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.
Titans HC Brian Callahan Cedes Play-Calling Duties To QBs Coach Bo Hardegree
Having started the year 0-3, the Titans are making a notable change on offense. Head coach Brian Callahan has ceded playing-calling duties.
When speaking to the media on Monday, the second-year head coach made it known he was considering a number of moves, including delegating his role as play-caller. Today, such a change officially took place. Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree will call plays for the rest of the season.
The news is interesting on a number of fronts, including the fact play-calling responsibilities will now be handled by neither Callahan nor offensive coordinator Nick Holz. The latter does not have experience calling plays, whereas Hardegree does based on his nine-game run as interim OC of the Raiders in 2023. This in-season decision marks a noteworthy call on Callahan’s part given his inability to generate success on offense, something which was expected of him upon being hired.
“I’ve had zero disappointment in my play-calling,” the 41-year-old said of the move (via veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky). “I got hired to be the head coach. Part of that process was being involved on offense, but my job is to be the head coach of the football team and I think that this allows me to do that job a little bit better, pay more attention to some things that might require my attention and be more present.”
When going into further detail about today’s changes, Callahan specified (via Kuharsky) how duties will be divvied up amongst his staff. Holz will remain in charge of the Titans’ base offense, while Hardegree will oversee preparations for third downs. Red zone work will be handled by receivers coach Tyke Tolbert as well as Mike McCoy, while running backs coach Randy Jordan will be heavily involved with the screen game.
After five years with the Bengals as an offensive coordinator who did not call plays, Callahan’s first head coaching opportunity came about in Tennessee. He was tasked with replacing Mike Vrabel and helping develop quarterback Will Levis, a process which did not go as planned. The Titans finished last season 3-14 and used the top pick in April’s draft on Cam Ward. So far, the 23-year-old has posted a passer rating of 71.4 while taking a league-leading 15 sacks.
Overall, the Titans sit just 28th in scoring after checking in at No. 27 in that department last year. Plenty of time remains for Ward to improve and for the team’s showings on offense to do the same as a result. If that is to happen, though, it will not be with Callahan at the helm.
Titans Trade CB Jarvis Brownlee To Jets
Jarvis Brownlee has served as a starter for much of his time in Tennessee, but his tenure there is coming to an end. The second-year corner is being traded from the Titans to the Jets, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal is now official.
Per Schultz, this deal will see late-round picks swapped in 2026. Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds Brownlee and a seventh-rounder in next year’s draft are being exchanged for a sixth-round pick. The Titans will take on a modest dead cap figure ($789K) as part of this agreement. Schultz reports the Patriots also showed interest before the swap was worked out.
[RELATED: Traded 2026 Draft Picks]
Brownlee joined the Titans as a fifth-round pick in 2024, and with the team dealing with injuries in the secondary he took on a large role. Playing in all 17 games, he made 14 starts and logged over 900 defensive snaps. Brownlee started each of Tennessee’s first two games this season before missing Week 3.
This move will leave the Titans without an important figure at the cornerback spot as they look to rebound from a poor start to the year. Tennessee is among the NFL’s 0-3 teams, and earlier today head coach Brian Callahan announced he has ceded offensive play-calling duties. It will be interesting to see how that impacts the team on that side of the ball, but changes will also be in store on defense with Brownlee not in the fold.
The Jets are also 0-3 to begin the campaign. New York’s cornerback room is led by Sauce Gardner – who reset the position’s market with his extension this offseason – along with free agent addition Brandon Stephens and veteran slot man Michael Carter II. Brownlee, who notched one interception and nine pass deflections as a rookie, will look to take on a backup role with his new team. The 24-year-old has struggled in coverage this season compared to his showing in that regard in 2024.
Under contract through 2027, Brownlee represents a low-cost addition for the Jets and one who could remain in place for years to come. It will be interesting to see how large of a workload he handles upon arrival in New York.
Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey Underwent Surgery, Could Return In Playoffs
Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is expected to miss the rest of the regular season due to a pectoral injury, but he has a chance of returning in the playoffs if Tampa Bay advances past the first round, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Kancey underwent successful surgery on Monday for what has been reported as a pectoral tear, according to FOX Sports’ Greg Auman. Offering a somewhat murkier timetable, Auman notes it is “too early in the recovery process to know whether he could make any kind of return this season if the Bucs had an extended playoff run.”
The Buccaneers were hoping that the 2023 first-rounder could take another step forward after his second-year leap to 7.5 sacks. Instead, he will miss virtually all of his third season, but he could still be an impactful postseason addition to the defense if his recovery goes smoothly.
Veteran defensive tackle Greg Gaines saw an uptick in snaps in Week 3 after Kancey was placed on injured reserve, as did rookie Elijah Roberts. UDFA Elijah Simmons made his NFL debut against the Jets and will factor into the rotation moving forward. Practice squad DT C.J. Brewer was also promoted to the active roster on Tuesday to provide more depth.
The Buccaneers seem confident in their young defensive linemen to fill the void left by Kancey’s absence, but upcoming matchups with the Eagles and Lions, two teams with strong offensive lines, will offer a significant challenge. If Tampa Bay struggles as Baltimore did against Detroit on Monday night, they could be in the market for a D-line addition by the trade deadline.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/25
As teams enter Week 4, here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Elliott Brown, S Patrick McMorris
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Ben Sauls, WR Deven Thompkins
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Otis Reese
- Released: CB Jalen Kimber
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Dan Chisena
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Luke Floriea
- Released: DE K.J. Henry
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jakobie Keeney-James
- Released: WR Mecole Hardman
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: WR Tyler Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Roy Mbaeteka, OL Kadeem Telfort
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Lucky Jackson, RB Xazavian Valladay
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Tyron Herring
- Released: DB Corey Ballentine
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on injured reserve: RB Jacardia Wright
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Caden Prieskorn, DL Desmond Watson
- Released: S Jack Henderson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Raheem Blackshear
The Falcons’ kicking rollercoaster took another turn in Week 3 with John Parker Romo missing both of his attempts in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Granted, those kicks came from 49 and 55 yards, so Atlanta may have some patience after signing Romo to a two-year contract last week. The Falcons still brought in some potential competition in Sauls, an undrafted rookie who spent training camp with the Steelers and made five of his six field goals in the preseason.
Wright is expected to be out for four to six weeks due to a foot injury, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Watson signed with the Buccaneers after the draft but remained on the non-football injury list as he worked to get his weight to a more manageable level. He was waived during final roster cuts, but the team hosted him for a workout last week, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman. Watson met the team’s athletic requirements to earn his way back on the practice squad, according to Auman, and will return just in time for the Bucs’ Week 4 matchup with the Eagles. The massive nose tackle does feel like a direct counter to the tush push, but Bowles previously said (via Auman) that Watson wouldn’t be re-signed just for one matchup and would instead need to be ready to contribute to the defense as a whole.
Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks
Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s victory over the Falcons, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.
The 2024 fourth-round pick will miss multiple weeks as a result with veteran Tommy Tremble likely stepping back into a starting role.
After largely playing behind Tremble as a rookie, Sanders started Carolina’s first three games this season and outsnapped his veteran teammate 129 to 97. He ranks second on the team in receptions (11) and receiving yards (92), both top-20 marks among tight ends through three games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Tremble caught all six of his targets for 38 yards to open the year and will likely see an uptick in snap count and receiving opportunities. Fifth-round rookie Mitchell Evans stands to benefit even more, as he only played 35 snaps in the first three weeks but will be elevated to a TE2 role during Sanders’ absence.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales also confirmed that right guard Robert Hunt underwent biceps surgery. His earliest return would be at the end of the season, according to ESPN’s David Newton, while center Austin Corbett avoided surgery but will be out for at least six to eight weeks. Both linemen are on injured reserve.
Carolina has since switched to Chandler Zavala at RG and Cade Mays at C while also poaching Nick Samac off the Ravens’ practice squad to back up both spots. The Panthers offense has struggled behind their injured O-line thus far and will be hoping Corbett can recover on the shorter end of his timeline
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/25
Here are the latest minor moves around the NFL coming out of Week 3:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: OL Demontrey Jacobs
- Placed on injured reserve: RB James Conner (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: OT Brant Banks
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Tim Jones
- Waived from IR: DE Alex Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Moliki Matavao
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S Jerrick Reed II
- Signed: WR Cody White
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed from practice squad: DT C.J. Brewer
- Placed on IR: TE Ko Kieft
Kieft’s leg injury is likely to end his season, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The 27-year-old had just started his fourth season as a core special teams contributor for the Bucs and will now spend the year rehabbing before he hits free agency in the spring.