Browns To Start QB Dillon Gabriel In Week 5
The Browns will start rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in place of veteran Joe Flacco in their Week 5 matchup in London, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The team confirmed that Gabriel would be taking over under center, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Tuesday. Shedeur Sanders will remain in place as the third-string quarterback, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Cleveland has long been expected to give Gabriel a try at some point this season. After four rough outings by Flacco – featuring a 2:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and career lows of 5.1 yards per attempt and a 60.3 passer rating – the rookie will get his chance. Sunday will not be Gabriel’s debut, as he played at the end of blowout losses in Weeks 2 and 4, but it will be his first extended action in the pros.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski certainly did not choose the easiest or simplest week to make such a significant change. The Browns are in London this week, contending with a bevy of added factors including the time difference and lack of access to their usual facilities. They are also playing the Vikings, who have been across the pond since last Friday, giving them more time to acclimate.
Minnesota’s defense has also been a top-10 unit this season. They rank ninth in points allowed and seventh in total defense with the third-best passing defense. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has harassed opposing quarterbacks with a 35.8% blitz rate (fourth-highest) and a 31.7% pressure rate (second-highest) with a variety of creative pressure packages. As a result, Gabriel’s first NFL start could be a rough one, though Tony Grossi of The Land on Demand notes that the rookie may introduce a “quicker pace” to the Browns offense.
Stefanski addressed the quarterback change on Wednesday, saying of Gabriel (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi): “From the second he’s been here, he’s been working very hard. He’s a very intelligent young man. He’s done a nice job throughout practice and this whole season he’s been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously now feel like he’s ready to go as a starter.”
Gabriel’s ascendance marks a number of milestones. He is the Browns’ 41st starting quarterback since the team was re-established in 1999, and the 12th quarterback in six years of Stefanski’s tenure, per Grossi. Gabriel is also the third rookie quarterback to start this season, and the first non-first-rounder.
With Cooper Rush expected to start in the place of an injured Lamar Jackson in Week 5, the AFC North’s quarterbacks are now Gabriel, Rush, Jake Browning in Cincinnati, and Aaron Rodgers in Steelers. Rodgers is the only Week 1 starter left standing, while Browning took over for Joe Burrow after he went down with turf toe.
Though Sanders will remain third on the depth chart, he could still play this season, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Cleveland’s willingness to give one rookie a chance suggests that Sanders could receive a similar opportunity if Gabriel falters, though he will certainly get a few games to prove himself.
Cardinals Place RB Trey Benson On IR
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that running back Trey Benson is being placed on injured reserve, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Benson suffered a knee injury late in Arizona’s Week 4 matchup against the Seahawks last Thursday, but it was not originally thought to be serious, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That assessment changed very quickly; Benson has already undergone arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus and is expected to miss four to six weeks, according to Schefter.
Benson’s injury is another hit to a Cardinals backfield that already lost James Conner for the season. 2023 UDFA Emari Demercado will likely take over starting duties with Zonovan Knight and Michael Carter rotating in. Arizona also has D’Ernest Johnson on their practice squad.
Demercado has two starts in his career but has never been a lead back for multiple games. Knight has been a healthy scratch in two games with zero touches in the other two. Carter has been in the the NFL the longest, but his production has dipped significant since the start of his career.
The Cardinals have a Week 8 bye, so Benson’s four-game minimum IR stay would not elapse until Week 10, which fits with his projected recovery timeline. He may have a chance at returning to practice as soon as he’s eligible, though Arizona will likely give him time to ramp up after surgery.
In the meantime, the Cardinals were already struggling to move the ball on offense before their top two RBs went down. Now, quarterback Kyler Murray will be asked to do even more, though his performance to open the season has been underwhelming.
Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill Suffers Dislocated Knee
11:27pm: Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that Hill dislocated his knee and told media that the star receiver will remain in the hospital overnight. There is no word yet regarding any additional damage to Hill’s leg.
8:02pm: Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was carted off the field after a brutal leg injury on Monday Night Football against the Jets.
The Dolphins quickly announced that he was out for the game and would be taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Hill is believed to have suffered a dislocated knee, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If the diagnosis is confirmed, his season would likely be over, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Ligament damage is also a concern with an injury of this nature, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Bleacher Report’s James Palmer.
[RELATED: Opinions Were Split On Hill’s Trade Value]
Hill went down early in the third quarter on a tackle by Jets rookie safety Malachi Moore. Trainers immediately put Hill’s leg in an air cast and teammates gathered around as the 10th-year receiver was loaded into the cart and ferried off the field. He acknowledged Dolphins fans on his way out of Hard Rock Stadium, as the injury could mark the end of his time in Miami.
Miami will be expecting Jaylen Waddle to take over as the team’s WR1 in Hill’s absence while hoping that 2024 draftees Malik Washington and Tahj Washington can step up. Veteran Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has had a quiet begin to his tenure as a Dolphin, but will likely be asked to take on an expanded role. The team also has five-year veteran D’Wayne Eskridge on their active roster and undrafted rookies AJ Henning and Theo Wease on the practice squad.
Hill, 31, may have played his last snap in a Dolphins uniform. With a $52MM cap hit scheduled for the 2026 season (via OverTheCap), Miami was not expected to keep Hill past this year. The team reworked the likely Hall of Fame-bound player’s deal in 2024, providing a guarantee influx of $54MM. Nothing is guaranteed beyond 2025, however, and the Dolphins did not add any years to Hill’s deal — one originally agreed to upon being traded to Miami in March 2022.
Trade speculation has followed him since the end of the 2024 season, including links to the Steelers and the Chiefs after the Dolphins’ slow start this year. The Chiefs now have Xavier Worthy back and intent to play through his labrum tear, and Rashee Rice is due back from a suspension in Week 7. The Steelers were believed to have removed themselves from the running for the historically elite speed threat due to the latest round of domestic violence allegations against him.
Hill’s ex-wife alleged a host of troubling allegations against him in a divorce filing, though no criminal charges have been filed. That differs from Hill’s past, which involved an ugly arrest while in college for domestic violence, but the NFL does not need a conviction or charges being filed to levy a suspension. Despite extensive off-field turmoil, Hill has yet to be suspended as a pro.
Obviously, a trade will no longer be possible, so the team’s only other option will be to part ways with Hill next offseason. He is due $35MM in compensation in 2026, including a $5MM roster bonus due on March 18, marking a clear decision point for Miami’s front office.
The Dolphins made a big commitment to Waddle weeks before agreeing to the Hill rework. Waddle is tied to a three-year, $84.75MM extension, a deal that runs through the 2027 season. Miami played the 2021 season with Waddle as its No. 1 target but traded for Hill upon hiring Mike McDaniel as HC, loading up around Tua Tagovailoa‘s rookie contract. The ex-Chiefs speed merchant posted back-to-back first-team All-Pro seasons, rewarding the Dolphins for the blockbuster swap. Those seasons also catalyzed Tagovailoa’s belated ascent and provided leverage for Hill’s guarantee influx, but three years still remained on the contract at the time of the adjustment. The Dolphins giving in and rewarding Hill early will make a 2026 separation costlier.
As we covered in our Dolphins Offseason In Review piece, that has been an issue for Dolphins GM Chris Grier, who has taken criticism as of late for his player-friendly M.O. Like the Jalen Ramsey separation, a Hill divorce will be more expensive because of the Dolphins appeasing him with an adjusted contract. Dolphins fans will see a preview of a post-Hill offense in the coming weeks.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Texans Open Practice Windows For DE Denico Autry, S Jaylen Reed
Texans defensive end Denico Autry and safety Jaylen Reed will both return to practice this week after starting the season on reserve lists, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Their 21-day return window will officially open on Tuesday when the Texans hold their first practice of the weeks. Autry and Reed will need to be activated by the end of that period; if not, they will revert to a reserve list for the rest of the season. Returning to practice as soon as they were eligible is a good sign that neither player will be subject to that worse-case scenario.
Autry was placed on the physically unable to perform list at the beginning of training camp as he recovered from a 2024 knee injury that lingered into this season. He played through it in 2024, appearing in 10 games (two starts) after a six-game suspension sidelined him to start the year. The injury affected Autry’s production, which took a significant dip relative to the rest of his career.
Houston’s defensive line has otherwise been healthy to start the season, so Autry can take his time ramping up in practice before officially starting his 12th NFL season.
Reed, a sixth-round pick in April’s draft, sprained his knee in training camp and was placed on injured reserve with a return designation during final roster cuts. The Texans are thin at safety after releasing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, so Reed would offer some depth upon his return. However, the rookie is untested against NFL-caliber competition after missing the preseason and will be unlikely to see the field upon his return outside of special teams work.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/25
Here are the NFL’s practice squad transactions immediately following Week 4.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB D’Ernest Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OT Logan Brown
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Alex Johnson, RB Blake Watson
- Released: RB Raheem Blackshear, T Andrew Rupcich
The Broncos wanted to re-sign Watson to their practice squad, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, but they would have had to wait until Week 7 after a previous injury settlement with the second-year running back. Watson is now healthy and preferred to sign with a new team as soon as possible.
Bengals Make RG Switch
SEPTEMBER 29: Cincinnati did opt to make a switch at right guard, starting Rivers in place of Risner for their Monday night matchup with the Broncos.
SEPTEMBER 26: The Bengals are considering a change at right guard for Week 4 after veteran Dalton Risner‘s struggles in the last two weeks.
Lucas Patrick won the starting job out of training camp, but landed on injured reserve after Week 1 with a calf injury. He will be eligible to return in Week 6.
The Bengals were originally planning to start Risner until then, but he injured his calf in Week 3 with rookie Jalen Rivers finishing the game.
Though Risner appears to be healthy this week – he was a full participant in practice on Thursday – head coach Zac Taylor indicated (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that the team was considering starting Rivers in Week 4. Risner has not played well this year; his 42.4 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is the ninth-worst among guards with at least 125 snaps this year.
Rivers only received a 50.7 grade from PFF in Week 3, but practicing with the first-team could improve his chemistry and confidence for Week 4.
“This week, I’m getting some reps with the 1s,” said Rivers, per Conway. “Getting the cadence down. Being next to the guys, [center Ted Karras] and [right tackle Amarius Mims], just gelling with them. If I am in on Monday…it’s good to gel with the guys. Monday Night Football, everyone is watching, they are going to trust me, I’m going to make the most of my opportunity.”
Starting Rivers would introduce a second rookie into the Bengals’ starting OL. Third-round pick Dylan Fairchild has started all three games at LG, with somewhat disappointing results. His 52.3 PFF grade ranks among the bottom-20 guards (min. 125 snaps).
There is certainly some risk with starting a pair of rookie offensive linemen, though they won’t be responsible for protecting franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Rivers and Fairchild would instead be playing in front of backup Jake Browning, who has struggled under pressure since taking over the starting job. It’s not that the Bengals don’t care about Browning’s health, but they might be willing to roll the dice with him under cetner rather than Burrow.
The Bengals have struggled to develop their drafted offensive linemen over the last few years, but starting Rivers could help his long-term progression. He would get starting reps against starting-caliber competition, which could be a baptism by fire that helps him in the long run.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/25
Four teams are playing on Monday night, three of which made elevations from their practice squad. Here are those transactions and the rest of today’s minor moves from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: RB Michael Carter
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: WR DeAndre Carter
Denver Broncos
- Elevated from practice squad: LB Garret Wallow
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed from Cowboys’ practice squad: LB Buddy Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed from practice squad: K Riley Patterson
- Placed on IR: CB Jason Marshall
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: WR Malik Nabers (story)
- Waived: OLB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Elevated from practice squad: S Dean Clark, LB Mykal Walker
With Jason Sanders on IR, Patterson has been the Dolphins’ kicker to start the season. The team used up his three practice squad elevations in the first three games, so he had to be signed to the active roster to play in Monday night’s game vs. the Jets.
Marshall, a fifth-round pick in April’s draft, played a rotational role in a depleted Dolphins secondary in Weeks 1-3. The unit will now need to turn to depth options like Cornell Armstrong and Julius Brents.
Cardinals Open DT Bilal Nichols’ Practice Window
The Cardinals opened the 21-day practice window for defensive tackle Bilal Nichols to return from the physically unable to perform list, per team writer Zach Gershman.
Since Arizona played on Thursday night in Week 4, they started their practice week on Monday with Nichols in the mix. The eight-year veteran started the 2025 season on the physically unable to perform list after sustaining multiple stingers in 2024 that turned into a season-ending neck injury. He will have three weeks to practice before he must be added to the active roster or revert to the PUP list for the rest of the season.
Nichols’ return would be a major boost to a Cardinals defensive line that has been decimated by injuries. Veterans Justin Jones and L.J. Collier are already out for the year, while first-round rookie Walter Nolen landed on the PUP list before training camp even began. Second-year defensive tackle Darius Robinson also left last week’s game with a chest injury and did not practice on Monday.
The injuries have forced the Cardinals to rely heavily on third-year UDFA Dante Stills alongside veteran starters Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson. Campbell and Tomlinson have largely held up, but Stills’ 47.2 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is the seventh lowest among defensive linemen with at least 115 snaps. (Robinson’s 35.5 grade is the second-lowest in the same group.) As such, Nichols’ return would significantly help reinforce the unit.
“[Nichols] can play a couple of different hats for us,” said head coach Jonathan Gannon after Monday’s practice. “Good to have him back out there today. He plays the way we want him to play. He’s got energy and juice, so it was good to see him out there.”
Opening Nichols’ window as soon as he became eligible is a good sign for his return timeline, but neck injuries are notoriously tricky and the Cardinals are unlikely to rush him back to the field.
Cowboys’ Jadeveon Clowney Expects To Play In Week 4
SEPTEMBER 28: Clowney is expected to make his Dallas debut against the Packers in Week 4, per Machota. As the Cowboys go up against Micah Parsons, the superstar they traded to Green Bay shortly before the start of the season, they will hope Clowney can give their Parsons-less pass rush a lift.
SEPTEMBER 21: Clowney is indeed inactive for Week 3, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. His debut will need to wait at least one more week. In more positive injury news, cornerback Trevon Diggs – who emerged on the injury report yesterday – will be active.
SEPTEMBER 20: Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Friday afternoon (via team writer Patrik Walker) that edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney will be a game-time decision on Sunday, adding that “the lean is toward him not playing this week.”
However, owner Jerry Jones said on Friday morning (via the Athletic’s Jon Machota) that he expected Clowney to make his Cowboys debut, though his snap count might be limited. Clearly, the team has yet to make a final determination regarding their recent signing.
Even Clowney has waffled on his status for Week 3. When asked on Monday, he said that he expected to play in Chicago, adding, “That’s what I’m here for,” per Walker. On Friday, he was much less certain.
“Whatever they have planned, I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to get out there,” he said, according to Walker.
The former No. 1 overall pick missed training camp and is joining a different team for the third year in a row, so he needed some time to ramp up physically and get acclimated to a new scheme.
On Monday, Clowney also revealed that the addition of Kenny Clark was a major factor in bringing him to Dallas. He instructed his agent to reach out to the Cowboys “as soon as Kenny Clark signed here,” and days later, the deal was done.
Clowney has also been dealing with an unfortunate incident off the field. He was arrested in his hometown of Rock Hill, Texas while attempting to park at his aunt’s house before a high school football game, according to Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. Clowney was officially charged with trespassing and failure to provide his ID, per WSPA’s Doug Coats.
The 32-year-old also told Hill that he has dealt with similar situations in Texas in the past, but had never been arrested before. He is planning to fight the case.
Commanders Rule Out Jayden Daniels For Week 4; QB Expected To Return In Week 5
SEPTEMBER 28: Daniels is expected to return for Washington’s Week 5 game against the Chargers, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). Rapoport says Daniels’ workout on Saturday went well.
SEPTEMBER 27: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave some updates on Daniels and McLaurin this morning. Fowler confirmed Reed’s report from yesterday that Daniels is pushing to play, but the medical and coaching staffs view his knee injury as a mobility issue. Per Fowler, if Daniels’ legs didn’t add so much to his game, the Commanders may be willing to stick him back there and force him to be a pocket passer for a few games until healthy. Instead, they’re opting to give him more time to heal his knee, so that he’ll be able to deliver a more complete product upon his return and avoid the disaster of further injury that the franchise has seen in the past.
While there’s a decent chance Daniels could return for Week 5, the question marks remain that week for McLaurin. While Fowler has been told that Fowler will not go on injured reserve, he’s still week-to-week without a clear timetable for a return.
SEPTEMBER 26: The Commanders ruled out star quarterback Jayden Daniels for their Week 4 matchup with the Falcons, per Tashan Reed of The Washington Post.
That decision will position Marcus Mariota to start for the second week in a row, this time facing his former team. He impressed against the Raiders last Sunday, completing 15 of his 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. He also added 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground as he led Washington’s offense to 34 points.
Daniels was pushing to play this week, per Reed, telling reporters on Wednesday that he feels back to full strength after spraining his knee in Week 2. He was absent from Friday’s practice but participated in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday. When asked about his activity level, he said that he did “enough to feel good if I play on Sunday.”
However, he admitted that his status would be “up to the doctors,” adding, “It’s not my decision.”
Despite concerns about Daniels’ propensity to take big hits as a runner, the 2024 first-round pick played through an October chest injury to start all 17 games as a rookie. Despite an apparent desire to do the same this year, the Commanders are taking a more cautious approach with their franchise quarterback.
Washington’s passing game will also be without multiple receivers on Sunday. As expected, Terry McLaurin was ruled out with a quad injury, and Noah Brown is likely to miss his second game in a row. The Commanders will need Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Jaylin Lane to step up alongside Deebo Samuel, who leads the team in receptions.
The Commanders did get some encouraging news for their offense on Friday with rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt returning to practice after missing the last two days. His availability would be crucial to a Commanders backfield that lost Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.
McLaurin did not practice at all this week, while RB JCM returned to practice on Friday and would be crucial on Sunday to a Commanders backfield that lost Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.