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.
Browns Sign QB Tyler Huntley
With a few minor injuries hampering their quarterback room, the Browns added some depth on Monday by reuniting with Tyler Huntley, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official.
Kenny Pickett has been nursing a hamstring injury for the last week, and Dillon Gabriel was limited with a similar issue on Monday, per Schefter. Shedeur Sanders has also been experiencing shoulder soreness, so veteran Joe Flacco entered the day as the team’s only fully healthy passer.
The Browns’ first preseason matchup is scheduled for Friday night in Carolina, and neither Pickett nor Gabriel are expected to play, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. The 40-year-old Flacco played all of six preseason snaps last year, and pushing Sanders to play most of the game with a sore shoulder seems like an unnecessary risk.
Enter Huntley, who spent the 2024 offseason and preseason with the Browns but did not make their 53-man roster. He briefly signed with the Ravens’ practice squad before finishing the year with five starts in Miami. His familiarity with the Browns’ offense will allow him to serve as a camp arm and absorb preseason snaps as the rest of the team’s quarterbacks get back to full health.
He is not expected to factor into the starting competition, which has swung back-and-forth between Flacco and Pickett this summer. Though, this does bring about an interesting development due to Cleveland’s crowded depth chart. Huntley has gone from making five starts a Tua Tagovailoa relief — after making a name for himself as a Lamar Jackson fill-in — to being what could amount to a camp body. It will be interesting to see if this reunion amounts to more than that, as Huntley is still just 27 and has made 14 career starts. The Browns had carried him through past waivers last year but ultimately cut bait shortly after. The Cardinals worked out Huntley in April but did not sign him.
Flacco is atop the Browns’ first unofficial depth chart as Pickett’s absence in camp has set him back in his quest to win the starting job, something he acknowledged this weekend.
“I’m trying to get back out there as fast as possible,” said Pickett (via Cabot). “I’ve never had a soft tissue injury like this, so really a first-time experience in my career.”
The former Steelers first-round pick is still ahead of his rookie teammates, with Gabriel listed as the third-stringer and Sanders behind him. That ranking reflects the snap distribution between the two rookies. Gabriel gets on the field before Sanders and takes more reps, but the latter has been more accurate this summer, according to The Athletic’s Zac Jackson. While neither is expected to start early in the season, Jackson suggested that Sanders’ rapid development could get him on the field later in the year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/25
NFL teams are continuing to adjust their rosters to weather injuries and add depth with preseason games kicking off later this week. Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Dan Feeney
- Waived: DE Kameron Cline, OL Rush Reimer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Mitch Van Vooren, RB Trayveon Williams
- Waived: OT Julian Pearl
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, CB D.J. Miller
- Waived/injured: RB Kye Robichaux
- Placed on IR: S Dan Jackson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Corey Ballentine
- Released: CB Gregory Junior
Houston Texans
- Activated from active/PUP list: RB Dameon Pierce
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Tremayne Anchrum, DL Austin Johnson
- Waived: WR J.J. Jones
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Nesta Jade Silvera
- Waived/injured: DL Josh Fuga
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Chris Myarick
- Placed on IR: TE Jalin Conyers
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
- Waived: OT Marcellus Johnson
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP list: OL Vederian Lowe
New York Giants
- Signed: LB K.J. Cloyd, RB Jonathan Ward
- Waived/injured: RB Rushawn Baker
- Placed on IR: LB Ty Summers
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Michael Dowell, LS Zach Triner
- Placed on IR: S AJ Finley
- Waived: LB Seth Coleman
The Lions’ additions were likely a result of a shoulder injury to second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw. Head coach Dan Campbell said (via team writer Tim Twentyman) that “it’s going to be a while, at best” until Rakestraw returns to the field.
Ballentine returns to Green Bay, where he spent the last three seasons, after a brief stint in Indianapolis this offseason. He started six games and played 488 snaps for the Packers in 2023, but primarily contributed on special teams in 2022 and 2024.
The Giants are dealing with a number of injuries in their running back room, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Only Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Darius Miller are healthy, and the first two may not play much in the preseason. New York worked out a number of running backs on Monday, including Myles Gaskin and Isaiah Spiller (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), but Ward impressed enough to join the squad moving forward.
Finley went down with a knee injury at training camp that is believed to be serious, pending additional tests, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Triner, meanwhile, will fill in for Seahawks third-year long snapper Chris Stoll, who is dealing with a back issue, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Bills WR Khalil Shakir To Miss Time
Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is expected to miss four to five weeks due to a high ankle sprain suffered last Friday, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Head coach Sean McDermott said on Sunday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) that Shakir was considered “week to week.”
The fourth-year wideout stepped up after the departure of Stefon Diggs last offseason, leading Buffalo with 76 receptions and 821 receiving yards in 2024 and earning himself a four-year, $53MM extension this offseason.
With little more than five weeks until the Bills’ regular season debut against the Ravens, Shakir’s recovery will have to go smoothly for him to play in Week 1. He was the Bills’ most active pass-catcher in both matchups vs. Baltimore last season. He caught 10 of his 12 targets for 129 across the two contests, the latter of which was a playoff win that sent Buffalo to the AFC Championship Game.
The Bills have a number of options to fill Shakir’s role in the slot during his absence. Veteran Curtis Samuel will likely be the next man up after rotating into the slot in Buffalo last year, and offseason signings Elijah Moore and Josh Palmer bring some experience there as well.
The Bills could also roll out more two tight end formations with Dalton Kincaid or Dawson Knox split into the slot. Still, Shakir’s injury doesn’t seem so significant that it will require major adjustments to Buffalo’s offense this season.
Broncos Extend DL Zach Allen
10:31pm: Per OvertheCap.com, $44.25MM of Allen’s new extension is fully guaranteed at signing, including a $24MM signing bonus, his base salaries in 2025 ($2.49MM) and 2026 ($16.49MM), and per game roster bonuses in those seasons that will total $510K and $765K, respectively. $15.75MM will become fully guaranteed in March 2026, and the rest will guarantee in March of the following year.
9:31am: The Broncos have agreed to terms with defensive lineman Zach Allen on a four-year, $102MM extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since announced the extension.
It was reported back in March that Allen was seeking an extension in the range of $25MM per year. His new contract meets that goal at a $25.5MM APY that ranks third among the NFL’s interior defensive lineman, per OverTheCap.
Allen’s deal also includes $69.5MM in guaranteed money, per Schefter, which would also rank third at the position in terms of total guarantees. If that number represents fully guaranteed money, it would set a new record for interior defensive linemen.
The 27-year-old may not be a household name, but his payday is appropriate after an excellent 2024 season. Allen recorded 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss as a key anchor for a Broncos defense that finished third in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed. He also recorded 75 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), a mark that led all interior defensive lineman and trailed only four edge rushers.
Allen earned a second-team All-Pro selection for his efforts last season, the first such recognition of his career. That gave him the leverage to seek an extension as he entered the final year of the three-year, $45.75MM deal that brought him to Denver in 2023 in the first place. Allen’s new deal represents a raise of more than $10MM per year and will keep him under contract through the 2028 season.
The former Cardinals third-round pick effectively replaced Dre’Mont Jones in Denver, as the two relocated (Jones to Seattle) on Day 1 of the 2023 legal tampering period. Allen has been a lifer in DC Vance Joseph‘s scheme, arriving in Arizona during Joseph’s first offseason running the Cards’ defense. Weeks after Joseph returned to Denver, Allen followed. After a woeful start to the 2023 season, the Broncos’ defense took big steps forward in 2024.
Helping the Broncos to a third-place finish in scoring defense, Allen’s 40 QB hits led the NFL and represented a top-10 mark for any season in the 2020s. That surge solidified a midcareer breakout, placing Allen in prime position to capitalize. The Broncos will go through with another reward, locking up two extension candidates this week.
The Broncos, who got veteran wideout Courtland Sutton‘s extension done on Monday, will likely now turn their attention to negotiations with fourth-year edge rusher Nik Bonitto. Allen’s primary partner in the trenches, John Franklin-Myers, has also been pursuing a new contract after a career-high 7.0 sacks last year, but the Broncos have not engaged in contract talks to date. After signing one defensive lineman to a nine-figure deal, Denver seems unlikely to give Franklin-Myers a market-level extension.
FA QBs Asked Giants Not To Target Position In 1st Round
Kirk Cousins‘ experience in Atlanta seems to have served as a warning to other veteran quarterbacks around the league.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen revealed this week that multiple free agent QBs said they wouldn’t sign in New York unless the team promised not to take a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft.
Last offseason, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180MM contract in free agency before using the No. 9 pick of the 2024 draft on Michael Penix. Cousins was surprised by the move and later revealed that he may have taken a different approach to free agency had he known of the team’s plans. Injury and turnover woes knocked the veteran out of the starting lineup late in the 2024 season and Penix replaced him as the team’s new franchise quarterback. Unable to secure a release or trade, Cousins is now set to spend the 2025 season as Penix’s backup.
Understandably, free agent quarterbacks looking for a new home this offseason wanted to avoid a similar situation. The Giants wouldn’t make any promises.
“We would not guarantee anybody that we wouldn’t draft a quarterback,” said Schoen in an appearance on WFAN (via Awful Announcing). For some free agents, that was a nonstarter, but Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll had yet to finish their evaluations of the 2025 draft class.
“When we sign these guys, it’s mid-March,” explained Schoen. “Daboll hadn’t seen some of the [prospects] throw yet, in-person. We hadn’t had private workouts with them. Some of them hadn’t been in our building yet.”
When Schoen and Daboll were hired in 2022, they inherited Daniel Jones from Dave Gettleman‘s time as GM. The Giants’ new regime declined to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option for the 2023 season, but Jones immediately put up the best season of his career and forced the team to give him an extension. After moving on from the 2019 first-rounder last year, Schoen and Daboll finally had a chance to pick their own quarterback prospect to draft and develop. They didn’t want to give up that opportunity to sign a veteran who would only serve as a short-term starter.
“We’re not going to promise that, because I don’t know who’s going to be there, we don’t know how the draft is going to unfold,” explained Schoen. “I’m never going to do that promise.”
The Giants ultimately agreed to terms with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in March before selecting Jaxson Dart with a first-round pick a month later. Wilson is expected to start this season with Winston serving as his primary backup and Dart learning the ropes from his veteran teammates.