Cardinals Activate EDGE BJ Ojulari From PUP, Place LB Mack Wilson On IR
The Cardinals activated edge rusher BJ Ojulari from the reserve/physically unable to perform list and placed linebacker Mack Wilson on injured reserve, per team reporter Darren Urban.
Ojulari, a 2023 second-round pick, is coming off a major knee injury suffered during training camp last year. He tore his ACL, LCL, and lateral meniscus; during rehab, he also dealt with a subluxation of his kneecap that required another procedure in June, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.
The 23-year-old started the 2025 season on the PUP list and was designated to return on October 28. He has only been a limited participant in practice, which might not be enough to take the field for Sunday’s matchup with the 49ers. Even if Ojulari does play, he would likely have a limited workload. That still could be a boost to a Cardinals pass rush that ranks among the bottom 10 defenses in sacks and quarterback hits, especially with Baron Browning sidelined this week by a concussion.
Ojulari appeared in every game as a rookie with a 37% snap share and recorded 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks. His 8.1 pass rush productivity and 13.4% pass rush win rate ranked fourth among rookie edge rushers (min. 100 snaps), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Though the Cardinals defense is adding Ojulari, they will be losing a key player in Wilson. He signed with the team in 2024 on a three-year, $12.75MM deal and immediately took over as a starting linebacker. He put together a solid stat line during his debut season in Arizona – 75 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and five passes defended – but was on pace to crush those numbers this year. Though he has yet to record a sack, he racked up 60 tackles, three tackles for loss, and six passes defended through the first eight games of the season.
Instead of putting up his best production since his rookie year in 2019, Wilson will be on the shelf for at least four games. He suffered a rib injury against the Cowboys and missed last week’s game against the Seahawks. His earliest return would come in Week 15 against the Texans. Until then, fourth-round rookie Cody Simon will start alongside six-year veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither in the middle of the Cardinals defense.
The Cardinals made a few other roster moves to prepare for Sunday’s game, including the promotion of linebacker Jared Bartlett from the practice squad to the active roster. The undrafted rookie was elevated last week for special teams duties and linebacker depth with Wilson sidelined; he should take up the same role against the 49ers.
Cornerback Darren Hall and tight end Pharaoh Brown were elevated from the practice squad. Hall will contribute on special teams and potentially in the secondary with cornerback Will Johnson and safety Dadrion Tayler-Demerson ruled out. Brown, a 31-year-old journeyman, will make his 2025 debut playing for his sixth NFL team, primarily as a run blocker with some run on special teams, too.
Dolphins GM Opening Drawing Interest Around NFL
The Dolphins were the first team to fire a general manager this offseason, and their vacancy is already drawing “lots of attention around the league,” according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
“It’s viewed as an exceptional front office opportunity by seasoned GMs,” Russini added.
There is one basic reason that the Dolphins’ job seems to appealing at the moment: it’s the only one available. The only other general manager clearly on the hot seat is the Giants’ Joe Schoen. He survived Brian Daboll‘s firing, indicating he might retain his job after the season. Even if he doesn’t, a decision is unlikely to come until the end of the season. Other than Schoen, there has been little talk of teams firing their general managers, though at least a few happen every year.
However, availability is not the only reason that executives around the NFL may be eyeing a move to Miami. The team has a few young cornerstones – wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, running back De’Von Achane, left tackle Patrick Paul, and edge rusher Chop Robinson – but otherwise, the roster needs a major facelift. That would be a significant opportunity for a new GM to completely reshape the team, and he would have plenty of draft capital right away. The Dolphins’ picks should be in the first half of the round in the 2026 draft, and they have two extra third-round picks to work with.
For all the concern about the Dolphins’ 2026 salary cap, the team will have far more financial flexibility in 2027 and beyond. They will likely move on from Tyreek Hill this offseason and can do the same with Tua Tagovailoa in 2027. While the 27-year-old may not be viewed as a franchise quarterback, he is still a serviceable starter that will not force an incoming GM to chase (and potentially overpay for) a new one right away.
The coaching situation is a little less certain. Mike McDaniel seems poised to keep his job, and his offensive acumen could be appealing to a new GM. If McDaniel is fired, either this offseason or sometime in the following year, then the new GM would get to handpick a head coach to work with moving forward.
Patriots DT Milton Williams Placed On IR
The Patriots have placed starting defensive tackle Milton Williams on injured reserve, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The veteran in his first season away from Philadelphia suffered a high ankle sprain in Thursday night’s game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and will be out for at least four games. To fill Williams’ spot on the 53-man roster, New England has signed practice squad outside linebacker Bradyn Swinson to an active roster contract. 
After four strong years in Philadelphia, where the former third-round pick started 19 of 67 game appearances, Williams is in his first season with the Patriots and his first season as a full-time starter. He’s anchored a deep interior line alongside, most often, Christian Barmore and Khyiris Tonga. Joshua Farmer and Cory Durden have provided depth across the line this year, and they’ll be challenged even more during Williams’ absence.
When Williams left the game Thursday night, New England’s run defense appeared to take a hit, allowing 5.0 yards per carry over the course of the contest. Barmore, also working as a full-time starter for the first time in his fifth season with the Patriots, is likely to take on the biggest role in Williams’ absence. Tonga will likely be the other consistent starter next to Barmore, while Farmer and Durden could compete for the opportunity to see more time with the first-team defense.
Farmer, the fourth-round rookie out of Florida State, has one start under his belt this year, but Durden has been a pleasant surprise off the bench. Also a Florida State signee at one point, Durden went undrafted in 2023 after transferring to NC State and becoming a standout defender for the Wolfpack. He’s seen short stretches of playing time in four games as a rookie with the Rams and four games last year with the Giants. He’s made the most of his opportunities in New England so far this year, opportunities that have been increasing throughout the year.
Swinson was a fifth-round pick for the Patriots out of LSU after finishing his final season with 8.5 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss. He failed to make the team’s initial 53-man roster and was signed to the practice squad. Coming up to the active roster in Williams’ place, Swinson may get a chance to make his NFL debut next weekend in Cincinnati.
There is still plenty of time left in the season for Williams to sit out his four weeks and return from IR in time to close out the regular season in preparation for a playoff run. With New England sitting atop the division at 9-2 and games against the Bengals, Giants, Jets, and Dolphins remaining on the schedule, a postseason berth is likely. Even the team’s tougher remaining opponents — the Bills and Ravens — will be seeing the Patriots immediately following their Week 14 bye. Williams will be eligible to return in Week 17.
Lions Place TE Sam LaPorta On IR
The injuries continue to pile up in Detroit. The newest one sees tight end Sam LaPorta being placed on injured reserve. He failed to practice at all this week due to a back injury, and he’ll now be sidelined for at least four games.
LaPorta picked up the injury in the Lions’ Week 10 victory over the Commanders, interrupting another solid season from the third-year tight end. He is on pace for career-highs in yards per game (54.3), catch rate (81.6%), and yards per target (10.0), all of which rank among the league’s top 10 tight ends. LaPorta’s 2.00 yards per route run are a career-high and the second-most of any tight end this season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He has yet to record a drop this year and is seven-for-seven on contested catches. If that isn’t enough, LaPorta’s PFF blocking grades are the best of his career, too.
All of that adds up to a major loss for the Lions offense. Brock Wright, the team’s No. 2 tight end, is a known quantity as a blocker but does not offer much as a receiver. Third-stringer Ross Dwelley will be asked to step into Wright’s role, and the Lions will likely need to elevate or promote Anthony Firkser or Zach Horton from the practice squad. Head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator John Morton may also use more ‘jumbo’ packages with Dan Skipper as an extra offensive lineman.
LaPorta’s IR stint will force him to miss the Lions’ next four games, at least. That stretch includes a trip to Philadelphia this week that could factor into NFC playoff tiebreakers and a matchup with the Packers that could have a major impact on the NFC North. He will be eligible to return in Week 15 against the Rams, another game that could impact postseason seeding.
Detroit also made a number of minor roster moves to prepare for Sunday’s contest with the Eagles. Offensive lineman Michael Niese was signed to the active roster from the practice squad. He entered last week’s game at center amid multiple injuries to the Lions’ offensive line and will be on hand once again in Week 11. Wide receivers Tom Kennedy and Jackson Meeks were elevated from the practice squad. Both will contribute on special teams and could rotate in on offense as well.
Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor was also released with an injury settlement after being placed on IR on Friday.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.
Packers To Start Sean Rhyan At Center
The Packers’ offensive line took a serious hit in their 10-7 loss to the Eagles on Monday. Center Elgton Jenkins fractured his leg and suffered ligament damage when quarterback Jordan Love rolled into him. Jenkins is unlikely to return this season as a result.
With Jenkins out for the foreseeable future, the Packers will turn to Sean Rhyan as their new starter, per Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s website. Rhyan stepped in for Jenkins in Week 10, played 41 snaps, and earned a grade of 61.1 from Pro Football Focus. That doesn’t fall far below Jenkins’ season grade of 62.0, which ranks 24th among 37 qualifying centers.
After Rhyan stood out as a left tackle at UCLA, the Packers used a third-round pick on him in 2022. The versatile 25-year-old has moved to the interior in the NFL.
While Rhyan was a 17-game starter at right guard last season, he has come off the bench in five of nine games this year. Jordan Morgan has taken over as the Packers’ right guard. Rhyan will now land another opportunity as a full-time starter, albeit under unfortunate circumstances.
This isn’t the first time Green Bay’s center position has gone through upheaval in 2025. After a successful run at guard, where he earned two Pro Bowl nods, Jenkins shifted to center to accommodate LG Aaron Banks. The Packers signed Banks, a former 49er, to a four-year, $77MM contract in free agency last offseason. With Jenkins sliding to center, the Packers let former starter Josh Myers leave for the Jets’ one-year, $3.5MM offer.
Jenkins is the only Packers O-lineman who has started all of their games this year, but they’ll now have to rely on Rhyan. He’ll join Morgan, Banks, and tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom as starters against the Giants in Week 11.
Panthers’ Chandler Zavala Taking Over At RG
The Panthers are making a change along their offensive line ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the NFC South rival Falcons. Chandler Zavala will take over for Austin Corbett at right guard, head coach Dave Canales announced (via Joe Person of The Athletic).
Canales’ decision comes a week after the Panthers dropped to 5-5 in a disappointing 17-7 loss to the Saints, another division rival. Zavala missed the game with a knee injury, but Corbett and the rest of the Panthers’ starting five linemen played 100% of offensive snaps. The Saints held the Panthers to a lowly 175 total yards, including a meager 53 on 18 carries from running back and offensive focal point Rico Dowdle, and sacked quarterback Bryce Young twice.
Corbett’s demotion to the bench is the latest in a slew of O-line adjustments the Panthers have made this season, largely because of injuries. After opening the season as the Panthers’ starting center, Corbett suffered a a Grade C MCL injury in Week 2 and had to go on IR. Cade Mays played well at center during his absence, leading to Corbett’s shift to guard when he returned in Week 7.
After re-signing with the Panthers on a one-year deal last March, Corbett has started in five of six appearances this season. It’ll go down as his third straight injury-shortened campaign after he missed 13 games in 2023 and another 12 last year. Unless the Panthers reinstate him as a starter, the versatile Corbett will serve as interior depth down the stretch.
Like Corbett, Zavala spent time on IR with a knee injury earlier this season. The third-year man has mostly worked as a backup since the Panthers chose him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, having come off the bench in 20 of 32 games. With Corbett taking a seat and starting guard Robert Hunt on IR with a torn biceps since mid-September, Zavala will have a chance at a regular role. The 322-pounder has started in three of five games this year, though Pro Football Focus has assigned him a subpar 41.3 grade on 111 snaps. Zavala ranks last among the nine Panthers O-linemen who have taken 100-plus snaps this year.
Along with Zavala and Mays, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, left guard Damien Lewis, and right tackle Taylor Moton will make up the Panthers’ line on Sunday. The unit will face an Atlanta defense that ranks a respectable 10th in the league in yards allowed per game. While Carolina only managed 224 yards in the teams’ previous meeting in Week 3, a lights-out defensive performance helped the Panthers to a 30-0 blowout.
Bengals To Place DE Shemar Stewart On IR
The Bengals are placing rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart on IR with a knee injury, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports. Stewart will miss a minimum of four games. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 15.
Stewart, whom the Bengals chose 17th overall out of Texas A&M, made headlines after the draft during a lengthy contract dispute. After a protracted battle over default language in his contract, the 22-year-old finally inked his first NFL deal on July 26. The agreement came after the Bengals agreed to adjust his signing bonus payment schedule.
Stewart, who didn’t practice with the Bengals at all before signing, has gotten off to a slow start in the pros. A polarizing prospect who totaled just 4.5 sacks in 37 college games, Stewart hasn’t recorded any in his first five contests (four starts) with the Bengals. He previously missed four games as a result of a Week 2 ankle injury.
When healthy enough to play, Stewart has amassed 177 defensive snaps and picked up six tackles, including a personal-best three in a loss to the Bears in Week 9. With the Bengals on a bye last week, the Chicago game will go down as Stewart’s last for a while.
Trying to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, the 3-6 Bengals are heading into a huge matchup with the AFC North-leading Steelers (5-4) on Sunday. The Bengals’ last-ranked defense will have to make do without Stewart and superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who will miss his third straight game with a hip/pelvis injury. Joseph Ossai, Myles Murphy, and Cameron Sample will serve as the Bengals’ top options at defensive end.
Colts More Open To Re-Signing Alec Pierce
Colts big-play wide receiver Alec Pierce is scheduled to reach free agency for the first time during the offseason. Pierce said back in July that he didn’t anticipate signing a contract extension with the Colts. A new deal hasn’t come together four months later, but it appears his chances of remaining in Indianapolis beyond this season have improved.
The Colts decided before the season that it wouldn’t be “financially prudent” to re-sign Pierce, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. Things have changed during the team’s unexpected 8-2 start, however. Pierce has been more productive than ever, in part because he has succeeded in running a greater variety of routes. As a result, “the idea of him returning is now very real,” Holder writes.
The Colts held out hope that the presence of 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell would help make up for a departed Pierce. That’s not going to happen, though, as the Colts sent Mitchell to the Jets in a blockbuster before the Nov. 4 deadline.
Packaging the disappointing Mitchell with a pair of first-round picks netted the Colts star cornerback Sauce Gardner. It so happens that Gardner is close friends with Pierce, a former Cincinnati Bearcats teammate.
Pierce entered the NFL with Gardner as a 2022 draft pick. The Colts used a second-rounder on Pierce, taking him 53rd overall. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder missed just two games in his first three years and averaged approximately 37 catches, 644 yards, and four touchdowns in those seasons. He easily set career highs in yards (824) and scores (seven) while working with quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco in 2024. Pierce led the league with a whopping 22.3 yards per catch.
A year later, Pierce has established a rapport with new signal-caller Daniel Jones, who beat out Richardson for the job in the summer. Thanks in part to Pierce’s help, Jones has enjoyed a stunning resurgence. While Pierce has only caught one of Jones’ 15 TD passes, he’s once again atop the league in YPC (20.9). With 28 receptions and 585 yards through eight games, Pierce is on track for career highs in those categories. He has joined rookie tight end Tyler Warren, fellow wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, and MVP-contending running back Jonathan Taylor in giving Jones a highly productive group of pass catchers.
With Pierce heading for his first 1,000-yard season, the 25-year-old is trending toward a lucrative second contract. A deal worth upward of $20MM per year is a possibility, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. The Colts currently have around $48MM in spending room for 2026, per Over the Cap, but that’s without taking a new Jones pact into account.
Jones, a former Giants starter and Viking backup, is playing this season on a $14MM agreement. That’s a relative pittance compared to what Jones is likely to earn on his next accord. The Colts plan to make Jones a long-term offer, which figures to eat up a sizable chunk of cap space. A best-case scenario would include Pierce continuing to catch passes from Jones in a Colts uniform in 2026, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll make the finances work.
UNC HC Bill Belichick Denies Potential Pursuit Of Giants’ Open Job
Earlier this evening, University of North Carolina head coach — and former Patriots longtime head coach — Bill Belichick took to Instagram to put to rest any rumors that he would pursue the newly opened Giants head coaching position. It was not a rumor that had made it to this site, just yet, but nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ skipper endeavored to put the thought to bed. 
“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families,” Belichick stated in a joint post from both his personal Instagram account and the official UNC Football account. “The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach (Bill) Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.
“Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered,” he continued. “We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop players, and build a program that make Tar Heel fans proud.” He concluded, “We’re on to Wake Forest.”
Belichick spent 12 years in New York, joining then-head coach Ray Perkins‘ coaching staff as a special teams coach and defensive assistant. He was promoted to special teams/linebackers coach after a year with the team and was promoted to defensive coordinator shortly after the former DC, Parcells, took over for Perkins as head coach. His six-year run as a coordinator set up his first head coaching opportunity with the Browns.
After being linked to the Bears, Cowboys, Raiders, and Jets open head coaching jobs in the last coaching cycle, Belichick ultimately honored his commitment to the Tar Heels and became a college football coach for the first time. All of this came a year after Belichick was a main focus for the Falcons’ open job in 2024. A drawn-out, public spectacle that resulted in the hiring of Raheem Morris left a bad taste in Belichick’s mouth as he would remain unemployed throughout the 2024 season with an expectation to return to the NFL in 2025.
Instead, he made his way to Chapel Hill, where recruiting and academics became a new part of his coaching responsibilities. The Belichick-era at North Carolina got off to an inauspicious start as he lost his first three games against Power 4 opponents by a combined score of 120-33. The team has shown signs of life since, with closer losses to Cal (21-18) and ranked Virginia (17-16) before earning Belichick his first ACC wins against Syracuse and Stanford.
With three games remaining in the Tar Heels’ season, Belichick has an opportunity to build some momentum and earn bowl eligibility in his first collegiate season. It appears that will be crucial to the 73-year-old’s plans of turning around to football program in Chapel Hill, assuming he stays true to his assertion that he “will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”
49ers QB Mac Jones A Prime Trade Candidate For 2026
With Brock Purdy set to return to the starting lineup for San Francisco this weekend, head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that there is no quarterback controversy in the Bay Area. That’s not to say backup passer Mac Jones hasn’t proven himself to be extremely capable of competing for a starting job but more so that Purdy will get the benefit of the doubt as the incumbent starter prior to injury. 
On the contrary to any potential criticism of Jones’ performance over his eight games as QB1, the buzz around the NFL recently has focused on the new trajectory of Jones’ career as a result of his commendable stint as the starter in San Francisco. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, in a league desperate for serviceable quarterbacks, Jones has established himself as one and “emerged as a prime trade candidate for 2026.”
After watching Purdy miss two games in 2024 and watching two different backup quarterbacks lose games as injury replacements, the 49ers committed to signing a higher-quality second arm in 2025. The team landed on Jones, giving him a two-year, $7MM deal with the potential to make up to $11.5MM.
He’s already added $500K from an incentive of playing at least 25 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and winning at least four regular season games as a starter. After eight starts, he may just trigger the second incentive requiring a 50 percent snap share and a playoff berth; both are very possible but not guaranteed at this moment. The two levels of incentives exist in the second year of his contract, as well, and if Jones does get traded to a team that names him the starter, he’ll have a good shot at hitting those marks again.
While the 49ers would certainly like to keep their strong QB2 option next year, his value as a trade asset may supersede any desires of keeping him. The Dolphins, Jets, Steelers, Browns, Saints, and perhaps even the Raiders and Cardinals all stand as teams that could be looking for a new starter in 2026. For a while, it seemed that the 2026 NFL Draft would be the saving grace for these teams, rich with young quarterback talent, but lately, evaluators have lost faith in the talent level of the draft-eligible passers in school now.
As a result, San Francisco may opt to capitalize on the value Jones has created for himself. Trading Jones would be mutually beneficial for the two parties as the team would be doing right by Jones, giving him an opportunity to start in the NFL, while getting a potentially valuable return in exchange.
For now, the focus in San Francisco is making sure Purdy is healthy and up to speed enough to assist the team on a second-half playoff push while also keeping Jones game-ready in case injuries force the team’s hand once again. If Jones continues to excel at executing the tasks set before him, though, he may just put himself — and the 49ers — in a strong bargaining position.