Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/25
Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad callups for the ninth weekend of the NFL season:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Dylan Drummond
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, DT Phidarian Mathis
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: RB Brittain Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: LB Brian Asamoah II, G Jaxson Kirkland
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, TE Marcedes Lewis
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: LB Ty Summers
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: LB Kristian Welch
- Elevated: DE Arron Mosby
- Placed on IR: LB Nick Niemann
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: DE Durell Nchami, WR Laquon Treadwell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: LB Branson Combs, WR Tim Jones
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, G C.J. Hanson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Greedy Vance
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: RB Amar Johnson, RB Jaret Patterson
- Placed on IR: RB Hassan Haskins
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: CB A.J. Green, RB Ronnie Rivers
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: CB Fabian Moreau, TE Nick Vannett
New England Patriots
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Eku Leota
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: CB Rico Payton
- Elevated: LB Zaire Barnes, WR Ray-Ray McCloud
- Placed on IR: CB Art Green
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: LB Malik Harrison
- Elevated: RB Lew Nichols, RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: OL Spencer Burford
- Elevated: DE Clelin Ferrell, OL Nick Zakelj
- Placed on IR: OLB Yetur Gross-Matos
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: WR James Proche, DT Carlos Watkins
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: WR Treylon Burks, DT Sheldon Day
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.
Bills Rumors: Defensive Tackles, Olave
Although the Bills pulled off a dominant 40-9 win against the Panthers last week, they didn’t escape Carolina unscathed. The Bills lost their top defensive tackle and one of their most important players, Ed Oliver, to a torn biceps. In a best-case scenario, Oliver will return sometime during the postseason. That’s assuming the 5-2 Bills, who trail the division-leading Patriots in the AFC East, earn a playoff berth.
Oliver’s injury was the latest (and costliest) shot to the interior of the Bills’ defense. They were already thin at D-tackle before Oliver went down. DeWayne Carter suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in the preseason, T.J. Sanders went on IR with a knee injury on Oct. 11, and DaQuan Jones will miss his third straight game Sunday with a calf issue.
With two starters (Oliver and Jones) and a pair of reserves (Carter and Sanders) unavailable, fourth-round rookie Deone Walker, Larry Ogunjobi, and Jordan Phillips are the only healthy tackles on the Bills’ active roster. Zion Logue, who has already received the maximum of three standard gameday elevations this year, and Phidarian Mathis represent experienced options on the practice squad. Either could play in this week’s all-important clash with the Chiefs, though the Bills will have to sign Logue to their active roster if they plan on using him.
Thanks to their injury woes at the position, the Bills are “taking a hard look at what’s out there at defensive tackle,” Albert Breer of SI.com writes. The Jets’ Harrison Phillips (a former Bill) and the Browns’ Maliek Collins have been mentioned as potential fits for Buffalo.
Tuesday’s trade deadline is fast approaching, leaving Bills general manager Brandon Beane little time to find outside help to improve his team’s last-ranked run defense. The Bills also have other areas to address – including at wide receiver and safety – and under $2MM in available cap space. It’s a less-than-ideal situation for Beane.
In clear need of an upgrade at boundary receiver, the Bills have recently inquired about the Saints’ Chris Olave, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. However, Russini is the latest to note that the Saints are expected to retain Olave, who’s under team control through 2026 on a fifth-year option. Barring a 180 from the Saints, Olave teaming with Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks unlikely to happen.
Saints Seeking Day 2 Picks For WR Rashid Shaheed, CB Alontae Taylor
Of the receivers recently named as trade candidates, Rashid Shaheed is perhaps the likeliest to be on the move in the near future. The Saints wideout is a pending free agent and could find himself on the radar of several suitors. 
New Orleans has received interest in fellow wideout Chris Olave, but he is attached to his fifth-year option for 2026. The Ohio State product could very well be in place beyond that point by means of an extension. Shaheed, by contrast, is one of many Saints identified as one to watch on the trade front and the team is willing to move him.
At this point, though, no deal is imminent. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated confirms calls have come in about Shaheed, but he adds New Orleans’ asking price is currently a second- or third-round pick. That matches the Raiders’ stance with respect to Jakobi Meyers, another wideout known on the trade block. Per Breer, suitors have balked at that price in Shaheed’s case.
The situation is similar as it pertains to cornerback Alontae Taylor. New Orleans is seeking a Day 2 pick for the pending free agent corner, Breer adds. Just like with Shaheed, he writes interested teams view that asking price as too steep. It will be interesting to see if the Saints shift their stance ahead of the November 4 deadline by accepting less valuable offers in one or both cases.
Shaheed, 27, is averaging 11.1 yards per catch in 2025, by far the lowest figure of his career. Much of that is due to the team’s overall offensive struggles, though, and a QB switch has taken place. Rookie Tyler Shough will handle starting duties for the remainder of the season. Shaheed would only play one game with Shough in place in the event he were to be dealt ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Taylor has served as a starter for much of his New Orleans tenure. With the team having traded away Marshon Lattimore and lost Paulson Adebo in free agency, moving on from the second-rounder would leave the secondary rather thin. Of course, the lack of an extension in Adebo’s case has led to interest from suitors and uncertainty regarding his future.
The receiver and cornerback trade markets around the league will depend in large part on Shaheed and Taylor, with the former having been at least loosely linked to several buyers recently. As such, both of these cases will be worth watching closely.
Latest On Bills’ Pursuit Of WR Help
The Bills were in obvious need of help at wide receiver leading up to last year’s trade deadline. General manager Brandon Beane addressed the position in mid-October, acquiring Amari Cooper from the Browns. While the five-time Pro Bowler didn’t end up as a major contributor in Buffalo, he at least gave the team another credible target. With Cooper as a role player in a high-powered offense, the Bills ultimately advanced to the AFC championship game before suffering yet another postseason loss to the Chiefs.
Although the Bills are off to a strong 5-2 start this year, the receiver position has been a glaring issue again. Dependable slot target Khalil Shakir is enjoying another productive year, but the Bills are lacking boundary threats. Cognizant of that, the Bills have been scouring the market for a “vertical deep route receiver” as the Nov. 4 trade deadline nears, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network says.
Saints speedster Rashid Shaheed is a name to keep an eye on for the Bills, according to Wolfe. It’s not the first time Shaheed has come up as a potential target for Buffalo, whose lack of cap space could be a hindrance in landing a bigger fish.
The Bills rank last in the NFL with around $1.67MM in spending room, per Over the Cap. Shaheed, like Cooper was last year, is on an expiring contract. With a $4.2MM base salary and a $4.46MM cap hit, he’s reasonably priced.
After Shaheed averaged anywhere from 15.6 to 17.5 yards per catch in each of his first three seasons, that number has dropped to 11.1. However, with 39 catches and 431 through eight games, he’s easily on pace to surpass his current career highs of 46 and 719, respectively.
Sitting at 1-7 and set to hand the reins to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, New Orleans is open to trading Shaheed. The 27-year-old has never paired with a high-level QB in the NFL, but that would change in Buffalo with Josh Allen at the helm.
Despite having the benefit of playing with Allen, Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer – the Bills’ top receivers after Shakir – have underwhelmed. Coleman dazzled with an eight-catch, 112-yard showing in a Week 1 win over the Ravens, leading to hope that the 2024 second-round pick was in for a breakout sophomore campaign. Since then, though, Coleman has totaled just 19 receptions and 155 yards in seven games.
Palmer, previously a Charger, didn’t rise to stardom playing with Justin Herbert from 2021-24. He still impressed the Bills enough to land a three-year, $36MM contract in free agency last offseason. While Palmer has averaged a robust 16.7 yards per catch in Buffalo, he has only hauled in 14 passes in six games. He missed the Bills’ win over the Panthers last week with a knee/ankle injury, an issue that could keep him out of a crucial meeting with the Chiefs this Sunday.
Aside from Shakir, Coleman, and Palmer, no other Bills receiver has more than five catches in 2025. Veterans Curtis Samuel and Elijah Moore, free agent pickups over the previous two offseasons, have been nonentities. Practice squad wideout Gabe Davis, a Bill from 2020-23 and a Jaguar last season, is the best hope for an in-house upgrade. Davis is now recovered from the meniscus surgery he underwent last year. While he could factor into the Bills’ receiving corps soon, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Beane bring in an outside reinforcement by Tuesday.
Saints OL Cesar Ruiz Could Be Available For “Right Price”
While the likes of Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave appear to be sticking in New Orleans, it sounds like wideouts Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks could be had in a trade. We can now add another Saints offensive player to the list of trade targets.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, rival teams are “under the impression” that offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz could be available for “the right price.” Fowler notes that “change feels inevitable” this upcoming offseason in New Orleans, and the front office may look to get a jump start by dealing veterans.
Ruiz has spent his entire career with the Saints, as the lineman was selected by the organization in the first round of the 2020 draft. After bouncing in and out of the starting lineup as a rookie and alternating between positions as a sophomore, Ruiz has settled in as the team’s starting right guard in recent years. He’s started all 37 of his appearances for the organization since 2021, and he’s gotten into at least 90 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those contests.
Pro Football Focus has never been particularly fond of the player’s performance, as the site has generally ranked him in the bottom half of his position. He had his best showing in 2024, when PFF ranked him 25th among 77 qualifying guards. He’s back down to 56th in 2025, although the site has given him credit for his pass-blocking ability.
Ruiz still has two years remaining on the four-year, $44MM extension he signed with the organization back in 2023. While he has an out in his contract following the current campaign, the $16.8MM in dead money means he’s not a realistic rental. The Saints would presumably consider this in any trade talks, so teams may not be able to snag him for a late-round pick.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/29/25
Here are today’s taxi squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from practice squad IR: WR Gabe Davis
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DE Jonathan Garvin, OL Royce Newman
Denver Broncos
- Signed: QB Sam Ehlinger
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Dante Barnett, CB Tyron Herring
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Dalton Keene
- Released: RB Jawhar Jordan
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB D’Ernest Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Evan Hull
- Released: DT Coziah Izzard
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OL Jack Driscoll, WR John Rhys Plumlee
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: KR Velus Jones
- Released: RB Myles Gaskin
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Robbie Chosen
Saints To Start QB Tyler Shough Through Remainder Of Season
The Saints turned to Tyler Shough for the second half of their Week 8 game and it was clear in the wake of that move a permanent switch at quarterback could be in store. Head coach Kellen Moore confirmed it will be the second-round rookie atop the depth chart for New Orleans’ next game. 
Moore has stated in recent days he does not anticipate switching between Shough and Spencer Rattler on a week-to-week basis through the second half of the campaign. As such, it came as no surprise when he said today this QB change will apply for the remainder of the season (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The coming weeks will thus serve as an evaluation period for Shough.
The seven-year college QB has made two appearances off the bench so far in his rookie campaign, but Week 9 will mark the first point at which he handles first-team reps in preparation for a game. That setup will continue moving forward as Moore and the Saints contemplate their long-term options under center. New Orleans is on track for a high selection in the first round of the 2026 draft, something which will further fuel long-running speculation about a franchise passer being taken in April.
“All we’re trying to do is put ourselves in the best position to be successful on Sunday against L.A.,” Moore said (via Schefter’s colleague Katherine Terrell) when speaking about the decision to bench Rattler on a permanent basis. “I think the really important aspect is starters need to get every rep they can. You don’t get into this whole weekly competition area or any of that stuff.”
The Saints have games against the Rams and Panthers upcoming until their bye week. It will be interesting to see how Shough fares with a banged-up offensive line in front of him and a pass-catching group which may be thinned out by the trade deadline. Four of New Orleans’ six games following the bye will be on the road, so Shough’s audition period will feature a number of challenges.
Interestingly, Moore noted he did not give thought to making a quarterback change midway through a game prior to Week 8. Rattler flashed potential during periods of his time atop the depth chart, but attention will now turn to Shough’s performances in the same role.
Saints Open To Trading WR Rashid Shaheed
The Saints have two receivers drawing heavy trade interest and another who has been dealt four times in a well-traveled career. New Orleans also turned to the trade market to acquire a wideout, having sent fourth- and seventh-round pick to obtain Devaughn Vele from the Broncos in August.
As the deadline nears, however, the Saints are 1-7. The team appears prepared to retain Chris Olave, who is under contract (via the fifth-year option) through 2026. At this point in his career, Brandin Cooks is unlikely to fetch much (if anything) in a trade. The former New Orleans first-round pick has not shown much in his return to Louisiana. This leaves Rashid Shaheed as the trade chip to monitor, and it does appear New Orleans is ready to seriously listen to interest.
Expecting at least one of the Saints’ wideouts to be traded by the Nov. 4 deadline, ESPN’s Adam Schefter points to Shaheed as the player interesting most WR-needy teams. With an Olave extension appearing more likely than a trade, Shaheed appears the consolation prize. The speedy Olave sidekick is in a contract year, and his production — in a trade market lacking big names — provides natural interest to clubs hoping to upgrade their respective situations. Teams have been in on Shaheed for multiple weeks.
The Saints are using Shaheed a bit differently this year. Having averaged at least 15.6 yards per catch in each of his first three seasons (and over 17 in two of them), the former UDFA is at just 11.1 per reception this year. The Weber State product, though, is on pace to smash his career high for receptions. He already has 39 grabs for 431 yards. The 2023 season (46 catches, 719 yards) represents his best thus far, but WR-needy teams are on the lookout. And Shaheed’s situation could be upgraded soon.
New Orleans has seen flashes from Spencer Rattler, but after last week’s benching, the team is transitioning to second-round rookie Tyler Shough. Olave, Cooks and Vele would represent a workable trio for Shough (even if Vele has disappointed post-trade), and compounded with the Dolphins keeping Jaylen Waddle out of trade talks, Shaheed could command a nice return for a Saints team in need of cost-controlled talent (as the restructure-heavy franchise’s annual cap troubles are coming again in 2026).
Coming up in our previous offering about Saints wideouts, the Bills, Broncos and Steelers are among the teams who have made calls on wideouts recently. Pittsburgh’s Marquez Valdes-Scantling pickup is unlikely to deter more trade interest from the AFC North leaders, and the Bills’ Week 8 dismantling of the Panthers did not feature much in the passing game. The Broncos did see Troy Franklin produce his best career game Sunday, but they do not have a consistent second option — even if Franklin is emerging — behind Courtland Sutton. Shaheed did not overlap with Sean Payton, but the Broncos’ roster has many ex-Saints, and Shaheed did play under Pete Carmichael (in a system closely resembling Payton’s offense) for two seasons. Carmichael is a senior offensive assistant in Denver.
Shaheed and the Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers may be the top options for receiver-focused teams. Both profile as rentals, though an acquiring team would obviously hold exclusive negotiating rights until the March tampering period, but Shaheed is two years younger. Playing an age-27 season, Shaheed will be a key free agent to monitor — that is, if an acquiring team does not extend him — come 2026.
The Saints will need to make a decision soon. They could collect a possible Day 2 pick for a player obtained after the 2022 draft. That would help the Mickey Loomis–Kellen Moore operation ahead of the 2026 draft.
Saints To Start Tyler Shough In Week 9
The Saints are making a change under center, installing rookie Tyler Shough as the new starter and benching Spencer Rattler, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rattler won a training camp battle for the Saints’ starting quarterback gig, but the team is 1-7 in his eight starts. Statistically, Rattler himself has not been horrible relative to some of the league’s other starters, but New Orleans ranks 29th in points scored and 27th in total yardage this year.
Shough, 26, was a second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in April’s draft who was widely seen as the Saints’ successor to Derek Carr. His age and draft profile as an NFL-ready quarterback raised expectations that he would start right away in New Orleans, but new head coach Kellen Moore made it clear in the spring that there would be a true competition in the preseason.
In the interim, however, Shough leveraged his draft status, the Saints’ quarterback situation, and new league contract precedent into a fully-guaranteed rookie deal, making it clear that he would get a shot at the starting job sooner than later. Rattler was expected to have a long leash at the beginning of the season, but it only extended out to eight starts.
Rattler was benched for Shough in Week 8, and though the rookie did not dazzle in his first extended regular-season action, he did enough to earn Moore’s confidence moving forward. Expectations will still be low for the rest of the season, as the rest of the Saints offensive line has struggled this season and won’t make Shough’s first start a walk in the park. Neither will a ferocious Rams defense that ranks second in the league with 26 sacks. But any progress Shough can make this year will give New Orleans a better idea if they’ve found a long-term starter or should focus on the 2026 draft class.
Saints Could Trade WR Brandin Cooks; Latest On WRs Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed
The 1-6 Saints have looked like sellers at this year’s trade deadline for weeks, and GM Mickey Loomis is indeed receiving calls from other clubs. Players like wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, running back Alvin Kamara, defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson, linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner, cornerback Alontae Taylor, and offensive lineman Dillon Radunz have all been named as possible trade candidates.
Add WR Brandin Cooks to that list. Sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Cooks is a player who could be on the move, which Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirms.
Cooks, 32, is no stranger to trade rumors. As Rapoport observes, the former first-round pick of the Saints would set an NFL record if he is dealt again. Cooks has been traded four times already, which is tied with Kiko Alonso and Eric Dickerson for the most in league history.
A 2014 draftee, Cooks spent the first three years of his career in New Orleans before being traded to the Patriots. After just one season in Foxborough, the Pats sent Cooks to the Rams, who dealt him to the Texans two years later. He stayed with Houston for three years and was traded to the Cowboys in 2023.
Despite the nomadic career, Cooks has been quite productive, posting five seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards and earning over $123MM along the way. He circled back to the Saints this offseason on a two-year, $13MM deal, which includes a modest $1.26MM salary in 2025. An acquiring club would only be responsible for the prorated portion of that amount, and just $1.69MM of Cook’s 2026 pay is guaranteed, so his contract is eminently movable.
Per Rapoport, there is mutual interest in a trade. When Cooks rejoined New Orleans, he still believed Derek Carr might be his quarterback. With Spencer Rattler at the controls, Cooks has generated just 14 catches for 127 scoreless yards.
Of course, that is not entirely Rattler’s fault. Cooks’ production naturally has been trending downwards as he has gotten older, and he has not recorded a 1,000-yard season (or anything particularly close) since 2021. Olave, Shaheed, Kamara, and tight end Juwan Johnson have all earned substantially more targets in 2025 than Cooks, who has just 18 through seven games.
A WR-needy team could nonetheless see Cooks as a useful and attainable complementary addition to its pass-catching contingent. He surely will not cost as much to acquire as Shaheed, for whom Schefter says New Orleans is seeking a third-round pick (despite the Saints’ predictable public stance that they are not interested in trading any of their wideouts).
The Saints do appear likely to keep Olave in the fold (as is the case with Kamara). Under club control through 2026 by virtue of his fifth-year option, Olave wants to stay in New Orleans, and player and team have been discussing an extension.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) confirms the Saints are unlikely to trade Olave. The receiver himself said the two sides are “on the same page” in their contract negotiations, per Schefter.