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Chargers Place DT Da’Shawn Hand On IR

October 11th, 2025 at 5:35pm CST by Ely Allen

Chargers defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand left last week’s loss to the Commanders after only appearing for four defensive snaps. The groin injury that forced Hand out of the game kept him from practicing all week, but instead of just an “out” injury designation for the weekend, the Chargers have ensured he’ll be out for the next four games after placing him on injured reserve today.

Hand looked to be having a career year in his eighth year of NFL play, but his production will certainly be hindered by this elongated absence. The 30-year-old had been working as a full-time starter for the first time in his career. Hand started eight games in his rookie campaign with the Lions but only logged five starts in the six seasons between then and now. He had already matched those five starts in his time with the Chargers this year.

Hand’s eight rookie starts were well-earned for the fourth-round pick out of Alabama, but the promising start was marred by ending the season on IR. From there, injuries continued to dictate the course of his career. He started two of the three games he was able to appear in for his sophomore campaign and was relegated to a rotational role in Year 3.

In 2021, the final year of his rookie contract, after missing the first seven weeks of the season, the Lions saw him active for three games before sending him to IR once again. Ultimately, they released him, and he spent the remainder of the year in short stints with the Colts and Titans. He played two snaps for the Titans in 2022 before being placed on IR for the remainder of that season.

After only appearing in five games over two full seasons, Hand signed with the Dolphins and had his first mostly healthy season, appearing in a career-high 16 games. Miami held onto him for 2024, and he had, perhaps, the strongest year of his career. Appearing in every game of the season for the first time in his career and making his first two starts since 2020, Hand delivered career highs in total tackles (31), tackles for loss (5), and quarterback hits (4) that season.

The strong two seasons in Miami led to a decent contract in Los Angeles, where he would finally get his chance to start full time. With 10 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and a sack through only five games, Hand was on track to set multiple new career highs. Considering he wasn’t placed on IR immediately following his injury diagnosis, it seems likely that he’ll be a strong candidate to return to the active roster once his practice window has been opened after four games have passed.

Taking Hand’s slot on the 53-man roster will be practice squad offensive tackle Bobby Hart. A former starter for the Giants and Bengals, Hart hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2022. Hart was added to the practice squad recently as Los Angeles deals with injuries to starting tackles Rashawn Slater (season-ending) and Joe Alt and backup tackles Trey Pipkins and Savion Washington.

Joining Hart to reinforce the offensive line off the practice squad this weekend will be David Sharpe. Unlike Hart, as a standard gameday practice squad elevation, Sharpe will revert back to the practice squad following Sunday’s game. The team’s other elevation will be used on recent practice squad addition Nyheim Hines, who will back up Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal as they fill in for Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, who both currently reside on IR.

49ers Activate Malik Mustapha From Reserve/PUP List

October 11th, 2025 at 3:31pm CST by Connor Byrne

The 49ers will get a key defender back in time for their Week 6 matchup with the Buccaneers. The team announced that it has activated safety Malik Mustapha from the reserve/PUP list.

Mustapha will return to the field on Sunday for the first time since he suffered a right ACL injury in Week 18 last year. That was a sour ending to an impressive rookie season for Mustapha. The former Wake Forest defender played in 16 games (12 starts) and totaled 72 tackles, five passes defensed, and an interception in 2024.

Without Mustapha (and several other injured players) around this year, the 49ers have still managed a 4-1 start. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has deployed safeties Marques Sigle and Jason Pinnock on 100 percent of snaps in Mustapha’s absence. Ji’Ayir Brown has seen action on just over 15 percent of snaps. Mustapha should reemerge as an important part of the back end of San Francisco’s defense, leading to less playing time for any or all of Sigle, Pinnock, and Brown.

Along with activating Mustapha, the 49ers elevated defensive lineman Trevis Gipson from their practice squad and waived fellow D-lineman Robert Beal Jr.

Gipson is getting his second standard elevation of the season after playing 14 snaps (eight on defense, six on special teams) in a win over the Rams in Week 5. Beal has appeared in one game this year, the 49ers’ loss to the Jaguars in Week 4, and played 30 snaps (12 on defense, 18 on special teams).

Bills To Place T.J. Sanders, Damar Hamlin On IR

October 11th, 2025 at 11:46am CST by Connor Byrne

The Bills will place defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and safety Damar Hamlin on injured reserve, head coach Sean McDermott announced (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). Sanders will undergo knee surgery, while Hamlin is dealing with a pectoral injury. Both players will miss at least four games. It’s more likely that Sanders will return than Hamlin this year, McDermott said.

The Bills moved up in last spring’s draft to grab Sanders with the 41st overall pick. The former South Carolina standout has gotten off to a slow start in the NFL. Over four games and 111 defensive snaps, Sanders has picked up two tackles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his performance 115th among 120 qualifying defensive tackles.

Although Sanders has struggled in the early going, losing him is an unwelcome hit to the Bills’ depth. They’ve already gone without their best defensive tackle, Ed Oliver, in every game since his tremendous Week 1 effort in a win over the Ravens. Oliver has been down with an ankle injury over the past few weeks, but he could return against the Falcons on Monday night.

If Oliver comes back this week, he’ll comprise the Bills’ top two at DT alongside DaQuan Jones. Rookie fourth-rounder Deone Walker, who has played well, is also in the mix. The Bills have Zion Logue, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis on their practice squad. Offseason free agent addition Larry Ogunjobi will be eligible to return from a six-game PED suspension after Buffalo’s Week 7 bye.

Logue has already received three standard gameday elevations this year, meaning the Bills will have to sign him to their active roster if they want to bring him back for a fourth game. Phillips and Mathis have gotten one call-up apiece, and the former is a candidate for a permanent roster spot in the wake of Sanders’ injury, according to Buscaglia.

Hamlin was a 14-game starter who logged 98% of defensive snaps in 2024, leading the Bills to re-sign him to a one-year, $2MM deal in the offseason. His playing time has significantly decreased this year, though. Hamlin has taken a backseat to second-year safety Cole Bishop and worked on a mere 4.2% of defensive snaps. It’s possible that the Bills will add former All-Pro and current practice squad safety Jordan Poyer to their roster to take Hamlin’s place, Buscaglia reports.

Poyer, now 34, was consistently one of Buffalo’s most valuable defenders during his previous stint with them from 2017-23. After the Bills released him in March 2024, Poyer hooked on with the division-rival Dolphins and made 16 starts for them last season. On the heels of his second straight interception-less year, Poyer went without a deal until the Bills signed him to their practice squad in late August. A month and a half later, Poyer may be on his way back to their active roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/25

October 10th, 2025 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves as we head into the sixth weekend of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans

Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin appeared on the injury report with a back injury in Week 2 but has been otherwise healthy without missing any game time throughout the season so far. Gillikin showed back up on Arizona’s injury report yesterday with his back ailing him once again. He didn’t participate in practice at all today, and it doesn’t look good for his chances on Sunday that the team signed O’Donnell.

Following the Colts’ signing of Michael Badgley on Tuesday, O’Donnell becomes the second veteran specialist out of Miami (FL) to get signed out of free agency this week. O’Donnell punted for the Bears for eight years after Chicago drafted him in the sixth-round in 2014. He spent one year after Chicago with the Packers but remained a free agent throughout the 2023 season. Last year, he got a similar call from the 49ers, who held on to him for eight games after Mitch Wishnowsky was sidelined for the second half of the season with a back injury.

O’Donnell won out in a punting competition with fellow free agents Jack Browning and Matt Haack.

Jaguars Place TE Brenton Strange On IR

October 10th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 10: Strange’s quad injury also affected his hip and includes a ligament tear, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. He will not need surgery, but he is expected to miss at least five weeks. That would sideline Strange until Week 12 or beyond with the hopes of returning late in the season to help the Jaguars make the playoffs for just the second time in seven years.

OCTOBER 7: Following one of their biggest wins of the Trevor Lawrence era, the Jaguars will lose a key pass catcher for a while. They are placing Brenton Strange on IR, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Strange suffered a quad injury, one NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo expects to keep him out for roughly a month. That would align with an IR-return timeline. The team’s top tight end has been a key part of its 4-1 start, making some contributions during its 31-28 win over Kansas City on Monday night. He caught his lone target for 22 yards before injuring his hip late in the first half.

The Jaguars gave Strange a vote of confidence upon releasing Evan Engram early this offseason. While Engram has battled injuries during an unremarkable start in Denver, Strange has fared well to start the season. Strange has 20 receptions for 204 yards, posting three games with at least 45 yards during the Jags’ surprising start.

As part of a Jaguars pass-catching group that features high-profile wide receivers Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter, Strange leads the team in receptions. He’s tied for second in targets (24) and yards. His 73.8 percent snap share easily paces all Jaguars tight ends. Johnny Mundt (34.5) and Hunter Long (23.4) are next in line, though they’ve combined for just nine catches and 58 yards. Quintin Morris has almost exclusively played on special teams.

The Jaguars will now have to go at least four games without their No. 1 tight end. With the Jaguars’ bye coming in Week 8, Strange won’t be eligible to return until a Week 11 meeting with the Chargers on Nov. 16. For now, they’ll go forward with Mundt, Long, and Morris as their options at the position.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/25

October 9th, 2025 at 8:23pm CST by Connor Byrne

Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Cleveland Browns

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

The Browns reached an injury settlement with Speed, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The team placed Speed on IR with an undisclosed injury on Wednesday. The former Colt, Patriot, and Bear hasn’t appeared in a game this year.

Jones is returning to the Saints just two days after they released him. The 28-year-old has played in all five of New Orleans’ games this season and amassed 76 snaps (74 on special teams). While Jones hasn’t been a factor on offense, he has averaged 22.8 yards per kickoff return on eight tries.

This has been a multi-transaction day for White, whom the Seahawks released and then quickly re-signed to their practice squad. White totaled 11 snaps (five on offense, six on special teams) during a Week 1 loss to the 49ers and hasn’t played since.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/25

October 9th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Several NFL teams made minor roster moves on Thursday. Among them were the Giants, who signed two players from their practice squad to the active roster and promoted two more for their matchup with the Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Here is the full list:

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

Seattle Seahawks

The Giants are dealing with injuries to multiple linebackers and wide receivers, as well as a groin injury that forced starting kicker Graham Gano onto injured reserve. Hewitt and Barnes will offer depth on defense and special teams, while Humphrey will reinforce a a depleted receiving corps.

McAtamney will take on the Giants’ kicking duties for a third week in a row. Including one appearance last season, he has made all three of his field goal attempts and all four of his extra points, though none of his kicks have come beyond 40 yards. He may get a chance to test his leg from a longer distance on Thursday night against a tough Eagles defense.

Colts Restructure Kenny Moore’s Contract

October 9th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Colts restructured Kenny Moore‘s contract this week to create $3.8MM in cap room, per OverTheCap.

$4.75MM of the veteran cornerback’s 2025 salary was converted into a signing bonus. Since Moore’s contract expired after the 2026 season, the Colts added three void years to the deal to prorate his new bonus across five years instead of two. As a result, Moore’s cap hit rose by $950k in each of the remaining years. This type of restructure is known as a maximum restructure because it uses void years to create more cap space in the current year of the contract.

This particular restructure is notable because the Colts rarely use void years or maximum restructures despite their recent rise in popularity around the league. It could be an indicator that general manager Chris Ballard is looking to capitalize on a surprising 4-1 start with Daniel Jones under center with an aggressive move before the trade deadline. The team now has $7.63MM in cap space, which could be enough to make an addition in the coming weeks.

The Colts have been dealing with a number of injuries in their secondary since training camp and have been middling against opposing passing games to start the regular season. They are reportedly interested in free agent cornerback Tre Hawkins and could pursue a higher-profile defensive back on the trade market.

However, Ballard may also have been considering the team’s in-season expenses – i.e. practice squad elevations, signing injury replacements to the 53-man roster – when he completed the restructure. The Colts did not reduce Moore’s 2025 salary to the veteran minimum to create the the most space they could have. If Ballard was going shopping before the deadline, it would stand to reason that he would want as much cap space as possible to facilitate a deal.

Moore has been sidelined for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, but it is not considered a major injury.

Eagles Activate LB Nakobe Dean From PUP

October 9th, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Eagles officially activated Nakobe Dean from the physically unable to perform list, per a team announcement, setting up the fourth-year linebacker to make his 2025 debut on Thursday night against the Giants.

Dean’s activation completes an impressive recovery from a torn patellar tendon suffered in January. He started the season on the PUP list but worked hard to return to practice as soon as he was eligible in Week 5. Dean quickly progressed to full participation and was expected to be ready for the Eagles’ Week 6 appearance on Thursday Night Football despite the short week.

Indeed, the Eagles are confident enough in Dean’s recovery and practice performance that he will play in New York, though the team’s depth at linebacker will not force him into a heavy workload right away. In fact, Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell have played almost every defensive snap for Philadelphia this year, so there may not be much playing time available for a third off-ball linebacker given how often the Eagles use five or more defensive backs. Dean’s return could allow defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to use Campbell as a pass rusher more often.

The Eagles also elevated defensive tackle Gabe Hall from the practice squad for Thursday night’s contest, which is notable because Jalen Carter was a late addition to the injury report with a heel injury, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Hall’s elevation indicates that Philadelphia is unsure of Carter will be available for the game.

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