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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/1/25

September 1st, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: LB Cale Jones Jr.
  • Released: LB Power Echols

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: QB/WR Tommy Mellott, DT Coziah Izzard

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

With backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell starting the season on injured reserve, the Raiders – who already traded for Kenny Pickett – added some more veteran depth by signing Driskel. The 32-year-old has spent the last seven years in the NFL but only took one snap for the Commanders last season. Now, Driskel will join rookie QB Cam Miller on the practice squad in Las Vegas.

Tom Brady Broadcasting Restrictions Lifted

August 30th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

When Tom Brady began to pursue an ownership stake in the Raiders as he approached his first season as a broadcaster for FOX Sports, the NFL took note of the potential conflict of interest and installed several rules in response.

Among them was a ban on attending pre-game production meetings with players and coaches from both teams. That restriction has now been lifted, per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

Previously, Brady had to get notes from a classmate – in this case, his broadcasting partner Kevin Burkhardt – to inform his color commentary. The league made an exception for the Super Bowl in February, which will now become a permanent rule.

Brady is still barred from stepping foot in other teams’ facilities or attending their practices, as he was last year. He must also continue to adhere to NFL rules that prohibit owners from publicly criticizing officials or other teams. Given Brady’s role as an analyst, he received some leeway on that front.

Other team owners – particularly the Chiefs’ Clark Hunt – insisted on Brady’s restrictions entering his first season as a broadcaster, but the NFL seems to have assessed his commentary and his role in Las Vegas and determined that the potential conflict of interest is not a major concern.

Brady has described himself as a “sounding board”, though he was reportedly instrumental in the Raiders’ organizational overhaul this offseason, helping land a triumvirate of new leadership in head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek, and quarterback Geno Smith.

2025 NFL Trades

August 28th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. While the Cowboys and Steelers’ George Pickens swap showed moves can be made at other points on the NFL calendar, early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. On that note, it is a good time to check in on what has transpired on the trade market between windows two and three.

Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2025:

March 1

49ers chose running back Jordan James at 147

March 4

Rams traded pick to Vikings, moving up to No. 172 for linebacker Chris Paul Jr.

March 5

March 6

March 7

Seahawks chose quarterback Jalen Milroe at 92

March 9

Seahawks used No. 52 to trade up (via the Titans) 17 spots for safety Nick Emmanwori, drafted running back Damien Martinez at 223; Steelers selected quarterback Will Howard at 185

March 10

Texans added wide receiver Jaylin Noel at 79, sent 236 to Jaguars in Day 2 trade; Commanders chose wideout Jaylin Lane at No. 128 

Eagles used No. 164 to climb one spot (via Chiefs) in first round for linebacker Jihaad Campbell

March 11

March 12

Bills took Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock at 170; Cowboys chose guard Ajani Cornelius at No. 204

Titans drafted running back Kalel Mullings at No. 188; Cowboys chose running back Phil Mafah at 239

March 13

March 15

Vikings packaged No. 187 in trade-down move (via Texans); 49ers drafted safety Marques Sigle at 160

April 3

Patriots traded down from No. 171 (via Lions) to draft kicker Andres Borregales; Cowboys chose defensive tackle Jay Toia at 217

April 26

Seahawks selected defensive lineman Rylie Mills at No. 142; Vikings traded No. 172 to Rams

May 7

June 2

Pick could upgrade to fourth-rounder if performance-based conditions are met

June 30

July 1

August 4

August 17

August 20

August 22

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

August 28

September 8

2026 fifth-round pick (from Bryce Huff trade) could upgrade to fourth-rounder, which would be sent to Jacksonville if 49ers DE meets those conditions

September 14

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/25

August 28th, 2025 at 7:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

As rosters continue to be sorted out, here are Thursday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DT Eric Gregory

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Raiders Place QB Aidan O’Connell On IR

August 27th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders have announced the placement of injured quarterback Aidan O’Connell on injured reserve today. The transaction comes a day after many thought it would.

Each NFL team is allotted two players that it can place on injured reserve before the roster cut deadline with a designation to return, allowing them to be activated to the 53-man roster four weeks after the start of the regular season. Any other players placed on IR before the deadline will remain on IR for the entire year.

When news came out two days before the deadline that O’Connell was expected to miss six to eight weeks with a fractured wrist, it was expected that he would be one of the two for Las Vegas. It came as a bit of a shock when the team only placed one player — safety Lonnie Johnson — on IR with a designation to return, keeping an injured O’Connell on the 53-man roster and giving the team one less spot with which they could have held on to a borderline player.

Instead, it appears they wanted to reserve a spot on the 53-man roster for a player outside the building. None of the players they waived appear to have been claimed elsewhere, so all are available if the team wanted to bring them back. The team chose, instead, to claim linebacker Brennan Jackson, who was waived yesterday by the Rams; the team also did an add-drop of two linemen. Still, the Raiders knew O’Connell was headed to IR, so when they claimed a new player, it was an easy transaction to bring them on and move O’Connell off.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

August 27th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

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:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Raiders Turned Down Jakobi Meyers Interest

August 27th, 2025 at 10:03am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jakobi Meyers‘ trade request went unfulfilled by the Raiders as final roster cuts came and went, but at least one team tried to get the veteran wideout out of Las Vegas.

The Raiders were contacted by another team regarding Meyers, but that team wanted the Raiders to eat some of Meyers’ $11MM salary, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via The Pat McAfee Show) Las Vegas already had no intention of trading Meyers, and the prospect of absorbing additional dead money only made them less likely to reconsider.

The specific team that wanted Meyers remains unknown, but it makes sense why he would draw interest on the trade market. The 28-year-old has quietly put together a solid career, growing steadily throughout his first four years in New England before landing an $11MM APY deal from the Raiders in 2023 free agency.

The wide receiver market has grown significantly since then, and so has Meyers. He recorded 800 yards in 2023 for the third year in a row to go along with eight touchdowns, a career-high. He then stepped up after Davante Adams‘ departure and posted his first thousand-yard season in 2024, albeit with less-than-stellar efficiency.

As a result, Meyers was looking for a raise via an extension, both to reflect his production and his newfound status as the team’s WR1. The Raiders came to the negotiating table, but the two sides were unable to hammer out a deal. Meyers then took the usual step of asking for a trade.

However, trying again before Week 1 might be an ideal situation for both sides. Meyers is a reliable, versatile veteran in a young receiver room who could improve on last year’s numbers with Geno Smith stabilizing Las Vegas’ quarterback situation. Signing him now – perhaps in the $18MM per year range reached by Christian Kirk – would keep him happy and could be a steal if Smith provides more and better opportunities to make plays. However, Mike Evans‘ $20.5MM APY would seem to be a clear cap on a potential deal; given the longtime Buccaneer’s production relative to Meyers, the Raiders may not even be willing to go above $19MM per year.

2025 NFL Waiver Order

August 27th, 2025 at 9:57am CST by Nikhil Mehta

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:

  1. Titans
  2. Browns
  3. Giants
  4. Patriots
  5. Jaguars
  6. Raiders
  7. Jets
  8. Panthers
  9. Saints
  10. Bears
  11. 49ers
  12. Cowboys
  13. Dolphins
  14. Colts
  15. Falcons
  16. Cardinals
  17. Bengals
  18. Seahawks
  19. Buccaneers
  20. Broncos
  21. Steelers
  22. Chargers
  23. Packers
  24. Vikings
  25. Texans
  26. Rams
  27. Ravens
  28. Lions
  29. Commanders
  30. Bills
  31. Chiefs
  32. Eagles

Raiders Make Final Moves Down To 53 Players

August 26th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After making 18 cuts on Monday, the Raiders the following 22 moves to trim their roster down to 53-players, per a team announcement:

Waived

Released

Placed on IR (designated for return)

Backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell is projected to be out for six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery for a fractured wrist, but curiously, he will not land on injured reserve with a return designation. The Raiders may be waiting to make that move in case they need to open up a roster spot for a waiver claim, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal. Las Vegas also kept offensive tackle Thayer Munford, who was a risk to get claimed on waivers, according to Bonsignore.

Despite a pre-draft endorsement from Tom Brady and O’Connell’s injury, Miller was unable to hang on the 53-man roster as a third-string quarterback. The Raiders will need a backup quarterback to start the year, and Miller is an obvious candidate to return to the practice squad for early-season elevations as O’Connell heals. They could also scour the waiver wire and then transfer O’Connell to the IR.

Johnson suffered a broken fibula in early August, but it was not expected to end his season. His designation to return confirms that projection, but he will still be sidelined for a minimum of four games to start the year.

Raiders Acquire Kenny Pickett From Browns

August 25th, 2025 at 11:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have landed on a new backup for Geno Smith. The team is acquiring Kenny Pickett from the Browns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Cleveland will be receiving a 2026 fifth-round pick in return, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

This is a natural move for both organizations. The Raiders have been hunting for a new backup quarterback since Aidan O’Connell suffered a fracture wrist that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. Meanwhile, the Browns were looking to clear up their QB logjam, despite what GM Andrew Berry may have signaled yesterday.

The Raiders’ only other option behind Smith was rookie sixth-round pick Cam Miller, so it seemed like only a matter of time before Las Vegas landed a veteran signal caller. In comes Pickett, who has pivoted to the backup phase of his career. A former first-round pick, the Pittsburgh product failed to live up to his draft billing with the Steelers. He went 14-10 in his 24 starts with the organization but only tossed 13 touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions. When the Steelers revamped their QB depth chart last offseason, Pickett requested a trade and was promptly sent to Philly to be Jalen Hurts‘ backup.

Pickett ended up getting into five games for his new squad, completing 25 of his 42 pass attempts for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He earned a win in his lone start for the Eagles, a blowout Week 17 victory over the Cowboys. After the season, he was dealt to Cleveland for a fifth-round pick and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

The Browns depth chart quickly became crowded as they navigated another lost season from Deshaun Watson. While it was once believed that Pickett could be in the driver’s seat to be Cleveland’s new QB1, Joe Flacco ended up winning the QB battle. Still, the team had too much notable depth at the position as the roster deadline approached. With this trade, the Browns can now roll into the season with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as the primary backups.

If you’re keeping count at home, this represents the third trade of Pickett’s four-year career. As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes, this accomplishment has only been matched by one other player in NFL history: Sam Howell, who reached the milestone yesterday.

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