Bills Work Out DE Shaq Lawson
The Bills had a familiar face in for a workout today. According to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, defensive end Shaq Lawson was in Buffalo for a tryout.
It’s been more than a year since we last heard from Lawson. The pass rusher caught on with the Panthers practice squad back in October of 2024, but he got into only one game with the big-league club before getting cut. Since then, Lawson hasn’t garnered a reported tryout until today.
If Lawson does end up catching on with the Bills, it would represent his third stint with the organization. Lawson first joined the Bills as a first-round pick in 2016, and he proceeded to compile 16.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss through his first four seasons in the league. By virtue of having his fifth-year option declined, Lawson caught on with the Dolphins in 2020 via a three-year, $30MM deal. He only lasted one season in Miami before continuing his tour of the AFC East, as he got into 14 games with the Jets in 2021 (with a brief stop in Houston in between).
He returned to Buffalo for the 2022 campaign and spent two more years with the franchise. In that second stint with the Bills, Lawson added another 4.5 sacks to his resume in 31 games.
The Bills haven’t been afraid of adding old friends in 2025, as the team has had reunions with wide receiver Gabe Davis and safety Jordan Poyer. The team shouldn’t expect too much from Lawson in what would be his age-31 season, but he would add some pass-rush help to a unit that’s currently paced by Joey Bosa‘s four sacks.
2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker
The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.
In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.
All players designated for return on August 26 became eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations once the postseason begins.
Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 18:
Arizona Cardinals
Reverted to season-ending IR:
Eligible for activation:
- S Joey Blount
- WR Greg Dortch
- WR Simi Fehoko
- P Blake Gillikin (story)
- G Will Hernandez (story)
- DL Justin Jones (story)
- QB Kyler Murray (return not expected)
- LB Mack Wilson (story)
Activated:
- CB Garrett Williams (Week 9)
- G Hayden Conner (Week 13)
- T Christian Jones (Week 15)
- DL L.J. Collier (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 4
Atlanta Falcons
Reverted to season-ending IR:
Designated for return:
- CB Clark Phillips (12/24)
- DL Sam Roberts (12/26)
Eligible for activation:
- DL Zach Harrison
- S DeMarcco Hellams
- OLB DeAngelo Malone (story)
- OLB Bralen Trice (story)
Activated:
- DL Ta’Quon Graham (Week 7)
- S Jordan Fuller (Week 8)
- LB Divine Deablo (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 4
Baltimore Ravens
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OLB Adisa Isaac
- WR Dayton Wade
Eligible for activation:
- DL Taven Bryan (story)
- RB Justice Hill (story)
- DL Broderick Washington (story)
Activated:
- OLB Tavius Robinson (Week 15)
- LB Jay Higgins (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 4
Buffalo Bills
Eligible for activation:
- S Damar Hamlin (story)
- DT Ed Oliver (playoff return in play)
- S Taylor Rapp (unlikely to return this season)
- WR Curtis Samuel (story)
- CB Dorian Strong (story)
Activated:
- CB Maxwell Hairston (Week 8)
- DT T.J. Sanders (Week 11)
- OL Tylan Grable (Week 13)
- WR Mecole Hardman (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 4
Carolina Panthers
Designated for return:
- WR David Moore (12/17)
- G Robert Hunt (12/24)
Eligible for activation:
- G Chandler Zavala (story)
Activated:
- DE LaBryan Ray (Week 5)
- WR Jalen Coker (Week 7)
- C Austin Corbett (Week 7)
- G Chandler Zavala (Week 9)
Activations remaining: 4
Chicago Bears
Eligible for activation:
- T Kiran Amegadjie
- RB Roschon Johnson
- T Braxton Jones (story)
Activated:
- RB Travis Homer (Week 7)
- DE Austin Booker (Week 9)
- LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (Week 10)
- CB Kyler Gordon (Week 13)
- CB Jaylon Johnson (Week 13)
- LB Tremaine Edmunds (Week 16)
- OL Luke Newman (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 1
Cincinnati Bengals
Designated for return:
- C Matt Lee (12/24)
Eligible for activation:
- LB Brian Asamoah
- CB Marco Wilson
Activated:
- G Lucas Patrick (Week 7)
- DE Cedric Johnson (Week 9)
- TE Mike Gesicki (Week 12)
- S Daijahn Anthony (Week 13)
- QB Joe Burrow (Week 13)
- LB Shaka Heyward (Week 15)
- DE Shemar Stewart (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 1
Cleveland Browns
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Winston Reid
Eligible for activation:
- WR DeAndre Carter (story)
Activated:
Activations remaining: 6
Dallas Cowboys
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
Designated for return:
- RB Phil Mafah (12/17)
Eligible for activation:
- OL Ajani Cornelius
- OL Trevor Keegan (story)
- LB Jack Sanborn (story)
- S Juanyeh Thomas
Activated:
- CB Caelen Carson (Week 7)
- WR Jonathan Mingo (Week 8)
- C Cooper Beebe (Week 9)
- S Malik Hooker (Week 11)
- DT Perrion Winfrey (Week 12)
- CB Trevon Diggs (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 1
Denver Broncos
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Drew Sanders
Eligible for activation:
- RB J.K. Dobbins (playoff return in play)
- TE Lucas Krull (story)
- OL Matt Peart (story)
- LB Karene Reid
Activated:
- DL Malcolm Roach (Week 6)
- LB Dre Greenlaw (Week 7)
- LB Garret Wallow (Week 11)
- G Ben Powers (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 3
Detroit Lions
Designated for return:
- OL Giovanni Manu (12/17)
Eligible for activation:
- LB Zach Cunningham
- OL Jamarco Jones
- TE Sam LaPorta (return unlikely)
- TE Brock Wright (story)
Activated:
- S Daniel Thomas (Week 10)
- CB Khalil Dorsey (Week 12)
- CB D.J. Reed (Week 12)
- OLB Marcus Davenport (Week 13)
- TE Shane Zylstra (Week 15)
- G Christian Mahogany (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 2
Green Bay Packers
Eligible for activation:
- LB Nick Niemann
Activated:
- OL Jacob Monk (Week 7)
- WR Jayden Reed (Week 14)
- RB MarShawn Lloyd (Week 16)
- DL Brenton Cox (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 4
Houston Texans
Designated for return:
- CB Ajani Carter (12/23)
- WR Justin Watson (12/10)
Eligible for activation:
- DT Folorunso Fatukasi (story)
- S Jaylen Reed (story)
- CB Jaylin Smith (story)
- OLB Darrell Taylor (story)
Activated:
- S Jaylen Reed (Week 7)
- CB Jaylin Smith (Week 8)
- FB Jakob Johnson (Week 11)
- TE Cade Stover (Week 11)
- TE Harrison Bryant (Week 15)
Activations remaining: 3
Indianapolis Colts
Designated for return:
- QB Anthony Richardson (12/18)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- CB Jaylon Jones (Week 9)
- CB Charvarius Ward (Week 12)
- LB Jaylon Carlies (Week 14)
- DT DeForest Buckner (Week 16)
- WR Ashton Dulin (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 3
Jacksonville Jaguars
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- LB Jalen McLeod (practice window opened 12/16)
Activated:
- TE Brenton Strange (Week 12)
- S Eric Murray (Week 14)
Activations remaining: 5
Kansas City Chiefs
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- TE Jake Briningstool (practice window opened 12/17)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- CB Nazeeh Johnson (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 6
Las Vegas Raiders
Designated for return:
- LT Kolton Miller (12/10)
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (Week 10)
- QB Aidan O’Connell (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 6
Los Angeles Chargers
Eligible for activation in wild-card round:
- TE Tucker Fisk (story)
Activated:
- OLB Khalil Mack (Week 7)
- ILB Denzel Perryman (Week 7)
- DT Da’Shawn Hand (Week 10)
- LS Josh Harris (Week 10)
- DB Deane Leonard (Week 10)
- RB Omarion Hampton (Week 14)
- RB Hassan Haskins (Week 14)
- DL Otito Ogbonnia (Week 14)
Activations remaining: 0
Los Angeles Rams
Designated for return:
- CB Roger McCreary (12/24)
Eligible for activation:
- RT Rob Havenstein (story)
- TE Tyler Higbee (story)
- S Quentin Lake (story)
Activated:
- CB Ahkello Witherspoon (Week 13)
- WR Tutu Atwell (Week 15)
Activations remaining: 6
Miami Dolphins
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- K Jason Sanders (story)
Eligible for activation:
- S Jordan Colbert
- G James Daniels (story)
Activated:
- CB Jason Marshall (Week 9)
- RT Austin Jackson (Week 13)
- TE Darren Waller (Week 13)
- OL Andrew Meyer (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 3
Minnesota Vikings
Eligible for activation:
- CB Jeff Okudah
Activated:
- FB C.J. Ham (Week 5)
- OLB Tyler Batty (Week 7)
- LB Blake Cashman (Week 7)
- RB Aaron Jones (Week 8)
- C Ryan Kelly (Week 12)
- RB Ty Chandler (Week 17)
Activations remaining: 2
New England Patriots
Designated for return:
- DT Milton Williams (12/24)
Eligible for activation:
- CB Alex Austin
- LT Will Campbell (story)
Activated:
- LB Jahlani Tavai (Week 5)
Activations remaining: 7
New Orleans Saints
Eligible for activation:
- S Julian Blackmon (story)
- DT Vernon Broughton
- WR Trey Palmer (story)
Activated:
- DL John Ridgeway (Week 8)
- T Barry Wesley (Week 10)
Activations remaining: 6
New York Giants
Designated for return (Aug. 26):
- OL Joshua Ezeudu (practice window opened 12/10)
Designated for return:
- WR Beaux Collins (12/10)
- G Evan Neal (12/16)
Eligible for activation:
- LB Chris Board
- TE Thomas Fidone
- K Graham Gano (story)
- LB Micah McFadden (story)
Activated:
- K Graham Gano (Week 8)
- CB Rico Payton (Week 9)
- LB Darius Muasau (Week 15)
- CB Art Green (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 3
New York Jets
Eligible for activation:
- RB Braelon Allen (story)
- CB Jarvis Brownlee
- LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- WR Josh Reynolds (story)
Activated:
- LB Ja’Markis Weston (Week 7)
- LB Quincy Williams (Week 8)
- LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball (Week 12)
- LB Cam Jones (Week 15)
Activations remaining: 4
Philadelphia Eagles
Reverted to season-ending IR:
- T Myles Hinton (practice window closed 12/10)
- G Willie Lampkin (practice window closed 11/27)
Eligible for activation:
- OLB Azeez Ojulari (story)
- T Cameron Williams
Activated:
- WR Darius Cooper (Week 8)
- OLB Nolan Smith (Week 10)
- CB Jakorian Bennett (Week 11)
- S Marcus Epps (Week 14)
- LS Charley Hughlett (Week 15)
Activations remaining: 2
Pittsburgh Steelers
Reverted to season-ending IR:
- CB Donte Kent (practice window closed 12/24)
- DB Cory Trice (practice window closed 11/19)
Eligible for activation:
- S DeShon Elliott (story)
- QB Skylar Thompson
Activated:
- LB Malik Harrison (Week 9)
- QB Will Howard (Week 11)
Activations remaining: 5
San Francisco 49ers
Eligible for activation:
- WR Jacob Cowing (story)
Activated:
- DL Kevin Givens (Week 7)
- TE George Kittle (Week 7)
- OL Spencer Burford (Week 8)
- G Ben Bartch (Week 10)
- DE Yetur Gross-Matos (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 3
Seattle Seahawks
Eligible for activation:
- RB George Holani
- WR Tory Horton (story)
- LB Chazz Surratt
Activated:
- FB Robbie Ouzts (Week 9)
- G Christian Haynes (Week 11)
- S Julian Love (Week 14)
- DT Jarran Reed (Week 14)
- TE Eric Saubert (Week 15)
- C Jalen Sundell (Week 15)
- WR Dareke Young (Week 15)
Activations remaining: 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Designated for return:
- DL Calijah Kancey (12/24)
Eligible for activation:
- TE Ko Kieft
Activated:
- RT Luke Goedeke (Week 10)
- WR Mike Evans (Week 15)
- WR Jalen McMillan (Week 15)
- S Rashad Wisdom (Week 16)
Activations remaining: 4
Tennessee Titans
Designated for return:
- LB Ali Gaye (12/17)
- OLB Oluwafemi Oladejo (12/17)
- WR Bryce Oliver (12/17)
Eligible for activation:
- OL Blake Hance
- CB L’Jarius Sneed (story)
Activated:
- RB Tyjae Spears (Week 5)
- DT T’Vondre Sweat (Week 7)
- S Mike Brown (Week 11)
- RB Kalel Mullings (Week 12)
Activations remaining: 4
Washington Commanders
Eligible for activation:
Activated:
- CB Jonathan Jones (Week 7)
- S Will Harris (Week 13)
- DE Drake Jackson (Week 14)
- WR Noah Brown (Week 14)
Activations remaining: 4
Bills T Spencer Brown, LB Terrel Bernard Could Hit IR
The Bills got roughed up in a Thursday night loss in Houston and could see two starters head to injured reserve, as a result. With just six weeks left in the season, Buffalo could potentially lose right tackle Spencer Brown and linebacker Terrel Bernard for at least four weeks as head coach Sean McDermott disclosed today that IR could be a possibility for both players, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. 
After a night in which the Bills gave up eight sacks, the prospect of losing one of their bookend tackles is a scary one. And while Brown is more well-regarded for his run blocking abilities, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark didn’t fare much better against the Texans’ pass rush as he filled in for Brown last night. Buscaglia noted that Brown was spotted in a sling following the loss in Houston, and Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News provided the update today that Brown’s shoulder injury would require further evaluation.
Based on McDermott’s comments today, the result of the evaluation could end Brown’s season. A placement on IR would require at least a four-week absence, giving Brown a chance to come back in Week 17 at the earliest. If Brown’s shoulder isn’t able to heal in that time, his regular season contributions may be done, and he could be out for a potential postseason run, as well. This would be a first for Brown, who, in his young career, has never had a stint on IR.
Since missing two separate two-week stretches as a rookie, Brown only sat out of four games over the next four seasons. This reliability and run-blocking prowess earned Brown the four-year, $72MM extension he signed before the final year of his rookie contract last year. For whatever time Brown ends up missing, Van Demark will likely step in to start. The fourth-year undrafted UConn alum has three starts for Buffalo in the past two seasons.
Playing through an ankle injury that’s been nagging him over the past five weeks, Bernard hurt his elbow in last night’s game and was described as “week-to-week” by Skurski. The former third-round pick out of Baylor has been a leading tackler for the team over the last three years. After leading the team with 143 in his first year as a full-time starter in 2023, he finished second on the team last year despite missing four games. He’s currently second on the team behind safety Cole Bishop, who’s played one more contest than Bernard.
Luckily for Buffalo, the defense saw veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson return to the field last night after missing three weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury. If Bernard is out for any amount of time, Thompson is a strong candidate to step in amongst starters Matt Milano and Dorian Williams in the front seven.
The team hasn’t resigned to four-week absences for these two starters just yet, though. While an IR placement remains a possibility for both players, there’s a chance both could avoid the lengthy absence. Regardless, despite having a week and half of rest before their next contest, McDermott told reporters that “it doesn’t look great” for Brown and Bernard’s chances of playing in Week 13.
Bills Place WR Mecole Hardman On IR, Promote WR Gabriel Davis From Practice Squad
The Bills are down another offensive weapon. Less than a week after making his Bills debut, Mecole Hardman is heading to injured reserve, according to the team.
The veteran wideout seemed to be trending towards being at least inactive for Thursday Night Football. After getting into seven offensive snaps on Sunday, the receiver didn’t practice this week while nursing a calf injury. Now, that injury will keep him off the field for at least the next month.
After spending the preseason with the Packers, Hardman landed on Green Bay’s practice squad to start the 2025 campaign. He was released after only a few weeks, and he was a free agent until landing with Buffalo’s taxi squad earlier this month. He was quickly activated to the active roster, and he garnered a single target in his team debut.
Besides a brief stop with the Jets, Hardman had spent the majority of his career playing with the Chiefs. After averaging close to 600 receiving yards per season through his first three years in the NFL, Hardman has been limited to only 511 yards since 2022. He hauled in only 12 catches in 12 games with the Chiefs in 2024, although he did serve as the team’s primary punt returner.
The Bills will be digging into their offensive depth tonight against the Texans. Besides Hardman, the team will also be without tight end Dalton Kincaid, receiver Curtis Samuel, and probably wideout Keon Coleman, who is heading towards a second-straight week of sitting on the sideline. As a result, the team has once again elevated Gabe Davis from the practice squad.
The former Bills standout reunited with the team back in September but sat out the first few months as he continued to recover from a torn meniscus and torn PCL. He made his season debut on Sunday, hauling in three catches for 40 yards. He’ll join a receiver corps that also includes Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, and Elijah Moore. With Kincaid out, the Bills have also promoted TE Keleki Latu from the practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/25
Here are the latest practice squad moves around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Andrew Steuber
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Brandon Codrington
Carolina Panthers
- Released: S Israel Mukuamu
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: C Wesley French
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Viliami Fehoko, S George Odum, WR Eli Pancol, DT Chris Wormley
- Released: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, TE Maximilian Mang, CB Troy Pride
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: OT Leroy Watson
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Fabien Lovett Sr.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR John Rhys Plumlee
- Released: S Jack Henderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Velus Jones, WR Brenden Rice
- Released: TE Marshall Lang, CB Mike Reid
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez
- Released: RB Sincere McCormick
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Marcus Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Lance McCutcheon, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Reeves-Maybin, the current NFLPA president, spent most of his career with the Lions but was released this offseason. He worked out with the 49ers in October and now returns to the NFC North with the Bears.
Odum began his NFL career in Indianapolis and is now returning to the Colts after a three-year stint with the 49ers. He will likely provide depth on special teams when elevated from the practice squad.
Kpassagnon, meanwhile, will be looking for his third team this season. He signed in Chicago this offseason to reunite with Dennis Allen, the Bears’ defensive coordinator and Kpassagnon’s former coach in New Orleans. He played 89 snaps across five games in Chicago before he was released. He then signed with the Colts’ practice squad, but did not make any appearances in blue and white.
The Seahawks signed Jones to their practice squad, but he was released the following day in a health-related move, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Rice, the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, will get to play for one of his father’s former teams. Jerry Rice played for the Seahawks during his last season in 2004.
Bills WR Keon Coleman Benched For Today’s Game
It’s no secret that Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman has failed to live up to his draft stock thus far in his young career. A slow rookie campaign with a couple missed games is excusable, but Coleman has noticeably taken a step back in Year 2. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Coleman will not play in today’s game against the Buccaneers. It’s supposedly “not performance-based, though, as Schultz relays it to be “a coach’s decision.” 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided added context for the healthy scratch, citing Coleman’s tardiness to meetings on Friday morning as the reason for his benching. The team had no plans throughout the week of making him inactive but chose an expensive punishment as a result of repeated issues. Per Rapoport, he was benched for a drive against New England earlier this year and benched for a full quarter against Jacksonville last year.
Coleman came to Buffalo with potential and anticipation but not outrageous production. After a quiet true freshman season at Michigan State, Coleman broke out for the Spartans in his second season of play with 58 catches for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. He capitalized on his big year by transferring to Florida State, where, in a quieter passing attack, he led the Seminoles with 50 receptions for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Despite the lack of eye-popping yardage, those 11 scores in garnet and gold underlined his potential as a big-bodied playmaker. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds coming out of college, the physical frame was there, but the speed was lacking. Coleman ran an unencouraging 4.61-second 40-yard dash, but the Bills thought he played much faster than his dash time, as evidenced by his demonstration in the gauntlet drill, in which he achieved the fastest top speed of any receiver that year.
Coleman’s numbers as a second-round rookie (57 catches-556 yards-four touchdowns) were not overly impressive, but that is understandable for a rookie who missed four games. MVP quarterback Josh Allen targeted Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid over a third of the time, while Coleman found residual targets in line with fellow receivers Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel. In Year 2, Allen has made more of an effort to involve Coleman, making him the second most-targeted pass catcher on the team, again behind Shakir, but Coleman has seen his yards per game decrease despite the added attention.
With Coleman out, it will certainly be interesting to see how the Bills make up for Coleman’s absence. After Shakir, Coleman, Kincaid, and running back James Cook, Josh Palmer is the fifth leading receiver with a line of 14-234-0. Elijah Moore (8-115-0) and Tyrell Shavers (7-82-0) are also scoreless, making Samuel (5-62-1) the only member of the receiving corps active for today’s game other than Shakir to score a touchdown this year, and Kincaid has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
We did see yesterday that Buffalo is calling up some interesting reinforcements. The team used its Saturday transactions to sign Mecole Hardman from the practice squad to the active roster while choosing to elevate Gabe Davis and tight end Keleki Latu as standard gameday practice squad elevations.
Davis was a reliable WR2 for Allen behind Stefon Diggs for four years before flaming out in Jacksonville with disappointing production on a three-year, $39MM contract. After only racking up 239 yards in 10 games, Davis’ season ended with a torn meniscus. The combination of concern for his recovery, Brian Thomas Jr.‘s stellar rookie campaign, and the arrival of No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter led the Jaguars to release Davis after his lone year with the team.
It’s to be determined how Hardman — a role player for years in Kansas City — will fit into the new offense or how much Latu — making his NFL debut after going undrafted out of Washington — will be utilized. The bigger mystery, though, concerns the future of Coleman. A healthy scratch will easily be a low point in his young career, and it will be interesting to follow how he responds to this style of coaching given his response alike punishment in the past.
Bills Activate DT T.J. Sanders From IR, Sign WR Mecole Hardman To Active Roster
Knee surgery has left T.J. Sanders unavailable since he last played in Week 4. The second-round rookie is set to return to action tomorrow, however. 
Sanders was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Bills announcement. The move comes as no surprise since his practice window was opened earlier this week. Buffalo now has five IR activations remaining for the regular season.
Injuries along the defensive front have been an issue in 2025 for the Bills. Ed Oliver‘s biceps tear will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, while Michael Hoecht suffered an Achilles tear during just his second appearance of the campaign. Most recently, Landon Jackson has landed on IR and his availability regarding a return late in the year is in question.
Buffalo has allowed an average of nearly 148 yards per game on the ground this season, which ranks 30th in the league. Reinforcements along the defensive interior will be key as the team looks to make needed improvements in that regard. Sanders logged a 49% snap share prior to suffering his injury, and a notable workload should be expected once again as he returns to the lineup.
In other roster news, the Bills have signed Mecole Hardman from the practice squad to the active roster. The veteran wideout recently joined the team via a taxi squad pact and he will see playing time in short order. Hardman will not be expected to handle much in the way of offensive snaps early in his Buffalo tenure, but he could see usage in the return game right away. To make room for him on the roster, Brandon Codrington was waived.
Gabe Davis is also set to make his season debut tomorrow. The veteran receiver returned to Buffalo just before the start of the season before spending a lengthy period on the practice squad IR list. Davis is now healthy and with the team struggling for production at the WR spot, he will look to carve out at least a rotational role as a familiar Josh Allen target.
Dalton Kincaid will not play against the Buccaneers on Sunday. Depth at that position will come in the form of Keleki Latu, who joins Davis as a gameday elevation from the practice squad. Latu will make his NFL debut if he dresses tomorrow.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Morgan Fox
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Michael Bandy, DE Garrett Nelson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Layne Pryor, S K’Von Wallace
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: S Darrick Forrest
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Michael Reid, DT Bubba Thomas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OLB Benton Whitley
Wallace was one of three defensive backs to work out in Houston today alongside nickelback Beanie Bishop and safety Brandon Hill. Though Bishop showed promise in parts of his rookie campaign last year, Wallace boasts the most experience of the three and has been added to the fold as the Texans attempt to make up for the absences of M.J. Stewart and Jalen Pitre.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/12/25
Here are today’s midweek NFL minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived (with injury settlement): P Cameron Johnston
Cleveland Browns
- Signed from practice squad: WR Kaden Davis
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: LB Garret Wallow
Houston Texans
- Signed from practice squad: CB Myles Bryant
- Designated for return from IR: TE Cade Stover
- Placed on IR: S M.J. Stewart (story)
Johnston’s injuries have seemingly led to him looking for a new team yet again, assuming he clears waivers. The veteran punter signed with Pittsburgh last year, following two three-year stints in Philadelphia and Houston. In his first game as a Steeler, though, Johnston suffered a season-ending knee injury on his kicking leg. He’d been given a chance to win the job back from Corliss Waitman, who had filled in during his absence, but lost the job and a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster.
Rebounding quickly, Johnston signed with the Bills after they made a quick decision to move on from Brad Robbins following their season opener. Johnston got through three games with his new team before suffered an injury on his planting foot that would lead him to injured reserve. Now, the veteran heads to the waiver wire before he’ll have the ability to shop himself out for new opportunities.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Ben Stille
- Released: OL Raiqwon O’Neal, LS Zach Triner
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DE Kingsley Jonathan, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Mike White
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE K.J. Henry, DE Ochaun Mathis
- Released: DT Simeon Barrow Jr.
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: OL Jack Conley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Peter Bowden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Nick Muse
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Shemar Bartholomew
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: WR Brenden Rice
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Zach Davidson, K Ben Sauls
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Tre Brown
- Released: DB J.T. Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Desmond Watson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
The Panthers waived White from their practice squad on Nov. 8, but the team quickly brought the veteran signal-caller back. White will continue to provide experienced depth behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He served as the Panthers’ emergency third QB in their Week 9 win over the Packers.
