Harrison Mevis To Kick For Rams In Week 10, Team Keeping Joshua Karty
The results of the Rams’ midseason kicking competition are in.
Head coach Sean McVay announced that Harrison Mevis will get the nod over Joshua Karty on Sunday, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. Mevis was signed this week after Karty converted just 10 of his 15 field goal attempts in the first eight games of the season. Three of his five misses came inside 40 yards, a clear step back from his 2024 rookie season that featured just five misses all year. Karty has also missed three extra points on 26 attempts this season after missing only four on 32 attempts last year.
However, McVay also that Karty “isn’t going anywhere,” indicating that the kicking job may be assigned on a week-to-week basis until one of the two clearly wins the job.
The Rams will be going with a different long snapper in Week 10, as well. Alex Ward has held the job for the last three seasons, but 14-year veteran Jake McQuaide was re-signed by the Rams this week and will play on Sunday. McQuaide was the Rams’ long snapper from 2011 and 2020, a period that included the franchise’s move from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is clearly trying to experiment with a new kicking battery to figure out their best combination for the rest of the season. Karty has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but it would cost the Rams virtually nothing to move on from him this year. That could give Mevis, who has never kicked in the regular season, a chance to secure the kicking job this year and potentially into the future.
Ward, meanwhile, is in the final year of his UDFA contract and will not be worth a restrict free agent tag in the spring. Like Karty, his contract is not an obstacle to releasing him. However, McQuaide is 37 years old and may be close to retirement, which would force the Rams to find another long snapper next year and potentially put them in a similar position to their current one.
Colorado Rockies Hire Browns’ Paul DePodesta As Head Of Baseball Ops
Paul DePodesta is headed back to Major League Baseball.
The Browns’ longtime Chief Strategy Officer is expected to join the Colorado Rockies as their next head of baseball operations, per Ken Rosenthal, Zac Jackson, and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. The move is now official.
DePodesta, 52, was hired by the Browns in 2016. He spent the preceding two decades in a variety of front office roles around the MLB, starting with the Cleveland Indians in 1996. DePodesta is perhaps best known for his stint as the assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics from 1999 to 2004.
During that time, he was a pioneer of sabermetrics and helped bring data analytics into the sports mainstream. He later introduced analytics into many aspects of the Browns organization. He was one of the main individuals featured in Michael Lewis’ bestselling book, “Moneyball,” and Jonah Hill earned an Oscar nomination for playing a DePodesta-based character in the film adaptation. DePodesta was hired in 2004 to be the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was fired after just two seasons. He then spent five years each with the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets in top front office positions before making the leap to the NFL with the Browns.
The Browns went 3-13 in 2015, their worst record since 2000. They fired general manager Ray Farmer and hired DePodesta as CSO and future general manager Andrew Berry as the vice president of player personnel. General counsel Sashi Brown – now the team president of the Ravens – became the vice president of football operations and de facto general manager. The team then went 1-31 over the next two seasons; Brown was fired and John Dorsey took over as general manager in December 2017.
Having amassed a lot of draft capital, including back-to-back No. 1 picks that they used on Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield, the Browns dug themselves out of the AFC North cellar to finish third in the division in 2018 and 2019, albeit with losing records. Dorsey was replaced with Berry, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski led the 2020 squad to an 11-5 record, the best finish since the team was re-established in 1999.
A step back in 2021 inspired the Browns to move on from Mayfield and trade three first-round picks to the Texans for Deshaun Watson. Watson was then handed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230MM extension. The move, driven in part by DePodesta, drew criticism at the time and has not aged well.
Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his Browns tenure, and the team went 7-10 that year. An 11-6 finish and playoff berth in 2023 offered a glimmer of hope, but Cleveland has won just five games since. Watson suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2023 (shoulder fracture) and 2024 (Achilles tear) and now appears to be out of the team’s future plans, though his contract will still be on the books for a few more years.
An 11-6 record and a playoff berth in 2023 offered a glimmer of hope in Cleveland, but the team has won just five games since. They now appear to be looking for their next franchise quarterbacks in the next two drafts, for which they should have ample draft capital. The Browns will now continue their seemingly endless rebuild without DePodesta guiding the team’s high-level roster strategy.
The Rockies’ present situation is strikingly similar to the Browns’ when they hired DePodesta. The Rockies went 43-119 in 2025, tied for the third-most losses in Major League Baseball history and their third straight season with at least 100 losses. They have not made the playoffs since 2018 and have never won their division, the National League West.
DePodesta will now be charged with turning the hapless franchise around after precious few successful seasons since their inception in 1993. Owner Dick Monfort has been roundly criticized for a lack of financial investment in the team’s roster and management infrastructure, making DePodesta’s ‘Moneyball’ history particularly relevant. However, his track record since leaving Oakland – in essence, the performance of the teams he has helped run – is not very encouraging.
Cardinals Reunite With QB Jeff Driskel
The Cardinals signed Jeff Driskel to their practice squad, per a team announcement, adding a third quarterback to their team after playing Kyler Murray on injured reserve.
Driskel, 32, spent most of the 2023 season on Arizona’s practice squad. He was elevated for one game during the regular season but did not play. Last year, he played exactly one snap for the Commanders.
Originally a sixth-round pick by the 49ers in 2016, Driskel did not appear in a regular-season game until 2018 for the Bengals. He started five games that year, but spent the next four years with three different teams as a backup and third-stringer. He also started one game for the Browns at the end of the 2023 season.
2024 UDFA Kedon Slovis has been backing up Jacoby Brissett for a few weeks, but Driskel could take over relatively quickly due to his “experience and knowledge of the offense,” per CardsWire’s Howard Balzer. The seven-year veteran can be elevated from the practice squad for three games and would have to be promoted to the 53-man roster to be active on game days after that.
Driskel has appeared in a total of 25 games in his career with a 58.6% completion rate and a 79.4 passer rating. He does not offer much under center, and the Cardinals will be hoping that Brissett can stay healthy to avoid either Driskel or Slovis taking the field.
Giants Were Hesitant To Trade Stars Due To Job Security
Despite rumblings about a few of their players, the Giants had a quiet trade deadline.
Trading Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence never felt realistic. Teams seemed unlikely to pony up a first-round pick for edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has just 2.5 sacks this season. And the Giants could not find takers on offensive lineman Evan Neal or wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, two players on expiring deals they were open to moving.
Uncertainty around the team’s future also lent itself to standing pat on Tuesday, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. The Giants’ current regime desperately needs to show proof-of-concept with their current vision for the walker. Jettisoning two of their top young defenders could make the team look bad enough down the stretch to threaten the jobs of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
However, the Giants are still realistic about their current standing and need to add talent in the offseason. They were only interested in players under contract through at least 2026, as trading draft picks for rentals would not better the team’s future.
There’s a careful balance to be struck there. At 2-6, the Giants may be content with a losing season if it means a top draft pick. Given the scrutiny on Schoen and Daboll, they may not be intentionally tanking, but adding a rental could help them win an extra game or two without boosting their overall playoff chances. At that point, the extra victories may not be worth the resulting drop in the draft order.
In a way, though, the Giants’ quiet deadline suggests that Schoen and Daboll believe that they have one more year in charge, but their jobs are not secure beyond that. Investing heavily in this year would suggest that they are on the hot seat right now, while trading Lawrence or Thibodeaux for future picks would indicate that they are committed to a long-term rebuild with Dart under center.
Instead, it seems like New York will be approaching the 2026 offseason with the hope of improving their roster around Dart and contending for an NFC playoff spot to show they’re capable of even more.
WR Rashid Shaheed Was Unlikely To Re-Sign With Saints
The Saints sent Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks as part of Tuesday’s trade deadline frenzy, receiving fourth- and fifth-round picks for the veteran wide receiver.
New Orleans had previously set an asking price of a third-rounder, but they accepted less value for Shaheed knowing that he was hitting free agency in March. He was hesitant about the team’s quarterback situation, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, making him less likely to re-sign with the Saints.
Sure, the Saints may have been able to earn a compensatory draft pick if Shaheed left in free agency, but that would not come until 2027 and is no guarantee, either. It is also unlikely that Shaheed will receive a large enough contract to qualify for a third-rounder, and teams cannot receive multiple picks for one player through the compensatory system. As a result, the Seahawks’ offer was much better than what the Saints could hope to get by letting him walk in free agency.
Shaheed, meanwhile, lands in a better situation in Seattle. Sam Darnold is having another excellent season, and Shaheed seems positioned to slide into a deep-threat role in an offense that has only been able to rely on Jaxon Smith-Njigba downfield. That could help boost his stock before free agency, but the Seahawks also have their eye on quickly ascending the ranks of the NFC. You could argue they already have with a 6-2 start and top-10 units on both sides of the ball. That may inspire them to pursue an extension with Shaheed if he turns out to be a fit in Klint Kubiak‘s offense.
Jets Receiving Second-Round Offers On EDGE Jermaine Johnson
The Jets are continuing to take calls on Jermaine Johnson, with teams offering second-round picks in deals for the fourth-year edge rusher, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.
Johnson has been a popular trade target with the Jets thought to be seeking a second-round pick in exchange. New York seems to be going through a full roster reset after trading both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams before the deadline. They are likely trying to garner as much draft capital as possible for a quarterback prospect in the next two years and rebuild their roster under their new regime.
Hughes’ specific wording – “offers include a second-round pick.” – and the timing of his report suggest that the Jets are being asked to send a pick back to an acquiring team as part of the deal. They may be trying to drum up better offers before the deadline elapses in less than two hours.
It seems likely that Johnson will be on his way out of New York later today, and other Jets like Breece Hall could also join the apparent fire sale. The Jets’ moves are arguably the most significant back-to-back trades made by a franchise in years, if not decades. They now have the draft picks to land their desired quarterback prospect in one of the next two drafts while also searching for new franchise cornerstones to replace the ones they just sent out of town.
Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon On Kyler Murray: ‘Nothing’s Changed’
The Cardinals are not planning to keep Jacoby Brissett at quarterback after Kyler Murray returns from injury.
Murray has missed Arizona’s last three games with a foot injury. The offense has looked better with Brissett under center, averaging five more points per game in his starts compared to Murray’s. Brissett has three straight games with at least 260 passing yards and two touchdowns; Murray has none.
That has led to questions about the Cardinals sticking with Brissett after Murray comes back, but head coach Jonathan Gannon shut such talk down on Monday night.
“Nothing’s changed on that,” Gannon said (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss) when asked about making a change at quarterback.
However, the Cardinals have not found much success under Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort since they were hired together in 2023. They did not draft Murray or sign him to his current contract extension, and could be looking to find a different long-term quarterback that meshes better with their vision for the team.
It would still seem to be unwise for the Cardinals to bench Murray this year. Such a move could be an alarming sign to other teams and drop his trade value in the offseason, and he has enough guaranteed money remaining on his deal to make an outright release uncomfortable for Arizona’s salary cap.
It is also fair to wonder if Murray has been put in the best position to succeed. His results were much better with Kliff Kingsbury calling the offense rather than current OC Tommy Rees, and the Cardinals have not consistently had a strong offensive line since drafting Murray. The Cardinals seem to be approaching a major decision point regarding Murray’s future, but they seem unlikely to bench him before making that call.
Titans Asking ‘Reasonable’ Price For EDGE Arden Key
The Titans have set a “reasonable” trade price for veteran edge rusher Arden Key, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Several teams have been seeking reinforcements at the position, and Key has emerged as a player who is likely to be moved before Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. trade deadline. The eight-year veteran logged 23.5 sacks and 25 tackles loss in his previous four seasons, but is off to a slower start this year with just 1.5 sacks and one TFL.
Some of Key’s other metrics have dropped, too. In 2024, he posted a 9.5% pressure rate and an 11.5% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This season, those numbers are down to 8.4% and 8.2%, respectively. That’s not a precipitous collapse, though, and Key’s consistent production with three different teams since 2021 indicates that he still has something to contribute to a defense.
The Lions and the Patriots have both been mentioned in connection to Key, and other teams seeking a splashier addition off the edge could pivot to the less-heralded Titan as a backup option on Tuesday afternoon.
Key is owed $3.375MM for the rest of the season, per OverTheCap, making the financial cost of acquiring him relatively inexpensive, too. Given his expiring contract, a perceived fire sale in Tennessee, and clear interest in Key on the trade market, it seems like only a matter of time before he is moved.
Giants Looking To Trade OL Evan Neal
The Giants were hoping that Evan Neal would be their long-term starter – if not an All-Pro – at right tackle when they used the No. 7 pick on him in the 2022 draft.
That vision never materialized. Neal started 20 games across his first two seasons before suffering an ankle injury that eventually forced him onto injured reserve. The Giants signed Jermaine Eluemunor during the 2024 offseason to take over at right tackle and declined Neal’s fifth-year option, though he still started seven games that year after Andrew Thomas‘ season-ending foot injury.
At that point, though, it was clear that Neal did not have a future in New York, at least not at tackle. The Giants attempted to convert him into a guard this offseason, but the switch did not take and Neal has not appeared in a game this season. Now, the team is trying to take advantage of a quiet offensive line market by trying to move Neal before Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline, according to The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.
Neal has been mentioned in trade talks this year; the Raiders reportedly reached out to the Giants recently regarding his availability. Neal himself has even discussed the potential of being moved, but CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones is “not sure [the Giants] would give him away.”
Still, OL-needy teams like the Chargers and the Seahawks could believe in Neal’s original potential and bet on their scheme and coaching staff to finally get some steady play out of his 6-foot-7, 350-pound frame. He would only cost $550k for the rest of the season, per OverTheCap, and his trade value is so low that a Day 3 pick swap could probably get a deal done.
Texans Extend LB Jake Hansen
The Texans signed linebacker and special teams ace Jake Hansen to a one-year contract extension, per a team announcement.
The deal will keep Hansen in Houston through the 2026 season for a maximum value of $3MM, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Hansen, 27, signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois in 2022. He made the 53-man roster as a rookie and appeared in 11 games with 205 snaps on defense and 148 on special teams. During the subsequent offseason, Houston brought in DeMeco Ryans as the team’s new coach, and Hansen could not carve out a role in his system.
He has only played 183 snaps on defense in the last three years, but his role on special teams has expanded. He contributes to every unit except the Texans’ kicking team, and this season, his 89.6 special teams grade and eight special teams tackles are top-10 marks in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Hansen earned a total of $2.57MM in his first three seasons and re-signed with the Texans for $1.7MM this offseason, per OverTheCap. He will earn another pay bump on his new deal, and Houston will keep one of their core special teams contributors around for another year.
Special teams work isn’t the most glamorous, but it is a reliable way to stick around in the NFL. As long as Hansen stays healthy, he will likely have a job in Houston, and may be prized by other special teams-focused teams in the league.