Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/25
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: RB Jermar Jefferson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed from practice squad: CB Jalen Davis
- Placed on IR: LB Brian Asamoah
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): TE Hayden Rucci
- Designated for return from IR: TE Shane Zylstra
- Placed on reserve/retired list: C Frank Ragnow
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: WR Will Sheppard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Austin Trammell
New England Patriots
- Elevated: OL Brenden Jaimes, DT Jeremiah Pharms
New York Giants
- Signed from practice squad: LB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, WR Dalen Cambre
The Lions continue to work through their tight end depth with Sam LaPorta done for the season. The team’s first move today was claiming Hayden Rucci, who was waived by the Dolphins on Saturday. A former UDFA out of Wisconsin, Rucci spent much of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns in Miami. He got into four games with the organization this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
The Lions also welcomed Shane Zylstra back to practice today. The tight end has been out since Week 2, when he suffered an ankle injury while blocking on a punt return. The veteran has gotten into 31 games with the Lions since the 2021 season, hauling in 15 catches for 116 yards and four touchdowns.
Otherwise, the Lions placed center Frank Ragnow back on the reserve/retired list after the veteran failed his physical.
AFC East Rumors: Robinson, Sanders, Bills
Last year, the Dolphins added first-round pass rusher Chop Robinson to their defense behind starters Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Chubb ended up missing the entire season with a torn ACL, pushing Emmanuel Ogbah into a full-time starting role. Phillips also suffered a season-ending injury a few games into the season, and while more experienced names like Quinton Bell and Tyus Bowser earned starts in place of Phillips, Robinson dominated the defensive snap share for the rest of the season.
Once Robinson started getting a lion’s share of the snaps on defense, he started to find his footing at the NFL level. After going sackless in his first seven games, Robinson tallied six over his next eight games. With Chubb, Phillips, and new veteran Matt Judon in place this year, Robinson’s time on defense has been limited again, and as a result, so has his production.
Robinson’s strong rookie stretch likely made Miami a bit more comfortable with trading Phillips away earlier this year, and according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, there’s a belief among the staff that making space for Robinson to get more consistent snaps will help him return to the form he showed midway through his rookie campaign. Now that he’s come back from a recent concussion, he’s starting to show exactly that. In today’s win over the Saints, Robinson logged 1.5 sacks, his first since Week 2.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC East:
- Also in Miami, Jackson reported last month on the status of veteran kicker Jason Sanders, who has spent the entire season to this point on injured reserve with a designation to return. Per Jackson, Dolphins special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said he doesn’t know if Sanders is close to returning or even if Sanders will kick for the team at all this season.
- Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman appeared in his first game in three weeks today after being a healthy scratch in the team’s last two contests. Coleman’s healthy scratch against the Buccaneers two weeks ago was a disciplinary measure to punish Coleman’s recent tardiness, but per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, Coleman’s healthy scratch last week against the Texans was not discipline related. Head coach Sean McDermott clarified that Coleman was scratch for that game because of the short runup to their Thursday night matchup.
- The Bills ended up staying put during the NFL’s trade deadline this year, but it was reportedly not for lack of trying. According to Tim Graham of The Athletic, general manager Brandon Beane was willing to restructure multiple contracts in order to facilitate trades. Beane and Co. had already reworked cornerback Taron Johnson‘s contract, and he arranged to have others ready to rework in case it may help move trades along. Unfortunately for Beane and Buffalo, though, calls on many of those players didn’t come until the day of the deadline, and deals that require a new contract are required to be done the Monday before the deadline, leading to the lack of action on that quiet Tuesday nearly four weeks ago.
Dolphins Activate Austin Jackson From IR
The Dolphins have gone almost all season without right tackle Austin Jackson, who landed on IR after a Week 1 loss to the Colts. Jackson is now ready to return, though, as the team activated him on Saturday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Jackson suffered a toe injury in the Dolphins’ opener, leading to a 10-game absence. Larry Borom took over as left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s blindside protector at right tackle while Jackson was out. Borom, who has played 600 offensive snaps this year, ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 57th-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers.
A first-round pick in 2020, Jackson has started in 55 of 57 games in his five-plus seasons with the Dolphins. Injuries have been a frequent problem for Jackson, however, as he missed 15 games in 2022 and has sat out 19 of 27 since last season.
Jackson’s under contract through 2026 on a three-year, $36MM extension, but that December 2023 agreement came with former general manager Chris Grier at the controls. The Dolphins parted with Grier in October. His successor, whether it’s interim GM Champ Kelly or someone else, will decide Jackson’s future in the offseason. The 26-year-old could be a candidate for release then. In the meantime, he’ll aim for a healthy finish to the season.
Along with activating Jackson and tight end Darren Waller (previously reported), the Dolphins waived offensive lineman Kion Smith and TE Hayden Rucci on Saturday.
Part of the Miami organization since 2021, Smith has totaled 20 appearances with the team. He got into nine games in 2023 before missing all of 2024 with a torn ACL. Smith returned to play in the Dolphins’ first 11 games this year, picking up a pair of starts along the way.
Rucci, undrafted from Wisconsin in 2024, made his first four appearances this year. He totaled 81 snaps (42 on special teams, 39 on offense) before the Dolphins cut him.
Dolphins To Activate Darren Waller From IR
The Dolphins are expected to activate Darren Waller from injured reserve for their Week 13 matchup with the Saints, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Waller landed on injured reserve after suffering a pectoral strain in Week 7. He completed his mandatory four-game absence and was designated to return earlier this week. He participated in all three practices and is designated as questionable for Sunday’s game.
Waller’s return will boost a Dolphins tight end room that has struggled to produce this year. Other than Waller, none of Miami’s tight ends have scored a touchdown this year, and the position group as a whole has contributed just 28 receptions for 269 yards. In Waller’s three games before getting injured, he made 10 catches for 117 yards and four touchdowns.
Miami will need to clear a 53-man roster spot to complete Waller’s activation, but it is not clear who will be waived. The Dolphins have three tight ends – Julian Hill, Tanner Conner, and Greg Dulcich – on their active roster, plus fullback Alec Ingold. Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to value Hill, Conner, and Ingold’s blocking prowess, but Dulcich has been a better pass-catcher than all three since Waller went down. He has eight catches for 89 yards in three games for an average of 22.2 yards per game, more than what Hill and Conner’s combined total.
Momentum Building For Mike McDaniel To Remain Dolphins’ HC?
Viewed as a lame duck as the Dolphins cleaned house in the front office midway through this season, Mike McDaniel has responded by winning three games since the Chris Grier separation. The Dolphins are not exactly topping “In the Hunt” graphics at 4-7, but they have played better over the past month.
McDaniel led the team to back-to-back playoff berths — the first such instance for Miami since its 1997-2001 string of postseason qualifications — to open his tenure and went 8-9 despite Tua Tagovailoa‘s six missed games in 2024. As rumors about instability within the Dolphins’ organization swirled this offseason and into the campaign, McDaniel still entered the season on the hot seat. While the fourth-year HC’s seat should still be considered warm, momentum may be building toward the team retaining him.
Stephen Ross still believes in McDaniel and wants to see him succeed, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, who adds the Miami sideline leader staying in place through 2026 is in play. This would make for an interesting dynamic, as the Dolphins will need a new GM after separating from Grier. But McDaniel’s success coaxing solid play from Tagovailoa, for the most part, will work in his favor — especially if Miami is to continue winning down the stretch.
I mentioned in last week’s PFR chat that a deeper pool of defensive-minded candidates — Vance Joseph, Chris Shula, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter, Robert Saleh among them — appears to exist compared to offense-oriented coaches with regards to a 2026 HC hire. Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury still figure to generate interest, but their stocks have not exactly soared this season. McDaniel being a proven offensive coach — one who would generate considerable interest on the 2026 OC carousel if fired — gives Ross something to think about, and Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler indicates McDaniel being a superior option to most offensive minds on the ’26 HC carousel will work in his favor.
While Tyreek Hill‘s 2022 arrival also played a significant role in Tagovailoa’s ascent, McDaniel’s arrival elevated the passer considerably after two uneven years. Tua’s legion of detractors notwithstanding, the left-handed passer has led the NFL in yards per attempt (2022), passing yards (2023) and completion percentage (2024) in separate seasons. To be fair, his 24th-place QBR placement this year leaves much to be desired. But if McDaniel can coax a solid finish from a player the Dolphins are pot-committed to — as his 2026 guaranteed salary will be difficult to move — that may be the difference in him receiving a fifth season.
As we discussed in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece, coaches and GMs being misaligned has proven to be an issue in recent years. Teams are shying away from not aligning their HC and GM hires; the Dolphins pairing McDaniel with a new GM hire would naturally keep the HC on the hot seat for 2026 as well. McDaniel’s extension also runs through 2028. Should the Dolphins stick with him for one more season or cut the cord and pair a new GM with his own HC?
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/25/25
Tuesday’s practice squad updates from around the NFL…
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: QB Sean Clifford
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Erick Hallett
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Cameron Mitchell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DL Boogie Basham
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Wyatt Bowles
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: CB Shemar Bartholomew
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Bill Murray
- Released: RB Jonathan Ward
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Samori Toure, RB Ian Wheeler, K Cade York (story)
- Released: WR Jha’Quan Jackson, LB Eku Leota
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Myles Purchase
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Anthony Goodlow, WR Cornell Powell
- Released: DB Daequan Hardy, LB Mark Robinson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OT Chandler Brewer
- Released: WR Kristian Wilkerson
Dolphins To Designate TE Darren Waller To Return From IR
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that tight end Darren Waller will be designated to return from injured reserve this week.
Waller suffered a pectoral strain in Week 7 and landed on IR shortly after. After four games on the sidelines, he is now eligible to return to the field. This was his second absence this season; he missed Miami’s first three games due to a hip injury suffered in training camp.
In his three games before getting injured, Waller caught 10 of his 12 targets for 117 yards and four touchdowns. His averages of 39 yards. 1.3 touchdowns, and 3.3 receptions per game are the best numbers of any Dolphins tight end in the McDaniel era outside of Jonnu Smith. That makes sense considering the fact that Waller came out of retirement this offseason to replace Smith in Miami after he was traded to the Steelers as part of the Jalen Ramsey–Minkah Fitzpatrick swap.
Dolphins tight ends Julian Hill and Tanner Conner have offered precious little production this year, but Greg Dulcich has stepped up since taking Waller’s spot on the 53-man roster. He has eight catches for 89 yards in his last three games, but none of Miami’s TEs have scored a touchdown all season.
Waller will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed from practice squad: DE Isaiah Foskey
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: S Jordan Colbert
Foskey joins Cincinnati’s 53-man roster after appearing in two games off the practice squad. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster for the Saints, who drafted him in the second round two years ago, Foskey gets an opportunity in Cinci, where the Bengals have four defensive ends on the injury report with two already ruled out for the weekend.
Colbert suffered a stinger in this weekend’s game in Madrid. His time on the 53-man roster comes to an end after a short month and a half.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/25
Wednesday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): LB Damone Clark
- Waived: K Matthew Wright
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): S Chris Smith
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: K Harrison Mevis
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Rams’ practice squad: CB A.J. Green
- Placed on IR: CB JuJu Brents (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: WR Kevin Austin
New York Giants
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: RB Eric Gray
Philadelphia Eagles
- Practice window opened: T Myles Hinton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Reverted to season-ending IR: CB Cory Trice
21 days have gone by since the Steelers opened Trice’s practice window. They’ve made the decision not to activate him from injured reserve, so he will remain on IR without the possibility of being activated.
Gray has been on New York’s physically unable to perform list since they set their initial 53-man roster. With rookie running back Cam Skattebo hitting IR earlier in the season, Gray’s return could add some needed depth at the position.
Dolphins CB JuJu Brents To Undergo Season-Ending Foot Surgery
JuJu Brents did not survive roster cuts with the Colts this summer, but he managed to find a role with the Dolphins in 2025. The third-year corner’s season is set to come to an end, however. 
Brents is set to undergo foot surgery which will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. The report adds he will be be recovered in full by the start of next season. In the meantime, Miami will be left without yet another corner during the closing stages of the season.
Dating back to the summer, the Dolphins have been hit by a slew of major injuries at that position. The team’s need for depth in the secondary led to Brents being claimed off waivers in August. That move allowed the 25-year-old to carve out a rotational role with his new team. Brents made seven appearances and two starts as a Dolphin prior to suffering the injury, totaling 14 tackles.
One year remains on Brents’ rookie contract, so the Dolphins could elect to keep him in the fold through the coming offseason. Doing so would allow him to compete for a place on what could be a much different looking CB depth chart than what the team currently has. Of course, a decision on that front will be made not by Chris Grier but rather by interim general manager Champ Kelly or his full-time replacement.
Miami has won two straight games to move to 4-7 on the year. The team ranks 13th in the NFL against the pass despite being shorthanded in the secondary all season. Maintaining that level of performance will be more difficult moving forward with Brents no longer in the picture.