Along with Hairston and Strong, it appears Buffalo’s defense will also continue to go without linebacker Matt Milano. The effective but oft-injured 31-year-old is “week to week” with a tweaked pectoral, McDermott said. Milano injured his pectoral in a Week 2 win over the Jets and then missed the Bills’ next two games. He returned in last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, but he re-aggravated the injury during the second half and sat out for the rest of the game.
McDermott doesn’t expect an IR stint for Milano, but he does seem likely to miss their game in Atlanta on Monday night. Meanwhile, fellow linebacker Dorian Williams (knee) may be unavailable for the second straight week. If Milano and Williams are on the shelf for Week 6, Shaq Thompson should get the bulk of the playing time alongside Bernard.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/25
Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Released: CB Ameer Speed
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Velus Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Cody White
The Browns reached an injury settlement with Speed, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The team placed Speed on IR with an undisclosed injury on Wednesday. The former Colt, Patriot, and Bear hasn’t appeared in a game this year.
Jones is returning to the Saints just two days after they released him. The 28-year-old has played in all five of New Orleans’ games this season and amassed 76 snaps (74 on special teams). While Jones hasn’t been a factor on offense, he has averaged 22.8 yards per kickoff return on eight tries.
This has been a multi-transaction day for White, whom the Seahawks released and then quickly re-signed to their practice squad. White totaled 11 snaps (five on offense, six on special teams) during a Week 1 loss to the 49ers and hasn’t played since.
Dolphins Place CB Cornell Armstrong On IR
The Dolphins’ banged-up secondary took another hit Wednesday. The team placed nickel cornerback Cornell Armstrong on injured reserve. He’ll miss at least four games after suffering a hamstring injury in a loss to the Panthers last Sunday.
The Dolphins now have three nickel corners on IR. Along with Armstrong, Jason Marshall and Artie Burns are on the shelf. Marshall has missed two games with a hamstring injury, which opened up playing time for Armstrong, while Burns won’t factor in at all this season after tearing his ACL during training camp.
The injury woes at nickel CB are only part of the problem in Miami’s secondary. Like Burns, corner Kader Kohou tore his ACL in July. The Dolphins have also gone without corner Storm Duck since he injured his ankle in a Week 1 loss to the Colts. Their absences help explain why Miami’s defense ranks last in the NFL in opposing passer rating and completion percentage,
Armstrong first became a Dolphin when they chose him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He played in 15 games as a rookie, but the Dolphins released him after the season. Armstrong went on to see action with the Texans (2019) and Falcons (2022) before Miami brought him back over the summer when it placed Burns on IR. The 30-year-old has played in three games this year and registered two tackles.
Having lost another nickel CB, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will have to continue helping the Dolphins fill that role, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. With Fitzpatrick needed elsewhere, the Dolphins signed practice squad safety Jordan Colbert to their active roster on Wednesday. The 25-year-old made his NFL debut in the Dolphins’ Week 3 loss to the Bills. All 12 of his snaps came on special teams.
To take Colbert’s spot on their practice squad, the Dolphins signed Kendall Sheffield. The former Falcon, 49er, Titan, and Jet has appeared in 49 games (20 starts) since debuting in 2019. Sheffield signed with the Dolphins in late May, but they cut him in late August. They elected to bring him back after working out free agent corners Ethan Robinson, Daequan Hardy, and Myles Purchase on Tuesday, according to Jackson.
49ers Could Be Active At Trade Deadline; Team Seeking DE Addition?
The 49ers have stormed out to a 4-1 start despite a slew of injuries to important contributors. With the Nov. 4 trade deadline looming as a key improvement avenue, Cam Inman of the Mercury News expects general manager John Lynch to deal for outside help in the next few weeks. More specifically, it is likely that the 49ers at least want to acquire an edge rusher, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
The pass rush became an obvious area of concern for the 49ers when defensive end Nick Bosa tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 3. That injury ended a season that began in promising fashion for the former Defensive Player of the Year. Bosa totaled 17 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in the early going this year.
Despite their strong start, the 49ers have had a difficult time getting to enemy quarterbacks since losing Bosa. The rest of their defense has accounted for just four sacks, and the team’s total (six) ranks 30th in the league.
It doesn’t help matters that the 49ers’ Bosa-less defensive line is now dealing with injuries to Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring), Kalia Davis (hand), and Alfred Collins (knee). While Collins could play this week against the Buccaneers in a battle of 4-1 NFC teams, Gross-Matos and Davis are expected to miss time.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, nobody from the Gross-Matos/Davis/Collins group has registered a sack this year. The same is true of Mykel Williams, the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft. Williams has played 68.6% of defensive snaps as a rookie, but his production hasn’t been great through his first five games. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 128th among 169 qualifying EDGE players.
Other than Bosa, Bryce Huff is the only D-lineman on the team who has taken down an opposing QB in 2025. Huff, acquired from the Eagles in June, has notched three sacks and a forced fumble over his first five games with San Francisco. He also ranks 19th among EDGE players in pass rush win rate. It’s worth noting that Huff posted a career-high 10 sacks with the Jets in 2023. Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was the Jets’ head coach then, and it seems he’s once again getting the most out of Huff after a 2.5-sack showing with the Eagles in 2024.
If pass-rushing complements to Huff don’t emerge from within over the next month, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the aggressive Lynch swing one or more deals. Lynch has a long history of deadline activity — at D-end alone, the 49ers have traded for Charles Omenihu, Randy Gregory and Chase Young in-season since 2021 — and is armed with roughly $24MM in cap space, which will make it easier to maneuver on the market.
PFR’s Ely Allen identified the Dolphins‘ Jaelan Phillips as a trade candidate and a potential fit for the 49ers last week. The Saints, who are expected to sell at the deadline, could move eight-time Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan. The Titans also roster ex-49er Arden Key, who left San Francisco via free agency in 2023, and sit 1-4. It’s a long shot, but Bengals star and soon-to-be free agent Trey Hendrickson could be worth monitoring if they fall out of contention over the next few weeks. For now, having traded for quarterback Joe Flacco on Tuesday, the Bengals are still trying to stay alive for a potential Joe Burrow return from IR later in the season.
Panthers Designate Jalen Coker For Return
A quad strain has prevented Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker from taking the field in his second NFL season. It appears Coker’s 2025 debut is nearing, though, as the Panthers opened his practice window on Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. He’ll likely work with the scout team in his first practice, according to Person. The Panthers will have 21 days to activate Coker from injured reserve.
As an undrafted rookie from Holy Cross, Coker was more productive than expected last year. The 6-foot-3, 213-pounder started in four of 11 games and hauled in 32 of 46 targets for 478 yards (14.9 YPC) and a pair of touchdowns. Coker impressed the Panthers so much that it helped lead them to trade slot receiver Adam Thielen to the Vikings in late August.
A day after the Panthers dealt Thielen, Coker suffered his injury. Had Coker stayed healthy, general manager Dan Morgan said he would have taken Thielen’s place as Carolina’s top choice in the slot. Once those plans were dashed, the team re-signed veteran Hunter Renfrow after releasing him during final roster cuts.
Renfrow caught just one pass for 7 yards as the Panthers beat the Dolphins to improve to 2-3 last week. While he does have two TDs this season, Renfrow has averaged a meager 5.9 yards on 14 receptions. Rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan, a first-round pick last spring, served as quarterback Bryce Young‘s No. 1 target during a six-catch, 73-yard afternoon against the Dolphins. McMillan has turned heads during his first NFL action, but the Panthers are otherwise lacking weapons in the passing game. Xavier Legette, who was a rookie alongside Coker in 2024, has only pulled in six of 18 targets for 39 yards in three games.
When Coker returns, it will likely impact the playing time of Renfrow, Jimmy Horn, and Brycen Tremayne, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer writes. Horn, a sixth-round rookie from Colorado, made his debut last week and caught two of three targets for 21 yards. Tremayne, a second-year man who’s in his first season with the Panthers, has picked up nine receptions for 108 yards in five games.