Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/25
Here are today’s minor NFL moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s slate of games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Giants’ practice squad: DT Elijah Garcia
- Elevated: CB Cobee Bryant, S Jammie Robinson
- Waived: G Andrew Stueber
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed from practice squad: DT Taven Bryan
- Elevated: LB Chandler Martin, CB Amani Oruwariye
- Placed on IR: LB Jay Higgins
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Krys Barnes, S Israel Mukuamu
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DE Isaiah Foskey, RB Kendall Milton
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: DT Sam Kamara, LB Cameron McGrone
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DT Matt Dickerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: RB Amar Johnson, RB Trayveon Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: K Harrison Mevis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: CB D’Shawn Jamison, LB Mark Robinson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed from practice squad: DE Clelin Ferrell
- Elevated: CB Eli Apple
- Waived: QB Adrian Martinez
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: LB Nick Jackson, OLB Mohamed Kamara
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Mike Brown
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: RB Chase Edmonds, CB Tre Hawkins
With the 49ers set to see their starting quarterback return, Martinez’s presence on the 53-man roster is no longer necessary. He’ll likely find his way back to the team’s practice squad.
The Panthers’ two elevations, Barnes and Mukuamu, are direct reflections of injury absences for tomorrow’s game. With Trevin Wallace and Lathan Ransom ruled out for Sunday, Carolina made the decision to call up another player at each position.
Mevis will once again be called upon for kicking duties in Los Angeles. In his NFL debut last week, he was untested in terms of field goal attempts, but he converted all six extra point attempts in a blowout win in San Francisco.
Kamara in Tampa Bay is being called up for the third time this season. If the Buccaneers intend to play him in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster, much as the Ravens did after Bryan exhausted all three of his standard gameday practice squad elevations.
Texans Activate TE Cade Stover, FB Jakob Johnson Off IR
The Texans offense is getting some reinforcement at the tight end position this weekend. After suffering a broken foot in Houston’s season opener, second-year tight end Cade Stover has been activated off of injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Full back Jakob Johnson will join Stover as an activation from IR today, according to an announcement from the team. 
Tight end has been a position of attrition for the Texans this year. It looked like Houston was set to come in with a fairly strong, diverse group in 2025. Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan are strong receiving options, while Stover gets a lot of run as a blocking tight end, though he has decent hands, as well. Unfortunately, Jordan, coming off an early-season ACL tear from the prior year, was placed on IR before the end of training camp, unable to be activated at any point this year.
Luckily, behind their trio, Houston also rostered Harrison Bryant, whom they had acquired in the trade that send John Metchie to the Eagles. Bryant started the year on the Texans’ practice squad but was signed to the 53-man roster upon Stover’s placement on IR. Both Schultz and Bryant have taken their lumps recently. Schultz is set to play through a reported shoulder injury and illness this week, while Bryant has been ruled out with neck and shoulder injuries. Bryant has now been placed on IR due to those injuries, making Stover’s return to the lineup that much timelier.
In order to make room for both Stover and Johnson on the 53-man roster, cornerback Damon Arnette was waived. He only spent a week on the active roster and will likely return to the practice squad. The Texans also announced that rookie cornerback Ajani Carter and veteran safety Jalen Mills will serve as the team’s standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/25
Today’s only practice squad update:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: G Jaxson Kirkland
Kirkland had been brought up twice as a standard gameday practice squad elevation but hadn’t seen any playing time this year. Now, he’ll be placed on the injured list to allow the team to sign a new practice squad player in his slot, if they so choose.
Patriots DT Milton Williams Placed On IR
The Patriots have placed starting defensive tackle Milton Williams on injured reserve, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The veteran in his first season away from Philadelphia suffered a high ankle sprain in Thursday night’s game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and will be out for at least four games. To fill Williams’ spot on the 53-man roster, New England has signed practice squad outside linebacker Bradyn Swinson to an active roster contract. 
After four strong years in Philadelphia, where the former third-round pick started 19 of 67 game appearances, Williams is in his first season with the Patriots and his first season as a full-time starter. He’s anchored a deep interior line alongside, most often, Christian Barmore and Khyiris Tonga. Joshua Farmer and Cory Durden have provided depth across the line this year, and they’ll be challenged even more during Williams’ absence.
When Williams left the game Thursday night, New England’s run defense appeared to take a hit, allowing 5.0 yards per carry over the course of the contest. Barmore, also working as a full-time starter for the first time in his fifth season with the Patriots, is likely to take on the biggest role in Williams’ absence. Tonga will likely be the other consistent starter next to Barmore, while Farmer and Durden could compete for the opportunity to see more time with the first-team defense.
Farmer, the fourth-round rookie out of Florida State, has one start under his belt this year, but Durden has been a pleasant surprise off the bench. Also a Florida State signee at one point, Durden went undrafted in 2023 after transferring to NC State and becoming a standout defender for the Wolfpack. He’s seen short stretches of playing time in four games as a rookie with the Rams and four games last year with the Giants. He’s made the most of his opportunities in New England so far this year, opportunities that have been increasing throughout the year.
Swinson was a fifth-round pick for the Patriots out of LSU after finishing his final season with 8.5 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss. He failed to make the team’s initial 53-man roster and was signed to the practice squad. Coming up to the active roster in Williams’ place, Swinson may get a chance to make his NFL debut next weekend in Cincinnati.
There is still plenty of time left in the season for Williams to sit out his four weeks and return from IR in time to close out the regular season in preparation for a playoff run. With New England sitting atop the division at 9-2 and games against the Bengals, Giants, Jets, and Dolphins remaining on the schedule, a postseason berth is likely. Even the team’s tougher remaining opponents — the Bills and Ravens — will be seeing the Patriots immediately following their Week 14 bye. Williams will be eligible to return in Week 17.
Lions Place TE Sam LaPorta On IR
The injuries continue to pile up in Detroit. The newest one sees tight end Sam LaPorta being placed on injured reserve. He failed to practice at all this week due to a back injury, and he’ll now be sidelined for at least four games.
LaPorta picked up the injury in the Lions’ Week 10 victory over the Commanders, interrupting another solid season from the third-year tight end. He is on pace for career-highs in yards per game (54.3), catch rate (81.6%), and yards per target (10.0), all of which rank among the league’s top 10 tight ends. LaPorta’s 2.00 yards per route run are a career-high and the second-most of any tight end this season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He has yet to record a drop this year and is seven-for-seven on contested catches. If that isn’t enough, LaPorta’s PFF blocking grades are the best of his career, too.
All of that adds up to a major loss for the Lions offense. Brock Wright, the team’s No. 2 tight end, is a known quantity as a blocker but does not offer much as a receiver. Third-stringer Ross Dwelley will be asked to step into Wright’s role, and the Lions will likely need to elevate or promote Anthony Firkser or Zach Horton from the practice squad. Head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator John Morton may also use more ‘jumbo’ packages with Dan Skipper as an extra offensive lineman.
LaPorta’s IR stint will force him to miss the Lions’ next four games, at least. That stretch includes a trip to Philadelphia this week that could factor into NFC playoff tiebreakers and a matchup with the Packers that could have a major impact on the NFC North. He will be eligible to return in Week 15 against the Rams, another game that could impact postseason seeding.
Detroit also made a number of minor roster moves to prepare for Sunday’s contest with the Eagles. Offensive lineman Michael Niese was signed to the active roster from the practice squad. He entered last week’s game at center amid multiple injuries to the Lions’ offensive line and will be on hand once again in Week 11. Wide receivers Tom Kennedy and Jackson Meeks were elevated from the practice squad. Both will contribute on special teams and could rotate in on offense as well.
Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor was also released with an injury settlement after being placed on IR on Friday.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.
UNC HC Bill Belichick Denies Potential Pursuit Of Giants’ Open Job
Earlier this evening, University of North Carolina head coach — and former Patriots longtime head coach — Bill Belichick took to Instagram to put to rest any rumors that he would pursue the newly opened Giants head coaching position. It was not a rumor that had made it to this site, just yet, but nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ skipper endeavored to put the thought to bed. 
“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families,” Belichick stated in a joint post from both his personal Instagram account and the official UNC Football account. “The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach (Bill) Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.
“Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered,” he continued. “We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop players, and build a program that make Tar Heel fans proud.” He concluded, “We’re on to Wake Forest.”
Belichick spent 12 years in New York, joining then-head coach Ray Perkins‘ coaching staff as a special teams coach and defensive assistant. He was promoted to special teams/linebackers coach after a year with the team and was promoted to defensive coordinator shortly after the former DC, Parcells, took over for Perkins as head coach. His six-year run as a coordinator set up his first head coaching opportunity with the Browns.
After being linked to the Bears, Cowboys, Raiders, and Jets open head coaching jobs in the last coaching cycle, Belichick ultimately honored his commitment to the Tar Heels and became a college football coach for the first time. All of this came a year after Belichick was a main focus for the Falcons’ open job in 2024. A drawn-out, public spectacle that resulted in the hiring of Raheem Morris left a bad taste in Belichick’s mouth as he would remain unemployed throughout the 2024 season with an expectation to return to the NFL in 2025.
Instead, he made his way to Chapel Hill, where recruiting and academics became a new part of his coaching responsibilities. The Belichick-era at North Carolina got off to an inauspicious start as he lost his first three games against Power 4 opponents by a combined score of 120-33. The team has shown signs of life since, with closer losses to Cal (21-18) and ranked Virginia (17-16) before earning Belichick his first ACC wins against Syracuse and Stanford.
With three games remaining in the Tar Heels’ season, Belichick has an opportunity to build some momentum and earn bowl eligibility in his first collegiate season. It appears that will be crucial to the 73-year-old’s plans of turning around to football program in Chapel Hill, assuming he stays true to his assertion that he “will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”
49ers QB Mac Jones A Prime Trade Candidate For 2026
With Brock Purdy set to return to the starting lineup for San Francisco this weekend, head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that there is no quarterback controversy in the Bay Area. That’s not to say backup passer Mac Jones hasn’t proven himself to be extremely capable of competing for a starting job but more so that Purdy will get the benefit of the doubt as the incumbent starter prior to injury. 
On the contrary to any potential criticism of Jones’ performance over his eight games as QB1, the buzz around the NFL recently has focused on the new trajectory of Jones’ career as a result of his commendable stint as the starter in San Francisco. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, in a league desperate for serviceable quarterbacks, Jones has established himself as one and “emerged as a prime trade candidate for 2026.”
After watching Purdy miss two games in 2024 and watching two different backup quarterbacks lose games as injury replacements, the 49ers committed to signing a higher-quality second arm in 2025. The team landed on Jones, giving him a two-year, $7MM deal with the potential to make up to $11.5MM.
He’s already added $500K from an incentive of playing at least 25 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and winning at least four regular season games as a starter. After eight starts, he may just trigger the second incentive requiring a 50 percent snap share and a playoff berth; both are very possible but not guaranteed at this moment. The two levels of incentives exist in the second year of his contract, as well, and if Jones does get traded to a team that names him the starter, he’ll have a good shot at hitting those marks again.
While the 49ers would certainly like to keep their strong QB2 option next year, his value as a trade asset may supersede any desires of keeping him. The Dolphins, Jets, Steelers, Browns, Saints, and perhaps even the Raiders and Cardinals all stand as teams that could be looking for a new starter in 2026. For a while, it seemed that the 2026 NFL Draft would be the saving grace for these teams, rich with young quarterback talent, but lately, evaluators have lost faith in the talent level of the draft-eligible passers in school now.
As a result, San Francisco may opt to capitalize on the value Jones has created for himself. Trading Jones would be mutually beneficial for the two parties as the team would be doing right by Jones, giving him an opportunity to start in the NFL, while getting a potentially valuable return in exchange.
For now, the focus in San Francisco is making sure Purdy is healthy and up to speed enough to assist the team on a second-half playoff push while also keeping Jones game-ready in case injuries force the team’s hand once again. If Jones continues to excel at executing the tasks set before him, though, he may just put himself — and the 49ers — in a strong bargaining position.
YouTube TV, Disney Agree To Multi-Year Deal
A little over two weeks ago, YouTube TV customers began receiving a notification that all Disney/ABC/ESPN channels would be unavailable due to the expiration of the two parties’ media deal without a new agreement in place. The streaming service’s 10MM subscribers will begin to see access to those channels restored as the tech giants have agreed to a new multi-year deal, per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
The 15-day hiatus resulted in millions of customers losing access to Monday Night Football games broadcast on ESPN and ABC, as well as several ESPN-affiliated channels that make up a large block of college football viewing on Saturdays. Over two weekends, the lack of a deal also kept popular Saturday morning College Gameday programming off of smart TVs across the country, as well.
With Disney’s quarterly earnings call taking place yesterday, progress was improving throughout the week. Negotiations became much more serious than initially suspected, and as a result, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Disney CEO Bob Iger both became more involved in negotiations in recent days.
The new deal will return access to all of the missing channels, and now YouTube TV subscribers will have access to ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer app. Reports of the new deal failed to report any change in price for the service, but YouTube TV customers were offered a $20-credit for the absence of the channels last weekend.
The two-week game of media chicken finally comes to an end in time for Week 12 of the college football season. Monday Night Football will also return to the streaming service as the Cowboys head to Las Vegas to close out Week 11 of the NFL’s regular season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/25
Here are Friday’s practice squad transactions:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Ambry Thomas
- Released: DE Titus Leo
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Trey Sermon
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Tyler Hall
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: WR Tyrone Broden
A day after releasing Thomas to make room for Leo on the taxi squad, the Eagles have made the opposite transactions, bringing back Thomas while letting go of Leo. Sermon was waived to make room for sixth-round rookie quarterback Will Howard to come off of injured reserve, but he’ll stick around on the Steelers’ practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/25
Today minor transactions as we head into the 11th weekend of the regular season:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: DT Kentavius Street
- Placed on IR: DT Sam Roberts
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: DT Pat O’Connor
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: RB Owen Wright
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: WR Bryce Oliver
The Buccaneers will see undrafted rookie running back Josh Williams miss the next six weeks after he was suspended without pay for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy, so Wright makes his way up to the active roster to reinforce Tampa Bay’s depth at the position.
Oliver has been out since suffering a knee injury in the Titans’ second game of the season. He was able to start practicing again by Week 6 but was still consistently ruled out for each game. He finally earned a “questionable” injury status in the final game before Tennessee’s bye week after three-straight limited-participation practices, and he held that status throughout limited practices this week. Ultimately, he was ruled out for the weekend, and his placement on injured reserve indicates that a setback may have occurred as he’s now guaranteed to miss at least four more games.