Ravens Expect Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith Back After Bye
7:48pm: Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh doubled down on the “hope” that Jackson would be ready to play after the team’s Week 7 bye. He told the media today that “he expects both (Jackson) and (linebacker) Roquan Smith to be back after” the week off.
Baltimore saw left tackle Ronnie Stanley, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, and safety Kyle Hamilton all return to play today after missing the Week 5 massacre. Adding Jackson and Smith, the two players usually designated to communicate with the sideline when healthy, would bring the Ravens back almost to a fully healthy starting line up.
12:58pm: The Ravens are currently in the midst of their second straight game without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP was inactive on Sunday against the Rams because of a hamstring injury. The Ravens have a bye next week, and they’re “hopeful” that Jackson will come back after that, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Baltimore entered the season as a popular Super Bowl pick, but injuries and an uncharacteristically poor defense have helped lead to a dismal 1-4 start. With their defense allowing 400-plus yards and over 35 points a game, it’s imperative for Jackson to return if the Ravens are going to keep pace with the division-leading Steelers (3-1) in the AFC North.
The Ravens figured they had a capable backup to Jackson when they signed former Cowboy Cooper Rush to a two-year contract with $4.2MM in guarantees last offseason. Rush’s first start in Jackson’s place was a disaster, though. He went 14 of 20 for 179 yards and three interceptions in a 44-10 blowout loss to the Texans last Sunday. The Ravens and Rams are still in the first half of their Week 6 matchup as of this writing, but Rush has already tossed another INT.
While Rush has struggled as a passer this season, the 31-year-old has also never been a threat with his legs. It’s the opposite with Jackson, who pairs his excellent passing with all-time great skills as a runner. The 28-year-old ranks first in history in rushing yards among QBs (6,339). Team sources indicated earlier this week that the Ravens don’t expect Jackson to get back on the field until he looks like “his normal, dual-threat self.” It turns out that could be as early as Week 8 against the Bears.
Chiefs Inquiring About Running Backs
While the Nov. 4 trade deadline is still three weeks away, there has already been plenty of activity in the NFL. Three deals have taken place this week: Joe Flacco went from Cleveland to Cincinnati, while the Ravens and Chargers swapped defenders, and the Browns and Jaguars exchanged cornerbacks. That’s just the beginning, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who hears that there will be upward of a dozen more trades before the deadline.
The Chiefs, three-time Super Bowl winners and five-time AFC champions since 2019, have been aggressive at the deadline during their marvelous Patrick Mahomes–Andy Reid run. Months before their latest Super Bowl berth, they swung two pre-deadline deals in October 2024, bringing in wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and pass rusher Joshua Uche. A year later, general manager Brett Veach is in the market for help at running back, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report. Veach will face competition from the division-rival Chargers, who are also looking to address their backfield.
While the Chiefs rank a respectable 12th in rushing yards per game (120.0), Mahomes has done more damage than their backs. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller leads the team in rushing yards (190) and has averaged a lofty 6.8 per attempt. Meanwhile, RBs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have hovered around the 4.0 yards-per-carry mark during a sluggish 2-3 start for Kansas City. Neither player has served as a bell cow this season.
Pacheco, who missed 10 regular-season games in 2024 with a fractured fibula, has amassed 163 yards on 39 carries in 2025. Veach was unwilling to authorize a Pacheco extension during the offseason, and his stock hasn’t gone up since then. After re-signing on a one-year, $1.5MM deal last March, Hunt has picked up a so-so 164 yards on 43 attempts, though he has added three touchdowns. With just eight carries through five games, rookie seventh-round pick Brashard Smith hasn’t been a factor.
The Chiefs were on the hunt for an RB trade in late August, though no deal transpired. Despite not making any preseason acquisitions, the Chiefs were reportedly “puzzled” by their mediocre rushing attack in late September. Now nearing mid-October, they’re still not content with their backfield options.
Speculatively, the Chiefs’ need for a running back could point them to the likes of Breece Hall (Jets), Alvin Kamara (Saints), and Jerome Ford (Browns). Those three are among the runners who have been part of trade rumors in advance of the deadline. Kamara is likely to remain a Saint, but Hall and Ford may be more obtainable as pending free agents on non-contending teams. It stands to reason that either or both backs could pique Kansas City’s interest, though Veach may have other ideas.
Chargers Interested In Trading For Running Back
OCT. 12: The Chargers are indeed focusing on running backs leading up to the deadline, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. They’ve been calling teams about depth RBs and starters.
OCT. 11: With injuries ravaging their backfield, the Chargers could swing a trade for a running back before the Nov. 4 deadline, Daniel Popper of The Athletic writes.
The Chargers entered the season with two high-profile acquisitions leading their RB group. After opening his career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Steelers, Najee Harris joined the Chargers on a one-year, $5.25MM deal last March. A little over a month after adding Harris, the Chargers used their first-round pick (No. 22) on former North Carolina back Omarion Hampton. Five weeks into the season, it’s fair to say the Chargers aren’t going to get max return on either investment this year.
Harris suffered an eye injury during a fireworks accident in July, but he was ready for their season-opening win over the Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5. The 27-year-old picked up just one carry in that game, though. Two weeks later, Harris tore his Achilles, ending his season after he recorded 15 carries for 61 yards. Barring another pact with the Chargers, Harris will head back to the open market next year in a less-than-ideal position.
Even when Harris was healthy, Hampton was clearly the Chargers’ No. 1 back. The 22-year-old dual threat has amassed 66 rushes for 314 yards and two touchdowns through the first five games of his career, adding 20 catches for another 136 yards.
Like Harris, Hampton is now on the shelf. He injured his ankle during a loss to the Commanders last Sunday, which forced an IR placement earlier this week. He’ll miss at least four games, all of which will take place before the trade deadline.
The Chargers, now 3-2 after back-to-back losses, will turn to the unproven RB duo of Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal for the time being. They’ll face their first test as a tandem against the reeling Dolphins (1-4) on Sunday. Haskins has tallied just 64 carries, including five this year, in parts of three NFL seasons. Vidal has four attempts this season and 47 overall since he joined the Chargers as a sixth-round pick from Troy a year ago.
The Chargers have Nyheim Hines and Amar Johnson on their practice squad, though they’re hard to rely on at this point. Hines, who tore his ACL in a jet ski accident in 2023, hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2022. Johnson is an undrafted rookie from South Dakota State with no NFL experience.
Unless the Chargers find an answer from within by the deadline, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Browns’ Jerome Ford could be logical trade targets to team with Hampton (assuming he returns), Popper observes. Hall has gotten off to an impressive start this season and has made it known he wants to stay with the Jets. However, with the Jets 0-5 and unlikely to make a miraculous charge toward playoff contention, they could part with the soon-to-be free agent.
Ford, also due to reach the open market in the offseason, enjoyed a productive run from 2023-24. He piled up 1,378 yards and seven TDs on 308 carries during that 31-game span. The 26-year-old only has 18 carries in five games this season, though, with rookie second-rounder Quinshon Judkins establishing himself as the lead back in Cleveland. Ford’s time with the Browns could be winding down, and the Chargers may be among the potential suitors.
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.