Raiders Open Practice Window For Aidan O’Connell
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell has been out all season with a fractured wrist, but a return may be on the horizon. The Raiders opened the signal-caller’s practice window on Wednesday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate O’Connell from IR.
A fourth-round pick from Purdue in 2023, O’Connell combined for 17 starts through last season under former head coach Antonio Pierce. O’Connell completed 62.6% of passes with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his first two NFL seasons, but that wasn’t enough to keep his starting job.
With new head coach Pete Carroll at the helm, he reunited with ex-Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in an offseason trade. The Raiders gave up a third-round selection for Smith and quickly signed him to a two-year, $75MM extension, making him the team’s unquestioned QB1.
Smith’s arrival left O’Connell as the Raiders’ backup, but his injury in their preseason finale threw a wrench into those plans. The Raiders subsequently traded for another veteran QB, Kenny Pickett, whom they acquired from the Browns for a 2026 fifth-rounder.
The investments in Smith and Pickett haven’t paid off for the Raiders, who are off to a 2-5 start and sitting in last place in an otherwise loaded AFC West division. With more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven), Smith ranks 30th in the league in QBR. The team pulled him for Pickett in a 31-0 blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 7. Pickett attempted his first two passes of the year in that game and completed them for a total of eight yards.
With the Raiders now coming off their bye week, Smith is still the starter heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. If Smith continues to struggle mightily over the next few weeks, perhaps Pickett or O’Connell (or both) will see time under center later in the season.
Broncos Sign Marcedes Lewis To Practice Squad
Tight end Marcedes Lewis is continuing his long-running career at the age of 41. Lewis has agreed to join the Broncos’ practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
With backup tight end Lucas Krull set to undergo foot surgery, the Broncos have been in the market for help at the position. They placed waiver claims on Brenden Bates and Ben Sims in recent days. Bates, whom the Texans waived, wound up with the Browns. The Vikings won out on Sims after the Packers cut him.
Unable to reel in either Bates or Sims, the Broncos brought in Lewis for a workout on Tuesday. Already the oldest tight end in NFL history, Lewis did enough to secure a practice squad spot and will now attempt to log his 20th season in the league.
After playing his college football at UCLA, Lewis entered the pros as a first-round pick (No. 28) of the Jaguars in 2006. He played with them through 2017, securing one Pro Bowl nod along the way, before stints with the Packers (2018-22) and Bears (2023-24). The 6-foot-6, 267-pounder combined for 437 catches, 5,155 yards, and 40 touchdowns with those three teams.
During the waning years of his career, Lewis has seen his impact as a pass catcher drop off significantly. He totaled just 11 receptions from 2022-24, but along with his blocking skills, Lewis is a durable option. He appeared in 17 games in each of the previous four seasons.
Having already missed the Broncos’ first eight contests this year, another 17-game slate isn’t in the cards for Lewis. Nevertheless, he could work his way into the mix for the AFC West contenders during the second half of the campaign. Lewis would give the Broncos a third tight end behind Evan Engram and Adam Trautman.
Steelers Amend Kyle Dugger’s Contract
The Steelers made a notable addition to their secondary on Tuesday in acquiring safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots. While Dugger entered the day under contract through 2027, that is no longer the case. The last two years of his deal “have been wiped out,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He’ll reach free agency after the season.
Then an important part of New England’s defense, Dugger inked a four-year, $58MM extension with the team in April 2024. Dugger remained a full-time starter last year, the lone season of the Jerod Mayo era. Things changed this season under new head coach Mike Vrabel, who demoted Dugger to a backup role.
Dugger, who entered the season with a $9.25MM base salary, is still owed around $5.4MM (plus $1MM in per-game roster bonuses). The Patriots will pay the majority of it, per Rapoport.
With Dugger now on track to hit the open market in the offseason, he’s a low-cost rental for the AFC North-leading Steelers. Not only did the Steelers (4-3) drop their second straight game in Week 8, but they lost starting safety DeShon Elliott to a knee injury. They placed Elliott on IR to make room for Dugger. Elliott is set to miss at least four games, which will leave Dugger, Juan Thornhill, Jabrill Peppers (previously teammates with Dugger in New England), and Chuck Clark as Pittsburgh’s healthy options at safety.
With 81 NFL games, 69 starts, and nine interceptions on Dugger’s resume, the Steelers are hopeful that he’ll aid their last-ranked pass defense. Dugger is in line to make his Steelers debut this Sunday against the 7-1 Colts, owners of the best record in the league and the top-ranked offense.
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.