Cardinals Open DL Walter Nolen’s Practice Window
After moving defensive tackle Walter Nolen to the reserve/PUP list in late August, the Cardinals haven’t gotten any contributions from the first-round rookie this season. That could change soon, though, as head coach Jonathan Gannon said the team will open Nolen’s practice window on Wednesday (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Arizona will have 21 days to activate him.
Thanks to a calf injury, Nolen will have a delayed start to his NFL career after going 16th overall in the draft. Nolen spent his first two seasons in college with Texas A&M before transferring to Mississippi ahead of the 2024 campaign. The 300-pounder earned All-America and first-team All-SEC honors during his only year with Ole Miss, leading the Cardinals to identify him as a potential long-term cornerstone.
The addition of Nolen was part of an offseason front seven makeover for Arizona, which has gotten off to a 2-4 start. The team also signed former Eagle Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4MM deal, handed Dalvin Tomlinson a two-year, $29MM pact, and reunited with Calais Campbell on a one-year, $5.5MM accord. While Sweat and Campbell have combined for eight sacks, the rest of the defense has only picked up three. The unit ranks an underwhelming 24th in yards per game, but it’s a more respectable 13th against the run and 14th in points surrendered.
Tomlinson and Campbell have started in all six games this year, while 2024 first-rounder Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, and PJ Mustipher have also accrued significant playing time along the interior. A pectoral injury has held Robinson out since Week 4, but he’ll join Nolen in returning to practice on Wednesday (via Urban). Those two and Bilal Nichols, who has played just one game this year, should replenish the Cardinals’ depth along the line when they’re all in the lineup.
While Nolen and Robinson are on their way back, the Cardinals will go the rest of 2025 without tight end Travis Vokolek. Gannon announced Vokolek’s season-ending IR placement on Wednesday. Before succumbing to a neck injury, Vokolek appeared in five games this year and didn’t catch a pass in 32 offensive snaps. He played 45 snaps on special teams. He’s the second Trey McBride backup to land on IR over the past week and a half, joining Tip Reiman.
Commanders Place Noah Brown On IR
The Commanders have already gone most of the season without wide receiver Noah Brown, who has been dealing with a groin injury. Brown’s absence will extend for at least four more games, as the team placed him on IR on Wednesday. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 11.
Brown, who last played in a Week 2 loss to the Packers, has caught three of seven targets for 36 yards this season. The 29-year-old appeared to be making progress when he returned to practice last week, but head coach Dan Quinn said his injury “didn’t respond” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic). Quinn added that Brown will not require surgery (via John Keim of ESPN.com).
Without Brown and fellow injured receiver Terry McLaurin (quad), the Commanders fell to 3-3 with a loss to the Bears in Week 6. Quinn said McLaurin will practice this week, meaning he could play against the division-rival Cowboys on Sunday.
With only two appearances from Brown and three from McLaurin this season, the Commanders and second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels have had to count on Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Jaylin Lane to step up as targets alongside Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz. Despite the injuries, Washington’s offense still ranks seventh in the NFL in points per game and 12th in total yards.
Along with placing Brown on IR on Wednesday, the Commanders announced the signing of defensive end Drake Jackson and signed guard Julian Good-Jones to their practice squad. Good-Jones had been a free agent since the Commanders released him with an injury designation on Aug. 20. The 28-year-old made his lone regular-season appearance in the NFL with Washington in 2023.
49ers Expected To Inquire About Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson
OCTOBER 15: The 49ers see Hendrickson as “an ideal fit for their defense,” but the Bengals have no intention of moving their All-Pro pass rusher, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano. Cincinnati is holding out hope that newly-acquired quarterback Joe Flacco can keep them in contention unless and until Joe Burrow makes a late-season return. More losses before the trade deadline could always change those plans, but the Bengals do have a relatively easy three-game stretch coming up.
OCTOBER 11: Having lost star pass rusher Nick Bosa to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3, 49ers general manager John Lynch has made it known that he’s looking for help at defensive end. Lynch’s interest in finding a Bosa replacement could lead to a trade before the Nov. 4 deadline. To that end, Dianna Russini of The Athletic expects the 49ers to call the Bengals about Trey Hendrickson.
The 2-3 Bengals aren’t declaring themselves as sellers yet. On the contrary, they acquired quarterback Joe Flacco from the Browns earlier this week in an effort to keep their season alive. Flacco will start Sunday against the Packers in place of the demoted Jake Browning, who struggled mightily replacing the injured Joe Burrow.
It’s a long shot that the 40-year-old Flacco will rescue a deeply flawed Cincinnati team that’s on the outside of the playoff picture. If he doesn’t, it could behoove the Bengals to sell Hendrickson to the highest bidder in the next few weeks.
After his second straight 17.5-sack showing in 2024, Hendrickson and the Bengals continued a long standoff regarding his contract during the offseason. They finally agreed to a revised deal in late August, thus preventing Hendrickson from holding out into the regular season.
While Hendrickson’s amended contract didn’t add any years, it did increase his 2025 salary from $15.8MM to $30MM. The soon-to-be 31-year-old is due to reach free agency in the offseason, when he’ll likely price himself out of Cincinnati. That’s assuming he even finishes the season as a Bengal. If he does, the Bengals could place the franchise tag on Hendrickson, but it would cost upward of $35MM to keep him under wraps. That may be tough to swing for a team that already has exorbitant commitments in Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins for 2026. That trio of offensive core players will combine to count approximately $100MM against the salary cap next season.
Burrow’s toe injury has been the Bengals’ main problem this season, but it isn’t the only culprit for their poor start. Despite Hendrickson’s presence, their defense ranks 30th in the NFL in points and yardage surrendered. That’s another reason a 2025 turnaround looks unlikely for the club. Hendrickson hasn’t done anything to hurt his trade value, though, having notched four sacks and eight quarterback hits over the first five games of the season. He’s Pro Football Focus’ (subscription required) 11th-ranked EDGE player this year.
While the Bengals may eventually sell, the 49ers are lining up as buyers after a 4-1 start. They’ve weathered a series of injuries to key players – Bosa, quarterback Brock Purdy, and tight end George Kittle, among others – to reemerge as NFC contenders after a down 2024. They’ve succeeded despite an anemic pass rush that ranks 30th in the league in sacks. Bosa and Bryce Huff have combined for five of the 49ers’ six sacks. Cornerback Upton Stout has the other, meaning the majority of the 49ers’ front seven has been shut out.
Although it may not turn out to be Hendrickson, it seems like a given that the 49ers will bring in a complement (or complements) to Huff by early November. With around $24MM in cap space, the 49ers are as well-positioned as anyone to make an expensive splash. That could mean reeling in Hendrickson if the Bengals ultimately wave the white flag on their season.
Bengals Place Mike Gesicki On IR
The Bengals have placed tight end Mike Gesicki on IR with a pectoral injury, according to a team announcement. Gesicki will miss at least four games. With the Bengals’ bye coming during that stretch, Gesicki won’t be eligible to return until Week 12 against the Patriots, one of his former teams.
After spending the 2023 campaign in New England, Gesicki headed to Cincinnati on a one-year, $3.25MM deal. He served as a solid complementary weapon in the Bengals’ Joe Burrow-led passing attack last season, hauling in 65 of 83 targets for 665 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That was enough to convince the Bengals to bring back Gesicki on a three-year, $25.5MM pact.
With Burrow out since suffering a toe injury in Week 2, Gesicki’s production has dropped off in the first season of his new contract. He caught eight of 16 targets for a paltry 61 yards and no scores during the Bengals’ first five games. The 30-year-old didn’t record any stats during new starting QB Joe Flacco‘s debut last week – a loss to the Packers – before his injury forced him to exit in the first half.
Gesicki has logged a 36.7% snap share this season, which ranks second among Bengals tight ends. Drew Sample (49.2) leads the way, while Noah Fant (30.7) has also gotten a fair amount of playing time. Those two could see more action with Gesicki on the shelf. Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy round out the Bengals’ TE depth chart, though the former is in concussion protocol, per Ben Baby of ESPN.com.
Panthers Designate Austin Corbett For Return
OCTOBER 15: As planned, the Panthers have designated Corbett for return and opened his practice window, per Joe Person of The Athletic. He will have three weeks to practice with the team before he must be moved to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR.
OCTOBER 14: Carolina has gone most of the season without starting center Austin Corbett, but he’s progressing toward a return. The Panthers are planning to open Corbett’s practice window on Wednesday, according to Darin Gantt of the team’s website. Once that happens, the Panthers will have 21 days to activate Corbett from injured reserve.
The Panthers’ offensive line took multiple hits in a Week 2 defeat to Arizona, losing Corbett and right guard Robert Hunt to significant injuries. Corbett went down with a Grade C MCL injury, while Hunt tore his left biceps. It’s uncertain if Hunt will return this year, but the team is about to set the wheels in motion on a Corbett comeback.
Despite their O-line injuries, the Panthers have won three of four since an 0-2 start. Running back Rico Dowdle has unexpectedly amassed a jaw-dropping 389 yards on the ground during a two-game winning streak. Fourth-year man Cade Mays has been filling in for Corbett in the middle of the line, while Brady Christensen is starting in Hunt’s place.
Now in his fourth season in Carolina, injuries have been a frequent occurrence during Corbett’s tenure with the team. After a 17-game 2022, he missed 13 contests in 2023 and sat out another 12 last season. Despite that, Corbett beat out Mays for the starting center job during the summer.
If Corbett comes off IR in the next few weeks, the Panthers will have to decide whether to plug him back in over Mays. Notably, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks Mays’ early season performance eighth among 35 centers.
It seems likely that Carolina will announce a move with Corbett on Wednesday. In the meantime, the team made a couple of minor transactions on Tuesday. The Panthers waived defensive back Trevian Thomas and released offensive lineman Darrian Dalcourt from their practice squad.
Thomas, an undrafted rookie from Arkansa State, earned a call-up from the practice squad for Week 5. He played 12 special teams snaps in a win over the Dolphins. Dalcourt signed with the Panthers’ practice squad last week after a stint with the Commanders.
Titans HC Rumors: Nagy, Smith, Brady
After firing head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, the 1-5 Titans will move forward with Mike McCoy handling the role on an interim basis. It’s improbable that McCoy will fare well enough to take over on a full-time basis, meaning the Titans’ head coach for 2026 is likely to come from outside the organization. With that in mind, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Steelers OC Arthur Smith are early names to watch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
While the Titans hired a first-time head coach in Callahan, they’d be getting an experienced option in Nagy, who was at the helm of the Bears from 2018-21. Chicago went 12-4 and earned a playoff berth in Nagy’s first year on the job, though that proved to be the high point. The Bears also made the playoffs in 2020 despite an 8-8 finish, their second straight .500 effort, but a 6-11 showing in 2021 led to Nagy’s ouster. He put together a 34-31 record and an 0-2 mark in the postseason during his time with the franchise.
[RELATED: Titans Separate From Bill Callahan, Keep Bo Hardegree As Play-Caller]
After his run with the Bears ended, Nagy went back to Kansas City for his second Chiefs tenure. He has worked in multiple offensive positions since rejoining the team in 2022, including as their O-coordinator since 2023.
The Chiefs have gone to three straight Super Bowls and won two with Nagy back on their staff. However, head coach Andy Reid – not Nagy – calls the plays. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the 47-year-old Nagy has a connection to Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, who worked in various roles with the Chiefs from 2009-24.
The Titans and their fans are familiar with Smith, a Tennessee native who held multiple coaching roles with the team from 2011-20. Smith parlayed a successful two-year run as the Titans’ offensive coordinator into his first head coaching job with the Falcons. It proved to be a short-lived stint, however, with the Falcons moving on after Smith guided three straight 7-10 seasons.
In his first year with the Steelers in 2024, Smith oversaw an offense that ranked 16th in points and 21st in yards while struggling to find an answer at quarterback between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. This year’s Steelers have gotten better play under center from Aaron Rodgers and rank 14th in the league in points per game, but they’re just 29th in yards per contest.
While Nagy and Smith may be prominent in the Titans’ coaching search, the team is unlikely to hire Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. Brady, 36, has called the plays for Buffalo’s prolific offense since taking over for Ken Dorsey in 2023. However, after the Callahan experiment failed, there’s doubt that the Titans will hire a 30-something with no experience as a head coach for the second time in a row.
OL Charles Leno Announces Retirement
After 10 seasons in the NFL, offensive tackle Charles Leno is hanging up his cleats. In an Instagram post that’s worth reading in full, Leno announced his retirement on Wednesday, exactly two years after he and his wife lost their daughter on Oct. 14, 2023.
Leno entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick from Boise State in 2014 and went on to enjoy a quality career. He spent his first seven seasons in Chicago, where he started in 94 of 102 regular-season appearances. Leno earned the lone Pro Bowl nod of his career with the Bears in 2018.
While Leno inked a four-year, $38MM extension with the Bears in 2017, he didn’t see the whole deal through. Chicago released Leno in a cap-shedding move in May 2021. That came after Leno started 93 consecutive games at left tackle with the team.
After his time with the Bears ended, Leno landed in Washington on a one-year, $5MM pact. The club was so impressed with Leno’s work during a 17-start 2021 campaign that it re-signed him to a three-year, $37.5MM deal. Leno notched another 17-start season in 2022, but a calf injury limited him to 13 games (all starts) in 2023. With Leno set to undergo hip surgery in 2024, the Commanders released him after a 47-start tenure. He didn’t catch on anywhere else after that.
Leno’s career will officially end with 149 regular-season games, 141 starts, and over $61MM in career earnings. He also received recognition for his off-field work, earning a Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination, among other accolades.
Chargers Inquiring About Offensive Tackles
The Chargers are already known to be in the market for running back help in advance of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. They’re also making preliminary offensive tackle inquiries, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports.
Just weeks before the 2025 season began, the Chargers appeared to have an enviable situation at tackle with Rashawn Slater protecting quarterback Justin Herbert‘s blind side and 2024 fifth overall pick Joe Alt on the right. It turns out that the two standout blockers were unable to play together at all this year.
In signing Slater to a four-year, $114MM extension in July, the Chargers made the two-time Pro Bowler one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in NFL history. Under two weeks later, though, the Chargers lost Slater for 2025 when he suffered a torn patellar tendon during practice.
In the wake of Slater’s devastating injury, the Chargers moved Alt to the left side. However, Alt added to the Chargers’ injury woes when he left a Week 4 loss to the Giants with a high ankle sprain. Alt avoided an IR stint, but he has missed the Chargers’ last two games. The Bolts also went without another starting tackle, RT Trey Pipkins (knee), in their win over the Dolphins in Week 6.
There’s no word on whether Alt or Pipkins will play Sunday against the Colts in a matchup of AFC contenders. Austin Deculus and the just-signed Bobby Hart, making his first regular-season appearance since 2022, served as L.A.’s starting tackles last Sunday. Deculus and Hart could start again this week if Alt and Pipkins are unavailable.
Despite their injuries along the O-line and the absences of running backs Omarion Hampton (ankle) and Najee Harris (Achilles), the Chargers rushed for 140 yards against the Dolphins. Backup RB Kimani Vidal unexpectedly ran for 124 yards on 18 carries, while Herbert completed 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins only sacked him once.
While the Chargers’ offense is coming off a productive performance, it’s understandable that general manager Joe Hortiz doesn’t fully trust his healthy tackle options. There’s no word on which players Hortiz has targeted, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter names the Giants’ Evan Neal as a trade candidate leading up to the deadline. The problem is that Neal doesn’t look like a clear answer to the Chargers’ issues. After struggling at tackle during the first three seasons of his career, the former seventh overall pick has worked as a backup guard this year. Neal has yet to take a snap in 2025.
Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips Drawing Trade Interest
After falling to 1-5 with a loss to the Chargers in Week 6, the Dolphins are looking like clear-cut sellers leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips are among Dolphins who could wind up on the move. Opposing teams are eyeing both players, Adam Schefter of ESPN told the Pat McAfee Show on Monday.
Chubb recorded 11 sacks in 2023, his second year in the double digits, but he suffered a torn ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon in the penultimate game of the regular season. While Chubb’s devastating knee injury cost him all of last season, the two-time Pro Bowler has returned this year to offer solid production for the floundering Dolphins.
The 29-year-old Chubb has played in all six games this season while logging a 69.5% snap share on defense. He leads the Dolphins with four sacks, though his performance hasn’t impressed Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF ranks Chubb 95th among 110 qualifying EDGE players. Despite that negative evaluation, teams in need of pass-rushing help are monitoring Chubb.
Acquired from Denver in a November 2022 blockbuster, Chubb may leave Miami in another deadline deal in the coming weeks. Chubb signed a hefty five-year extension worth $110MM shortly after the Dolphins landed him, locking him up through 2027, but they reworked that pact last March. As a result, Chubb – who’s on a $12.33MM cap hit this season – isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond 2025. That should make it easier for the Dolphins to move him.
A former Miami Hurricane, Phillips has spent his entire career with the Dolphins since they used the 18th overall pick on him in 2021. While Phillips has been effective, multiple serious injuries have prevented him from realizing his full potential. An Achilles tear limited Phillips to eight games in 2023, while a partially torn ACL held him to four appearances last year.
Phillips has returned this season to rack up a significant amount of playing time. He has a 69.5% snap share over six games, but the 26-year-old has only notched one sack. Pro Football Focus ranks him 52nd among 110 EDGE qualifiers.
As a soon-to-be free agent, Phillips would be a pure rental for a deadline buyer. He’s playing 2025 on a fifth-year option worth $13.3MM. Our Ely Allen identified Phillips as a viable trade candidate earlier this month, noting teams like the 49ers, Commanders, Chiefs, and Eagles could be among his suitors.
With the Dolphins likely to miss the playoffs for the third year in a row, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel are facing uncertain futures. There’s some question as to whether they’ll even survive the season. Those two remain in place, though, and unless something drastic happens in the next three weeks, Grier will be the one steering the ship at the deadline. He’ll have to decide whether to move Chubb, Phillips, or both defenders in the coming weeks.
Saints Unlikely To Trade Alvin Kamara
With the Saints sitting at 1-4 and expected to sell before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, running back Alvin Kamara stands out as someone who could move in the next few weeks. While Kamara has drawn interest from other teams, he’s unlikely to go anywhere, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
Still under team control through next season on the two-year, $26.5MM extension he signed last October, Kamara has no intention of leaving New Orleans. While Kamara does not have a no-trade clause, general manager Mickey Loomis approached the five-time Pro Bowler to gauge his interest in a change of scenery. He told Loomis his goal remains to play his entire career with the Saints. Kamara is so committed to a one-team career that he’d potentially retire if a trade occurred, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
[RELATED: Several Saints Drawing Trade Interest]
Now 30 years old, Kamara has been with the franchise since it used a third-round pick on the ex-Tennessee Volunteer in 2017. Eight years later, Kamara is the Saints’ leader in career rushing yards and touchdowns. The longtime dual threat ranks second in team history in receptions.
Five games into 2025, Kamara has seen his effectiveness wane as part of one of the NFL’s lowest-scoring offenses. His 3.9 yards per carry on 73 attempts is among the lowest of his career. While Kamara has added 17 receptions, he has averaged a paltry 4.5 yards per catch.
Moving to a contender before the deadline could lead to a jump in production for Kamara. The Chargers are among playoff hopefuls looking for help in the backfield. However, it doesn’t appear that they or anyone else will be able to pry Kamara out of New Orleans.