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Bears To Extend QB Tyson Bagent

August 20th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears signed Case Keenum this offseason, but they are still taking care of one of their other quarterbacks. Chicago is extending backup Tyson Bagent, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

It is a two-year deal worth $10MM; the contract can max out at $16MM for the former UDFA out of Division II. Because Bagent is a former UDFA, he is extension-eligible after two seasons (rather than the three for drafted players). He will take advantage of the system here and cash in, with this contract representing a QB2 commitment through 2027. AllCHGO.com first reported the extension.

[RELATED: Assessing Bears’ 2025 Offseason]

While some trade chatter involving Bagent — after the Keenum signing — being a trade candidate emerged, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicates the QB has started off well in Ben Johnson‘s system. This certainly illustrates a commitment, though the deal overlaps with Caleb Williams‘ rookie terms. The Bears approached Bagent over the past week about a deal, the QB said (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin).

Known as both a long-odds success story (out of D-II Shepherd) and for having an arm-wrestling father, Bagent has been with the Bears since 2023. He joins Keenum and 2024 UDFA Austin Reed on Chicago’s 90-man roster. Bagent, who made four starts filling in for Justin Fields as a rookie before sitting for most of his second season behind Williams, will be making the Bears as their backup once again.

Bagent proved effective in spurts in Luke Getsy‘s offense two years ago, winning two of the starts he made while Fields recovered from a thumb injury. Bagent piloted the Bears to wins over the Raiders and Panthers in 2023, though a rough outing in a Sunday-night game against the Chargers also transpired during this stretch. The 6-foot-3 passer’s popularity soared after the Bears’ 30-12 win over the Raiders in October 2023 — a game that involved a 21-for-29 accuracy ledger and a touchdown pass — and he was the only Getsy QB holdover on last year’s team.

Bagent is now on his fourth play-caller since arriving in Chicago, transitioning to Johnson’s offense. He certainly is an atypical QB on any rung of an NFL depth chart but has made the most of his chances. Keenum is tied to a one-year, $2.25MM deal; Chicago guaranteed the aging backup $2.16MM. Keenum has experience with a team that also carried a much younger backup, as the Texans retained (and then extended) Davis Mills during Keenum’s two-year stay back in Houston.

NFL Minor Transactions: 8/20/25

August 20th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s midweek minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Reverted to IR: T Gareth Warren
  • Waived (with injury settlement): LB Devin Harper

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Waller will now be able to officially return to the field today as he attempts to shake off a year’s worth of retirement. Head coach Mike McDaniel expects him back at practice “very soon,” potentially even this week, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The Bears have landed the services of the veteran Freeman as they deal with absences from D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, and Travis Homer. Hankins had gotten the starting nod in the team’s last preseason game for that same reason, and he’ll now hand off that role to Freeman.

Ferguson, the Dolphins’ former long snapper of the past five years, finally gets a job after his release from Miami. The Texans were really liking what they were seeing out of undrafted rookie Austin Brinkman, but a minor, short-team injury will keep him from the team’s final preseason game, requiring at least a short stay from Ferguson.

NFL Hands 49ers’ Demarcus Robinson Three-Game Suspension

August 20th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s Demarcus Robinson ruling has emerged. As expected, a suspension will commence in connection with the veteran wide receiver’s DUI case.

Robinson received a three-game suspension Wednesday, Kyle Shanahan said (via KNBR). Although this is certainly not surprising, it deals another blow to a depleted 49ers receiving corps. Robinson launched a preemptive appeal, but his suspension matches Jordan Addison‘s three-gamer for a DUI arrest.

Shanahan said the appeal process is not over, but the team is bracing for the three-game ban to stick. Robinson was arrested in November 2024 for suspicion of a DUI; by January, a formal charge emerged. In July, he pleaded no contest to set the stage for this suspension. Signing a two-year deal in free agency, Robinson is in line to miss games against the Seahawks, Saints and Cardinals.

This further limits the 49ers at receiver. San Francisco has Brandon Aiyuk on its active/PUP list, and a shift to the reserve/PUP list is all but assured for a player who did not suffer a clean ACL tear last season. Aiyuk recovery issues are set to delay his return until at least mid-October. That takes two 49ers weapons out of the mix, and it is not yet certain when Jauan Jennings will return from a calf injury.

Jennings has missed most of training camp due to his calf issue, with a contract push — a year after signing an extension as an RFA — clouding the 49ers wideout’s near future as well. Fourth-round rookie Jordan Watkins is also dealing with a high ankle sprain that could keep him off the field to open the season.

As a result, the 49ers are looking for help at receiver. The team traded Deebo Samuel in March, doing so while knowing Aiyuk’s outlook. At the time of the Samuel trade, San Francisco certainly expected to have Jennings available in Week 1. But that is not certain. This would place plenty of pressure on 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall. While Pearsall — who recovered from a gunshot wound sustained last summer to play in 11 rookie-year games — could be complemented by the 49ers’ hopeful WR cast by midseason, the team will start shorthanded.

Robinson, 31 in September, spent the past two seasons with the Rams as their third receiver. Playing ahead of Tutu Atwell for most of his time in Los Angeles, Robinson combined for 57 receptions, 876 yards and 11 touchdowns from 2023-24. That stretch garnered the ex-Alex Smith/Patrick Mahomes Chiefs target an $8MM deal with a $6MM guarantee. This suspension would threaten to void that guarantee, which would affect Robinson’s 2026 money (as a vested veteran, his 2025 pay will lock in next month).

Browns Trade DT Jowon Briggs To Jets

August 20th, 2025 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the roster-setting deadline less than a week away, a key NFL trade window is open. After two deals occurred Sunday, an intra-AFC swap is done. The Browns and Jets have a deal in place.

Cleveland is trading defensive tackle Jowon Briggs to New York, the Browns announced. It is a pick-swap deal, one that will send Briggs and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Jets for a 2026 sixth-rounder.

[RELATED: NFL Trades Completed In 2025]

A 2024 seventh-round pick, Briggs played in six Browns games as a backup last season. The Ohio native made 13 tackles (one for loss) and recovered a fumble as a rookie, playing 133 defensive snaps and 33 special teams plays. This will give the Jets another backup option in their Quinnen Williams-led D-tackle corps.

Briggs played two seasons at Virginia and three at Cincinnati, combining to register 12 sacks during his five-year college run. He earned first-team All-AAC acclaim in 2022 and then was a Big 12 honorable mention honoree — after the Bearcats’ 2023 conference switch — in ’23. He started seven games as a true freshman at Virginia in 2019, making 14 total Cavaliers starts after arriving as a four-star recruit.

The Jets let 2024 starter Javon Kinlaw walk in free agency (to the Commanders) and did not allocate many resources to this position this offseason. The team has ex-Chiefs nose tackle Derrick Nnadi, former Washington second-rounder Phidarian Mathis (claimed during the period between Joe Douglas‘ firing and the Darren Mougey hire), and journeymen Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele as DT options. The team did not address this position in the draft.

These lower-level trades regularly emerge during the days just before teams’ set their initial 53-man rosters; the Browns made one involving a DT last year, sending Chris Williams to the Bears. The Browns cut Dalvin Tomlinson this offseason but made DT the centerpiece of their draft by using the No. 5 overall pick on Mason Graham. That move came after the Maliek Collins signing. Cleveland also has 2024 second-round pick Michael Hall rostered to go with veteran Shelby Harris.

Titans Activate L’Jarius Sneed From PUP List; Latest On CB’s Legal Issue

August 20th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

L’Jarius Sneed‘s Titans tenure has started quite poorly. A quad injury shut him down last season, and a knee surgery kept him out for training camp. A legal issue has also cropped up for the high-priced trade acquisition.

The Titans did activate Sneed from their active/PUP list Wednesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. Sneed will return to work in a limited capacity, though he voiced an expectation (via Main Street Media’s Terry McCormick) of a Week 1 return.

Suffering the quad injury last season, Sneed underwent surgery after it healed slowly. He landed on the Titans’ active/PUP list because of a May knee procedure, further complicating his on-field return. Sneed had proclaimed himself fully healthy during an appearance at a high school football camp this summer, only to be shelved on the PUP list come camp.

“It wasn’t my decision. It was coach (Brian) Callahan’s,” Sneed said, via McCormick. “He’s taking it slow with me, and Mike (Borgonzi) is taking it slow. They’re all taking it slow to make sure I’m good for the season.”

Acquired in a deal headlined by a 2025 third-round pick, Sneed signed a four-year, $76.4MM extension upon arrival in Tennessee. That deal has yet to pay off, and an ominous prediction from a Titans team reporter — one that pegged anything the CB contributes in 2025 being a bonus — pointed to that contract delivering a disastrous return. Sneed will attempt to bounce back after a five-game 2024 and two ensuing surgeries, though a notable off-field development has also emerged.

Hit with a felony charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Sneed will see his case go to a Dallas County, Texas, grand jury September 25, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. Sneed said he had “no concerns” on the case, which also includes a civil suit. Sneed and former assistant Tekonzae Williams are alleged to have fired shots out of a car at an auto dealership Dec. 6, 2024.

The civil case alleges Sneed and Williams fired shots from a rented Lamborghini Urus into another vehicle, which was parked. Though, Kuharsky adds no reported gunshot wounds emerged. Sneed’s attorney said his client did not fire any shots and did not confirm any were fired from the Urus. Sneed, who started four seasons for the Chiefs before being part of a tag-and-trade transaction, could face NFL discipline regardless of this case’s outcome.

With a grand jury appearance set for September, it is possible a ban comes this year. That would further limit Sneed with the Titans, who will attempt to salvage this investment after cutting fellow 2024 addition Chidobe Awuzie. The Titans did not draft a corner or make a notable free agency addition there, pointing to a belief Sneed — who delivered a standout 2023 season in coverage to help Kansas City to a second straight Super Bowl title — will be ready to return by Week 1.

NFL Minor Transactions: 8/19/25

August 19th, 2025 at 8:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Reverted to IR: DL Keith Randolph

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Ameer Abdullah landed on IR earlier this month with a rib injury, but he’ll now have an opportunity to play in 2025 following his release. The veteran is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2024, when he compiled 572 yards from scrimmage in 16 games (three starts) with the Raiders. The 49ers filled his spot on the roster by signing veteran Jeff Wilson.

Equanimeous St. Brown will also have a chance to play in 2025, as the WR was previously ruled out with a foot injury. The veteran wideout only has five catches over the past two seasons.

49ers To Sign QB Nate Sudfeld

August 19th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Ben Levine

With Mac Jones nursing a knee injury, the 49ers are adding a familiar face to their roster. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the team is signing quarterback Nate Sudfeld. The veteran QB worked out for the team yesterday.

Sudfeld spent the 2021 campaign in the 49ers organization. After starting the season on the practice squad, he was elevated to the active roster after Trey Lance went down with a knee injury. Sudfeld stuck around for the rest of the season, although he didn’t get into a game as Jimmy Garoppolo‘s backup.

A former sixth-round pick, Sudfeld still hasn’t started a game through his eight seasons in the NFL. He did have an extended outing with the Eagles in 2017, when he completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 134 yards. Otherwise, the QB has attempted 14 other passes in his NFL career.

The veteran spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Detroit, although he missed that latter campaign thanks to a torn ACL suffered during a preseason game. He was among the Lions final cuts at the end of the 2024 preseason.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that Jones suffered his knee injury during Saturday’s loss to the Broncos, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the QB2 is out for the team’s preseason finale. Still, there’s hope that Jones will be ready to be Brock Purdy‘s primary backup for Week 1. If Jones can’t go, Sudfeld would be an option to be the QB2, although he’d have to compete with UDFA Carter Bradley. Seventh-round rookie Kurtis Rourke is expected to start the season on NFI as he works his way back from a torn ACL.

Dolphins Waive P Ryan Stonehouse, Sign CB Cameron Dantzler

August 19th, 2025 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Stonehouse has proven to possess one of the strongest legs in NFL history, going 3-for-3 in seasons with 50-plus-yard punting averages. The player who broke Sammy Baugh‘s longstanding single-season punting record has now been jettisoned twice this year, however.

The Dolphins waived Stonehouse on Tuesday, per a team announcement. Initially reporting the Dolphins’ decision to cut the strong-legged specialist, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes the team will go with incumbent Jake Bailey for a third season. This release also came despite the Dolphins hiring ex-Titans special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman this offseason.

[RELATED: Reviewing Dolphins’ 2025 Offseason]

This decision comes months after the Titans declined to tender Stonehouse as an RFA. The original-round tender price spiked to $3.26MM this year, leading to more nontender calls than usual, and a punter being nontendered at this rate was not exactly shocking. Still, Stonehouse had made it back from ACL and MCL tears sustained during the 2023 season. He posted his third 50-plus-yard punting average as well.

As a rookie, Stonehouse brought down Baugh’s hallowed single-season punting mark (51.4 yards per boot) — one that had stood 1940 — by averaging 53.1 yards a kick. Baugh also set that record on 35 punts; Stonehouse punted 90 times as a rookie. He then matched that punting average a year later, though the ACL and MCL tears sustained on a blocked punt ended his 2023 season after 12 games. In 17 contests last season, Stonehouse averaged 50.6 yards per punt.

While the three-season sample size would seemingly hold some weight, the Dolphins saw Bailey average 56 yards (on three preseason punts) to Stonehouse’s 43.3 during the team’s first two preseason games. Bailey averaged 45.7 and 47.1 yards per punt in 2023 and ’24, respectively. The Stonehouse cut will tag the Dolphins with just $75K in dead money. Bailey is tied to a two-year, $4.2MM deal; it would have cost $550K to drop him. Stonehouse should generate some interest before the season.

Announcing their Matt Judon signing, the Dolphins also added cornerback Cameron Dantzler and waived wide receiver Tarik Black. The Dolphins also placed offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste on IR, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

A former third-round pick who started 26 games with the Vikings from 2020-23, Danzler has become an NFL nomad. The Dolphins are the veteran corner’s sixth NFL team; he stopped through Washington, Buffalo, Houston and New Orleans. Dantzler did not play in the NFL last season but saw time in the UFL — with the San Antonio Brahmas and Memphis Showboats — during that league’s past two seasons. Miami is amid a full-scale cornerback makeover and already lost Artie Burns and Kader Kohou to season-ending injuries, leading to this flier on Dantzler.

Giants Activate LT Andrew Thomas

August 19th, 2025 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sidelined to date through training camp, Andrew Thomas is now cleared to practice. The Giants’ left tackle was activated from the active/PUP list on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

An October 2024 Lisfranc injury limited Thomas to just six games last season and set him up for a lengthy rehab process. A return to full health in time for Week 1 remained the target, though. When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Brian Daboll said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) today had long been the expected activation date in Thomas’ case.

Given the timing of this move, the 26-year-old will have time to ramp up in advance of the regular season. Thomas is entering his sixth campaign in New York, each of which have been spent as the team’s starter on the blind side. Considering the term remaining (five years) on his $23.5MM-per-year extension, a full season would be critical for team and player.

Thomas had been trending in this direction, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Though, he has missed substantial practice work while recovering from an injury sustained in Week 6 of last season. The Giants had seen some stumbling blocks form during the All-Pro’s recovery, but they had not wavered in confidence he would be ready to start the season. Thomas did stop short (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) of proclaiming he will start the season on time. That still seems likely, given the timing of this activation.

Chosen fourth overall in 2020, Thomas has proven to be the Giants’ best O-lineman by a wide margin. The team may well, should Evan Neal‘s bid to unseat Greg Van Roten at right guard fail, start the same O-line it did to open last season. That is certainly an atypical path after a 3-14 season, but having Thomas available again changes the equation.

The Giants are also expected to have Malik Nabers ready to roll to open the season, but injury trouble continues to slow the promising wide receiver. After a lingering toe problem kept Nabers on the shelf alongside Thomas during the Giants’ offseason program, he missed nearly two weeks of camp due to what is being classified as a minor back injury, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes. While a source informed Raanan Nabers is experiencing “normal camp tightness,” a two-week absence is a bit concerning regardless. Nabers returned to work Tuesday but has missed most of the Giants’ 2025 practices.

Nabers is certainly not the only NFL regular likely to miss his team’s full preseason slate, but his light participation since last season ended obviously differs from most players’ schedules. A shoulder issue also sidelined Nabers early during training camp, limiting his work with new QB Russell Wilson and eventual replacement Jaxson Dart.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Commanders, T George Fant Agree To Deal

August 19th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Adam La Rose

George Fant met with the Commanders last week, and a deal has emerged shortly thereafter. The veteran tackle has agreed to terms with Washington, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.

Fant was limited to just two games last season upon returning to the Seahawks. He had won the right tackle gig in 2024, but a depth spot will be in store this time around. The 33-year-old nevertheless has 75 starts to his name, so he will offer experience at either tackle spot if needed.

Upgrading along the offensive line was a priority for the Commanders this offseason. The team’s most notable move in that respect was the trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The five-time Pro Bowler will handle blindside duties on his third career team, with Brandon Coleman shifting to guard as a result. Tunsil has two years remaining on his pact, although none of his scheduled $21MM salary for 2026 is guaranteed.

A potential left tackle successor was added during the first round of the draft. Josh Conerly Jr. is currently focused on competing for the starting right tackle gig. He and incumbent Andrew Wylie are contesting the position. The runner-up will no doubt be viewed as the primary RT backup for 2025. Fant will also be an option in that respect, though, in addition to offering Washington a fill-in on the blindside.

The former UDFA saw considerable playing time over the course of his first Seahawks tenure as well as his Jets and Texans stints. Fant was contemplating signing with the Titans or Ravens earlier this offseason, but in the absence of an agreement on either front he continued searching for an opportunity. That included a visit with the Buccaneers, a team looking for depth until Tristan Wirfs is healthy. Instead of Tampa Bay, Fant is headed to the nation’s capital.

The Commanders entered Tuesday with nearly $17MM in cap space, and today’s signing will not considerably affect that total. Washington’s offense faces questions with the Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson situations unresolved, but the unit will have veteran depth up front in 2025.

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