Saints RB Alvin Kamara Has MCL Sprain, Out For Week 13
Saints running back Alvin Kamara suffered a sprained MCL in Week 12 and will miss at least one game.
Kamara went down early in last week’s loss to the Falcons. An MRI revealed he avoided a serious injury, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, but he was still ruled out for the Saints’ Week 13 matchup with the Dolphins. The nine-year veteran should still have a chance to return this season.
2025 has been a down year for Kamara. The five-time Pro Bowler is putting up career-lows across the board with 3.6 yards per carry, 5.6 yards per reception, and 59.7 scrimmage yards per game.
Kendre Miller‘s season-ending injury in October will put rookie Devin Neal atop the Saints’ depth chart in Kamara’s absence. The sixth-round pick has only appeared in seven games this season with 29 total touches for 125 yards. In his last three years at Kansas, Neal averaged 6.0 yards per carry and scored 44 total touchdowns.
Kamara’s injury will also get Audric Estime invovled after just one appearance and three offensive snaps this year. The 2024 fifth-rounder recorded 310 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries as a rookie in Denver.
The Saints’ only other running back is Ian Wheeler, a 2023 UDFA who has yet to appear in an NFL game. He will be elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game and could have a game day role until Kamara’s return. New Orleans may also add a veteran to their inexperience, unproven backfield.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/25/25
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Quinton Jefferson, CB Nick Whiteside
New England Patriots
- Signed off Browns’ practice squad: OT Thayer Munford
- Placed on IR: CB Alex Austin
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: OT Barry Wesley
- Signed from practice squad: RB Evan Hull
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Derion Kendrick
In addition to waiving cornerback Arthur Maulet, the Lions also moved on from defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson and cornerback Nick Whiteside. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, these moves were likely made in anticipation of upcoming activations from IR and PUP.
The Patriots started preparing for Will Campbell and Jared Wilson‘s absences by adding some experienced offensive line depth, as the team snagged Thayer Munford off the Browns practice squad today. The former seventh-round pick was mostly a part-time starter during his three seasons with the Raiders, although he did start a career-high 10 games for the organization in 2023.
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
Saints To Swap Kickers By Signing Cade York, Waiving K Blake Grupe
The Saints are making a change at kicker. Cade York is set to join the practice squad in New Orleans, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, and Blake Grupe will be waived from the active roster as a result, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
York won the Saints’ kicking job with a successful tryout on Tuesday morning, beating out disgraced former Raven Justin Tucker.
Grupe has had a tough season, his third in the NFL. He made just 10 of his 15 field goal attempts in the first five games of the year with one miss inside of 40 yards and two more inside of 50 yards. He bounced back in his next four games, missing only a 53-yarder and converting all three of his other tries.
However, Grupe regressed in Week 12 against the Falcons, missing from 38 and 47 yards to drop his conversion rate to 69.2% on the year, a significant drop from the 81.1% and 87.1% marks of his first two seasons. The Saints’ coaching staff decided they had seen enough and opted to make a change.
York, a 2022 fourth-round pick by the Browns, made 75% of his kicks as a rookie with five misses inside of 50 yards. The Browns released him during final roster cuts in 2023; he bounced around with a few teams but did not make any appearances that year. York eventually found his way back to Cleveland during the 2024 offseason but again failed to win the starting kicker job. He was traded to the Commanders to kick in Week 1, but missed both of his field goals and was released shortly after.
York was later picked up by the Bengals for five games, during which time he made nine of his 11 field goals and 13 of his 15 extra point attempts. Despite the bounce-back showing in Cincinnati, York did not receive any interest this offseason, but he will get a chance in New Orleans and could lock down the job for the rest of the year with a strong debut in Week 13.
Saints Waive Brandin Cooks; Latest On WR’s Contract Restructure
NOVEMBER 24: As expected, Cooks has cleared waivers (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). He is now a free agent.
NOVEMBER 23: The Saints have officially put veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on waivers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio passes along a few of the “contractual technicalities” that were referenced in prior reporting on Cooks’ impending departure, technicalities which held up the transaction.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football had reported that Cooks negotiated his contract downward to facilitate his exit, which appears to be true to a degree. Per Florio, the 32-year-old wideout gave up his right to $420K in termination pay, which would not have been offset by the salary an acquiring team will have to give him.
In exchange, the team that originally drafted Cooks increased his guaranteed pay for 2026 – the final year of the two-year pact he signed this offseason – from $1.69MM to $5.94MM. A team claiming Cooks off waivers would have to absorb his contract, so bumping up the guaranteed money on the deal makes it more likely he will pass through waivers unclaimed, thus making him a free agent and therefore able to sign with any team he wants (read: a playoff contender).
Of course, the perennially cap-strapped Saints would not willingly put themselves on the hook for more money for a player they are trying to remove from the roster, so the revised contract also created a window for New Orleans to cut Cooks in a way that absolves the team of its 2026 obligation to him. The problem, according to Florio, is that league rules specifically prohibit a team from modifying a contract to deter a waiver claim, which is precisely what the Saints have done.
However, it presently appears as if the NFL is allowing the waiver process to move forward. One high-ranking official with another club expressed shock at the league’s willingness to do so, and the NFL has not responded to Florio’s request for comment or clarification.
Absent some sort of about-face on the league’s part, it looks like Cooks and the Saints will achieve their desired outcome and Cooks will soon hit the open market. As our Connor Byrne noted in the story linked above, a number of contending teams – including the Bills, Broncos, and Steelers – were in the hunt for a receiver at the trade deadline but were unable to land one. They are among the clubs that could show interest in Cooks if he does, in fact, become an FA.
The former first-round pick has 19 catches for 165 scoreless yards in 2025.
Saints To Host Justin Tucker, Cade York
With Blake Grupe struggling, the Saints are l0oking into a number of free agent kickers. Visits are being lined up today, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. 
The total number of kickers being auditioned is unclear at this point, but one notable name is included in the list. As Underhill reports, Justin Tucker is among the free agents who will work out for the Saints. Cade York will also receive a look.
Tucker’s illustrious Ravens tenure came to an end in May. The move came as little surprise at the time with Baltimore having used a sixth-round pick on his replacement, Tyler Loop. Performance was named by the team as the reason for the release, but Tucker’s departure came about in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct dating back several years. The 36-year-old has denied any wrongdoing, but in June he accepted a 10-game suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Tucker has now served that ban, and as of October it was known he was on the radar of interested teams. The five-time All-Pro would represent a notable addition down the stretch for any number of suitors, although his off-field situation will no doubt be a central talking point in the event a deal is worked out. Tucker struggled through the middle of last season, leading to by far his least accurate campaign; issues from long range continued to be an issue, extending a trend in that regard from recent years. This will be his first known workout of 2025.
Even with Tucker having shown a decline in 2024, his career accuracy rate on field goals sits at 89.1%. The 2010s All-Decade Team member’s showing last season was his first with a FG success rate under 82.5%, and he has missed no more than two extra points in a single season. Expectations will be high in terms of performance in the event Tucker lands a contract for 2025.
York’s resume is far different from Tucker’s, but he will also try out for New Orleans. The former Browns draftee struggled during his rookie season and did not see any regular season game action the following year. In 2024, York made one appearance with the Commanders and five with the Bengals. Overall, he has connected on 33 of 45 field goal tries and 51 of 54 extra point attempts.
Grupe has been operating as the Saints’ kicker since 2023. The team’s Wil Lutz successor improved on his field goal accuracy last season compared to his debut campaign, but things have taken a turn for the worse in 2025. Grupe, 27, has missed eight field goals this year, including two during yesterday’s loss against the Falcons.
The Saints have Grupe on their active roster along with Charlie Smyth on the practice squad. The latter has yet to make a regular season NFL appearance and it appears that will continue with a number of veterans being auditioned. It will be interesting to see if these workouts produce an agreement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/25
Here are Week 12’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Sunday slate tomorrow:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: CB Darren Hall
- Elevated: TE Pharaoh Brown, LB Channing Tindall
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: LB Chandler Martin, CB Amani Oruwariye
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: RB Gary Brightwell, CB Jalen Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: QB Bailey Zappe
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: LB Jamon Johnson, RB Pierre Strong
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: S Tanner Ingle
- Elevated: LB Elias Neal, WR Brennan Presley
New England Patriots
- Elevated: DT Jeremiah Pharms
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Dante Pettis, G William Sherman
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP: RB Eric Gray
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, WR Dalen Cambre
- Placed on IR: TE Thomas Fidone II
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- Waived: LB Ja’Markis Weston
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: LB Patrick O’Connell, LB Jamie Sheriff
- Placed on IR: WR Tory Horton (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: S Marcus Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: RB Kalel Mullings
- Elevated: WR Xavier Restrepo
There hasn’t been much of an update since it was reported that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was going through the league’s concussion protocol. He was able to get some limited practice time in yesterday, but he hasn’t yet been cleared. With Gabriel’s status up in the air, Zappe is getting called up in case he’s needed to back up the new starting rookie, Shedeur Sanders.
O’Connell and Sheriff are getting called up with linebackers Tyrice Knight out with a concussion and Ernest Jones questionable with a knee injury. This will be O’Connell’s third and final practice squad elevation, so if the Seahawks wants to see him play again this year, they will need to sign him to the active roster.
Saints Plan To Waive WR Brandin Cooks
NOVEMBER 20: While the Saints/Cooks divorce still appears to be happening, there is a slight holdup. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the move still hasn’t gone through as the two sides work through “contractual technicalities.” The wideout is still destined for the waiver wire before potentially hitting free agency.
NOVEMBER 19: Well-traveled wide receiver Brandin Cooks could land with another team in the coming days. The Saints and Cooks mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. Cooks will be free to sign anywhere if he goes through waivers unclaimed.
The move to cut Cooks came after he renegotiated his contract down, according to Underhill. He had a little over $2MM in guarantees left, including a 2026 salary of approximately $1.7MM, NewOrleans.Football colleague Mike Triplett notes.
Now 32 years old, Cooks entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Saints in 2014. After spending his first three years in New Orleans, he divided the next eight among the Patriots, Rams, Texans, and Cowboys. Cooks returned to the Saints on a two-year, $13MM pact last March.
With the Saints well out of contention, Cooks’ name came up in the rumor mill ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. A trade involving Cooks would have been his fifth. That would have set a new NFL record, but the Saints didn’t find a taker. However, one could emerge now that adding Cooks won’t require surrendering draft compensation.
The Bills, Broncos, and Steelers are among contenders that were looking for receivers before the deadline. None of those teams acquired one, which could make any of them logical landing spots for Cooks. It’s worth pointing out that Cooks began his career under Broncos head coach Sean Payton, then with the Saints.
Whether it’s Denver or another club, Cooks’ next employer will be picking up someone who has recorded 729 catches, 9,697 yards, and 60 touchdowns in 168 career regular-season games. While that’s excellent production, Cooks’ output has experienced a dramatic decline over the past couple of years.
Cooks caught 26 of 54 targets for 259 yards and three TDs in 10 games with the Cowboys last season. In his reunion with the Saints this year, Cooks grabbed 19 of 25 targets for just 165 yards and no scores. Cooks played 34 offensive snaps in a win over Carolina in Week 10, which proved to be his final game with the Saints, but rookie quarterback Tyler Shough didn’t target him.
Now that he’s leaving New Orleans, there’s a good chance Cooks will enter into a better QB situation than he had with the Saints this year or the Cowboys in 2024. Before working with the inexperienced duo of Shough and Spencer Rattler in New Orleans, Cooks mostly teamed with Cowboys backup Cooper Rush last season. He hasn’t paired with an above-average QB since Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 of 2024.
For their part, the Saints have now subtracted a pair of notable veteran receivers this month. Cooks is following Rashid Shaheed, whom the Saints traded to the Seahawks, out the door. Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Mason Tipton are the only WRs left on the Saints’ active roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/25
Here are today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Jared Bartlett, WR Trent Sherfield, T Trey Wedig
- Released: WR Jalen Virgil
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Jacoby Windmon
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Nick Leverett
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Damon Arnette
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: CB Alex Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: S John Saunders Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Jha’Quan Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Tomon Fox
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Stone Blanton
- Released: WR Russell Gage
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.