NFL Injury Updates: McManus, Ingram, Pearsall, Lions
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
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
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
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 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
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
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 from practice squad: LB Kristian Welch
- Placed on IR: C Elgton Jenkins (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Suspended: RB Josh Williams
Washington Commanders
- Signed from practice squad: 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
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 from practice squad: 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
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.
Packers Notes: Reed, Cox, Lloyd, McManus
The Packers have gone most of the season without wide receiver Jayden Reed, who underwent clavicle and foot surgeries in mid-September. With the Packers off to a 5-2-1 start and leading the ultra-competitive NFC North, Reed could act as a second-half reinforcement for the team. Reed’s foot injury has fully healed, though his clavicle isn’t 100% yet, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Thanks in part to Reed’s three-catch, 45-yard, one-touchdown effort in Week 1, the Packers coasted to a 27-13 win over the division rival Lions. They’re due to face each other again on Thanksgiving. If Reed doesn’t return in Detroit, he should be back in Week 14 against another NFC North foe, Chicago, according to Silverstein. In the meantime, he’ll undergo weekly MRIs on his collarbone before the Packers’ medical staff clears him.
With Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, and Savion Williams, the Reed-less Packers still have a crowded receiving corps. Doubs is the only member of the group who has posted strong production over the entire season, though Watson has put up quality numbers in his first two games back from the torn ACL he suffered last year. Furthermore, quarterback Jordan Love lost one of his main targets, breakout tight end Tucker Kraft, to a season-ending ACL tear in a stunning home loss to Carolina last week. That’s all the more reason the Packers will gladly welcome back Reed, who averaged 60 catches, 825 yards, and seven TDs per year over his first two NFL seasons.
Like Reed, defensive end Brenton Cox is also trending toward a return, per Silverstein. Cox suffered a groin injury in Week 1, leading the Packers to place him on IR. They haven’t opened his 21-day practice window yet, but once they do, he shouldn’t require the full three weeks before reentering the Packers’ defensive mix. The third-year man totaled four sacks in just seven games in 2024. When healthy, he’ll add to Green Bay’s pass-rushing choices behind Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare. Teams approached the Packers about their edge surplus before the Nov. 4 deadline, but they rebuffed those clubs, Silverstein reports.
While the news is positive with Reed and Cox, there doesn’t appear to be a return in sight for injured running back MarShawn Lloyd. A third-round pick from USC in 2024, Lloyd played just one game as a rookie on account of multiple ailments (including appendicitis). This season hasn’t gone any better for Lloyd, who has spent all of it on IR with hamstring and groin injuries.
Lloyd has visited specialists to get the bottom of his issues, which Silverstein writes may be the result of a knee injury he suffered in college. The Packers still have high hopes for the speedy Lloyd, who they hope will serve as a capable complement to Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson, but they’re leery of activating him until they’re sure he’s healthy.
Switching gears to special teams, kicker Brandon McManus has disappointed since re-signing with the Packers on a three-year, $15.3MM deal last offseason. After missing only one of his 21 field goal tries and knocking in all 30 extra points last year, McManus has gone 11 of 16 on FGs (a dismal 68.8%) and 15 of 16 on PATs this season. The 34-year-old, who injured his quad in October, has missed three game-tying or game-winning kicks. He failed to convert a 43-yarder in a three-point loss last week.
Despite McManus’ struggles, his job isn’t in jeopardy yet (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). While the Packers brought in Lucas Havrisik as insurance last month, head coach Matt LaFleur said that McManus will retain his position heading into a crucial game against the Eagles on Monday night.