Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy To Start When Healthy; Week 9 Return Being Targeted
Carson Wentz handled quarterback duties once again during the Vikings’ lopsided loss on Thursday. By the time Minnesota plays again, though, J.J. McCarthy may be back in the fold. 
McCarthy has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. The 2024 first-rounder has dressed as the Vikings’ emergency No. 3 quarterback in each of the past two games, a further sign he is nearing a return to full health. That could be the case in time for Week 9. When McCarthy is back at full strength, he will return to QB1 duties.
“If J.J. is healthy, J.J. will play,” head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed after yesterday’s game (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). “That’s been the case since the injury. That’s always been kind of my mindset, and I believe we’re right — hopefully — around the corner from seeing him be healthy, have a week of preparation and go compete.”
With Minnesota having played on a Thursday, the team now has an extended period to prepare for Week 9. The Vikings will take on the Lions in their next contest, and having McCarthy available would of course be a welcomed development for the team’s offense in the short term and his ability to continue developing over the remainder of the season. McCarthy, 22, missed his entire rookie campaign while recovering from meniscus surgery before his current stretch of absences due to a high ankle sprain.
Aside from his fourth-quarter performance against the Bears in Week 1, McCarthy has not met expectations when on the field so far. Improving on his early showings once healthy will be critical for the Michigan product’s long-term development and Minnesota’s playoff chances. The Vikings sit at 3-4 on the year at a time when each of the NFC North’s other teams sport a winning record.
Last night’s game was the latest example of the “significant left shoulder injury” Wentz has been playing through for most his five-game run as the team’s starter. The 32-year-old said (via Seifert) Thursday’s performance included “quite possibly” the most pain he has played through in an NFL contest. Wentz will have time to heal provided McCarthy starts in Week 9, however, something which looks to be the team’s plan at this point.
Bengals LB Logan Wilson Requests Trade
Logan Wilson came up as a trade candidate this week, being mentioned as a player who could move after the Bengals reduced his role. Now, Wilson can be added to the growing list of Bengals to have asked to be moved in recent years.
The veteran linebacker has requested a trade, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby reports. Although Wilson has started all seven Cincinnati games this season, rookies Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter have cut into his role. Wilson is tied to a four-year, $36MM contract, a deal that runs through the 2027 season.
Since 2023, the Bengals have received trade requests from Jonah Williams, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson and Germaine Pratt. Not known as being particularly accommodating on the trade or contract fronts, the team gave into none of those asks.
Williams played out his contract year — at right tackle, after the team signed Orlando Brown Jr. — and left as a 2024 free agent. Requesting a trade in March 2024, Higgins played last season on the franchise tag. Although Hendrickson trade drama did not become lead NFL story until this offseason, the All-Pro defensive end submitted his request in 2024. It did not move the needle. Weeks after Pratt requested a trade, the Bengals cut him.
The Pratt release came after the Bengals drafted both Knight (Round 2) and Carter (Round 4). With Wilson still rostered, those selections marginalized Pratt, who is now on his third team of the year (Bengals, Raiders, Colts). Carter has usurped Wilson in the Bengals’ linebacking hierarchy, playing 100% of the team’s defensive snaps over the past two games. Knight has held a steadier role this season, and he played almost every snap over Cincinnati’s past two contests.
A mainstay at linebacker since the Bengals drafted him in the 2020 third round, Wilson played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 5. Over the past two games, however, his usage has dipped considerably. Wilson played 19.7% of Cincy’s defensive snaps in Week 6 and 45.6% of the plays in Week 7. Al Golden has pivoted to the rookies on his second level, with Zac Taylor reiterating the team’s commitment to the Knight-Carter duo, leaving Wilson as a part-timer. Not long after that switch, the sixth-year veteran is attempting to force the issue.
While the Bengals are famous for not budging in these situations, a report this week indicated they would be open to dealing Wilson. The former Super Bowl starter signed a $9MM-per-year extension during the 2023 offseason, doing so weeks after the Bengals re-signed Pratt. With Lou Anarumo now in Indianapolis, the Bengals changed up at linebacker. Wilson (65 career starts) is tied to a $5.37MM base salary this season.
Just more than $3MM remains on that contract now, and if the Bengals move on just before the Nov. 4 deadline, barely $2.5MM in base salary would remain for 2025. No guarantees are in place, as this is a Bengals contract, beyond this season. That would give a team flexibility with a 29-year-old defender who had been a regular for years in Cincy. Wilson posted four straight 100-plus-tackle seasons, getting to 104 last season despite missing six games, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as a top-25 off-ball LB in 2022 and ’24. He sits 47th on that list this season.
Broncos In Market For WR Upgrade?
The Broncos just completed one of the most shocking comebacks in NFL history, reeling off a 33-point quarter to stun a Giants team that held a 19-0 lead at one point. The win moved Denver to 5-2, which remains good enough for the AFC West lead.
This franchise has not been in a strong buyer’s position ahead of a trade deadline in many years. Selling has been far more common here. Between 2018 and 2022, the Broncos unloaded Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Von Miller and Bradley Chubb at deadlines. Offers came in for Patrick Surtain and Jerry Jeudy after the team’s slow start in 2023, and while Denver was not exactly a seller last year, the team did move on from Baron Browning (to the Cardinals). This season, though, teams are monitoring the Broncos as a buyer.
Specifically, clubs have Denver on the radar to make a trade for a wide receiver upgrade, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. Labeling the Broncos as “perhaps the biggest contender for a wide receiver” at the deadline, Jones indicates teams are looking at the division-leading team in terms of how aggressive it will be — as this is a rare spot for the Broncos.
The Broncos will attempt to hold off an increasingly high-powered Chiefs team that has won every division title since Denver’s 2015 Super Bowl season. Armed with a high-level defense once again, the Broncos will need to consider a move to bolster their offense.
Denver ranks 17th in scoring, 11th in yardage and 14th in EPA per play. The team, however, has looked sluggish (through three quarters, at least) on that side of the ball during much of its four-game win streak. It took a Herculean comeback to avoid a Giants upset, and the winless Jets held the Broncos to 13 points. The Giants rally reminded of the Broncos’ surge in Philadelphia. Bo Nix has struggled before catching fire in the fourth quarter. That would not appear sustainable, pointing to the team needing to examine need areas.
As this space mentioned this summer, the Broncos are highly Courtland Sutton-dependent at wide receiver. They have not seen a No. 2 option step up. Both Troy Franklin (269 receiving yards) and Marvin Mims (234) have produced at points, but neither is a particularly reliable target at this stage of their careers. Third-round rookie Pat Bryant has only five receptions for 46 yards, working as a clear backup. Evan Engram has not been the team’s de facto WR2 just yet, either, totaling 22 catches for 179 yards in six games played. While Sean Payton regularly centered Saints offenses around one receiver and used a rotating cast to fill out the corps, it is worth wondering if the Broncos are a man short here.
The team was loosely connected to Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp and Keenan Allen this offseason. Kupp exceeded Denver’s price range, while only the Commanders made an offer for Samuel. Perhaps more notably, the Broncos were eyeing Emeka Egbuka in Round 1. The Buccaneers, however, surprised many — given their WR depth at the time — by nabbing him at No. 19. Denver then drafted Jahdae Barron at No. 20.
With Nix tied to a rookie deal through at least 2026, the Broncos have some flexibility here. Though, they have just $5.1MM in cap space, with the second and final year of Russell Wilson dead money ($32MM) affecting the payroll.
Neither Chris Olave nor Rashid Shaheed were on the Saints’ roster under Payton, but Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael used a similar offense from 2022-23. Denver already dealt with New Orleans at WR this year, sending Devaughn Vele to the Saints for fourth- and seventh-round picks.
With the Raiders perhaps unwilling to send Jakobi Meyers to a division rival, Payton’s Saints ties could be notable. Though, the Saints have shown interest in extending Olave. If the Dolphins hang onto Jaylen Waddle, too, there might not be many big names that move this year at receiver. It will be interesting to see if the Broncos join the buyer fray.
Steelers Looking To Add WR To Maximize Success With Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers are interested in adding a wide receiver before the NFL’s trade deadline, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
This is nothing new for Pittsburgh, who are constantly mentioned in receiver trade rumors. They have been as active in the position’s market as any other team in the last year, acquiring Mike Williams before the 2024 deadline, landing D.K. Metcalf in a blockbuster move in March, and sending George Pickens to the Cowboys in May. Despite interest in adding another wideout before the season, the Steelers decided to see what their offense would look like with Aaron Rodgers under center.
The results so far have been encouraging. Pittsburgh is 4-2 with sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Behind them are the 3-4 Bengals, who are hoping that Joe Flacco can keep their offense afloat until a potential late-season return from Joe Burrow. The 2-5 Browns are reportedly targeting a top quarterback prospect in the 2025 draft, indicating they have no intention of competing this year. The Ravens are 1-5 and enter Week 8 desperately needing Lamar Jackson to return from his hamstring injury before their season slips completely away.
As a result, the Steelers have a clear opportunity to run away with the division and even compete for a top AFC playoff seed. That has created a desire to maximize the team’s chances of making a run while they have Rodgers, per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. Running back Jaylen Warren is averaging 36.8 receiving yards per game and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has deployed all three of his tight ends effectively, but the Steelers could use more consistent production from their receiver room.
Rodgers has established a good connection with Metcalf, but Pittsburgh’s other wideouts have not stepped up. Calvin Austin went quiet after a 70-yard performance in Week 1 and missed the last three games with a shoulder injury. 2024 third-rounder Roman Wilson has only five targets on 92 snaps despite hopes of a second-year breakout. Depth options Ben Skowronek and Scott Miller have not offered much, either.
Whether it’s adding a more reliable rotational piece or a legitimate WR2, the Steelers seem intent on adding a wide receiver in the coming weeks, according to FOX Sports’ Eric Williams. Unlike last year, the positions trade market isn’t particularly hot, which might mean that Pittsburgh has less competition to acquire a receiver, but also that there are fewer players for them to target.
NFL Dissatisfied With Onside Kick Setup
Offseason rule changes are regularly dictated by which way the league office leans on a particular issue. The 2026 offseason may bring legitimate momentum to changing the onside kick.
NFL executive VP Troy Vincent said it may be time for a true discussion about altering the play, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones noting the onside kick’s increasingly anticlimactic status has disappointed the league. This language once applied to the extra point, and it was then moved back to the 15-yard line. That has brought far more compelling sequences compared to the setup still used at the college level.
Vincent indicated it may be time to revisit a fourth-and-15 alternative here. A frequent offseason topic, the fourth-and-15 alternative has not gained serious traction in the recent past. The league tabled the matter this offseason. Back in 2020, however, some support for the fourth-and-15 play existed. Vincent’s comments are certainly notable from that angle, and the onside kick recovery data has shifted toward the play being a near-foregone conclusion since the seminal rule change banned running starts from kickoff coverage units.
Only one onside kick (out of 21 tries) produced a recovery this season. In 2024, teams trying them were 3-for-50. Prior to the dynamic kickoff’s 2024 implementation — which removed surprise onside efforts and limited declared onside tries to fourth quarters — success rate fell below 8% four times from 2018-23 (per Odds Shark). The NFL banned running starts on kickoffs, as a safety measure, in 2018. From 2010-17, non-surprise onside kicks were recovered by kicking teams 13.2% of the time.
The league will be highly unlikely to reintroduce running starts on onside plays, and the dynamic kickoff looks here to stay. Kick returns are up significantly, thanks to the league moving the touchback line from the 30 to the 35 this offseason, so the fourth-and-15 alternative — or something comparable — will be a storyline to monitor going into the spring meetings, where rule changes launch.
It can be argued teams should not have a play that gives them a reasonable chance of stealing a possession, but the running-start era did provide better odds at recoveries. Fourth-and-15 plays would favor those with high-end passing attacks, but they would undoubtedly inject more drama into late-game sequences.
From changing the extra point to adding a seventh playoff team per conference to adjusting the late-season schedule to ensure Christmas Day games occur, the league acts frequently to make viewer-friendly changes. It appears momentum exists for a significant change on special teams, one that will make the quarterback position slightly more valuable than it already is.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/25
Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:
New York Giants
- Released: DB LaMareon James
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OLB Trevis Gipson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Lance McCutcheon
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/25
Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL, including the Chargers practice squad elevations for Thursday Night Football.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: RB Nyheim Hines, RB Jaret Patterson
New York Jets
- Waived: OT Esa Pole
Philadelphia Eagles
- Practice window opened: WR Darius Cooper
Chargers ‘Desperate’ For RB Upgrade?
Having lost top two options Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris to significant injuries, the Chargers are “desperate” for an upgrade at running back, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. A deal doesn’t appear imminent, however, as Vacchiano notes there’s more demand than supply leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Hampton, the 22nd overall pick in last spring’s draft, was productive over his first five games before suffering an ankle injury in a Week 5 loss to the Commanders. The Chargers quickly placed Hampton on IR, setting him up for at least a four-game absence. He missed his third game on Thursday versus Minnesota and won’t be eligible to return until Week 10 against Pittsburgh.
While Hampton could rejoin the Chargers’ offense this year, Harris is done for 2025 after tearing his Achilles in a Week 3 win over the Broncos. That’s a notable shot to the Chargers’ depth.
With Hampton and Harris out of commission, Kimani Vidal has gotten the lion’s share of the work over the past couple of weeks. The 2024 sixth-round pick helped the Chargers to a Week 6 win in Miami with 124 yards on 18 carries, but he managed just 20 yards on nine attempts in a loss to the Colts last Sunday.
Hassan Haskins acted as the backup to Vidal in the wake of Hampton’s IR placement, but a hamstring injury kept him out of Thursday’s game. The Chargers elevated practice squad RBs Nyheim Hines and Jaret Patterson to add some much-needed depth. Hines missed all of the previous two seasons after tearing his ACL in a jet ski accident, and he hasn’t gotten a carry since 2022. Meanwhile, Patterson entered Thursday with just 85 carries since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021.
Considering the Chargers aren’t content with their in-house options, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Saints’ Alvin Kamara are among running backs who could be on their radar. As far as RBs go, Hall and Kamara are the “biggest names that have come up in league circles,” Vacchiano writes.
Either Hall or Kamara would give the Chargers a proven starter to fill in for Hampton and a capable complement if he returns. There are roadblocks to a deal in both cases, though. Hall is a pending free agent on a winless team, which makes him a logical trade candidate, but the Jets “don’t seem interested” in dealing him, per Vacchiano. Meanwhile, Kamara has made it known that he doesn’t want to leave New Orleans.
With Hall and Kamara looking like unrealistic targets, the Chargers may have to settle for a less established addition if they succeed in trading for a back. The Browns’ Jerome Ford and the Dolphins’ Jaylen Wright are among backups who have surfaced in trade rumors in recent weeks. They’d be more obtainable than either Hall or Kamara, though it’s unclear if the Chargers are interested.
Chargers OT Joe Alt Returns In Week 8
After missing three games due to an ankle sprain, Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt is officially active for the team’s Thursday night matchup with the Vikings.
After starting at right tackle as a rookie, Alt took over on the blind side this year after Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. He played left tackle at Notre Dame and translated seamlessly back into his former position in his first four games, allowing only three pressures and one sack, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
When the Chargers drafted Alt with the No. 5 pick in last year’s draft, they were counting on his ability to flip to right tackle right away. They were also preparing for a situation like Slater’s injury. General manager Joe Hortiz came up in the Ravens front office and saw firsthand how Ronnie Stanley‘s 2020 ankle injury altered their fortunes for years to come. So, with his first major move in charge in Los Angeles – and the franchise’s highest draft pick since Joey Bosa – he selected Alt. A little more than a year later, and the decision appears to be vindicated by Alt’s performance on the blind side.
Right tackle Trey Pipkins is also active for Thursday’s game after missing two weeks with an ankle injury. He stepped into the starting right tackle role after Slater’s injury this summer after primarily playing right guard in 2024. However, Bobby Hart still got the start against the Vikings, signaling that he may have the job moving forward.
Ravens Sign OLB Carl Lawson
The Ravens signed veteran edge rusher Carl Lawson on Thursday, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
The seven-year veteran will join Baltimore’s practice squad after a workout earlier this week, according to KPRC2’S Aaron Wilson. A shortage of outside linebacker depth could press Lawson into action right away, though he will have to get up to speed quickly after not signing with any team this offseason.
The Ravens currently have three healthy edge rushers on their active roster after trading Odafe Oweh to the Chargers and losing Tavius Robinson to a broken foot in Week 6. Robinson was placed on injured reserve and is not expected back until late November at the earliest. 2024 third-rounder Adisa Isaac started the year on IR and could return sooner than Robinson, but he barely played as a rookie and is still somewhat of an unknown quantity.
Lawson brings plenty of experience with 89 appearances and 34 starts in his career. The 2017 fourth-round pick logged 20.0 sacks for the Bengals in his first four seasons before signing a three-year deal with the Jets in 2021. A torn Achilles ended his season in training camp, but he came back strong in 2022, starting all 17 games with seven sacks and nine tackles for loss. Injuries hampered Lawson in 2023, but he rebounded again in 2024 with five sacks in a rotational role for the Cowboys.
The Ravens also waived tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden on Thursday, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, signaling that veteran fullback Patrick Ricard will be making his season debut on Sunday. Ricard missed the first six games with a nagging calf injury with Mitchell-Paden filling his role in the offense, but his absence has had a noticeable impact on the Ravens’ run game.