Poll: Who Will Win AFC South?
As a back-to-back AFC South champion, Houston entered the 2025 season as the odds-on favorite to rule the division again. While few expected either the Jaguars or Colts to seriously contend, they’re ahead of the Texans entering Week 14. With the exception of the 1-11 Titans, who may be on their way to a second straight No. 1 overall pick, the AFC South is anyone’s to win with five games remaining.
Jacksonville and Indianapolis, both 8-4, will meet on Sunday with first place on the line. They’ll also square off in Week 17. The Texans (7-5) will go on the road to face the Chiefs (6-6) in something resembling a do-or-die game for the reigning conference champions. Having already beaten the Colts in Indianapolis last Sunday, the Texans will host them in a game that could decide the division or a playoff berth in Week 18. The Texans and Jaguars split their season series. They won’t see each other again unless they match up in the postseason.
The Colts have been atop the division for most of 2025, but they dropped to second place in Week 13. Thanks in part to an unexpected resurgence from quarterback Daniel Jones, a free agent addition who previously flamed out with the Giants, the Colts stormed to a 7-1 start. They held the No. 1 seed in the AFC at that point.
Acquiring star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets before the Nov. 4 deadline was supposed to bolster the Colts’ chances of at least winning the division. They’ve now lost three of four, though, and Gardner could miss multiple weeks with a calf strain. Jones is playing through a fibula injury, meanwhile, and league-leading rusher Jonathan Taylor is coming off back-to-back mediocre showings.
While the shine has come off the Colts in recent weeks, the Jaguars and Texans have surged. Despite losing prized first-round rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter to a season-ending knee injury in early November, the Jaguars have won three in a row. They’ve succeeded despite underwhelming numbers from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a major downturn in production from second-year receiver Brian Thomas.
The Texans have survived despite a significant injury to C.J. Stroud, who returned last week. The third-year signal-caller missed three full games with a concussion. The Texans went undefeated in that span under backup Davis Mills, who led a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback over the Jags in Week 10.
Mills’ heroics proved crucial against Jacksonville, but the Texans’ top-ranked defense is the main reason they’re still in the race. Winners of seven of nine and four straight, the Texans have a legitimate chance to become the latest team to rally for a playoff berth after starting 0-3. Only six, including the 2018 Texans, have done so since 1979.
Although Indianapolis is reeling while Jacksonville and Houston are trending up, the Colts are still slight favorites to conquer the South, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. At 41%, they’re narrowly edging out the Jaguars (40%) ahead of Sunday’s showdown. The Texans (19%) are a distant third.
How do you expect this three-team battle to play out over the final month of the season? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Colts Activate LB Jaylon Carlies From IR; K Blake Grupe Elevated
The Colts announced that they have activated linebacker Jaylon Carlies from injured reserve. He’ll make his season debut on Sunday against the AFC South rival Jaguars with first place in the division on the line.
[RELATED: Will The Colts Win The AFC South?]
Carlies, a fifth-round pick in 2024, has had trouble staying healthy during his young NFL career. The former Missouri safety missed seven games with a leg injury as a rookie, and he hasn’t played at all this season as a result of an ankle issue. The Colts gave Carlies a return designation when they placed him on IR on Aug. 26.
Carlies started in six of 10 appearances and made 36 tackles last year. After the departure of E.J. Speed to the division rival Texans in free agency, the Colts expected Carlies to start alongside Zaire Franklin this season. Carlies’ injury scuttled those plans, though, and a lack of in-house solutions led the Colts to sign Germaine Pratt on Oct. 8.
Pratt has served as a full-time starter over seven games with the Colts. Carlies figures to work in a reserve role as a result.
In other Saturday moves, the Colts elevated kicker Blake Grupe and defensive tackle Chris Wormley from their practice squad to their active roster.
Grupe, previously with the Saints, signed with the Colts earlier this week. He’s replacing Michael Badgley, whom the Colts cut after he missed an extra point in a loss to the Texans in Week 13. Badgley joined the team after Spencer Shrader suffered a season-ending torn ACL and MCL in Week 5. With Grupe replacing Badgley, the Colts are poised to use three kickers in a season for the first time in franchise history.
This is the second standard gameday elevation of the year for Wormley, who joined the Colts’ practice squad on Nov. 18. In his Colts debut, the 32-year-old played 19 defensive snaps and recorded a sack against Houston.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Bryson Green, RB Jermar Jefferson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Will Sheppard
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Jaylon Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: C Jimmy Morrissey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Austin Trammell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: T Matt Waletzko
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Jamin Davis, WR Brenden Rice
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Joaquin Davis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Kana’i Mauga
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Logan Brown, RB Myles Gaskin
Jefferson, Sheppard, and Trammell all found themselves signing to the practice squads of the teams that waived them two days ago. Having cleared waivers, the free agents returned to their lockers as members of the taxi squad.
Indianapolis cut Morrissey today in order to make room for kicker Blake Grupe, whom they signed yesterday. Grupe should be in line to take over kicking duties following the waiving of Michael Badgley yesterday, while Spencer Shrader remains on injured reserve.
Colts CB Sauce Gardner Suffers Calf Strain
DECEMBER 3: The Colts aren’t expected to place Gardner on IR, according to Rapoport and Pelissero. The team is hopeful he’ll return sometime in the next four weeks.
DECEMBER 1: With the MRI having taken place, Pelissero and colleague Ian Rapoport confirm Gardner suffered a calf strain. He is week-to-week as a result, with the Colts hoping Gardner will be able to return by the end of the regular season.
NOVEMBER 30: Sauce Gardner exited the Colts’ Week 13 game and was unable to return. The high-profile trade acquisition could be in store for missed time, although the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided. 
Gardner was unable to put weight on his left leg as he made his way to the sidelines upon suffering the injury. He was initially listed by the team as questionable to return with a calf ailment, but the Colts later confirmed he was out for the remainder of Sunday’s contest. Gardner was in a walking boot on the sidelines as he watched the end of the game.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports a calf strain is believed to have occurred in this case. Critically, he adds Gardner’s Achilles appears to be intact. The All-Pro corner has since confirmed (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder) he feels he is dealing with a strain rather than a tear of any kind. Further testing will take place, including an MRI. At this point, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Colts expect to be without Gardner for “a couple weeks.”
Needless to say, any notable missed time for Gardner would represent a major blow to the Colts. Indianapolis gave the Jets two first-round picks along with receiver Adonai Mitchell to acquire him at the trade deadline. The 25-year-old – under contract at a record-breaking cornerback rate of $30.1MM per year through the 2030 season – is obviously a major part of the team’s plans now and for several years to come.
The Gardner acquisition has been viewed as an indication the Colts see themselves as being inside a Super Bowl window with a core of many returning players along with free agent signing Daniel Jones. Indianapolis’ new starting quarterback is not full healthy himself, although he is in line to continue playing through a fractured fibula. A run of availability in the secondary down the stretch would be welcomed by the Colts given the injuries they have dealt with in that department this season.
Indianapolis’ loss on Sunday dropped the team to 8-4. That record matches that of the Jaguars, who won today. Meanwhile, the Texans now sit at 7-5. Gardner’s health down the stretch will be something to watch closely as the Colts attempt to close out what has become a three-way race for top spot in the AFC South.
Colts Worked Out Justin Tucker, Maddux Trujillo
The Colts quickly found their replacement for kicker Michael Badgley by signing Blake Grupe to their practice squad, but he was not the only player up for the job.
Justin Tucker and Maddux Trujillo worked out alongside Grupe on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, with Grupe emerging as the best option. He will be elevated from the practice squad the Colts’ crucial Week 14 matchup against the Jaguars. The winner will take a one-game lead in the AFC South with just four weeks left in the season.
Tucker will continue his search for another team after several allegations of sexual misconduct and the worst statistical season of his career led to his departure from Baltimore this offseason. Coincidentally, he previously auditioned for the Saints to replace Grupe after his shaky start to the season in New Orleans. The Saints instead signed ex-Browns fourth-round pick Cade York and ultimately went with Irish native Charlie Smyth in Week 13. Smyth made his only field goal attempt, a 56-yarder, in the first NFL action of his career.
Trujillo signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. He made all three of his preseason extra points, but he did not attempt a field goal, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Colts Add K Blake Grupe To Practice Squad
3:33pm: The Colts are signing Grupe to their practice squad, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.
10:27am: Michael Badgley missed an extra point for the third time this season on Sunday. In response, the Colts are looking into potential kicking replacements. 
When asked about the possibility of moving on from Badgley yesterday, head coach Shane Steichen did not specify what the team’s plan was. He instead deferred to general manager Chris Ballard (h/t ESPN’s Stephen Holder). Holder predicted on Monday that the Colts would look into alternatives, and that has proven to be the case.
Kicker workouts are taking place today in Indianapolis. Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reports Blake Grupe is among those who are auditioning. This comes shortly after Grupe was cut by the Saints during his third season with the team. Grupe was relatively consistent for his first two Saints campaigns, but in 2025 he has connected on just 18 of 26 field goal attempts. It thus came as little surprise when the Saints moved on.
It would be interesting if the Colts elected to sign Grupe given his struggles this season. Badgley has endured an unwanted run of inconsistency on extra points in 2025, but in seven games he has gone 10-for-11 on field goal tries. At a minimum, Indianapolis is looking into the possibility of using another new kicker to close out the campaign.
Spencer Shrader was available for the first five games of the season, but ACL and MCL tears suffered in October brought his campaign to an abrupt end. The Colts turned to a familiar face in the form of Badgley as his replacement. A veteran of five NFL teams, Badgley kicked for Indianapolis in 2021. His current stint with the team could be in jeopardy, though, depending on how the next few days play out.
After starting 7-1, the Colts have lost three of their last four games. They are no longer the lock to top the AFC South they once appeared to be, and improvement on offense down the stretch will be key. Efforts on that front could include a new kicker being added in the near future.
Colts Waive K Michael Badgley
After a costly missed extra point in Week 13, the Colts are moving on from kicker Michael Badgley. The team waived him on Tuesday.
Badgley’s PAT miss last Sunday proved crucial in a 20-16 defeat against the AFC South rival Texans. The four-point deficit prevented the Colts from potentially tying the game with a late field goal and sending it to overtime. They fell to 8-4 and into second place in the division behind the Jaguars, while the Texans improved to 7-5.
A Colt back in 2021, Badgley reunited with the team after starter Spencer Shrader tore his ACL and MCL in Week 5. Badgley hadn’t kicked in the regular season since 2023, but the 30-year-old went on to make 10 of his 11 field goal attempts in seven games with the Colts. However, Badgley hit a less impressive 18 of 21 extra points, which ultimately cost him his job.
The Colts have not lined up a replacement for Badgley, but that seems imminent after they worked out kickers on Tuesday. Former Saint Blake Grupe was among those to audition. It’s up for debate whether Grupe would be an upgrade over Badgley, though. While Grupe did convert all 15 extra points with the Saints this year, he connected on a paltry 69.2% of field goals (18 of 26). New Orleans waived him on Nov. 25 as a result.
Whether they sign Grupe or someone else, the Colts will turn to their third kicker of 2025 in a critical meeting with the Jaguars on Sunday. It will be the first time in franchise history that the Colts have used at least three kickers in a season, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan notes. That’s not ideal for an Indianapolis team that’s now clinging to a playoff spot after dropping three of its past four games.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Week 12 saw the Giants become the first team in the NFL to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Based on Sunday’s results, another two teams from each conference saw their postseason chances officially come to an end.
The Titans, Saints, Raiders and Cardinals have now been eliminated as well. Attention in the case of those teams will increasingly turn toward the offseason. For some, questions about changes at the quarterback spot will be ongoing through the spring. Free agency is not expected to include many notable options, so the draft will be sought out in several instances as a means of finding a 2026 starter.
Of course, the incoming class of passers has largely underwhelmed this season. That has led to uncertainty regarding the ceiling for many of the top prospects at the quarterback position. Nevertheless, supply often outweighs demand at the top of the Day 1 order in the NFL draft. How things shake out over the closing weeks of the season will be key in determining which QB-needy teams find themselves in the best position to select a new QB1.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an early look at the first-round order:
- Tennessee Titans (1-11)
- New York Giants (2-11)
- New Orleans Saints (2-10)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
- Cleveland Browns (3-9)
- Washington Commanders (3-9)
- New York Jets (3-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
- Miami Dolphins (5-7)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
- Carolina Panthers (7-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
- Detroit Lions (7-5)
- Houston Texans (7-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-6)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
- Buffalo Bills (8-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
- Denver Broncos (10-2)
- Chicago Bears (9-3)
- New England Patriots (11-2)
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/25
Here are Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL, including gameday elevations for the remainder of Week 13:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Deven Thompkins
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: OL Tylan Grable
- Elevated: TE Keleki Latu, LB Baylon Spector
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: DT Sam Kamara
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Ameer Speed
- Placed on IR: CB Ajani Carter
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: DE Chris Wormley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DE Matt Dickerson, S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: OL Atonio Mafi, CB Greedy Vance
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed from practice squad: RB Jaret Patterson
- Waived: OL Foster Sarell
- Elevated: RB Trayveon Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: CB Dwight McGlothern Jr., QB John Wolford
New York Jets
- Elevated: DE Eric Watts, DB Jordan Clark
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: K Matt Gay, LB Jalen Graham
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed from practice squad: RB Myles Gaskin
- Placed on IR: RB George Holani
- Elevated: S Quandre Diggs, RB Velus Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed from practice squad: QB Connor Bazelak
- Waived: RB Owen Wright
- Elevated: S Marcus Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: WR Xavier Restrepo, CB Kemon Hall
The Vikings brought back Desmond Ridder as quarterback insurance with J.J. McCarthy concussed. Ridder joined the team’s practice squad, and he will not dress for Minnesota tomorrow. Instead, it will be Wolford handling backup duties while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer makes his first career start.
Diggs returned to Seattle earlier this week. The veteran will receive the opportunity to play right away during his second stint with the Seahawks. Diggs earned three Pro Bowl nods during his first run in Seattle, and he will look to provide depth in the secondary with a familiar team down the stretch.
Colts QB Daniel Jones Playing Through Fractured Fibula?
NOVEMBER 28: After being limited in practice on Wednesday, Jones followed up yesterday’s full participant status with a second straight practice with full participation, and despite his reported fibula injury, he is expected to play this Sunday, per Joel A. Erickson of the IndyStar.
Neither today’s practice report nor the comments of head coach Shane Steichen acknowledged the rumors of a fracture in Jones’ lower leg, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, but in his comments to the media, Steichen said, “We would never put (Jones) out there if we thought something could go wrong.” The only hint reporters could glean came during an observable portion of practice in which Jones appeared to have a slight limp (video courtesy of James Boyd of The Athletic).
NOVEMBER 27: The Colts have cooled off in recent weeks, losing two of their last three games and only scoring 20 points in both of those contests. The health of quarterback Daniel Jones has also emerged as a talking point. 
Jones has been dealing with a lower leg issue recently, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports it is a fracture in his fibula. Rapoport adds Jones intends to continue playing through the injury, citing a source who states the fracture is not a concern. The Colts have neither confirmed nor denied Jones’ reported diagnosis.
Nevertheless, ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports Jones will be listed as a full participant for today’s practice. He echoes the sentiment that this ailment is not expected to result in missed game time. Jones was listed as limited once in practice last week, and the same was true for yesterday’s practice report. Otherwise, the standout free agent signing has managed to log full sessions recently.
When speaking to the media, Jones himself said (via James Boyd of The Athletic) he first realized the issue last week but added he is unsure when exactly it occurred. The former first-rounder noted the ailment is affecting his fibula but also declined to confirm whether or not any fractures have taken place.
Jones won out a training camp competition with Anthony Richardson and he has started every game so far for his newest team. The ex-Giant has set new career highs in several categories this year, giving his market value a considerable boost. A new Indy deal will bring with it a considerable raise, but negotiations on that front are not expected to begin until the offseason.
As a result, Jones’ play down the stretch will be make for a compelling storyline. The 28-year-old struggling during the closing stages of the season would likely still leave the Colts in a playoff spot, but that could have a notable impact on his valuation. Jones took a one-year pact worth $14MM, nearly all of which was guaranteed. Both a franchise tag and a long-term deal will be far more expensive from the Colts’ perspective if either route ends up being taken.
Richardson remains on injured reserve at this point. That leaves sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard as the Colts’ backup. Leonard has not seen any game action since Jones suffered the injury, and it appears that will continue to be the case moving forward.