NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/25
Today’s practice squad moves in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: S Patrick McMorris
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Jalen Kimber, LB Baylon Spector
- Released: LB Otis Reese
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Keion Crossen, G Darrian Dalcourt
- Released: S Israel Mukuamu, G Aiden Williams
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: S Julius Wood
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Troy Pride Jr.
- Released: CB Mike Hilton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Tim Jones
- Released: WR Erik Ezukanma
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: P Brad Robbins
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: T Matt Waletzko
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Jashaun Corbin
- Released: G Royce Newman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Ronnie Bell, TE Moliki Matavao
- Released: T Sataoa Laumea, WR Tommy Mellott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: S Jaylen Mahoney
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Owen Wright
- Released: G Sua Opeta
Tennessee Titans
- Released: CB Alex Johnson
Cowboys Place S Malik Hooker On IR
The Cowboys placed safety Malik Hooker on injured reserve on Saturday, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
Hooker started the team’s first four contests of the season before exiting last week’s game against the Packers with a toe injury. Now, he will be out for at least four games and will be eligible to return in Week 9.
The eight-year veteran has gotten off to a rough start in 2025, allowing a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He has been better as a run defender, consistently playing downhill to meet ballcarriers in the hole and missing just one of his 16 tackles.
Hooker will be replaced in the starting lineup by Juanyeh Thomas, who closed out the game in Week 4. The 2023 UDFA has been a depth safety and core special teams player during his three years in Dallas, so starting in Hooker’s absence is a major opportunity.
The Cowboys also signed safety Alijah Clark to the active roster from the practice squad. The undrafted rookie will further reinforce the secondary while helping out on special teams as well. Wideouts Jalen Brooks and Jalen Cropper were both elevated from the practice squad for Week 5 to bolster a receiving room that will be without CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin on Sunday.
Cowboys Open To George Pickens Extension?
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated (via Clarence Hill of All City DLLS) that Dallas was open to signing wide receiver George Pickens to a contract extension.
Jones praised Pickens as an “exemplary teammate” and again referred to the Micah Parsons trade as an opportunity to sign multiple players for the price of one.
Pickens was traded to the Cowboys in May and initially said that he was planning to play out the final year of his contract. That may still be the case, but he indicated in August that he was open to an extended stay in Dallas. Pickens also hinted that he was more comfortable in the locker room relative to his time in Pittsburgh, which was marked by attendance issues and sideline outbursts.
The 24-year-old wideout got off to a good, but not great start in Dallas with 13 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games. But after CeeDee Lamb went down with a high ankle sprain, Pickens exploded for an 8-134-2 stat line in his first full game as the Cowboys’ WR1. He is now on pace for career-highs across the board, though Lamb’s eventual return will eat into his target share. Continuing to produce will certainly keep him as a featured target in the Cowboys offense, even when Lamb retakes his role.
Pickens could be in line for a massive contract if he finishes with another 1,000-yard season, especially if he reaches 4,000 career receiving yards by the end of his fourth season. Fellow 2022 draftee Jameson Williams signed a three-year, $80MM extension earlier this year, though that value is inflated by per-game roster bonuses, workout bonuses, and a non-guaranteed option bonus due in the final year of the deal. Williams has significantly less production than Pickens, so the latter should be able to match or eclipse that deal with a more player-friendly structure.
Signing Pickens to an extension would certainly make sense given that the Cowboys gave up third- and fifth-round picks for him (and a sixth-rounder in a pick-swap exchange) in the offseason. That is not too high a price for a one-year rental, but trading for a young, productive player at the end of his rookie deal suggests that Dallas made the move with the future in mind.
Cowboys Open Practice Windows For Jonathan Mingo, Caelen Carson
The Cowboys have gone without wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and cornerback Caelen Carson all season, but that may not be the case for much longer. The team opened both players’ 21-day practice windows on Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.
Mingo sprained the PCL in his right knee in August, forcing him to start his first full season in Dallas on injured reserve. The Panthers invested a high selection on Mingo in 2023, taking the former Mississippi receiver 39th overall. Mingo underwhelmed in a Panthers uniform, though, and the team elected to send him and a seventh-round selection to the Cowboys for a fourth-rounder before last November’s trade deadline.
After joining the Cowboys, Mingo played in eight games and failed to establish himself with a change of scenery, catching a mere five of 16 targets for 46 yards. Between the Panthers and Cowboys, he appeared in 17 games last season and secured just 17 of his 42 targets for 167 yards and no scores.
If Mingo plays this year, he should be low on a Dallas WR depth chart that possesses an enviable one-two punch in CeeDee Lamb (currently injured) and George Pickens. Fellow receivers KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert have combined for 21 catches, meanwhile, and tight end Jake Ferguson has already made 34 receptions during the team’s 1-2-1 start.
Carson, out since hyperextending his knee in July, has endured an injury-marred career so far. The 2024 fifth-rounder from Wake Forest only made six appearances (five starts) as a rookie before going on IR with a shoulder ailment that required surgery. The Carson-less Cowboys have opened this season dead last in the NFL against the pass, having surrendered 297.3 yards per game. Although Carson remains largely unproven at the pro level, the Cowboys will happily welcome him back as a reinforcement if he proves healthy enough for activation.
Because the Cowboys designated Mingo as an IR-return player in August, he already counts toward their eight-activation limit in-season. Carson, however, landed on IR after Dallas set its initial 53-man roster. He will not count toward the Cowboys’ activation total until the team moves him back onto its 53-man roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Jaden Davis
- Released: CB Ekow Boye-Doe
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: C Sam Mustipher
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Ameer Speed
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Parris Campbell
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Tre Flowers, LB Ty Summers
- Released: WR Ronnie Bell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB Carter Bradley
- Released: QB Seth Henigan
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Leroy Watson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Michael Dunn, CB Isas Waxter
- Released: CB Myles Purchase, OLB Rashad Weaver
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OT Matt Waletzko
- Released: WR Tim Jones
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Sebastian Gutierrez, G Andrew Rupcich
- Released: G Jack Conley, DL Fabien Lovett
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Liam Fornadel
- Released: LB Ben Niemann
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: LB Lance Dixon
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OT Logan Brown
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/25
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: OLB DJ Johnson
- Waived/injured: WR Dalevon Campbell
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OT Brant Banks
Houston Texans
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: OL Jarrett Kingston
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: LB Buddy Johnson
- Waived: LB Cameron McGrone
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: TE Carter Runyon
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: S Sebastian Castro
- Placed on IR: S Rashad Wisdom
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/25
Four teams are playing on Monday night, three of which made elevations from their practice squad. Here are those transactions and the rest of today’s minor moves from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: RB Michael Carter
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: WR DeAndre Carter
Denver Broncos
- Elevated from practice squad: LB Garret Wallow
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed from Cowboys’ practice squad: LB Buddy Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed from practice squad: K Riley Patterson
- Placed on IR: CB Jason Marshall
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: WR Malik Nabers (story)
- Waived: OLB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Elevated from practice squad: S Dean Clark, LB Mykal Walker
With Jason Sanders on IR, Patterson has been the Dolphins’ kicker to start the season. The team used up his three practice squad elevations in the first three games, so he had to be signed to the active roster to play in Monday night’s game vs. the Jets.
Marshall, a fifth-round pick in April’s draft, played a rotational role in a depleted Dolphins secondary in Weeks 1-3. The unit will now need to turn to depth options like Cornell Armstrong and Julius Brents.
Cowboys’ Jadeveon Clowney Expects To Play In Week 4
SEPTEMBER 28: Clowney is expected to make his Dallas debut against the Packers in Week 4, per Machota. As the Cowboys go up against Micah Parsons, the superstar they traded to Green Bay shortly before the start of the season, they will hope Clowney can give their Parsons-less pass rush a lift.
SEPTEMBER 21: Clowney is indeed inactive for Week 3, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. His debut will need to wait at least one more week. In more positive injury news, cornerback Trevon Diggs – who emerged on the injury report yesterday – will be active.
SEPTEMBER 20: Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Friday afternoon (via team writer Patrik Walker) that edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney will be a game-time decision on Sunday, adding that “the lean is toward him not playing this week.”
However, owner Jerry Jones said on Friday morning (via the Athletic’s Jon Machota) that he expected Clowney to make his Cowboys debut, though his snap count might be limited. Clearly, the team has yet to make a final determination regarding their recent signing.
Even Clowney has waffled on his status for Week 3. When asked on Monday, he said that he expected to play in Chicago, adding, “That’s what I’m here for,” per Walker. On Friday, he was much less certain.
“Whatever they have planned, I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to get out there,” he said, according to Walker.
The former No. 1 overall pick missed training camp and is joining a different team for the third year in a row, so he needed some time to ramp up physically and get acclimated to a new scheme.
On Monday, Clowney also revealed that the addition of Kenny Clark was a major factor in bringing him to Dallas. He instructed his agent to reach out to the Cowboys “as soon as Kenny Clark signed here,” and days later, the deal was done.
Clowney has also been dealing with an unfortunate incident off the field. He was arrested in his hometown of Rock Hill, Texas while attempting to park at his aunt’s house before a high school football game, according to Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. Clowney was officially charged with trespassing and failure to provide his ID, per WSPA’s Doug Coats.
The 32-year-old also told Hill that he has dealt with similar situations in Texas in the past, but had never been arrested before. He is planning to fight the case.
Cowboys G Tyler Booker Expected To Miss Extensive Time; Booker, WR CeeDee Lamb Could Be Placed On IR
SEPTEMBER 28: Team EVP Stephen Jones said the Cowboys will make a determination in the next few days as to whether Lamb and/or Booker will need to be placed on IR, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Both players are currently in walking boots.
SEPTEMBER 22: The Cowboys lost two offensive starters to high ankle sprains in Week 3. In addition to CeeDee Lamb going down, Tyler Booker will not be available to the team for the foreseeable future.
Booker is expected to miss at least three weeks because of the high ankle malady he sustained in Chicago, AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill reports. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer pegs the timetable at 4-6 weeks. The latter duration being where this settles would make the first-round pick an IR candidate.
This represents another bad break for the Cowboys, who have center Cooper Beebe on IR. Brought in after Zack Martin‘s retirement, Booker started at right guard in Dallas’ first three games. The injury also comes after second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton — the team’s 2024 first-round pick — missed several weeks due to a knee injury sustained early in training camp. Guyton returned in time for Week 1 but continues to see new faces along the O-line.
IR is a possibility for both Lamb and Booker, Jerry Jones said (via WFAA’s Ed Werder). This comes after a report indicated Lamb was not an IR candidate. An IR transaction would sideline either until Week 8. Booker played through the injury but will take a seat for a while.
If the Cowboys are planning on carrying Lamb on their 53-man roster, a Booker IR move would make more sense. Two of Dallas’ injury activations went to Jonathan Mingo and Payton Turner in August. The team will likely hold another for Beebe, and rookie running back Phil Mafah also landed on IR shortly after roster-cutdown day. These placements would stand to factor into the Cowboys’ decision with Booker.
Weeks after the Martin news, the Cowboys drafted Booker at No. 12 overall. Sporting a keen eye for first-round talent over the past several years, the Cowboys only placed 12 first-round grades on prospects this year. This led to the team staying at 12 and taking Booker, doing so after previously eyeing Tetairoa McMillan. The Cowboys identified four All-Pro O-linemen (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Martin, Tyler Smith) in Round 1 from 2011-22, and they will hope Booker — now opposite a guard-record contract given to Tyler Smith — will follow that path.
The Cowboys have 2023 UDFA T.J. Bass and waiver claim Trevor Keegan as options to replace Booker. Bass would seemingly be the more likely option, having started five games from 2023-24 and having played in all three Cowboys contests this season. Keegan has not played this year.
In better Cowboys news, cornerback DaRon Bland is on track to return for Week 4, Archer adds. Joining Tyler Smith as a recent extension recipient, missed Dallas’ past two games with a foot injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25
Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DT Jordan Phillips
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed from practice squad: LB Carl Jones
- Elevated: TE Stephen Carlson, DT Jonathan Ford
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: WR Jalen Cropper
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Jackson Meeks
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Myles Bryant, CB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Mike Hilton, G Josh Sills
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Quintin Morris, WR Austin Trammell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: CB Kevin Knowles, DT Brodric Martin
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Carter Runyon
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: T Foster Sarell, RB Kimani Vidal
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, C Brenden Jaimes
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: DE Fadil Diggs, LB Nephi Sewell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: CB Eli Apple
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, RB Jordan Mims
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Antonio Hamilton, WR Tay Martin
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.