Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.
Denver Broncos
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Levelle Bailey, WR Michael Bandy, QB Sam Ehlinger, TE Caleb Lohner, C Joe Michalski, DT Jordan Miller, CB Quinton Newsome, WR A.T. Perry, FB Adam Prentice, CB Jaden Robinson, DB Keidron Smith, CB Reese Taylor, OL Calvin Throckmorton, LB Jordan Turner, S Delarrin Turner-Yell, LB Garret Wallow
Kansas City Chiefs
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Cole Christiansen, S Mike Edwards, Chukwuebuka Godrick, G C.J. Hanson, WR Jimmy Holiday, DT Coziah Izzard, CB Kevin Knowles, QB Chris Oladokun, WR Hal Presley, CB Melvin Smith, RB Carson Steele, TE Robert Tonyan, DT Marlon Tuipulotu, TE Tre Watson
Las Vegas Raiders
Signed:
Claimed:
- LB Brennan Jackson (from Rams)
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Alex Bachman, RB Chris Collier, S Terrell Edmunds, DE Jahfari Harvey, WR Sheldrick Jackson, LB Matt Jones, DT Treven Ma’ae, G Atonio Mafi, QB Cam Miller, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Carter Runyon, WR Justin Shorter, OL Laki Tasi, S Trey Taylor, CB Greedy Vance, T Dalton Wagner, S JT Woods
Los Angeles Chargers
Signed:
Placed on IR:
- CB Eric Rogers
Signed to practice squad:
- G Karsen Barnhart, DL TeRah Edwards, CB Harrison Hand, WR JaQuae Jackson, S Tony Jefferson, RB Emany Johnson, C Josh Kaltenberger, LS Rick Lovato, RB Nyheim Miller-Hines, CB Myles Purchase, OLB Garmon Randolph, WR Jalen Reagor, T David Sharpe, G Branson Taylor, QB DJ Uiagalelei, RB Kimani Vidal, TE Thomas Yassmin
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.
Buffalo Bills
Signed to practice squad:
- QB Shane Buechele, LB Jimmy Ciarlo, OL Travis Clayton, G Dan Feeney, S Sam Franklin, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Stephen Gosnell, OL Kendrick Green, CB Daequan Hardy, CB Dane Jackson, LB Keonta Jenkins, TE Keleki Latu, DL Zion Logue, DT Jordan Phillips, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Released from IR via injury settlement:
- RB Darrynton Evans, WR Grant Dubose
Miami Dolphins
Waived:
- S Jordan Colbert
Signed to practice squad:
- CB BJ Adams, CB Cornell Armstrong, LB Quinton Bell, OL Braeden Daniels, TE Greg Dulcich, WR AJ Henning, DT Alex Huntley, LB Derrick McLendon, OL Josh Priebe, TE Hayden Rucci, S John Saunders, WR Theo Wease
New England Patriots
Claimed:
- DB Charles Woods (from Rams)
Waived:
- WR Javon Baker
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott, LB Bradyn Swinson, WR Jeremiah Webb
New York Jets
Claimed:
- LB Cam Jones (from Chiefs), T Esa Pole (from Chiefs), TE Jelani Woods (from Colts)
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Dean Clark, DB Jordan Clark, QB Brady Cook, WR Tyler Johnson, OL Kohl Levao, K Harrison Mevis, DT Payton Page, WR Jamaal Pritchett, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Quentin Skinner, LB Boog Smith, WR Brandon Smith, DL Eric Watts, OL Leander Wiegand
Chiefs To Re-Sign RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The Chiefs already reunited with Derrick Nnadi via trade recently; they will now add another familiar face on offense. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is returning to Kansas City, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets. The deal bringing Edwards-Helaire back will be a practice squad arrangement.
Edwards-Helaire spent the offseason with the Saints, who had picked him up after the Chiefs waived him late last year. The former first-round pick, however, will follow Kareem Hunt in booking a second stint with the Chiefs.
Selected 32nd overall in 2020, Edwards-Helaire posted 1,100 scrimmage yards as a rookie while operating as a starter. He missed three games along the way, however, and injuries remained an issue across his first Kansas City stint. By 2023, the LSU product had seen a major drop in usage, and it will be interesting to see where his role in the 2025 backfield pecking order shakes out.
Edwards-Helaire managed 13 scoreless carries in two regular season Saints appearances last year. New Orleans elected to move on yesterday in a move which came as little surprise based on that sparse workload. Changing teams just before Week 1, Edwards-Helaire will now reacclimate to a familiar offense while looking to chip on offensively. The Chiefs still have Hunt along with Isiah Pacheco in place; they also added Elijah Mitchell in free agency.
Mitchell and Hunt are both pending 2026 free agents. Pacheco is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so he too could depart on the open market next spring. With plenty of future uncertainty in the backfield, Edwards-Helaire could play his way into a larger role for next season. For now, he will aim to regain his previous form during a second Kansas City stint.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
NFL Seeking 6-Game Rashee Rice Suspension
The NFL is seeking to suspend Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice for at least six games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rice was arrested in April 2024 on felony charges in connection with a hit-and-run. He was sentenced in July to 30 days in jail and and five years on probation. The league originally sought a ban of at least 10 games, but pushback from the NFLPA and Rice’s camp forced the two sides into a disciplinary hearing set for September 30. That would keep Rice eligible for the Chiefs’ first four games, a stretch that includes crucial matchups against the Chargers and the Ravens as well as a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles.
Now, the NFL appears to be changing course by offering a shorter suspension to Rice that would preempt the September hearing. It would sidelined the third-year wideout for the 2024 playoff qualifiers listed above as well as the Lions in Week 6.
Rice’s absence would certainly impact Kansas City’s offense, though it may not be fatal blow. He burst onto the scene as a second-round pick in 2023, pacing the Chiefs’ receiver room with 79 catches for 938 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. The 25-year-old put up another 262 yards in the playoffs on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
Heading into his second year, Rice appeared to be on the cusp of a major breakout with 26 catches for 262 yards in his first four games. At 6.5 catches and 72.0 yards per game, he was on pace for what would’ve been top-10 numbers by season’s end.
2025 NFL Waiver Order
Many of the players cut Tuesday were subject to waivers, giving teams a chance to pick them up (along with the rest of their contract). Teams can claim as many players as they want before the next team gets their remaining targets.
It’s also worth noting that relatively few players are claimed off waivers during final roster cuts each year. Waiver claims will be processed at 11am CT in the following order (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). In reverse order of the 2024 NFL standings, here is how the waiver priority sits:
- Titans
- Browns
- Giants
- Patriots
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Jets
- Panthers
- Saints
- Bears
- 49ers
- Cowboys
- Dolphins
- Colts
- Falcons
- Cardinals
- Bengals
- Seahawks
- Buccaneers
- Broncos
- Steelers
- Chargers
- Packers
- Vikings
- Texans
- Rams
- Ravens
- Lions
- Commanders
- Bills
- Chiefs
- Eagles
Chiefs Cut 34 Players, Settle On 53-Man Roster
The defending AFC champs have set their 53-man roster. The Chiefs announced the following moves:
Released:
- LB Cole Christiansen
- S Mike Edwards
- DT Mike Pennel
- TE Robert Tonyan
- DT Marlon Tuipulotu
Waived:
- WR Elijhah Badger
- DE Owen Carney
- CB Ajani Carter
- OT Dalton Cooper
- S Jacobe Covington
- WR Mac Dalena
- OT Chukwuebuka Godrick
- G C.J. Hanson
- CB Azizi Hearn
- WR Jimmy Holiday
- DT Coziah Izzard
- LB Cam Jones
- CB Kevin Knowles
- C Joey Lombard
- DT Fabien Lovett
- DE Nate Matlack
- S Glendon Miller
- LB Xander Mueller
- QB Chris Oladokun
- OT Esa Pole
- WR Hal Presley
- WR Key’Shawn Smith
- CB Melvin Smith
- TE Geor’Quarius Spivey
- RB Carson Steele
- TE Tre Watson
- RB Michael Wiley
- S Major Williams
- QB Bailey Zappe
Placed on reserve/NFI:
Placed on injured reserve:
Placed on injured reserve (designated for return):
On the defensive side of the ball, Cam Jones was a somewhat surprising cut after getting into all 34 games for the Chiefs over the past two years. A former UDFA, Jones has seen the majority of his playing time on special teams, but he still got into 161 defensive snaps for Kansas City between 2023 and 2024. Over the span, the linebacker has collected 36 tackles. The team also moved on from veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who started seven of his 17 appearances for Kansas City in 2024.
On the other side of the ball, the team dropped 2024 preseason standout Carson Steele. The UCLA product had a brief chance to show his stuff immediately following Isiah Pacheco‘s injury, but a persistent fumbling issue had him tumbling down the depth chart. Steele ultimately finished his rookie season with 209 yards from scrimmge on 63 touches.
Jets Trade DT Derrick Nnadi To Chiefs
2025 appeared to set Derrick Nnadi up for his first career season spent outside of Kansas City. That will not be the case for the veteran defensive tackle, however. 
The Jets are trading Nnadi to the Chiefs, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Conditional sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2027 are being exchanged as part of this swap, which is now official. Today’s move means Nnadi, whose entire seven-year NFL career has taken place in Kansas City, will return to a familiar team for the coming season.
The 29-year-old took a one-year pact in March to head to New York. That $1.42MM deal contained marginal guarantees, and the Jets will take on a dead money charge of $168K as a result of this swap. The team will gain $1.03MM in cap space, however.
Today’s trade continues the shuffling along the defensive interior overseen by the Jets in recent days. On Wednesday, a swap was worked out with the Vikings for Harrison Phillips. That same day also saw the acquisition of Jowon Briggs from the Browns. With those new faces in place, New York moved quickly in waiving Phidarian Mathis. Nnadi is also out of the picture just before the deadline for final roster cuts.
Over the course of his time in Kansas City, Nnadi raked up 87 starts across 115 appearances. The three-time Super Bowler winner was also a key figure during the postseason. The Chiefs found themselves in need of an addition along the D-line for early-down work in particular with the regular season approaching. They will rely on a familiar face to fill that void.
Nnadi made between 29 and 48 tackles during his first six Kansas City seasons. The former third-rounder’s production dropped off considerably in 2024, a year in which his defensive snap share fell to a career-low 20%. At least a rotational role will be in store this season upon returning, though. Nnadi’s 2026 value will be determined by his level of play with his former team.
Eagles, Chiefs Pursued Calais Campbell
The Eagles and the Chiefs both wanted to sign Calais Campbell this offseason, according to former teammate and ESPN analyst Sam Acho.
Acho revealed the two teams’ interest during a preseason broadcast, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. He played with Campbell in Arizona from 2011 and 2014. Years later in 2018, Acho and Campbell served as NFLPA representives for the Bears and the Jaguars, respectively. Given the pair’s relationship, it’s safe to assume that Acho wasn’t speaking out of turn when referencing Campbell’s free agency process.
Interest from the Eagles and the Chiefs means that at least four other teams were pursuing Campbell before he decided to return to Arizona. The Ravens and the Dolphins also made offers, but a strong signing bonus from the Cardinals was enough to motivate a reunion. Campbell’s move out west also represents a homecoming of sorts, as Phoenix is much closer to his hometown of Denver than his previous teams on the East Coast.
Signing with the Eagles or the Chiefs, last season’s Super Bowl participants, would have been a clear sign that Campbell was chasing a ring to end his Hall of Fame career. A reunion with the Ravens would have offered similar upside.
Instead, the 17-year veteran seems poised to retire a Cardinal without a championship. Though Arizona is expected to improve after two losing seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon, they are not considered a serious Super Bowl contender.
Saints, Browns, Chiefs Seeking RB Trade
As Wednesday illustrated (on several occasions), this time on the NFL calendar often breeds trades. The countdown to final roster cuts continues, and further swaps could be coming soon as a result. 
Running back could be a position to watch on the trade front. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Saints, Browns and Chiefs have each been making calls about an addition at that spot. This comes at a time when Commanders back Brian Robinson is known to be available.
No specific suitors have been tied to Robinson yet, but any number of teams could show interest in the pending 2026 free agent. If any of New Orleans, Cleveland or Kansas City were to do so, a swap would become something to watch for in advance of Week 1. The three teams have varying needs regarding a backfield addition.
The Saints will once again have Alvin Kamara leading the way in 2025. A new deal signed last summer has the five-time Pro Bowler on the books for another two years, and $3MM of his base salary for next season is already guaranteed. Any new arrival would be viewed as a backup option amongst the likes of Kendre Miller and free agent additions Cam Akers and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The Browns elected not to retain Nick Chubb this offseason, and he eventually joined the Texans on the open market. Cleveland’s backfield will once again involved Jerome Ford on a regular basis, and second-round rookie Quinshon Judkins is expected to be available during the regular season. Domestic violence charges were recently dropped against the Ohio State product, presumably paving the way for him to sign his rookie deal (although a league investigation is ongoing). Cleveland also has returnee Pierre Strong along with fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson in the backfield.
The Chiefs still have Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt atop their RB depth chart entering 2025. Pacheco was limited to seven regular season contests last year, and when on the field he averaged by far the lowest yards per carry average (3.7) of his three-year career. One season remains on Pacheco’s rookie contract, and Hunt is also a pending free agent. Kansas City added Elijah Mitchell in free agency on a one-year deal, so any trade could be aimed at adding a more permanent backfield presence. It is uncommon, however, for players with multiple years left on their contracts to be dealt at this time.
Each of New Orleans (roughly $20.5MM in cap space), Cleveland ($19MM) and Kansas City ($17MM) could easily afford a rental addition in the backfield. Over the coming days, it will be interesting to see if one of more of those teams executes a trade acquisition.
49ers To Acquire WR Skyy Moore From Chiefs
A busy day of breaking trades continues as Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Chiefs are sending Skyy Moore to the 49ers along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. San Francisco has been vocally searching for some help at wide receiver, and Kansas City had enough bodies in the room to move on from a once-promising second-round pick. 
The 49ers receiving corps looked good on paper throughout the offseason with assumptions of good luck with health and availability, but in the weeks leading up to the regular season, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings are still absent from practices. Aiyuk is not set to return from a torn ACL and MCL until around Week 6 of the 2025 season, while Jennings is working his way back from a calf injury and seeking a new contract at the same time.
In addition, fourth-round rookie Jordan Watkins may not be ready for a Week 1 debut due to a high ankle sprain, and last year’s fourth-rounder, Jacob Cowing, reportedly suffered a hamstring injury today, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, after just returning to practice last week. This means that second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall and veteran Demarcus Robinson are the only healthy receivers in the room’s top six names, and there may have been consolation in that fact, if not for the fact that Robinson will open the season on a three-game suspension.
While quarterback Brock Purdy enjoys the privilege of throwing to phenomenal pass-catchers at other positions like Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, and George Kittle, his actual receivers group had dwindled down to Pearsall, Russell Gage, Junior Bergen, Terique Owens, Isaiah Hodgins, Malik Turner, and Robbie Chosen — an odd mix of aging veterans and young inexperience. Enter Moore.
The former Western Michigan star came to Kansas City at an extremely exciting time for wide receivers. Behind the arm of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs had played in two Super Bowls in three years — winning one — and were looking for more. The team was also moving on from star wideout Tyreek Hill, and Moore was among a sea of strong options to serve as Mahomes new favorite target, including free agent additions JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Justin Watson and earlier draft picks Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney.
Understandably, Moore failed to make much of an impression among that group throughout the regular season, catching only 22 passes for 250 yards and no touchdowns, but he did catch his only target in the Super Bowl with a four-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City a seven-point lead with just over nine minutes left in an eventual win. Year 2 showed more promise, with Smith-Schuster and Hardman departing, but a new second-round rookie, Rashee Rice, stole all the thunder available by becoming the room’s new top receiver. Though fewer wideouts were ahead of him in the pecking order, Moore still only accumulated 21 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown, missing the final three games of the regular season and the entire postseason that resulted in a second straight Super Bowl victory.
Last year, Moore saw three targets (zero catches) in the first six weeks of the season before being placed on injured reserve with a core muscle injury and missing the remainder of the season. Without Moore, Mahomes and company still can rely on Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, Smith-Schuster, and others.
In San Francisco, Moore will get a new chance to make a name for himself. At this point, the 49ers can’t afford to be choosers, and Moore is the offer they got from a beggars’ market. Moore will have just under a week to show the team flashes of his breakout redshirt sophomore season with the Broncos and prove that he’s worth keeping on the 53-man roster in 2025.