NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/25
Wednesday’s NFL practice squad transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Montrell Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: C Wesley French
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Nash Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Marcus Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Jimmy Holiday
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: G McClendon Curtis
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Andre Carter II
- Released: TE Tanner Conner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Caleb Etienne
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Amari Gainer
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Nyheim Miller-Hines
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR John Rhys Plumlee, RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S D’Anthony Bell
- Released: CB Tyler Hall
Martinez parted ways with San Francisco a week ago and signed with the Jets, who elevated him on Sunday to back up undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook. New York released him from their taxi squad yesterday, so Martinez has found his way back to the Bay Area.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/25
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: LB Jay Higgins
Buffalo Bills
- Designated for return from IR: WR Mecole Hardman
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return from IR: WR David Moore
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: LB Winston Reid
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: LB Karene Reid
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return from IR: T Giovanni Manu
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: G John Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Micah Parsons (story)
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Darrell Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: QB Patrick Mahomes (story)
- Opened practice window: TE Jake Briningstool, DB Nazeeh Johnson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DE Jahfari Harvey
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: LB Jackson Woodard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: S Rashad Wisdom
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Ali Gaye, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, WR Bryce Oliver
Probably the most overqualified transaction we’ve ever listed in this space, Mahomes is heading to IR for the first time. The superstar Chiefs quarterback suffered ACL and LCL tears and has undergone surgery. Generally, Chiefs IR-return moves are impactful at this stage of the season. In the cases of Briningstool and Johnson, they are returning to practice for a 6-8 team. The Chiefs designated both for return in August, meaning both have already counted toward the team’s eight-activation total. As our IR return tracker shows, Kansas City has not used any other injury activations this season.
Given a one-year, $4.75MM deal by the Texans, Taylor worked as a backup in four games before going down with an ankle injury. Despite his contract, the former Seahawks second-rounder played just 64 defensive snaps before hitting IR.
2025 NFL Dead Money, By Team
As we head toward the playoffs, three NFL teams are carrying more than $100MM in dead money. That represents more than a third of the salary cap. The 49ers are also on track to make the playoffs with more than $100MM allocated to players no longer on their 53-man roster. Here is where the 32 teams stand for dead money (via OverTheCap) with three weeks left in the regular season:
- New Orleans Saints: $107.83MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $103.77MM
- New York Jets: $102.1MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $87.79MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $87.27MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $86.1MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $85.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $83.22MM
- Miami Dolphins: $72.45MM
- Houston Texans: $66.44MM
- Tennessee Titans: $59.42MM
- Green Bay Packers: $57.98MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $56.23MM
- New England Patriots: $50.56MM
- Denver Broncos: $42.78MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $41.34MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.71MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $40.39MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $38.78MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $38.38MM
- Buffalo Bills: $37.58MM
- Carolina Panthers: $36.55MM
- New York Giants: $33.74MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $33.7MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $30.6MM
- Washington Commanders: $27.29MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $27MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $20.99MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $20.33MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $17.37MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $16.51MM
- Chicago Bears: $8.6MM
The $100MM trio dwarfs last year’s leaders — the Broncos — in this unwanted area. The Saints began taking some overdue medicine for their cap-gymnastics past by trading Marshon Lattimore last year. That move coming after June 1 pushed $31.67MM onto New Orleans’ 2025 cap sheet. Derek Carr also counts $19.2MM on this year’s Saints cap, while Ryan Ramczyk‘s retirement covers more than $11MM.
The Carr punishment covers $55.88MM in total, meaning nearly $37MM from the QB’s retirement will land on New Orleans’ 2026 payroll. Mickey Loomis‘ spree of restructures on that contract created that inflated figure.
Deebo Samuel brought a receiver-record dead money total to the 49ers, who absorbed $34.12MM by trading the seventh-year veteran in March. The second leg of the post-June 1 Arik Armstead transaction from 2024 created a $15MM dead cap hit this year, with void years on Charvarius Ward‘s deal covering more than $12MM.
Gang Green took on barely $20MM combined from the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades and will do the same next year, reflecting the low signing bonus figure on the Gardner extension. The Jets, though, have taken $56MM in total from the Aaron Rodgers release ($21MM this year, $35MM next). That is the second-highest total dead cap hit in NFL history.
The team that authorized the highest dead money sum in league annals — Denver, via the 2024 Russell Wilson release — is still carrying $32MM on that contract. It comes off the books next year, and the Broncos do not have any other player counting more than $3MM in dead cap on their 2025 payroll.
The Eagles and Seahawks are also moving toward the playoffs with higher dead money counts compared to the 2024 Broncos, though it should be noted the cap’s $24MM increase from last year plays into this. Philadelphia is still carrying a combined $26MM from the 2024 Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retirements. Josh Sweat void years also comprise $16.44MM of this year’s cap. The Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf trade brought $21MM in dead cap, while Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett and Dre’Mont Jones combine to cover more than $41MM in dead money.
Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith‘s 2024 Cleveland exits via trade tagged the Browns with more than $36MM in dead money together, while the Dolphins are dealing with more than $30MM combined from the post-June 1 designations on Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey. The latter counts $15.7MM in dead money this year and $20.9MM in 2026. That eclipses Lattimore’s defender-record total for dead cap.
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/16/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: WR Jalen Brooks
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Steelers): WR Ke’Shawn Williams
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: RB Jawhar Jordan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: RB DeeJay Dallas
- Opened practice window: LB Jalen McLeod
- Placed on IR: LB Jack Kiser
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: DT Leki Fotu
New England Patriots
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: LB Chad Muma
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: S Jarius Monroe
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S D’Anthony Bell
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): G Garrett Dellinger
A steady presence in Arizona a couple years ago, Fotu started four of six game appearances for the Raiders this year. The occasional starts were not indicative of his true usage, though, as he hasn’t gotten consistent time on the field for Las Vegas in 2025. The Raiders will move on from the veteran as they shift focus in a lost season towards evaluating young talent with more gametime.
As a practice squad elevation this weekend, Jordan became the first Texans running back to eclipse the century mark in a game this year. Houston wasted little time in returning him to the active roster
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Sunday’s action provided more clarity on a number of fronts relating to the playoff pushes in each conference. The list of teams still in contention for the top pick in the 2026 draft remains long, however.
Week 15 saw the Broncos and Rams clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings have each officially been eliminated from the playoffs. They will join the group of teams turning their attention to offseason planning. That of course includes extensive evaluation of the top prospects in this year’s class; several have already turned pro (with some exceptions).
Sunday’s results mean there are nine teams with two, three or four wins. Each of them remain candidates to secure the No. 1 selection, although victories by the Saints and Commanders yesterday will greatly hinder their chances of moving to the top of the order. Jockeying amongst teams like the Raiders, Jets and Cardinals (each on track to pursue a new quarterback this spring) will be a storyline worth following closely down the stretch.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Tennessee Titans (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-11)
- New York Jets (3-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- New Orleans Saints (4-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Miami Dolphins (6-8)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7)
- Detroit Lions (8-6)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Houston Texans (9-5)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Buffalo Bills (10-4)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- New England Patriots (11-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-2)
Panthers Hope To Open RG Robert Hunt’s Practice Window Soon
The 7-6 Panthers find themselves at the top of the NFC South standings, a half-game ahead of the spiraling Bucs. As it pushes for a division title, Carolina hopes to have Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt back for at least a portion of the stretch run.
Hunt, one of the Panthers’ two big-ticket free agent investments at the guard position in 2024, sustained a torn biceps in Week 2 and has been on injured reserve ever since. Earlier this week, head coach Dave Canales expressed his hope that the club will be able to open Hunt’s 21-day practice window before the end of the regular season (via Joe Person of The Athletic).
A better run-blocker than pass-blocker, Hunt’s return would add further support to an offense that has produced the 10th-most rushing yards per game in 2025. The two-headed attack of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard has buoyed an offense that has failed to generate much production through the air, though third-year quarterback Bryce Young has led four fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives this season.
Hunt, 29, was limited to 11 games due to injury during his platform year with the Dolphins in 2023, but he had otherwise been durable since Miami made him a second-round pick in 2020. In his absence, a number of players have been shuffled through the right guard slot.
Third-year pro Chandler Zavala relieved Hunt in Week 2 and started at RG in Weeks 3 and 4. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury in the Week 4 contest and landed on IR himself. Brady Christensen was the next man up and started four games before a torn Achilles brought a premature end to his 2025 campaign.
In his return to action in Week 9, Zavala sustained an elbow injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the game. He was replaced by Jake Curhan, and then Austin Corbett lined up at RG for Week 10.
That was the first ime Corbett had taken snaps at right guard since 2023, and it did not go well. He was relegated to the bench in Week 11, and Zavala again took the right guard reins. He managed to make it through that game unscathed, but a calf injury sustained during the Panthers’ Week 12 loss to the 49ers forced Curhan back onto the field. Curhan went on to start in Week 13 and played every offensive snap in an upset victory over the Rams.
Now, fresh off their Week 14 bye, the Panthers are giving Corbett another shot at right guard in Week 15 (via Person). The 30-year-old blocker beat out Cade Mays for the starting center job this summer, but Corbett suffered an MCL injury in Week 2 and joined Hunt on IR after that game. That allowed Mays to take over at the pivot, and the impending free agent has played himself into consideration for a second contract with Carolina.
In light of all of the above-referenced injuries, it is perhaps not surprising that Mays also missed each of the last two games with an ankle injury. He has been cleared for Week 15, and he will start on Sunday, with Corbett lined up to his right.
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/13/25
Here are today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for Week 15’s Sunday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: T Christian Jones
- Elevated: WR Jalen Brooks, WR Trent Sherfield
- Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, DE Andre Jones Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Simmons
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: OL Garrett Dellinger
- Elevated: S Chris Edmonds, DT Maurice Hurst
- Waived: WR Jamari Thrash
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: LB Jordan Turner
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, QB Sam Ehlinger
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: TE Shane Zylstra
- Elevated: S Erick Hallett, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Placed on IR: S Brian Branch (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Pierre Strong
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: TE Harrison Bryant
- Elevated: RB Jawhar Jordan, S K’Von Wallace
- Waived: RB Cody Schrader
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: G C.J. Hanson
- Elevated: T Chukwuebuka Godrick, DT Zacch Pickens
- Placed on IR: T Wanya Morris (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson, G Atonio Mafi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Dalevon Campbell, S Marcus Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: S Tanner Ingle
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB D’Ernest Johnson
- Elevated: DT Leonard Taylor
- Placed on IR: RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Kevin Austin, K Charlie Smyth
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: WR Dalen Cambre, OLB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: DT Elijah Chatman, P Cameron Johnston
- Placed on IR: OLB Victor Dimukeje, CB Nic Jones
- Waived: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Cam Jones
- Elevated: CB Tre Brown, QB Adrian Martinez
- Placed on IR: CB Azareye’h Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Andre’ Sam
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: DE Rylie Mills
- Elevated: RB Velus Jones
- Placed on IR: TE Elijah Arroyo
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: T John Ojukwu
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Darius Rush
Nichols began the year on the reserve/PUP list. The eight-year veteran has been hampered by injuries since signing with the Cardinals in 2024. After playing just six games last year, Nichols’ 2025 campaign will end after only four appearances.
Bryant makes his return to the Texans’ offense to replenish a thinned out tight ends group, while in Seattle, the Seahawks place their second-round rookie tight end, Arroyo, on injured reserve with a knee injury.
In Buffalo, this will be Jackson’s third and final standard gameday practice squad elevation. If the team wants to see him in another game this season, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster. The same is true for Strong in Green Bay, Jackson and Mafi in Las Vegas, Smyth in New Orleans, Sam in Philadelphia, and Jones in Seattle.
On the flip side of that, in Denver, Turner has been signed to the 53-man roster after running out of elevations last week.
Thomas suffered a shoulder injury in Week 14 and it will end his season. The third-round rookie confirmed on social media today he is set to undergo surgery in the near future. Thomas made five starts in 2025, totaling 22 tackles and seven pass deflections.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Week 14’s action brought about a few notable updates to the standings at both ends of the NFL’s conferences. Another four teams are officially out of playoff contention, while wins by Tennessee and New Orleans could prove to be rather important once the campaign has ended.
The Jets, Browns, Falcons and Commanders were eliminated from the postseason through the results of recent days. Of course, each of those teams have been out of the running for a playoff push for some time now. Still, that group will be worth watching closely over the closing four weeks of the season as the top-10 order for Day 1 of the draft gradually comes into focus.
Uncertainty regarding the quarterback class of 2026 will no doubt remain a talking point over the coming months. Fernando Mendoza strengthened his case to be QB1 in April’s draft, although it remains to be seen if other top signal-callers like Dante Moore and Ty Simpson will turn pro or elect to remain in school for one more season. Decisions on those fronts will be central storylines carrying significant implications for the teams near the top of the order which find themselves in need of a quarterback investment.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-11)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
- Tennessee Titans (2-11)
- Cleveland Browns (3-10)
- New Orleans Saints (3-10)
- Washington Commanders (3-10)
- New York Jets (3-10)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
- Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
- Miami Dolphins (6-7)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
- Carolina Panthers (7-6)
- Detroit Lions (8-5)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)
- Houston Texans (8-5)
- Chicago Bears (9-4)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
- New England Patriots (11-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
- Denver Broncos (11-2)
Panthers Hope To Extend LT Ikem Ekwonu, Retain C Cade Mays
This past spring, the Panthers exercised Ikem Ekwonu‘s fifth-year option. As a result, the team is set to have left tackle stability through at least 2026. 
A longer agreement between team and player could be coming relatively soon, though. As Joe Person of The Athletic writes (subscription required), working out a new Ekwonu contract will be a priority this coming offseason. At the moment, the former first-rounder is due to collect $17.65MM in 2026.
[RELATED: Panthers Likely To Pick Up Bryce Young’s Fifth-Year Option]
In the event a multi-year accord can be worked out, Ekwonu will be in line for far greater compensation. The 25-year-old struggled early in his career in pass protection, but Carolina has never moved him to guard. While continuing to develop on the blindside, Ekwonu has been charged with five sacks allowed by PFF. That illustrates room for further progress, but it is the lowest figure in that regard since his rookie campaign.
Over the course of his Panthers tenure, Ekwonu has seen incremental improvement in his PFF evaluations. The South Carolina product currently ranks 26th out of 80 qualifying tackles in overall grade for 2025. If the Panthers invest in ongoing development, a big-ticket second contract could be in store. Well before the start of the season, Ekwonu made clear his desire to remain with the Panthers for years to come.
Five right tackles are currently among the blockers averaging $20MM or more per season. That group includes Taylor Moton, who agreed to a new deal in August to avoid a potential trip to free agency. The nine-year veteran is set to continue in his current capacity through 2027 as a result. Signing Ekwonu to a long-term deal would help ensure further stability up front for the Panthers.
That will also be true along the interior if Cade Mays can be retained. Person writes keeping Mays in the fold appears to be a team priority as well. 2025 marks the final season of the former sixth-rounder’s rookie contract, setting him up for a first career trip to free agency this spring. With 23 starts (and counting) to his name, Mays could be one of top center options on the market in March.
The 26-year-old posted a career-best finish of 13th amongst centers for PFF grade last season. Mays lost a training camp competition for the starting gig, but injuries to Austin Corbett and others have allowed him to make eight starts in 10 appearances in 2025. Mays is PFF’s 21st-ranked center at this point. A new deal in his case would cost far less than a second Ekwonu contract, but it would give Carolina flexibility at the center spot for next year at a minimum.
Panthers Expected To Pick Up Bryce Young’s Fifth-Year Option, Wait On Extension
In the last 15 season, the Panthers have won more than seven games only three times. They are already at seven wins in 2025 with four games to go after their Week 14 bye, putting them on pace for their best finish since 2017.
Carolina’s success is primarily due to a defense that has improved from dead-last in 2024 to middle of the pack this year, but clutch play from third-year quarterback Bryce Young has been a major factor. He has led four fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives.
However, he is not exactly setting the world on fire statistically, averaging fewer than 200 passing yards per game and ranking 23rd in passer rating (87.9) and QBR (45.6). Young has also thrown nine interceptions already; last season, he threw nine picks in 14 games, and in 2023, he threw 10 in 16 games.
His performance this season has set up an interesting two years for the Panthers and their young quarterback. Young will be eligible for an extension this offseason, and a decision on his fifth-year option will be due on May 1.
The latter situation is simpler than the former. Young’s fifth-year option is projected by OverTheCap to be $26.5MM, though that could rise to $39.7MM if he makes the Pro Bowl this season. That feels unlikely, but a surprise playoff berth on the back of Young’s clutch performances could garner him some consideration. He does have to be selected on the original ballot to upgrade his fifth-year option, according to the NFL’s CBA; a 2022 Tyler Huntley situation (filling in for an injured original selection) would not qualify. A Pro Bowl bump would make Young’s fifth-year option a much tougher decision, but for now, the team is expected to pick it up, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Picking up the fifth-year option ensures that Young is under contract at an affordable price for a starter. It would also allow the Panthers to wait on an extension. They are not expected to pursue one this offseason, as Young has not quite cemented himself as the future of the franchise. Another, more significant leap in 2026 may do so, at which point the Panthers would likely try to finalize an extension before the 2027 season.
As a result, the cost of an extension may be substantially lower this offseason as opposed to the next. That sets up a clear dichotomy for the Panthers. Do they want to bet on Young now in the hopes of continue development and a contract that looks like a steal a few years from now? Or do they want to wait and see if he is really their long-term starter.
It is worth noting that Panthers head coach Dave Canales came in the year after the team selected Young with the No. 1 overall pick. As a result, he had to give Young a chance for at least a year or two. The 24-year-old quarterback has responded with some development, but it is hard to argue that he is even a mid-tier starter.
If Young cannot reach or eclipse that level next season, Canales may want to handpick his next quarterback himself. He may already have designs to do so. As the saying goes, NFL stands for Not For Long. Coaches can have extremely short leashes, especially under owners whose teams are struggling and/or are too involved in day-to-day operations. Both could be said of Panthers owner David Tepper, so if Canales wants to be in Carolina for the long haul, he may want to choose the quarterback that will give him the best chance.
The rest of the 2023 class becomes eligible for an extension next offseason. C.J. Stroud is the only quarterback that looks like the future of his franchise, so the Texans are considered more likely to pay him than the Panthers are to pay Young, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.