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2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

October 4th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

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 are 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 at that point.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 7:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Chicago Bears

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Minnesota Vikings

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

New York Jets

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Tennessee Titans

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Washington Commanders

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25

September 27th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

With Colts cornerback Kenny Moore presumed to potentially miss a few weeks, the recent signee, Hilton, will get his opportunity to supplement the team’s secondary. He may be able to earn an official spot on the 53-man roster with an impactful game. Similarly, Cropper may be able to get into his first NFL game since going undrafted in 2023 as he gets elevated to a receiving corps that will sorely miss CeeDee Lamb.

Morris is getting called up for the third time for Jacksonville. If the Jaguars intend for him to appear in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Could Return During 2025 Season

September 23rd, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Early in his season debut in Week 2, Jaylon Johnson suffered a groin injury after missing considerable training camp time with a different one. Shortly after going down, it became clear the Bears’ top corner could miss the remainder of the season.

The door is open to a return late in the campaign, though. Johnson is expected to finalize plans for core muscle surgery this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that is the case (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin) while adding a return late in the campaign could be possible.

Losing Johnson has dealt a major blow to the Bears’ secondary, and he remains on track to miss at least the bulk of Chicago’s remaining schedule. The unit has also been without star nickel Kyler Gordon so far this season due to a hamstring injury. Their replacements – Nahshon Wright on the boundary and Nick McCloud in the slot – have given up four touchdowns and more than 300 yards when targeted in their first three games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Getting their starting cornerbacks back on the field as soon as possible would be a significant boost to a struggling defense. The Bears sit 28th in points allowed under Dennis Allen and 29th in total defense. Gordon should return to the field well before Johnson, though the Bears may take a cautious approach and hold him out until after their Week 5 bye. Johnson will take much longer, and if the Bears are out of playoff contention when he’s ramping up, the risk of re-injury might not be worth a few appearances at the end of the season.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/20/25

September 20th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves and Week 3’s standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Elevated: T Tyler McLellan

Washington Commanders

There were some eyes on whether or not the Browns would add a kicker for the weekend after Andre Szmyt needed to undergo some MRI testing, but no such moves were made and Szmyt heads into the weekend without an injury designation. The team did report a workout with veteran kicker Matthew Wright, though, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire.

The 49ers will lose some additional offensive line depth as they place their intended swing tackle, Burford, on injured reserve. Additionally, with Martinez not getting signed to the active roster, it appears that injured starter Brock Purdy will not be active as an emergency option, as was rumored a bit yesterday. Purdy should be inactive as a result.

Herbig announced his retirement at the end of July after spending a good portion of the offseason with the Commanders. The 27-year-old was coming off a 2024 season in which he missed the entirety of the year with a shoulder injury. Washington’s release of Herbig from the reserve/retired list gives him an opportunity to sign with a new team as a free agent. There’s no guarantee that he’s headed anywhere specific, but he likely initiated the transaction in order to explore his options.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/25

September 19th, 2025 at 6:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s practice squad transactions in the NFL:

Chicago Bears

  • Released from practice squad/injured list (with injury settlement): DE Xavier Carlton

Seattle Seahawks

With White getting released from the 53-man roster today and brought back to the practice squad, the rookie out of Miami becomes a free agent. Martinez himself has been dropped and brought back to the practice squad in Seattle before, so he may be a candidate to return if things open up again.

NFL Restructures: Simmons, Johnson, CJGJ, Ward, Smith

September 18th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Titans recently gave Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons a $633K raise to rectify a miscalculation of his fifth-year option, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

The Titans drafted Simmons with the 19th overall pick in the 2019 draft, and after 8.5 sacks and his first Pro Bowl in 2021, the team knew they had a long-term anchor for their defensive line. Tennessee picked up Simmons’ fifth-year option during the 2022 offseason and signed him to a $94MM extension the following year. That extension was meant to include the fifth-year option, but the deal undercounted his 2023 salary by one game, resulting in a $633K shortage.

Simmons’ agent discovered the error, and the Titans agreed to rectify the mistake with a signing bonus, according to Florio. The adjusted contract is not considered an extension.

A few other players from the 2019 draft class who signed extensions off their fifth-year options had a similar miscalculation in their deal. As a result, Simmons’ new deal could set a precedent around the league with other players seeking similar retroactive payments.

  • The Bears restructured the contract of cornerback Jaylon Johnson to create $8MM of cap space, per ESPN’s Field Yates. $12MM of his 2025 salary was converted to a signing bonus and prorated across the three remaining years of the deal. Chicago made the move before Johnson went down with a groin injury that could end his season.
  • The Texans completed a maximum restructure of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s deal to reduce his cap hit to $3.1MM, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. His $7.75MM salary was reduced to the veteran minimum with the remaining $6.58MM converted into a signing bonus and prorated across the remainder of the contract, which includes void years from 2027 to 2030.
  • The Browns also did a maximum restructure with cornerback Denzel Ward‘s contract, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. His salary was also reduced to the veteran minimum with $12.22MM converted into a signing bonus. As a result, his 2025 cap hit dropped by $9.78MM to $14.78MM, per OverTheCap.
  • In another AFC North restructure, the Ravens converted $12MM of linebacker Roquan Smith‘s 2025 salary that was prorated across the three remaining years of his deal. The move cleared $8MM in cap space, according to Russell Street Report’s Brian McFarland.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson To Undergo Surgery; 2025 Return In Doubt

September 15th, 2025 at 1:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

1:50pm: Johnson will indeed need surgery, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He adds a return could take place late in the campaign but there is a strong chance Johnson will be out for the remainder of the season. Fellow corner Terell Smith has already been lost to a torn patellar tendon suffered during the preseason. Chicago’s setup in the secondary will be worth monitoring given this latest blow dealt to the unit.

12:57am: Jaylon Johnson made his season debut yesterday but was unable to finish the game. The Bears’ top cornerback is now in position to miss an extended period.

Johnson missed training camp as well as Chicago’s season opener while recovering from a groin injury. During the second quarter of the team’s blowout loss against the Lions, he exited and did not return. In the latest update on the situation, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Courtney Cronin report Johnson is out indefinitely. This is a new groin injury, per head coach Ben Johnson (via Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network).

The full extent of the injury is unknown at this point. Surgery could be on the table, depending on what further testing reveals. In any event, losing Johnson for an extended stretch will deal a notable blow to the Bears’ defense. The unit struggled mightily with and without him on Sunday, and being shorthanded in the secondary will be an unwelcomed development as the team looks to recover from its 0-2 start.

Johnson is in his sixth NFL season, each of which have come as a member of the Bears. The 26-year-old received the franchise tag last offseason to prevent a potential free agent departure. Johnson later signed a four-year, $76MM deal ensuring his status as a foundational member of the team’s secondary. He earned a second straight Pro Bowl nod last season but missed considerable time during the summer in advance of the current campaign.

Johnson was activated from the PUP list during roster cutdowns, allowing for him to return within the first four weeks of the season. The former second-rounder managed to do so, but after a brief spell on the field he will be sidelined for a notable stretch. Slot corner Kyler Gordon – who landed a lucrative new deal this spring – has yet to play this year, so Johnson’s absence could be particularly troublesome if Gordon remains unavailable for Week 3.

Chicago allowed a fourth-quarter comeback against the Vikings in Week 1 before surrendering 52 points against the Lions yesterday. Improvements on defense will be sought out over the coming weeks, and the team’s secondary will be a unit worth watching closely. Johnson will not be part of the Bears’ efforts to take a needed step forward for at least the time being, though.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/25

September 13th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Here’s are today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears 

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

With one quarterback on the reserve/non-football injury list and starter Brock Purdy inactive, Martinez comes up with the potential to appear in his first ever NFL game, though Niners fans hope his presence will not be necessary.

Bell will be active for tomorrow’s game as the Seahawks work to replace second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori in the secondary. Emmanwori has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Similarly, Wallow will be part of the Broncos’ efforts to fill in for injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who has been ruled out for the second week in a row.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/25

September 13th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

Washington Commanders

The Commanders needed Wishnowsky as insurance with regular punter Tress Way dealing with back issues throughout the week, but having made it through Week 2 with a heathy Way, Washington brings back Cager, whom they dropped to make room for Wishnowsky.

Carlton was moved off the practice squad to make room for former third-round kicker Jake Moody, who cleared waivers after getting cut from San Francisco this week and signed a practice squad deal in Chicago.

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