Broncos Eyeing TE Help; Lucas Krull Set For Surgery
Calls for the Broncos to improve Courtland Sutton‘s wingman situation have gone unheeded for a while, and the team quieted concerns about the situation in a blowout win over the Cowboys on Sunday. That game featured regular contributions from Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant and more tertiary work from Evan Engram, who has come along slowly in Sean Payton‘s offense.
Engram remains the Broncos’ starting tight end, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates the team has looked into the trade market at this position ahead of the November 4 deadline. Rather than add a player to challenge Engram atop the depth chart, the team may instead be aiming for a depth move.
Stationed on IR, Lucas Krull is not in position to be activated anytime soon. The backup is set to undergo foot surgery, 9News’ Mike Klis reports. Krull, a former Saints UDFA who has been with the Broncos for three seasons, has been on IR for four weeks.
He would be eligible to come off the injured list for Week 9, but this surgery is now on track to sideline him for roughly two more months, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes, adding the surgery is on track for today. The initial plan of rehab did not end up working, leading to the surgery route.
Krull made some minor contributions to the 2023 and ’24 Broncos editions, squads that did not receive much from their tight end contingents. In 2024, Krull caught 19 passes for 152 yards. He has just two catches for 15 yards this year. Additionally, Klis notes tight end/fullback Nate Adkins sustained a knee injury that appears likely to cost him time. Categorizing Denver’s TE search as for a depth option, Klis reiterates Engram and ex-Saint Adam Trautman remain the top two for the 6-2 team at this position.
Denver has seventh-round rookie Caleb Lohner, a converted basketball player, on its practice squad. Patrick Murtaugh also resides on the Broncos’ taxi squad. A trade for a depth tight end would not exactly move the needle, but the Broncos have prioritized these roles. Trautman has played 48% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps this season; after returning from ankle surgery last month, Adkins has logged a 35% snap share.
Not rostering much receiving help at the position since including Noah Fant in the Russell Wilson trade, the Broncos gave Engram a two-year, $23MM deal. Two early-season injuries limited the former first-round pick, and while he has made some contributions during Denver’s five-game win streak, the eight-figure-per-year player is averaging just 8.3 yards per catch (26/215). To be fair, Engram was at just 8.4 in his 2023 Pro Bowl season in Jacksonville. But Payton had eyed the 31-year-old target as a potential field-stretching presence, his coveted “Joker” piece.
It does not, however, look like the Broncos are eyeing a player who would push Engram for time. It remains to be seen if the Broncos will make a move for receiving help — after two reports last week suggested teams had that on their radar — but some assistance is being pursued elsewhere on offense.
Rams Place WR Tutu Atwell On IR
The Rams placed wide receiver Tutu Atwell on injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement.
Atwell missed the team’s Week 6 matchup with the Ravens due to a hamstring injury, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. Based on the Rams’ injury report, the fifth-year wideout appears to have suffered the injury in practice that week. He got back to full participation in Week 7, but only played 10 snaps in that game and now lands on IR after Los Angeles’ Week 8 bye.
Atwell will be on the shelf for at least four games. His earliest return would be on November 30 for the Rams’ Week 13 matchup with the Panthers.
The 2021 second-round pick has never quite lived up to his draft billing. He played 10 snaps on offense as a rookie with a bigger role as a returner, but landed on season-ending injured reserve halfway through the year. He took steps forward over his next three seasons, culminating in a strong 2024 showing. He saw a downtick in snap share, but still put up career-highs in terms of volume (42 receptions, 562 yards) and efficiency (67.7% catch rate, 9.1 yards per target).
That earned Atwell a one-year, $10MM deal with the Rams this offseason in the hopes that he could produce even more in a bigger role after the departure of Cooper Kupp. Shortly after, though, Los Angeles added Davante Adams. Not only did that bump Atwell down the depth chart, it also gave Matthew Stafford another All-Pro receiver to target. The veteran quarterback is known for funneling targets to his elite wideouts – like Calvin Johnson, Kupp, and Puka Nacua in past seasons – and has continued to do so with Nacua and Adams this year.
As a result, Atwell only has four catches this season, though he has taken them for 164 yards to average 41 yards per reception. His injury coincided with Nacua’s ongoing absence, however, rendering him unable to take advantage of the available targets.
The Rams will hope that Atwell can return this season and contribute in some capacity. He is set to hit free agency next offseason and seem unlikely to earn as lucrative a deal as he did this year.
Bears Lose DT Shemar Turner For Season; DE Dominique Robinson To Miss Time
Seeing their four-game win streak snapped in Baltimore, the Bears came out of that game banged up on their defensive line. One of their pieces — rookie Shemar Turner — will not return this season.
Ben Johnson confirmed (via the Marquee Sports Network’s Scott Bair) Turner will miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear sustained Sunday. A second-round pick, Turner had worked as a backup for the team during his first batch of games. Additionally, Johnson mentioned Dominique Robinson is expected to miss a few weeks with a high ankle sprain.
Selected 62nd overall out of Texas A&M, Turner had played as a backup in five games this season. The Bears used him on 24% of their defensive snaps. A lengthy rehab effort will be required before Turner is considered for a bigger role. Chosen a round after Aggies D-line mate Shemar Stewart (Bengals), Turner made six tackles (two for loss) and tallied two quarterback hits in his brief rookie-year sample.
The Bears, who carried six D-tackles on their 53-man roster in Week 8, have Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter in place as starters. While free agency addition Dayo Odeyingbo regularly slid inside with the Colts, only 20 of the D-end’s 331 Bears snaps have come at DT. Chicago also rosters Andrew Billings, Jonathan Ford and 2024 trade pickup Chris Williams at the position.
At D-end, however, the team only rosters four players. A move will be needed to staff the backup level, as Robinson has spent his contract year in a second-string role. Chosen in Ryan Poles‘ first draft as GM, Robinson has not started more than one game in a season since his 2022 rookie year (when he made seven starts for a rebuilding team). Robinson has played 27% of Chicago’s defensive snaps this season, registering 1.5 sacks and three TFLs. Daniel Hardy resides as Chicago’s other active-roster backup at DE.
Steelers DL Daniel Ekuale Suffers ACL Tear
The Steelers’ defense is a group which has received considerable criticism so far this season. The unit will be without a depth contributor moving forward. 
Daniel Ekuale went down during yesterday’s loss against the Packers. The veteran defensive lineman has since been diagnosed with a torn ACL, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. As a result, he will miss the remainder of the campaign.
Ekuale has bounced around the AFC over the course of his career. The former UDFA saw time with the Browns and Jaguars before a four-year run in New England. Ekuale’s Patriots tenure saw him log 16 starts, each of which came last season. In 2024, he comfortably set a new career high with 52 tackles while playing over 700 defensive snaps.
Prior to yesterday’s injury, Ekuale had only been on the field for 14% of the Steelers’ snaps. That marked a career low in terms of workload, but his absence will still deal a blow to a Pittsburgh defensive front over the remainder of the season. Ekuale, 31, signed a one-year deal in March to come to Pittsburgh. Needless to say, today’s injury news will greatly hinder his value on the open market next spring.
Pittsburgh moved Dean Lowry to injured reserve this summer, ending his 2025 campaign before it began. The team has Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton, along with rookies Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black, remaining on the depth chart along the defensive line. That group will be counted on to continue operating as key figures on the defensive interior moving forward. Ekuale, meanwhile, will now turn his attention to a lengthy recovery process.
Bills DT Ed Oliver Suffers Biceps Tear
3:12pm: Head coach Sean McDermott announced this afternoon Oliver has indeed suffered a biceps tear. Surgery is upcoming as a result with an indefinite absence in store. A return in time for the playoffs could take place, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. For the time being, though, Buffalo’s defense will be without a major contributor.
10:19am: Ed Oliver exited Sunday’s game with a biceps injury. Buffalo’s top interior defender may now be in line to miss significant time. 
The Bills fear Oliver suffered a biceps tear, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. An MRI is pending, and the results will provide further clarity on the matter. For the time being, though, the threat of an indefinite absence looms in this case.
Being without Oliver for any extended period would deal a major blow to Buffalo’s defense. The interior of the D-line was shorthanded to begin the campaign with Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht serving six-game suspensions. Both veterans are now on the active roster, though, and they each made their season debut yesterday. Ogubnjobi and Hoecht could be in line for notable roles right away if Oliver is indeed sidelined. Jordan Phillips was elevated from the practice squad for Week 8, and he is a candidate to be signed to the active roster if needed.
Meanwhile, second-rounder T.J. Sanders is currently on injured reserve while recovering from knee surgery. Fellow rookie Deone Walker has been a mainstay up front while looking to fill in for Sanders, logging a 52% snap share on defense. That figure could increase further if Oliver winds up missing considerable time. In any case, Buffalo’s setup along the defensive interior will be something to monitor moving forward.
Oliver suffered an ankle injury during a standout Week 1 performance, although he managed to return in time for the Bills’ loss to the Falcons. A run of heavy usage was in store coming off the team’s bye, but the 27-year-old could now be forced to turn his attention to a lengthy recovery process. Needless to say, further updates on this situation will be worth watching for once the MRI is complete.
The Bills improved to 5-2 with a blowout win yesterday. The team’s defense ranks in the top 10 in points allowed per game but sits 31st against the run. Absences along the D-line have contributed to that poor showing, and the unit’s ability to improve will be greatly hindered if Oliver is forced to miss a notable stretch of the season.
Lions Designate LB Malcolm Rodriguez To Return
3:05pm: Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press) that Rodriguez will return to practice this week. The team also opened the practice window for safety Daniel Thomas. He suffered a broken forearm in Week 3 against the Ravens and had surgery at the end of September.
1:40pm: The Lions are designating linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez to return to practice, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Rodriguez, 26, started the regular season the physically unable to perform list as he worked his way back from an ACL tear suffered on Thanksgiving last year. Detroit is expecting the fourth-year linebacker to take his full 21-day practice window and make his 2025 debut on Sunday Night Foootball in Week 11, per Schultz. That is a primetime matchup with the Eagles that could be crucial that could be crucial in determining NFC playoff seeding come January.
The 2022 sixth-round pick quickly became a fan favorite on “Hard Knocks,” during his first training camp and started next to Alex Anzalone as a rookie. Rodriguez took a back seat to Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes in 2023 and was relegated to special teams duties for much of the year. He returned to a starting role last year after Barnes’ season-ending knee injury in September,
Barnes is back to full strength now, so Rodriguez’s role upon his return will likely be similar to 2023. The Lions won’t want to push him coming off a major knee injury, and it may not be wise for him to risk his health in a contract year.
Rodriguez is in the last year of his rookie deal, and a Lions cap table that has gotten more and more expensive may not have room for another off-ball linebacker. Detroit didn’t extend Anzalone before the season, as he desired, but they did re-sign Barnes in the offseason and will have to put aside money for Campbell, who has grown into one of the best linebackers in the league.
Rodriguez will have three weeks to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Raiders Want Day 2 Pick For Jakobi Meyers
The NFL’s trade market is heating up ahead of next week’s deadline, but the wide receiver position is not drawing as much action as past years.
Teams have expressed interest in young stars like Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave, but their teams have no interest in moving them. The best wideout available is probably Jakobi Meyers, who is entering the last year of his contract with the Raiders.
Meyers requested a trade before the regular season after failed extension talks with the team, but rescinded the request shortly after. The Raiders are reportedly listening to offers, but the scarcity of proven wideouts on the market could drive up their asking price. Their starting point is a Day 2 pick, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, and there are teams interested. Getting offers from multiple could raise Las Vegas’ demands further.
That is an expensive deal for a rental, but Meyers might be worth it. He has been uber-consistent in his career with at least four receptions and 50 yards per game since becoming a starter in 2020. He’s versatile to line up in the slot or out wide and has an adaptable skillset that can fit in almost any offense.
However, he is turning 30 years old next year, which will limit an acquiring team’s interest in an extension. He could be worth a short-term pact to an offense with a young, inexpensive receiving corps that could use his all-around abilities.
Trade compensation for wide receivers has been difficult to judge over the last few years. Davante Adams and Amari Cooper were both traded for third-round picks at last year’s deadline, but DeAndre Hopkins was moved for a fifth-rounder. Meyers’ pedigree is not as strong as any of those players, so it seems unlikely that the Raiders will get their desired compensation.
Jaguars Receiving Calls On WR Brian Thomas Jr.; No Deal Expected
Brian Thomas Jr. has not managed to duplicate the success of his rookie campaign in 2025. In spite of that, the second-year wideout has drawn trade interest recently. 
The Jaguars have received calls about Thomas, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist was not drafted by the current Liam Coen-James Gladstone regime, but as Russini notes it would still be considered a surprise if a trade were to receive genuine consideration on Jacksonville’s part. Coen confirmed as much on Monday.
The Jags have “no plans” of dealing away Thomas, Coen said (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union). That statement will not stop interested teams from continuing to make inquiries but Jacksonville’s focus will turn to other matters ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline. As Russini adds, the team is still in the market for an addition on defense.
Thomas posted a stellar 87-1,282-10 statline during his rookie campaign. Expectations were high for the former first-rounder entering 2025 as a result, but he has seen his production and efficiency take a notable step back so far. Thomas’ catch percentage sits just under 50% on the campaign, a striking regression compared to where it was in 2024 (65.4%). He will have ample opportunity to rebound while the Jaguars play out their post-bye schedule.
While Thomas will continue to operate as a starting receiver for the foreseeable future, the workload for Travis Hunter remains something to monitor. This year’s No. 2 pick has split his time on offense and defense as expected, handling a 67% snap share as a receiver and a 36% rate as a cornerback. Coen recently suggested Hunter could be in line for an uptick in offensive usage over the closing weeks of the campaign.
“We are going to play the best 11 [on each side of the ball] as much as humanly possible,” Coen said when asked about Hunter (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco). “We’ve kind of gotten a sample size of everything, the totality of the first seven weeks of every position, but specifically with him. There was definitely some really good things [on Sunday], specifically on the offensive side of the ball.”
So far, Hunter has amassed 298 yards and one touchdown on 28 catches. Those totals could be in line to increase with a heavier usage rate on offense as the 4-3 Jaguars look to rebound from their two straight losses heading into the bye. In any case, Thomas can be expected to remain in place alongside him moving forward.
Dolphins CB Storm Duck Out For Season
The Dolphins’ secondary has been dealt another blow on the injury front. Storm Duck was carted off the field yesterday and he will not return in 2025. 
Duck’s knee injury will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign, head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Monday (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). The second-year cover man had been handling a rotational role on defense in 2025, as he had during his rookie campaign. A lengthy rehab process is now in store, however.
Miami released Kendall Fuller this offseason before trading away Jalen Ramsey. Those moves ensured new starters would be in place at the cornerback spot, but injuries at that position have piled up over the course of 2025. Kader Kohou and Artie Burns each suffered ACL tears during the summer, creating the need for further secondary depth leading up to the campaign.
Other injuries have since occurred which have left the unit in an even more unenviable situation. Adding Duck to the list of unavailable options will further limit the available corners for Miami moving forward. To this point in the season, the Dolphins have fared relatively well in allowing 199 passing yards per game (good for 11th in the NFL). Maintaining that level of play will be more difficult in the wake of another absence, though.
As a former UDFA, Duck is on the books through the 2026 campaign. He could reprise his role as a part-time defensive and special teams contributor upon returning to full health next season, something which would of course be key in determining his financial future beyond that point. Depending on how the team proceeds in the secondary, however, the 24-year-old’s injury situation could leave on him the outside looking in with respect to a 2026 roster spot.
Raiders Minority Owner Carol Davis Dies At 93
Carol Davis, the widow of late Raiders owner Al Davis, has passed away. Carol died at the age of 93 on Friday, per a team announcement. 
“Carol provided unbridled support and unparalleled guidance to the Davis family and the Raiders organization for over 60 years,” the Raiders said in a statement. “Her direct impact on the greatness of the Raiders continues to be felt, cherished, and honored, and is woven into the fabric of this historic franchise. If Al was the heart of the Raiders, Carol was the soul.”
Long referred to as the First Lady of Raider Nation, Carol Davis was connected to the franchise since Al was hired as head coach in 1963. Carol remained involved with the organization through Al’s tenure as controlling owner, which began in 1972 and ended with his passing in 2011. Since that time, Al and Carol’s son Mark Davis has operated as the franchise’s owner.
September 21, 2020 marked the first game at Allegiant Stadium during the Raiders’ inaugural season in Las Vegas. Carol Davis lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch that day in a ceremonial gesture to honor her late husband. Mark Davis did the same yesterday in the wake of his mother’s passing.
As things stand, Mark Davis remains in line to continue as the Raiders’ controlling owner for the foreseeable future. The franchise will now be without a mainstay moving forward, however.