HEADLINES

Vikings’ QB Search Will Not Affect Max Brosmer’s Status

October 28th, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold faring well after relocating in free agency, the Vikings’ primary 2025 starter — Carson Wentz — is done for the season. That will relaunch J.J. McCarthy‘s initial effort to justify his draft slot during a Minnesota season far off last year’s pace.

McCarthy is on track to return from a high ankle sprain in Week 9. The 2024 No. 10 overall pick has missed five games, certainly on the high end for this injury, but will be set for a reemergence against the Lions. Minnesota has been cautious with its top QB asset, but a key phase in his development will come soon.

Wentz’s move to IR will impact the Vikings’ depth chart, and while the team could theoretically look for a stopgap to provide more cover in the event it wants to keep slow-playing McCarthy’s return, it appears a depth addition is the more likely course of action. The team’s QB addition — should there be one — will not affect Max Brosmer‘s standing as the top McCarthy backup, Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert).

This proclamation shows considerable respect to a rookie UDFA who entered the season as the team’s third-stringer. Though, the Vikings did carry the local product onto their active roster — rather than waive him on cutdown day — to avoid a team poaching him. The Minnesota alum has thrown eight regular-season passes, most recently finishing out the Vikings’ loss to the Chargers on Thursday.

The Vikes nabbed Brosmer in May, giving him a $244K guarantee to sign as part of the UDFA class. The 6-foot-2 passer initially played at Division I-FCS New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota in 2024. Brosmer started that season for the Golden Gophers, throwing 18 touchdown passes and six interceptions during a year that featured a 66.5% completion rate. Brosmer only averaged 7.0 yards per attempt, however, and profiled as something of a fixer-upper entering the NFL. O’Connell has been known to elevate QBs during his Twin Cities stay, and he is attempting to develop Brosmer into a steady McCarthy backup.

Minnesota did trade for a quarterback following Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear in October 2023, and Josh Dobbs quickly took over as the team’s starter. With the Vikes letting Darnold and Jones walk to clear a path for McCarthy — during an offseason in which Aaron Rodgers‘ efforts to play for O’Connell were not reciprocated by the team — this situation does not closely remind of where the franchise stood in 2023.

But McCarthy will need to show improvement based on where he was in September. The Vikings are set to give him that chance, and with no intention of demoting Brosmer, McCarthy will have no internal challenges to his job. The team does not have a quarterback on its practice squad, so a move will need to come soon. Given McCarthy’s injury history, O’Connell endorsing Brosmer as QB2 is rather important as the Vikings still try to compete for a playoff spot.

Browns Shopping S Rayshawn Jenkins

October 28th, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Connor Byrne

With the Nov. 4 trade deadline around the corner, the last-place Browns have swung a couple of deals in recent weeks. General manager Andrew Berry sent quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals and pulled off a cornerback swap with the Jaguars, acquiring Tyson Campbell for Greg Newsome.

While Berry is unlikely to conduct a pre-deadline fire sale, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him deal a couple of veterans on expiring contracts. As a soon-to-be free agent, safety Rayshawn Jenkins is a candidate for a change of scenery over the next week. The Browns are indeed “open to trading” Jenkins, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.

After dividing his first eight NFL seasons among the Chargers, Jaguars, and Seahawks, Jenkins joined the Browns on an inexpensive one-year deal worth $1.42MM last May. Jenkins came to Cleveland with 89 starts under his belt, including anywhere from nine to 17 over the previous six seasons. However, he hasn’t been a major factor on defense this year.

With Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit in place as the Browns’ starting safety tandem, the 31-year-old Jenkins played just 21.5% of defensive snaps during the team’s first eight games. He has tallied 21 tackles and an interception, the 11th of his career, thus far.

Hickman, who fended off Jenkins for a starting role over the summer, leads all Browns defenders in snaps and ranks as Pro Football Focus’ second-best safety. With him and Delpit entrenched in their roles, most of Jenkins’ playing time has come on special teams. His 55.6% ST snap share ranks fourth on the Browns. He leads the league with 13 special teams tackles.

With the Seahawks in the early stages of the offseason last winter, they let him seek a trade out of Seattle earlier this year. The Seahawks released Jenkins after they could not find a taker for a player attached to a $4.89MM base salary. With Jenkins now earning significantly less, Cleveland may have an easier time finding a trade partner in the coming days.

Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco Suffers MCL Injury

October 28th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hoping to bounce back from an injury-marred 2024, Isiah Pacheco will see another malady hamper him during a contract year. This time, a knee injury will likely force the Chiefs’ starting running back off the field.

Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain Monday night, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Labeled “week to week,” Pacheco is likely to miss at least the Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup against the Bills. Kansas City’s bye is in Week 10, so the team could pass on moving the longtime starter to IR.

Veering toward serviceable in Year 4, Pacheco has been part of a committee upon coming back from a broken leg. Kareem Hunt returned during Pacheco’s 2024 injury absence and re-signed this offseason. The aging RB has remained a steady presence in Kansas City’s backfield, with rookie seventh-rounder Brashard Smith seeing more work as this season has progressed as well. Earlier, the Chiefs appeared puzzled by their backfield struggles. The team expected more from Pacheco earlier, though he has delivered a slight production uptick since.

Pacheco, 26, has posted three straight games with 50-plus rushing yards. The Chiefs rank ninth in rushing, and Pacheco (329 yards; 4.2 per carry) finally passed Patrick Mahomes in ground yardage — after the QB’s scampers comprised a big chunk of the team’s total earlier in the season. But this will stall any Pacheco momentum, leaving Hunt (245, four TDs) as the next man up.

The Chiefs had come up at multiple junctures since August as a team looking around for RB help, but recent reporting suggested the three-time reigning AFC champions were more likely to ride it out with their current crew there and find pass-rushing aid at the trade deadline. It is possible this injury prompts the team to reconsider, but if Pacheco does not head to IR, the team could merely wait it out. MCL sprains, though, can linger. It is quite possible IR will be necessary.

A seventh-round success story who had bailed out the Chiefs on their Clyde Edwards-Helaire first-round miss, Pacheco posted 830 rushing yards as a rookie and 935 in 2023. Both seasons brought Super Bowl wins for the Chiefs, who had a low-cost RB complementing a team with big-ticket contracts at several O-line spots. The hard-charging back’s 2024 injury slowed him, and this MCL issue provides another hurdle in his path toward a notable free agent market. Though, he should still have some time to adjust an injury-prone narrative before that point. Edwards-Helaire remains on the Chiefs’ practice squad; he could be an option to move up if an IR move occurs.

Cardinals Opening Practice Windows For Garrett Williams, BJ Ojulari

October 28th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Cardinals’ defense could welcome a pair of reinforcements in the coming weeks. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that the Cardinals opened cornerback Garrett Williams‘ 21-day practice window on Tuesday. Gannon added that the team will open outside linebacker BJ Ojulari‘s practice window on Thursday.

Now 2-5 after suffering five straight one-score losses, the Cardinals are coming off their bye and will face the Cowboys on Monday. While it’s unclear if Williams will be ready for that game, it would be ideal to have him back against a high-flying Cowboys attack.

Williams, who played both slot and outside corner early this season, was in on almost every Cardinals defensive snap before going on IR with a knee injury after Week 2. The Cardinals began 2-0 with Williams in the fold. The third-year man broke out last season with 58 tackles, nine passes defensed, and two interceptions over 16 games (11 starts). Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as the third-best corner in the NFL in 2024.

In Williams’ absence this season, the Cardinals have used safeties Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in nickel situations. Second-round rookie Will Johnson has received increased playing time on the outside. The Cardinals’ defense has fared respectably without Williams. The unit ranks seventh in passer rating against and 13th in points per game allowed, and it should get even stronger once Williams rejoins the fray.

Arizona hasn’t gotten anything from Ojulari since 2023, his rookie season. The former second-rounder from LSU appeared in all 17 games in his first year and picked up 40 tackles and four sacks. He tore his ACL during the ensuing summer and hasn’t played since. Ojulari, who opened this season on the reserve/PUP list, will give the Cardinals extra pass-rushing depth at OLB behind Josh Sweat and Baron Browning if he’s healthy enough to return in the next three weeks. Sweat and Browning have combined for seven of the Cardinals’ 12 sacks.

Arizona also made a few minor moves on Tuesday, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. After the Cardinals released running back Michael Carter and cornerback Darren Hall on Monday, they re-signed the pair to their practice squad. At the same time, they released two receivers – Bryson Green and D’Ernest Johnson – and tight end Nick Muse from the P-squad.

Jets’ Justin Fields Could Draw Trade Interest?

October 28th, 2025 at 2:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Justin Fields‘ Week 7 benching could be an early sign that he doesn’t have a long-term future in New York, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.

Fields signed a two-year, $40MM deal to join the Jets this offseason as the starting quarterback under new head coach Aaron Glenn. The fifth-year quarterback has made seven starts this year that fall into one of two buckets: good enough to win a game, and bad enough to impede such an effort. Some around the league believe Fields has been let down by iffy coaching, per La Canfora, who floats the trade notion after the QB was seemingly set to be benched ahead of Week 8.

Weeks 1, 4 and 5 fell into the former categories, while Weeks 2, 6, and 7 were in the latter. In Week 2, Fields was knocked out of the game with a concussion, and in Week 7, he was benched for backup Tyrod Taylor. The commonality between all of those games? The Jets lost them.

Taylor appeared to be the starter moving forward after Fields’ benching last week, but a shoulder injury sidelined the veteran for Week 8. That gave Fields another starting nod, and he let the Jets to their first win and highest point total of the season.

However, recent comments from Jets owner Woody Johnson indicate that he has already soured on his young quarterback, which has stirred speculation that Fields could be on his way out of New York sooner than expected. With quarterbacks around the league dropping like flies, a team might be desperate enough to try to acquire Fields even though he was just signed this offseason.

However, $10MM of Fields’ 2026 salary is guaranteed, and his release would add $22MM in dead money to the Jets’ salary cap next year. They already have $35MM of dead money remaining from Rodgers’ contract, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, and would likely have to punt on Glenn’s second year in charge as they sort out their quarterback situation. Glenn himself may not be content with that decision – especially considering the relatively shorter leashes for minority coaches in the NFL – which may give Fields another chance to prove himself next year.

Taylor might need to show he is healthy before the Jets consider making a seismic move like trading Fields. Johnson’s comments notwithstanding, the team made a commitment to him. Bailing now would send a bad message, even if Glenn was preparing to bench his starter after Week 7. The Jets would also need to add QB help in that event, with only two passers on the active roster. Rookie UDFA Brady Cook (Missouri) is on Gang Green’s practice squad.

Chargers Sign S Marcus Williams

October 28th, 2025 at 1:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than seven months after the Ravens released Marcus Williams, the veteran safety has secured his first post-Baltimore gig. The Chargers are signing the longtime starter to their practice squad, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

The Ravens designated Williams a post-June 1 cut this offseason, having demoted him during what became a disappointing tenure. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz was in Baltimore when the team signed Williams back in 2022, and after sending Alohi Gilman to the Ravens in the trade for Odafe Oweh, the Bolts will take a flier on Williams. This addition also comes as questions surround Derwin James‘ near-future availability after a Week 8 injury.

Los Angeles is also adding defensive tackle Kyle Peko to its practice squad and releasing running back Nyheim Miller-Hines from the 16-man unit. Williams joins ex-Ravens safety Tony Jefferson among the Bolts’ back-line crew. The Bolts also released wide receiver Luke Grimm from their P-squad, per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim.

This signing comes after Williams took part in a Chargers workout late last week. The Bolts also auditioned Marcus Maye, Lewis Cine and ex-Raven Daryl Worley, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Maye was an in-season Chargers addition last year, while Worley was part of many Ravens transactions in recent years. This could have been an 11th team for Worley, but instead it will be Williams receiving the opportunity.

Baltimore could not count on Williams, who signed a five-year deal worth $70MM as a 2022 free agent. Injuries and shaky play defined the ex-Saints draftee’s Maryland stay. The Ravens benched Williams midway through last season and made him a healthy scratch down the stretch. Acquired weeks before the Kyle Hamilton pick, Williams could not justify his $14MM-per-year contract. The Ravens reworked the deal in January to precede a release. Although Williams met with the Panthers and Steelers this offseason, no deal came to pass. He will now accept a practice squad invite.

A Saints standout who drew a franchise tag in 2021, Williams is now 29. He has made 106 career starts. Known partially for a mishap on the Vikings’ Minneapolis Miracle play, Williams was a key part of the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence — an ascent largely keyed by the team’s 2017 draft class. He has 20 career INTs. While his recent play left much to be desired, the former second-round pick will provide experienced depth behind James, Jefferson and Elijah Molden. James, though, is not certain to play in Week 9 due to a sprained ankle suffered against the Vikings. Williams stands to provide some insurance in case James misses time.

Peko also worked out for the Bolts last week, per Wilson, who adds Raekwon Davis participated as well. Davis has been out of football since the Colts cut him this offseason. The defensive tackle signed with Indianapolis in 2024. Peko, 32, has played for five teams in nine seasons.

Saints To Start Tyler Shough In Week 9

October 28th, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints are making a change under center, installing rookie Tyler Shough as the new starter and benching Spencer Rattler, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Rattler won a training camp battle for the Saints’ starting quarterback gig, but the team is 1-7 in his eight starts. Statistically, Rattler himself has not been horrible relative to some of the league’s other starters, but New Orleans ranks 29th in points scored and 27th in total yardage this year.

Shough, 26, was a second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in April’s draft who was widely seen as the Saints’ successor to Derek Carr. His age and draft profile as an NFL-ready quarterback raised expectations that he would start right away in New Orleans, but new head coach Kellen Moore made it clear in the spring that there would be a true competition in the preseason.

In the interim, however, Shough leveraged his draft status, the Saints’ quarterback situation, and new league contract precedent into a fully-guaranteed rookie deal, making it clear that he would get a shot at the starting job sooner than later. Rattler was expected to have a long leash at the beginning of the season, but it only extended out to eight starts.

Rattler was benched for Shough in Week 8, and though the rookie did not dazzle in his first extended regular-season action, he did enough to earn Moore’s confidence moving forward. Expectations will still be low for the rest of the season, as the rest of the Saints offensive line has struggled this season and won’t make Shough’s first start a walk in the park. Neither will a ferocious Rams defense that ranks second in the league with 26 sacks. But any progress Shough can make this year will give New Orleans a better idea if they’ve found a long-term starter or should focus on the 2026 draft class.

Dolphins Unlikely To Make Several Trades

October 28th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday’s win improved Miami’s 2025 record to 2-6. It would still come as no surprise if the team were to adopt a seller’s stance ahead of next week’s deadline.

A number of Dolphins players have been floated as trade candidates recently. At least one move could of course be in store, especially in the case of a rental. A firesale should not be expected, however. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirms the team has communicated to potential buyers there will not be a clearing out of the Dolphins’ roster over the coming days.

Edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb have been the most talked-about options in terms of targets on the trade front. Interest will no doubt continue to be shown on both fronts, with any trade being viewed as a rental in each case. It would come as no surprise if the Dolphins were to retain at least one member of that tandem, but even if both remain in place another EDGE deal could be in store.

Matt Judon has recently been mentioned as a trade target, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Jackson) that remains the case. Signed not long before the start of the campaign, Judon has made seven appearances to date but he was also a healthy scratch prior to playing in Week 8. The four-time Pro Bowler has made just eight tackles in 2025 without recording a sack.

Judon’s snap share sits at 32% this season, which marks the lowest usage rate of his career. A change of scenery before the November 4 deadline would not be expected to result in a major uptick in workload for the 33-year-old, but he could still offer contending teams with valuable depth along the edge. Judon is a pending free agent, and taking on the remainder of his $1.5MM salary would not be a challenge in the event a trade were to be worked out.

Regardless of what happens on the Judon front, a relatively quiet approach to the deadline appears to be in store for the Dolphins. Questions about the franchise’s future on the sidelines and in the front office will linger if the team lands short of the postseason once more in 2025, but many of Miami’s key players appear to be on track to remain in place through the remainder of the campaign.

49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Will Not Practice This Week; Ben Bartch’s Practice Window To Open

October 28th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

Injuries to key players remain an issue at many positions for the 49ers. Preparation for Week 9 will bring about a mixed bag of updates on that front.

Brandon Aiyuk continues to rehab the ACL and MCL tears which ended his 2024 campaign. While progress is being made in his recovery, San Francisco’s top wideout will not take part in practice this week. That decision will further delay the point at which Aiyuk’s 21-day activation window will be opened.

“I think it’s week-to-week from here on out that he has got a chance,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Aiyuk (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Area). “It would’ve surprised me if it was this week, but that was just me saying that every week I think he’s getting closer to having a chance. Just not this week.”

Shanahan recently opened the door to Aiyuk suiting up for practice this week, but that will not take place. A return in November is instead still the goal in this case. Provided the 27-year-old can return to full strength relatively soon, his presence will be welcomed on a 49ers offense which has dealt with injuries under center and at the skill positions all season. Along the offensive line, meanwhile, a notable return is imminent.

The 49ers will designate left guard Ben Bartch for return this week, as noted by The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. Bartch has been on injured reserve since mid-September due to a high ankle sprain. Beginning tomorrow, though, his practice window will open. That will leave the 49ers with three weeks to activate Bartch.

The former fourth-rounder has started just four of his appearances with the 49ers, but that total will likely increase once Bartch is activated. He opened the season as San Francisco’s starter at the LG spot vacated by Aaron Banks‘ free agent departure. Provided that remains the case moving forward, Bartch will be counted on to provide stability along the interior of the offensive line. As a pending free agent, his play upon being activated will be key in determining not only the 49ers’ success up front but also his earning potential on the open market next spring.

The 49ers have used two of their eight IR activations for the season so far. Bringing Bartch back into the fold will lower that figure, with the same being true when fellow O-linemen Spencer Burford is activated (which should take place in the near future). Aiyuk resides on the reserve/PUP list, so his return will not count toward the IR activation count; when it will take place nevertheless remains something to monitor closely for the 49ers.

Rams Acquire Roger McCreary From Titans

October 27th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Roger McCreary was known to be one of the Titans players on the trading block and he has now been dealt. The fourth-year cornerback is headed to the Rams.

A trade has been agreed to between Tennessee and Los Angeles, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Conditional 2026 Day 3 picks are being swapped. The Titans will receive a fifth-rounder closer to the top of the round while the Rams are in line to collect the Titans’ sixth-round pick which ends up closest to the bottom of that round’s order. The swap is now official.

Tennessee traded away a fifth-round pick to the Rams last summer for linebacker Ernest Jones. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network clarifies, that selection now belongs to the Titans once more. The team will also still have a pair of sixth-round picks once it is determined which of Tennessee’s three selections in that round head to Los Angeles.

The Titans have struggled early in the 2025 campaign to the point head coach Brian Callahan was fired less than halfway through his second season at the helm. A new front office setup led by football operations president Chad Brinker and first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi is in place, something which has led many to believe a number of players acquired by previous regimes could be traded away over the coming days. With only quarterback Cam Ward and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons seen as being truly untouchable, it will be interesting to see if further moves are made after this one.

McCreary has amassed 38 starts to date in his career, with his heaviest workloads coming at the beginning of his Titans tenure. The Auburn product logged every snap as a rookie and handled a 92% snap share the following season. Since then, however, his workload has declined. McCreary has made just three starts in 2025, finding himself on the field for 60% of the team’s snaps while operating in the slot. A change of scenery will now put him in the mix to carve out a role in Los Angeles’ secondary.

The Rams have rotated Cobie Durant, Darious Williams and Emmanuel Forbes on the perimeter this season. That has left Quentin Lake to handle slot duties. He and McCreary, 25, will now compete for the top spot on the depth chart in that regard. Both Lake and McCreary are attached to the final year of their rookie contracts and are thus pending free agents. Prior to today’s trade, Dianna Russini of The Athletic identified the Rams as a team in the market for an addition on this front.

For the Titans, meanwhile, this move thins out their cornerbacks room even further. L’Jarius Sneed is on injured reserve, so losing McCreary leaves Tennessee with Jalyn Armour-Davis, Darrell Baker, Marcus Harris and Samuel Womack atop the depth chart to close out the season. The team sits mid-pack in terms of pass defense, but that could emerge as an issue moving forward as Tennessee (1-7) finishes the campaign.

With a 5-2 record, the Rams find themselves in a logjam atop the NFC West. After reaching the divisional round of the playoffs last year, making another postseason run is an obvious goal this time around. Further trades could be coming for Los Angeles, but at a minimum today’s deal will give the team depth in the secondary.

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