Jets Considering QB Change?
Jets quarterback Justin Fields appeared headed for the bench when he was pulled at halftime of New York’s loss to the Panthers in Week 7.
Veteran backup Tyrod Taylor finished the game and was expected to start the following week, but those plans were interrupted by a knee injury. Fields started in Week 8 instead and put up one of his best performances of the year. He threw for 244 passing yards anHis 244 passing yards were his second-highest total of the season and the Jets’ 39 points were a season-high. Crucially, Fields did not throw an interception, fumble the football, or take a single sack.
In the two games since, Fields has completed just 21 of his 37 passing attempts (56.7%) for 170 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also took five sacks and fumbled once while adding 95 rushing yards on 18 carries. The Jets scored 27 points despite an especially rough game in Week 10, but they could only manage 14 points against the Patriots on Thursday.
Those struggles have led head coach Aaron Glenn to reconsider his starting quarterback selection. When asked about a potential change under center on Friday, he said that he was “evaluating everything.” Glenn also acknowledged that Fields’ recent performance was not up to NFL standards; the fifth-year quarterback essentially admitted the same, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
“Obviously, we have to do a better job in the passing game and that has a lot to do with Justin getting the ball to the right guys,” Glenn said.
Taylor is healthy now, so he would be the Jets’ starter if Fields is benched. Glenn described the decision as “really a short-term deal,” indicating that he is less concerned about the team’s long-term quarterback plans than with their success for the rest of the season.
“Whatever that the evaluation process come out to, just know that the reason why I make the decision that I make, it gives us the best chance to win,” Glenn added.
Broncos Considering IR For RB J.K. Dobbins
NOVEMBER 14: Dobbins is dealing with a “significant” injury that will sideline him for “the foreseeable future,” per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He and the Broncos are still evaluating their options, but an IR placement seems more likely in the wake of the most recent news.
NOVEMBER 11: Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a foot injury in last Thursday’s win over the Raiders that could land him on injured reserve.
Denver is considering placing Dobbins on IR, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, which would sidelined him for the next four games. The Broncos have a bye in Week 12, so Dobbins’ earliest return would come in Week 16.
Dobbins hurt his foot on a hip drop tackle by a Raiders defender, though the play was not flagged. He left the game with about 4:30 remaining in the third quarter with rookie RJ Harvey handling the remaining carries. Dobbins seems poised to miss some time, even if he does not land on IR, so Harvey could see a major uptick in work after producing a number of explosive plays in recent weeks. Depth running backs Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin should also see a few more opportunities with Dobbins sidelined.
This would be Dobbins’ fifth stint on injured reserve since entering the league as a Ravens second-round pick in 2020. He suffered a torn ACL before his second season, a knee injury the following year, and a torn Achilles at the beginning of the 2023 season. He signed with the Chargers during the 2024 offseason and suffered an MCL sprain in November that sidelined him until late December.
Dobbins has been hit with the ‘injury-prone’ tag since his time in Baltimore, and this latest injury will continue that perception. He expressed interest in an extension with the Broncos, but will likely need to prove he can stay healthy for him to receive a multi-year commitment in Denver or anywhere else.
Jets Place WR Garrett Wilson On IR
NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Aaron Glenn said on Friday (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) he thinks Wilson will be able to return late in the season. A final call on that front has yet to be made, and it will no doubt be influenced by the team’s place in the standings come December. The progress of Wilson’s recovery will be key in determining whether or not he suits up again in 2025.
NOVEMBER 13: The Jets are placing star wide receiver Garrett Wilson on injured reserve, per a team announcement.
Wilson was diagnosed with a knee sprain after exiting Sunday’s victory over the Browns with a projected return timeline of three to four weeks. The Jets have elected to free up a roster spot by placing him on injured reserve, which will sideline him for the team’s next four games.
That will deprive Justin Fields of his best wideout for another handful of games. Unsurprisingly, the fifth-year quarterback has been significantly better when Wilson has been on the field. The Jets have gotten precious little out of their other pass-catchers this year; rookie tight end Mason Taylor leads the pack at 27.3 receiving yards per game, and none of his healthy teammate are over 25.0 YPG.
Wilson already missed a few weeks with an injury to the same knee, which has multiple implications.
First, it shows that the Jets cannot necessarily rely on one of their other receivers to step up. They had the opportunity during Wilson’s first absence and could not deliver.
Second, it may encourage the team to take a more cautious approach with Wilson’s return. He could come back in Week 14 at the earliest with four games remaining in the season. The Jets are already all-but-mathematically eliminated from the playoffs right now, and by the time Wilson is eligible to play, they will likely be mathematically eliminated, too. They may want to keep Wilson on the shelf for the rest of the season to ensure he does not suffer another, more severe injury that could impact 2026.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/25
Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL…
Arizona Cardinals
- Practice window opened: OL Hayden Conner
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: OLB Khalid Kareem
- Placed on IR: LB DeAngelo Malone
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Giants’ practice squad: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (story)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: LB Branson Combs
New England Patriots
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson, LB Darius Harris
New York Giants
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: WR Isaiah Hodgins (story)
Conner, a sixth-round pick from Texas, has yet to debut as a rookie after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. The Cardinals placed Conner on IR with a return designation when they trimmed their roster to 53 players on Aug. 26. Now that Conner’s back at practice, the Cardinals will have 21 days to activate him.
Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson will miss Thursday’s game against the Jets with a toe injury, leading the Pats to elevate Johnson. He’ll work behind TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings, though the latter is playing through a knee issue. It’s the third and final standard elevation of the year for Johnson, meaning the Patriots will have to sign him to their active roster if they want to promote him again. The 29-year-old has totaled just 15 snaps (nine on special teams, six on offense) this season.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Dolphins Received ‘Significant Interest’ In RB De’Von Achane
The Dolphins were expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, but they did not engage in an all-out fire sale like the Jets.
Instead, they dealt Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a third round pick and held onto Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb. Miami also received “significant interest” in fourth-year RB De’Von Achane, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“It seems the speedy 24-year-old generated as many phone calls as anyone, with Miami [setting] a second-round pick and more as the price,” Rapoport added.
That would be a costly move for a running back, but Achane has emerged as one of the league’s most versatile offensive weapons since he was drafted in 2023. The former second-round pick averaged 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie and expanded his receiving game significantly in 2024. He was a solid pass-catcher in college, but has emerged as a key cog in the Dolphins’ passing game over the last two years. Achane has put it all together in 2025, averaging 78.0 rushing yards and 32.5 receiving yards per game.
Ultimately, teams were not willing to pony up for Achane. One could argue that his production is partially due to his unique role in Mike McDaniel‘s scheme and may not completely transfer to a new offense. However, his 5.5 yards per carry behind a suspect Dolphins offensive line and receiving skillset would have value on any team.
Achane’s prominence in Miami’s offense is also a reason that the Dolphins would not want to move him. McDaniel seems poised to keep his job for the time being, but if he is retained for 2026, he will need to show improvement to stick around any longer. Achane is still under contract for another year and will be a crucial part of the team’s bounce-back effort next season. McDaniel blocked a trade that would have sent Calais Campbell to the Ravens last year and may have been similarly reluctant to part ways with Achane.
The Dolphins’ firing of general manager Chris Grier may have also been a factor in the team opting not to move Achane. The Dolphins seem headed towards a major overhaul, if not this offseason, then in the next two years. They still have the option to trade Achane this offseason – at which point he could have even more value if he continues his recent production – but a new general manager may see him as a long-term cornerstone and wish to extend him instead.
Cowboys Designate Malik Hooker For Return
The Cowboys designated safety Malik Hooker to return from injured reserve on Thursday, per a team announcement.
Hooker, 29, started the first four games of the season (alongside Donovan Wilson, his running mate for the last four years) before a toe injury landed him on IR. That started a shuffle of safeties in Dallas, which, along with their cornerback injuries, has contributed to their bottom-five pass defense.
Juanyeh Thomas replaced Hooker in Weeks 5 and 6 before he was sidelined by recurrent migraines. Markquese Bell started next to Wilson in Week 7, but Wilson suffered an elbow injury in that game. That pressed undrafted rookie Alijah Clark into action for his first career start the following week. Thomas’ condition briefly improved, allowing him to start with Bell in Week 9, but he was placed on the non-football illness list shortly after.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said last week that he is hoping that both Hooker and Wilson can play in Week 11. The Cowboys are set to play the Cardinals on Monday Night Football, so their starting safeties will have an extra day to practice.
Hooker, a former first-round pick, dealt with a handful of injuries in Indianapolis during his first four NFL seasons. He only missed four games across his first four years in Dallas before his toe issue this season.
The veteran’s return should help a cowboys pass defense that has struggled this year. Dallas has allowed the fourth-most yards per attempt and per game this year. They seem to have made some progress in the last few weeks, though they have faced an easier slate of opponents.
Hooker will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster. Otherwise, he will revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Falcons OT Storm Norton Reverts To Season-Ending IR
Falcons offensive tackle Storm Norton reverted to season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday, per team reporter Terrin Waack, the first player in the league to do so this season.
Norton landed on IR with a return designation during final roster cuts after undergoing ankle surgery in the preseason. He returned to practice on October 22 and was a full practice participant right away. He then re-aggravated the injury the following week and has not practiced since. His 21-day practice window expired on Wednesday, forcing him to watch the rest of the season from the sidelines.
Head coach Raheem Morris declined to give details on Norton’s setback, but acknowledged that “it wasn’t great news.”
The Falcons already lost starting right tackle Kaleb McGary for the year after he suffered a leg injury in training camp. That was a major loss for Atlanta’s offensive line, especially considering McGary’s job to protect left-handed quarterback Michael Penix‘s blind side. The team has relied on Elijah Wilkinson to fill McGary’s spot, but he has allowed 30 pressures, the fifth-most among all offensive tackles this season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Norton would not necessarily have been an upgrade. His only full year as a starter came in 2021 for the Chargers, when he allowed 59 pressures, the second-most by an offensive tackle that season and the third-most in a single season since 2019. Since then, he has only started four games, though he still could have pushed Wilkinson for his job.
The Falcons will also place fourth-year linebacker DeAngelo Malone on IR. He suffered a broken ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Colts and underwent surgery on Monday. Malone will miss at least four games, but his absence could be longer, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 2022 third-round pick is a core special teams contributor who has not had more than a peripheral role on defense since his rookie year.
In other Falcons news, linebacker Malik Verdon was designated to return from the non-football injury list. The team signed the former Iowa State safety as an undrafted rookie with the intention of converting him to linebacker in Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense. Verdon played through an arm injury during his last year of college, but it is unknown if it is related to the shoulder issue that landed him on the NFI list in July.
Finally, Atlanta signed safety Jammie Robinson to their practice squad. The 2023 fifth-round pick appeared in 21 games for the Panthers over his first two years, primarily on special teams. He was waived before the end of his second season and has since spent time with the Cardinals, Chiefs, and Lions, though he has not played this year. He will add special teams depth in Atlanta, which may come in handy with Malone sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Ravens, Tyler Linderbaum Not Close On Extension
The Ravens have signaled their desire to sign center Tyler Linderbaum to an extension before he hits free agency, but the two sides “are not within striking distance of a deal,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Ravens did not pick up the fifth-year option for Linderbaum this offseason, making 2025 a contract year for the 2022 first-round pick. Because the NFL groups all offensive linemen together for contract designations, Linderbaum’s fifth-year option would have come in at $23.4MM. That’s an appropriate price for a top tackle, but far too much money for a center.
Linderbaum, a two-time Pro Bowler, is likely looking to reset the center market, which is currently topped by Creed Humphrey at $18MM per year. Inflating Humphrey’s contract to match the 2025 salary cap would yield a $19.7MM APY for Linderbaum. That feels a little high given Linderbaum’s struggles in pass protection this year, not just relative to Humphrey, but to the entire league. The fourth-year Raven has allowed 16 pressures this year, the fifth-most among all centers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He is on pace to eclipse the 29 pressures he allowed as a rookie; in 2023 and 2024, he allowed 18 and 19 pressures, respectively.
Baltimore is in a tough spot. Pay for interior offensive linemen has exploded in the last few offseasons, and Linderbaum would be one of the best centers to hit free agency in recent years. That could create a bidding war if he hits the open market, something he and his representation are sure to know as they negotiate with the Ravens.
A franchise or transition tag is not an option, either. The first would be $27.2MM, and the second would be $24.6MM, per OverTheCap. Besides the inflated value for a center, the Ravens would also struggle to absorb a one-year cap hit of that size, and their long-term financial situation isn’t pretty, either.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson is set to count for $74.5MM against the cap in 2026, and though the Ravens want to lower than number with an extension, past negotiations indicate such a deal will take time. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike has an uncertain future after a season-ending neck injury; if the Ravens have to part ways with him this offseason, they will have to account at least some of the dead money from his contract next year. Defensive tackle Travis Jones and tight end Isaiah Likely are also key young players who the Ravens would like to retain. In fact, Madubuike’s injury and the pending free agency of all three of Baltimore’s tight ends could make those Jones and Likely just as much of a priority as Linderbaum. That’s not even mentioning other contract situations with players like running back Keaton Mitchell and punter Jordan Stout, among others.
As a result, negotiating a Linderbaum extension is only one part of a complicated financial picture for the Ravens. Between a potential Jackson extension, clarity on Madubuike’s future, and negotiations with Jones, Likely, and Linderbaum, general manager Eric DeCosta will have his hands full for the next several months as his team navigates the rest of the 2025 season and prepares for 2026.
Vikings Designate C Ryan Kelly To Return From IR
The Vikings are designated center Ryan Kelly to return from injured reserve, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Kelly, 32, suffered two concussions in the first four weeks of the season. The first came in Week 2 against the Falcons, sidelining the 10-year veteran for the Vikings’ next game. He returned in Week 4 in Dublin, but he quickly went down with another concussion that landed him on injured reserve. The longtime Colt also suffered multiple concussions during the 2023 season.
Kelly spent five weeks on the shelf – one more than the minimum requirement – but his designation to return suggests that he has progressed through concussion protocol enough to practice. Limited participation this week would indicate that he will need more time before being fully cleared, especially if he practices with a non-contact jersey. Returning to full participation right away would indicate that he has cleared concussion protocol and should be in line to return for the Vikings’ upcoming matchup with the Bears.
Kelly signed in Minnesota this offseason and put together a solid performance to start the year. He earned a 72.2 overall grade and had yet to allow a pressure on 62 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Vikings called on 2024 seventh-round pick Michael Jurgens to finish the game in Weeks 2 and 4, but five-year veteran Blake Brandel took over the starting center job when Kelly was on IR. Brandel has also stepped in at left guard and left tackle amid Minnesota’s other O-line injuries this year.
A strong return from Kelly would give second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy a major boost in terms of his blocking and leadership along the offensive line. The Vikings committed eight false start penalties (at home!) in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens and will certainly want to improve their operation at the line of scrimmage moving forward.
Lions Designate CB D.J. Reed, DE Marcus Davenport To Return From IR
The Lions are designating cornerback D.J. Reed and defensive end Marcus Davenport to return from injured reserve, per Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers. Both defenders are expected to practice with the team on Wednesday.
Reed landed on IR at the beginning of October due to a strained hamstring. He signed in Detroit this offseason and was off to an excellent start with his new team. Through four games, he allowed receptions on only eight of his 16 targets with four passes defended, putting him on pace for the best season of his career. Rock Ya-Sin has seen an increase in playing time in Reed’s absence and will likely return to a backup role upon his return. However, Terrion Arnold is dealing with a concussion, so Ya-Sin could still start this week even if Reed is ready to play.
Davenport suffered a Week 2 injury for the second year in a row. In 2024, it was a season-ending elbow injury, but he avoided disaster this time with a pectoral strain. The veteran defensive lineman has taken longer to return than the four-game minimum stay on IR, but he could be a late-season boost to the Lions’ pass rush.
The team has 30 sacks on the season, which ranks fourth in the league, though most of that production has come from four players. Edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad both have eight sacks, while linebackers Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes have chipped in four apiece. Davenport will add some depth on the edge and potentially allow defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to come up with some more creative pressure packages.