Colts Worked Out Justin Tucker, Maddux Trujillo
The Colts quickly found their replacement for kicker Michael Badgley by signing Blake Grupe to their practice squad, but he was not the only player up for the job.
Justin Tucker and Maddux Trujillo worked out alongside Grupe on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, with Grupe emerging as the best option. He will be elevated from the practice squad the Colts’ crucial Week 14 matchup against the Jaguars. The winner will take a one-game lead in the AFC South with just four weeks left in the season.
Tucker will continue his search for another team after several allegations of sexual misconduct and the worst statistical season of his career led to his departure from Baltimore this offseason. Coincidentally, he previously auditioned for the Saints to replace Grupe after his shaky start to the season in New Orleans. The Saints instead signed ex-Browns fourth-round pick Cade York and ultimately went with Irish native Charlie Smyth in Week 13. Smyth made his only field goal attempt, a 56-yarder, in the first NFL action of his career.
Trujillo signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. He made all three of his preseason extra points, but he did not attempt a field goal, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/2/25
Several NFL teams made minor roster on Tuesday as they prepare for crucial Week 14 games with major playoff implications. Here are the latest updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed off Vikings’ practice squad: RB Corey Kiner
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: CB Kalen King
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Sam Kamara
- Placed on IR: DT Maliek Collins (story)
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: CB Terrion Arnold (story)
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB Ameer Speed
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: LB Jamin Davis
- Signed to active roster: CB Greedy Vance
New York Giants
- Waived: OLB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Waived (with injury settlement): DE Byron Cowart
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: RB Myles Gaskin
Eagles Designate S Marcus Epps To Return From IR
The Eagles designated safety Marcus Epps to return from injured reserve on Tuesday, per a team announcement.
Epps, 29, landed on IR at the beginning of November with an undisclosed injury. He appeared in Philadelphia’s first eight games of the season, primarily playing special teams with a handful of snaps on defense.
The eight-year veteran is in the middle of his second stint with the Eagles. Epps started his career in Minnesota as a sixth-round pick in 2019, but he made his name in Philadelphia. The Eagles claimed him off waivers during his rookie year and he immediately stepped into a core role on special teams and a rotational one on defense. His snap share in both phases ticked up over the next two years, which included eight starts on defense, culminating in a full-time time job in 2022. Epps started every game that year and played all but 10 of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. His 94 tackles were a career-high and ranked third on the team.
Epps parlayed his contract-year success into a two-year deal with the Raiders. He started 17 games in 2023 but tore his ACL early in the following season. He hit free agency this year and spent the summer with the Patriots before returning to Philadelphia shortly before the regular season.
Epps has 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated or revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Ravens Designate OLB Tavius Robinson, S Ar’Darius Washington To Return
The Ravens designated outside linebacker Tavius Robinson (injured reserve) and safety Ar’Darius Washington (non-football injury list) to return to practice on Tuesday.
Robinson broke his foot in Week 6 and was placed on IR shortly after. Washington suffered a torn Achilles during offseason training and has been on the non-football injury list since the start of training camp. The two defenders could provide a late-season boost to a Ravens defense that has turned things around after a rough start to the season.
Robinson, 26, started the first six games of the season and saw a substantial increase in playing time after Kyle Van Noy went down in Week 2. The Ravens were hoping the 2023 fourth-round pick would take a third-year leap after a promising campaign last season, but it has not quite materliazed. Robinson made a few highlight plays, including a strip-sack of then-Browns quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 2, but like the rest of Baltimore’s edge rushers, he struggled to make a consistent impact.
Robinson’s return will nonetheless give the Ravens another option off the edge. After trading Odafe Oweh in October, they have relied on 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo and veteran Carl Lawson to fill the back end of their outside linebacker rotation. Ojabo has not performed well, while Lawson held up but did not excel in his 2025 debut as a practice squad elevation in Week 13.
Washington tore his Achilles in May with the hope of returning late in the regular season. His return to practice puts him on track to hit that goal. His 21-day practice window will expire at the beginning of Week 17, by which time he must be activated or revert to season-ending IR.
The severity of Washington’s injury may require a lengthy ramp-up period, and the Ravens can ease him into action even after he’s activated. The team currently has three safeties playing nearly full-time, so Washington will not fill an immediate need. Instead, he will provide another versatile option with the ability to line up as a free safety and in the slot.
Cowboys Offered Micah Parsons For Quinnen Williams, First-Rounder During Training Camp
DECEMBER 2: Jones issued a clarification on Tuesday, telling 105.3 The Fan that he offered Parsons to the Jets for Williams and a first-rounder (via Clarence Hill of Jr. of All City DLLS). It was not Parsons and a first for Williams, as many inferred from Jones’ previous comments on the subject.
NOVEMBER 28: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. We had previously heard Cowboys-Jets discussions commenced during the runup to the eventual Parsons swap with the Packers, but the longtime owner has provided a rather notable detail here.
“I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation.
“A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].”
Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a 1, and we didn’t get it done.”
Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5.
If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal.
Though Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass rush win rate.
Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss.
Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter – if not a star – on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons.
But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s.
The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97MM. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed
Perhaps the Jets did want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have.
Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.
Steelers Place LT Broderick Jones On Season-Ending IR; CB Asante Samuel To Make 2025 Debut
NOVEMBER 30: Jones’ neck injury is more serious than originally thought, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He will be miss the remainder of the season as a result.
NOVEMBER 29: The Steelers placed left tackle Broderick Jones on injured reserve and elevated cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Bills, per a team announcement.
The 2023 first-round pick will miss at least four games due to his IR placement. His earliest return would come in Week 17 against the Browns.
Jones suffered a neck injury during Pittsburgh’s Week 12 loss to the Bears. Six-year veteran Calvin Anderson closed out the game, but head coach Mike Tomlin said on Saturday that Andrus Peat would take over blind side duties in Week 13.
Jones, 24, started the Steelers’ first 11 games of the season, allowing six sacks and 23 pressures in 356 pass-blocking opportunities, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His 95.9 pass block efficiency is not much better than his 95.3 marks in the previous two season.
Peat will start at left tackle in the meantime. He has barely played in the last two years, but started 11 games at left tackle in New Orleans in 2023. He allowed two sacks and 30 pressures in 459 pass-blocking opportunities, per PFF, suggesting he can be a solid but unspectacular fill-in for Jones.
Samuel, 26, will make his 2025 debut against the Bills He was cleared from offseason spinal fusion surgery at the beginning of November and signed with the Steelers after taking visits with a number of teams. Sunday’s game will be Samuel’s first action in over a year and the Steelers are entering Week 13 with a relatively healthy cornerback room. As a result, he may not see much action, though Pittsburgh may try to get him in the game so he can reacclimate to the field. That would also give the Steelers a chance to evaluate Samuel and see what he can contribute for the rest of the year.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers To Return In Week 13
NOVEMBER 30: While Rodgers is indeed playing in Week 13, he is doing so with at least three fractures in his wrist, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. One of those is a more significant break that can only occur as a result of considerable force.
As Rapoport adds, howerver, since Rodgers’ bones are fractured but are not displaced, and since he is able to tolerate the pain, he can play. His willingness to do so has reportedly increased the respect the locker room has for him.
NOVEMBER 28: Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return from a one-game absence and start on Sunday against the Bills.
“Full participant today, no injury designation Sunday. All systems go,” Tomlin said.
Rodgers went down in the Steelers’ Week 11 win over the Bengals with a fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist. He was hoping to suit up in Week 12, but ultimately sat out to avoid further damage to his wrist. Mason Rudolph got the start instead and could not get the win over the Bears. A strong Pittsburgh running game racked up 186 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but Rudolph only passed for 171 yards despite completing 24 of his 31 passes. To be fair to Rudolph, the Steelers defense allowed 31 points, but they also produced a score of their own, so the offense was only responsible for 21 of the team’s 28 points.
The Steelers will hope that Rodgers’ return will help them against the Bills’ top-ranked pass defense. Buffalo has allowed just 168.2 passing yards per game this year, the lowest in the league, though they have struggled against the run. Between Rodgers’ injury and a Steelers offense that has been stronger on the ground, they may lean on their rushing attack on Sunday.
A win on Sunday would put Pittsburgh one game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North after the Ravens’ loss to the Bengals on Thursday night. But a more severe injury to Rodgers’ wrist could put the rest of their season in jeopardy. The Bills have a 25.1% pressure rate, a 10.6% knockdown rate, and a 7.9% sack rate, all top 10 marks in the league, while the Steelers’ 21 sacks allowed are the ninth-fewest in the league. Their offensive line will need to continue their success on Sunday afternoon to keep Rodgers safe.
Lions C Frank Ragnow Fails Physical, Will Not Play In 2025
Lions center Frank Ragnow failed his physical and will not play in 2025, per a team announcement.
Detroit’s medical team found a Grade 3 hamstring strain that will prevent Ragnow from completing his comeback attempt after retiring this offseason. Head coach Dan Campbell said that Ragnow informed the team about the injury, prompting further evaluation. That revealed a more severe injury that immediately eliminated the chance of Detroit’s longtime center playing this season.
Ragnow, 29, came out of retirement after the Lions’ suffered multiple injuries along their offensive line. Left guard Christian Mahogany broke his leg in Week 9 and could be out until the new year. Center Graham Glasgow did not play on Thanksgiving due to a knee injury.
Mahogany has been replaced by Kayode Awosika, while Trystan Colon filled in for Glasgow on Thursday. If Ragnow had returned, he would have taken over at center and moved Glasgow to left guard, his spot in 2024, once he was healthy.
Ragnow would have been a boost to the Lions’ offensive line. Though the unit is not exactly struggling, the injuries have left them without their preferred options. Ragnow, a four-time Pro Bowler, has been one of the league’s best centers for the last several years. In his last five seasons, he allowed just four sacks and earned a 90.0 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) three times.
Instead, the Lions will have to stick with Awosika, Colon, and Glasgow to fill their left guard and center spots. The first has only played guard, but the latter two line up at both spots, giving Detroit a few potential combinations. Rookie Miles Frazier came off the non-football injury list this week and could get a look as well. He primarily played right guard in college, but spent time at left guard in 2022 and would likely step in there.
As for Ragnow, his age indicates that he could try again in 2026, but his initial retirement was partially driven by the injuries he suffered throughout his career. His only full season came in 2020. Since his comeback was foiled by another injury, he may take it as confirmation of his initial decision.
Campbell said that nothing had been discussed regarding Ragnow’s future, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Nick Sirianni Backs Kevin Patullo, Will Not Change Offensive Play-Caller
Despite the Eagles’ offensive woes, head coach Nick Sirianni has no intention of taking play-calling duties away from OC Kevin Patullo.
“We’re not changing the play caller, but we will evaluate everything,” Sirianni said after Philadelphia’s 24-15 loss to the Bears (via Zach Berman of The Athletic). “It’s never just about one person. You win as a team, you lose as a team, and you try to evaluate everything, win, lose or draw and get better from it.”
But Eagles fans do not agree. Chants of “Fire Kevin” rang out at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday as Philadelphia’s offense converted only four of their 12 third downs and turned the ball over twice. The Bears finished with a massive advantage in rushing yards (281-87), number of plays (85-51), and time of possession (39:18-20:42). But Sirianni does not think Patullo is the problem.
“I know it will keep coming back to Kevin, but again, if I thought it was one thing, then you make those changes,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, it’s a lot of different things, but I don’t think it is Kevin. Now, we all have a part in it. Kevin has a part of it. I have a part of it. All the coaches have a part of it. All the players have a part of it.”
However, Patullo’s offense is the Eagles’ worst in years. Currently, the unit are ranked 19th in points and 24th in total yards, which would be the franchise’s worst finishes since 2020. That, of course, was Doug Pederson‘s last year in Philadelphia before Sirianni took over the top job. In other words, this is the Eagles’ least productive offense in the Sirianni era.
Patullo is also the Eagles’ fourth coordinator in four years. After running Sirianni’s offense for the first two years of his tenure, Shane Steichen took the Colts’ head coaching job in 2023 and was replaced by Brian Johnson. But Johnson’s offense sputtered in the second half of the season and only put up nine points in a wild card loss to the Buccaneers. Kellen Moore took over in 2024, and he put together a dominant offense that fueled the Eagles’ playoff run, especially in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. He was hired as the Saints’ next head coach, and Patullo was promoted from pass game coordinator to OC.
As a result, Sirianni may be hoping that he can weather the storm with Patullo in the hopes that the 44-year-old coach can bounce back by the rest of the season. That would prevent Sirianni from finding another offensive coordinator and, ideally, allow Patullo to learn from his initial mistakes and put together a stronger campaign next year.
Dolphins To Activate Darren Waller From IR
The Dolphins are expected to activate Darren Waller from injured reserve for their Week 13 matchup with the Saints, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Waller landed on injured reserve after suffering a pectoral strain in Week 7. He completed his mandatory four-game absence and was designated to return earlier this week. He participated in all three practices and is designated as questionable for Sunday’s game.
Waller’s return will boost a Dolphins tight end room that has struggled to produce this year. Other than Waller, none of Miami’s tight ends have scored a touchdown this year, and the position group as a whole has contributed just 28 receptions for 269 yards. In Waller’s three games before getting injured, he made 10 catches for 117 yards and four touchdowns.
Miami will need to clear a 53-man roster spot to complete Waller’s activation, but it is not clear who will be waived. The Dolphins have three tight ends – Julian Hill, Tanner Conner, and Greg Dulcich – on their active roster, plus fullback Alec Ingold. Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to value Hill, Conner, and Ingold’s blocking prowess, but Dulcich has been a better pass-catcher than all three since Waller went down. He has eight catches for 89 yards in three games for an average of 22.2 yards per game, more than what Hill and Conner’s combined total.