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Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/25

November 1st, 2025 at 8:23pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad callups for the ninth weekend of the NFL season:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Steelers are getting Harrison back at a crucial time. Fellow linebacker Cole Holcomb has been ruled out this weekend with an illness — as has safety Chuck Clark, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network — and Harrison should be able to reinforce the group. He has plenty of experience playing next to starter Patrick Queen from their time together in Baltimore, so perhaps he’ll be able to step in and contribute right away.

The Chargers continue to see their running backs room plagued with injury. Haskins joins Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris on injured reserve. Johnson and Patterson will suit up tomorrow to provide some depth behind lone survivor Kimani Vidal.

With Terry McLaurin once again set to miss time, Burks, the newly signed p-squad addition, will make his Washington debut. Also a newly signed p-squad addition, Lewis will make his Denver debut this weekend. If he sees game time, 2025 will officially be Lewis’ 20th season in the NFL.

After missing the last three games, Gross-Matos appeared to be close to returning to play. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, the 27-year-old re-injured his hamstring at practice on Thursday and will now miss another four games.

For Leota in New Orleans, Mosby in Green Bay, Sermon in Pittsburgh, Zakelj in San Francisco, and both Proche and Watkins in Tennessee, this Sunday will be their third and final standard gameday practice squad elevation on their current deals. In order to appear in any more games after this, their respective teams will need to sign them to the active roster.

Chiefs Could Be In Market For RBs

October 31st, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Ely Allen

With Isiah Pacheco finding himself unavailable due to injury, the Chiefs are reportedly exploring the trade market options at the position, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. There are several different options that could be attractive to Kansas City.

While featured backs like Breece Hall and Alvin Kamara are seemingly on the market, the Chiefs haven’t really had a true featured back since Patrick Mahomes and Kareem Hunt‘s rookie year, when Hunt carried the ball 272 times and the next running back had 18 carries. Ever since that 2017 campaign, Kansas City hasn’t seen a 1,000-yard rusher, nor has it seen a single back dominate the team’s carries like Hunt did. The Chiefs have, instead, operated with a stable of backs, and that doesn’t seem likely to change now.

Even without Pacheco, there are familiar names of backs the team drafted years ago on the roster. Hunt has been RB2 in Kansas City after returning last year, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is currently on the team’s practice squad. Behind Hunt, rookie seventh-round pick Brashard Smith and Elijah Mitchell sit on the active roster, though Mitchell has been inactive for every game this year. Hunt has mostly split carries with Pacheco in the run game, and Smith has established a role as a third-down back, utilizing his skills as a receiver, the position he originally played in college before transitioning to running back after transferring to SMU.

So, what kind of options fit in with Kansas City’s approach to the position? After taking a pay cut and watching two rookies pass him up on the depth chart, Jerome Ford could find his way to Kansas City via trade. In the same division, Justice Hill has been a staple in Baltimore since being drafted, mostly for working as if no job is too small. The Ravens have been making a concerted effort to find more touches for third-year back Keaton Mitchell, though, and with Derrick Henry as the featured rusher, Hill may be seen as superfluous in Baltimore’s backfield.

In the NFC, two recently demoted backs could be available. In Carolina, Chuba Hubbard missed some time due to injury and watched Rico Dowdle take the offense by storm and move into the starting role. Philadelphia traded for Tank Bigsby out of Jacksonville, relegating former Packers RB2 AJ Dillon to a fourth-string role. As a power back, Dillon probably makes the most sense to replace Pacheco in the rotation, but as a Super Bowl adversary in two of the past three years, the Eagles may not be super willing to make a trade that could improve the Chiefs this year.

Breer’s report came only this morning, so more clues may make headlines in the days to come indicating what direction Kansas City is looking in. News of Pacheco’s injury is only three days old itself, and there may be no need for a trade if his outlook improves in the next few days. For now, Hunt and Smith will take on larger roles in the backfield, and Mitchell may make his 2025 debut.

Chiefs Shopping For Defensive Line Depth

October 30th, 2025 at 9:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs reunited with defensive tackle Mike Pennel yesterday, but the team may not be done adding defensive line help. According to Jordan Schultz, the Chiefs are currently shopping for a defensive lineman.

[RELATED: Chiefs To Bring Back DT Mike Pennel]

While Kansas City’s offense keeps adding reinforcement, it seemed likely that the front office would look to add to the defense ahead of the trade deadline. The Chiefs have lost defensive end Felix Anudike- Uzomah and second-round defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott for the season, and they’ve gotten one of the worst DT performances in the NFL from Derrick Nnadi. While Pennel should help shore up the middle of the defensive line, the team could still seek additional depth at that position.

The Chiefs could also look to add on the edge. George Karlaftis continues to come into his own, pacing the squad with 4.5 sacks. Otherwise, Kansas City hasn’t gotten more than a pair of sacks from any one individual on the team. That includes veteran Chris Jones, who has tallied only two sacks following his five-sack showing in 2024. Even if Kansas City doesn’t have to be as reliant on the veteran’s pass-rush ability, they’ll surely be looking to pair him with some extra depth ahead of the second half of the season.

While the defense will surely be a priority for the Chiefs front office, they could also look to add to their offense over the next few days. We already heard rumblings that they could add some running back depth, and that was before Isiah Pacheco suffered an MCL injury. Left tackle Josh Simmons will also be sidelined for a few more weeks while he deals with a personal matter, but any Super Bowl contender would be sniffing around for OL depth, anyway.

Brett Veach has generally been active with midseason moves, and this season will be no exception. While the organization has generally had more luck with scooping up midseason free agents vs. trades, we can confidently say the Chiefs will add some reinforcement ahead of the stretch run.

Chiefs To Bring Back DT Mike Pennel

October 29th, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Pennel is in an age-34 season and saw a struggling Bengals defense drop him. Pennel, however, requested the release. He has found a familiar landing spot.

Following a workout, the 12th-year veteran defensive tackle is returning to the Chiefs, veteran insider Jordan Schultz tweets. This will be Pennel’s third stint with the team; his most recent covered the past two seasons. The Chiefs waived defensive end Malik Herring, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, moving Pennel onto the active roster.

Pennel has been on four of the Chiefs’ five Patrick Mahomes-era Super Bowl teams, being elsewhere only for their Super Bowl LVII-winning season in 2022. Chris Jones advocated for his return recently, via Schultz, calling the experienced depth DT important for the team’s culture. Pennel was a part-time starter alongside Jones last season, and the Chiefs will see what he has left in his mid-30s this year.

The Chiefs initially added Pennel as a free agent in 2019, and they re-signed the backup interior option in 2020. The second deal barely cleared $1MM. Pennel returned as a practice squad option in 2023, following one-offs with the Falcons (2021) and Bears (2022), and saw his role expand in the playoffs. Last year, the Chiefs re-signed him on a one-year, $1.38MM deal. The three-time reigning AFC champions reupped him again this offseason (at $1.42MM) but cut him as they set their initial 53-man roster, leading to the Cincinnati agreement.

Playing in all eight Bengals games this season, Pennel had begun to lose playing time as the campaign progressed. His 25% defensive snap share remained in the ballpark of his recent Chiefs usage, but it had dropped over the past three games. Only part of Chiefs rosters during Steve Spagnuolo‘s seven-year DC tenure, Pennel will return as a role player for a team that lost Tershawn Wharton in free agency and has lost second-round rookie D-tackle Omarr Norman-Lott to an ACL tear.

Last season, Pennel started seven games and recorded three sacks in the regular season. He has played between 25-34% of K.C.’s defensive snaps over his previous four seasons with the team. Pennel has started six playoff games (including Super Bowl LVIII) with the team, including three in 2023 and one last season. He joins Derrick Nnadi as DTs reacquired by the Chiefs this year; Kansas City added Nnadi back in a trade with the Jets just before the season. This duo joins Jones and Jerry Tillery in K.C.’s DT room.

Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco Suffers MCL Injury

October 28th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hoping to bounce back from an injury-marred 2024, Isiah Pacheco will see another malady hamper him during a contract year. This time, a knee injury will likely force the Chiefs’ starting running back off the field.

Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain Monday night, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Labeled “week to week,” Pacheco is likely to miss at least the Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup against the Bills. Kansas City’s bye is in Week 10, so the team could pass on moving the longtime starter to IR.

Veering toward serviceable in Year 4, Pacheco has been part of a committee upon coming back from a broken leg. Kareem Hunt returned during Pacheco’s 2024 injury absence and re-signed this offseason. The aging RB has remained a steady presence in Kansas City’s backfield, with rookie seventh-rounder Brashard Smith seeing more work as this season has progressed as well. Earlier, the Chiefs appeared puzzled by their backfield struggles. The team expected more from Pacheco earlier, though he has delivered a slight production uptick since.

Pacheco, 26, has posted three straight games with 50-plus rushing yards. The Chiefs rank ninth in rushing, and Pacheco (329 yards; 4.2 per carry) finally passed Patrick Mahomes in ground yardage — after the QB’s scampers comprised a big chunk of the team’s total earlier in the season. But this will stall any Pacheco momentum, leaving Hunt (245, four TDs) as the next man up.

The Chiefs had come up at multiple junctures since August as a team looking around for RB help, but recent reporting suggested the three-time reigning AFC champions were more likely to ride it out with their current crew there and find pass-rushing aid at the trade deadline. It is possible this injury prompts the team to reconsider, but if Pacheco does not head to IR, the team could merely wait it out. MCL sprains, though, can linger. It is quite possible IR will be necessary.

A seventh-round success story who had bailed out the Chiefs on their Clyde Edwards-Helaire first-round miss, Pacheco posted 830 rushing yards as a rookie and 935 in 2023. Both seasons brought Super Bowl wins for the Chiefs, who had a low-cost RB complementing a team with big-ticket contracts at several O-line spots. The hard-charging back’s 2024 injury slowed him, and this MCL issue provides another hurdle in his path toward a notable free agent market. Though, he should still have some time to adjust an injury-prone narrative before that point. Edwards-Helaire remains on the Chiefs’ practice squad; he could be an option to move up if an IR move occurs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/25

October 27th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Connor Byrne

Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Claimed off waivers (from Packers): TE Ben Sims

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

With James Conner done for the year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 and Trey Benson on IR with a knee malady since Oct. 1, Carter leads the Cardinals with 35 carries. He has rushed for an inefficient 97 yards (2.8 per attempt), though, and could only muster 11 on seven carries in a Week 7 loss to the Packers.

The Cardinals, who will come off their bye in Week 9 to face the Cowboys, are now down to two RBs in Emari Demercado and Zonovan Knight. They also have D’Ernest Johnson and Jermar Jefferson on their practice squad. Benson will be eligible to return in Week 10.

Chiefs LT Josh Simmons To Miss Week 8, Return In A Few Weeks

October 25th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

5:57pm: Simmons might not be the only lineman missing for the Chiefs on Monday night. Per Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star, starting right guard Trey Smith is considered “doubtful” to play as he deals with low back spasms. The injury took Smith out of last week’s blowout win over the Raiders, and third-year backup lineman Mike Caliendo filled in during Smith’s absence. If Smith’s likelihood of playing continues to trend in the wrong direction, Caliendo will be in line to make his first start of the year.

9:19am: Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons is expected to return in a few more weeks after missing two games due to a personal matter, according to ESPN’s Nate Taylor.

Simmons was a late addition to Kansas City’s injury report in Weeks 5 and 6. He did not play in the second matchup or the Chiefs’ next game against the Raiders. He was listed as questionable with an illness in Week 5, which is reportedly related to the situation he’s dealing with now. In the last two weeks, his absence has been explained with a non-injury-related/personal designation.

The Chiefs have a bye in Week 10, so Taylor’s report suggests that Simmons will not be back until Week 11 or later. That will keep former 49ers offensive tackle Jaylon Moore on the field for the foreseeable future. The five-year veteran has started in Simmons’ place for the past two games, which both featured Chiefs victories and at least 30 points.

Moore arrived in Kansas City on a two-year, $30MM deal this offseason as a potential starting left tackle. The Chiefs landed Simmons in the draft, and he quickly emerged as the starter, but Moore’s value as a reliable replacement has been apparent for the last two weeks.

2023 third-rounder Wanya Morris will now be the next man up in the Chiefs’ offensive tackle room. If Moore or right tackle Jawaan Taylor were to miss any time as the latter did for part of the team’s last game. Taylor has been dealing with knee and shoulder injuries, but he was a full participant in practice this week and should be good to go on Sunday.

NFL Minor Transactions: 10/21/25

October 21st, 2025 at 8:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived from IR: WR Cade McDonald

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Signed to active roster (off Jets practice squad): CB Korie Black

Washington Commanders

The Commanders turned to a familiar face to replace DoranceArmstrong, who is done for the season after suffering a knee injury this past weekend. Washington cut Jalyn Holmes just the other day to make room for guard Sam Cosmi on the active roster, but he quickly found his way back to the active roster. The defensive end has seen time in four games this season, and he collected a pair of sacks in 11 appearances with the franchise in 2024.

Chiefs’ Omarr Norman-Lott Suffers Torn ACL

October 20th, 2025 at 2:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs’ defense enjoyed a shutout performance on Sunday, but the unit lost a key figure along the way. Omarr Norman-Lott exited the game and he will miss the remainder of his rookie campaign.

Norman-Lott suffered an ACL tear, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That will bring an end to the second-rounder’s debut NFL season. It will also leave Kansas City short on options along the defensive line aside from Chris Jones.

During his five games in the regular season, Norman-Lott logged one start and handled a snap share of 27%. As ESPN’s Nate Taylor notes, the Chiefs planned on increasing his workload over the coming weeks. Now, that will of course not be an option. It will be interesting to see how Kansas City proceeds over the coming weeks with a greater need for depth up front.

The team has been linked to running back interest on the trade front, but the most recent report on the matter indicated defensive line help was the top priority. In the wake of Norman-Lott going down for the rest of the year, that could certainly be the case to an even greater extent moving forward. The Chiefs have 15 days before the deadline to make any trade acquisitions, and finding at least a rental capable of filling in on the D-line would come as little surprise.

After three seasons at Arizona State, Norman-Lott transferred to Tennessee. During his two campaigns as a Volunteer, he totaled 9.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. That production made the 23-year-old one of the top options in a stacked defensive tackle class during April’s draft. Having been selected early in the event, Norman-Lott was set to handle a notable part-time role as the Chiefs looked to replace Tershawn Wharton following his free agent departure. That effort will now be on hold until 2026.

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