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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/25

October 27th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Connor Byrne

Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Claimed off waivers (from Packers): TE Ben Sims

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

With James Conner done for the year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 and Trey Benson on IR with a knee malady since Oct. 1, Carter leads the Cardinals with 35 carries. He has rushed for an inefficient 97 yards (2.8 per attempt), though, and could only muster 11 on seven carries in a Week 7 loss to the Packers.

The Cardinals, who will come off their bye in Week 9 to face the Cowboys, are now down to two RBs in Emari Demercado and Zonovan Knight. They also have D’Ernest Johnson and Jermar Jefferson on their practice squad. Benson will be eligible to return in Week 10.

Steelers To Sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling

October 27th, 2025 at 6:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers has not thrown his weight around in Pittsburgh to the degree he did in New York, but one of his former targets will join him in Pennsylvania. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Steelers workout will produce a deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This marks another nomadic year for Valdes-Scantling, who spent time with the Seahawks and 49ers. In 2024, he moved from Kansas City to Buffalo to New Orleans. This Pittsburgh trek does provide a notable reunion, as Rodgers and MVS played together from 2018-21 in Green Bay.

[RELATED: Steelers Eyeing Second Season With Rodgers]

The Buccaneers also showed interest in the veteran deep threat, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who adds the Steelers were interested after his Seahawks release. Dropped by two teams since August, Valdes-Scantling preferred the Rodgers reunion at this stage, per Schultz.

Now 31, MVS has lost considerable value since his three-year, $30MM Chiefs pact. But the Steelers will hope some familiarity can help — even if this is probably not the end of their much-rumored wideout pursuit. They were previously linked to Jakobi Meyers and Calvin Ridley.

Valdes-Scantling is still collecting guaranteed money from the Seahawks, who gave him a one-year deal worth $4MM. Seattle ate $3MM fully guaranteed by cutting MVS out of training camp. The reunion with Klint Kubiak proved short-lived, but the receiver-needy 49ers gave him a shot. That partnership ended earlier this month with an injury settlement. The eighth-year veteran appears ready to contribute in Pittsburgh, though Fowler adds this is likely a practice squad deal to start.

After making aggressive pursuits of receivers — most notably Brandon Aiyuk — last year, the Steelers are at it again. They have not seen anyone emerge as a reliable D.K. Metcalf complementary piece. Months ago, they came up as a potential destination for ex-MVS/Rodgers Packers teammate Allen Lazard. No move has transpired, but the team has been tied to the WR market once again. With Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave not expected to be moved, pickings appear slim for teams eyeing help here ahead of the November 4 deadline.

The Steelers, who did see Calvin Austin return to action Sunday night after a two-game absence, do not have a second wideout beyond 175 yards. Austin sits at 167, with Roman Wilson at 110. Tight ends have served as Rodgers auxiliary options. Valdes-Scantling played in five 49ers games this season, catching four passes for 40 yards. After being a Bills in-season release, MVS caught on with the Saints and impressed, posting 17 catches for 385 yards and four TDs.

This reunion comes after Rodgers influenced the Jets to sign Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023, when they also hired ex-Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett to the same position and signed ex-Green Bay blocker Billy Turner. Rodgers later pushed for Davante Adams at the 2024 trade deadline, getting his wish. The Steelers are more or less throwing a dart by placating Rodgers via this transaction, but it would not surprise to see MVS — who was part of Rodgers’ third and fourth MVP seasons (2020-21) — see time soon due to his familiarity with Pittsburgh’s high-profile QB.

The Bucs are currently without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. And Emeka Egbuka recently returned from a hamstring injury. For now, they will hope Godwin — who is not on IR — can make a near-future return to complement Egbuka. The team still has Sterling Shepard as a No. 3 option in that reality, with rookie Tez Johnson being utilized amid the injuries as well.

Commanders Sign Matthew Wright To Practice Squad, Elevate K For Week 8

October 27th, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders will attempt to derail the Chiefs without Jayden Daniels tonight, but their Marcus Mariota-led effort will involve a backup kicker as well. Matt Gay is out for this matchup, leading a former Chief back to Arrowhead Stadium for emergency duty.

Washington added Matthew Wright to its practice squad today, and that move will precede a second transaction involving the nomadic fill-in specialist. Following this practice squad signing, the Commanders announced Wright will be one of their gameday elevations. He will kick for the visitors tonight.

Gay suffered a back injury during practice, being moved to the injury report Saturday. That forced the Commanders into this 11th-hour addition. Wright will join defensive tackle Sheldon Day as gameday elevations, per the team. Day, though, has been on the team’s P-squad throughout the season. This will be Wright’s first game action, though he does have a notable past in Kansas City.

A previous Harrison Butker fill-in, Wright once set the Arrowhead Stadium record for longest field goal by booting a 59-yard try before halftime in a 2022 win over the Raiders. Butker returned the following week and broke the record by hitting a 62-yarder before the half in a loss to the Bills. Wright later circled back to the Chiefs as a 2024 Butker replacement, kicking in two games. This included a 19-17 win over the Chargers, when Wright clanked a field goal off the upright and through for one of the Chiefs’ many close 2024 wins.

Overall, the six-year veteran has kicked for six teams. His only extended work came in a 14-game run with the 2021 Jaguars. Wright has also kicked for the Steelers, Panthers, 49ers and Titans. The Tennessee work has come over the past two seasons. He stopped through as a Joey Slye replacement in one game this season. Last year, he kicked for the Titans, 49ers and Chiefs, making 15 of 16 field goal tries.

Gay, who signed with Washington soon after his Indianapolis release, remains on the team’s active roster. Though, it is not known if the veteran will be ready to return for Week 9.

Broncos Eyeing TE Help; Lucas Krull Set For Surgery

October 27th, 2025 at 4:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

October 27th, 2025 at 4:22pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

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

October 27th, 2025 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

October 27th, 2025 at 3:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

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

October 27th, 2025 at 3:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

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

October 27th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

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

October 27th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

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.

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