No Giants-Russell Wilson Split Expected
The Giants will be starting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in Week 4, but their move toward the future is not expected to drive Russell Wilson out of New York.
Head coach Brian Daboll saidthat he expects Wilson to be the backup quarterback for the rest of the season, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. A parting of ways via a release or a trade is not under consideration. Wilson also shut down any talk of such a move.
“I’m focused on helping this team win. I’m focused on helping Jaxson,” he said on Wednesday (via Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic). “I want to be here. I love this organization.”
The Giants’ quarterback switch will naturally lead to trade speculation regarding Wilson, especially with quarterback injuries piling up around the league. But if neither side is interested in parting ways, it would take some significant interest to pry the 36-year-old out of New York. Given that his 78.5 passer rating is eighth-worst among QBs with at least 40 passing attempts to start the year, such an aggressive suitor is unlikely to come calling.
Wilson has also been in the NFL long enough to know that his early-season benching does not necessarily mean that he’ll be riding the pine for the rest of the year. The Giants originally planned to bring Dart along slowly but accelerated their timeline due to his progression and Wilson’s regression. If he struggles to get settled on the field, a coaching staff that’s rumored to be on the hot seat could get antsy and go back to their proven veteran.
In other words, there’s always a place for a quarterback with Wilson’s experience and pedigree on a team desperate for a solution under center.
Aaron Rodgers: Conversations With Vikings Did Not Progress Far
Pro Football Rumors relayed this offseason that Aaron Rodgers and Kevin O’Connell spoke on multiple occasions as the veteran quarterback searched for a new team.
Minnesota’s interest never materialized into an offer or even a formal meeting, and Rodgers later signed in Pittsburgh. Months later, both teams are 2-1, though the Vikings started backup Carson Wentz in Week 3 with J.J. McCarthy sidelined by an ankle injury.
Rodgers confirmed on Wednesday (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) that he did reach out to O’Connell, but added that their discussions “never progressed beyond catch-up conversations.” The two have known each other since 2008, when O’Connell entered the NFL as a Patriots fourth-round pick. They became more familiar with one another when O’Connell joined the NFC North as the Vikings’ head coach in 2023.
Rodgers signing with his former rival always seemed like a long shot considering Minnesota’s investment in McCarthy last offseason. The team made it clear when they let Sam Darnold leave in free agency that they intended to hand over the keys to the offense to McCarthy after he missed his rookie year due to injury. As a result, Rodgers would have been a placeholder at best and a backup at worst.
He still had reportedly had interest in signing with the Vikings with the belief that he could thrive in O’Connell’s offense, but such an addition would raise questions about Minnesota’s plans for McCarthy. Losing a training camp competition could shake the young QB’s confidence, and if he won the starting job and struggled – as he did to start the year – having a backup with Rodgers’ pedigree could have put pressure on the team to make a switch. Of course, the same could still happen if Wentz leads the Vikings to a few more wins as McCarthy works his way back to the field.
Latest On Texans’ Safety Plan
For the second time, after spending a season with the Eagles, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson only played three games with his new team. The first time, in Detroit, an injury in the second game of the season forced him to the sideline until the regular season finale. This year, Houston released the veteran defensive back and will now need to fill his role on the defense. 
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, another veteran defensive back, M.J. Stewart will be the next man up at the position. A second-round pick out of North Carolina in 2018, Stewart started his career as a slot cornerback for the Buccaneers. He made six starts in his first two seasons but missed 11 games and was waived before the start of his third year.
The Browns picked Stewart up off waivers, and while splitting time at nickelback with Kevin Johnson, Stewart snagged the only two interceptions of his career. He stuck around with the Browns for the final year of his rookie contract, and Cleveland began to give him a bit of run at safety. Though he was still splitting his time between the slot and the defensive outfield, Stewart began to look more comfortable as a defender, grading out as the team’s third-best defender that 2021 season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
As a free agent, Stewart signed with the Texans, and though he’s mostly been a special teamer during his time in Houston, when the depth piece did appear on defense, he was lining up the most as a safety. In those first three years with the team, he was always an available option to sub into the first team defense in case of injuries, and he was called to do so a few times. That’s why head coach DeMeco Ryans feels comfortable turning to him now, in the wake of Gardner-Johnson’s departure.
Stewart may not need to be relied upon for long, though. Veteran safety Jimmie Ward was recently removed from the commissioner’s exempt list as he distances himself from an assault family violence charge. Despite the removal, Ward still isn’t quite ready to return to the field as he remains on the reserve/physically unable to perform list following a pair of offseason foot surgeries. Per Wilson, Ward is expected to be ready to return to practice activities in the next few weeks, barring any disciplinary action on behalf of the NFL concerning the resolution of his legal situation.
Houston will add a bit of depth to the position, as well. Wilson reports that undrafted rookie Zion Childress has been signed to the team’s active roster off of the Cowboys‘ practice squad. Childress has been called up twice by Dallas as a standard gameday practice squad elevation but has only appeared on special teams, so far. With Stewart stepping into the starting role, Childress may stand to fill Stewart’s special teams role with an ability to step up, if necessary.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: RB D’Ernest Johnson, WR Anthony Miller
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB AJ Woods, WR Michael Woods
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Quinton Jefferson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Quintez Cephus
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Tim Jones
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Royce Newman, TE Gee Scott Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Kevin Austin
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: QB Hunter Dekkers
New York Giants
- Signed: OLB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Lawrance Toafili
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE William Bradley-King, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Released: S Derrick Canteen
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Jerrick Reed II
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/24/25
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed from practice squad: FB Adam Prentice
Detroit Lions
- Signed from practice squad: TE Ross Dwelley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: RB Najee Harris (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed from practice squad: DE Robert Beal Jr.
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed from practice squad: S D’Anthony Bell
- Placed on IR: FB Robbie Ouzts
Free Agents
- Suspended: WR Jahmal Banks
Prentice had been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation the maximum three times under a single practice squad contract. The Broncos may allow him to stick around for a bit, as he takes linebacker Dre Greenlaw‘s roster spot while he recovers on injured reserve, but they can always release Prentice and sign him back to the practice squad, resetting his elevation count back to zero under a new deal.
Ouzts heads to IR after suffering an ankle injury in the team’s win over New Orleans this past weekend. The fifth-round rookie out of Alabama converted to the position from the tight end role he played in Tuscaloosa, and he had started two of his first three games in the NFL in his new role.
Banks, currently a free agent, has received a six-week suspension from the NFL. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska, Banks spent the offseason in Baltimore before getting cut in the days leading up to the roster cut deadline.
Browns Exploring LT Options After Dawand Jones Injury
The Browns are looking for help on the blind side after losing offensive tackle Dawand Jones to a season-ending injury in Week 3. After Jones underwent surgery on his knee, the team placed him on injured reserve. 
Jones opened the season as Cleveland’s starting left tackle but flipped to the right side in Week 3 with veteran Cornelius Lucas was struggling to fill in for an injured Jack Conklin. Lucas allowed five pressures in each of the Browns’ first two games of the season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so the team moved him to the blind side hoping for some improved play until Jones and Conklin could move back to their normal spots.
That approach did not go to plan, as Lucas struggled even more at left tackle in Week 3, allowing nine pressures, while Jones went down just four plays into the game. Even if Conklin is able to return in Week 4, Lucas doesn’t seem like a viable starter on either side. As a result, the Browns are already exploring other left tackle options with several weeks until the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The trade route would be an interesting one for Cleveland. The best targets are going to likely be aging veterans on expiring deals, especially if they aren’t playing to the levels of their prime. The teams with those players are likely either expecting them to leave in free agency or not planning on re-signing them. Players like Rob Havenstein with the Rams or Colts tackle Braden Smith come to mind. As opposed to letting good players walk away and getting nothing in return, Los Angeles and Indianapolis could instead attempt to bring in some trade value for their potentially departing assets.
But then again, one has to look at Cleveland and how the Browns are set up. The team is clearly not in a win-now mode, so how much good would it do to part with valuable draft assets in exchange for a short-term rental. With so many young players throughout the roster and an intriguing pick collection next year, the Browns may be hesitant to part with any draft capital solely for a temporary fix.
They’ll have plenty of time to explore that avenue, though, and others. Just this morning they signed Thayer Munford to their active roster off the Patriots’ practice squad. A former seventh-round pick for the Raiders, Munford started 18 games over the first three years of his rookie contract in Las Vegas. Munford appears to be the first of many options that Cleveland will explore as they work to rebuild their offensive line on the fly.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Ravens Sign DTs Taven Bryan, Josh Tupou
The Ravens signed veteran defensive tackles Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to their practice squad on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
Baltimore’s D-line additions come during an injury crisis for the unit, as Nnamdi Madubuike will be out for at least another week, according to head coach John Harbaugh. Harbaugh said that he couldn’t comment further, but the uncertainty surrounding the star defensive tackle’s neck injury is growing into a major concern for the Ravens defense.
The team’s other two starting defensive linemen, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington, also missed Wednesday’s practice, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. As a result, Bryan and Tupou could both be pressed into action as soon as this weekend against the Chiefs.
Bryan was actually drafted three picks before Lamar Jackson in the 2018 draft, but never lived up to that billing with only 5.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss on his rookie contract with the Jaguars. Bryan started 16 games for the Browns in 2022 before handling a rotational role for the Colts defense in 2023 and 2024.
Tupou spent the first six years of his career in Cincinnati before joining the Ravens in 2024. He appeared in three games in purple and black last year, also amid injuries to Baltimore’s defensive line, with one sack and one tackle for loss.
Bryan and Tupou both worked out for the Ravens on Wednesday prior to signing with the practice squad, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. Former Jaguars defensive tackle Jeremiah Ledbetter also tried out in Baltimore, but did not impress enough to earn a contract.
Giants To Start QB Jaxson Dart In Week 4
SEPTEMBER 24: As should be expected given Dart’s first-round pedigree, Daboll confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the intention is for Dart to start for the rest of the season. Wilson will be the confirmed backup, with Daboll adding (via Dunleavy) he made the call to bench the 14th-year veteran.
The Giants proceeded this way with Daniel Jones after he replaced Eli Manning in Week 3 of the 2019 season, and they made a full-on transition to Manning in Week 11 (in place of Kurt Warner) of the 2004 slate. With Wilson on a one-year contract and the Giants at 0-3, this change will give Dart a long runway to develop in Daboll’s offense.
SEPTEMBER 23: Following another sub-par performance from Russell Wilson in Week 3, questions were again raised about the possibility of a quarterback change being made by the Giants. Head coach Brian Daboll left the door open to Jaxson Dart taking over during his Monday remarks.
It appears that will indeed be the case. Dart is expected to receive the nod for Week 4, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will be the first-round rookie’s first start in the regular season and presumably bring about an end to Wilson’s time atop the depth chart moving forward. After starting for three weeks, Wilson will handle backup duties, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network add.
New York sits at 0-3 on the year and a matchup with the 3-0 Chargers is next on the schedule. That led many to predict Wilson would remain atop the depth chart for one more game before what should be a much more manageable contest against the Saints in Week 5. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports conversations took place about waiting one more week before making the switch. Instead, Dart will get the nod against Los Angeles.
The Chargers rank fourth in the NFL in points allowed and eighth in total defense. They will thus represent a strong challenge for Dart as he takes on first-team duties on Sunday. Regardless of how things go in that game, though, Daboll and Co. are set to commit to the 22-year-old moving forward. With the Giants’ coaching staff and general manager Joe Schoen widely known to be on the hot seat, the expected move to Dart at some point in the season has been a major talking point in 2025.
Given today’s news, that transition is now set to take place before the first month of the campaign is even in the books. Dart impressed during the spring as well as training camp and the preseason, leading to a report earlier this month that he could ascend to the QB1 role earlier than expected. Nevertheless, it appeared after Week 1 that New York’s preference was to keep Wilson in place as the team’s starter as long as possible.
That stance appeared to be a sound one when Wilson threw for 450 yards during a high-scoring overtime loss to the Cowboys in Week 2. However, the Giants’ Sunday night loss to the Chiefs produced a return to Wilson’s previous form (and that of the offense in general). With improvement sorely needed moving forward, Dart will now take charge.
Wilson – who was added on a one-year deal featuring $10MM guaranteed this spring – has struggled mightily on third down and in the red zone. The Giants rank 31st in the league in both categories (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), something which has driven this decision but also represents another illustration of Wilson’s decline. The 36-year-old did not manage to duplicate his Seahawks success during a two-year run in Denver (which saw him benched late in Year 2). 2024 saw the Steelers experiment with Wilson and Justin Fields at the QB spot, but things did not go according to plan.
Fields handled starting duties until Wilson was healthy from a summer calf injury; not everyone in the Steelers’ building agreed with the switch. Head coach Mike Tomlin kept the Super Bowl winner in place through the remainder of the campaign, though, a period which included a four-game losing streak to end the regular season and then a wild-card loss. Wilson’s market was strong enough to include interest from multiple teams, but it came as little surprise he accepted a short-term gig in New York despite the team’s need of a long-term QB investment.
After taking Abdul Carter third overall, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Dart. The USC and Ole Miss alum saw his production increase with each passing campaign, and he drew praise for his athleticism and efficiency in college. On the other hand, questions linger about Dart’s ability to acclimate to the NFL game in a more complex offense. That process will begin very early in his rookie campaign.
Chiefs ‘Puzzled’ By Run-Game Struggles
Although Patrick Mahomes only gained two rushing yards in the Chiefs’ win over the Giants, the two-time MVP still leads all quarterbacks in this area — with 125 — entering Week 4. Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts have 118 and 117, respectively.
This is more an indictment to the state of Kansas City’s offense than a credit to Mahomes’ deceptive run-game abilities. Long preferring to be a pocket passer and a historically gifted improviser, Mahomes had needed to shoulder a much bigger rushing workload. The Chiefs have both struggled, Tyquan Thornton‘s Sunday-night contributions notwithstanding, to find aerial consistency and success on the ground.
[RELATED: Examining The Misses Leading To Chiefs’ Offensive Decline]
While the Rashee Rice suspension and Xavier Worthy labrum tear were going to create challenges for the Chiefs in passing game, their backfield is fully staffed. Kansas City has Isiah Pacheco recovered from the fractured fibula he suffered last September, and the team re-signed Kareem Hunt. Neither has cleared 100 rushing yards through three games, with Pacheco sitting at 92 and Hunt at 81. The Chiefs have expected more from their ground attack, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, who indicates the team is “puzzled” by its lack of success here.
The Chiefs had seen promising signs from Pacheco in training camp and expected a return to form, Graziano adds, but the contract-year player has not done so. Pacheco and Hunt are averaging 3.7 and 3.5 yards per carry, respectively, despite the team employing All-Pro center Creed Humphrey and Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith.
Humphrey is the NFL’s highest-paid center, while Smith sits second among guards after his July extension. The Chiefs traded All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to the Bears, making room for Smith’s payday, and has whiffed on the four-year, $80MM deal given to high-end free agent-turned-penalty maven Jawaan Taylor at right tackle. The team, though, has seen positive early returns from first-round LT Josh Simmons. The team has a fourth high-priced O-linemen — free agency addition Jaylon Moore (two years, $30MM) — but has parked him as a backup early. Yet, its rushing attack has not shown much beyond Mahomes scrambles.
A former seventh-round pick, Pacheco helped bail out the Chiefs on their Clyde Edwards-Helaire miss by taking over as the starter during his 2022 rookie season. He totaled 830 rushing yards (4.9 per carry) that year and 935 (4.6) in 2023. The hard-running ballcarrier did return from his broken leg in-season last year, making it back before December, but did not flash the same form. The Chiefs effectively let it be known they were awaiting more from Pacheco before extension talks commenced. Unsurprisingly, nothing has emerged on that front.
Seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith is in place as a third-stringer, and Graziano adds the team views him as a potential weapon in the passing game. As far as traditional run options go, Pacheco and a declining Hunt represent the three-time reigning AFC champions’ lead options.
The Chiefs were connected to a potential trade for a running back in late August, but nothing transpired. (The team then re-signed Edwards-Helaire, who failed to make the Saints’ 53-man roster.) It would stand to reason that this drought continuing would prompt the team to revisit that pursuit ahead of the November 5 trade deadline.
In other Chiefs skill-position news, Rice can return to their facility this week. The suspended wide receiver will be able to attend meetings, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, though he cannot practice until the ban wraps after Week 6. Rice will be unable to attend practice as an observer, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry adds.
Commanders’ Sam Cosmi Unlikely To Return From PUP List When First Eligible
While Washington entered the season with some options along its offensive line, the team has already shuffled the position group. Both Brandon Coleman and Nick Allegretti hit the bench in Week 3, moving Chris Paul and Andrew Wylie into the lineup. This will only be a temporary solution, with Samuel Cosmi on the way back.
Cosmi is stashed on the Commanders’ reserve/PUP list, having suffered an ACL tear during the team’s divisional-round upset over the Lions. ACL recovery timetables vary, and while some players have made recoveries from a postseason tear in time for Week 1, many land on the PUP list to open the following season. The Packers used it for Christian Watson, who suffered his ACL tear in Week 18.
The Commanders can bring Cosmi off the PUP list beginning in Week 5, and window would come just less than nine months after the injury. The team should be considered unlikely to activate Cosmi when he is first eligible, with The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala indicating she would be “shocked” if the fifth-year blocker returned at that point. Though, Dan Quinn did say (via NBC4 Sports’ JP Finlay) he does expect Cosmi to be designated for return when first eligible next week.
Even with Cosmi being likely to begin practicing next week, it should be considered more likely he receives a ramp-up period rather than playing in Week 5. The Commanders would have three weeks to activate Cosmi after designating him for return, giving him time to practice while not on the 53-man roster. Teams have also given players longer ramp-up periods, activating them from injured lists but still not using them in games. It is unclear if the 26-year-old guard would need more than a three-week ramp-up period, however.
Washington traded for Laremy Tunsil‘s contract, making the former Texans and Dolphins left tackle its highest-paid O-lineman, but Cosmi still represents a better bet to be around longer. The right guard became the Adam Peters regime’s first big extension last summer, signing a four-year deal worth $74MM. This commitment, which included $26.62MM guaranteed at signing and $45.12MM guaranteed in total, ties Cosmi to the team through 2028. That would stand to lead the Commanders to exercise caution regarding Cosmi’s recovery timetable.
Cosmi, 26, started all 17 Commanders games in 2023 and ’24. ESPN’s run block win rate metric graded the former second-round pick fifth among all interior O-linemen last season. Converted from right tackle earlier in his career, Cosmi would supplant Wylie at RG upon return. Though, Dan Quinn did not guarantee the Allegretti-for-Wylie switch would be a long-term move.
Once Cosmi comes back, however, the team will have Wylie, Paul, Coleman and Allegretti to choose from at left guard. One of these players would probably be in consideration to be cut, though, as teams generally do not carry three backup guards. Wylie and Coleman’s tackle histories would prove helpful for his case to stick around as a swingman, and it would surprise if Washington bailed on Coleman during the ex-third-rounder’s second pro season. Pro Football Focus also viewed Paul’s debut strongly; while an admittedly small sample size, the advanced metrics site ranks the 2022 seventh-round pick as the NFL’s top guard in 2025.