Falcons Promote John Parker Romo, Release Younghoe Koo
The Falcons have made their Week 2 kicking change permanent by signing John Parker Romo to the active roster and releasing Younghoe Koo, per Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Koo missed a game-tying field goal as time expired in Week 1, leading Atlanta to explore other kicking options last week. Romo earned a spot on the practice squad with a tryout and was elevated to start in Week 2. He delivered with a perfect 5-for-5 performance on field goals with a long of 54 yards. Along with an extra point, Romo scored 16 of Atlanta’s 22 points in their victory over the Vikings.
It seemed clear after the game that Romo had earned another start, but the Falcons seem to believe they’ve found a long-term starter. Not only did they replace Koo with Romo on the active roster – solidifying his starting status for the rest of the season – they also handed him a two-year contract to prevent another kicker-needy team from scooping him up next offseason.
Romo is now up to 16 makes on 17 attempts in his career after going 11-for-12 in four games for the Vikings last season. Koo, meanwhile, will leave Atlanta after six seasons and 93 appearances for the Falcons. Despite a down year in 2024, which included a 73.5% field goal conversion rate and six misses inside 50 yards, the team did not bring in any veteran competition for training camp.
That changed quickly after Koo faltered in Week 1, and he will now hit free agency with the hopes of catching onto with another team that is looking for a new kicker, either due to injury or poor performance. Koo still owns a solid 85.8% conversion rate in his career, though he will have to convince a new suitor that his last year-and-a-half was an aberration.
This release will create more than $2MM in Falcons dead money, stemming from the four-year, $24.25MM extension Koo had signed. That contract ran through 2026. Koo, who caught on with the Falcons after washing out quickly with the Chargers, will look for a third chance in his age-31 season.
Mac Jones To Start Week 3; Brock Purdy Potentially Available In Case Of Emergency
Brock Purdy‘s return to practice this week inspired some hope that he could suit up for the 49ers in Week 3, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) that it is “highly unlikely” he starts on Sunday. Instead, it will be Mac Jones under center in San Francisco against the Cardinals. 
Purdy missed Week 2 due to injuries to his toe and shoulder. The shoulder issue no longer seems to be preventing him from playing, but the fourth-year quarterback practiced in a limited capacity for the last three days as the toe continued to ail him. His comments on Thursday suggested that he could be a game-time decision, depending on how he feels on Sunday.
Instead, it appears that decision will be made on Saturday, when the team is required to make roster decisions like inactives and practice squad elevations. Shanahan indicated that Purdy could still be active as the team’s second- or third-string quarterback, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Pelissero’s partner at NFL Network, Ian Rapoport, expanded on that topic, explaining that, while a QB2 role may be a possibility, a QB3 role as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option makes far more sense.
If it’s determined tomorrow that Purdy can’t go or that he can only suit up as an emergency quarterback, practice squad passer Adrian Martinez will, once again, be called on to back up Jones. How they do that will be determined by Purdy’s situation. If Purdy is unable to suit up, Martinez would simply need to be designated a standard gameday practice squad elevation as he was last week. If Purdy suits up with the intention to serve in an emergency role, Martinez would need to be signed to the 53-man roster, since emergency third quarterbacks need to be on the active roster.
In other injury news, two rookies were injured in practice yesterday, per Barrows. While seventh-round guard Connor Colby is only listed as questionable with a groin injury, fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins is reportedly a candidate for injured reserve with a calf injury.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Dolphins Targeting Week 4 Return For TE Darren Waller, Week 6 For RT Austin Jackson
Early-season injuries to right guard James Daniels and right tackle Austin Jackson left the Dolphins offensive line shorthanded in their winless first three games of 2025.
Miami has also been without tight end Darren Waller to start the year. The veteran tight end suffered a hip injury before Week 1, delaying his return to the field after coming out of retirement in the offseason.
Daniels is on injured reserve with an unclear return timeline, but the Dolphins have gotten some clarity on the other two. The team is optimistic that Jackson will be ready to play when he’s eligible to come off IR in Week 6, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. That will bolster the blind side of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has been pressured 28 times on 77 dropbacks in the last two weeks, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Waller, meanwhile, is expected to make his 2025 debut in Week 4, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Head coach Mike McDaniel said that he might have suited up had the Dolphins played on Sunday this week instead of Thursday, but added that Waller’s body “has to follow through.”
Since Waller has been out of the NFL since 2023, it’s less clear what he will add to Miami’s offense. McDaniel’s scheme doesn’t emphasize tight ends, so it’s not a major disappointment that Julian Hill and Tanner Conner have only combined for four catches and 37 yards in their first three games.
Still, the Dolphins would certainly like to get more from the position. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, injuries hampered Waller over the next three years, but he still averaged 50.2 yards per game in that span. The former Pro Bowler may not have as many opportunities in Miami, but he could still be an upgrade over the team’s current options.
Commanders To Start Andrew Wylie At RG
After remaking their offensive line this offseason, the Commanders are still figuring out their best five-man starting combination.
Washington traded for All-Pro LT Laremy Tunsil to replace Brandon Coleman, who flipped inside to left guard. Nick Allegretti switched from left to right guard with Sam Cosmi working his way back from a January ACL tear, and first-round pick Josh Conerly took over for Andrew Wylie at right tackle. Center Tyler Biadasz is the only starter returning to the same position.
That was the starting unit for the first two weeks, but the Commanders are planning to insert Wylie into the lineup at right guard, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. The goal is to stabilize the right side of the O-line after Allegretti and Coleman struggled to start the year. Combined, the two allowed 17 pressures across the first tow games, with neither earning an overall grade above 50.0 or a pass-blocking grade above 40.0 from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Wylie, an eight-year veteran with 88 starts, has spent the last four seasons playing right tackle, but the first three years of his career included almost 2,000 snaps at right guard, per PFF. The Commanders are hoping he can be a more reliable blocker than Allegretti, which in turn may take some pressure off Conerly.
Of course, Washington would love to get Cosmi back at some point this season after he emerged as an solid right guard in 2023 and 2024. He started the year on the physically unable to perform list and is eligible to return after Week 4.
If Wylie can shore up the right side of Washington’s offensive line, it would be a major boost to a Commanders offense that is entering Week 3 without star quarterback Jayden Daniels. The move could also benefit Wylie, who took a pay cut entering the last year of his contract and lost his starting job to Conerly in training camp. Getting playing time this year will
Falcons Would Need Kirk Cousins Suitor To Absorb Remaining Salary
Early-season quarterback injuries around the league have reawakened trade speculation about Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, but the team is “not trying to move him at the moment,” according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Cousins still has the desire to be a starter in the NFL, but – just like it was in the offseason – his massive contract is an insurmountable obstacle to a trade anytime soon. The Falcons would need a potential trade partner to take on the remainder of his fully guaranteed $27.5MM salary this season, said Russini on her podcast, Scoop City.
After two weeks, that number is down to $24.44MM and will drop by $1.53MM each week for the rest of the year. Currently, only five teams have enough cap space for Cousins’ salary, per OverTheCap, though others can use restructures to free up enough room. Two of those five are the Commanders and the 49ers, who are both dealing with injuries to their starter quarterbacks but already have preferred replacements in place.
That is also the case in Minnesota, where the Vikings have less than $16MM in cap space with Carson Wentz ready to step in for J.J. McCarthy. Cousins is also owed $10MM in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season, meaning that a trade this year would be a multiyear financial commitment.
Regardless of cap space, though, it’s clear that other teams see Cousins’ contract as a poison pill. Some may not be interested it all with the belief that his best days are behind him, according to Scoop City co-host James Palmer.
By the trade deadline, Cousins’ remaining salary will be down to a more manageable $13.75MM, and teams still looking for a quarterback upgrade at that juncture may be more desperate. Still, he would need to be viewed as an upgrade to those squads’ other options, and his 2025 tape is unlikely to inspire much confidence. Cousins won’t see the field enough before the deadline to change that perception, either. As a result, he should remain with the Falcons this year with the two sides likely targeting a parting of ways next offseason.
49ers QB Brock Purdy Could Play In Week 3
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday that quarterback Brock Purdy has a chance to play in Week 3, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Purdy was sidelined in Week 2 by a shoulder injury and a case of turf toe. In his absence, backup Mac Jones didn’t just answer the bell; he put up one of the best games of his career with 279 passing yards and three touchdowns on the way to a 26-21 victory over the Saints.
Though Jones impressed under center, the 49ers will still be hoping that Purdy can be back on the field as soon as possible. After missing practice entirely last week, he was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday, an indicator that he’s trending in the right direction.
“I’m happy with the progress I’m making with my foot and my toe,” Purdy said after Thursday’s practice (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group). “It’s a day to day thing with how I feel.”
Asked if he would play on Sunday, Purdy responded (via Inman), “Definitely got to see come game time how I feel. Obviously I want to play every game.” He also said that he was “trying to be smart with [his] body,” but noted the importance of the 49ers’ divisional matchup with the Cardinals on Sunday.
Based on his comments, Purdy’s availability may come down to a game-time decision, potentially dependent on how he feels during his pregame warmup. Even if he can’t go, Jones’ performance in Week 2 should give the 49ers some confidence that they can still take the lead in the NFC West this weekend.
NFL Restructures: Simmons, Johnson, CJGJ, Ward, Smith
The Titans recently gave Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons a $633K raise to rectify a miscalculation of his fifth-year option, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
The Titans drafted Simmons with the 19th overall pick in the 2019 draft, and after 8.5 sacks and his first Pro Bowl in 2021, the team knew they had a long-term anchor for their defensive line. Tennessee picked up Simmons’ fifth-year option during the 2022 offseason and signed him to a $94MM extension the following year. That extension was meant to include the fifth-year option, but the deal undercounted his 2023 salary by one game, resulting in a $633K shortage.
Simmons’ agent discovered the error, and the Titans agreed to rectify the mistake with a signing bonus, according to Florio. The adjusted contract is not considered an extension.
A few other players from the 2019 draft class who signed extensions off their fifth-year options had a similar miscalculation in their deal. As a result, Simmons’ new deal could set a precedent around the league with other players seeking similar retroactive payments.
- The Bears restructured the contract of cornerback Jaylon Johnson to create $8MM of cap space, per ESPN’s Field Yates. $12MM of his 2025 salary was converted to a signing bonus and prorated across the three remaining years of the deal. Chicago made the move before Johnson went down with a groin injury that could end his season.
- The Texans completed a maximum restructure of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s deal to reduce his cap hit to $3.1MM, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. His $7.75MM salary was reduced to the veteran minimum with the remaining $6.58MM converted into a signing bonus and prorated across the remainder of the contract, which includes void years from 2027 to 2030.
- The Browns also did a maximum restructure with cornerback Denzel Ward‘s contract, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. His salary was also reduced to the veteran minimum with $12.22MM converted into a signing bonus. As a result, his 2025 cap hit dropped by $9.78MM to $14.78MM, per OverTheCap.
- In another AFC North restructure, the Ravens converted $12MM of linebacker Roquan Smith‘s 2025 salary that was prorated across the three remaining years of his deal. The move cleared $8MM in cap space, according to Russell Street Report’s Brian McFarland.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/18/25
Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the league:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: C Sam Mustipher
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Hunter Dekkers
- Released: WR Cedrick Wilson
New York Jets
- Released from injured list: RB Keilan Robinson
After losing Nick Samac from their practice squad this week, the Ravens reunited with Mustipher. He started two games in place of Tyler Linderbaum during his first stint in Baltimore in 2023. Mustipher will take Samac’s place as the team’s third-string center.
Steelers DT Derrick Harmon Returns To Practice
Steelers rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon returned to practice this week, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, giving the first-round pick a chance to make his NFL debut in Week 3.
Harmon missed the first two games of the regular season due to an MCL sprain suffered in the preseason. Pittsburgh kept him on the 53-man roster (rather than placing him on injured reserve) with the belief that he would be back within the first four weeks. harmon’s participation in practice this week bodes well for that timeline.
Harmon said (via team writer Teresa Varley) that he is “ready to go,” adding, “my focus is trying to be prepared and make sure I’m healthy enough to get out there.”
Harmon’s return couldn’t come at a better time for a Steelers defensive line that just lost Isaiahh Loudermilk for at least four weeks due to a high ankle sprain. The unit had a rough start to the season even before Loudermilk went down, allowing the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL through two weeks with just 3.0 sacks.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers will be without backup guard Max Scharping for the rest of the season. He tore his during ACL during practice on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He should be placed on injured reserve soon, which will open up a roster spot for a potential replacement or reinforcements to another part of the team.
Chargers Promote S Tony Jefferson
The Chargers promoted veteran safety Tony Jefferson from the practice squad to the active roster, per a team announcement.
In Week 2, Jefferson started in place of Elijah Molden, who was sidelined by a hamstring injury. Molden has yet to practice this week, so Jefferson will likely get the starting nod once again after a solid game on Sunday. He made five tackles, defended two passes, and reeled in an interception on a deep ball just before halftime.
Jefferson was still eligible for two elevations from the practice squad, but the Chargers had an open roster spot after placing Khalil Mack on injured reserve earlier this week. The team could move him back to the practice squad if needed, but more strong showings from Jefferson could keep him in the mix even when Molden returns to the field.
It’s another step in an impressive journey for the former UDFA just two years after he retired from the NFL nine seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Cardinals and Ravens. Jefferson took a scouting fellowship with the latter team after initially hanging up his cleats, but he launched a comeback in 2024. Los Angeles was a natural destination given his history with new Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, who came up in Baltimore’s front office and added several other former Ravens during his first year in charge.
The Chargers also signed outside linebackers Clelin Ferrell and Rashad Weaver to the practice squad. Ferrell never lived up to his billing as the No. 4 overall selection in 2019, but he has started 27 games over the last two years with a total of seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Weaver, originally a Titans fourth-round pick in 2021, put up 5.5 sacks in 2022 but was otherwise a rotational contributor during his time in Tennessee. He spent the 2024 season with the Texans, but only played 18 defensive snaps during the regular season.