Marcelino McCrary-Ball landed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3. When he returns, the defense will look a whole lot different than when he last played, and he could be in line for more responsibility with Quincy Williams facing an uncertain future with the organization. Before suffering his injury, McCrary-Ball collected 17 tackles and one forced fumble.
Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel played the first half of Sunday’s Week 11 matchup against the Ravens, but he was evaluated for a concussion at halftime and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Shedeur Sanders entered the game in relief of Gabriel and got his first taste of regular season action at the professional level.
Sanders, of course, was one of the most-discussed players in this year’s NFL news cycle. The polarizing prospect was once considered to have first-round upside, but he ultimately dropped to the fifth round of the 2025 draft before the Browns finally put an end to his precipitous slide (two rounds after Cleveland selected Gabriel). Veteran Joe Flacco opened the season as the club’s starting quarterback, but following his demotion in favor of Gabriel, Sanders remained the third-string passer.
Even after the trade that sent Flacco to the Bengals, head coach Kevin Stefanski did not immediately name Sanders as Gabriel’s backup. Practice squadder Bailey Zappe appeared to be in consideration for the role, which led to further questions about Sanders’ progress in practice.
Although Stefanski ultimately did tap Sanders as the Browns’ QB2 behind Gabriel, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that the team did not seem anxious to get the second-generation talent into a game. In the end, Gabriel’s head injury forced Stefanski’s hand.
At the end of September, Albert Breer of SI.com expressed his belief that neither Gabriel nor Sanders could do anything this season to prevent the Browns from selecting a passer in the first round of the 2026 draft. Through the first five starts of his pro career, Gabriel did not do anything to refute that notion, as he led the team to a 1-4 record while posting a poor quarterback rating and QBR of 80.4 and 32.3, respectively.
Breer recently reiterated his opinion that Cleveland’s 2026 starting quarterback is not presently on the roster. Interestingly, however, he said he can envision a scenario in which Deshaun Watson takes the field this season.
Watson, who is recovering from a second Achilles tear, is presently on the Browns’ reserve/PUP list. The latest reporting on the matter suggested the embattled passer is unlikely to play in 2025, but Breer’s note injects a little more intrigue into the situation.
Due to Watson’s albatross contract, the Browns would be hit with a ghastly $131.16MM dead cap charge if they were to cut him in the offseason, which lends credence to Breer’s belief that it can’t hurt to have Cleveland trot him out this year if he is healthy enough to play. On the other hand, that obviously would prevent additional evaluation of Gabriel and/or Sanders.
The Browns went into halftime of the Baltimore contest with a 16-10 lead but lost 23-16. Sanders was unable to engineer any scoring drives, and he completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. He added three rushes for 16 yards.
In fairness to Sanders, he had taken no practice reps with the first-team offense, as Stefanski told reporters after the game (via Zac Jackson of The Athletic). Stefanski added Gabriel will return to his QB1 post whenever he clears the concussion protocol.
With the 49ers set to see their starting quarterback return, Martinez’s presence on the 53-man roster is no longer necessary. He’ll likely find his way back to the team’s practice squad.
The Panthers’ two elevations, Barnes and Mukuamu, are direct reflections of injury absences for tomorrow’s game. With Trevin Wallace and Lathan Ransom ruled out for Sunday, Carolina made the decision to call up another player at each position.
Mevis will once again be called upon for kicking duties in Los Angeles. In his NFL debut last week, he was untested in terms of field goal attempts, but he converted all six extra point attempts in a blowout win in San Francisco.
Kamara in Tampa Bay is being called up for the third time this season. If the Buccaneers intend to play him in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster, much as the Ravens did after Bryan exhausted all three of his standard gameday practice squad elevations.
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.
The NFL issued Williams a six-game ban without pay for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Williams will be eligible for reinstatement after Week 16. The undrafted rookie from LSU has picked up four carries for 11 yards in three games this year.
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.
Even if the Jets hadn’t insisted on getting Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner deal, the second-year wideout was likely headed out of Indianapolis at the trade deadline.
However, the Jets’ desire to acquire Mitchell – and the Colts’ to acquire Gardner – made it impossible for the 2024 second-round pick to land in Cleveland. There, he could have stepped into a WR2 role right away. Of the Browns’ top six pass-catchers in terms of receptions, only one – Jerry Jeudy – is a receiver. After career-best numbers in 2024, his 22-257-0 line this season is even more disappointing considering his 54 targets. No other Browns wideout has more than 11 catches or 125 yards on the year.
That would have given Mitchell ample opportunity for more targets after averaging only two per game to start the season in Indianapolis. He should still see increased usage with in New York, as the Jets badly need a second receiver behind Garrett Wilson. He racked up 56 targets in the Jets’ first six games, and even after missing two games with a knee injury, he still has almost one-fourth of the team’s target share. Wilson hurt the same knee in Sunday’s win over the Browns, according to head coach Aaron Glenn, which could sideline him for a few more games. Mitchell should have a chance to step up in his absence, and even when his star teammate returns, there should still be plenty of targets to go around. The Jets’ other primary pass-catcher is rookie tight end Mason Taylor, who has 29 catches for 242 yards. Beyond that, the team’s next-most productive receivers are Tyler Johnson (10 catches for 187 yards) and Josh Reynolds (11 catches for 101 yards).
A glance at the Jets’ cap table shows even more opportunity for Mitchell in the future. The only receivers under contract beyond this year are Wilson, second-year UDFA Isaiah Williams, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith. Williams has just three catches for 31 yards this year, while Smith has just six for 47.
It might take Mitchell a while to get acclimated to a new scheme midseason, but a full offseason in New York won’t just help him fit into the offense. It will help his new coaching staff figure out the best ways to use him. Whether the Jets stick withJustin Fields or use their new draft capital to add a coveted veteran or rookie quarterback, they will want a better support system than what was in place for the franchise’s past signal-callers. That includes a young, athletic wideout like Mitchell who has plenty of potential and may now have the chance to show it.
NOVEMBER 8: The Browns activated Tillman from IR on Saturday, per a team announcement, clearing the way for him to return on Sunday against the Jets. Cleveland also signed safety Christopher Edmonds to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared on special teams in two games in 2024 as an undrafted rookie but has yet to take the field this season.
NOVEMBER 3: The Browns designated wide receiver Cedric Tillman to return from injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. Cleveland also released veteran safety Damontae Kazeefrom the 53-man roster.
Tillman started the first four games of the season and caught 11 of his 20 targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns. That is somewhat disappointing given his 71% snap share across those contests. The 25-year-old wideout suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 that landed him on IR, but he will return to practice this week after the Browns’ Week 9 bye. He will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR. Freeing up a 53-man roster spot right away indicates that Tillman will be activated sooner rather than later.
The Browns have struggled to get much production out of their wide receivers this season. Jerry Jeudy has regressed from his career-best production in 2024, and Jamari Thrash and Isaiah Bond have not impressed in their first NFL action. The rookie will likely step back into rotational roles when Tillman returns to the lineup.
The team’s quarterback woes are certainly a factor in their passing game struggles, as well. In theory, the return of a big-body receiver like Tillman could make life easier on Dillon Gabriel, but the 2023 third-rounder has not lived up to his draft profile of a physical deep threat with only 11.0 yards per catch and a 10.5-yard average depth of target in his career.
Kazee, a nine-year veteran, signed a one-year deal with the Browns during the offseason. He appeared in four games this year with 11 snaps on defense and 37 on special teams. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes this parting of ways was a mutual decision, with Kazee forfeiting his remaining guarantees (more than $200K) to allow for a fresh start.
The NFL’s latest trade deadline featured eight Tuesday trades, but a total of 22 in-season swaps occurred this year. Some teams made multiple trades; several others stood pat. Two of the biggest trades in deadline history went down this week.
As we detailed Wednesday in the latest Trade Rumors Front Office post, the Jets’ perspective brought strong value for young players toiling on a downtrodden team. The three first-rounders plus the 2026 second will give New York’s new decision-makers a chance to retool while having assets to either find a quarterback in the draft or trade for a veteran. While it will be difficult to replace Gardner and Williams, the Jets’ Darren Mougey-Aaron Glenn regime made the decision to cash in their top assets to launch a true rebuild — one that suddenly features plenty of QB ammo.
From the Colts’ perspective, Gardner brings an accomplished starter at a young age. Indianapolis received a player signed through 2030, though New York’s contract structure on the July extension limited the Gardner dead money to $19.75MM — far less than the Dolphins just took on for Ramsey or what the Saints absorbed upon trading Marshon Lattimore last year.
The Colts, after building from within for years, now have three high-cost DB contracts added this year in the Gardner accord and those given to Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum. Tied for the best record in the AFC (at 7-2), the Colts made a move and watched the Patriots, Broncos, Bills and Chiefs hold off on buyer’s trades.
Dallas’ stance is a bit more complicated. The Cowboys went from trading Micah Parsons for two first-rounders ahead of his age-26 season to acquiring Williams, who will turn 28 in December. The team still has three first-round picks between 2026 and ’27, but sending the higher-value ’27 first to the Jets strips away a prime asset for a player not on Parsons’ level.
Jerry Jones harped on the team’s run defense upon acquiring Kenny Clark in the Parsons trade, but that unit has faceplanted this season. Williams joins Clark and Osa Odighizuwa in a suddenly pricey Dallas D-tackle corps, and the longtime Jet had angled for a contract rework — something the Cowboys may now have to navigate.
The Cowboys also addedLogan Wilson, after trying to grabQuincy Williams from the Jets in a two-brother trade, but the younger Williams brother represents the obvious talking point here. Dallas’ interior D-line is well stocked. Will Quinnen Williams help transform a sub-.500 Cowboys team in the way Amari Cooper did after the team surrendered a first at the 2018 deadline?
Meyers will help the Jags replace Travis Hunter and provide some stability in a receiving corps also dealing with a Brian Thomas Jr. injury. Shaheed joins a surging Seattle squad, reuniting with 2024 New Orleans OC Klint Kubiak, and will be an interesting complementary piece for All-Pro candidate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With Smith-Njigba, Shaheed, Cooper Kupp and rookie Tory Horton, the Seahawks look to have one of the NFL’s best receiving cadres.
Jacksonville also engaged in a cornerback swap, prying contract-year cover man Greg Newsomefrom the Browns in October. Newsome has started two games with the Jags and has incentive to perform well this season, as he is uncontracted for 2026. Tyson Campbell is signed through 2028, giving the Browns some cost certainty — albeit now carrying two upper-crust CB contracts, along with Denzel Ward‘s — at a premium position.
Cleveland did not aggressively sell, keeping its guards, David Njoku and other rumored trade assets, though they did do Joe Flacco a solid — to Mike Tomlin‘s chagrin — by trading the demoted QB within the division. Flacco immediately became the Bengals’ starter and has rejuvenated Cincy’s offense.
The Rams quietly bolstered their CB contingent by obtaining Titans contract-year slot playerRoger McCreary, while Tennessee also sent Dre’Mont Jones to Baltimore. The Ravens added Jones and Alohi Gilman, the latter becoming an immediate starter and helping maximize All-Pro Kyle Hamilton. Jones, who has 4.5 sacks this season, replaces Odafe Oweh — traded to the Chargers in the Gilman swap — in Baltimore’s OLB rotation. A former 3-4 defensive end, Jones gives Baltimore some pass rush options after Gilman supplied them with a deep safety. Gilman is also in a contract year.
While the Dolphins did not dive into full sales mode, retaining Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb, after parting with longtime GM Chris Grier, they did obtain a third-round pick for Phillips — who is in his fifth-year option season. The Chargers also added two more trades before the 3pm buzzer Tuesday, most notably addingTrevor Penning — a three-position starter for the Saints — for a late 2027 draft choice. A contract-year blocker, Penning will be an option for a battered Bolts’ tackle corps.
The Steelers’ long-rumored wide receiver quest did not lead to a deal, but the team did add veteran safetyKyle Dugger, who had fallen out of favor with the Patriots despite signing an eight-figure-per-year extension as a transition-tagged player in 2024.
Who do you think did the best job at this year’s deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
