Brandon Graham Re-Signs With Eagles

OCTOBER 23: Graham’s one-year pact carries a prorated value of just under $4.9MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. He will receive a total of $2.44MM over the remainder of the season; that figure includes a $1.68MM signing bonus.

OCTOBER 20: After a day of speculation, Brandon Graham is indeed returning to Philly. The veteran defensive end will be re-signing with the Eagles, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed the news. CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr reported earlier this evening that Graham was expected to make his announcement tomorrow morning. Graham has since hinted at the impending transaction via X.

A potential Eagles reunion has seemingly been in the cards since the defender announced his retirement this past offseason. After Graham left the door open to a potential return, there appeared to be growing momentum towards a move yesterday, when we learned that the player had discussed a potential deal with the organization. As Florio notes, the main hurdle to overcome was “an acceptable contract,” which the two sides apparently figured out in short order.

While the 2025 campaign will represent Graham’s age-37 season, this reunion is more than needed for the Eagles. The team has only generated 11 sacks this season, and the recent retirement of Za’Darius Smith has only further depleted their pass-rush corps. Besides filling in the leadership gap that Smith left behind, Graham should also help pick up some of the production. James Palmer of The Athletic passes along that the Eagles believe the veteran was the best pass rusher on their squad in 2024.

Of course, expectations have to be somewhat tempered following a 2024 campaign when Graham was getting into less than half of his team’s defensive snaps before he suffered a season-ending triceps injury (he returned in time for the Super Bowl, when he re-tore his triceps). Graham returned for the Super Bowl after a nonsurgical rehab route; as retirement commenced, he underwent surgery following the second tear. Considering that injury and his lack of a training camp/preseason, it seems unlikely that Graham will be able to contribute right away.

However, when Graham is ready to play, the Eagles will surely be plenty reliant on the familiar face. Graham will re-join an EDGE group that consists of Josh Uche, Jalyx Hunt, and (eventually) Nolan Smith, who is currently on IR while dealing with a triceps injury. Besides losing Smith to retirement, the Eagles also lost Ogbo Okoronkwo to a season-ending triceps injury. While that grouping should be enough to get by, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com believes the Eagles aren’t done adding to the position as they look to make another run to a Super Bowl.

Graham hasn’t been a full-time player since the 2020 season, although that didn’t stop him from compiling 11 sacks during the 2022 campaign. He collected a combined 6.5 sacks between 2023 and 2024, and he appeared in pair of playoff games during that same span. Set to play in his 16th NFL season, Graham — already the longest-tenured player in Eagles history, with this in-season signing set to widen the gap between the popular edge rusher and the field in franchise annals — will now have an opportunity to add to his franchise records (including games player and TFLs).

Jets QBs Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor Splitting Practice Reps

Week 7 saw the Jets make a halftime change at the quarterback spot. Since then, owner Woody Johnson has offered a scathing evaluation of Justin Fields‘ play during his debut campaign in New York.

[RELATED: List Of Jets Trade Candidates Grows]

In the wake of those comments, the expectation has emerged Tyrod Taylor will take over starting duties on a permanent basis. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the team is certainly operating as though a change in the depth chart will take place in time for Week 8. Fields said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he and Taylor split first-team reps during practice on Wednesday.

Taylor’s second-half performance against the Panthers saw him complete just 10 of 22 passes for 126 scoreless yards. The 36-year-old also threw a pair of interceptions. The Jets will need better play from under center regardless of who handles starting duties moving forward. Taylor is a pending free agent, whereas Fields inked a deal in March which runs through the 2026 season and contains $30MM in guarantees.

When speaking to the media about the quarterback situation (video link via SNY), head coach Aaron Glenn said a decision has been made with respect to the Jets’ Week 8 starter. It has not been announced, though, meaning speculation about the team’s direction will continue over the coming days. The Jets have a top-10 rushing offense this season but they rank last in the NFL in passing yards per game. Finding a better balance on offense will be key to ending the team’s seven-game losing streak.

Provided New York moves forward with Taylor, questions will be raised about Fields’ chances of operating as a QB1 again in the NFL. The former Bears first-rounder went 4-2 as a starter with the Steelers last season, indicating he could find success on his third career team. That has not proven to be the case so far, and Fields’ first campaign in New York could soon include a backup spell.

Texans Interested In Acquiring Running Back

With injured starter Joe Mixon uncertain to play in 2025, the Texans have interest in acquiring a running back before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.

Mixon, acquired from the Bengals in March 2024, was one of the Texans’ top offensive weapons during an AFC South-winning campaign last year. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod after rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries over 14 games. Mixon also added 36 catches for 309 yards and another score.

The Texans have taken steps backward during a 2-4 start this season, and they’ve gotten nothing from Mixon. The 29-year-old remains on the reserve/NFI list with a foot/ankle injury. There’s still no word on whether he’ll play this season. Regardless, the Texans could move on from Mixon in the offseason. Although they signed him to a three-year, $27MM extension after trading for him, none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed.

The Texans are months away from deciding Mixon’s future. In the meantime, they’ll look to improve a ground game that ranks a below-average 18th in yards per game (106.2).

Quarterback C.J. Stroud easily leads the team in yards per carry (7.3), though he has only totaled 20 attempts. Running back Nick Chubb has averaged a respectable 4.2 per tote and added two touchdowns on a team-high 63 carries. However, after an injury-riddled last couple of years in Cleveland, Chubb isn’t the workhorse he once was. The 29-year-old hasn’t totaled more than 13 attempts in a game this season. He ran just five times for 16 yards in a loss to the Seahawks in Week 7.

Rookie fourth-rounder Woody Marks joined Chubb in struggling in Seattle. The Seahawks held him to 15 yards on 10 tries, though he did pick up a receiving touchdown. Marks has scored three TDs (one on the ground), but he has posted a meager 3.3 YPC on 46 attempts.

As for other in-house options, Dameon Pierce has fallen out of favor since a 939-yard rushing season as a rookie in 2022. The Texans have made him a healthy inactive four times this year, including in Seattle. He has recorded just 10 carries in 2025, while Dare Ogunbowale and British Brooks have combined for four.

With just under two weeks left until the deadline, no RB has come up in trade rumors more than the Jets’ Breece Hall. The pending free agent ranks 12th in the league in carries (99) and 13th in yards (448). He could be on the Texans’ radar.

As is the case with Hall, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Browns’ Jerome Ford head elsewhere soon. The former Chubb backfield mate has taken on a diminished role this season with the emergence of rookie Quinshon Judkins. It would make sense for the Browns to move Ford for the best offer.

Graziano points to the Dolphins’ Jaylen Wright as another potential deadline acquisition. After rushing for 249 yards on 68 attempts as a rookie in 2024, Wright has played in just one game and hasn’t gotten a carry this year. Wright has fallen behind rookie backup Ollie Gordon on the depth chart, which could lead him out of Miami and perhaps to Houston before the deadline.

Jets More Open To Moving Jermaine Johnson Than Will McDonald; Teams Monitoring Quincy Williams

At 0-7, the Jets are an obvious seller ahead of the November 4 trade deadline. A host of Joe Douglas-era acquisitions have come up as potential pieces to be moved, but the team is sitting tight for the time being.

Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson, Michael Carter II, Allen Lazard and even the injured Alijah Vera-Tucker have come up as trade chips. We can add Will McDonald and Quincy Williams, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who notes the third-year defensive end and seventh-year linebacker are among those buyers are keeping an eye on presently.

Determining which players are in good standing with Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey will be part of this Jets process ahead of the deadline, and McDonald may well be one of the untouchables for the team. The Jets have the 2023 first-rounder signed through 2026, and they can exercise his fifth-year option to move the rookie contract through 2027. That would lead the Jets to set a high price, which the team has been doing with other assets as well.

The Jets look to be more willing to part with Johnson than McDonald, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. New York picking up Johnson’s fifth-year option moved his contract year to 2026, but unlike fellow 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, the team did not extend the fourth-year defensive end. That leaves Johnson on uncertain terrain alongside Carter, whom Fowler adds is drawing interest despite not living up to his eight-figure-per-year contract.

Johnson’s 2026 option salary ($13.41MM) is fully guaranteed, providing a complication for teams. Having suffered an Achilles tear in September 2024 also dings Johnson’s stock. While he has recovered, three game absences have taken place as well. That stands to lower Johnson’s price tag — during a season in which he has started with one sack and just two QB hits — and it will be interesting to see if the Jets seriously consider selling low. Keeping Johnson through 2026 and hoping he boosts his value ahead of a future trade may be the smarter play, though Fowler adds he has drawn some trade interest.

Viewed as a Broderick Jones consolation prize in the ’23 first round, McDonald did not play much as a rookie. But he broke through in 2024, registering 10.5 sacks and 24 QB hits. This season, McDonald has just two QB drops — both came in Week 1.

The Iowa State alum would still stand to generate extensive interest, as a low-cost 2026 salary is in place ahead of a potential option season. The Jets, who let Bryce Huff walk in free agency last year before trading John Franklin-Myers, do not have much of note behind these two rushers. While moving Douglas-years pieces is likely, scanning elsewhere on their roster may be necessary to find a move.

Williams remains in the strange position of seeing a less accomplished player (Jamien Sherwood) lap him on the contract front. The Jets re-signed the special-teamer-turned-starter to a three-year, $45MM deal, doing so while not extending Williams, who is in the final season of a three-year, $18MM pact. Although Gang Green added incentives to Williams’ deal, he was deemed a higher priority by the Douglas-Robert Saleh regime than this one. Williams is also on IR with a shoulder injury, clouding his trade value.

A former first-team All-Pro, Williams is attached to a $6.5MM base salary. An acquiring team would need to pick up more than $3MM if the Jets dangle Williams closer to the deadline. Carter has come up as a trade piece as well, as the slot cornerback is not viewed as a long-term part of this equation any longer.

Extended on a three-year, $30.75MM pact in September 2024, Carter has battled injuries and shaky play since. The Jets also traded for Jarvis Brownlee this season and have given him some slot work. Carter, who is on just a $1.7MM base salary for 2025, has drawn some interest, per Fowler. Two former Jets defensive leaders — Saleh (49ers) and Jeff Ulbrich — have landed DC jobs elsewhere, making for potential fits.

An additional $4.1MM of Carter’s 2026 money becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, giving an acquiring team some flexibility. Considering the Jets have paid Gardner and authorized a $12MM-per-year Brandon Stephens deal, it would stand to reason they would be eager to get off the Carter contract before the deadline.

Bengals Unlikely To Trade Trey Hendrickson

The Bengals deviated from their general stance against in-season trades for players by acquiring Joe Flacco from the Browns. To the chagrin of Mike Tomlin, that trade has already proven beneficial — after the Bengals upended the Steelers in Week 7.

Prior to that game, a host of Trey Hendrickson rumors emerged. Cincinnati is not typically helpful for buyers at the trade deadline, either, though Hendrickson’s contract-year status naturally influenced contenders to closely monitor this situation. With the Bengals now 3-4, do not expect them to part with their best defensive player.

A Hendrickson trade will not happen, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. The Bengals would lose their right to keep Hendrickson via the franchise tag by moving him now, and with the team having narrowed its AFC North deficit (in a season that has brought a stunning 1-5 Ravens start), it makes sense for the typically rigid team to hold tight here.

If a club were to acquire Hendrickson, the Bengals also may not be especially helpful in terms of picking up salary. With Hendrickson on a $16MM base salary in his walk year, game checks come in at nearly $1MM apiece. That is a big haul for a team to add halfway through a season. As it stands, that appears a moot point.

Endless Hendrickson-Cincy rumors related to the All-Pro defensive end’s extension talks did not produce a deal this offseason, with the team circling back on a late-August raise rather than agreeing on a post-2025 contract. This came after a host of trade rumors at multiple junctures. The Bengals set a lofty asking price in March, seeking more than a first-round pick for the 30-year-old edge rusher. Although they were believed to have dropped that price by August, no trade commenced. This led the sides to come back to the negotiating table.

Hendrickson sought guarantees beyond Year 1 of an extension; the Bengals’ offers did not include such terms, leading the sides to compromise with this raise. That bump will make Hendrickson harder to move, but his consecutive 17.5-sack seasons naturally still make him an appealing commodity on the trade market.

The 49ers came up as a suitor and have been expected to check in. The Colts, who employ longtime Hendrickson DC Lou Anarumo now, join the Eagles and Cowboys as other teams with interest. Those teams are almost definitely going to need to pivot to other options. While the Bengals slipping up against the Jets or Bears at home before the deadline could change the equation, they are set to stand pat right now.

Hendrickson’s ninth season has brought a team-high four sacks and eight QB hits. The Bengals still rank 31st defensively, struggling to start Al Golden‘s DC tenure. Seeing as Cincinnati’s defensive struggles last year prevented an MVP-caliber Joe Burrow season and a Ja’Marr Chase triple-crown effort from producing a playoff berth, Golden’s unit will need to improve quickly. Hendrickson, though, will remain as the team’s centerpiece player on that side of the ball.

Patriots Expected To Search For Edge Help

While it’s up in the air how much activity will take place before the trade deadline, pass rushers and wide receivers are the positions that are the most in demand leading up to Nov. 4, according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports. At 5-2 and leading the AFC East, the Patriots are among buyers expected to push for an edge rusher, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

Led by new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have already surpassed the four wins they posted during Jerod Mayo‘s lone season at the helm in 2024. They’ve won four in a row to set themselves up as deadline buyers. With the most cap room in the league (around $55MM), the Patriots are in prime position to make a splash over the next couple of weeks.

The Patriots have been effective at taking down opposing quarterbacks this year, which has helped lead to their successful start. They rank 11th in the league in sacks with 18, but most of those have come from three players – offseason additions Harold Landry (5.5), K’Lavon Chaisson (4.5), and Milton Williams (3.5).

Landry and Chaisson have been among the league’s best edge players when it comes to pass run win rate, per ESPN Analytics. The same is true of Williams and fellow Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, though the latter hasn’t picked up a sack yet.

While it’s unclear which edge players the Patriots have targeted to join their pass-rushing group, it’s unlikely they or anyone else will pry prized defensive end Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals. Likewise, the Raiders aren’t trading Maxx Crosby.

The division rival Jets (Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald) and Dolphins (Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and former Patriot Matt Judon) could have edge help for sale, but they may be reluctant to deal with the Patriots. The Saints’ Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson have come up as trade candidates. Meanwhile, the Titans’ Arden Key and Dre’Mont Jones might be part of a pre-deadline fire sale. Key played under Vrabel with the Titans in 2023.

Jets Designate LB Quincy Williams For Return From IR

The Jets are hoping to see the return of an All-Pro on defense soon after designating linebacker Quincy Williams for his return from injured reserve. Williams has been out since New York’s Week 3 loss to the Buccaneers, and will now face a 21-day practice window, during which he can return to the active roster at any time. If he fails to be activated, though, he will revert to season-ending IR.

That likely is not a possibility, or at least, not an expected one. When the 29-year-old suffered a shoulder injury, the Jets realized that he would likely be out for a good stretch of time, but they did not consider him to be in danger of missing the remainder of the season. New York has been quiet on Williams’ progress coming back from injury so far, but his return to practice this week should provide some insight. He was a full participant today, and if that continues throughout the week, the team may not hesitate to get him back in the game.

The Jets typically run with two linebackers on defense, though a third starter is designated for formations that don’t require an extra defensive back. During Williams’ All-Pro year in 2023, he played next to C.J. Mosley, while Jamien Sherwood served as the occasional third starter. Last year looked to be a similar lineup, until Mosley saw toe and neck injuries limit him to only four games. With Mosley out, Sherwood stepped up next to Williams, and former college quarterback Chazz Surratt played the third-man role.

This season, following Mosley’s retirement and Surratt’s departure in free agency, it looked to be Williams and Sherwood reprising their roles with third-year linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball as the occasional third. McCrary-Ball had almost exclusively been a special teamer in his first two seasons, only appearing on the field for three defensive snaps before this year, and he had already set new career highs through three weeks of play when it was announced that he would be joining Williams on IR with a hamstring injury.

With both Williams and McCrary-Ball out, New York has turned to Miami (FL) fifth-round rookie Kiko Mauigoa. The 22-year-old has gone from appearing in a couple snaps here or there in the first two weeks to playing nearly full game snap shares alongside Sherwood. Over the last two weeks, former practice squad linebacker Mykal Walker has stepped into the third role of this thin linebacking corps.

If Williams is able to come back soon, Mauigoa will likely shift into the third-man role, at least until McCrary-Ball can also return from IR and compete for the job. Once he’s back in the starting lineup, Williams will work to get back up to the level of play he’s displayed over the past two years for the Green & White.

Ravens Activate Rookie OL Emery Jones

While returns to practice for quarterback Lamar Jackson and linebacker Roquan Smith garnered much of the attention in Baltimore today, Wednesday also saw the Ravens put in a transaction that could benefit the team’s attempts to turn this season around in another way. Today Baltimore activated rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones from the reserve/non-football injury list, on the very last day of his 21-day practice window, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

The third-round pick out of LSU was placed on the list due to shoulder surgery that he underwent when he was still a draft prospect just a week separated from the NFL Scouting Combine. The Ravens selected him near the end of Day 2 partially aware of the time it would take him to return and potentially contribute. Originally, Jones was expected to return sometime around training camp, but as it became clear that a regular season deadline was going to be a stretch to make, Baltimore opted to wait until he could be fully healthy and ended up using all four required weeks from opening the year on the NFI list plus the entirety of his three-week practice window before activating him.

Early hopes concerning Jones’ use on the offensive line were that he may be able to step into the swing tackle role left vacant by the exit of Patrick Mekari or that he would compete for one of the starting guard spots. Despite projecting as an interior lineman as a left tackle in high school, Jones played solely at right tackle for the Tigers and saw projections at guard once again in the draft. Upon Jones’ return to practice, head coach John Harbaugh claimed they would be working him at both tackle and guard.

If Jones could step in as a swing tackle, it would provide a younger, cheaper option to current backup tackle Joe Noteboom, who has struggled filling in for Ronnie Stanley at times this year. What could really impact the Ravens would be if Jones can displace one of the team’s starting guards, Daniel Faalele or Andrew Vorhees. Faalele is a physical specimen on the interior — listed at 6-foot-8, 370 pounds — but has struggled to find consistent play as a starter. Vorhees was a projected second- or third-rounder whose draft stock fell when he tore his ACL during drills at the combine. He’s earned a starting role in his third year in Baltimore but has commonly been grouped with Faalele as weak spots on the line.

It may be too soon to expect Jones to displace any of Noteboom, Faalele, or Vorhees from their current roles just yet, but at this point, he’s finally healthy and has three weeks of practice under his belt. Activating Jones puts him on the 53-man roster, and to open up a spot for him, the Ravens placed third-year pass rusher Tavius Robinson on injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Another third-year player in a new starting role, Robinson recently broke his foot and will now join Adisa Isaac, Nnamdi Madubuike, and Broderick Washington as front-seven defenders on IR.

NFL Minor Transactions: 10/22/25

Here are today’s midweek minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Designated to return from IR: QB Will Howard
  • Waived (with injury settlement): T Gareth Warren

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While several players were designated to return from injured reserve today, Norton and Johnson’s designations took place back on 8/26, the roster cut deadline. The Texans are in danger of being without their top three receivers in Week 8. Tank Dell is already on IR, but Nico Collins and Christian Kirk’s statuses for the weekend are up in the air as Collins deals with a concussion and Kirk has been dealing with n hamstring injury.

Not that they’ve needed him, since Aaron Rodgers has looked a bit more effective than he was in his days with the Jets, but Howard is nearing a return to the roster for the remainder of his rookie season. It will be interesting to see where the sixth-rounder slots in on the depth chart as he adds another level of security behind the 41-year-old Rodgers.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/25

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After getting cut from the roster earlier today, McAtamney returns to his usual post on the practice squad. No corresponding move is necessary to make room for him on the practice squad, since McAtamney hails from Northern Ireland and qualifies for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and doesn’t count against the 16-man limit.