HEADLINES

Eagles Approached Brandon Graham About Return Before Signing Za’Darius Smith

October 21st, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Brandon Graham seemed to shock nobody when he re-joined the Eagles following a very brief retirement. There were some pundits who assumed the Za’Darius Smith‘s sudden retirement accelerated Philly’s pursuit of their franchise leader in games played. While that was likely partly true, Graham revealed to NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that the Eagles actually approached him about a reunion before Smith even signed.

[RELATED: Brandon Graham Re-Signs With Eagles]

“[I] just wasn’t ready at the time,” Smith said (via NFL Media on X). “I wasn’t as confident as I am now because I didn’t think that opportunity would come for real.”

Smith inked a one-year, $9MM deal with the Eagles in early September and was expected to replace Graham’s leadership and pass-rush prowess. However, the free agent acquisition decided to call it a career after only five games with his new squad, at which time the front office approached Graham again. This time, the franchise legend was ready.

Graham left the door open for a potential return immediately following his retirement, and the veteran admitted he “got that itch” to continue playing after attending a training camp practice. It took more than a month for the actual deal to come to fruition, but as expected, Graham will soon be lining up on the edge for the Eagles defense.

While the Eagles added some much-needed pass-rush help to a defense that’s tallied only 11 sacks this season, they may not be done. Even before they added Graham, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the front office was sniffing around for some cornerback depth.

Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell have accounted for the majority of the team’s snaps at cornerback this season, with Adoree’ JacksonandKelee Ringo also taking on some leftover reps. Pro Football Focus has DeJean graded as the league’s eight-best cornerback this season, while Mitchell ranks 38th among 112 qualifiers. However, both Jackson and Ringo rank towards the bottom of the position in those same metrics, so the team is logically in the market for some reinforcement.

DeJean has seen the majority of his snaps as a slot CB this season, while Jackson and Ringo have mostly played out wide. DeJean’s versatility means the team doesn’t necessarily have to settle on an outside CB, but that would be the presumed target as they inch towards the trade deadline.

Russini also noted that the Eagles were seeking some help on the edge, although her report came out before news of Graham’s signing. For what it’s worth, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com hinted last night that the Eagles weren’t done adding to the position, even with Graham back on the roster.

Cowboys Activate WR Jonathan Mingo From IR

October 21st, 2025 at 5:34pm CST by Connor Byrne

Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo is finally in line to make his 2025 debut. The team activated Mingo from IR on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Mingo sprained his right PCL in August, forcing him to miss the Cowboys’ first seven games. The Cowboys opened Mingo’s 21-day practice window back on Oct. 1, meaning they were running out of time to activate him.

While the Panthers used the 39th overall pick on Mingo in the 2023 draft, the former Mississippi standout has yet to establish himself in the NFL. After he caught just 55 passes in 24 games as a Panther, they dealt him and a seventh-round selection to the Cowboys for a fourth-rounder before last November’s trade deadline. Mingo went on to catch a mere five of 16 targets for 46 yards in his first eight games with the Cowboys.

Now that he’s back, Mingo will have his first opportunity to play with quarterback Dak Prescott on Sunday against Denver. A hamstring injury shelved Prescott for 10 games last season and kept him out past mid-October, preventing him and Mingo from developing a rapport.

A healthy Prescott and the receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens have helped lead the Cowboys’ offense to elite rankings in yards (first) and points (second) during a 3-3-1 start this season. Executive vice president Stephen Jones expects Mingo to give the Cowboys’ potent attack yet another weapon.

“That receiving room has gotten pretty spicy, so he’s going to have to get in there,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). “He’s got an element to his game that we don’t have — rare size and speed, and he’s a physical player, and he’ll be one to get on the field.”

To make room for Mingo, the Cowboys placed offensive lineman Trevor Keegan on IR with a neck injury. A late-August waiver claim from the Eagles, Keegan has played in two games this year and totaled 18 snaps (12 on special teams, six on offense).

Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers Still Seeking Trade

October 21st, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the season, Jakobi Meyers requested a trade after his push for an extension did not result in a new deal. While Meyers rescinded the trade ask soon after and began his third Raiders season, teams have still shown interest in the veteran starter.

With the Raiders freefalling — a putrid showing in Kansas City the latest poor effort from Las Vegas — they have become more open to moving Meyers in his contract year. Offering a candid take on the situation Tuesday, Meyers said (via ESPN.com’s Ryan McFadden) he still welcomes a change of scenery.

Meyers said “for sure” when asked if he wants to be traded. He remains tied to a three-year, $33MM deal authorized during Josh McDaniels‘ second and final offseason running the show. Entering the season as Las Vegas’ No. 1 receiver, Meyers wanted an update from a deal that pays him less than the going rate for that role. Meyers is the NFL’s 34th-highest-paid receiver.

The former Patriots UDFA, added during Tom Brady‘s final year with the franchise, has done well on his free agency deal. After Allen Lazard (Jets) and JuJu Smith-Schuster disappointed on their eight-figure-per-year accords from the 2023 class, Meyers posted an 807-yard ’23 showing and managed one of the NFL’s quieter 1,000-yard years in 2024.

As the Raiders sank to 4-13 with Aidan O’Connell as their primary triggerman, Meyers and Brock Bowers excelled. While Brady is now a minority Raiders owner, the team’s lack of a post-2025 commitment — amid a disappointing start to the Pete Carroll–John Spytek regime — this summer would stand to make Meyers a clear trade target before the November 4 deadline.

An acquiring team would be on the hook for a somewhat pricey number on its cap. Meyers is on a $10.5MM base salary; a trade suitor would be responsible for more than $6.1MM. That number would drop closer to $5MM if the Raiders wait until the deadline to move on, but it is also likely interested clubs would ask the team to eat some salary in a swap. This would fetch the Raiders a better draft pick, in theory, but they balked at such a strategy with Hunter Renfrow‘s two-year, $32MM deal in 2023. Granted, that came just before Mark Davis fired McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The Jets also took on all of Davante Adams‘ money upon acquiring him last year. It is unclear how the Brady-Spytek pair will proceed.

Meyers also missed the Raiders’ Week 7 loss due to knee and toe issues. He has played in every other Vegas game this season, totaling 29 receptions for 329 yards. Provided these injuries are minor and he would be recovered soon, the soon-to-be 29-year-old pass catcher would improve a few contenders’ receiving situations in a trade. An acquiring team would hold exclusive Meyers negotiating rights until March 2026; he would then be free to speak with other teams as a free agent.

Raiders Not Considering Major Changes

October 21st, 2025 at 4:54pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Raiders have stumbled to a 2-5 start in the first year of the Pete Carroll–John Spytek era. Their last two losses, including a 31-0 shutout at the hands of the division rival Chiefs in Week 7, have come by a combined 65 points. While owner Mark Davis is displeased with the team’s results, he’s unsurprisingly not ready to pull the plug on either Carroll or Spytek (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

“You have to have faith in the people that you hired. And I do,” Davis said. “You’ve got to give them a chance to do the job.”

Notably, Davis hasn’t shown much faith in his head coaching hires in recent years. Since Jon Gruden‘s second run with the franchise came to an end during the 2021 season, four other head coaches have patrolled the sideline.

Although Rich Bisaccia guided the Raiders to a 7-5 record and a playoff berth in the wake of Gruden’s resignation, his time with the organization ended after a wild-card round loss to the Bengals. The Raiders then turned to Josh McDaniels, who went 9-16 before the Raiders gave him the ax in 2023. Interim choice Antonio Pierce took the team to a 5-4 finish as McDaniels’ replacement, leading to a promotion to the full-time post. However, on the heels of a 4-13 showing last year, they dismissed Pierce.

After the Raiders let go of Pierce and GM Tom Telesco, new minority owner Tom Brady joined Davis in taking on a key role in the franchise’s search for replacements. Spytek’s previous ties to Brady from their overlapping tenures with the University of Michigan and the Buccaneers helped him land the job as Telesco’s successor. Ben Johnson, then the Lions’ offensive coordinator and now the Bears’ head coach, was considered a strong candidate to take over for Pierce. Johnson picked the Bears, though the Raiders were not believed to have made Johnson an offer before handing the reins to Carroll.

While Carroll is the oldest head coach in NFL history (at 74), he’s also easily the Raiders’ most established hire since Gruden. He was eminently successful in his previous stop in Seattle, and Carroll’s role in Geno Smith‘s late-career breakthrough with the Seahawks helped lead the quarterback to Las Vegas. The Raiders traded for Smith and then extended him during the offseason, but those decisions look regrettable so far.

Over his first seven games as a Raider, Smith has thrown seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions en route to the league’s 30th-ranked QBR. He struggled enough in Kansas City that the Raiders benched him for Kenny Pickett. That move didn’t provide a spark during a listless showing in which the team mustered just 95 total yards.

While the Raiders are now on a bye, it’ll be a surprise if they don’t continue with Smith when they face the Jaguars in Week 9. Just as the Raiders are exercising patience with Carroll and Spytek, they’re likely to do the same with Smith. It’ll help Smith’s cause if injured tight end Brock Bowers, who has missed three straight games with a knee injury, returns in Week 9.

Saints C Erik McCoy Suffers Biceps Tear

October 21st, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 21: McCoy and Kendre Miller are now on IR, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Miller suffered an ACL tear in a rather damaging game for the Saints’ offense.

OCTOBER 20: The Saints’ offensive line will be shorthanded for the remainder of the season. Center Erik McCoy suffered a biceps tear yesterday, and will miss the rest of the campaign as a result.

McCoy exited Sunday’s game, and head coach Kellen Moore stated his “concern” about the possibility of a major recovery timeline being needed (h/t ESPN’s Katherine Terrell). The ailment is indeed season-ending, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. This marks another campaign brought to an abrupt end in McCoy’s case.

The two-time Pro Bowler managed to avoid major injuries during his first five years in the NFL. In 2024, however, McCoy found himself in and out of the lineup as a result of a groin injury suffered early in the campaign. That year, he was limited to just seven contests. That figure will wind up being duplicated in 2025, and as such New Orleans’ offensive line will be notably shorthanded.

McCoy was one of several veterans whose deals were (as usual) restructured this past offseason. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2027, with roster bonuses due in March for each of the next two league years. How the Saints proceed with him will depend in part on the success of McCoy’s recovery efforts. For now, the 1-6 team will look to find a suitable setup along the O-line with quarterback Spencer Rattler continuing in his first full season as a starter.

The Saints have made several investments at the offensive tackle spots during recent drafts. Doing so has not been necessary at center for several years, though, given McCoy’s status as a full-time starter since arriving in 2019. Right guard Cesar Ruiz has seen time at center in the past, and shifting him to that spot is a move which will no doubt receive consideration to close out the campaign.

New Orleans ranks near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories this year. Rattler has flashed potential at times, but losing McCoy will hinder the Saints as the they look to continue developing over the final weeks of the season.

Giants Cut K Jude McAtamney

October 21st, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Connor Byrne

After a poor showing in a 33-32 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, the Giants have cut kicker Jude McAtamney, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. He will head to waivers.

Because the Northern Ireland native has an international exemption, he could return to the Giants’ practice squad without taking up a roster spot. However, it’s unclear if the team will retain him, according to Dunleavy.

With Graham Gano once again needing an injury fill-in (after sustaining a groin injury during a warmup for Big Blue’s Week 3 game), the Giants turned to their practice squad stash. McAtamney has kicked in four games for the Giants this season; these assignments have been quite light on field goal tries. The international signing has only attempted two field goals this season, making both, though neither was beyond 40 yards. Close-range kicks became an issue Sunday.

McAtamney missed two extra points during the Giants’ collapse in Denver, the second of which coming in the final minute. The second miss allowed the Broncos to attempt a game-winning field goal in the final seconds, and Wil Lutz made the walk-off try to sink the visitors in one of the most stunning comebacks in NFL history. McAtamney also missed a PAT in the Giants’ win over the Eagles; he is 9-for-12 on the season.

Teams up by 18 points in the final six minutes of a game had won 1,602 straight games; this became the exception, with the Broncos’ 33-point fourth quarter erasing a 26-8 deficit midway through the stanza. No staff firings have followed this crushing loss, but the Giants will have a new kicker in Week 8. Being placed on IR before Week 4, Gano is eligible for activation from IR. It is unclear if the veteran kicker — a frequently unavailable option in New York — will be ready to go, though. The Giants have Younghoe Koo, whom the Falcons released earlier this season, on their practice squad. He would be the next man up barring another addition.

It is interesting the Giants opted for McAtamney over Koo, given the latter’s experience, but he has been on the team since being signed as part of its 2024 UDFA class. The ex-Irish Gaelic footballer kicked in one game for the Giants last season, making a field goal and a PAT without a miss. But his career may be at a crossroads already after the Sunday debacle.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Eagles Informing Teams A.J. Brown Remains Unavailable

October 21st, 2025 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

A.J. Brown-Eagles drama has quieted a bit, as the mercurial wide receiver came up big in the defending champions’ win in Minnesota, but his role in the offense remains a regular talking point despite the team’s success.

Other clubs have been monitoring this situation, and the Eagles are certainly not shy about wading into the trade market. Brown’s importance to this year’s team is obvious, but the Eagles also could fetch a big haul for one of the NFL’s best receivers. That is almost certain not to happen this year, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reporting Philadelphia has no plans to move Brown before the November 4 deadline.

Teams have called the Eagles, as they did in the offseason, continuing this as a talking point. Considering Philly’s standing and commitment to 2025 success — based on another active offseason — moving Brown before the deadline would be one of the most surprising deals in recent NFL history.

But the seventh-year player’s issues with his role — which cropped up before the team’s Week 5 game, seemingly keying a pass-heavy gameplan against Denver — are not likely to cease. If the Eagles continue down this path and hold onto their No. 1 target throughout the season, this storyline will undoubtedly produce more trade rumors entering the 2026 offseason.

At 51 targets through seven games, Brown is on pace for more than he drew last season (97). But a 123-target season (or something in that vicinity) would still check in far south of where the number was during the wideout’s more impressive 2022 and ’23 slates. Brown drew 145 looks in 2022 and 158 in ’23. A three-game injury absence and being rested in Week 18 reduced Brown’s 2024 total, making this season’s 123-target pace more in line with where he was on a per-game basis last season. The Eagles, though, have not seen Saquon Barkley closely approach his 2024 work yet. They have needed more from their passing attack than they did in 2024.

In Week 7, Philly saw Brown catch four passes for 121 yards and two scores. This came on a day when DeVonta Smith exploded for a nine-reception, 183-yard game. This remains a top-tier NFL receiving duo, albeit one that saw Barkley’s 2024 resurgence reduce its relevance. Barkley is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry this season, sitting at 369 yards after ripping off 2,005 in 16 games last year. If the Eagles’ run-game struggles — after making Barkley the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year RB — persist, more will be needed from Brown and Smith.

Brown’s three-year, $96MM extension runs through the 2029 season. As this is the Eagles, it is filled with option bonuses and void years. Brown’s 2026 compensation locked in after he remained on Philly’s roster this past March, but this rolling guarantee structure only includes a $4MM 2027 trigger if he is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the ’26 league year. That could extend this partnership for at least one more season, but the Eagles would certainly receive more value trading Brown ahead of an age-29 season in 2026 than when he turns 30 in ’27.

A WR-needy team likely would not be too intimidated by Brown’s near-$30MM guarantee in 2026, especially if he keeps proving himself as an upper-crust wideout. For now, the Eagles and Brown will need to keep working together. The Eagles’ losses to the Broncos and Giants notwithstanding, this remains one of the NFL’s best rosters. It can certainly improve before the November 4 deadline as well.

Colts DE Samson Ebukam Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks

October 21st, 2025 at 3:22pm CST by Connor Byrne

After suffering a MCL injury in last Sunday’s win over the Chargers, Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam is likely to miss multiple weeks, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. He’s not expected to land on IR, according to Mike Chappell of FOX 59.

An IR stint would require Ebukam to miss four games. With the Colts’ bye falling in Week 11, going on IR would prevent Ebukam from returning until Week 13. Fortunately for first-place Indianapolis, it doesn’t seem that he’s facing a long-term absence.

A former Ram and 49er, Ebukam signed a three-year deal with the Colts before the 2023 season. He responded with 17 starts and 9.5 sacks that year, but a torn Achilles sidelined him for all of last season. Before his latest injury, the 30-year-old played in all seven of the Colts’ games during a 6-1 start and logged a 44.2% snap share with two sacks.

Along with Ebukam, the Colts saw defensive end Tyquan Lewis exit in Week 7 with a groin injury. He’s considered “day-to-day this week, and we’ll just see how the week goes,” head coach Shane Steichen said (via Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star).

Lewis, who has played a little over 41% of defensive snaps in 2025, is tied for the team lead with three sacks. With Lewis and Ebukam dealing with injuries, Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, and JT Tuimoloau are the Colts’ only healthy defensive ends heading into Sunday’s game against the Titans.

Even when the Colts are at full strength, they don’t boast an especially formidable pass rush. That could be an area for general manager Chris Ballard to improve on before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, though the team also has questions in its injury-riddled secondary. The Colts have just under $5MM in cap space, leaving Ballard with little breathing room.

Falcons Release WR Ray-Ray McCloud

October 21st, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

After being sent home from Falcons practice late last week, Ray-Ray McCloud is done with the team. Atlanta is officially moving on via release, per a team announcement.

This is not especially surprising, considering the Falcons had booted the veteran wide receiver/return man from a workout before its Week 7 game. McCloud became a healthy scratch for the second straight game. This evidently did not go over well, and the parties will split midway through their second season together.

Cutting McCloud, who is a vested veteran set to avoid the waiver wire, will bring less than $500K in dead money for the Falcons. He had been tied to a two-year, $5MM deal; the guarantees paid out in 2024. Only part of McCloud’s signing bonus will be left on Atlanta’s payroll.

Considering McCloud’s 2024 production, this is a surprising cut. But the partnership had trended downward this year. The career return specialist erupted for 686 receiving yards and 765 from scrimmage — both far and away career-high marks — and worked as the team’s primary kick returner. He had been less involved this year, returning four kicks and a punt and adding six receptions for 64 yards.

Raheem Morris said the McCloud situation is not tied to the team’s decision to fire receivers coach Ike Hilliard. McCloud, however, saw his role vastly reduced after that decision. He played 69.7% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 3; after Hilliard’s firing a day later, the slot target was at 35.4% in Week 4. He has not played since, being scratched for the team’s games against the Bills and 49ers.

No WR3 has emerged in Atlanta this season, with Drake London and Darnell Mooney the top two cogs at the position and Kyle Pitts in place at tight end. The Falcons are seeing Bijan Robinson craft a dominant season in what could be a de facto contract year, as his first offseason of extension-eligibility (after Morris has heaped praise on the former No. 8 overall pick) comes in 2026. Robinson’s 390 receiving yards are second to London on the roster, and the RB’s 914 scrimmage yards trail only Christian McCaffrey (981) in the NFL. Atlanta’s third-leading WR (Casey Washington) has five receptions for 69 yards.

Since the Falcons cut McCloud before the trade deadline, he will pass directly to free agency. The Falcons were the 29-year-old’s fifth NFL team, after he had bounced from Buffalo to Carolina to Pittsburgh to San Francisco between 2018-23. McCloud’s return history at the very least figures to generate interest from teams, even as being dropped after being dismissed from practice is not exactly a good look.

Carson Wentz To Start Week 8; J.J. McCarthy Progressing

October 21st, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Connor Byrne

With Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy continuing to deal with a high ankle sprain, Carson Wentz will make his fifth straight start in Week 8. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Wentz will be under center on Thursday against the Chargers (via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

McCarthy, who last played in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons, has made encouraging progress in his recovery. However, after McCarthy went through an on-field workout on Tuesday, O’Connell said “he’s just not there” (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). He’ll serve as the team’s emergency No. 3 option this week behind Wentz and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.

This could end up as Wentz’s last chance to retain the starting job, as O’Connell noted that McCarthy may have been ready to go on a normal week (via Pelissero). With a quick turnaround from last Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, the Vikings are left to rely on a bounce-back effort from Wentz on Thursday.

A late-August addition in free agency, the well-traveled Wentz has been hit and miss during his four starts. While Wentz has twice posted a passer rating upward of 102.0, he has tossed two interceptions in each of his other two starts. Overall, Wentz has completed 95 of 142 passes (66.9%) for 1,072 yards, five touchdowns, and four picks. The team has gone 2-2 with him at the helm.

McCarthy, the 10th overall pick from Michigan in 2024, missed his entire rookie year after tearing his right meniscus during preseason. While McCarthy entered this season as Minnesota’s unquestioned No. 1 signal-caller, he went just 24 for 41 (58.5%) with 301 yards, two TDs, and three INTs in his first two starts before suffering another injury.

Thanks in part to underwhelming play from their QBs, the 3-3 Vikings have already matched their loss total from a surprising 14-win campaign in 2024. Sam Darnold, brought in as a stopgap in front of McCarthy, unexpectedly enjoyed a breakout year during his lone season with the Vikings. With the Vikings committed to McCarthy, Darnold parlayed his successful 2024 into a sizable free agent deal with the Seahawks last March. The Vikings also lost backup Daniel Jones on the open market. Jones left for a chance at more playing time in Indianapolis, which has worked out swimmingly for him and the first-place Colts.

While Darnold and Jones have thrived elsewhere, it’s far too soon to pass judgment on McCarthy. It seems that McCarthy is getting closer to returning to the Vikings’ lineup, though O’Connell has been adamant that he won’t take the reins again until he’s fully healthy. In the meantime, Wentz will have another shot to make a case to remain Minnesota’s starter.

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