Lions Activate LB Malcolm Rodriguez From PUP List
The Lions have activated linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez from the reserve/physically unable to perform list, per a team announcement. Rodriguez is now eligible to make his season debut on Sunday against the Giants.
Rodriguez is returning a little less than a year after he tore his ACL in a Week 13 win over the Bears last Thanksgiving. The Lions opened Rodriguez’s 21-day practice window on Oct. 27. The belief then was that the 26-year-old would need the full three weeks before the Lions activated him, and that proved to be the case.
A sixth-round pick from Oklahoma State in 2022, Rodriguez started in 15 of 16 appearances as a rookie. He recorded 87 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble that year, though it wasn’t enough to hold a full-time starting job.
Rodriguez came off the bench in 18 of 27 appearances from 2023-24. He picked up a career-high two sacks in 10 games last season.
Rejoining a 6-4 Detroit team that’s pushing for a playoff spot, Rodriguez will once again work as a defensive reserve and a special teamer. The Lions are in enviable shape at linebacker with Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and Derrick Barnes as their top three. Campbell, Anzalone, and Barnes have each played over 90% of defensive snaps this year. Rodriguez’s return will give the Lions some quality depth behind them.
Raiders’ Pete Carroll Backs QB Geno Smith
After they finished 4-13 in 2024, the Raiders entered this season hoping the new head coach-quarterback tandem of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith would produce far better results. While the two previously had success in Seattle, it hasn’t transferred to Las Vegas. The Raiders are now 2-8 after dropping their fourth straight game – a 33-16 beating at the hands of the Cowboys – on Monday.
Smith posted his latest subpar stat line in Week 11, going 27 of 42 for 238 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The 35-year-old has completed 66.3% of passes for 2,082 yards and more interceptions (13) than TDs (12) through 10 games. Smith owns an 80.9 passer rating, a far cry from his 95.9 mark in 54 games and 52 starts as a Seahawk, while his 32.6 QBR ranks 31st in the NFL.
Although Smith has performed more like the early career Jets version than the solid Seahawks starter, Carroll is standing behind the 12th-year man (via Ryan McFadden of ESPN).
“I continue to really believe in him,” Carroll said. “I have no hesitation in telling you that. He’s an incredible player, and he’s busting his tail [off]. …He’ll come through for us. We gotta help him out more.”
The Raiders took away some of Smith’s help when they shipped wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Jaguars before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. With Meyers gone, Smith’s only real weapons are the tight end duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, receiver Tre Tucker, and running back Ashton Jeanty.
The Cowboys erased Jeanty as a rushing threat on Monday, which made it all the more difficult for Smith. Jeanty, the sixth overall pick in last spring’s draft, managed a microscopic seven yards on six carries. Smith doubled Jeanty’s output with a team-high 14 yards.
While the Raiders’ Smith-led offense ranks 30th in the league in both yards per game and scoring, a poor line has been a key contributor. The Raiders lost cornerstone left tackle Kolton Miller to a high ankle sprain in late September. Right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson suffered an ankle injury of his own in Week 10 and might not return this season. Miller and Powers-Johnson are missed on a line that surrendered four sacks on Monday. Having allowed 31 sacks this season, the Raiders rank 25th in the league.
The Raiders could have more difficulty blocking for Smith this Sunday against the Browns, who have piled up the NFL’s fourth-most sacks. Superstar Myles Garrett, coming off a four-sack showing in a loss to the Ravens last week, has amassed a league-high 15.
Smith could spend a good portion of Week 12 trying to evade Garrett, but he’ll attempt to bounce back and justify Carroll’s public vote of confidence. In the event Carroll eventually makes a change, Kenny Pickett, Aidan O’Connell, and Cam Miller represent the team’s other in-house signal-callers.
Pickett has disappointed and spent time with a total of four teams since the Steelers selected him 20th overall in the 2022 draft. The Raiders traded a 2025 third-rounder for Smith last offseason because O’Connell failed to establish himself as a capable starter from 2023-24. O’Connell has been on IR all season with a fractured wrist. The Raiders opened his 21-day practice window on Oct. 29, meaning they’re running out of time to activate him. Miller, a sixth-round rookie from North Dakota State, is on the practice squad.
Regardless of whether Smith finishes 2025 as the Raiders’ starter, they’ll have a decision to make on him in the offseason. The Raiders signed Smith to a two-year, $75MM extension when they acquired him, but they’ve already paid most of that. Moving on after the season would leave the Raiders with his fully guaranteed 2026 salary of $18.5MM as dead money. Smith’s remaining $8MM in guarantees will vest early in the league year next March. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Raiders cut the cord before that happens.
C.J. Stroud Returns To Practice; Texans QB Ruled Out For Week 12
2:23pm: The Texans have officially ruled out Stroud and Pitre for Week 12, according to Wilson.
1:15pm: Davis Mills has started each of the Texans’ past two games. He is in line to handle QB1 duties for a third straight week, but C.J. Stroud is making progress in his recovery from a concussion. 
Stroud has returned to practice on Tuesday, something ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime first reported was expected to take place. That is an encouraging step on Stroud’s path to returning to the lineup, although he is not expected to play in Week 12. The former No. 2 pick remains in concussion protocol, and the Texans are on a short week as they prepare to play the Bills on Thursday.
Stroud was concussed midway through Houston’s Week 9 loss to Denver. The team has managed to win each of its two contests since then with Mills at the helm. The Texans are 5-5 as a result, meaning a playoff berth is certainly attainable. Of course, having Stroud back to full health relatively soon will be key in determining their chances of making the postseason.
In an encouraging update, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports Stroud’s symptoms of headaches and sensitivity to light have subsided. That suggests the 24-year-old will be able to clear the remaining stages of the protocol relatively soon. If that proves to be the case, a return in time for a Week 13 matchup with the Colts could very well be in store.
Stroud played in all of Houston’s 19 combined regular and postseason contests last year, and he missed only two games as a rookie (although that absence was also caused by a concussion). The Ohio State product has not managed to replicate the production seen during his sensational debut campaign, but he profiles as Houston’s franchise passer for the foreseeable future. This coming offseason will be the first in which Stroud will be eligible for an extension.
Mills has thrown for 292 and 274 yards during his two starts so far, posting three touchdowns and one interception along the way. On Thursday, he will take on a Bills defense which has struggled mightily against the run in 2025 but ranks second in the NFL in terms of passing yards allowed per game. It will be interesting to see how Mills fares in what will be his final start provided Stroud continues to progress through his recovery.
Jalen Pitre returned to practice yesterday, and Wilson notes he is taking part in Tuesday’s work as well. Pitre, like Stroud, remains in concussion protocol at this time. Both players are working their way back, though, and a return by Week 13 would come as no surprise.
Rams To Sign LB Jesse Luketa
Jesse Luketa has yet to play in 2025. That situation is set to change shortly, however, as the fourth-year linebacker has a deal in place. 
Luketa is set to sign with the Rams today, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. A thigh injury ended his 2024 campaign and with it his tenure with the Cardinals. The former seventh-rounder is now healthy, though, and he will look to establish a role for himself in Los Angeles down the stretch.
The 26-year-old Canadian made 31 appearances and three starts across his time with Arizona. Luketa primarily operated on special teams during that time, but he saw an increase in defensive workload with each passing season. In 2024, the Penn State product set a new career high in a number of categories, totaling 21 tackles and three sacks while adding one forced fumble.
At 8-2, the Rams lead the NFC West and currently occupy the conference’s No. 2 seed. Los Angeles can be considered a serious contender at this point, and adding further on defense represents a logical post-trade deadline priority. The Rams had already made a midseason move on that side of the ball by way of the Roger McCreary trade.
Los Angeles entered Tuesday with over $13MM in cap space. As a result, signing Luketa – who visited the Ravens last month – will not be a challenge, nor will it alter any other moves which may be planned over the closing stages of the regular season. It will be interesting to see how Luketa is used with his new team as he looks to boost his 2026 free agent stock.
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. Suffers Partial ACL Tear, Likely Done For Season
10:01pm: The Falcons will place Penix on IR, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report. Along with damage to his ACL, Penix aggravated a bone bruise and a knee sprain.
11:13am: Penix has a partial ACL tear and is expected to miss the rest of the season, according to Palmer.
9:55am: Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in a 30-27 loss to the Panthers on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Penix will go for a second opinion, but his chances of a 2025 return don’t look good. The Falcons believe Penix is done for the season, per James Palmer of The Athletic.
It seemed likely that Penix would miss at least some time when he exited early on Sunday. However, a possible season-ending injury comes as a surprise. Penix previously sat out a game this year with a bone bruise in his left knee, which he re-injured against Carolina. Kirk Cousins, who replaced Penix, will take over for the foreseeable future.
The Falcons used the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft on Penix, a stunning move after they signed Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM in guarantees in free agency.
Penix entered the NFL with a couple of major knee injuries in his past. Then with Indiana, Penix suffered season-ending right ACL tears in both 2018 and ’20. The southpaw finished his college career with a pair of healthy and productive seasons as a Washington Huskie, leading the Falcons to take a chance on him in the first round.
Penix began his pro career as Cousins’ backup, but the Falcons switched to the heir apparent late last season. After starting 7-7 under Cousins, the team replaced him with Penix. While Atlanta lost two of its final three games en route to an 8-9 finish, Penix showed head coach Raheem Morris enough to grab the reins as the team’s unquestioned starter entering this season. The demoted Cousins wanted out in the offseason, whether via trade or release. The Falcons wound up retaining him.
With Penix at the helm for all but one game this season, the Falcons have stumbled to a disappointing 3-7 record. Penix has underwhelmed at the head of an offense that ranks 18th in passing and 27th in scoring. He has completed 60.1% of passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 25-year-old ranks 17th in the league in QBR and 23rd in passer rating.
It remains to be seen whether Penix’s injury will be severe enough to affect his availability for any of 2026. In the meantime, the Falcons will turn back to Cousins. The Falcons gambled on a Cousins mega-deal despite the fact that he suffered a torn Achilles midway through his final season with the Vikings in 2023.
Cousins, who had been prolific passer throughout his career with Washington and Minnesota, hasn’t recaptured his old form since moving to Atlanta. In his lone start this year, a 34-10 loss to Miami in Week 8, Cousins went 21 for 31 for 173 yards. He finished a lackluster 6 for 14 for 48 yards in relief of Penix in Week 11.
Having lost five in a row to fall to 13th place in the NFC, the Cousins-led Falcons will need a miraculous run to earn a playoff berth. To worsen matters, Cousins will go at least one week without the Falcons’ No. 1 receiver, Drake London, who sprained his PCL against Carolina. London won’t play in New Orleans this Sunday, and it’s possible he’ll miss more time after that, per Rapoport.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel In Concussion Protocol
Dillon Gabriel exited the Browns’ Week 11 loss and was evaluated for a concussion, and he’ll now have to overcome league protocol if he hopes to play in Week 12. As expected, the rookie quarterback is in the concussion protocol, coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters today (including Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal).
[RELATED: Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Exits Week 11]
While it’s uncertain when Gabriel suffered his concussion yesterday, the team believes it occurred with about a minute remaining in the first half, when he was tackled by a group of Baltimore defenders. Stefanski revealed that the QB started showing symptoms during halftime, leading to the decision to pull him from the game.
The coach was noncommittal about the team’s QB plans for Week 12, noting that the priority was getting Gabriel healthy and through protocol. However, Stefanski did admit that the team would consider simply benching their starter for Week 12, paving the way for fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders to garner his first NFL start.
“Yeah, we’ll work through that in the next couple days and this week,” Stefanski said (via Easterling). “I’ll update you guys Wednesday as we get into Vegas preparations.”
Stefanski made it clear yesterday that Gabriel would return to the top of the depth chart once he’s healthy enough to play, so Sanders’ stint as QB1 would be short lived. The Colorado product struggled in his NFL debut yesterday, completing only four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and one interception.
With Gabriel in concussion protocol and Joe Flacco now in Cincinnati, the Browns are currently operating with one healthy QB on the active roster. For those wondering, Deshaun Watson won’t be an option for the foreseeable future. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that while Watson is “coming along well” in his recovery from his ruptured Achilles, he’s still not close to practicing with the Browns. While the veteran is eligible to be designated for return at any time, it seems likely that Watson will be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. If Gabriel is forced to miss Week 12, Bailey Zappe would likely serve as Cleveland’s QB2.
Elsewhere on the injury front, Dom Jones is likely heading to injured reserve, according to Easterling. The cornerback suffered a leg injury towards the end of Sunday’s loss. The undrafted rookie has emerged as a key special teamer in Cleveland this season, with the Colorado State product collecting five tackles.
Falcons To Designate LB Divine Deablo For Return
The Falcons should soon have their starting inside linebacker back in the lineup. According to Terrin Waack of the team’s website, the Falcons will be designating Divine Deablo for return from injured reserve.
Deablo last saw the field in Week 7, when he suffered a fracture in his left forearm. Head coach Raheem Morris indicated that his linebacker should be back on the field for Week 12, meaning it will only be a minimum IR stay for the starter.
A former Raiders third-round pick, Deablo joined the Falcons this offseason via a two-year, $14MM deal. He was one of the team’s most productive defenders through the first six weeks, as the acquisition collected 24 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Notably, he ranks fourth among 81 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
With Deablo out of the lineup, the Falcons have turned to JD Bertrand and Ronnie Harrison to play opposite Kaden Elliss in the middle of their defense. Harrison has seemed to leap Bertrand in recent weeks, with the journeyman collecting 22 tackles and two sacks in his four appearances. Deablo will likely slide back into his starting spot next to Elliss, but Morris indicated that Harrison will still be in line for a role moving forward.
“We played some really good ball with JD,” Morris said (via Waack). “But Ronnie has really earned more reps and more role, and it’s kind of been increased since he’s been here. A lot of credit to Ronnie, a man that’s come here with us from training camp and really increased his role from a practice squad player to a special teams player to now being out there with that first-team defense in some situations. The way he’s playing, it’s going to do nothing else but increase.”
As Waack notes, the 3-7 Falcons have dropped each of the four games they’ve played without Deablo in the lineup. While the linebacker won’t solve all of the team’s woes, he’ll surely help his squad as they look to make a late-season push.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: LB Jamil Muhammad
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Otis Reese
- Placed on IR: LB Darius Harris
The Patriots are shaking up their linebacker corps after Darius Harris landed on the practice squad IR today. The veteran got into three games with the big-league club in 2025, collecting four tackles while playing exclusively on special teams. Harris had a four-year stint with the Chiefs to begin his career, including a 2022 campaign where he tallied 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks. To take his place on the taxi squad, the Patriots added Otis Reese, who got his NFL start playing under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. The Ole Miss product got into 20 games with the Titans between 2023 and 2024, collecting 38 stops.
NFL Minor Transactions: 11/17/25
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: LB Jared Bartlett
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: CB D’Angelo Ross
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: S Kahlef Hailassie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevaed: G Atonio Mafi
New England Patriots
- Signed from practice squad: TE C.J. Dippre
- Waived: S John Saunders Jr.
New York Giants
- Waived: LB Tomon Fox
New York Jets
- Designated for return from IR: LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Marcelino McCrary-Ball landed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3. When he returns, the defense will look a whole lot different than when he last played, and he could be in line for more responsibility with Quincy Williams facing an uncertain future with the organization. Before suffering his injury, McCrary-Ball collected 17 tackles and one forced fumble.
Cowboys Activate S Malik Hooker From IR
The Cowboys defense has struggled mightily in 2025, but the team will be getting some veteran reinforcement in time for Monday Night Football. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, the team has activated safety Malik Hooker from injured reserve.
[RELATED: Cowboys Designate Malik Hooker For Return]
Hooker suffered a toe injury back in Week 4 that has shelved him for more than a month. He was designated for return from IR just last Thursday, and the Cowboys didn’t take long to add him to the active roster.
After serving in a rotational role during his first season in Dallas, Hooker has emerged as one of the team’s most dependable defenders in recent years. He missed only a pair of games between 2022 and 2024, starting 38 of his 49 appearances while hauling in six interceptions. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him as an above-average safety in each of those three campaigns, including a 13th-place showing in 2022 and 14th-place finish in 2023.
After dropping down to 43rd at his position in 2024, PFR ranked Hooker only 58th among 93 qualifiers in 2025. Still, that should represent an upgrade over the revolving door of safeties the Cowboys have turned to next to Donovan Wilson, who has missed the past two contests with an elbow/shoulder issue. Juanyeh Thomas got an initial look in the starting lineup, while Markquese Bell has seen the bulk of the snaps at the position in recent weeks. Alijah Clark and Zion Childress have also gotten some run in the secondary.
To make room on the roster, the team placed rookie offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius on injured reserve. The sixth-round pick has been dealing with a knee injury that will sideline him for at least the next month. The Cowboys also promoted running back Malik Davis from the practice squad for tonight’s matchup against the Raiders.