Latest On Aidan Hutchinson’s Extension
Aidan Hutchinson‘s extension with the Lions set a handful of new benchmarks, including $141MM in guaranteed money that set the record for a non-QB. We’re now getting more details on the pact thanks to SI’s Albert Breer (via Patrick Andres of SI.com).
[RELATED: Lions Extend DE Aidan Hutchinson]
The four-year extension features $180MM in new money. The star pass rusher will earn $45.9MM between 2025 and 2026, all fully guaranteed. This total includes $25MM in new money. Hutchinson will later be owed $29.55MM in 2027, $29.55MM in 2028, $49.5MM in 2029, and $42MM in 2030.
Of the new money, $15MM will be paid via a signing bonus, while another $28.4MM will be due via an option bonus this March. $55.7MM is fully guaranteed at signing.
Much of the money is guaranteed for injury. Beyond that, Hutchinson is attached to $10MM fully guaranteed in 2027 (the rest becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2026), $29.55MM in 2028 (which vests in March of 2027), and $35.42MM in 2029 ($29MM vests in March of 2028, with the rest vesting in March of 2029). None of his $42MM in 2030 is guaranteed.
Hutchinson is also due a handful of bonuses. This includes $250K workout bonuses each offseason during the lifetime of the deal. He also has $200K in per-game bonuses each season.
These are hefty commitments that the Lions front office will now have to navigate, and the extension will surely influence their approach to future offseasons. However, this new deal isn’t expected to impact their trade deadline strategy. Dianna Russini of The Athletic says the team’s deadline plans haven’t changed, as the Lions are still seeking a cornerback and pass rusher.
J.J. McCarthy To Return In Week 9; Vikings Signing QB John Wolford
Carson Wentz played through a significant injury in his non-throwing shoulder during much of his time filling in for J.J. McCarthy. The veteran will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the damage, but Minnesota’s starter is now in position to return to action. 
McCarthy will spend the coming days preparing for Week 9 with the starters, head coach Kevin O’Connell said (via Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune). An ankle sprain has kept the 2024 first-rounder out of the lineup since he was injured in Week 2. McCarthy was on track to resume QB1 duties when healthy in any case, but especially with Wentz now sidelined his return will be welcomed by the team.
While recovering from meniscus surgery, McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign. Expectations were nevertheless high for the former college national champion entering the season, one which largely did not go to plan prior to the injury. McCarthy’s ability to deliver consistent play under center presuming he can remain healthy the rest of the way will be critical for a Vikings team which finds itself last in the NFC North.
The 22-year-old was a full participant in today’s practice, a positive sign he will be able to play in Week 9 as hoped. Minnesota (3-4) ranks 18th in the NFL in scoring and the team’s defense has regressed compared to last season. A boost in terms of quarterback play would be critical to the Vikings’ playoff chances but McCarthy is far from a known commodity at this point in his career. Another inexperienced signal-caller (undrafted rookie Max Brosmer) will serve as the team’s backup the rest of the way.
As for the third-string role, a deal has been lined up in time for Week 9. John Wolford is being signed to the practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The 30-year-old has made seven regular season appearances in the NFL, each of which came during a three-year span as a member of the Rams. Wolford and O’Connell overlapped with each other in Los Angeles, and a midseason reunion has now been worked out in Minnesota. This pact will provide the Vikings with a veteran presence on the depth chart in the event McCarthy or Brosmer miss time.
Bengals’ Joe Flacco Battling AC Joint Injury
The Bengals have seen their offense climb out of the NFL basement since Joe Flacco‘s first half of action with the team, even as they are only 1-2 with the trade pickup at the controls. Another injury-driven return to Jake Browning, however, is in play.
Flacco is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While Zac Taylor said (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) Flacco could play on minimal practice reps — as he showed during his first week with the team — he did not practice today and is uncertain to play in Week 9 against the Bears.
Flacco left the field briefly Sunday but returned for the Bengals’ last-ditch drive in their loss to the Jets. Finishing with 223 passing yards, Flacco accounted for two touchdown passes and a rushing score in defeat. This came after he delivered a throwback performance to lift the Bengals to a win over the Steelers, narrowing the team’s AFC North deficit. Pittsburgh’s Week 8 loss to Green Bay kept the margin where it is, but the Bengals’ form with Browning could be a break for the struggling Steelers.
Cincy endured three straight blowout losses with Browning, who lost his support in the building ahead of the Bengals’ ultra-rare in-season trade pickup. Just the third player over the past 53 years to be added by the team via trade in-season, Flacco has made a significant difference to the team’s offense. The Bengals lost by a combined 113-37 margin during Browning’s three starts in relief of Joe Burrow.
Flacco confirmed (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer) he did not ask the Browns to trade him, but the 18th-year quarterback noted team brass approached him to see if he’d be interested in the intra-Ohio transfer. The Browns, who had demoted Flacco for Dillon Gabriel, traded him to the Bengals in a Day 3 pick-swap move in Week 6. This came as the Bengals cast a wide net — which included retired QB Derek Carr — for an emergency Browning replacement.
“Now I don’t know if they would’ve done it anyway, if I wasn’t interested. If I said, ‘No, I really don’t want to do that, guys,’ I don’t know if they would’ve said, ‘OK, yeah, that’s cool, we won’t do it then,’” Flacco said. “But it did seem like Andrew [Berry] was like, ‘Listen, man, we appreciate what you’ve done. Would this be something you’d be open to?’ So we had a conversation about it, for sure.”
Flacco can earn 75K bonuses for Bengals wins in games in which he reaches the 50% snap threshold, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indicates the team-based incentive does not kick in until a fourth occurrence. This minor bump would not be available to the 40-year-old passer until he wins a fourth game with the team.
The Bengals may be ready to redeploy Burrow by that point, as the superstar starter (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) has not endured any setbacks on his recovery road. The team did not say how close Burrow is to returning from toe surgery, however. December remains the target window, though Flacco (or Browning) will need to keep the car on the road for that to make sense.
Giants Host WR Diontae Johnson For Workout
The Giants hosted free agent wide receiver Diontae Johnson for a workout on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Johnson is a six-year veteran who began his career with the Steelers in 2019. After five years in Pittsburgh, he was traded to the Panthers last offseason and averaged 51 yards per game in his first seven contests. That strong start gave way to trade interest and an eventual deal with the Ravens, but Johnson’s disastrous stint in Baltimore (and later, Houston) tanked his stock heading into free agency.
Johnson eventually signed a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with the Browns but did not make their 53-man roster. His workout in New York is the first news of any team’s interest in him since.
The Giants have been seeking receiving depth after Malik Nabers‘ season-ending injury, but a trade seems like an unwise investment in a losing season with an eye on the future. Johnson is an experienced player who could theoretically contribute right away. It seemed like that was the case last year, but he only drew nine targets across 61 snaps in his five games with the Ravens and the Texans. The Giants have less wide receiver depth than those teams and should have a better understanding of Johnson’s desire to get involved quickly.
New York may also want to bolster their pass-catching corps after running back Cam Skattebo suffered a season-ending injury. Neither Tyrone Tracy nor Devin Singletary have been as productive this year, so the Giants may rely even more on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to move the ball through the air. If that’s the plan, they’re going to need more than just bodies in their receiver room. Though he does bring plenty else, Johnson has experience and a proven track record that could still have a place in the NFL.
Chiefs To Bring Back DT Mike Pennel
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.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Expected Back In Week 9
OCTOBER 29: Jackson himself confirmed on Tuesday that he was back to 100% and would start in Miami, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He was a full participant in the Ravens’ first two practices of the week and may not even have an injury designation for Thursday night’s matchup.
OCTOBER 26: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Ravens expect that quarterback Lamar Jackson will make his return from injury in Week 9’s Thursday night trip to Miami, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. These reports come on the heels of a weekend of Jackson injury news that could land the franchise in a bit of hot water. 
Way back after Week 6 as the Ravens’ four-game losing streak brought them to 1-5, many assumed that Jackson (and several other injured Ravens) would be coming back after the team’s Week 7 bye. That proved mostly true, as Jackson’s “questionable” designation on the injury report was the only injury designation for any Baltimore player this week. Yet even that injury designation wasn’t exactly what it seemed.
The team had listed Jackson as a full participant at practice on Friday after planning a day of scout team reps for the mobile passer and seeing him complete the day with no issues. NFL regulations concerning injury reporting don’t allow this, though. If injury causes a player that would normally be getting starting reps to practice with the scout team, they have to be listed as a limited participant at practice. After notice from the league, Baltimore was forced to retroactively change Jackson’s practice participation, and the team announced that he would not play in Week 8’s game.
Perhaps, this was an honest mistake, as head coach John Harbaugh reiterated in comments to the media after today’s game, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Perhaps, it was a desperate attempt from a one-win team hoping to get any advantage possible by muddying the waters and keeping Chicago from knowing which quarterback it would be facing. After expressing hopes for two weeks that Jackson would return following their bye, it could certainly have been the latter, but that’s a matter for the NFL’s Management Council to determine.
Regardless, what makes this proclamation different from the ones for Week 8? According to Glazer, while Jackson may have been able to suit up for this weekend’s game, the Ravens were looking at a different benchmark. Because this weekend’s game will be so closely followed with an appearance on Thursday Night Football, Jackson needed to be at a place in which he would be fully confident playing two games in a five-day stretch. It was in the opinion of those involved that there was too high a risk of reinjury for him to play both games, so he was ruled out for Week 8 with an expectation to play back in his old digs in South Florida in Week 9.
With a short week providing fewer practices in which the team can gauge where Jackson is at, it will continue to be difficult to predict Jackson’s availability. Harbaugh certainly gave nothing away in today’s post-game press conference, merely telling reporters that “he’s hopeful that Lamar will play Thursday.”
The Ravens were able to pull off a win today with new backup quarterback Tyler Huntley. In his return to Baltimore, Huntley avoided turnovers, and the offense put up more points today (30) than they had in two games with Cooper Rush under center (13). This moves the team to 2-5 as they take the first of several steps necessary to make an improbable return to the playoffs. If Jackson can return in Miami Gardens, their chances for taking the next step will increase greatly.
Raiders Open Practice Window For Aidan O’Connell
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell has been out all season with a fractured wrist, but a return may be on the horizon. The Raiders opened the signal-caller’s practice window on Wednesday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate O’Connell from IR.
A fourth-round pick from Purdue in 2023, O’Connell combined for 17 starts through last season under former head coach Antonio Pierce. O’Connell completed 62.6% of passes with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his first two NFL seasons, but that wasn’t enough to keep his starting job.
With new head coach Pete Carroll at the helm, he reunited with ex-Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in an offseason trade. The Raiders gave up a third-round selection for Smith and quickly signed him to a two-year, $75MM extension, making him the team’s unquestioned QB1.
Smith’s arrival left O’Connell as the Raiders’ backup, but his injury in their preseason finale threw a wrench into those plans. The Raiders subsequently traded for another veteran QB, Kenny Pickett, whom they acquired from the Browns for a 2026 fifth-rounder.
The investments in Smith and Pickett haven’t paid off for the Raiders, who are off to a 2-5 start and sitting in last place in an otherwise loaded AFC West division. With more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven), Smith ranks 30th in the league in QBR. The team pulled him for Pickett in a 31-0 blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 7. Pickett attempted his first two passes of the year in that game and completed them for a total of eight yards.
With the Raiders now coming off their bye week, Smith is still the starter heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. If Smith continues to struggle mightily over the next few weeks, perhaps Pickett or O’Connell (or both) will see time under center later in the season.
Broncos Sign Marcedes Lewis To Practice Squad
Tight end Marcedes Lewis is continuing his long-running career at the age of 41. Lewis has agreed to join the Broncos’ practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
With backup tight end Lucas Krull set to undergo foot surgery, the Broncos have been in the market for help at the position. They placed waiver claims on Brenden Bates and Ben Sims in recent days. Bates, whom the Texans waived, wound up with the Browns. The Vikings won out on Sims after the Packers cut him.
Unable to reel in either Bates or Sims, the Broncos brought in Lewis for a workout on Tuesday. Already the oldest tight end in NFL history, Lewis did enough to secure a practice squad spot and will now attempt to log his 20th season in the league.
After playing his college football at UCLA, Lewis entered the pros as a first-round pick (No. 28) of the Jaguars in 2006. He played with them through 2017, securing one Pro Bowl nod along the way, before stints with the Packers (2018-22) and Bears (2023-24). The 6-foot-6, 267-pounder combined for 437 catches, 5,155 yards, and 40 touchdowns with those three teams.
During the waning years of his career, Lewis has seen his impact as a pass catcher drop off significantly. He totaled just 11 receptions from 2022-24, but along with his blocking skills, Lewis is a durable option. He appeared in 17 games in each of the previous four seasons.
Having already missed the Broncos’ first eight contests this year, another 17-game slate isn’t in the cards for Lewis. Nevertheless, he could work his way into the mix for the AFC West contenders during the second half of the campaign. Lewis would give the Broncos a third tight end behind Evan Engram and Adam Trautman.
Steelers Amend Kyle Dugger’s Contract
The Steelers made a notable addition to their secondary on Tuesday in acquiring safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots. While Dugger entered the day under contract through 2027, that is no longer the case. The last two years of his deal “have been wiped out,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He’ll reach free agency after the season.
Then an important part of New England’s defense, Dugger inked a four-year, $58MM extension with the team in April 2024. Dugger remained a full-time starter last year, the lone season of the Jerod Mayo era. Things changed this season under new head coach Mike Vrabel, who demoted Dugger to a backup role.
Dugger, who entered the season with a $9.25MM base salary, is still owed around $5.4MM (plus $1MM in per-game roster bonuses). The Patriots will pay the majority of it, per Rapoport.
With Dugger now on track to hit the open market in the offseason, he’s a low-cost rental for the AFC North-leading Steelers. Not only did the Steelers (4-3) drop their second straight game in Week 8, but they lost starting safety DeShon Elliott to a knee injury. They placed Elliott on IR to make room for Dugger. Elliott is set to miss at least four games, which will leave Dugger, Juan Thornhill, Jabrill Peppers (previously teammates with Dugger in New England), and Chuck Clark as Pittsburgh’s healthy options at safety.
With 81 NFL games, 69 starts, and nine interceptions on Dugger’s resume, the Steelers are hopeful that he’ll aid their last-ranked pass defense. Dugger is in line to make his Steelers debut this Sunday against the 7-1 Colts, owners of the best record in the league and the top-ranked offense.
Bears Sign S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is joining his third organization of the 2025 season. The Bears are signing the 27-year-old to their active roster, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Gardner-Johnson appeared in 16 of the Eagles’ regular-season games in 2024 and tied a career high with six interceptions. He was also part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run, but they parted with him after the season.
In a trade that hasn’t worked out for either side, the Eagles sent Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Texans for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a fifth-rounder in next year’s draft.
Green, who couldn’t crack the Eagles’ roster, is now a member of the Ravens’ practice squad. Gardner-Johnson lasted just three games in Houston before the team released him. He reportedly clashed with teammates and was unhappy with his role in the Texans’ defense.
After the Texans said goodbye to him, Gardner-Johnson joined Green on the Ravens’ practice squad. It was a short-lived stay, however, as the Ravens moved on a week later. Gardner-Johnson signed with Baltimore before the team acquired safety Alohi Gilman from the Chargers. With Gilman’s arrival blocking a path to playing time, Gardner-Johnson’s agent asked for his client’s release. The Ravens granted it.
After a couple of weeks on the open market, Gardner-Johnson will indeed find a clearer avenue to playing time on Chicago’s active roster. He’ll also reunite with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who coached Gardner-Johnson in New Orleans from 2019-21. Those were Gardner-Johnson’s first three NFL seasons, a 43-game span in which he picked off five passes. Allen left a positive impression on Gardner-Johnson.
“He got my career going. I appreciate him,” Gardner-Johnson told the CHGO Bears podcast last February.
While the 4-3 Bears have two established starting safeties in Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard, who lead their defense in snaps, their secondary is dealing with multiple significant injuries. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are on IR. A groin injury has kept Johnson out since Week 1, while Gordon landed on the shelf with calf and groin issues before the Bears’ loss to the Ravens last Sunday. Gordon is Chicago’s top nickel corner, but the addition of Gardner-Johnson could help fill the void during his absence. The Bears plan to use Gardner-Johnson as a slot corner, head coach Ben Johnson announced (via Courtney Cronin of ESPN).