Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/25
Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released from IR with injury settlement: WR Quez Watkins
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: S Grayland Arnold
- Released: OL Michael Gonzalez
- Signed: C Jake Hanson
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: CB Robert Longerbeam
Buffalo Bills
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: LB Baylon Spector
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DB Gregory Junior
- Waived/injured: DE Matt Henningsen (story)
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: OL Justin Herron, OL Colby Sorsdal, TE Kenny Yeboah
- Waived with injury settlement: RB Jabari Small
- Signed: OL Gunner Britton, OL Keaton Sutherland, TE Gunnar Oakes, RB Deon Jackson
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Deneric Prince, DE Jereme Robinson
- Waived: S Josh Minkins
- Placed on IR: RB Lan Larison
New Orleans Saints
- Waived/injured: WR Chris Tyree
Larison suffered a foot injury during a promising preseason debut against the Commanders on Friday night. He will undergo surgery and spend the season rehabbing, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, with the hope of renewing his 53-man roster push next summer.
Jets Activate Jermaine Johnson From PUP List
Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson has taken another step in his return to the field after missing most of last season with a torn Achilles.
Johnson passed his physical and was activated from the active/physically unable to perform list on Sunday, per senior team reporter Eric Allen. For the first time since he was knocked out of the Jets’ Week 2 matchup against the Titans 11 months ago, Johnson will be available to join his teammates at practice on Monday.
However, the 2022 first-rounder will likely ramp up his participation as the regular season approaches. He has a little under a month to get back to game-ready condition, though the Jets have no intention of rushing him back.
“We want to make sure we have him for the long haul,” said Jets head coach Aaron Glenn (via Allen).
Before going down last year, Johnson was expected to take another leap after his Pro Bowl campaign in 2023. He recorded 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss while also knocking down seven passes and returning an interception for a touchdown. Micheal Clemons started in Johnson’s place in 2024 but only registered 4.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.
The Jets will be hoping that Johnson can quickly return to his 2023 form and pair with Will McDonald to form a dangerous edge-rushing duo after the latter’s breakout with 10.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Spencer Rattler To Start Saints’ Preseason Opener
Saints head coach Kellen Moore announced on Friday that second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler would start the team’s preseason opener on Sunday.
Rookie Tyler Shough will be the second quarterback to take the field, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football, followed by 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener. The three young signal-callers have been competing for the Saints’ starting quarterback job this summer, with Shough firmly leading Rattler in PFR’s poll on the battle.
Rattler getting the starting nod for Sunday’s game indicates that he has an early lead in the competition. He’ll get the chance to play with the rest of the first-team offense minus a handful of resting veterans. This week, the former fifth-round pick had back-to-back days as the Saints’ QB1, according to Triplett, the first time any of the quarterbacks led two consecutive practices.
Shough is thought to be the Saints’ quarterback of the future after securing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, but that won’t automatically get him a starting job. He and Rattler are both potential multi-year starters as both will be in New Orleans through at least 2027. The Saints could give Rattler a chance to prove himself this year with a clear backup plan of moving to Shough, either later in the season or in the 2026 offseason.
Haener, meanwhile, has always seemed like the clear QB3 in New Orleans. He only started one game amid Derek Carr‘s injuries in 2024, while Rattler was tabbed for six.
Lions S Morice Norris In Stable Condition After Scary Injury
7:51pm: In another encouraging update, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes Norris is expected to be discharged from the hospital today. His recovery process will continue from home while Norris works toward his return to the lineup.
10:29am: Lions safety Morice Norris “is in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities,” according to a team statement.
Norris suffered a head injury in Friday night’s preseason game against the Falcons and had to be taken off the field in an ambulance. The two teams agreed to run out the remaining 14 minutes on the clock and ended the game joined in prayer at midfield.
“[Falcons head coach] Raheem Morris is a class act,” said Lions HC Dan Campbell in his post-game presser. “He’s the ultimate class act. So we agreed that it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.”
The Lions’ statement also said that Norris “will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation.” The second-year safety appeared in two games last year, primarily on special teams.
Norris himself posted an update on social media this morning that he is “all good,” per Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network.
Obviously, the Lions’ focus will be on Norris’ health as they evaluate his status moving forward, but early indications suggest that the 24-year-old avoided a serious, long-term injury.
Bears Host RB Jamaal Williams For Workout
The Bears hosted veteran running back Jamaal Williams for a workout Saturday morning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
[RELATED: Recapping Bears’ Offseason]
Williams’ star has fallen since a career-best 2022 that featured a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns and his first 1,000-yard season on the ground. He spent the last two years in New Orleans in a rotational role behind Alvin Kamara with only 181 touches in 27 games. To no surprise, a release took place in March.
The Bears would be Williams’ third NFC North team. He started his career in Green Bay as a fourth-round pick in 2017 before signing with the Lions as a free agent in 2021. Chicago is near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space, having entered Saturday with roughly $13MM in available funds. That would still allow for a Williams signing without much issue given the nature of his market.
The 30-year-old carried an AAV of $3MM during his Lions stint and his Saints pact averaged $4MM per season. Given the limited nature of his workload in New Orleans – and the fact he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry – Williams will be in line for a deal much closer to the league minimum when he signs with his next team. If that were to be the Bears, a notable workload would not be expected.
Chicago has D’Andre Swift in place to handle lead back duties once again in 2025. 2023 fourth-rounder Roschon Johnson, seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai and veteran special teamer Travis Homer round out the depth chart. If Williams were to sign with the Bears, he would look to carve out a role as a short-yardage specialist during the final weeks of the offseason.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Ravens Work Out S Jordan Whitehead
The Ravens hosted veteran safety Jordan Whitehead for a workout on Friday, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Whitehead, 28, is a seven-year veteran coming off his second stint with the Buccaneers. He started their first 11 games in 2024 before suffering a pectoral injury and spending four games on the IR. He came back to the field for one game before injuries sustained in an automobile accident forced him onto the non-football injury list to end the season.
The Buccaneers decided not to pick up Whitehead’s option bonus, making him a free agent in March, but they left the door open for a reunion pending his recovery. In late July, Whitehead received full medical clearance to return to the field and visited the Falcons.
Baltimore was Whitehead’s second reported visit. He would bring some veteran experience to a talented young Ravens safety room, led by a pair of first-round picks in Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks. They were supposed to be a trio with Ar’Darius Washington, who stabilized the team’s pass defense alongside Hamilton in the second half of the 2024 season, but the former UDFA tore his Achilles during offseason training.
2024 seventh-rounder Sanoussi Kane has been stepping up as the Ravens’ third safety since spring practices. He started alongside Starks with Hamilton held out of the team’s preseason opener against the Colts. Fellow second-year safety Beau Brade led the Ravens with four solo tackles on Thursday night, and undrafted Reuben Lowery got an extended run as well. All three are unproven as defenders at the NFL level, though Kane and Brade performed well on special teams as rookies.
Whitehead, a Buccaneers fourth-round pick in 2018, has been in the pros longer than any Ravens safety. His only absences in the last six years were due to injury; otherwise, he was a preferred starter for the Buccaneers from 2019 to 2021 and the Jets in 2022 and 2023. In Baltimore, he could serve as a third safety in dime packages and provide valuable injury insurance, particularly for Hamilton. Whitehead can’t replicate the All-Pro’s impact if he goes down, but the veteran can ensure that the Ravens still have some safety experience on the field.
The Ravens also hosted undrafted rookie safety Jordan Riley for a workout, per Wilson. Riley starred at Ball State before transferring to Kansas State for his senior year.
Chargers Unsure Of RB Najee Harris’ Return Date
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was noncommittal when asked on Friday about Najee Harris‘ return timeline.
The fifth-year running back is recovering from an eye injury suffered in a Fourth of July fireworks mishap. He started training camp on the non-football injury list and has yet to take the practice field this summer.
Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim) that “there’s a chance” Harris is ready for the team’s regular season opener against the Chiefs.
“I don’t comment because I’m not a doctor,” said Harbaugh, something he frequently says when asked about injuries, per Rhim. Harris and the Chargers have played his injury close to the chest, in large part because it happened away from the football field. The damage to Harris’ eye was initially called “superficial” by his agent with the expectation that he would be ready for the regular season.
However, the fifth-year running back stirred additional concern posted a picture on social media earlier this week in which his left eye appears to be swollen shut. Harbaugh said that Harris can open his eye, but obviously, two fully-functioning eyes are crucial for a ballcarrier’s field vision.
As long as Harris is out, first-round pick Omarion Hampton will likely take on a bigger and bigger role in the offense. The Chargers also have a number of running backs who could receive more touches early in the regular season if Harris is still getting back to 100%.
Packers S Xavier McKinney Injures Calf, Aiming For Week 1 Return
Packers safety Xavier McKinney is dealing with a lingering calf injury and may miss the rest of training camp as a result, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
McKinney indicated on Thursday that he could miss a few weeks of practice and said (via WFVR’s Cameron Ezeir) that he “probably” would not play in the preseason, though that may have already been the plan. Last year, McKinney played all of nine snaps in the Packers’ first preseason game before sitting out the other two, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The veteran safety insisted that he would be ready for Week 1 and referred to the team’s “plan” for his injury multiple times. The Packers are just over five weeks away from their regular season opener against the Lions, giving McKinney a long runway to ramp up.
Second-year safety Javon Bullard is listed as McKinney’s backup on the Packers’ unofficial depth chart and will likely replace him in practice. Bullard started 11 games last year and played 361 snaps in the slot, 259 as a free safety, and 169 in the box, per PFF. If McKinney’s absence is extended into the regular season, Bullard could step into a full-time role at safety with Keisean Nixon starting at nickel.
Though Bullard and Evan Williams, the Packers’ other starting safety, got plenty of experience as rookies last year, McKinney was one of the best in the league last year. Getting the All-Pro back on the field will be crucial to the Packers’ early matchups against the Lions and the Commanders.
Ravens Rookie CB Bilhal Kone Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury
Ravens rookie cornerback Bilhal Kone suffered a season-ending knee injury in Thursday night’s preseason win over the Colts.
Kone went down late in the first quarter after a tight coverage rep against Colts wideout Ashton Dulin. He was carted off the field and an initial report from FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz indicated that the sixth-round pick tore both his ACL and his MCL.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed after the game that Kone suffered a torn ligament in his knee and would be out for the season. The former Western Michigan standout was competing for a spot on Baltimore’s 53-man roster, though the team’s depth at cornerback made his inclusion far from a certainty.
The Ravens weren’t counting on Kone to contribute on defense as a rookie with at least six cornerbacks ahead of him on the depth chart. They were, however, hoping that he could carve out a special teams role and improve as a defender in practice every week.
Now, he will spend his first NFL season on the sidelines as he mentally and physically recovers from his injury. His absence from the roster competition will give fellow Day 3 cornerback Robert Longerbeam a better shot at making the roster, though UDFA Reuben Lowery might be the team’s best rookie defensive back not named Malaki Starks.
Harbaugh also offered an update on rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones, who is still on the Non-Football Injury list as he recovers from spring shoulder surgery. He was originally projected for a “mid camp” return, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, but the third-rounder has yet to be medically cleared to play. That will likely erase any chance of Jones competing for a starting guard job as a rookie; at this rate, just getting on the practice field would be a major step forward.
Raiders Trade CB Jakorian Bennett To Eagles For DT Thomas Booker
In a rare preseason player-for-player deal, the Raiders are trading cornerback Jakorian Bennett to the Eagles in return for defensive tackle Thomas Booker, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Both players will have to pass a physical for the trade to go through, according to The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena.
Bennett, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started four games as a rookie before stepping into a bigger role with seven starts in 2024. He commanded a 71% snap share in the Raiders’ first 10 games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. Despite seeming to prove himself in Las Vegas, Bennett may not have fit into new head coach Pete Carroll‘s plans for this season.
The Raiders are confident in their other cornerbacks, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, including free agent signing and projected starter Eric Stokes. Bennett had been working consistently with the Raiders’ second-string defense, per ESPN.com’s Ryan McFadden. Stokes and third-round rookie Darien Porter had been receiving most of the first-team reps, and Bennett will receive a fresh start. Two years remain on his rookie contract.
In Philadelphia, Bennett is expected to compete for the Eagles’ open outside cornerback job with Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has indicated that neither player has stood out at this point, and Bennett could mix up the competition further.
Booker, meanwhile, was deemed surplus to requirements in the Eagles’ talented young defensive line room with players like Gabe Hall and Byron Young impressing in training camp, per the Inquirer’s EJ Smith. Originally a 2022 fifth-round pick by the Texans, Booker appeared in 10 games as a rookie but was waived during roster cuts in 2023. He spent the year on the Eagles’ practice squad, earned a 53-man roster spot in 2024, and appeared in every game during the team’s championship season.
Booker will now join a Raiders defensive line room that just lost Christian Wilkins as well as 2024 starter John Jenkins earlier in the offseason. Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu, and Zachary Carter are all returning from last year’s unit with a handful of inexpensive veterans and rookies behind them. Booker will join that group competing for a depth role, though his 53-man roster chances are boosted by the fact that the Raiders moved to acquire him.