Lions Were In ‘Wait-And-See Mode’ With WR Jameson Willliams After 2024 Season

The Lions signed Jameson Williams to a three-year extension on Saturday, locking down the young wideout for the foreseeable future.

However, despite Williams’ thousand-yard effort in 2024, Detroit was still in “wait-and-see mode” regarding an extension, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. The team still had questions about Williams’ maturity after serving suspensions during the 2023 and 2024 seasons for violations of the league’s gambling and performance enhancing drugs policies, respectively.

However, a strong offseason from the 24-year-old gave the Lions enough confidence to extend Williams for an additional three years off his rookie contract. That will keep him in Detroit through the 2029 season, though precise details on his contract that would better clarify the team’s commitment level remain elusive.

The Lions will be hoping that Williams can walk the straight and narrow for the rest of his stay in Detroit and continue to elevate his game every year. His four-catch, 23-yard performance in Week 1 was underwhelming (as was the entire Lions offense) given his 2024 production, offseason hype, and recent payday, but sweeping conclusions can’t be drawn from one game. While Detroit’s offense may be experiencing a post-Ben Johnson/Frank Ragnow hangover, Williams can still be a dangerous weapon both as a deep threat and a YAC weapon.

NFL To Fine Eagles DT Jalen Carter; No Suspension Coming

No suspension is on tap in connection with Jalen Carter‘s spitting incident. The standout Eagles defensive tackle will be eligible to face the Chiefs in Week 2.

A $57K fine will be levied, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Week 1 — when Carter was ejected without playing a down — will serve as the third-year DT’s de facto suspension. This fine covers a game check on Carter’s rookie contract.

The Eagles and Carter worked out an arrangement in which future guarantees will not void as part of this NFL-imposed fine, Schefter adds. The team, as should be expected with a player of this caliber, will not seek any signing bonus forfeiture, either. Carter is now in the clear, though this incident will certainly ding a reputation that already sustained hits prior to his Philadelphia arrival.

Because the NFL is treating this like Carter was suspended for a game, the Eagles could have voided his guarantees. With the team undoubtedly eyeing an extension for the 2023 first-round pick — who becomes eligible for a new deal in January — it does not surprise it would work out an arrangement to protect his guarantees and signing bonus money. Having Carter for Week 2 will also provide a significant boost, as the Cowboys pushed the defending Super Bowl champions without the Georgia product available.

Viewed as perhaps the 2023 draft class’ top talent, Carter fell to No. 9 after a handful of teams passed on him. Carter was hit with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. These charges came in connection with the accident that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy on Jan. 15, 2023 (LeCroy and Willock were in a separate vehicle). Carter reached a plea deal in this case, avoiding jail time, but some teams removed him from their draft boards as a result of the accident. That turned out to benefit the Eagles, who traded up one spot (via the Bears) to nab the high-end DT talent.

A suspension was believed to be in play, as Carter spit on Dak Prescott just after the opening kickoff. The Cowboys quarterback had spit in Carter’s direction prior to the ejection; the 24-year-old D-tackle spit on the star quarterback soon after. Dallas enjoyed success offensively against the Eagles, putting up 20 first-half points. Vic Fangio‘s defense adjusted, as the teams combined for just three points after the second-half lightning delay. But Carter serves as the Eagles’ front-seven anchor; having him available will give them a much better chance of containing the Chiefs in the teams’ Super Bowl LIX rematch.

This ban will presumably influence future punishments for spitting, though players would probably run the risk of an actual suspension if such an act occurs well into a game. Carter being let off without a true ban is due to him not playing a down Thursday night.

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Accused Of Domestic Violence

Tyreek Hill‘s ex-wife is alleging the Dolphins wide receiver committed several acts of domestic violence against her, according to TMZ. Hill’s attorney has denied the claims, calling them part of a “shakedown.”

While Hill has established himself as one of this century’s best wide receivers and will almost definitely be headed to the Hall of Fame, domestic violence represents an ugly cloud over his career. An arrest while at Oklahoma State in 2014 is the most serious of the incidents, Hill was also part of a 2019 scandal that alleged domestic violence.

He has managed to avoid an NFL suspension, thanks in part to a rule at the time in which off-field incidents prior to a player’s time in the league could not impact the league to impose a ban, but another round of trouble is afoot for the fourth-year Dolphins receiver. Hill, 31, also avoided a suspension for an assault on a Miami-area marina worker in 2023.

Hill’s ex-wife, Keeta Vaccaro, has accused him of multiple acts of violence beginning in January 2024. Hill and Vaccaro were married in November 2023; they separated 17 months later.

In a new court filing as part of the divorce, Vaccaro accused Hill of shoving her to the floor in January 2024 at their guest house in Southwest Ranches, Fla. In a separate incident, Vaccaro accuses Hill of “violently attacked her, throwing her to the floor, twisting her intimate body parts, ripping her hair out and grabbing anything on her person he could get a hold of” in an Orlando hotel two weeks later, according to TMZ.

Vaccaro also alleges Hill shoved a marijuana cigarette in her face when the couple was preparing to leave for the 2024 Pro Bowl. In total, Vaccaro accuses Hill of eight separate acts of domestic violence. This includes incidents while she was pregnant.

Hill’s 2014 arrest involved a different woman, the mother of his oldest children, and involved accusations of punching and choking her while she was pregnant. (That arrest led to Hill being thrown off the Oklahoma State football and track teams; it later led some teams to remove the WR from their draft boards.) That woman, Crystal Espinal, accused Hill in 2019 of violence against one of their children. Hill was also heard in a recording threatening Espinal, his then-fiancé. That recording preceded Hill being barred from the Chiefs’ facility during the 2019 offseason. Due in part to a lack of cooperation from a Kansas district attorney’s office, Hill was not suspended by the NFL in connection with the 2019 incident. He signed a Chiefs extension (three years, $54MM) soon after the team welcomed him back, though that extension had protections for the team in the event more off-field trouble ensued.

With Hill staying out of trouble from then until March 2022, the Dolphins traded a five-pick package to the Chiefs and rewarded the standout receiver with a then-position-record four-year, $120MM extension. A year after not being charged for his marina assault, Hill secured a new $50MM guarantee package from the Dolphins. Months after that guarantee package, Hill checked himself out of Miami’s Week 18 game in New York and made an impromptu trade request — one he later walked back. That said, trade rumors have still followed the former fifth-round pick this year.

As with past Hill accusations, the case will need to play out. No charges have been filed against him in connection with Vaccaro’s allegations, though arrests or convictions are not required for suspensions under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. A league investigation could emerge as a result of Vaccaro’s claims. Two seasons remain on Hill’s Dolphins contract.

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel, GM Chris Grier May Not Survive Season

Miami’s leadership appeared to be on the hot seat entering the 2025 campaign, and those seats are only getting warmer. Sources told Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda that head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier may not survive the current season if the organization fails to turn things around.

McDaniel’s spot on the hot seat isn’t anything new. For starters, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross released a statement following the 2024 campaign that the head coach (along with the GM) would be sticking around for the 2025 season. While that statement served as a vote of confidence, it was also a clear acknowledgement that a firing was at least under consideration.

We also heard rumblings in August that McDaniel was a candidate to be the first canned coach of the 2025 campaign. An anonymous GM described the situation as a “ticking time bomb,” citing the coach’s willingness to let the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill “walk all over” him.

The head coach is still attached to an extension that runs through the 2028 season. McDaniel earned that contract after guiding the Dolphins to the postseason in each of his first two seasons at the helm, including a 2023 campaign where the offense finished first in yards and second in points. Tua Tagovailoa‘s concussion issues contributed to the team’s demise in 2024, but the locker room turmoil was enough to put the offensive mastermind on the hot seat. An embarrassing loss to the Colts in Week 1 has naturally led to more whispers about the head coach’s potential ouster.

While Grier was included in Ross’s statement following the 2024 season, the GM hasn’t felt the heat as much as his head coach. This is Grier’s 10th season in his role as GM, although he didn’t get full control of the roster until 2019. The executive saw the Dolphins make the playoffs during his first season at the helm, but the team failed to return to the postseason over the next five years. After shuffling through the likes of Adam Gase and Brian Flores, the McDaniel hiring seemed to revitalize the organization. In addition to his initial HC hit, Grier got credit for some big-swing acquisitions, including Ramsey and Hill.

It didn’t take long for the executive to lose some of that goodwill. After signing Ramsey to a lucrative extension ahead of the 2024 campaign, the cornerback was traded less than a year later, and there’s still a chance Hill follows suit. The issues in the locker room can’t necessarily be attributed to the front office leader, but some other ill-advised moves (including a Tagovailoa extension that commits more than $50MM annually to the QB) have also led to Miami’s current situation. With the Dolphins failing to win a playoff game since the 2000 campaign, there’s a chance that ownership may also look to shake up their front office sooner than later.

Texans Sign DL Tommy Togiai To Extension

Tommy Togiai is sticking in Houston through the 2026 season. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Texans have signed the defensive tackle to a one-year extension.

After spending the first two-plus months on the Texans practice squad to open the 2024 campaign, Togiai was signed to the team’s active roster last November. He ended up getting into eight games for Houston, collecting 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The lineman inked an extension last year that kept him in Houston through the 2025 campaign.

Togiai stuck around on Houston’s offseason roster and made the Texans initial 53-man squad. The 25-year-old was inactive for the team’s season opener, with Sheldon Rankins, Tim Settle, Mario Edwards, and Folorunso Fatukasi garnering the snaps at defensive tackle. However, the team still clearly believes enough in Togiai to commit to him beyond this year.

According to Wilson, the lineman’s new contract could hit a max value of $3.3MM in 2026. That’s a significant pay raise, as Togiai is earning $1.2MM this season. Edwards is the only one of the aforementioned DLs attached to a 2026 contract, so Togiai’s new deal may indicate that the player is in line for a larger role next season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Today’s practice squad transactions are highlighted by the release of a veteran running back. Nyheim Hines has been looking to revive his career since he missed the 2023 season thanks to a leg injury sustained in a jet ski collision. Since he was released by the Bills after that campaign, he’s spent time with the Browns and Chargers without getting into a game. A former fourth-round pick, Hines had four productive seasons with the Colts to begin his career, including a 2020 campaign where he compiled 862 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/9/25

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Waived from IR: CB Cameron McCutcheon

Tre Hawkins was waived/injured at the end of the preseason and reverted to IR, meaning he wouldn’t be able to play during the 2025 campaign. After agreeing to an injury settlement today, he’ll now have an opportunity to take the field elsewhere. The former sixth-round pick started three of his 17 appearances as a rookie, but he was limited to only three games in 2024 thanks in part to a season-ending fractured lumbar spine injury.

Bills Sign P Cameron Johnston

The Bills are quickly pivoting to a new punter. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team is signing veteran punter Cameron Johnston. In a corresponding move, the team has waived Brad Robbins.

Johnston, who shouldn’t be confused with Bill Burr, has found a job with his fourth NFL squad for his ninth NFL season. He had separate three-year stints punting for the Eagles and Texans, averaging 47.3 yards per punt and 42.2 net yards per punt. The veteran inked a three-year deal with the Steelers last offseason but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. He had an opportunity to reclaim his role during this year’s preseason, but he was cut after losing out on the gig to Corliss Waitman.

Now, he’ll look to revive his career in Buffalo. With Sam Martin departing for the Panthers, the Bills initially landed on Robbins as their new punter. The 26-year-old got four looks during the season opener, averaging 39.5 yards and 38 net yards on his punts. The Bills apparently had no interest in seeing if he could improve on those averages, as the team is already turning to their second punter of the 2025 campaign.

According to Howard Balzer, Johnston was one of three punters to get a look from Buffalo. Matthew Hayball and Ryan Stonehouse also auditioned for the team today.

In other special teams news, the Bills have signed kicker Matt Prater to the active roster. The veteran was a standard practice squad elevation for the season opener, a game in which he converted a dramatic game-winning field goal. With Tyler Bass landing on IR last week and being forced off the field for at least four games, Prater will have a secure spot on the 53-man roster for the time being.

Vikings’ Blake Cashman Expected To Miss Several Weeks

Blake Cashman is entering his second season with his hometown team, but the Twin Cities native appears an IR candidate after a Week 1 injury.

A starter since signing a three-year Vikings deal in 2024, Cashman is expected to miss “several” weeks due to a hamstring injury sustained Monday night, per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The off-ball linebacker left Monday’s game in the third quarter.

Caleb Williams‘ 13-yard scramble included Cashman pulling up while giving chase. An Eden Prairie, Minn., native who played at the University of Minnesota, Cashman had been mostly a special-teamer until being called upon for regular defensive duty with the Texans in 2023. That garnered Cashman a nice FA market, and he signed a three-year, $22.5MM deal. The Broncos, Falcons, Packers and Steelers also showed interest last year.

Last season, Cashman started all 14 Vikings games he played. Working as a key part of Brian Flores‘ complex defense, Cashman established new career-high marks in tackles (112), tackles for loss (eight), QB hits (11) and sacks (4.5). Cashman also notched eight passes defensed, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 overall ILB. The 29-year-old defender did miss time with turf toe, however, and he will almost definitely be down for the foreseeable future due to this hamstring malady.

Minnesota plugged veteran Eric Wilson into Cashman’s spot on defense, and while the team rallied back from a two-score deficit to score a Week 1 win in Chicago, Cashman’s absence will sting. The Vikings have sixth-round rookie Kobe King and rookie UDFA Austin Keys behind Wilson at ILB. Wilson, 30 this month, is a 39-game starter. Beginning his career with the Vikings under Mike Zimmer, Wilson has bounced around since. He spent the past three seasons in Green Bay, making 12 starts for last year’s Packers edition.

49ers To Sign K Eddy Pineiro

4:56pm: This is indeed a fast-moving process. Pineiro is joining the 49ers on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. He will be in position to kick for San Francisco in Week 2.

4:31pm: Despite Eddy Pineiro exiting the 2024 season as the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, he did not land a job this offseason. That may be a break for the 49ers, who ended Jake Moody‘s inconsistent tenure earlier today.

Pineiro is set to work out for the 49ers as a possible replacement, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. No other kickers have been tied to this vacancy, potentially giving Pineiro a leg up. With the 49ers needing to move fast, it should be expected we will have an answer about their Week 2 kicker by Wednesday.

Pineiro, 30 this week, worked out for the Dolphins and Bills last month. With those representing temporary openings, Pineiro would have a more enticing opportunity here since the 49ers are looking for a new kicker.

Best known for his Panthers tenure, Pineiro worked with current 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer with the 2021 Jets. Pineiro kicked in five Jets games in 2021. A better opportunity awaited in Carolina, and Pineiro operated as the Panthers’ kicker from 2022-24. Carolina let Pineiro’s contract expire, going with rookie UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald.

In that time, Pineiro moved into third place on the NFL’s all-time accuracy list — behind Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker. Chris Boswell‘s Week 1 showing in New York bumped Pineiro to fourth place all time, but the latter’s 88.03% career make rate is obviously quite impressive. He went 33-for-35, 25-for-29 and 22-for-26 in three Panthers seasons. This included an 8-for-11 rate from beyond 50 yards in that span.

A 2023 third-round pick, Moody missed 10 field goals last season and two in Week 1. The 49ers moved on with two seasons left on the Michigan product’s rookie contract. Greg Zuerlein also kicked two seasons under Boyer in New York, but neither he nor Zane Gonzalez — who joined Zuerlein in auditioning for the Dolphins late last month — have been linked to this job opening yet.