Green Bay Packers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Injury Updates: McManus, Ingram, Pearsall, Lions

November 16th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers are without regular kicker Brandon McManus today after he spent the week as “doubtful” on the injury report with a right quad injury, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. Backup kicker Lucas Havrisik is taking over kicking duties at MetLife today.

McManus’ quad injury has lingered since it forced him to miss the team’s Week 6 & 7 games earlier this year. Havrisik signed with Green Bay after a successful audition that also featured Greg Joseph. Havrisik was perfect in his two games in relief of McManus. He converted all four field goal attempts, including a career-long 61-yarder, and all six extra point attempts.

This will be McManus’ third missed game of the year. It’s not clear at the moment how much this week’s setback will affect him moving forward. Havirisik’s consistent presence on the 53-man roster means the Packers will be prepared for whatever his prognosis may be.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

With starting right guard Ed Ingram once again out this week for the Texans‘ trip to Tennessee as he deals with a sprained knee, the Texans have shifted usual starting right tackle Tytus Howard inside to right guard and tapped veteran tackle Trent Brown to sub in at right tackle, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Brown started there last week when Howard was out with a concussion.
Brock Purdy isn’t the only offensive player the 49ers are getting back after a long absence. Per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will also play today after missing every game since Week 4. Sitting out of practice for most of that time, as well, Pearsall was able to string together a couple limited practices before finally being a full participant on Friday.
Despite rising optimism for returns soon to come, the Lions ruled pass rusher Marcus Davenport, cornerback D.J. Reed, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, and rookie offensive guard Miles Frazier out for their game tonight, meaning all four players will remain on injured reserve with a designation to return.

Giants Place OL Evan Neal On IR

November 15th, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Giants placed offensive lineman Evan Neal on injured reserve, per a team announcement, likely ending the former first-round pick’s season and time in New York.

Neal has not appeared in a game all year but popped up on this week’s injury report with a hamstring issue that kept him out of practice. He could be activated after his four-game stint on IR is up, but his lack of a game day role suggests that the Giants would rather use the roster spot on another player.

It is hard to see Neal, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft, as anything but a bust. He was named the Giants’ starting right tackle as a rookie and kept it for the whole season, though he missed a few games due to an MCL sprain. Neal was benched midway through his second year and did not make enough progress over the subsequent offseason to get his job back. Injuries along the Giants’ offensive line in 2024 pressed Neal back into duty at right tackle for the last seven games of the season.

The Giants turned down Neal’s fifth-year option in May and were hoping a change to guard could salvage the final year of his rookie contract. The position switch did not take, and Neal is now poised to hit free agency as a potential reclamation project for another team.

New York’s other Saturday roster moves including the promotion of kicker Younghoe Koo to the active roster from the practice squad. Graham Gano was placed on injured reserve (for a second time) earlier this week, so Koo will take over the team’s kicking duties for the next four games. He made all four of his kicks in Week 10, though they all came inside of 40 yards.

The Giants also elevated wide receiver Dalen Cambre and defensive lineman Elijah Chatman from the practice squad for Sunday’s matchup against the Packers. Cambre, an undrafted rookie out of Louisiana, will make his NFL debut, likely as a special teams contributor. He could see some time on offense with veteran wideout Darius Slayton ruled out. Chatman, meanwhile, will make his 2025 debut with Chauncey Golston and Rakeem Nunez-Roches both expected to be sidelined. Chatman made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie last year and appeared in all 17 games with a 39% snap share, but he could not replicate the feat this season.

Packers To Start Sean Rhyan At Center

November 15th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Packers’ offensive line took a serious hit in their 10-7 loss to the Eagles on Monday. Center Elgton Jenkins fractured his leg and suffered ligament damage when quarterback Jordan Love rolled into him. Jenkins is unlikely to return this season as a result.

With Jenkins out for the foreseeable future, the Packers will turn to Sean Rhyan as their new starter, per Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s website. Rhyan stepped in for Jenkins in Week 10, played 41 snaps, and earned a grade of 61.1 from Pro Football Focus. That doesn’t fall far below Jenkins’ season grade of 62.0, which ranks 24th among 37 qualifying centers.

After Rhyan stood out as a left tackle at UCLA, the Packers used a third-round pick on him in 2022. The versatile 25-year-old has moved to the interior in the NFL.

While Rhyan was a 17-game starter at right guard last season, he has come off the bench in five of nine games this year. Jordan Morgan has taken over as the Packers’ right guard. Rhyan will now land another opportunity as a full-time starter, albeit under unfortunate circumstances.

This isn’t the first time Green Bay’s center position has gone through upheaval in 2025. After a successful run at guard, where he earned two Pro Bowl nods, Jenkins shifted to center to accommodate LG Aaron Banks. The Packers signed Banks, a former 49er, to a four-year, $77MM contract in free agency last offseason. With Jenkins sliding to center, the Packers let former starter Josh Myers leave for the Jets’ one-year, $3.5MM offer.

Jenkins is the only Packers O-lineman who has started all of their games this year, but they’ll now have to rely on Rhyan. He’ll join Morgan, Banks, and tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom as starters against the Giants in Week 11.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/25

November 12th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:

Buffalo Bills

Signed: DE Morgan Fox

Denver Broncos

Signed: WR Michael Bandy, DE Garrett Nelson

Green Bay Packers

Signed: G Lecitus Smith

Houston Texans

Signed: TE Layne Pryor, S K’Von Wallace

Pittsburgh Steelers

Released: S Darrick Forrest

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: CB Michael Reid, DT Bubba Thomas

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: OLB Benton Whitley

Wallace was one of three defensive backs to work out in Houston today alongside nickelback Beanie Bishop and safety Brandon Hill. Though Bishop showed promise in parts of his rookie campaign last year, Wallace boasts the most experience of the three and has been added to the fold as the Texans attempt to make up for the absences of M.J. Stewart and Jalen Pitre.

Packers C Elgton Jenkins Suffers Lower Leg Fracture, Ligament Damage

November 12th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 12: Jenkins also suffered ligament damage, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Set for surgery, the versatile offensive lineman hopes to return late in the 2025 season. But Fowler cautions that might be overly optimistic.

Losing Jenkins for the campaign’s duration would deal a blow to a contending team while also hurting Jenkins’ cause. The former Pro Bowl guard pushed for a contract adjustment this offseason but did not receive one. Jenkins would now head into a contract year coming off a major injury.

NOVEMBER 11: The Packers’ offensive line was dealt a significant blow during yesterday’s game. Center Elgton Jenkins departed the contest and it appears he is in store for a notable absence.

Jenkins suffered an injury late in the second quarter when quarterback Jordan Love rolled into his leg. Jenkins went to the sidelines at first but he was later carted to the locker room. X-Rays have revealed a lower leg fracture, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports.

No timeline is initially in place regarding Jenkins’ absence, but a lengthy period out of the fold is likely in store. The team termed the ailment an ankle injury when ruling him out for the remainder of the game. Head coach Matt LaFleur said it “doesn’t sound promising” when asked for an update on Jenkins. The Packers have dealt with a number of absences up front in 2025, and that will now continue at the center spot.

Left guard Aaron Banks as well as right tackle Zach Tom – who each signed big-money deals this offseason – have missed time this year. Both were healthy in time for Week 10, and the Packers had their preferred starting five available up front. Jenkins going down will require further shuffling along the O-line, though. Sean Rhyan took over at center to finish the game, and he could continue in that role moving forward.

Jenkins has earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods over the course of his career, but his best seasons have come at left guard. The Packers moved him to center ahead of the 2025 campaign, something which prompted discussions about a potential contract adjustment. Nothing was worked out on that front, meaning the 29-year-old remains on the books through 2026. His future beyond this season is not particularly in doubt, but it will be interesting to see how much time Jenkins is set to miss down the stretch due to this injury.

Eagles Place CB Jaire Alexander On Reserve/Retired List

November 12th, 2025 at 9:07am CST by Connor Byrne

Eagles cornerback Jaire Alexander stepped away from football on Tuesday to focus on his physical and mental health. It turns out that Alexander’s career may be over. The Eagles placed him on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday and activated cornerback Jakorian Bennett from IR in a corresponding move.

Now 28 years old, Alexander entered the NFL as a Packers first-rounder (No. 18 overall) in 2018. The former Louisville Cardinal quickly emerged as one of the league’s best corners. He earned two second-team All-Pro nods and a pair of Pro Bowl invitations during his first five seasons in the league. Alexander totaled 10 interceptions during that 62-game span.

The Packers signed Alexander to a four-year, $84MM extension before the 2022 season, which will go down as his most productive campaign. Alexander picked off a career-best five passes during a 16-start season, but he was unable to stay healthy after that.

After groin, back, shoulder, and knee injuries limited Alexander to 14 of a possible 34 regular-season games from 2023-24, the Packers released him last June. He quickly caught on with the Ravens on a one-year, $6MM deal, but the union didn’t work out for either side. Alexander dealt with a knee injury and appeared in just two games with Baltimore, which traded him and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Philadelphia for a 2026 sixth-rounder on Nov. 1.

Although Alexander expressed optimism about his health after the trade, he wasn’t active for the Eagles’ win over the Packers in Week 10. It now appears his career has come to an end.

While the Eagles are losing Alexander, Bennett is returning to bolster their corner depth. Acquired from the Raiders in August, Bennett played in three games and picked up 44 snaps (24 on defense, 20 on special teams) before the Eagles placed him on IR with a pectoral injury on Sept. 24.

Bennett will give the Eagles another option on the outside behind starters Quinyon Mitchell and Adoree’ Jackson. Slot standout Cooper DeJean, Michael Carter II, Kelee Ringo, and Mac McWilliams comprise the rest of the Eagles’ corners.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/25

November 11th, 2025 at 8:45pm CST by Connor Byrne

Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL…

Cleveland Browns

Waived: CB Tre Avery

Denver Broncos

Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: OT Geron Christian
Waived: WR/KR Michael Bandy
Placed on IR: LB Karene Reid

Green Bay Packers

Signed to active roster: LB Kristian Welch
Placed on IR: C Elgton Jenkins (story)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Suspended: RB Josh Williams

Washington Commanders

Signed to active roster: WR Robbie Chosen, WR Jacoby Jones
Placed on IR: CB Trey Amos (story)

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.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/10/25

November 10th, 2025 at 6:28pm CST by Connor Byrne

Here’s a look at Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL…

Cincinnati Bengals

Elevated: LB Brian Asamoah II

Green Bay Packers

Elevated: LB Kristian Welch

Los Angeles Rams

Signed to active roster: LS Jake McQuaide
Waived: LS Alex Ward

Tennessee Titans

Designated to return from IR: S Mike Brown, RB Kalel Mullings

The Titans will have 21 days to activate Brown and Mullings after opening their practice windows. Brown worked exclusively on special teams over four games before going on IR with a knee injury on Oct. 4. Mullings, a sixth-round rookie from Michigan, appeared in two games but didn’t record any offensive snaps before an ankle injury sent him to IR on Sept. 26.

Cowboys-Packers Micah Parsons Trade Includes Poison-Pill Provision

November 9th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

This summer, the Eagles reportedly made the top offer for Micah Parsons when it became clear the Cowboys were prepared to trade their star pass rusher in the wake of failed extension talks. Naturally, Dallas did not want to deal Parsons to a division rival, and the club ultimately shipped Parsons to the Packers. The Cowboys also took added measures to ensure Parsons would not end up in Philadelphia anytime soon.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers-Cowboys swap includes a poison-pill provision that requires Green Bay to surrender its 2028 first-round pick to Dallas if the Packers trade Parsons to another club in the NFC East. Likewise, the Cowboys will owe the Packers a 2028 first-rounder if they should trade defensive tackle Kenny Clark – who was sent to Dallas as part of the Parsons package – to another team in the NFC North.

While the Parsons component of the poison-pill condition technically applies to any NFC East team, Schefter’s sources say the Cowboys’ real concern was Philadelphia. In addition to the Eagles’ status as reigning Super Bowl champions and the fact that they look to be a championship contender for the foreseeable future, Parsons is a Harrisburg (Pa.) native and Penn State product who entertained dreams of playing for the Birds.

On the other hand, the condition expires at the end of the 2026 season, and Parsons’ childhood fantasies notwithstanding, the record-setting contract he signed with the Packers keeps him under club control through 2029. Even if Green Bay were inclined to trade him before the expiration of the condition – which is highly unlikely – the accompanying dead money charge would complicate those efforts.

Additionally, if the Packers and Eagles were adamant about completing a Parsons trade before the end of the 2026 slate, they still could. Philadelphia simply would have to include enough trade compensation to make up for the loss of Green Bay’s 2028 first-rounder.

Schefter and Jason Wilde of Channel3000.com acknowledge the odds of the poison pill coming into play are slim, though it does add yet another element to one of the most stunning trades in recent memory. The provision only recently came to light when other clubs, in preparation for last week’s trade deadline, reviewed the NFL’s database that tracks each team’s draft picks and realized the Cowboys and Packers have conditions attached to their 2028 first-rounders.

Many fans will remember that the Packers have been involved in high-profile poison-pill agreements before. When Green Bay traded quarterback Brett Favre to the Jets in 2008, part of the deal was that Gang Green would owe the Pack three first-rounders if they were to flip Favre to an NFC North outfit.

2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 8th, 2025 at 10:00pm 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 11:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

G Hayden Conner (practice window opened 11/13)
T Christian Jones

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

CB Garrett Williams (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Reverted to season-ending IR:

OL Storm Norton (practice window closed 11/12)

Eligible for activation:

CB Clark Phillips
OLB Bralen Trice (story)

Activated:

DL Ta’Quon Graham (Week 7)
S Jordan Fuller (Week 8)

Activations remaining: 5

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

OLB Adisa Isaac
WR Dayton Wade

Eligible for activation:

DL Broderick Washington (story)

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

OL Tylan Grable

Eligible for activation:

S Damar Hamlin (story)
CB Dorian Strong (story)

Activated:

CB Maxwell Hairston (Week 8)
DT T.J. Sanders (Week 11)

Activations remaining: 5

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

G Robert Hunt (story)
WR David Moore (story)

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

T Kiran Amegadjie

Designated for return:

CB Jaylon Johnson (11/14)

Activated:

RB Travis Homer (Week 7)
DE Austin Booker (Week 9)
LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 5

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

S Daijahn Anthony

Designated for return:

QB Joe Burrow (11/10)

Activated:

G Lucas Patrick (Week 7)
DE Cedric Johnson (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

LB Winston Reid

Designated for return:

WR Cedric Tillman Jr. (11/3)

Eligible for activation:

WR DeAndre Carter (story)

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

DE Payton Turner

Designated for return:

S Malik Hooker (11/13)
DT Perrion Winfrey (10/29)

Eligible for activation:

RB Phil Mafah (story)

Activated:

CB Caelen Carson (Week 7)
WR Jonathan Mingo (Week 8)
C Cooper Beebe (Week 9)

Activations remaining: 4

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

LB Drew Sanders

Designated for return:

TE Garret Wallow (11/12)

Eligible for activation:

TE Lucas Krull (story)
OL Matt Peart (story)
G Ben Powers (story)

Activated:

DL Malcolm Roach (Week 6)
LB Dre Greenlaw (Week 7)

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Designated for return:

OLB Marcus Davenport (11/12)
CB D.J. Reed (11/12)

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

S Daniel Thomas (Week 10)

Activations remaining: 7