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Packers To Reassess Zach Tom After Week 5

September 26th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Nikhil Mehta

11:26am: Belton will be unavailable in Week 4 after suffering an ankle injury in Wednesday’s practice, according to head coach Matt LaFleur (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). That will likely position Kinnard to start at right tackle with Morgan likely continuing at left guard in Banks’ absence.

9:56am: Packers right tackle Zach Tom is unlikely to take the field for Sunday night’s showdown with the Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Tom suffered an oblique injury in Week 1 that sidelined him for one game. He returned in Week 3 only to reaggravate the injury on the first snap. He has not participated in practice this week.

Green Bay is planning to reassess Tom’s oblique after their Week 5 bye in the hopes that he can quickly return to the field and ramp up for the team’s next game vs. the Bengals, per Schefter.

The Packers have tried three players at right tackle in Tom’s absence to varying amounts of success. Former Eagle Darian Kinnard and rookie Anthony Belton both stepped in after Tom went down in Week 1. Belton got the start in Week 2 and replaced Tom in Week 3, with Kinnard getting snaps in both games. The Packers also put 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan at right tackle for a handful of snaps in Week 3.

Belton was limited in practice on Wednesday before missing Thursday’s session, so Green Bay may rely on Kinnard and Morgan in Week 4 vs. Cincinnati, though the latter may be needed to replace injured left guard Aaron Banks. Like Tom, he was sidelined in Week 2, re-injured himself in the next game, and has yet to practice this week.

Tom has been durable in his career, appearing in 40 straight game since cracking the starting lineup as a rookie until his Week 2 absence. The Packers will be hoping that he can return to the field quickly and play the rest of the season without issue.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/25

September 24th, 2025 at 8:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/25

September 23rd, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

As teams enter Week 4, here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

The Falcons’ kicking rollercoaster took another turn in Week 3 with John Parker Romo missing both of his attempts in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Granted, those kicks came from 49 and 55 yards, so Atlanta may have some patience after signing Romo to a two-year contract last week. The Falcons still brought in some potential competition in Sauls, an undrafted rookie who spent training camp with the Steelers and made five of his six field goals in the preseason.

Wright is expected to be out for four to six weeks due to a foot injury, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Watson signed with the Buccaneers after the draft but remained on the non-football injury list as he worked to get his weight to a more manageable level. He was waived during final roster cuts, but the team hosted him for a workout last week, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman. Watson met the team’s athletic requirements to earn his way back on the practice squad, according to Auman, and will return just in time for the Bucs’ Week 4 matchup with the Eagles. The massive nose tackle does feel like a direct counter to the tush push, but Bowles previously said (via Auman) that Watson wouldn’t be re-signed just for one matchup and would instead need to be ready to contribute to the defense as a whole.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/25

September 23rd, 2025 at 8:24pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest minor moves around the NFL coming out of Week 3:

Arizona Cardinals

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

  • Released: WR Tim Jones
  • Waived from IR: DE Alex Williams

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kieft’s leg injury is likely to end his season, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The 27-year-old had just started his fourth season as a core special teams contributor for the Bucs and will now spend the year rehabbing before he hits free agency in the spring.

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.

Packers Discussed Romeo Doubs With Teams During Offseason

September 18th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers’ wide receiver surplus — created by the team using first- and third-round selections at the position in April — generated intrigue during the offseason. Jayden Reed‘s agent discussed where the team’s top returning wideout stood in the grand scheme, and Christian Watson‘s status was murky due to the ACL tear he suffered in Week 18 of last season.

Fast-forward to mid-September, and the Packers are 2-0 without much production from first-round pick Matthew Golden. The former Houston and Texas pass catcher has two catches for 16 yards through two games. Third-rounder Savion Williams is also working as a backup. Reed’s collarbone injury (and subsequent foot surgery) brought a complication, and the team indeed had Watson in its long-term plans — as the recent one-year, $11MM extension showed.

This setup leaves only Romeo Doubs as a contract-year player in this mix. The arrivals of Golden and Williams to go with the Watson extension point Doubs out of Wisconsin by 2026, and The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes the Packers are believed to have discussed Doubs with teams this offseason.

Given the Packers’ injury issues at receiver right now, Doubs stands as a more important piece than he otherwise would be. Reed is out indefinitely, with a two-surgery rehab effort likely prolonging his recovery timetable, while Watson is on the reserve/PUP list. Watson may be readying to return when first eligible, but it is also quite possible the Packers give the recently paid receiver a ramp-up period after designating him for return. Indeed, Schneidman adds that Doubs is unlikely to be moved now.

I posited Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks as potential trade chips this offseason, but with the other two returning WRs down, both players are fairly important to the team’s early-season plan. Tucker Kraft looking increasingly poised for a top-market tight end extension also represents an important Packers pass-game storyline, as the third-year player may be the team’s top target while Doubs, Wicks and Golden mix in during the Reed and Watson absences.

A fourth-round pick out of Nevada in 2022, Doubs has played well in spurts for a Packers team that has rolled with an egalitarian setup at receiver post-Davante Adams. Doubs eclipsed 600 yards in each of the past two seasons, scoring eight touchdowns in 2023 and adding four last year. Last season did bring a one-game team-imposed suspension after Doubs expressed frustration about his role. But he reemerged as a solid auxiliary Jordan Love target in the weeks that followed. The Steelers’ George Pickens trade loosely tied them to Doubs, due to his rookie-year overlap with Aaron Rodgers, but nothing came of it.

With Reed, Wicks, Golden, Williams and now Watson signed beyond this season, Doubs would appear to be auditioning for other teams this year. Among first-time UFAs at receiver, the 6-foot-2 weapon would join Pickens, Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Wan’Dale Robinson, Alec Pierce and Jalen Tolbert as notable options. Though, veterans like Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and Jakobi Meyers are also noncontracted for 2026. The Packers and Doubs would benefit from another productive season, even if this partnership appears unlikely to continue beyond this year.

Packers WR Jayden Reed Undergoes Clavicle, Foot Surgeries

September 17th, 2025 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Given an extended rehab window after suffering a broken collarbone in Week 2, Jayden Reed will use it to address another issue that had plagued him entering the season. As a result, the Packers wide receiver will have an unusual road to travel.

In addition to the expected clavicle surgery, Reed confirmed (via X) he also underwent a foot operation. Reed will now be out indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will create an interesting mission for the third-year pass catcher. The 2023 and ’24 Green Bay receiving leader will be rehabbing two surgeries in-season while having a presumptive goal of returning before year’s end.

The collarbone injury was to sideline Reed between six and eight weeks. As we discussed last week, this injury opened a door for Reed to take care of his foot issue — one he had previously tried to play through. A late-August report confirmed Reed had suffered a Jones fracture in his foot. This injury can sideline players for several weeks, but in-season returns are not unheard of. Deebo Samuel came back from a June 2020 Jones fracture by Week 4, while Derrick Henry rehabbed a November 2021 Jones fracture in time to return for the Titans’ divisional-round game.

Reed, of course, will need to devote time to recovering from two injuries. He had missed most of training camp but returned in time for Week 1, hauling in three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. This will mark one of the more interesting rehab odysseys in recent NFL history, especially with the Packers looking like one of the NFL’s best teams through two weeks. They have also done so, once again, without a defined target hierarchy.

Reed’s agent spoke with Packers brass about the WR’s status following the team’s first- and third-round receiver picks (Matthew Golden, Savion Williams). Through two games, the Pack have not seen Golden contribute much. The Houston- and Texas-developed wideout has two receptions for 16 yards. Romeo Doubs (96 yards) and Dontayvion Wicks (74) are leading Green Bay WRs in yardage, with Tucker Kraft emerging as the team’s de facto No. 1 receiver (with 140). Much will be expected of Golden post-Reed, but the Packers still have some depth even without Reed and Christian Watson.

Watson, who is rehabbing an ACL tear sustained in Week 18, is now expected to return before Reed. With the latter now on a two-surgery rehab road, it will be interesting to see how his timetable will be affected. The Packers still have a route to their deep receiver array emerging, but a second Reed procedure does provide a notable complication.

Packers’ Christian Watson Expects To Practice When First Eligible

September 16th, 2025 at 5:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers entered the season with a deep receiving corps, but two of those players are unavailable. Jayden Reed has landed on IR due to a broken collarbone; the third-year wideout joins Christian Watson as sidelined Packer pass catchers.

Long expected to begin the season on the shelf — because of a Week 18 ACL tear — Watson has since signed a one-year, $11MM extension ($6.1MM guaranteed). That illustrates some faith on Green Bay’s part, though the team could be landing a potential bargain considering the value the former second-round pick would have brought as a 2026 free agent without the injury in the equation. And Watson looks to be moving closer to recovering from that setback.

The fourth-year weapon said (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) he expects to see his practice window opened when first eligible. That would mean a Week 5 return to practice, but since the Packers have a bye that week, the North Dakota State product would have at least another week to prepare for a return. Though, the Packers could also slow-play the recovery process; they are typically cautious when it comes to injury returns.

Watson is also no longer a contract-year asset; the organization making a 2026 commitment would further point to caution. This offseason, a midseason return was floated as likely for Watson. If the Packers open his IR-return window in Week 5, he would need to be activated by Week 8. That would align with a midseason timetable. It could also be possible the Pack activate Watson but continue to ramp him up in practice without turning to him in a game.

Reed was to be a key part of Green Bay’s receiving corps, even after the team used first- and third-round picks on Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. The latter will need to play a bigger role for the Pack, who still have Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks as healthy pieces at receiver. Watson will likely be back during Reed’s absence, which opens the door for some help after the team’s 2023 and ’24 leading receiver rehabs two injuries (Reed also had attempted to play through a foot fracture to start the season).

While Watson and Reed’s skillsets do not overlap much, the period when both are available will crowd the team’s receiving corps. That would be a good problem to have for Green Bay, which has not seen a 1,000-yard season since trading Davante Adams. Watson also has not shown he can be counted on, having missed 13 games during his first three seasons. The deep threat does have two 600-plus-yard years on his resume, but the Packers were expecting more when they took him 34th overall in 2022. Watson saw a hamstring specialist during the 2024 offseason but also missed time with a high ankle sprain last year.

Unique Details In Recent WR Extensions

September 12th, 2025 at 9:39pm CST by Ely Allen

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Commanders and Packers agree to extensions with top receivers. Terry McLaurin was able to cease a hold-in after finally receiving a deal worth signing, while a recovering Christian Watson signed a deal pushing back his eventual free agency another year into the future. Each deal, though, held a unique aspect worth discussing.

We already covered several details of the extension that adds $87MM of new money to the 29-year-old McLaurin’s deal. New information comes in the form of incentives and some structure in the timing of payments. In each year through 2028, he’ll have the same three performance incentives. 83 receptions will net him $300K, 1,097 yards will net him another $300K, 10 touchdowns will net him another $300K, and making the playoffs will double any of the qualified bonuses to $600K.

A Pro Bowl bid will earn McLaurin $250K extra in each season, but first- or second-team All-Pro honors would trigger a $500K escalator, increasing his salary in the following season by that amount. He’ll be able to get $500K in each of the three news seasons for participating in voluntary offseason workouts, and for the next four years, he’ll have the potential to make $850K per season in per game active roster bonuses.

What makes this deal interesting, as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer points out, is that the language of the deal poses it more as a two-year commitment. There is a $5.35MM injury guarantee for the 2027 season, but it doesn’t vest until April 1 of that year, so that day becomes a deadline for deciding whether or not to exercise what essentially become team options in ’27 and ’28. McLaurin had been seeking a big raise, but Washington had balked at the idea of giving him $30MM per year. Essentially, McLaurin gets his big raise for the next two years but little security in the following two.

The Packers agreed to extend Watson as they wait for him to come off the reserve/physically unable to perform list. The deal, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, includes the opportunity to make up to $1.83MM in per game active roster bonuses and $2.25MM in incentives, not to mention workout bonuses in each of the next two seasons.

Where the deal gets interesting here is the team’s decision to add three effective voidable years from 2027-29. Whereas voidable years are often utilized to spread cap hits out over a longer amount of time, these void years increase Watson’s 2025 cap impact. Per Ken Ingalls of Sports Illustrated, the void years allow Green Bay to circumvent the 12-month renegotiation waiting period, allowing them to potentially work out another extension for Watson next season. Ingalls claims it also makes Watson’s contract easily tradable in the case that he asks for a bigger raise next year and the Packers refuse.

Both deals are interesting innovations as each franchise got creative in their attempts to keep their players happy in the moment, while keeping the teams’ financial futures intact. We’re sure to see continued evolution of how front offices confront and structure contracts in ways that have not often been seen.

Jayden Reed Suffers Broken Collarbone

September 12th, 2025 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

September 12: Reed is expected to undergo surgery early next week to repair his collarbone, per Rapoport. The Packers are hoping that he can return in November. That recovery timeline may also help Reed fully heal from his foot injury and become a significant late-season addition to Green Bay’s offense.

September 11: Jayden Reed entered Thursday night’s Packers-Commanders game with a significant foot issue. The third-year wide receiver had played through that, but a collarbone injury will sideline him for the foreseeable future.

Matt LaFleur said postgame Reed suffered a broken collarbone and is heading for IR. This may not be a season-ending malady, but Reed will miss a chunk of time. This will further deplete a Packers offense playing without Christian Watson. Reed is expected to return later this season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds.

The team is hoping for a return around the six-week mark, per Rapoport, though the recovery timetable could stretch to two months. A six- to eight-week timetable would sideline the talented pass catcher into November.

This is a major blow for Reed, who saw the Packers draft two more wide receivers — Matthew Golden, Savion Williams — during the draft’s first two days. Green Bay will need to call on its rookies after this setback, though veterans Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks — and fast-emerging tight end Tucker Kraft — remain healthy exiting the team’s Week 2 win.

Kraft and Doubs’ early-career production notwithstanding, Reed has been the most reliable Jordan Love target during the young passer’s first two-plus seasons at the helm. Reed led the Packers with 793 receiving yards in 2023 and 857 last season. Despite suffering a Jones fracture in his foot this summer, the former second-round pick opted to play through the malady — one that regularly sidelines players for several weeks — and scored a touchdown in Green Bay’s Week 1 rout of Detroit. But the Michigan State product will see a separate injury blunt his momentum.

The Golden and Williams draft choices (in Rounds 1 and 3, respectively) prompted Reed agent Drew Rosenhaus to meet with Packers brass about his client’s standing in the organization. LaFleur, as could be expected, endorsed Reed as a key Packer. But the team will need to get by without the inside playmaker for a while. Kraft, whose 124 yards were the most by a Packer tight end in a game since 2015 (the Richard Rodgers Hail Mary night), figures to be a key part of the Pack replacing Reed’s production.

Reed, 25, will become extension-eligible in January. Golden’s arrival does complicate the Packers’ long-term receiver plan, especially with Love on a $55MM-per-year contract and Micah Parsons smashing the defender AAV record (at $46.5MM) after his trade arrival. Reed, who entered Thursday having missed just one career game, could certainly make a strong case for an extension if he submits a productive second half for a Packers team that has looked dominant through two games. The Pack have Doubs unsigned beyond 2025 but extended Watson this week (on a one-year, $11MM deal), providing some clarity for its WR room.

Green Bay already placed running back MarShawn Lloyd and offensive lineman Jacob Monk on short-term IR upon setting its initial 53-man roster. This leaves the Pack’s injury-activation count at six, with Reed poised to become an in-season IR-return player as well. While Reed’s upcoming absence could be complicated due to having two injuries, he will now have more time to stay off his fractured foot ahead of a possible stretch-run reemergence.

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