Latest On 49ers’ Injuries
San Francisco is one of a few teams that have been bitten especially hard by the injury bug this season. Luckily, they’ve avoided the injury to their star running back that had everyone worried about to start the year, but in a crucial divisional matchup last night, the 49ers’ injury report ruled out five players, including the starting quarterback and three wide receivers. 
San Francisco was able to pull out a victory in last night’s game despite the team that’s taken so many hits thus far taking a few more in Los Angeles. The successful trip saw injuries sustained by defensive tackles Kalia Davis, Yetur Gross-Matos, and rookie Alfred Collins, as well as rookie cornerback Upton Stout, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The only one who appears to have gotten off easy is Stout, who avoided a high ankle sprain, just suffered a regular ankle sprain, and is currently day-to-day.
Davis, on the other hand, will require surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the procedure was scheduled to take place today. There’s some thought that Davis could potentially miss as few as two games. As a defensive lineman, Davis doesn’t have too much use for the gripping mechanic of that appendage in a game, and some expect him to return to play with a club cast on his hand.
Gross-Matos had just come off his only full practice of the week as he worked his way back from a knee injury. While the knee seemingly held up last night, Gross-Matos is now set to miss time with a hamstring strain, which could mean a multi-week absence. The rookie, Collins, suffered a sprained knee. With the Thursday Night Football matchup allowing for a bit more time to recover before their next game, Collins may stand a chance at not missing time, depending on the severity of the sprain.
Lastly, while we knew that star tight end George Kittle would be eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 6 after being placed on list after the season opener, we’ve finally received some insight on a more specific timeline. Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the media that Kittle likely will not be able to make it back until at least Week 7. At best, this will limit the veteran in-line pass catcher to a five-game absence.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/25
Today’s practice squad transactions as we head into the weekend:
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Avery Williams
- Released: RB Lawrance Toafili
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland, CB Eli Ricks
- Released: DE K.J. Henry, DT Jacob Sykes
Yesterday, the Eagles released Powell-Ryland and Ricks and signed Henry and Sykes, making today a complete undoing of yesterday’s moves. Since failing to make Philadelphia’s initial 53-man roster, Ricks has been signed and released three times, making this his fourth time signing to the taxi squad.
Powell-Ryland is catching up to Ricks after being signed, released, and then signed again in each of the last three days. Similarly, this is Sykes’ second one-day stay on the practice squad, and Henry’s first after joining yesterday. It seems likely that the Eagles have worked out some handshake deals that allow them to keep some regulars nearby to fill out the practice squad without going over the 16-man limit.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DT Jordan Jefferson
- Waived: DT Howard Cross III
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: WR Alex Bachman
- Placed on IR: OLB Brennan Jackson
The Bengals are the second team to claim Jefferson this year. A 2024 fourth-round pick out of LSU, Jefferson couldn’t make it to Year 2 in Jacksonville and was waived in final roster cuts. Cincinnati tried to claim him then, badly needing improved depth on their defensive line at the time, but San Francisco had higher priority. When the Niners waiving him yesterday, the Bengals got a second chance to claim him.
Jackson is dealing with a foot injury that will take at least four weeks to come back from, making him an easy candidate for injured reserve.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Receives Medical Clearance, To Return In Week 5
OCTOBER 3: To no surprise, the Commanders announced on Friday that Daniels will play this week. Washington (2-2 on the year) will take on the Chargers Sunday with expectations for increased production on offense.
OCTOBER 1: Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced on Wednesday (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones) that quarterback Jayden Daniels was medically cleared for full participation at practice.
Daniels has been sidelined for the last two games with a knee injury suffered in Week 2. The Commanders went 1-1 in his absence with Marcus Mariota under center.
The veteran quarterback was efficient in Week 3, though 14 of Washington’s 41 points had little to do with Mariota. One touchdown was a 60-yard rush by running back Jeremy McNichols; another was a 90-yard punt return by rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane. Mariota was not as effective in Week 5, though the Commanders still scored 24 points against a sneaky-good Falcons defense.
Mariota’s performance showed exactly why he is among the league’s top backups. He was a fine caretaker of the Commanders offense, but Daniels no doubt offers a much higher ceiling of play through the air and on the ground. Returning to full participation this week is an excellent sign for his chances to play in Week 5, provided that he doesn’t experience a setback in practice.
Quinn did not have any concrete updates on other injured players like Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown, and John Bates, saying (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic) that all three are “trending up” and “making good progress.”
Texans Sign T Trent Brown To Active Roster
One of the Texans’ veteran offensive tackles (Cam Robinson) is no longer with the team. Another (Trent Brown) is now in position to potentially see game action, however. 
Brown has been signed from Houston’s practice squad to the team’s active roster, per agent Drew Rosenhaus (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The 32-year-old has yet to play in the regular season this year. Based on today’s news, though, that could change as early as Week 5.
In March, the Texans signed Brown as one of several moves altering their offensive line. The unit’s play was a major sore spot in 2024, but the early portion of this season has not seen the desired improvement. Robinson was not handling starting duties during his brief Houston tenure, something which informed his trade from the Texans to the Browns earlier this week.
Second-round rookie Aireontae Ersery has handled first-team duties at the left tackle spot so far. Houston’s second-round selection last year – Blake Fisher – saw notable time at right tackle last season but in 2025 he has played only nine offensive snaps. Instead, Tytus Howard worked at the RT spot for the first three games (before shifting to guard in Week 4). Brown’s promotion will give the Texans another option up front.
Over the course of his 10-year career, Brown has amassed 96 starts while seeing time at both tackle spots. The 32-year-old was released during roster cuts in August, but he immediately signed to Houston’s practice squad. After one month without seeing game time, Brown now finds himself in the fold as the 1-3 Texans aim to rebound from a poor start to the campaign.
Lamar Jackson To Miss Week 5; Ravens QB Facing Multi-Week Absence?
OCTOBER 3: Jackson is one of six players the Ravens have now officially ruled out. Baltimore’s offense will be in Rush’s hands while the team deals with a number of key injuries on defense Sunday. Looking ahead, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports Jackson is currently expected to be out for Week 6 as well.
OCTOBER 1: Jackson’s availability for Sunday’s game is still “in doubt,” per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but he characterized the star quarterback’s status as “week-to-week,” referencing and countering Tuesday’s report.
The news will offer some hope to fans in Baltimore, but it still feels like Rush will start in Week 5. If Rapoport is correct, however, he could be back in Week 6 as opposed to Week 8 after the Ravens’ bye
SEPTEMBER 30: The Ravens endured another loss to the Chiefs, this one a one-sided defeat that further exposed issues on Baltimore’s leaky defense. The team carried some excuses, however, as its starting defense was down more than half its bodies by game’s end.
A more pressing matter came when Cooper Rush replaced Lamar Jackson during the second half. Jackson suffered an injury to his right hamstring later deemed a strain, according to ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The superstar quarterback could not have returned to the game if it were competitive, with John Harbaugh saying (via Hensley) there was “no way” his top player could have come back during the 37-20 loss.
Jackson is now viewed as unlikely to be ready for Baltimore’s Week 5 contest. He is expected to sit against the Texans, the Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker reports. A two- to three-week absence would be within the realm of possibility, per Wacker. The Ravens face the Rams in Week 6 and have their bye in Week 7. Considering the injuries the Ravens’ defense has sustained, the early bye should prove beneficial.
The Ravens played the Chiefs without Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Kyle Van Noy. They then lost Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins during the game. Ronnie Stanley also left the Kansas City matchup, one of the more disastrous Ravens regular-season games in recent memory. Madubuike is out for the season, and the Ravens are expected to be without Smith and Humphrey for a bit.
Hamstring injuries regularly sideline players multiple weeks, with some — like George Kittle‘s Week 1 setback — leading to IR placements. We are not there yet with Jackson, and any Ravens hopes Jackson could be back within a four-game span would undoubtedly lead Baltimore to keep its eighth-year QB on the 53-man roster and go week to week here. But any missed time at quarterback will certainly deal a major blow to the Ravens.
Jackson, 28, rebounded from injury-marred 2021 and ’22 seasons by posting back-to-back first-team All-Pro years. The two-time MVP did not miss any games due to injury in 2023 and ’24, rocketing to a higher level as a passer and effectively ensuring himself Hall of Fame induction down the road. But this setback does remind of those the Raven centerpiece suffered earlier this decade.
A sprained ankle in 2021 led to Jackson being shut down. His 2022 setback — a PCL sprain — generated more attention, as the Ravens had hoped the dual-threat dynamo to return; that never came to fruition. Jackson defended himself against criticism he could have played late that season; the Ravens were eliminated in Round 1 of the playoffs with then-backup Tyler Huntley at the controls. Jackson missed 11 games, counting the wild-card loss to the Bengals, from 2021-22.
Despite struggling against the Chiefs once again, Jackson exited Week 4 with an NFL-most 10 touchdown passes this season. The Ravens signed Rush as their backup this offseason, giving the former Cowboys QB2 a two-year, $6.2MM deal. Rush has made 14 career starts, winning nine.
Despite Cowboys trade acquisition Trey Lance needing game reps, Mike McCarthy primarily used Rush when Dak Prescott went down midseason. Rush went 4-4 as Dallas’ starter last season, posting a 12:5 TD-INT ratio with a 60.7% completion rate and just a 6.0 yards-per-attempt figure. As our Nikhil Mehta pointed out in the Ravens’ Offseason In Review piece, Rush marked a deviation from the franchise — one that had primarily stationed mobile QBs behind Jackson since the Joe Flacco trade. Rush will be a departure from that, and the Baltimore offense would naturally look different with the 31-year-old passer replacing Jackson.
NFL Aiming To Play Eight International Games In 2026
The 2025 regular season schedule includes seven games played outside the United States. The CBA allows for eight such contests per year, and the maximum should be expected for next season. 
[RELATED: NFL Still Eyeing 16 Annual International Games]
During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Gerrit Meier – who serves as the NFL’s managing director of the international department – said the league is “pretty confident” the full eight-game slate for overseas contests will be included for 2026. It is already known a first ever game in Australia will take place next year, while a new deal was recently worked out for at least three games to be played in Rio de Janeiro over the next five years. It would also come as no surprise if a return to Dublin were to take place in short order after this year’s debut there.
“The ambition to go international itself, it’s not a new ambition,” Meier said. “I think the point we’ve gotten ourselves to now is, O.K., how has the world changed? And if we truly want to be a global sport, what are the different elements that go into that? And we’ve seen that just having a game, that’s not enough. Just having media, that’s not enough. So just talking about the various elements, we realized there’s something bigger.”
Indeed, the NFL’s efforts to grow the game in international markets has included more than staging games over a span of several years and in various cities. As Meier informed Breer, the league is set to open a headquarters in Spain. That will make it the eighth country outside the United States to house such a venue, joining Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, China and Australia in that regard. Madrid will play host to the Dolphins-Commanders game in Week 12 this year.
Given the long-running efforts to expand the NFL’s reach in Europe, the possibility of one or more franchises based there has been a talking point. According to Meier, though, an international team and/or division is not a “front burner” matter at this point. Instead, expanding into other markets – commissioner Roger Goodell has named Asia as a potential target in that respect – remains a clear priority, with Europe sill a high priority.
On that note, Meier confirmed the league is still interested in holding games in France in the future. He added Italy is another country the NFL is “exploring.” With further increases in the total number of overseas games played on an annual basis expected, the list of potential destinations for international contests continues to grow as well.
Commanders, Jets, Ravens To Meet With Drake Jackson
The 49ers’ top draftee in 2022, Drake Jackson did not deliver on his second-round investment. A knee injury derailed the USC product, who has not played in nearly two years.
Jackson went down in November 2023, being shut down by Week 9. At the time, the 49ers did not declare the defensive end out for the season. But as the team’s playoff outlook came into focus, Kyle Shanahan made it clear Jackson would not be part of it. Jackson then spent the 2024 season on the 49ers’ reserve/PUP list, inviting concern about his NFL future since that placement came about as a result of a 2023 injury.
After being given the season-ending PUP designation during training camp, Jackson received his walking papers from the 49ers in May. No updates had tied Jackson to teams since, but that has changed. The former No. 61 overall pick has returned to full health, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports the recovering edge rusher has booked three visits as a result. The Commanders, Jets and Ravens have scheduled meetings with Jackson, who will huddle up with those interested clubs beginning this weekend.
When available in San Francisco, Jackson was moderately productive. Logging a 33% snap rate as a backup in 2022, Jackson tallied three sacks. In 2023, Jackson added three more on a 38% snap rate. That production came in nine games, as the 6-foot-4 D-end was done by midseason.
The 49ers have made two sets of offseason moves since Jackson’s injury, signing Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos in 2024 and then adding Mykel Williams in Round 1 before trading for Bryce Huff this offseason. The latter duo, with Floyd since cut, is playing a bigger-than-expected role due to Nick Bosa‘s Week 3 ACL tear.
Washington carried a big EDGE need into the summer but did add Von Miller ahead of his age-36 season. Miller has 1.5 sacks and three QB hits through four games, with Dorance Armstrong leading the team with three sacks. Washington has lost Deatrich Wise for the season, however. Ravaged by defensive injuries, the Ravens have been without Kyle Van Noy for two games. They only have four sacks on the season; contract-year EDGE Odafe Oweh is sackless thus far. Jermaine Johnson returned from injury to complement Will McDonald in New York this season. Johnson does not have a sack, having missed the past two games due to a concussion.
Jackson, of course, does not exactly profile as an immediate fix for EDGE-needy teams. The knee injury threw off his developmental track. A practice squad invite may be Jackson’s more likely route here, but significant interest emerging does point to the 2022 draftee receiving another chance soon.
Jets RB Braelon Allen To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) that running back Braelon Allen is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks due to the knee injury that landed him on injured reserve on Thursday.
Allen could opt to rehab his knee with or without surgery, per Glenn, with the same timetable for both options. That will keep the 2024 fourth-round pick sidelined until the very end of November at the earliest.
Allen’s injury, believed to be an MCL sprain, will set back a sophomore campaign that was seen as an opportunity for the 21-year-old after playing second fiddle to Breece Hall as a rookie. Regime change is often accompanied by roster turnover, and the new leadership could let Hall – a second-round pick under previous general manager Joe Douglas – walk in free agency and install Allen as the team’s future starter.
Hall has gotten off to a strong start this year, and Allen’s injury will likely rob him of the chance to impress his new coaches. Hall did not emerge as an extension candidate, as of this summer, but rumblings about an in-season trade will likely cease following this Allen news.
Allen’s timetable is on the high end for MCL sprains, but these injuries can be tricky. While Allen’s 2025 season stands to be marred by this malady, time remains on the running back’s side. The Wisconsin alum played his entire rookie season at age 20, and the Jets will have his age-22 and age-23 campaigns (perhaps with Hall elsewhere) to continue this evaluation. Allen finished with 334 rushing yards on 92 carries last season, playing in all 17 Jets games. He is at 76 (on 18 totes) thus far this year.
This will deplete an offense already lacking for auxiliary playmakers beyond Hall and Garrett Wilson. With Allen on IR and RB/return specialist Kene Nwangwu missing practice this week with a hamstring injury, the Jets will likely make a roster move to fill out their Week 5 backfield depth chart. Only Hall and Isaiah Adams are healthy options going into the team’s Cowboys matchup.
Chosen one round after Allen in last year’s draft, Adams gained 174 rushing yards on 30 handoffs as a rookie. The South Dakota State product will be expected to play a bigger role with Allen out of the picture. Rookie UDFA Lawrance Toafili is the only running back on Gang Green’s practice squad. Toafili has yet to make his NFL debut.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Brock Purdy Suffered Setback With Turf Toe Injury, Could Miss Week 6
OCTOBER 3: Shanahan confirmed (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area Sports Group) that Purdy re-aggravated his injury and will again be week-to-week moving forward.
“[I] don’t know how it will heal,” added Shanahan.
The 49ers can be patient with Purdy’s recovery, as Jones has played well in his three starts, including a 342-yard, two-touchdown perfomance on Thursday night against the Rams. However, the team’s financial commitment to Purdy will likely stave off any chance of a quarterback controversy. Instead, Jones could follow in Sam Darnold‘s footsteps and parlay his success in San Francisco into a starting gig elsewhere.
OCTOBER 2: While it sounded like a short turnaround was the main reason for Brock Purdy‘s absence from tonight’s Week 5 contest, the 49ers QB may actually be sidelined for more than just this week. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Purdy suffered a setback with his turf toe injury and is now considered week-to-week.
Per Rapoport, the quarterback reported soreness following his return in Week 4. The player later underwent an MRI, which revealed an aggravation of his lingering injury. As a result, Purdy is now at risk of missing more than just Week 5, with Rapoport hinting that the 25-year-old could also sit out the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup against the Buccaneers.
Purdy missed Weeks 2 and 3 while dealing with the turf toe injury. He returned for Week 4 and didn’t miss a snap, but he informed coach Kyle Shanahan of some soreness following the loss. Shanahan noted that Purdy and the team had to navigate “a totally different element” considering the four-day turnaround before Thursday Night Football, and after being listed as a non-participant on Monday, the quarterback was later ruled out for Week 5.
Now, it sounds like Purdy is at risk of missing at least his fourth game of the 2025 campaign. The former Mr. Irrelevant has generally stayed healthy throughout his career. He suffered a torn UCL as a rookie during the NFC Championship Game but managed to return for 16 games as a sophomore. He also missed a pair of games in 2024 thanks to shoulder and elbow injuries.
In two games this season, Purdy has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 586 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. After tossing 31 touchdowns as a sophomore, Purdy finished the 2023 campaign with 20 touchdown passes. The QB inked a five-year, $265MM extension with the 49ers back in May.
Mac Jones will continue to start for the 49ers as long as Purdy is sidelined. The former first-round pick has guided the 49ers to a pair of wins through his first two starts, tossing four touchdowns vs. only one interception.