Jaguars Open Eric Murray’s Practice Window
Jacksonville’s defense has gone without Eric Murray for over a month, but the starting safety appears to be nearing a return. The Jaguars opened his practice window on Wednesday. The AFC South contenders will have 21 days to activate Murray from IR.
Murray has already missed the minimum of four games since a neck issue forced him to the shelf on Oct. 31. He’s eligible to play this week against the Titans, but it’s unclear if that will happen.
After dividing the first nine seasons of his career among the Chiefs, Browns, and Texans, Murray joined the Jaguars last March on a three-year, $22.5MM deal. The 31-year-old opened his Jags tenure with seven straight starts before suffering his injury. He totaled 31 tackles, four passes defensed, and an interception during that stretch. Pro Football Focus rates his play a solid 42nd among 94 qualifying safeties.
With Murray unavailable over the past few weeks, the Jaguars have turned to Antonio Johnson as a starter alongside Andrew Wingard. Johnson has flashed as a playmaker with two interceptions and a pair of sacks, and PFF ranks his performance an impressive 14th among safeties.
It seems likely Johnson will continue to garner playing time even when Murray comes back, especially with Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile willing to use three safeties. The Jags deployed current No. 3 safety Rayuan Lane on a career-high 26 snaps in a win over the Cardinals in Week 12. The sixth-round rookie from Navy wasn’t targeted on 23 coverage snaps, per Jim Wyman of PFF.
Along with designating Murray to return, the Jaguars added more safety depth with the practice squad signing of Trevian Thomas on Wednesday. The undrafted rookie from Arkansas State was previously with the Panthers, who cut him on Tuesday. He appeared in one of the Panthers’ games this season and made one tackle on special teams.
Bills Sign WR Brandin Cooks
One day after becoming a free agent, Brandin Cooks has quickly found a new home. The Bills announced that they’ve signed the veteran wide receiver to their active roster.
The Saints and Cooks mutually agreed to part ways last Wednesday, but there was a slight holdup over “contractual technicalities.” After the Saints amended Cooks’ contract, he passed through waivers unclaimed and became free to sign anywhere on Monday.
A first-round pick of the Saints in 2014, Cooks is now heading to his sixth NFL destination. The 32-year-old has been part of a record-tying four trades during his career, but the Saints didn’t find a taker for him before the Nov. 4 deadline. Cooks has endured a down year with just 19 catches and 165 yards (8.7 YPC) over 10 scoreless games, which explains why teams weren’t eager to trade draft compensation for him.
While Cooks didn’t produce much in New Orleans with quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler this season, he may have a better chance in Buffalo with reigning MVP Josh Allen at the helm. Cooks is easily the most accomplished receiver on the Bills’ roster, having amassed 729 catches, 9,697 receiving yards, and 60 touchdowns in 168 regular-season games.
The receiver position has been a sore spot throughout the year for the Bills, who tried to address the issue at the deadline. They reportedly made a significant offer to the AFC East rival Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle, but they failed to reel in him or anyone else. With receiver remaining a problem area, the Bills have dropped two of three since the deadline to fall to 7-4. They’re unlikely to chase down the 10-2 Patriots for a sixth straight division title, and a wild-card berth doesn’t look like a guarantee in a conference loaded with playoff contenders.
The Bills’ need at receiver became even more glaring over the past couple of weeks with head coach Sean McDermott making second-year man Keon Coleman a healthy inactive twice in a row. Coleman sat out a 44-32 win over the Buccaneers in Week 11 after he was consistently late to meetings. He also didn’t play in the Bills’ 23-19 loss to the Texans last Thursday. It’s unclear if he’ll return to the lineup this Sunday in a crucial meeting with the Steelers. Regardless, it’s fair to say Coleman has not panned out as hoped since going 33rd overall in the 2024 draft.
Coleman has joined the majority of the Bills’ receiving corps in underwhelming this season. Slot target Khalil Shakir has put together another productive campaign, but Josh Palmer, Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Tyrell Shavers have all caught fewer than 20 passes apiece.
While Gabe Davis played in the Bills’ past two games and picked up four receptions for 62 yards, he’s not on their active roster. The Bills can only elevate him from their practice squad one more time before they have to sign him. Mecole Hardman, also on the practice squad, played in one game before going on IR with a calf injury last week.
It’s unknown how many other teams joined Buffalo in vying for Cooks, but Denver was not among them. The AFC West leaders had a connection to Cooks in head coach Sean Payton, who was in charge in New Orleans when the wideout entered the league. Despite that, the Broncos weren’t in the mix for Cooks, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Bill Belichick Expected To Draw Interest From Multiple Teams
The Giants and Titans fired their head coaches earlier in the campaign, but other teams are sure to join them on the market by the end of the season. At least five more jobs could open up, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports.
While it’s unclear which clubs will dismiss their head coaches in the coming weeks, it appears Bill Belichick‘s status will be worth monitoring for some of those openings.
The North Carolina head coach emphatically denied interest in an NFL return earlier this month. Nevertheless, a report stating at least one NFL team was doing homework on Belichick surfaced shortly after that.
Now, according to Anderson, there are “at least” two teams that are expected to have interest in Belichick. A third could join the fray, per Anderson, who hears that may depend on the team’s ownership making “one specific personnel change.”
Belichick, who’s in his first season at the college level, won’t lead the Tar Heels to a bowl game this year. UNC is guaranteed to finish under .500 after falling to 4-7 with a loss to Duke last week. That’s surely not what Belichick or the school had in mind when they finalized a five-year, $50MM deal last January. The Tar Heels’ season (and potentially Belichick’s tenure as their coach) will end against North Carolina State on Saturday.
Although Belichick has not carried his professional success to the college ranks, there are still NFL owners who have a “deep respect” for the 73-year-old, Anderson notes. Considering Belichick ranks first among head coaches in Super Bowl victories (six) and third in regular-season wins (302), that’s not a surprise.
Belichick nearly landed the Falcons’ head coaching job in January 2024, but they instead chose Raheem Morris. The former Browns and Patriots HC went on to express interest in multiple openings last winter before committing to UNC. No reported interviews took place then, though perhaps he’ll encounter more serious interest during the upcoming hiring cycle.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/25/25
Tuesday’s practice squad updates from around the NFL…
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: QB Sean Clifford
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Erick Hallett
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Cameron Mitchell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DL Boogie Basham
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Wyatt Bowles
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: CB Shemar Bartholomew
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Bill Murray
- Released: RB Jonathan Ward
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Samori Toure, RB Ian Wheeler, K Cade York (story)
- Released: WR Jha’Quan Jackson, LB Eku Leota
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Myles Purchase
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Anthony Goodlow, WR Cornell Powell
- Released: DB Daequan Hardy, LB Mark Robinson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OT Chandler Brewer
- Released: WR Kristian Wilkerson
Lions Waive CB Arthur Maulet
The Lions are cutting cornerback Arthur Maulet, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Maulet will be free to sign anywhere if he clears waivers.
After combining for 85 appearances and 23 starts with five NFL teams from 2017-24, Maulet joined the Lions’ practice squad on Oct. 8. The Lions were dealing with injuries to cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Khalil Dorsey when they scooped up Maulet.
Four days after joining the Lions’ taxi squad, Maulet debuted with the team in a Week 6 loss to the Chiefs. He went on to appear in five more games before the Lions cut him.
Over 170 snaps with Detroit (105 on defense, 65 on special teams), the 32-year-old totaled 14 tackles, one pass defensed, and an interception. Maulet’s pick, the fifth of his career, came against Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in a Week 7 victory.
The Lions activated Reed and Dorsey from IR last Saturday, leading to a reduction in playing time for Maulet on Sunday. He picked up just five defensive snaps in a win over the Giants. Arnold has missed back-to-back games with a concussion, but he could return on Thanksgiving against the Packers, per Richard Silva of the Detroit News. If so, the Lions would have a full complement of healthy corners with Arnold rejoining Reed, Dorsey, Amik Robertson, and Rock Ya-Sin among their top five options.
Joe Flacco Hoping For Starting Opportunity In 2026
With Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow expected to return from injured reserve in Week 13, Joe Flacco‘s short run as the team’s starter is likely over. As a soon-to-be free agent, Flacco’s time with Cincinnati may be running out.
Although Flacco will turn 41 years old in January, it doesn’t appear he’s eyeing retirement. On the contrary, the former Super Bowl MVP believes he’s capable of serving as a starter in 2026, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.
Flacco began this season as a stopgap Browns starter in front of rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. After a 1-3 start, they benched Flacco in favor of Gabriel. Six days later, Cleveland sent Flacco to in-state rival Cincinnati in a surprising Oct. 7 trade.
The Bengals took a cheap flier on Flacco, giving up a fifth-round pick in exchange for him and a sixth-rounder. They deemed the move worthwhile after backup Jake Browning flopped filling in for Burrow, who suffered a toe injury in Week 2.
Flacco struggled over four starts this year in Cleveland, where he completed 58.1% of passes, averaged 5.1 yards per attempt, threw more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (two), and posted a ghastly passer rating of 60.3. His production has markedly improved since the trade. Flacco has started six games as a Bengal and connected on 61.6% of throws with 6.5 YPA, 13 TDs against four INTs, and a 91.3 passer rating. He has gone over the 300-yard mark twice (which he didn’t do at all with the Browns), including a jaw-dropping 470 in a Week 9 loss to the Bears.
Discussing his performance as Cincinnati’s starter, Flacco told Baby: “Hopefully it reinforces it in somebody’s mind that I can do it. I do still want to do it. I still feel like I can do it. This obviously does help with the confidence of being able to do it and all that stuff.”
Flacco’s comments came before a 26-20 loss to New England on Sunday. He tossed a costly pick-six and finished a lackluster 19 of 37 for 199 yards and a TD against the Patriots. It was the second straight subpar outing for Flacco, who fared similarly in a 34-12 loss to the Steelers in Week 11.
Although Flacco has been a clear upgrade over Browning, the Bengals have won just one of his six starts. They acquired Flacco with the hope that he’d help keep them in the hunt until Burrow’s return. It didn’t work out, however. Thanks in large part to defensive ineptitude, the Bengals are 3-8 and heading for a third straight season without a playoff berth.
The Bengals will have a chance to rebound next year with a healthy Burrow and a better defense. Meanwhile, if he leaves Cincinnati and continues his career, Flacco could end up with his seventh organization since his 11-year run with the Ravens ended in 2018. That’s assuming he doesn’t rejoin one of his ex-teams. The former first-rounder from Delaware has spent time with the Broncos, Jets, Eagles, Colts, and both Ohio teams since 2019. Flacco may land yet another contract in the offseason, though it remains to be seen if he’ll receive any starting offers.
“I would like an opportunity, but you just never know,” Flacco told Baby.
Jerry Jones: ‘Of Course’ Cowboys Want To Keep George Pickens
The Cowboys rallied from 21 points down to pull off a 24-21 win over the NFC East rival Eagles on Sunday. Wide receiver George Pickens was among the driving forces behind the team’s stunning comeback. The first-year Cowboy hauled in nine of Dak Prescott‘s passes for the second game in a row, racked up 146 yards, and scored a touchdown.
After a productive three-year run in Pittsburgh, which traded him in May, Pickens has found another gear with a change of scenery. The 24-year-old ranks second in the NFL in yards (1,054), third in TDs (a career-high eight), and eighth in catches (67, also a personal best). With Pickens scheduled to reach free agency in the offseason, he’s enjoying a breakout year at the right time.
While a trip to the open market would prove lucrative for Pickens, odds are he won’t get there. Even if Dallas and Pickens are unable to reach a long-term agreement before free agency begins in March, it seems likely the team will place the franchise tag on the wideout.
The tag would cost the Cowboys around $28MM, but it appears they’d be willing to make a longer commitment. The goal is to keep Pickens in the fold beyond 2026, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
The two sides have not begun contract talks, according to Rapoport, but a tagged Pickens would be eligible for an extension until July 2026. That would give team and player a few months to work something out. The Cowboys haven’t used the tag on a receiver since Dez Bryant in March 2015. They ended up extending Bryant that July.
Neither Pickens nor his representatives at Athletes First would be thrilled with the tag, per Rapoport, who notes trading him for picks could be an option for the Cowboys if they can’t extend him. They’d prefer to avoid that, though.
Notably, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and one of Pickens’ agents, David Mulugheta, clashed during contract negotations for Micah Parsons last summer. After a long and contentious standoff, the Cowboys wound up trading Parsons to the Packers in a late-August blockbuster. The history between Jones and Mulugheta may not bode well on paper, though team sources told Rapoport it won’t stand in the way of a potential Pickens deal.
After watching Pickens help the Cowboys improve to 5-5-1 and stay in the playoff hunt in Week 12, Jones lavished praise on the star pass catcher, saying (via Jon Machota of The Athletic): “We are proud we’ve got him and I don’t know of anyone that has helped his team any more to win this year.”
When asked if he wants Pickens to stay with the Cowboys in 2026, Jones left no doubt.
“Of course, of course we are proud to have him and I don’t even want to play games with it, we’d love to have him on the team,” Jones said.
The Cowboys already have one massive receiver contract on their books after Jones authorized a four-year, $136MM extension for CeeDee Lamb in August 2024. Lamb is one of 10 receivers averaging upward of $30MM per year. Pickens is making a case to join him on an enormous multiyear pact of his own. At the very least, Pickens will approach the $30MM figure next season if he plays under the tag.
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. To Miss Start Of 2026 Season?
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s season ended last week when he suffered a partially torn left ACL in a loss to the Panthers. It’s possible the recovery process will take long enough to jeopardize Penix’s availability for the beginning of the 2026 campaign, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Penix will undergo surgery “sooner than later,” head coach Raheem Morris said this week. Morris also expressed optimism that Penix will be ready for Week 1 next season, but he added “that’s a guestimation by me, not medical information.”
It’s doubtful that Penix will be a full participant in the Falcons’ offseason program, according to Kendall. That could decrease his chances of taking the field in the Falcons’ 2026 season opener, which would throw a wrench into Morris’ plans.
If Penix isn’t ready at the outset of next year, it’s unclear who will take the reins for the Falcons. Kirk Cousins will finish this season as the Falcons’ starter, but his time in Atlanta could end soon after that.
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $160MM contract with $90MM fully guaranteed a little over a month before drafting Penix eighth overall in 2024. The decision to splurge on the former Washington and Minnesota starter has blown up in Atlanta’s face. Cousins performed poorly enough last year that Morris demoted him in favor of Penix in Week 15. Penix kept the starting job until his injury, leaving Cousins as a ridiculously overpriced backup since last December.
Cousins still has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s due to count an untenable $57.5MM against the Falcons’ salary cap in both 2026 and ’27. An offseason release seems likely. Cutting Cousins would allow the Falcons to spread a much more manageable $35MM hit over the next two seasons, Kendall notes.
Moving on from Cousins with Penix recovering from surgery would put the Falcons in the market for QB insurance during the offseason. They’ll likely consider various free agent and trade options. The Falcons could also draft someone, but it would have to come after the first round. They’re not in position to use another Round 1 selection on a signal-caller until 2027, having traded their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams at last year’s draft. With the Falcons off to a 3-7 start, that pick could wind up in the top 10.
In a best-case scenario for the Falcons, a healthy Penix will establish himself as a franchise passer next season. However, it’s concerning that the 25-year-old carries a lengthy injury history, including two right ACL tears in college. He also hasn’t offered high-level production over his first 12 starts in the NFL. The Falcons have gone 4-8 with Penix at the controls. It’s too soon to write Penix off, but the Falcons will have to come up with an effective backup plan this offseason in the wake of his latest injury.
Eagles Won’t Place RT Lane Johnson On IR With Lisfranc Sprain
NOVEMBER 22: As it turns out, Johnson will avoid placement on injured reserve. Per McLane, the veteran right tackle won’t require surgery for the Lisfranc injury to his right foot, so the original four- to six-week prediction is no longer the expectation. The fact that he won’t end up on IR indicates a strong possibility that he will be able return within four games, making a Week 14 return the new target date.
NOVEMBER 18: X-rays will not be possible until the inflammation in Johnson’s ankle subsides, McLane notes. As a result, it could be one week or more until a determination regarding surgery is ultimately made.
NOVEMBER 17: The Eagles pulled off a 16-9 win over the Lions on Sunday, but they lost one of their best players in the process. Right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and will miss four to six weeks, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.
There’s optimism that this isn’t a season-ending injury. However, it won’t be confirmed until the results of Johnson’s X-rays come back, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. At the very least, an IR placement looks like a strong possibility.
If Johnson goes on IR before the Eagles-Cowboys game this Sunday, he’ll be eligible to return in Week 16. Fred Johnson will presumably step in as the Eagles’ right tackle over the next several weeks.
Lane Johnson, 35, has evolved into a potential Hall of Famer since the Eagles chose him fourth overall in 2013. The former Oklahoma Sooner has started in all 168 career regular-season games. Johnson has picked up six Pro Bowl invitations, earned All-Pro honors five times, and won two Super Bowls along the way.
Johnson was a key part of a dominant offensive line that helped lead the Eagles to a championship last season. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has continued his standout play this year, as Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 16th among 62 qualifying OTs.
Fortunately for the Eagles, who improved to 8-2 in Week 11, they should coast to an NFC East title even without Johnson. The 3-5-1 Cowboys are well behind them, while the Commanders and Giants are a combined 5-17. However, losing Johnson could have a negative effect on Philadelphia’s chances to lock up the conference’s No. 1 seed. The 8-2 Rams are among the teams nipping at the Eagles’ heels.
Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR
3:32pm: The Bears indeed placed Edmunds on injured reserve today as they expect him to miss four to six weeks because of his groin injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Chicago is leaving the door open for Edmunds to come back for a potential playoff run. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon will not yet be activated from IR.
Joining Edmunds on IR will be backup running back Roschon Johnson. He and recently activated fellow back Travis Homer were ruled out for tomorrow, so practice squad rusher Brittain Brown has been signed to the 53-man roster, along with practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr., to fill the newly vacant roster slots. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden have been designated as the Bears’ two standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the taxi squad after tomorrow’s game.
1:58pm: Although the Bears haven’t announced it, their media website indicates that they’ve placed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on IR, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have already ruled out Edmunds for Week 12 with a groin injury.
If the Bears do put Edmunds on IR, it would require at least a four-game absence. Even if that doesn’t happen, a source told Biggs that Edmunds is likely to miss multiple weeks.
With the Bears at 7-3 and pushing for their first playoff berth since 2020, a long-term Edmunds absence would be an awful development for their defense. The career-long starter and former Bills first-round pick has been a key piece for the Bears since they signed him to a four-year, $72.5MM contract in 2023. Now in his eighth NFL season, Edmunds has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers this year.
Just 10 games into 2025, Edmunds has already matched a career high with four interceptions, and his nine passes defensed are tied for his second-highest mark. His 97.4% snap share ranks third among Bears defenders, trailing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. With 89 tackles, Edmunds is on track to go over 100 yet again. The Virginia Tech product has recorded triple-digit tackles in all of his professional seasons, but his streak could be in jeopardy if he misses significant time.
Edmunds’ output this year has led Pro Football Focus to rank his performance 20th among 81 qualifying LBs. He and T.J. Edwards (ranked 13th) have formed a top-notch duo when healthy, though the latter is also out of commission. Multiple injuries have limited Edwards to five games this season. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand earlier this month, and he’ll miss his third straight game Sunday against the AFC North-leading Steelers.
Noah Sewell has filled in for Edwards, but he’s dealing with an elbow injury that will shelve him for the Pittsburgh game. That means the Bears won’t have any of their top three linebackers this week.
The injuries to Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell leave D’Marco Jackson, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as the only healthy LBs on Chicago’s active roster. Ogbongbemiga is the lone member of the trio who has made an NFL start (he picked up two with the Chargers back in 2021), but he has played exclusively on special teams in two games this season.