Bengals Express Confidence In Jake Browning; Team Unlikely To Make QB Trade?
One of the worst Bengals two-game stretches in years came between Weeks 3 and 4 this season, when Zac Taylor‘s team was outscored 76-13 in losses to the Vikings and Broncos. Although Cincinnati won its Week 2 game after Joe Burrow‘s injury, they have not remotely kept pace since.
The Bengals did not cross midfield during the final three quarters Monday night in Denver. After submitting surprisingly productive work in relief of Burrow down the stretch in 2023, Jake Browning has struggled. The veteran backup is on a two-year, $1.95MM deal. While that contract would support the Bengals pursuing a veteran as a potential upgrade, Burrow’s $55MM-per-year extension brings a complication for a franchise not known for in-season trade pickups.
Cincinnati has only acquired two players — offensive lineman B.J. Finney and running back Khalil Herbert — in-season via trade over the past 53 years. Many around the league are indeed skeptical the team would change its stripes for a quarterback, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske notes.
Doubt about Cincy going after a QB is generally based on the organization’s M.O. Despite the payments going to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason, the team again took criticism for thriftiness during the Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart standoffs. Although it would stand to reason Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins would be an upgrade on Browning, Taylor reaffirmed his confidence in his backup following the 28-3 Broncos loss. Taylor said he has “a ton” of confidence in Browning and is unwavering in his faith in Burrow’s multiyear backup.
If Browning continues to produce duds, it would stand to reason the Bengals consider upgrading. They did not show such interest following Burrow’s injury, however. Browning’s knowledge of Taylor’s system works in his favor, but the team will need to show immediate progress if it is to salvage the season and make a late-season Burrow return from toe surgery worthwhile. Burrow has been mentioned as a candidate to come back potentially in December, but if the Bengals continue to play like they did in Minnesota and Denver, a reemergence would not make much sense.
Wilson is on just a $2MM base salary, meaning the Bengals would only be responsible for a prorated amount. The Giants gave the since-benched passer an $8MM signing bonus, covering the bulk of his $10.5MM deal. New York having gone to Jaxson Dart makes Wilson an obvious trade candidate, with Jameis Winston signed through 2026 as a backup option. The team going to Dart makes one of the veterans redundant, and Wilson has indeed circulated as a trade chip. Given the investments the Bengals have made in Chase and Higgins — to go with Hendrickson being given a contract-year raise but not an extension — it would make sense if they pursued Wilson due to his experience and low base salary.
Cousins would seemingly be a nonstarter, as the Falcons are still holding onto the NFL’s most expensive (by far) backup. Atlanta has not displayed a willingness to pay down much (if any) of Cousins’ salary ($27.5MM), continuing a refrain from the offseason.
Cousins looked for a way out in March and April, but nothing materialized. It had long been assumed a high-profile injury would be necessary for Cousins to escape Atlanta, but unless the Falcons agree to pay down almost all of his base pay, it would be hard to see the Bengals eyeing him as a Burrow emergency replacement.
For in-house options, the Bengals have Brett Rypien as their active-roster backup and Mike White and Sean Clifford stashed on the practice squad. None of the other arms is close to matching Browning’s experience under Taylor, with each being acquired late in the summer (Rypien) or following Burrow’s injury (Clifford, White). For now, the team will continue to hope Browning can improve. The team faces the Lions, Packers, Steelers, Jets and Bears before its bye week.
Dolphins Waive CB Cam Smith
Cam Smith will not have a chance to continue a potential bounce-back effort with the Dolphins. The team is moving on from the former second-round pick.
Stashed on the reserve/non-football illness list to open the season, Smith received word Tuesday he is being waived. Two years remain on the cornerback’s contract, but he has not shown much since being drafted highly. The team announced the move.
Overhauling their operation at corner this offseason, the Dolphins had expressed some hope Smith could step up. Chosen with the team’s top draft choice in 2023, the former No. 51 overall pick has only played 153 career snaps. Miami carrying the depleted CB situation it does and still waiving Smith certainly illustrates a lack of faith among team decision-makers in the once-highly regarded South Carolina prospect.
Mostly a special-teamer as a rookie, Smith began last season on IR but did play a regular role during the six games in which he was active. Smith logged 133 defensive snaps, though he allowed a 75% completion rate as the closest defender and did not start any games. Drafted to play in Vic Fangio‘s defense, Smith failed to make an impression under Anthony Weaver and will look for a chance elsewhere.
This is a big miss for the Dolphins, who traded their 2022 and ’23 first-rounders to the Chiefs in the Tyreek Hill trade. Miami has seen the third-rounder from that draft (De’Von Achane) hit, but the Hill trade coupled with the Smith miss depleted the team’s capital.
Miami not seeing much from Smith this offseason also came as it cut Kendall Fuller and traded Jalen Ramsey. The team also lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns to summer ACL tears. Monday night, the Dolphins also played without starter Storm Duck and backup Ethan Bonner. The team added Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas and JuJu Brents to its CB room in a flurry of late-summer moves.
Raiders To Place LT Kolton Miller On IR
Kolton Miller signed a second Raiders extension this offseason, locking in the Jon Gruden-era draftee for the long term under yet another new Las Vegas power structure. But the new regime will have a look at what a Miller-less offensive line looks like for a while.
The Raiders are placing Miller on IR, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. An MRI on Miller’s ankle revealed a high ankle sprain and a hairline fracture, per RapSheet. This move will park the Raiders tackle for at least four games, leading to big changes up front.
This will ensure Miller matches his career high in missed games. He missed four in 2023; otherwise, Miller has been a reliable piece on a Raiders O-line that continues to see turnover. The eighth-year blocker is signed to a three-year, $66MM extension — after angling for a new deal during the offseason.
Pete Carroll said Monday the Raiders would turn to Stone Forsythe, one of the new HC’s former Seahawks charges, if Miller missed time. The Raiders will go from a 111-start player to one whom the Giants waived upon moving their roster to 53 players last month. The Raiders quickly scooped up Forsythe for their 16-man practice squad and have used him as a backup in four games thus far.
Miller, 30, went down shortly before the Raiders’ game-winning field goal attempt against the Bears. He played 17 games last season, and the Raiders’ solutions when Miller went down in 2023 is no longer rostered. Both Justin Herron and Jermaine Eluemunor, each an ex-Patriot brought in during Josh McDaniels‘ short HC stint, started in place of Miller in 2023. Forsythe represents one option, with Carroll adding rookie Charles Grant could push for playing time. The third-round pick out of Division I-FCS, however, has been inactive all season.
The Raiders used two Day 2 picks on O-linemen last year — Jackson Powers-Johnson, DJ Glaze — and doubled down to start the Carroll-John Spytek–Tom Brady era by drafting Caleb Rogers and Grant at Nos. 98 and 99. Neither rookie blocker has been active this season. Grant comes from William & Mary, and the team gave him work at both tackle spots during his first NFL offseason. Glaze sits as the Raiders’ RT starter, while Rogers is another backup option.
This could certainly be a big loss for Vegas, as Miller is one of the NFL’s better tackles. Through four games, Pro Football Focus ranks the 6-foot-8 blocker fourth among all tackles. ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slots Miller ninth this season. PFF graded Miller as a top-15 tackle in each of the previous four seasons. A former Seahawks fourth-rounder, Forsythe has made 14 career starts. He logged 213 left tackle snaps in 2023, but all of his 2024 action came on the right side.
Browns Place WR Cedric Tillman On IR, Sign WR Malachi Corley From Practice Squad
The Browns will be without their No. 2 wide receiver for a while. Cedric Tillman Jr. sustained a hamstring injury in the team’s loss to the Lions, and the team announced it will lead to an IR stay.
Kevin Stefanski had confirmed (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Tillman would be out “in the weeks department”; the IR trip will sideline the third-year receiver for at least four games. The Browns signed wideouts Malachi Corley and Gage Larvadain to their 53-man roster from the practice squad. Cleveland also waived cornerback Cameron Mitchell, a 2023 fifth-round pick who started four games from 2023-24.
Although the Browns signed Diontae Johnson, he never appeared to threaten Tillman’s spot. Cleveland released the nomadic veteran on roster-cutdown day and turned to the player whose role had increased following last year’s Amari Cooper trade. The Cooper Bills swap opened the door for more Tillman work alongside Jerry Jeudy, and the former third-round pick did enough to keep that top sidekick gig entering this season. Tillman reached 75 receiving yards in his first three starts, teaming with Jameis Winston last year, but could not build on that momentum.
Tillman started six games last season but did not finish the campaign on Cleveland’s active roster, missing six games to close the season. Tillman, who did not enjoy a big role as a rookie, missed three games during that season. This represents another setback in the Tennessee product’s development. He has 11 catches for 106 yards this season.
Cleveland entered the season light on receiver experience, carrying Tillman as Jeudy’s top wingman. Only two other receivers — Jamari Thrash and rookie UDFA Isaiah Bond — are on the Browns’ 53-man roster. Bond, a draft prospect who fell off the board due to off-field trouble, figures to see a bigger role. The Texas alum caught three passes for 58 yards against the Lions. Bond was not indicted after an arrest on sexual assault charges, leading to his Browns signing soon after. Beginning his career at Alabama, Bond did not eclipse 700 receiving yards in a college season but garnered draft interest from several teams.
The Browns also placed wideout DeAndre Carter on IR, thinning their receiver position further. Journeying the league as a return specialist, Carter joined the Browns this offseason. A knee injury will lead Carter off Cleveland’s 53-man roster. This will force the Browns into multiple changes, with Carter serving as their primary kick and punt returner.
The Jets drafted Corley atop Round 3 last year, with the Western Kentucky alum famously drawing a Draft Day-like “no matter what” reference from then-decision-makers Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. After slogging through a rough rookie year, Corley did not impress the Jets’ new decision-making team and was waived last month. The Browns added him to their practice squad soon after. Corley, who caught just three passes for 16 yards last season, has not played in a Browns game yet.
Saints’ Cesar Ruiz Suffers High Ankle Sprain
Although the Saints are 0-4 and in a transition phase this season, they still roster a host of starters beyond their rookie contracts. Six such vets are on the offensive side of the ball, including eight-figure-per-year cogs Erik McCoy, Juwan Johnson and Cesar Ruiz. The sixth-year guard will be shuttled out of New Orleans’ lineup for the foreseeable future.
Ruiz sustained a high ankle sprain against the Bills in Week 4, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who indicates a four- to six-week timetable may be the return range here. This would stand to make Ruiz an IR candidate. Scans will determine Ruiz’s timetable, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, who initially reported the former first-round pick would be expected to miss game action.
The Saints have used Ruiz as a starter throughout his career; he is currently part of a line that features four first-round picks and McCoy (a 2019 second-rounder) as starters. Ruiz, McCoy and Alvin Kamara are the only starters remaining from the Saints’ most recent playoff team — the 2020 edition — and the right guard is signed to a four-year, $44MM extension. That deal runs through the 2027 season.
Despite being in Year 6, Ruiz is still just 26. He has made 73 career starts, though he did miss eight games from 2022-24. Knee and ankle trouble limited Ruiz to 13 games last season, and he missed three contests in 2022. That said, Ruiz has never played fewer than 13 games in a season, managing to avoid serious injuries.
With the Saints not a playoff contender, it should be expected they will be cautious with a player who likely factors into their post-2025 plans. Ruiz has started slowly this season, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 73rd among guards. Because of a recent restructure on Ruiz’s contract, cutting him in 2026 would bring a $16.85MM dead money bill.
The Saints used both their allotted summer IR-return slots, dropping their activation count from eight to six. Ruiz would stand to reduce that number to five if he goes on IR, as this is not a season-ending injury. The Saints also have backup Dillon Radunz battling a turf toe malady. A former Titans guard signed this offseason, Radunz started at left guard in place of Trevor Penning in the season’s first two games. Penning is now back in the lineup. Rookie UDFA Torricelli Simpkins replace Ruiz after he was carted off the field during the Saints’ loss to the Bills.
Cowboys G Tyler Booker Expected To Miss Extensive Time; Booker, WR CeeDee Lamb Could Be Placed On IR
SEPTEMBER 28: Team EVP Stephen Jones said the Cowboys will make a determination in the next few days as to whether Lamb and/or Booker will need to be placed on IR, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Both players are currently in walking boots.
SEPTEMBER 22: The Cowboys lost two offensive starters to high ankle sprains in Week 3. In addition to CeeDee Lamb going down, Tyler Booker will not be available to the team for the foreseeable future.
Booker is expected to miss at least three weeks because of the high ankle malady he sustained in Chicago, AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill reports. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer pegs the timetable at 4-6 weeks. The latter duration being where this settles would make the first-round pick an IR candidate.
This represents another bad break for the Cowboys, who have center Cooper Beebe on IR. Brought in after Zack Martin‘s retirement, Booker started at right guard in Dallas’ first three games. The injury also comes after second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton — the team’s 2024 first-round pick — missed several weeks due to a knee injury sustained early in training camp. Guyton returned in time for Week 1 but continues to see new faces along the O-line.
IR is a possibility for both Lamb and Booker, Jerry Jones said (via WFAA’s Ed Werder). This comes after a report indicated Lamb was not an IR candidate. An IR transaction would sideline either until Week 8. Booker played through the injury but will take a seat for a while.
If the Cowboys are planning on carrying Lamb on their 53-man roster, a Booker IR move would make more sense. Two of Dallas’ injury activations went to Jonathan Mingo and Payton Turner in August. The team will likely hold another for Beebe, and rookie running back Phil Mafah also landed on IR shortly after roster-cutdown day. These placements would stand to factor into the Cowboys’ decision with Booker.
Weeks after the Martin news, the Cowboys drafted Booker at No. 12 overall. Sporting a keen eye for first-round talent over the past several years, the Cowboys only placed 12 first-round grades on prospects this year. This led to the team staying at 12 and taking Booker, doing so after previously eyeing Tetairoa McMillan. The Cowboys identified four All-Pro O-linemen (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Martin, Tyler Smith) in Round 1 from 2011-22, and they will hope Booker — now opposite a guard-record contract given to Tyler Smith — will follow that path.
The Cowboys have 2023 UDFA T.J. Bass and waiver claim Trevor Keegan as options to replace Booker. Bass would seemingly be the more likely option, having started five games from 2023-24 and having played in all three Cowboys contests this season. Keegan has not played this year.
In better Cowboys news, cornerback DaRon Bland is on track to return for Week 4, Archer adds. Joining Tyler Smith as a recent extension recipient, missed Dallas’ past two games with a foot injury.
Chargers’ Minimalist Defensive Blueprint Proving Effective
The Chargers' defense made a surprising transformation last season, rocketing from the bottom quartile to No. 1 in points allowed. Los Angeles managed this without making many additions of note to join Tom Telesco-era staples Joey Bosa, Derwin James and Khalil Mack.
That trend continued this offseason, and the Chargers entered Week 1 with their most notable defensive move being a subtraction (the Bosa release). Early in Week 2, they lost Mack to a dislocated elbow. The team still held the Raiders to nine points and the Broncos to nine first downs, showing no signs of confirming their unexpected 2024 resurgence was fluky.
Twenty games into Jesse Minter's defensive coordinator tenure, his Bolts work appears quite legitimate. While the former Jim Harbaugh Michigan DC came up as a potential 2025 HC candidate, no team chose to interview him during this year's cycle. Even in a league that prioritizes offensive-oriented candidates, this qualified as surprising given the turnaround Minter steered last season. There is almost no chance the 42-year-old staffer goes interview-less in 2026, and this 20-game pace points to the Chargers needing to look for a new DC next year.
49ers’ Brock Purdy To Return In Week 4
The 49ers will have their starting quarterback ready to roll in Week 4. After two missed games, Brock Purdy is returning; Kyle Shanahan confirmed the recently extended passer will be back against the Jaguars.
It had been trending in this direction for a bit. Purdy made progress early during his recovery, offering more optimism than this two-injury rehab process initially brought. His return will be a welcome sight to another injury-plagued 49ers team.
[RELATED: Brandon Aiyuk Not Close To Returning]
San Francisco lost its starter to a bout with turf toe and a shoulder injury. These two games marked Purdy’s second and third injury-driven absences as a pro (he missed Week 18 of the 2024 season). Though, Purdy has obviously not been a health staple since debuting. His UCL tear sustained in the 2022 NFC championship game prompted the NFL to change the rules regarding QB roster spots. While Purdy was limited throughout the 49ers’ ensuing offseason, he returned in Week 1 of the following season and earned an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod.
This comeback will help a 49ers team that has missed George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ben Bartch on offense. San Francisco’s defense absorbed the strongest injury blow, losing Nick Bosa for the season. Still, the 49ers are 3-0 and facing a favorable schedule.
Mac Jones delivered two capable performances, helming the 49ers to wins over the Saints and Cardinals. Benched by the Patriots in 2023 and dealt to the Jaguars for a Day 3 pick in 2024, Jones is on a two-year, $7MM contract. The backup performed well considering the injuries the 49ers have suffered on offense; this included Jones aggravating a PCL sprain sustained in the preseason. The former New England first-rounder combined for 563 passing yards, four touchdown passes and one interception (66.3% completion rate) in his starts, providing an encouraging sign in the event Purdy misses more time.
How Purdy performs upon return will be worth monitoring, as the 49ers gave him a five-year, $265MM extension that came with $100MM fully guaranteed. Purdy, 25, received a no-trade clause on a deal that did not approach Dak Prescott‘s 2024 record-setter. Purdy sits as only the seventh-highest-paid QB, but 49ers fans will need to see a noticeable gap between he and Jones to feel good about the team reshaping its cap sheet around a $53MM-per-year contract.
Purdy did his best work when the 49ers carried their five-All-Pro cadre on offense in 2023. Only two of those players (Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams) are presently available, with Kittle on IR, Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/PUP list and Deebo Samuel being traded. The 49ers did see Jennings provide a limited practice Friday after missing Week 3 with ankle and shoulder maladies. Ricky Pearsall, who exited Week 3 as the NFL’s third-leading pass catcher, practiced twice in a limited capacity this week with a knee injury. The 49ers also saw Demarcus Robinson‘s three-game personal conduct suspension end, moving the free agency addition toward his debut.
Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Set To Return
Even compared to the Chiefs’ middling offenses in 2023 and ’24, this year’s version has brought a new low for the Patrick Mahomes era. Operating without Rashee Rice and largely without Xavier Worthy, Kansas City has slogged through three unremarkable performances.
The Chiefs did manage a win over the Giants in Week 3, beating the hosts by two scores before Russell Wilson‘s demotion, but the team ranks 21st in scoring offense and 18th in yardage through three games. Although the Chiefs managed a Super Bowl win and another appearance with 15th-ranked offenses, their early-season form has brought concern.
[RELATED: Examining The Misses Affecting Chiefs’ Offensive Decline]
A key reinforcement is coming back, however. Worthy will play against the Ravens in Week 4. The Chiefs have not given the speedy wideout an injury designation, after he went through three full practices this week. Worthy has been sidelined since the first quarter of the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Chargers, suffering a shoulder injury after colliding with Travis Kelce on a crossing route.
Worthy managed three limited practices last week but was held out. The 165-pound pass catcher is attempting to play through a fully torn labrum by wearing a harness, delaying surgery. This gutsy effort will be interesting to observe, especially for a player Worthy’s size, but the 2024 first-rounder’s presence figures to make a difference for a team that has been unable to rely on its passing game much this season.
Kansas City has used ex-Patriots cuts Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster alongside Marquise Brown at receiver. Thornton scored two long-range touchdowns over the past two weeks, and Mahomes also missed him on a would-be long TD against the Eagles. Worthy’s return stands to impact Thornton’s usage, but the Chiefs’ offense will not look like its planned version until Rice’s six-game personal conduct suspension wraps. The Chiefs will face the Ravens, Jaguars and Lions before having Rice back against the Raiders in Week 7.
Trading up four spots (via the Bills) for Worthy at No. 28, the Chiefs observed an increasingly promising rookie season. His record-setting Combine 40-yard dash performance did not lead to a role as a Mahomes long-range weapon; rather, the Chiefs opted to use him more as a shorter-range target for catch-and-run purposes. Worthy caught 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie; like Rice, he showed promise down the stretch. Also logging 20 regular-season handoffs, the Texas product totaled at least 40 receiving yards in his final 10 games last season. This included an 85-yard showing in the AFC championship game and a garbage-time-fueled 157 in Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs will hope their preferred No. 2 wideout’s reemergence will give them a lift in a key Ravens matchup Sunday.
Contract Details: T. Smith, Z. Smith, 49ers
Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts:
- Tyler Smith, G (Cowboys). Four years, $96MM. Receiving $41.66MM guaranteed at signing, the NFL’s highest-paid guard secured a rolling guarantee structure. Smith’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are locked in at signing. A $12MM portion of his 2027 compensation becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per Spotrac. A $19MM chunk of Smith’s 2028 compensation shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. On Day 5 of the ’28 league year, Smith stands to see $6.6MM of his ’29 compensation lock in. The Cowboys would owe Smith a $21MM option bonus by Week 1 of the 2029 season; a $20MM option bonus would be due by Week 1 of the 2030 slate. Four void years are in this contract.
- Colton McKivitz, RT (49ers). Three years, $45MM. Of McKivitz’s $27MM guaranteed, $18.71MM is guaranteed at signing (per OverTheCap). McKivitz’s money is guaranteed in 2025 and ’26, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes an early guarantee date exists in this contract as well. McKivitz’s $12.67MM 2027 option bonus features an $8.29MM injury guarantee; $6.29MM of the latter number vests on April 1, 2026, giving the veteran tackle some early security. Another $2MM of that bonus becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027. McKivitz’s 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed. Because of the option bonuses and four void years, the deal does not bring a $10MM cap number until 2028.
- Za’Darius Smith, OLB (Eagles). One year, $4.25MM. Initially reported as being worth up to $9MM, Smith’s Philadelphia contract carries $4.25MM in base value, per Florio. There are $2MM in sack-based incentives included, and a $500K Pro Bowl bonus is part of the package as well. The “up to” report also brought a minor inflation, with Florio adding Smith maxing out incentives would bring the value to $8.25MM.
- Dalton Risner, G (Bengals). One year, $1.34MM. This value (reported by OverTheCap) is barely above the veteran minimum, but with Risner on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster, it is fully guaranteed (rather than just the $168K guarantee-at-signing figure). This is another pay cut for Risner, who earned $2.78MM in 2023 and $2.41MM last season.