Texans Rule Out C.J. Stroud For Week 11; Davis Mills To Start
After suffering a concussion in Week 9, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will miss his second straight game this Sunday. The Texans ruled him out on Thursday (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2). Head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that backup signal-caller Davis Mills will start against the Titans in Week 11.
Stroud sustained his injury on a hit from Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine in an 18-15 loss on Nov. 2. A week and a half later, he’s still in concussion protocol and continuing to experience symptoms. Stroud hasn’t returned to practice as a result.
It’s unclear how much more time Stroud will miss, though it’s worth noting that the Texans will be on a short week after facing the Titans. They’ll host the Bills next Thursday. The quick turnaround will give Stroud less time to return to full strength ahead of an important matchup between AFC playoff contenders.
Winners of back-to-back AFC South titles in Stroud’s first two seasons, the 4-5 Texans are sitting on the outside of the playoff picture in his third year. They’re lagging well behind the surprising Colts, who are atop the division at 8-2. However, the Mills-led Texans pulled out a critical win against the division rival Jaguars last week to keep hope alive.
After going 17 of 30 for a paltry 137 yards off the bench in the Denver game, Mills completed 27 of 45 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns (one rushing), and an interception in a 36-29 victory in Week 10. Mills led a dramatic 19-point comeback in the fourth quarter and scored the game-winning TD on a 14-yard run with 31 seconds left.
Mills is now in line to make his 28th start since the Texans selected him in the third round (67th overall) of the 2021 draft. The Stanford product took over as the Texans’ starter for most of his rookie year, the season Deshaun Watson sat out as a healthy scratch. Mills retained the job in 2022 after Houston traded Watson to Cleveland, but the Texans’ 3-13-1 finish enabled them to pick Stroud second overall in the ensuing draft.
With a healthy Stroud at the helm of their offense, Mills didn’t make a single start from 2023-24. Still, the Texans believed enough in Mills to hand him an extension with a fully guaranteed $7MM in September. Two months later, they’re relying on Mills’ help to stay in the race.
The Texans are likely confident in their chances on Sunday against the 1-8 Titans, especially after throttling them 26-0 in Week 4. Far tougher tests are looming, however, with Buffalo, Indianapolis, and Kansas City next on the schedule. Ideally for the Texans, they’ll climb to .500 for the first time this week and then get Stroud back for what could be a season-defining three-game stretch.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/25
Here’s are Thursday’s practice squad changes from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB C.J. Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tre Avery
Houston Texans
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE Layne Pryor
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Trace Ford
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Titus Leo
- Released: CB Ambry Thomas
Giants To Start QB Jameis Winston In Week 11
With Jaxson Dart in concussion protocol, the Giants will turn to their third different starting quarterback of the season in Week 11. Jameis Winston will get the nod on Sunday against the Packers, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.
After Dart suffered his injury in last week’s loss to the Bears, season-opening starter Russell Wilson replaced him. With the Wilson experiment having gone poorly this year, newly named interim head coach Mike Kafka will try his hand with Winston in his first game replacing the fired Brian Daboll.
Roughly a month before the Giants traded up to draft Dart 25th overall in April, they brought in Wilson and Winston as potential stopgaps in free agency. Wilson inked a one-year, $10.5MM deal, while Winston signed on for two years and $8MM.
Regardless of who grabs the reins as the Giants’ full-time head coach, Wilson is all but assured to leave the team after the season. Considering Winston’s already under contract, he figures to serve as Dart’s backup in 2026. It’s worth noting that a portion of Winston’s salary for next season is already guaranteed.
The Giants used Winston as their emergency third QB until Kafka took over. The battle-tested former No. 1 overall pick is now in line to make the 88th start of his career since he entered the NFL with the Buccaneers in 2015.
Also a former Saint and Brown, Winston most recently saw regular-season action with Cleveland in Week 15 last year. He made seven starts in 12 appearances with the Browns and completed 61.1% of passes for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Browns went 2-5 in Winston’s starts. He and Kafka will hope for better results on Sunday.
Seahawks C Jalen Sundell To Miss ‘Multiple Weeks,’ Could Go On IR
After serving as a backup during his rookie season in 2024, Seahawks center Jalen Sundell has emerged as their top option at the position this year. The former undrafted free agent from North Dakota State has started in every game for the 7-2 Seahawks. Sundell suffered a knee injury in a win over the Cardinals last week, though, and he’ll miss some time as a result.
Head coach Mike Macdonald announced (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) that Sundell will sit out “multiple weeks.” While Macdonald said Sundell won’t require surgery (per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic), he acknowledged that an IR stint is a possibility. Sundell would miss at least four games in that case.
Although Pro Football Focus ranks Sundell’s performance an underwhelming 28th among 37 qualifying centers, he’s an important part of a successful line. The Seahawks have allowed the fewest sacks in the league (10). With top-tier protection, quarterback Sam Darnold has performed like an MVP candidate in his first season in Seattle.
Darnold will now have to work with a different center for a key Week 11 matchup with the NFC West rival Rams. That will likely be Olu Oluwatimi, who lost the starting competition to Sundell over the summer. Oluwatimi suffered a back injury during training camp, helping lead to a demotion after he started eight games last year. The 6-foot-6, 309-pounder stepped in at center after Connor Williams‘ abrupt retirement in mid-November.
With Oluwatimi expected to fill in for Sundell, sixth-round rookie Bryce Cabeldue is in line to serve as the primary backup. However, Macdonald pointed out that guard Christian Haynes is capable of playing the position, per Condotta. Haynes has been on IR all season with a pectoral injury, but the Seahawks opened the 2024 third-rounder’s practice window on Oct. 29. Assuming the Seahawks activate him by next week, Haynes could function as depth while Sundell’s out.
Giants Name Tim Kelly Interim Offensive Coordinator; Mike Kafka Remains Play-Caller
After a promotion from offensive coordinator to interim head coach earlier this week, Mike Kafka will continue to call the plays for the Giants. Kafka named an interim offensive coordinator on Wednesday, though, announcing that tight ends coach Tim Kelly will take the reins (via Dan Duggan of The Athletic).
Kafka confirmed that he and Kelly will work with a new starting quarterback this week in Jameis Winston. With Jaxson Dart battling a concussion, Winston will face the Packers on Sunday.
Dart is “right on track and right on pace” in his recovery, Kafka said (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). The Giants haven’t ruled Dart out yet, but they’re understandably taking a cautious approach with the prized first-round rookie.
Kelly, who joined the Giants’ staff ahead of the 2024 campaign, is becoming an O-coordinator for the third time. The 39-year-old previously served in that role with the Texans from 2019-21 and the Titans in 2023.
Kelly was at the helm in Houston during quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s final two years of action with the club. Watson went to the Pro Bowl in both 2019 and 2020 under Kelly, who led an offense that was a middle-of-the-pack unit in those seasons. The Texans were a playoff team in 2019, but they fired head coach Bill O’Brien after an 0-4 start the next year. Romeo Crennel finished the campaign as Houston’s interim HC.
After going 4-8 under Crennel, the Texans hired David Culley in 2021. He retained Kelly, but the OC no longer had Watson at his disposal. Watson spent the entire season inactive after sexual harassment allegations came to light. The Texans primarily turned to Davis Mills under center in Watson’s place. Houston’s offense was among the worst in the league that year, and the team moved on from Culley and his coaching staff after the season.
Kelly quickly landed on his feet on Mike Vrabel‘s staff in Tennessee, working as the Titans’ passing game coordinator in 2022 before taking over the offense the next season. With a fading Ryan Tannehill and struggling rookie Will Levis as their QBs, the Titans finished a woeful 27th in points and 28th in yardage during a 6-11 showing in 2023. They didn’t retain Vrabel or his staff beyond then.
The Giants will look outside for a full-time replacement for Brian Daboll, whom they fired Monday, though Kafka will receive consideration for the job. He and Kelly will try to make their cases for promotions over the next several weeks.
Steelers Activate QB Will Howard From IR
After winning the national championship in his lone season at Ohio State in 2024, quarterback Will Howard entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Steelers last spring. Howard broke his hand early in training camp, though, forcing him to begin his career on injured reserve. After opening Howard’s 21-day practice window on Oct. 22, the Steelers activated the 24-year-old to their 53-man roster on Wednesday.
Taken 185th in the draft, Howard was always regarded as a developmental project for the Steelers. Even if he didn’t succumb to an injury over the summer, Howard was unlikely to see meaningful playing time this season.
Howard joined a team that brought in future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers as its new starter and the experienced Mason Rudolph as its primary backup during the offseason. Rodgers has stayed healthy during the Steelers’ 5-4 start, leaving just six snaps for Rudolph thus far.
The Steelers reportedly hope to retain Rodgers, who will turn 42 in December, next season. Rudolph is already under contract for 2026 after signing a two-year, $8MM deal. The Steelers will have plenty of time to figure out their QB setup for next year. In the meantime, they’ll get Howard back as an emergency third option.
As PFR’s IR tracker shows, Howard’s activation leaves the Steelers with five for the rest of the season. To make room for Howard, the Steelers waived running back Trey Sermon from their active roster. The former 49er, Eagle, and Colt signed a one-year pact with the Steelers last May. Sermon has appeared in four games this season, his fifth in the league, but 47 of his 48 snaps have come on special teams.
Commanders Designate S Will Harris For Return; Latest On Terry McLaurin
The Commanders have gone without safety Will Harris for most of 2025, an injury-ravaged season for the team. Harris is closing in on a return, though, as the Commanders opened his practice window on Wednesday. They’ll have 21 days to activate him from IR.
A former Lion and Saint, Harris signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Commanders as a free agent last March. He started in Washington’s first three games and made 11 tackles before suffering a broken fibula in a Week 3 win over the Raiders. The Commanders were 2-1 at the time, but they’ve since fallen to 3-7 and drifted out of the NFC playoff race.
After Harris went down, the Commanders quickly added the experienced Darnell Savage to their secondary. Savage entered Washington with 82 career starts, and that number hasn’t changed. He has worked as a backup and played just under 22% of defensive snaps in seven games with the Commanders.
With Savage in a reserve role, Jeremy Reaves has gotten the lion’s share of playing time at safety alongside Quan Martin. Reaves is better known as a special teams contributor, but he has made six starts in 10 games and totaled 56 tackles and three passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance a decent 41st among 91 qualifying safeties.
While it appears the Commanders’ defense will welcome Harris back in the coming weeks, wide receiver Terry McLaurin could rejoin their offense soon. McLaurin, who’s dealing with a quad injury, will not play when the Commanders face the Dolphins in Madrid on Sunday. However, head coach Dan Quinn said McLaurin will begin on-field rehab work this week (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
Washington has a bye in Week 12, but McLaurin may be ready after that. After posting his fourth straight 17-game, 1,000-yard season and scoring a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2024, the two-time Pro Bowler has played in just four contests this year. That partially explains Washington’s precipitous drop in the standings after a 12-5 finish and a conference title game berth last season.
Eagles Place CB Jaire Alexander On Reserve/Retired List
Eagles cornerback Jaire Alexander stepped away from football on Tuesday to focus on his physical and mental health. It turns out that Alexander’s career may be over. The Eagles placed him on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday and activated cornerback Jakorian Bennett from IR in a corresponding move.
Now 28 years old, Alexander entered the NFL as a Packers first-rounder (No. 18 overall) in 2018. The former Louisville Cardinal quickly emerged as one of the league’s best corners. He earned two second-team All-Pro nods and a pair of Pro Bowl invitations during his first five seasons in the league. Alexander totaled 10 interceptions during that 62-game span.
The Packers signed Alexander to a four-year, $84MM extension before the 2022 season, which will go down as his most productive campaign. Alexander picked off a career-best five passes during a 16-start season, but he was unable to stay healthy after that.
After groin, back, shoulder, and knee injuries limited Alexander to 14 of a possible 34 regular-season games from 2023-24, the Packers released him last June. He quickly caught on with the Ravens on a one-year, $6MM deal, but the union didn’t work out for either side. Alexander dealt with a knee injury and appeared in just two games with Baltimore, which traded him and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Philadelphia for a 2026 sixth-rounder on Nov. 1.
Although Alexander expressed optimism about his health after the trade, he wasn’t active for the Eagles’ win over the Packers in Week 10. It now appears his career has come to an end.
While the Eagles are losing Alexander, Bennett is returning to bolster their corner depth. Acquired from the Raiders in August, Bennett played in three games and picked up 44 snaps (24 on defense, 20 on special teams) before the Eagles placed him on IR with a pectoral injury on Sept. 24.
Bennett will give the Eagles another option on the outside behind starters Quinyon Mitchell and Adoree’ Jackson. Slot standout Cooper DeJean, Michael Carter II, Kelee Ringo, and Mac McWilliams comprise the rest of the Eagles’ corners.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/25
Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL…
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Tre Avery
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: OT Geron Christian
- Waived: WR/KR Michael Bandy
- Placed on IR: LB Karene Reid
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: LB Kristian Welch
- Placed on IR: C Elgton Jenkins (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Suspended: RB Josh Williams
Washington Commanders
- Signed from practice squad: WR Robbie Chosen, WR Jacoby Jones
- Placed on IR: CB Trey Amos (story)
The NFL issued Williams a six-game ban without pay for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Williams will be eligible for reinstatement after Week 16. The undrafted rookie from LSU has picked up four carries for 11 yards in three games this year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Ben Stille
- Released: OL Raiqwon O’Neal, LS Zach Triner
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DE Kingsley Jonathan, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Mike White
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE K.J. Henry, DE Ochaun Mathis
- Released: DT Simeon Barrow Jr.
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: OL Jack Conley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Peter Bowden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Nick Muse
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Shemar Bartholomew
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: WR Brenden Rice
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Zach Davidson, K Ben Sauls
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Tre Brown
- Released: DB J.T. Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Desmond Watson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
The Panthers waived White from their practice squad on Nov. 8, but the team quickly brought the veteran signal-caller back. White will continue to provide experienced depth behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He served as the Panthers’ emergency third QB in their Week 9 win over the Packers.