Chargers Activate Khalil Mack, Denzel Perryman From IR
The Chargers are getting back a couple of key defenders for a Week 7 showdown with the Colts. The team announced that it has activated outside linebacker Khalil Mack and linebacker Denzel Perryman from injured reserve.
The Chargers have gone without Mack since he dislocated his elbow in a Week 2 win over the Raiders. He’ll return after sitting out the minimum of four games. The injury was a rare late-career setback for the nine-time Pro Bowler, who missed just one game during his first three years as a Charger.
A few weeks after Mack went down, the Chargers acquired OLB Odafe Oweh from the Ravens. Mack will now team with him for the first time and rejoin Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree to form a strong group of pass rushers. Despite Mack’s absence, the Chargers are tied for sixth in the league in sacks (16).
Perryman has barely been a factor this year after suffering a high ankle sprain in the Chargers’ season-opening win against the Chiefs. The 32-year-old played just eight defensive snaps in that game. Perryman has dealt with a laundry list of injuries throughout his career and never played more than 15 games in a season. Fortunately for the Chargers, they have a capable fallback option in Troy Dye, who worked as a starter alongside Daiyan Henley during Perryman’s IR stint. Dye has racked up 42 tackles and a sack while logging a 72.4% snap share.
Along with welcoming back Mack and Perryman, the Chargers made a few other moves on Saturday. They waived OLB Caleb Murphy, signed long snapper Rick Lovato to the practice squad and elevated him for Week 7, and elevated running back Nyheim Miller-Hines from the P-squad.
Panthers Activate Jalen Coker, Austin Corbett From IR
The Panthers have activated wide receiver Jalen Coker and offensive lineman Austin Corbett from injured reserve, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. In other moves, the team placed outside linebacker Patrick Jones on IR and elevated OLB Boogie Basham from its practice squad in advance of Sunday’s game against the Jets.
Coker performed well as an undrafted rookie from Holy Cross last year, catching 32 passes for 478 yards (14.9 YPC) and two touchdowns in 11 games. A quad injury held him out of action for the Panthers’ first six games this season.
Had it not been for his injury, Coker would have started 2025 as the Panthers’ top slot option. The Panthers re-signed Hunter Renfrow to help cover for Coker’s loss. Renfrow has a modest 15 catches in six games, and while he has scored twice, the 29-year-old has averaged a meager 5.9 yards per catch. If Coker carries over last season’s performance, he should give quarterback Bryce Young a more explosive complement to No. 1 receiver and rookie standout Tetairoa McMillan.
Corbett, a fourth-year Panther, will return after suffering a left MCL sprain in a Week 2 loss to the Cardinals. Injuries have limited Corbett to 11 of a possible 40 regular-season games since 2023. While Corbett entered the season as Carolina’s starting center, Cade Mays filled in with aplomb during his absence. Mays, Pro Football Focus’ eighth-ranked center, is in the middle of a line that has helped clear the way for back-to-back 200-yard rushing performances.
The Panthers, who have won three of four to climb to .500, may elect to keep Mays as their starting center. Corbett, also an experienced guard, could start in place of LG Damien Lewis if a shoulder injury prevents him from playing Sunday, per Darin Gantt of the team’s website.
With Jones requiring season-ending back surgery, Basham will receive his second standard elevation of the season. A former Bill and Giant, Basham made his Panthers debut in a Week 4 loss to the Patriots, played 17 snaps (10 on defense, seven on special teams), and picked up two tackles.
Patriots Looking For Help At Cornerback
Surprisingly atop the AFC East at 4-2, the Patriots may buy before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. They’re looking for help at cornerback, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports.
After a second straight 4-13 finish, New England made it a point to upgrade at corner during a busy offseason. The Patriots signed former Buccaneer and Lion Carlton Davis to a three-year, $60MM contract in free agency. Davis has begun his Patriots tenure with six straight starts, and he easily leads their cornerbacks in snap share (92.4%).
The Patriots had to wait a little while to see Davis start alongside No. 1 corner Christian Gonzalez, who missed the first three weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. Since the 2024 second-team All-Pro debuted in Week 4, the Patriots have won three straight.
Along with Gonzalez and Davis on the outside, the Patriots boast a solid slot corner in Marcus Jones. The problem is that the team is lacking quality depth after that trio.
Having taken 144 defensive snaps this season, Alex Austin ranks in fourth in playing time among Pats CBs. However, on 12 targets this season, Austin has allowed 10 completions and a 143.7 passer rating. Pro Football Focus ranks Austin’s 2025 performance 104th among 107 qualifiers at his position. Aware of Austin’s struggles, head coach Mike Vrabel and his staff limited the defender to special teams duty in last week’s win over the Saints.
Charles Woods, a late-August waiver claim from the Rams, rounds out the Patriots’ CB group. Woods has totaled just 44 snaps this year, and a knee injury could keep him out of Sunday’s game against the Titans.
With the Patriots thin at corner, they rank 25th in the NFL in pass defense through six weeks. A significant injury to Gonzalez, Davis, or Jones could spell disaster for a team trying to end a three-year playoff drought and snap the Bills’ five-season run as division champions. While it’s not clear which corners the Patriots are pursuing, they’re in obvious need of improvement beyond their top three.
Titans’ Arden Key Drawing Trade Interest
With multiple teams looking for pass-rushing help ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline and the 1-5 Titans likely to sell, outside linebacker Arden Key could end up on the move in the next couple of weeks. Key has drawn interest on the trade market, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.
Key was also a trade candidate leading up to last year’s deadline, but the 29-year-old remains in Tennessee. With a trip to free agency looming for Key in the offseason, the Titans may now have more urgency to ship him out for the best offer.
The soon-to-expire three-year, $21MM deal Key signed with the Titans in 2023 came under a different regime. He’s on a $6.5MM base salary with a $9.29MM cap hit during the final season of that contract. President of football operations Chad Brinker and first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi will decide his fate by the deadline.
Key has been dealing with a quadriceps injury, which could complicate matters. He missed a loss to the Raiders last Sunday – the final game of the Brian Callahan era – and hasn’t practiced leading up to this week’s matchup with the Patriots.
In the five games he has played this year, Key has notched 1.5 sacks. He averaged just under six per season from 2021-24. Key spent the first of those four years with the 49ers, who are on the lookout for pass rushers. A reunion with Key could make sense, though that’s merely speculation.
Along with Key, fellow OLB Dre’Mont Jones, cornerback Roger McCreary, and tight end Chig Okonkwo are potential Titans trade candidates, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Those three join Key as pending free agents, meaning the Titans are at least in position to consider offers.
Jones is making $1.99MM, though he carries a significantly higher cap hit than that ($8.51MM). Typically good for around five sacks per season, the former Bronco and Seahawk inked a one-year, $10MM with the Titans last March. Jones has totaled 17 tackles, two QB hits, and a sack in six games in 2025. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 55th among 111 qualifiers at his position (Key checks in at No. 72).
McCreary joined the Titans when they selected him 35th overall in the 2022 draft. He has since started in 36 of 53 regular-season games, including one of six this year, and pulled in three interceptions. The nickel corner expressed a desire to remain with the Titans before the season, but he remains unsigned beyond this year. He’s playing out 2025 on a $3.66MM salary and a $4.63MM cap hit.
Okonkwo was part of the same Titans draft class as McCreary in 2022. Former GM Jon Robinson took Okonkwo in the fourth round, and he has played in 57 straight regular-season games since then. Okonkwo entered 2025 off back-to-back 50-catch seasons and has added 23 with 218 yards and no scores through six games this year. He’s earning $3.41MM with a $3.54MM cap hit. The Titans may have a potential replacement lined up in fourth-round rookie Gunnar Helm.
It’s unlikely all of these players will end up elsewhere by Nov. 4. However, with the Titans out of playoff contention, they’re all worth monitoring as the deadline draws closer.
Mac Jones Likely To Start Week 7; George Kittle Plans To Return
It appears 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones will make his third straight start in place of Brock Purdy in Week 7. While Jones has been dealing with knee and oblique issues, he was able to practice in full on Thursday. With Purdy limited because of a nagging toe injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Jones will “most likely” start against the Falcons on Sunday (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle).
After playing 31 of a possible 34 regular-season games from 2023-24, Purdy has already sat out four times this year. He started a season-opening win over the Seahawks and a Week 4 loss to the Jaguars. The offseason decision to sign Jones, a former Patriot and Jaguar, has helped the injury-plagued 49ers stay afloat during a 4-2 start.
While Jones struggled in a loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday, the 49ers have gone 3-1 with him at the helm. The 27-year-old has connected on 67.3% of passes for 1,252 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Jones’ success has come without six-time Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle, who’s among the Niners’ many walking wounded, but that could change Sunday. Kittle suffered a right hamstring injury in Week 1 – a “full tear,” he revealed – leading the 49ers to place him on IR. After missing five consecutive games, Kittle returned to practice on Wednesday. He took part in his second limited session in a row Thursday and expressed confidence about his chances of facing the Falcons.
“I fully plan on playing on Sunday,” Kittle said, though he acknowledged that Shanahan will make the call (via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).
While Jones may count Kittle among his weapons for the first time on Sunday, he could go without wide receiver Ricky Pearsall again. After missing San Francisco’s past two games with a knee injury, the second-year man has not returned to practiced this week.
CeeDee Lamb Expected To Return In Week 7
After logging his second straight limited practice on Thursday, Cowboys No. 1 wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is trending toward a Week 7 return. Lamb has been out since he suffered a high ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss to the Bears. The Cowboys opted against an IR placement and a mandatory four-game absence for Lamb, though, and it appears he’ll play Sunday against the division-rival Commanders.
“I feel like I’m moving around, running around being me,” Lamb said (via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). “Happy as can be obviously just believing in my ankle. Obviously, I feel like it’s back to where I needed it to be.”
Lamb entered 2025 off three straight years of 100-plus catches and 1,100 or more yards, and he carried that production into the early going this season. The four-time Pro Bowler nabbed 16 catches for 222 yards in the Cowboys’ first two games, though his ankle sprain forced him out of the Chicago loss before he could record a stat.
The Cowboys still managed to put points on the board at a high clip without Lamb, scoring 104 during his three-game absence. They only went 1-1-1 during that span, though. They’ve started an underwhelming 2-3-1 thanks to a defense that ranks last in the NFL in yardage allowed and second from the bottom in points surrendered. Owner Jerry Jones hasn’t ruled out a significant trade to upgrade the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons-less defense before the Nov. 4 deadline. Bengals superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is a potential target.
Months before he sent Parsons to the Packers in a late-August blockbuster, Jones made another noteworthy deal in acquiring receiver George Pickens from the Steelers in May. Lamb’s injury has prevented him and Pickens from playing together as much as hoped, but they could comprise one of the league’s premier pass-catching duos for the rest of the season.
Like Lamb, Pickens has formed an excellent rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott. Already with 32 catches, Pickens is tied for first in the league in receiving touchdowns (six), and he ranks third in yards (525). The Prescott-Lamb-Pickens trio could be a problem for Washington’s 23rd-ranked pass defense on Sunday.
Miles Killebrew Has ‘Significant’ Knee Injury; Steelers Host George Odum
OCTOBER 16: The Steelers are placing Killebrew on injured reserve, according to Pryor. He will be sidelined for at least four games, making him eligible to return in Week 11 at the earliest. Pittsburgh now has one open spot on their 53-man roster.
OCTOBER 15: The Steelers may go without safety and special teams ace Miles Killebrew for the foreseeable future. Head coach Mike Tomlin announced that Killebrew is dealing with a “significant” knee injury. It’s unclear how much time Killebrew will miss, but the Steelers have already ruled him out for Thursday’s game against the Bengals (via Brooke Pryor of ESPN).
Killebrew, who suffered the injury while covering a kickoff return in a win over the Browns on Sunday, couldn’t put weight on his right leg. He had to be helped off the field and carted to the locker room. The 32-year-old’s absence will be felt on special teams.
A two-time Pro Bowler who’s now in the second season of a two-year, $6.5MM contract, Killebrew has not played at all on defense in 2025. However, the former first-team All-Pro ranks fourth on the team in special teams snaps.
To replace Killebrew, the Steelers could turn to another decorated special teamer in George Odum. The free agent safety visited the team on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Odum, 31, divided the first seven years of his career between Indianapolis and San Francisco. He was a first-team All-Pro with the Colts in 2020 and a second-team All-Pro with the 49ers in 2022.
Odum underwent offseason elbow surgery, leading the 49ers to release him in July. Healthy again, he could catch on with the Steelers or another team as we near the second half of the season.
49ers Open George Kittle’s Practice Window
Star tight end George Kittle has been on IR since Sept. 9, but he’s finally nearing a return. The 49ers opened Kittle’s practice window on Wednesday, according to Clayton Holloway of NFL Network. They’ll have 21 days to activate him.
Kittle, who suffered a hamstring injury in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks, will practice on a limited basis on Wednesday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones will join Kittle as limited participants (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic).
Purdy, out back-to-back games with a toe injury, is viewed as more limited than Jones. While Jones is battling knee and oblique issues, he could make his third straight start Sunday against the Falcons.
Kittle has already missed five games this season, which is the second-highest total of his nine-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler entered 2025 off four consecutive seasons of at least 14 games played. He continued to thrive during a 15-game slate in 2024, catching 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.
The 49ers were likely expecting more of the same from Kittle this season. Instead, he has been among many high-profile injury casualties for the club. San Francisco’s offense has gotten one appearance from Kittle, two from Purdy, and none from receiver Brandon Aiyuk. On the other side of the ball, the team has seen heart-and-soul defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa go down with season-ending injuries in recent weeks. Despite that, the 49ers have gotten off to a 4-2 start.
Without Kittle, the 49ers have turned to the little-known Jake Tonges as their primary tight end. To Tonges’ credit, he has done well filling in for Kittle. He entered the season with no catches over four games (all with Chicago in 2022), but Tonges has racked up 25 receptions, 34 targets, 224 yards, and three scores in six contests this year. He’ll serve as a solid No. 2 option at tight end when Kittle is back in the lineup, perhaps as early as this week.
The 49ers could also get Aiyuk back soon, which will further bolster their offense down the stretch as they vie for a playoff berth. Facing a fellow NFC postseason contender this week in the 3-2 Falcons, the 49ers may again have to overcome a Purdy absence. After signing a five-year, $265MM contract extension in the offseason, Purdy has been sidelined for most of 2025. Jones has held his own as a fill-in, but thanks in part to his own injury troubles, he struggled in a loss to the Buccaneers in Week 6.
Titans Designate T’Vondre Sweat For Return
The Titans have opened mammoth defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat practice window, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The team will have 21 days to activate Sweat from injured reserve.
[RELATED: Fallout on Brian Callahan’s firing]
A second-round pick from Texas in 2024, Sweat appeared in all 17 games for the Titans and started 16 as a rookie. Sweat ranked seventh on the Titans’ defense in snaps (699) and collected 51 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble during a standout debut campaign next to three-time Pro Bowler Jeffrey Simmons.
While Sweat enjoyed a healthy first season in the NFL, he has only played in one game this year – a Week 1 loss to the Broncos. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury in that contest. Sweat had been working toward a return ahead of Week 3, but after he re-injured his ankle, the Titans put him on IR on Sept. 20.
Having missed four games since the Titans placed him on the shelf, Sweat is eligible to return Sunday against the Patriots for interim head coach Mike McCoy‘s debut on the job. It’s unclear if Sweat will be ready by then.
Even though Sweat has been out for most of the season, Simmons has continued to dominate. He has posted an 87% snap share and picked up 4.5 sacks, serving as a rare bright spot during a 1-5 start for the Titans. James Lynch and Shy Tuttle trail behind him in the pecking order at defensive tackle. Those two figure to lose playing time when Sweat comes back.
Along with welcoming Sweat back to practice on Wednesday, the Titans re-signed cornerback Alex Johnson to their practice squad. They previously released him from their P-squad on Oct. 7.
Bills’ Maxwell Hairston Making Progress; DC Bobby Babich To Remain Play-Caller
Buffalo is one of the few teams in the NFL that hasn’t gotten any help from its 2025 first-round pick. However, that may change soon. Head coach Sean McDermott said the Bills could open injured rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston‘s 21-day practice window, though he didn’t indicate when that might happen (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
The Bills, now on a bye week and in the middle of a two-game losing streak, saw Hairston go down with an LCL injury early in training camp. They placed the former Kentucky Wildcat on IR in late August, setting up at least a four-game absence. Buffalo has now gone six games without Hairston, and though the team is 4-2, its defense hasn’t played particularly well. The secondary has been part of the problem.
If Hairston does take the field this year, the speedster could wrest playing time away from No. 2 cornerback Tre’Davious White. He and White would have competed for the job during the summer if not for Hairston’s injury. Both White and No. 1 corner Christian Benford have underwhelmed this season. It’s less surprising in the case of White, a 30-year-old who tore his ACL and his Achilles in recent years. Benford’s dropoff has been more concerning in the wake of the four-year, $69MM extension he signed in the offseason.
Regardless of whether Hairston emerges as a starter this season, he should at least improve Buffalo’s depth. Rookie sixth-rounder Dorian Strong, who worked as the Bills’ No. 3 boundary corner during the first few weeks of the season, could be done for the year with a neck injury. Thanks to the absences of Hairston and Strong, the team is down to Ja’Marcus Ingram as its top boundary option behind Benford and White.
The Bills are also dealing with issues up front, where starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones is likely to miss time. Jones popped his calf during pregame warmups on Monday, leading him to sit out a loss to the Falcons, and was in a boot afterward (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com). Jones is tied for the team lead with two sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his 2025 performance 19th among 122 qualifying defensive tackles.
The Bills are already without another D-tackle in rookie second-round pick T.J. Sanders, who went on IR last weekend, though fourth-rounder Deone Walker shined in the Atlanta game. Unless Jones makes a quick recovery, Walker and Ed Oliver will serve as the Bills’ main options at tackle coming out of the bye. The Bills could also reinstate veteran Larry Ogunjobi from a six-game PED suspension beginning in Week 8.
Regardless of who’s in the lineup when Week 8 rolls around, it doesn’t appear the Bills will make any changes to their defensive staff. While McDermott was a longtime defensive coordinator before the Bills hired him in 2017, he said that he’s not considering taking play-calling duties away from DC Bobby Babich (via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News). In his second year on the job, Babich’s group ranks 10th in the NFL in sacks, 17th in points, 19th in yardage, and 22nd in third-down conversion rate. He’ll get a chance to right the ship after the bye.