Chiefs LT Josh Simmons To Miss Second Straight Game
After becoming a last second scratch last week, Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons will miss his second game in a row as he deals with what head coach Andy Reid described as a “family situation” (via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor). This reporting echoes the wording used in the initial reports made last week by NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. 
Simmons was downgraded to questionable just hours before the team’s Sunday night matchup with the Lions and didn’t end up playing. This wasn’t the first time Simmons had been given a late-week injury designation in his young NFL career. In a radio appearance yesterday, ESPN’s Nate Taylor disclosed that Simmons had also been a late addition to the injury report in Week 5, being listed as questionable due to illness.
Taylor went on to say, “I was sort of told yesterday that his blip on the injury report hours before kickoff in the stadium in Jacksonville is related to what he’s dealing with now.”
It’s hard to see the link between an illness and “personal” designation due to a family situation, but with the lack of clarity on anything related to Simmons at the moment, clear answers are not expected. It also seems like the first-round pick has yet to rejoin the team at all as he’s missed practice this week. According to Jacob Camenker of USA Today, quarterback Patrick Mahomes told the media that he’d been in communication with Simmons, which makes it sound as if he hasn’t been in the building.
Free agent addition Jaylon Moore was called on to start at left tackle in Simmons’ place on Sunday. Following his signing and Simmons’ selection in the draft, it was thought that Moore may have been brought in to serve as a bridge at left tackle in case Simmons needed development. Over his first four years in the league, Moore only started 12 games for the 49ers as a primary backup. Kansas City agreed to pay him $30MM over a two-year deal, yet his first start for the Chiefs came six weeks into the season. Moore struggled in the spot start, making the uncertainty of Simmons’ situation all the more worrisome.
At the moment, though, there doesn’t seem to be any information suggesting Simmons could return soon. Per Camenker, when head coach Andy Reid was asked if there was any timetable for Simmons’ return, Reid shook his head. This was at a press conference that Reid opened up by saying, “As far as Josh Simmons’ situation goes, I’m not going to comment on it today. (General manager Brett) Veach is handling everything there, and we’ll leave it at that.”
If that’s all we’re getting from the Chiefs’ head coach, it sounds like it might not be an easily remediable situation.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/25
Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the seventh weekend of the regular season:
Chicago Bears
- Released: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Denver Broncos
- Released: QB Sam Ehlinger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Rick Lovato
The Broncos designated veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw for his eventual return to the active roster on Wednesday. It looks like one week of practice may have been all Denver needed to see. According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Ehlinger’s release is designed to clear a spot for Greenlaw on the 53-man roster as he comes back from injured reserve. Ehlinger is expected to sign back with the team’s practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/25
Here are Friday’s practice squad transactions:
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Joe Bachie
- Released: K Matthew Wright
Wright had been brought on by Tennessee last week as regular kicker Joey Slye missed their Week 6 trip to Vegas. With Slye returning to practice this week, Wright’s presence was no longer needed.
Taking his place on the practice squad is Bachie, who worked out with the team today after getting released from Indianapolis’ injured reserve on Wednesday. One could speculate that Bachie may have requested a release from the Colts. If he was healthy enough to be signed after a workout with the Titans, his placement on IR must not have been for anything serious.
Jets HC Aaron Glenn Doesn’t Want Breece Hall Trade
About a third of the way through the final year of his rookie contract, Jets running back Breece Hall continues to serve as the subject of trade rumor after trade rumor after trade rumor. Each time the subject comes up, though, head coach Aaron Glenn is there to deny, deny, deny. That last denial came today (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) as Glenn reiterated to reporters that the team has “no plans to trade Hall.” 
Today’s denial comes on the heels of comments the 24-year-old rusher made last Friday in London, in which he stressed that does not want to be traded. Hall was approached by reporters, again, today in the locker room, and his tune changed to something seemingly a bit more neutral.
“I haven’t posted anything this season, so (it’s) just a way for me to say I’m ready for whatever comes my way at the end of the day,” Hall confided in the media. “Whether it’s going against an opponent, whether it’s in my life, it’s just for me. It’s a football thing. So, alright, I’m ready for whatever opponent’s coming my way, whatever the case may be. It’s a for-the-game type of thing.”
Hall excited everyone back in 2022 as a second-round rookie out of Iowa State, utilizing a 5.8 yards per carry figure to surpass Michael Carter as the Jets’ starting running back after five games. Tears to his ACL and meniscus derailed a magical rookie season, and though he made a strong return in Year 2, the excitement dissipated as he failed to meet relatively high expectations upon his return to the field. Stagnant development last year, combined with some strong early looks at then-rookie running back Braelon Allen, began some speculation that Hall’s time in New York may be coming to an end.
There have already been reports that an extension is not likely in the cards for Hall. If the playoffs are quickly becoming out of reach for the Jets and Hall is expected to just walk in free agency, it would make all the sense in the world to offer Hall up to a contender in need of help at running back so that the team can get something for him rather than just watching him walk away for nothing.
Regardless, Glenn and Hall both have been adamant about wanting to stay together, and the potential long-term injury of Allen makes Hall far less expendable that he would’ve otherwise been. Still, Hall clearly senses something in the air, and with so many rumors dedicated to the subject, there’s usually fire where there’s smoke.
Patriots Sign S Richie Grant
Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins‘ hamstring injury may be worse than reports so far have shown. After missing last week’s game because of the injury, Hawkins did not participate in practice today, and in a move that may be linked to the situation, New England signed former Falcons starting safety Richie Grant, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. 
Grant’s contract with the Patriots will reportedly be a practice squad deal, continuing a downward trend for the former second-round pick out of UCF. Grant served almost two years in Atlanta as a full-time starter following his rookie campaign. Late in 2023, though, he got passed up on the depth chart, and last year, he only started one game in the Falcons secondary.
As a free agent, Grant signed with the 49ers and even made the initial 53-man roster, but he was waived two days later. Once again a free agent, Grant was able to work out with the Colts in the days leading up to the regular season, but ultimately, no deal came along.
Hawkins has been part of a new-look defensive backstop for the Patriots this year. The team released Jabrill Peppers before the start of the season, and trade rumors had been surrounding Kyle Dugger for some time. Hawkins, a waiver claim during the 2024 season, and Craig Woodson, a fourth-round rookie who hails from the same alma mater as Hawkins, opened the season as the team’s starting safeties.
With Hawkins’ absence stretching into the early days of practice this week, there’s a chance New England pursued Grant because of his starting experience. Dugger struggled in last week’s start, second-year defender Dell Pettus has been working in a minimized box safety role this year, and Brenden Schooler is an All-Pro special teamer. Grant’s two years of starting experience may give him a shot at filling in until Hawkins can overcome his ailing hamstring.
Commanders Designate CB Jonathan Jones To Return From IR
The Commanders are looking to return some significant depth to their secondary soon after designating veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones to return from injured reserve today, per ESPN’s John Keim. This gives Jones three weeks to either work his way back to the active roster or remain on IR for the remainder of the season. 
After a nine-year start to his career in New England, Jones signed a one-year deal to come to Washington as a free agent. Always a strong contributor, Jones didn’t earn a full-time starting role with the Patriots until his seventh season of NFL play, which oddly enough came on the heels of a season in which he missed all but six games with a shoulder injury. He served as a full-time starter for three years in New England before the team allowed him to walk after a middling year of play last season.
The Commanders brought Jones in as part of a two-pronged approach at replacing Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes and upgrade the secondary. The other part of that approach came out of the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ole Miss rookie Trey Amos ended up beating out Jones for the starting job across from Marshon Lattimore as second-year corner Mike Sainristil shifted inside to nickelback.
Jones was playing some of the lowest snap shares since his rookie campaign in New England to open the season, and any momentum building him towards a bigger workload went out the window when the team placed him on IR because of a hamstring injury. Washington’s newish-look secondary has struggled thus far in the season, currently ranking as the 24th-best pass defense in the NFL. If Jones can get back to the field, he may find a larger snap share waiting for him as the team does what it can to slow down opponents’ passing games.
The Commanders may also be looking to add a name at wide receiver as Noah Brown, Terry McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel all deal with their injuries. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, former Titans first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks will visit Washington tomorrow. Burks is expected to entertain interest from several teams, but it looks like the Commanders will be his second visit after he started off in Denver today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown, WR Bryson Green
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Thayer Munford
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: T Kilian Zierer
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Jason Brownlee
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Dalevon Campbell, CB Myles Purchase
- Released: C Josh Kaltenberger
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Jaheim Bell, DE Titus Leo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: T Isaac Alarcón
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Tyler Scott
- Released: WR Tyrone Broden
Both Jacksonville and San Francisco had their practice squads filled up with 16 players apiece, but Zierer and Alarcón were both able to be added as players in the league’s International Player Pathway Program. Zierer is a German-born lineman, and Alarcón was born in Mexico.
NFL Minor Transactions: 10/15/25
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: TE Josiah Deguara
Detroit Lions
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: S Jammie Robinson
Indianapolis Colts
- Released (with injury settlement): LB Joe Bachie
New York Giants
- Designated to return from reserve/PUP: OLB Victor Dimukeje
As injuries and suspensions thin out the Lions’ secondary, Detroit is bringing in Robinson, who signed to the Chiefs’ taxi squad in the days leading up to the regular season and has yet to see any gametime this year.
With Arizona losing tight end Travis Vokolek for the rest of the season with a neck injury, Deguara gets the call to fill out the room off the practice squad.
Dimukeje has been working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle suffered in offseason workouts back in May, shortly after joining the team. He’ll have 21 days to get activated off the PUP list and debut in New York.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson Suffers Orbital Fracture
OCTOBER 13: It is unclear at this point how long Richardson will be out for, but ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports he will be sidelined for “a while.” The Colts could find themselves in the market for a short-term quarterback addition as a result, but decisions on that front will of course depend on Richardson’s prognosis. At least for the time being, Leonard is now second on the depth chart.
OCTOBER 12: The Colts saw a pair of uncanny pregame injuries take out a player on each side of the ball today before they were even suited up in pads. The more serious of the two injuries saw backup quarterback Anthony Richardson suffer an orbital fracture when an elastic band injured his eye, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
Claims were that the injury was the result of a malfunction of the elastic band while Richardson was doing band work. In each of his first two years in the NFL, the Colts have repeatedly tried to establish Richardson as the team’s next big starting quarterback, usually just for injuries to derail any chances for success. A concussion and shoulder surgery caused him to miss all but four games of his rookie season, and he missed three separate two-week stretches for the Colts last year due to injury.
The Colts apparently couldn’t even keep Richardson healthy as a backup. The 23-year-old spent today’s game at the hospital dealing with the injury as sixth-round rookie passer Riley Leonard was elevated into the QB2 role behind starter Daniel Jones. Luckily, nothing happened to Jones, who played every offensive snap for the team, but the AFC’s current No. 1 seed was a play away from being down to their QB3 due to a freak accident in pregame warmups.
The other player who was injured in an unusual manner during pregame activities today was cornerback Charvarius Ward. While running drills in pregame warmups, Ward collided with a tight end and was left concussed and unavailable for the game. This hurt an already thin cornerbacks group that featured Jaylon Jones and Kenny Moore as existing inactives. It will be interesting to see just how Ward and Richardson progress through their injuries this week and how it will affect the team going forward.
49ers LB Fred Warner Out For Season
10:34pm: According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has revealed Warner’s diagnosis to be both a broken and dislocated ankle. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner quickly followed the report confirming that Warner will require surgery, and the injury will be season-ending.
5:07pm: The 49ers have been ravaged by injury throughout this young season, but they may have taken their biggest hit today. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner has been diagnosed with a dislocated ankle. Russini reports that Warner will meet with doctors to determine his exact prognosis, but given the nature of the injury, it has the potential to be season-ending. 
We saw Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin suffer an ankle dislocation about a week later into the season last year, and though he had intentions to be ready for the postseason after undergoing surgery, he didn’t play another snap that season. Godwin then needed a second procedure on his ankle that held him out for the full offseason, training camp, and the first three weeks of this year’s regular season. Obviously, we can’t project this onto Warner, whose details are not yet known, but Godwin’s recent example serves as a possible outcome for this type of injury.
No matter how long the absence is, unless the 28-year-old comes back two weeks from now, this is uncharted territory for Warner. Since getting drafted by San Francisco in the third round back in 2018, Warner has appeared and started in every possible game except for one. While the four-time All-Pro will have his own new challenges to tackle over a potentially extended absence, the 49ers’ uncharted territory of fielding a defense for multiple games without Warner poses other serious challenges.
Warner’s backup at middle linebacker is Tatum Bethune. A seventh-round pick out of Florida State last year, Bethune spent his rookie year almost exclusively on special teams. Active for 11 games, he only appeared on the field for 12 defensive snaps before starting San Francisco’s season finale. This year has been more of the same for the 24-year-old; after appearing in three defensive snaps in Week 1, Bethune has been all special teams before today.
At the very least, Warner will end up adding to an injury report that featured 18 other players this week for the 49ers. If the injury ends up being as serious as it looked, Warner could be the 12th Niner placed on injured reserve this season. He would join such stars on the IR as pass rusher Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle, with more starters like quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall merely sporting “out” designations on the injury report.
While the injury suffered by Warner today looked bad, no determinations have been made on the severity of his ankle injury just yet. Once more is learned, San Francisco will be able to formulate a plan for return. Until then, they’ll continue to do as they have been doing, fielding the next man up and relying on their depth to put themselves in as good a position to win as possible.