Cardinals To Place Zay Jones, Simi Fehoko On IR; Marvin Harrison Jr. To Miss Time
The Cardinals are heading into Week 11 with a shorthanded wide receiver room. Zay Jones and Simi Fehoko are both being placed on injured reserve, while Marvin Harrison Jr. will miss at least one game due to a bout of appendicitis, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Josh Weinfuss.
Jones suffered a torn Achilles in Arizona’s loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, which will sidelined him for the rest of the season. Fehoko is dealing with an arm injury and will miss at least four games. His earliest return would come in Week 14 against the Texans.
Harrison had surgery on Monday night. It is unknown when his appendicitis was discovered and diagnosed; he played in Sunday’s game with a full workload (12 targets on a 90.8 snap share).
The trio of receiver absences will push Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Xavier Weaver into bigger roles. Wilson has 22 receptions for 231 this season, which both rank third on the team behind Harrison and tight end Trey McBride. With Jones going on IR, no other Cardinals receiver has more than 15 catches or 75 yards this year. Dortch has just 73 yards on 16 targets this year, but has flashed some playmaking ability in the past. Weaver has only been targeted three times in six games over the last two years.
The Cardinals made one immediate move to bolster their receiver room, promoting Andre Baccellia to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared in 13 games in the last two years, though his last offensive involvement came in 2023. The team also has Jalen Brooks, Tejhuan Palmer, and Jalen Virgil – the last of whom was signed today – available for practice squad elevations.
Arizona also re-signed cornerback Jaden Davis to their practice squad. He was a Cardinals seventh-round pick a year ago, but has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
Eagles CB Jaire Alexander To Step Away From Football
Eagles cornerback Jaire Alexander is stepping away from football to focus on his physical and mental health, per FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer.
The eight-year veteran is evaluating his future and even considering retirement, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Alexander, 28, has been dealing with a knee injury since the start of the season. He joined the Ravens this offseason after a string of injuries limited him to just 34 games in his last four years with the Packers. His most recent was a PCL injury that required season-ending knee surgery, but it is unknown if that is related to his current issue.
Alexander only appeared in two games for the Ravens. A disastrous showing in Week 1 made it clear that he was not where he wanted to be physically, and he only played in Week 5 due to a slew of injuries to other cornerbacks. The Eagles, seeing that he was not in the Ravens’ plans, came calling with a Day 3 pick swap in a buy-low move that does not seem like it will pay off. Alexander did not travel with the Eagles in Week 11; his reason for being absent was listed as a knee injury and a coach’s decision.
Now, it appears that Alexander is a question mark, not just for the next few weeks, but for the rest of the season and beyond. When healthy, he has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. But he has not enjoyed an extended period of good health since 2022, and it’s fair to wonder if he will ever regain his Pro Bowl form.
Glazer’s mention of mental health suggests that Alexander is dealing with more than just his knee. He was expected to need some time to get up to speed physically and schematically in Philadelphia, making today’s news somewhat of a surprise based on his comments immediately after the trade, according to The Athletic’s Zach Berman.
Alexander is currently occupying a spot on the Eagles’ 53-man roster, but the team may consider placing him on the non-football illness list to free up a spot while he is away from the team.
Brian Daboll Fallout: Giants, Kafka, Schoen
The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Monday after his team blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in Sunday’s loss to the Bears.
The move has major ramifications for the short- and long-term future of the franchise. The biggest immediate impact is the installment of offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as the interim head coach. He will retain play-calling duties, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who noted that the Giants offense has been notably better with Kafka calling plays than with Daboll.
Kafka will likely be evaluated as a candidate for the permanent head coaching gig over the rest of the season. Rookie Jaxson Dart has looked like a potential franchise quarterback thus far, so Kafka’s ability to develop the first-round pick will be a crucial part of his audition.
Daboll was rumored to be on the hot seat for a while, so the Giants’ decision was not a complete surprise. Players were aware of the team’s frustration and knew it was possible, if not likely, that Daboll would be removed as a result of his squad’s latest collapse.
The close ties between Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen – who spent three years together in Buffalo before joining the Giants in the same offseason – have already stirred speculation that Schoen could also be on the way out. The Giants are retaining him for now, indicating that he and Daboll are not necessarily a package deal.
A separate decision on Schoen will likely come at the end of the season, according to The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor, partially because he will play a major role in organizing the search process for the Giants’ next head coach. He was heavily involved in the hiring process that brought Daboll to New York in 2022, along with the team’s principal owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, as well as senior personnel consultant (and John Mara’s brother), Chris Mara. John Mara is currently undergoing treatment for cancer; while he stated an intention to continue in his duties, moving on from Schoen would have doubled the team’s search for new leadership while eliminating a key part of that effort.
Schoen may also stick around because the Giants have already invested in his vision for their internal operations. He restructured their approach to the draft and incorporated data analytics into scouting, roster management, and week-to-week game-planning. Ownership was encouraged by this progress, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, so they may not want to move on from Schoen after already implementing many of his ideas.
Dan Quinn To Take Over Commanders’ Defensive Play-Calling Role
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will take over as the team’s defensive play-caller, he announced on Monday (via Tashan Reed of The Washington Post).
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who served under Quinn in Atlanta and Dallas, will retain his position, but his unit has struggled mightily so far this year. Washington ranks 29th in points allowed and 30th in total defense after finishing 18th and 13th in the same categories last year. The Commanders’ pass defense has been especially porous, allowing 7.9 yards per attempt and just over 260 yards per game.
The unit is largely the same, save for two key departures along the defensive line: DT Jonathan Allen and DE Dante Fowler. Their replacements, Javon Kinlaw and Von Miller, simply haven’t been as effective.
However, that may not tell the whole story. No Commanders defensive back with any kind of regular role on defense has a coverage grade over 65.0, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While PFF grades are not a be-all, end-all of player evaluation, they still offers a glimpse at the team’s current disarray on the back end. Veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore is the only member of the secondary that has allowed a passer rating under 100.0 when targeted, and that does not account for the nine penalties called against him.
Quinn will look to right the ship. He has extensive experience as a play-caller, not only from his defensive coordinator jobs in Seattle and Dallas, but from his first head-coaching job with the Falcons. Quinn took over defensive play-calling on two separate instances during his tenure in Atlanta, though neither time featured a full turnaround.
The first was in 2016 when Quinn took over from then-Falcons DC Richard Smith, and even slight improvements on defense were enough to support the league’s best offense on the way to the Super Bowl. The second came in 2019, when Quinn turned a bottom-five unit into a more respectable one. He was fired in 2020 after an 0-5 start during which the Falcons defense allowed 32.2 points and 446 yards per game.
Obviously, he will be hoping for a more inspired bounce-back this year, but it seems unlikely that he can do enough to drag the team into the playoffs. A tough schedule and multiple injuries to quarterback Jayden Daniels has led to a 3-7 start, and things won’t be any easier going forward. Daniels has an uncertain return timeline after his most recent injury, and the Commanders still have two games against the Eagles and another against the Broncos left on the calendar.
Quinn’s decision is a sign that Whitt could be out of Washington this offseason. A midseason firing would have been a surprise given the two men’s history, but Quinn did part ways with Smith after the 2016 season concluded.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson To Miss 3-4 Weeks With Knee Sprain
Jets receiver Garrett Wilson returned from a two-game absence on Sunday only go suffer an injury to the same knee that sidelined him for the team’s previous two games.
Wilson is dealing with a knee sprain that will keep him out for another three to four weeks, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. He will not require surgery and will instead spend the time rehabbing in the hopes of a strong return for the last few weeks of the season. The Jets air attack that has run through Wilson this year, so the 25-year-old’s absence will be a major, if not fatal, blow to their already-struggling offense.
Despite missing two-and-a-half games, Wilson is the Jets’ leading receiver by a wide margin. He has commanded a 25% target share and produced 22.9% of the team’s receptions (59) and 25.9% of their receiving yards (395). The rest of the receiving room has combined for just 39 catches and 418 yards.
The Jets insisted that wide receiver Adonai Mitchell be part of the Sauce Gardner trade, and the former Colts wideout could quickly see a huge role in his new home after Wilson’s latest injury. He was inactive on Sunday, but the Jets will try to integrate him into the offense this week.
Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, the Jets’ second leading receiver with 30 receptions and 246 yards, will likely see an uptick in targets, too. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will likely lean on a rushing attack that ranks fourth in the NFL with 5.0 yards per carry and 1,276 rushing yards on the season.
The Jets recorded their first two wins of the season in the last two weeks, but their 0-7 start will make it nearly impossible for them to make the playoffs. Wilson could return in Week 14 at the earliest, based on this initial timeline, but the Jets may consider shutting him down for the season. Even if they win their next three games without Wilson – which come against the Patriots, Ravens, and Falcons – they may still want to take a cautious approach with their star wideout. They signed him to a $130MM extension in July and made him untouchable at the trade deadline despite moving star players at other premium positions. He has hurt the same knee twice, raising the chance for re-injury before the end of the season, and a significant injury could have an impact on the 2026 season.
Browns Planned Adonai Mitchell Move Before Jets-Colts Trade
Even if the Jets hadn’t insisted on getting Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner deal, the second-year wideout was likely headed out of Indianapolis at the trade deadline.
Multiple teams were interested in Mitchell, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Among them were the Browns, who were planning to send a late-round pick to the Colts in exchange for the 23-year-old receiver
However, the Jets’ desire to acquire Mitchell – and the Colts’ to acquire Gardner – made it impossible for the 2024 second-round pick to land in Cleveland. There, he could have stepped into a WR2 role right away. Of the Browns’ top six pass-catchers in terms of receptions, only one – Jerry Jeudy – is a receiver. After career-best numbers in 2024, his 22-257-0 line this season is even more disappointing considering his 54 targets. No other Browns wideout has more than 11 catches or 125 yards on the year.
That would have given Mitchell ample opportunity for more targets after averaging only two per game to start the season in Indianapolis. He should still see increased usage with in New York, as the Jets badly need a second receiver behind Garrett Wilson. He racked up 56 targets in the Jets’ first six games, and even after missing two games with a knee injury, he still has almost one-fourth of the team’s target share. Wilson hurt the same knee in Sunday’s win over the Browns, according to head coach Aaron Glenn, which could sideline him for a few more games. Mitchell should have a chance to step up in his absence, and even when his star teammate returns, there should still be plenty of targets to go around. The Jets’ other primary pass-catcher is rookie tight end Mason Taylor, who has 29 catches for 242 yards. Beyond that, the team’s next-most productive receivers are Tyler Johnson (10 catches for 187 yards) and Josh Reynolds (11 catches for 101 yards).
A glance at the Jets’ cap table shows even more opportunity for Mitchell in the future. The only receivers under contract beyond this year are Wilson, second-year UDFA Isaiah Williams, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith. Williams has just three catches for 31 yards this year, while Smith has just six for 47.
It might take Mitchell a while to get acclimated to a new scheme midseason, but a full offseason in New York won’t just help him fit into the offense. It will help his new coaching staff figure out the best ways to use him. Whether the Jets stick with Justin Fields or use their new draft capital to add a coveted veteran or rookie quarterback, they will want a better support system than what was in place for the franchise’s past signal-callers. That includes a young, athletic wideout like Mitchell who has plenty of potential and may now have the chance to show it.
49ers QB Brock Purdy Could Return In Week 11
The 49ers could get quarterback Brock Purdy back on the field next week.
After San Francisco’s loss to the Rams on Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) that Purdy “could have gone today.” However, the 49ers deactivated Purdy before the game and did not designate him as the emergency third quarterback. Doing so would not have affected the team’s game day roster, but Purdy would have been able to play had starter Mac Jones and backup Adrian Martinez both gotten injured. That decision runs contrary to Shanahan’s postgame pronouncement that Purdy was ready to play.
It seems like the 49ers are trying to avoid a repeat of Purdy’s first return from injury in Week 4. He played every snap, but re-aggravated his toe injury in the process and hasn’t played since. A similar incident this week or next could sideline him until the last few games of the regular season. He would likely be dropping right into the heat of a playoff race with little time to re-acclimate to the field before the win-or-go-home games begin. Instead, the team will wait until he is at 100%, so when he comes back, he comes back for good.
The 49ers’ success in Purdy’s absence is another reason not to rush his recovery. The team has gone 5-2 in his seven absences, keeping them firmly in playoff contention. Mac Jones‘ stats that aren’t far off from Purdy’s last season and outpace his two starts this year. Shanahan has made it clear that Purdy will retake the starting job once he is healthy, but Jones’ capable stewardship of the offense is a primary reason that he can take his time.
Lions G Christian Mahogany Suffers Knee Injury
NOVEMBER 9: Awosika will indeed get the first chance to replace Mahogany at left guard, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. However, Campbell did say he would consider moving Glasgow to LG and installing Trystan Colon at center.
NOVEMBER 2: The Lions got some bad news coming out of their Week 9 loss to the Vikings.
After getting carted off the field, starting left guard Christian Mahogany was seen in the postgame locker room on crutches. Head coach Dan Campbell told the media after the game that Mahogany would miss significant time with a knee injury.
“Mahogany is going to be out for a while,” Campbell told reporters. “Long time, probably.”
The 2024 sixth-rounder started the Lions’ first eight games of the season and played every snap until he left Sunday’s game. Out of 78 offensive guards with at least 150 snaps, Mahogany ranks 46th in pass-blocking effieciency (96.8), 37th in pressures allowed (12), and 20th in overall grade (68.3), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Mahogany’s injury will force another change to the interior of the Lions offensive line after their offseason overhaul. Longtime center Frank Ragnow retired and veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler left in free agency. Graham Glasgow shifted from left guard to center, rookie Tate Ratledge took over at right guard, and Mahogany won the left guard job after starting only one game as a rookie.
The 25-year-old was replaced by five-year veteran Kayode Awosika on Sunday. He may retain the job going forward, but the Lions could also make a last-minute entry into the guard market before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Cardinals Facing Decision On Kyler Murray’s Future?
Has Kyler Murray played his last snap in Arizona?
That question has spread across the NFL in the wake of the latest developments regarding the Cardinals’ star quarterback. If Murray were to become available in the offseason, he would immediately become one of the biggest names on the annual quarterback carousel.
To recap: the Cardinals won their first two games of the year with Murray under center, albeit against easier opponents. They then lost three straight to the 49ers, Seahawks, and Titans by a combined five points. Murray injured his foot against the Titans, but he only missed a few snaps before finishing the game. He missed the next two weeks with reports of a Lisfranc-related injury raising concern about a longer absence, and did not play in Week 9 despite hopes of a post-bye return.
In Murray’s absence, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett led the Cardinals’ offense to three of their four highest points and yardage totals of the season, though only one of those games ended in victory. Brissett’s passer rating, yards per attempt, and touchdown-to-interception ratio all outpace his younger teammate, too.
That clearly stirred some discussions in Arizona. First, head coach Jonathan Gannon said earlier this week that “nothing’s changed” regarding Murray and the team’s quarterback situation, indicating that the former No. 1 overall pick would play once he was healthy. The next day, Gannon seemed to change his tune when he announced that Brissett would remain the starter, which was quickly explained Murray’s subsequent move to injured reserve.
It is unclear what happens next. Murray will be on IR until at least Week 14. He was diagnosed with “a mid-foot sprain in the area of a Lisfranc injury,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Nothing is broken or dislocated, but a partially torn ligament and the resulting swelling need more time to fully heal. Murray’s limited participation in practice for the last few weeks suggests that he could play if it was absolutely necessary, but the risk of re-injury has steered the Cardinals down the cautious path.
General manager Monti Ossenfort is expecting Murray to return this season, but whether or not he regains his starting job will be determined at a later date. The Cardinals’ performance in the meantime could be a major factor in that decision. Despite a 2-5 start, they refused to consider selling players at the trade deadline due to a minus-13 point differential that suggested they were better than their record. Monday night’s 10-point primetime win in Dallas supported that theory.
However, Murray’s absence features a tough slate of matchups for the Cardinals. Their next four opponents have a combined 23-11 record on the season, and they have already lost to two of those teams: the 49ers and the Seahawks. Arizona could be all but eliminated from the playoff picture by the time Murray is ready to play.
At that point, it may not make sense to put him back on the field. And if the Cardinals have stayed in the hunt, it would likely be due, at least in part, to Brissett. Perhaps he wins a few games and gets hurt, giving Murray a chance at a late-season charge, but some around the league believe he is done for the year, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Some even believe he might be done in Arizona. Remember, Ossenfort and Gannon did not draft Murray or sign him to his current contract extension. Given their regime’s poor results thus far, they could be looking to handpick a different quarterback to right the ship and secure their jobs for a few more years. That would mean moving on from Murray this offseason, though that’s not a simple proposition by any means.
Murray has $36.8MM of guaranteed money due in 2026, and his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed on March 22, creating a clear decision point for Murray’s future. If he is not in the Cards’ long-term plans, they will have to release or trade him by then.
Other teams may not want to attach themselves to those obligations, so a trade could require Arizona to eat some of Murray’s 2026 compensation. Those teams may still be cautious about his 2027 guarantees and instead may wait the Cardinals out in the hopes they release Murray. That would allow him to choose his next team, and he would only cost the veteran minimum with the Cardinals still responsible for his guaranteed money in 2026.
As for potential destinations for Murray, keep an eye on Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, per Jones. His unit has disappointed this season, but that is partially due to multiple injuries to star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury said last year that he wanted to return to a head coaching job in the future, but he declined interest from multiple teams last offseason, due in part to his desire to stay with Daniels. However, a new job this offseason could offer the opportunity to reunite with Murray, which could be enough to get Kingsbury out of Washington.
The Cardinals signed Brissett on a two-year deal this offseason, which could set him up to be a bridge starter in 2026. A poor finish their year could position them to target a top prospect in the draft; that effort could be further aided by any draft capital received from a potential Murray trade.
This season has not gone to plan for the Cardinals. Now, they’ll have to come up with a new one for their future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/25
Several teams around the NFL made tweaks to their rosters on Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s slate of games. Here are all the latest moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: RB Michael Carter
- Elevated: LB Jared Bartlett, CB Darren Hall
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Keith Taylor, OL Joshua Gray
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: DT Taven Bryan
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, LB Baylon Spector
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: DT Jared Harrison-Hunte
- Elevated: WR Dan Chisena
- Waived: QB Mike White
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: TE Stephen Carlson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: S Daniel Thomas
- Elevated: OL Michael Niese
- Waived: S Jammie Robinson
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB Damon Arnette, K Matthew Wright (story)
- Elevated: DB Myles Bryant, OL Sidy Sow
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: WR Laquon Treadwell
- Elevated: DE Durell Nchami, DT Tim Smith
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: WR Tim Jones
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: LS Josh Harris, CB Deane Leonard, DL Da’Shawn Hand
- Elevated: RB Jaret Patterson, RB Trayveon Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: LS Jake McQuaide, K Harrison Mevis (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: TE Hayden Rucci
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, CB Isaiah Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: CB Fabian Moreau
- Elevated: RB Corey Kiner
- Placed on IR: CB Jeff Okudah
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, RB D’Ernest Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Dante Pettis, T William Sherman
New York Giants
- Elevated: K Younghoe Koo, WR Ray-Ray McCloud
- Placed on IR: WR Beaux Collins, LB Darius Muasau
New York Jets
- Elevated: OL Kohl Levao, DT Payton Page
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: RB Trey Sermon
- Elevated: LB Mark Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: WR Cody White
- Elevated: WR Ricky White
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: WR Robbie Chosen
Week 10 will mark the debut for both players the Chargers gave the IR-designated for return label during roster cutdowns in August. Their activations had already been accounted for, but Hand’s had not. With those three now back in the fold, the Bolts have three IR activations remaining on the season.