Ravens Sign C.J. Gardner-Johnson To Practice Squad
Just under two weeks after his short Texans tenure ended, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has found a new home. The 27-year-old is signing with the Ravens’ practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Gardner-Johnson turned in one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2024 during his second stint with the Eagles. He tied a career high with six interceptions over 16 games (all starts) during the regular season and helped the Eagles to a Super Bowl title in the playoffs.
Despite his success in Philadelphia, the team traded Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to Houston for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a 2025 fifth-rounder last March. The move didn’t go according to plan for either club, though, and Gardner-Johnson and Green are now teammates several months later. Green hooked on with the Ravens’ practice squad last week after the Eagles waived him.
Gardner-Johnson is now joining Green after he played just three games with the Texans. He started in each of those contests and logged 15 tackles, but Gardner-Johnson reportedly clashed with Texans teammates and was unhappy with his role in their defense.
The Ravens will be the fourth team for Gardner-Johnson, also a former Saint and Lion. With Houston on the hook for his fully guaranteed 2025 salary, it’s a low-risk move for Baltimore. Several noteworthy injuries, including in the secondary, have been among the main culprits for the Ravens’ stunning 1-4 start. Their defensive backfield lost safety Ar’Darius Washington to a torn Achilles during the spring. Meanwhile, all-world safety Kyle Hamilton is battling a groin injury and could miss his second straight game this week.
With Hamilton inactive last Sunday, the Ravens took a 44-10 beating at the hands of Gardner-Johnson’s previous team, the Texans. The Ravens deployed two rookies at safety in first-round pick Malaki Starks and the undrafted Reuben Lowery. Quarterback C.J. Stroud carved up their secondary, going 23 for 27 for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
The Ravens will face another stiff test this Sunday against the Rams, whose Matthew Stafford-led aerial attack has been elite in 2025. While the Ravens may not have Hamilton, Gardner-Johnson could make his debut. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes, when Hamilton is ready to return, Gardner-Johnson’s presence should enable him to play closer to the line of scrimmage. That would allow Hamilton to capitalize on his superb skills as a playmaker and run defender.
With Gardner-Johnson in the fold, the Ravens have released defensive tackle Josh Tupou from their practice squad, according to Zrebiec. Tupou played 30 defensive snaps and made three tackles in the Ravens’ loss to the Chiefs in Week 4.
CB Tre Hawkins Drawing Interest
Injuries limited Tre Hawkins to three games last season and left him off the Giants’ roster following training camp this summer. The free agent cornerback is unsigned at this point, but that could soon change. 
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports Hawkins is making progress in his recovery from the hamstring injury he dealt with during training camp. The Giants ultimately waived him with an injury designation, ending his New York tenure but allowing Hawkins to sign with a new team after a specified period. According to Wilson, the list of Hawkins suitors consists of the 49ers, Ravens, Lions, Dolphins and Colts.
Cornerback represents an area of need to varying extents in the case of all five of those teams. Miami moved on from Kendall Fuller (through release) and Jalen Ramsey (through trade) this offseason. The CB spot remained a question through training camp and into the season, and a number of injuries have now piled up. As such, a Hawkins signing could result in immediate playing time.
That is also the case for teams like Indianapolis (with Xavien Howard recently being moved to the reserve/Retired list) and Detroit (with D.J. Reed currently residing on injured reserve). Baltimore’s defense includes several key missing contributors. That includes cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, both of whom were sidelined yesterday and could miss further game action.
San Francisco’s secondary has seen the likes of Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green handle full-time starting roles as expected. Depth is always sought out in the middle of the season, though, and with a 4-1 record the NFC West leaders represent a logical candidate to pursue multiple additions during the campaign. With nearly $24MM in cap space, the 49ers could certainly afford to take multiple fliers on free agents.
Hawkins, 25, saw part-time usage on defense and special teams during his rookie season. The former sixth-rounder saw his snap share increase to 40% the following year, but he was only available for 89 snaps. Given today’s update, a number of teams certainly see upside in this case in addition to an encouraging outlook on the health front. It will be interesting to see how many visits Hawkins makes over the coming days given his list of suitors.
Ravens TE Mark Andrews Could Draw Trade Interest
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews surfaced as a trade candidate this offseason, and he generated some interest from other clubs. GM Eric DeCosta clearly did not receive an offer compelling enough to deal the franchise’s receiving TDs leader, but Andrews nonetheless could be on the move in the coming weeks, per Eric D. Williams of Fox Sports.
The Ravens have stumbled to a 1-3 start, and with quarterback Lamar Jackson expected to miss at least the next two games, the prognosis for a turnaround is not favorable. Plus, Andrews is in the final year of his contract, and fellow TE Isaiah Likely – who is five years younger than Andrews and who has established himself as a capable weapon – looks like the club’s future at the position. Likely is in the last year of his rookie deal, and the team reportedly has begun extension talks with his camp.
Likely missed the first three games of the season due to injury, and he failed to record a statistic in the 26 snaps he played in last week’s loss to the Chiefs. Andrews, meanwhile, has secured 15 of 18 passes for 128 yards and two TDs in 2025, though his 8.5 yards-per-reception rate would be the lowest of his career by a wide margin.
Now 30, Andrews has struggled in the playoffs during his Ravens tenure, struggles that include a lost fumble and dropped two-point conversion in last season’s divisional round loss to the Bills. That said, he has been one of the NFL’s preeminent pass-catching tight ends since he broke out with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2019, his second year in the league. He also earned Pro Bowl acclaim in 2021 – he was named a First Team All-Pro that year – and 2022.
As such, teams in need of help at the TE position may continue working DeCosta’s phone. Williams’ source who says Andrews could draw interest does not name a specific club, but the Chargers and Seahawks are speculative fits. Both teams presently profile as deadline buyers and could stand to upgrade their tight end rooms with a proven performer, and both also have ties to the Oklahoma product.
The Bolts employ former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman as their OC, and Los Angeles GM Joe Hortiz was Baltimore’s director of college scouting when the Ravens drafted Andrews (to say nothing of the obvious Jim Harbaugh–John Harbaugh connection). Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator from 2022-23.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/25
Here are Week 5’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: QB Tyler Huntley, DT C.J. Okoye
Buffalo Bills
- Signed from practice squad: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
- Elevated: DT Zion Logue, DT Phidarian Mathis
- Placed on IR: CB Dorian Strong
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: T Devin Cochran, CB Tre Flowers
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Damon Arnette, S Jalen Mills
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed from practice squad: CB Chris Lammons
- Elevated: RB Ameer Abdullah, CB Mike Hilton
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Scott
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: OLB Clelin Ferrell, RB Kimani Vidal
New York Giants
- Elevated: LB Neville Hewitt, K Jude McAtamney
New York Jets
- Signed from practice squad: LB Mykal Walker
- Elevated: S Dean Clark, RB Avery Williams
- Waived: WR Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: S Jerrick Reed II, DT Brandon Pili
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: WR Tay Martin
Huntley will be on hand to back up backup quarterback Cooper Rush in Baltimore tomorrow against the Texans. Okoye is called up for the second week in a row as injuries continue to hamper the Ravens’ defensive line, as well.
With some continuing injuries causing some concern in the secondary, the Browns will elevate Avery and Jones for the second straight week. Jones is being elevated for the third time this season, meaning that if Cleveland wants to see him in another game this year, the team will need to sign him to the active roster. The same is true for Logue in Buffalo, Hewitt with the Giants, Clark with the Jets, and Pili in Seattle.
Arnette’s promotion means Week 5 will mark his first regular season action in the NFL since the end of his Raiders tenure in 2021. The former first-round pick revived his career in part through his performances in the UFL this spring, something which created interest from multiple teams in free agency. Arnette, 29, will look to use tomorrow’s contest in a bid to land a permanent role in Houston.
This is the second time the Jets have parted ways with a kick returner following a game in which they had a costly fumble. Williams follows in footsteps of Xavier Gipson, who was waived following a similar mistake in the team’s season opener. There appears to be a pretty short leash for young returners in New York at the moment.
K Justin Tucker Receiving Interest
Veteran kicker Justin Tucker has received interest from multiple teams as he awaits his reinstatement from a 10-game suspension stemming from 16 allegations of sexual misconduct, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The accusations came to light at the end of January after the worst statistical season of Tucker’s career. The NFL swiftly opened an investigation, and the Ravens parted ways with their longtime kicker in May after finding his replacement in the draft.
Tucker’s suspension will be lifted on November 11, and he could be a late-season addition to a team with an injured or struggling kicker. Health has never been an issue for Tucker, but his performance dipped over the last three years. He made 91.1% of his field goals in his first decade in the NFL; since 2022, he has an 82.7% make rate including a career-low of 73.3% last year.
The difference has been distance. His conversion percentage from 50-plus yards went from 72.7% in his first 10 years to 53.3% in his last three. Teams will want to see that Tucker still has the booming leg that powered him to seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have been satisfied with the early returns on rookie kicker Tyler Loop, who stepped into Tucker’s role this offseason. Loop has made all seven of his field goal attempts to start the year and 14 of his 15 PATs, though his one miss came in the Ravens’ 41-40 Week 1 loss to the Bills.
Lamar Jackson To Miss Week 5; Ravens QB Facing Multi-Week Absence?
OCTOBER 3: Jackson is one of six players the Ravens have now officially ruled out. Baltimore’s offense will be in Rush’s hands while the team deals with a number of key injuries on defense Sunday. Looking ahead, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports Jackson is currently expected to be out for Week 6 as well.
OCTOBER 1: Jackson’s availability for Sunday’s game is still “in doubt,” per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but he characterized the star quarterback’s status as “week-to-week,” referencing and countering Tuesday’s report.
The news will offer some hope to fans in Baltimore, but it still feels like Rush will start in Week 5. If Rapoport is correct, however, he could be back in Week 6 as opposed to Week 8 after the Ravens’ bye
SEPTEMBER 30: The Ravens endured another loss to the Chiefs, this one a one-sided defeat that further exposed issues on Baltimore’s leaky defense. The team carried some excuses, however, as its starting defense was down more than half its bodies by game’s end.
A more pressing matter came when Cooper Rush replaced Lamar Jackson during the second half. Jackson suffered an injury to his right hamstring later deemed a strain, according to ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The superstar quarterback could not have returned to the game if it were competitive, with John Harbaugh saying (via Hensley) there was “no way” his top player could have come back during the 37-20 loss.
Jackson is now viewed as unlikely to be ready for Baltimore’s Week 5 contest. He is expected to sit against the Texans, the Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker reports. A two- to three-week absence would be within the realm of possibility, per Wacker. The Ravens face the Rams in Week 6 and have their bye in Week 7. Considering the injuries the Ravens’ defense has sustained, the early bye should prove beneficial.
The Ravens played the Chiefs without Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Kyle Van Noy. They then lost Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins during the game. Ronnie Stanley also left the Kansas City matchup, one of the more disastrous Ravens regular-season games in recent memory. Madubuike is out for the season, and the Ravens are expected to be without Smith and Humphrey for a bit.
Hamstring injuries regularly sideline players multiple weeks, with some — like George Kittle‘s Week 1 setback — leading to IR placements. We are not there yet with Jackson, and any Ravens hopes Jackson could be back within a four-game span would undoubtedly lead Baltimore to keep its eighth-year QB on the 53-man roster and go week to week here. But any missed time at quarterback will certainly deal a major blow to the Ravens.
Jackson, 28, rebounded from injury-marred 2021 and ’22 seasons by posting back-to-back first-team All-Pro years. The two-time MVP did not miss any games due to injury in 2023 and ’24, rocketing to a higher level as a passer and effectively ensuring himself Hall of Fame induction down the road. But this setback does remind of those the Raven centerpiece suffered earlier this decade.
A sprained ankle in 2021 led to Jackson being shut down. His 2022 setback — a PCL sprain — generated more attention, as the Ravens had hoped the dual-threat dynamo to return; that never came to fruition. Jackson defended himself against criticism he could have played late that season; the Ravens were eliminated in Round 1 of the playoffs with then-backup Tyler Huntley at the controls. Jackson missed 11 games, counting the wild-card loss to the Bengals, from 2021-22.
Despite struggling against the Chiefs once again, Jackson exited Week 4 with an NFL-most 10 touchdown passes this season. The Ravens signed Rush as their backup this offseason, giving the former Cowboys QB2 a two-year, $6.2MM deal. Rush has made 14 career starts, winning nine.
Despite Cowboys trade acquisition Trey Lance needing game reps, Mike McCarthy primarily used Rush when Dak Prescott went down midseason. Rush went 4-4 as Dallas’ starter last season, posting a 12:5 TD-INT ratio with a 60.7% completion rate and just a 6.0 yards-per-attempt figure. As our Nikhil Mehta pointed out in the Ravens’ Offseason In Review piece, Rush marked a deviation from the franchise — one that had primarily stationed mobile QBs behind Jackson since the Joe Flacco trade. Rush will be a departure from that, and the Baltimore offense would naturally look different with the 31-year-old passer replacing Jackson.
Commanders, Jets, Ravens To Meet With Drake Jackson
The 49ers’ top draftee in 2022, Drake Jackson did not deliver on his second-round investment. A knee injury derailed the USC product, who has not played in nearly two years.
Jackson went down in November 2023, being shut down by Week 9. At the time, the 49ers did not declare the defensive end out for the season. But as the team’s playoff outlook came into focus, Kyle Shanahan made it clear Jackson would not be part of it. Jackson then spent the 2024 season on the 49ers’ reserve/PUP list, inviting concern about his NFL future since that placement came about as a result of a 2023 injury.
After being given the season-ending PUP designation during training camp, Jackson received his walking papers from the 49ers in May. No updates had tied Jackson to teams since, but that has changed. The former No. 61 overall pick has returned to full health, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports the recovering edge rusher has booked three visits as a result. The Commanders, Jets and Ravens have scheduled meetings with Jackson, who will huddle up with those interested clubs beginning this weekend.
When available in San Francisco, Jackson was moderately productive. Logging a 33% snap rate as a backup in 2022, Jackson tallied three sacks. In 2023, Jackson added three more on a 38% snap rate. That production came in nine games, as the 6-foot-4 D-end was done by midseason.
The 49ers have made two sets of offseason moves since Jackson’s injury, signing Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos in 2024 and then adding Mykel Williams in Round 1 before trading for Bryce Huff this offseason. The latter duo, with Floyd since cut, is playing a bigger-than-expected role due to Nick Bosa‘s Week 3 ACL tear.
Washington carried a big EDGE need into the summer but did add Von Miller ahead of his age-36 season. Miller has 1.5 sacks and three QB hits through four games, with Dorance Armstrong leading the team with three sacks. Washington has lost Deatrich Wise for the season, however. Ravaged by defensive injuries, the Ravens have been without Kyle Van Noy for two games. They only have four sacks on the season; contract-year EDGE Odafe Oweh is sackless thus far. Jermaine Johnson returned from injury to complement Will McDonald in New York this season. Johnson does not have a sack, having missed the past two games due to a concussion.
Jackson, of course, does not exactly profile as an immediate fix for EDGE-needy teams. The knee injury threw off his developmental track. A practice squad invite may be Jackson’s more likely route here, but significant interest emerging does point to the 2022 draftee receiving another chance soon.
Ravens Work Out 4 Defensive Backs
- The Ravens had defensive backs Amani Oruwariye, Michael Davis, Kemon Hall, and Keenan Isaac in for tryouts on Wednesday, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The 30-year-old Davis is the most experienced member of the group, having amassed 122 appearances (76 starts) and eight interceptions with the Chargers and Commanders since 2017. However, only Oruwariye impressed Baltimore’s brass enough to earn a contract with the team this week. The Ravens added the seventh-year cornerback and former Lion, Jaguar, and Cowboy on a practice squad deal on Wednesday. He’ll provide depth with the Ravens dealing with a slew of defensive injuries, including to corners Marlon Humphrey (calf), Nate Wiggins (elbow), and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring).
Ravens Rookie OL Emery Jones Returns To Practice
As the injuries begin to tally up for the Ravens, a bit of good news comes their way. Third-round rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones has returned to practice in Baltimore, opening his 21-day practice window to be activated off the reserve/non-football injury list, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. 
Jones underwent surgery a week after the NFL Scouting Combine for a shoulder injury he endured at LSU. The Ravens were aware of the recovery timeline when they drafted him, so they were able to make a plan for his eventual return.
After Jones was drafted to Baltimore, there was plenty of speculation around just how he might contribute to the offense as a rookie. There was some hope that he may develop early into a role as a swing tackle or compete for a starting guard spot.
He started solely at right tackle for the Tigers but had some left tackle experience from high school. As a recruit, he was projected to be an interior lineman at the collegiate level, but he became the starting right tackle at LSU only two games into his true freshman season. As a draft prospect, Jones was, once again, projected for a likely move to the interior of the offensive line, but in Baltimore, it appeared that he would be given a chance to prove his worth at multiple spots.
He was originally expected to return sometime during training camp, but by early August, it became clear that it would be difficult for him to be ready for the regular season, closing any case for him to nab a starting job. It was a decision made by Jones, who opted to wait until he is “fully right” instead of choosing an abbreviated recovery in order to compete for a starting role.
So far, the Ravens seem to be keeping their word in letting him work to earn different roles. Head coach John Harbaugh told the media that they’ll look at Jones at both guard and tackle, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The timing couldn’t be better with left tackle Ronnie Stanley missing practice today after being knocked out of Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs early with an ankle injury.
A look at guard could make just as much sense, considering how left guard Andrew Vorhees currently rates as the Ravens’ worst offensive starter, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) and how right guard Daniel Faalele is often caught on the wrong end of some defensive highlight reels. As Jones ramps up for a return to the active roster, the Ravens will have no shortage of options to see where they may be able to improve most.
Ravens To Sign CB Amani Oruwariye
In need of help at the cornerback spot, the Ravens are adding a veteran ahead of their Week 5 game. A deal has been reached with Amani Oruwariye, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
Baltimore lost Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins during Sunday’s loss against the Chiefs. It remains unclear at this point if Wiggins will be available for Week 5, but Humphrey is expected to miss multiple games. With free agent addition Jaire Alexander having only played one game so far, it comes as no surprise Baltimore has targeted a signing for depth in the secondary.
Oruwariye has made 61 appearances in the NFL, with 40 of those being starts. The 29-year-old played out his rookie contract with the Lions before seeing time with the Jaguars in 2023 and then the Cowboys last season. His resume includes six interceptions with Detroit in 2021, but since then Oruwariye has not been able to remain a full-time starter or duplicate his past production.
In May, the former fifth-rounder joined the Titans. Oruwariye was among Tennessee’s roster cuts at the end of training camp, but he immediately re-joined the team by taking a spot on the practice roster. Days later, however, the Titans removed him from their taxi squad. Oruwariye remained a free agent through the first month of the campaign, but he has now landed a new opportunity in Baltimore.
If the Ravens are to proceed without Humphrey, Wiggins or Alexander this week, they will rely on a number of backup options at the cornerback spot. Chidobe Awuzie and T.J. Tampa could see a notable workload against Houston, but Oruwariye could handle a small workload as well if he finds himself in the lineup right away. With that said, the Penn State product does not have a track record of heavy usage on special teams.
Baltimore entered Wednesday as a team in need of help at multiple spots on defense. The Ravens currently have $7.61MM in cap space, and adding Oruwariye will lower that figure to a degree. If needed, though, he could turn into a regular defensive presence for a low cost while the rest of the secondary heals.