HEADLINES

Russell Wilson Expected To Become Trade Target

September 27th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite early reports that the Giants and quarterback Russell Wilson are expected to stay together, other expectations still persist that the veteran passer will become a trade target, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Injuries have not been uncommon this year, and New York has the luxury of having signed two veterans in the offseason. If needy team comes calling with a good enough offer, it will be difficult for the Giants decline.

So far, both sides have been saying all the right things. Wilson has taken his benching in stride with a dedication to “respond in the right way” and serve as his successor’s mentor. He made sure to add, though, that he’s “not done,” and while that comment could be directed at his future following the expiration of his one-year deal in New York, it may also be directed at this season.

In New Orleans, second-round rookie quarterback Tyler Shough failed to beat out incumbent starer Spencer Rattler. Now, the winless Saints sit at 29th in scoring offense and may be searching for answers. They’ll want Rattler or Shough to earn some experience and develop a bit, but if neither quarterback shows potential to take over the offense, the team may want an early look at how Wilson might fit in.

The Bengals have a ton of offensive weapons, and though a one-game sample isn’t much, interim starting quarterback Jake Browning has not looked well-equipped to utilize them so far. If there’s really a belief that Joe Burrow could return to the active roster late in the season, trading for Wilson may give Cincinnati some hope at piling together enough wins to stay in the playoff race for a run with Burrow.

Other teams have seen injuries to their starting passers, but storing experienced backups like Carson Wentz, Tyrod Taylor, Mac Jones, and Marcus Mariota have helped the Vikings, Jets, 49ers, and Commanders to avoid disaster. Not every team may be so lucky in the case that their starting quarterback goes down, and such a scenario could certainly drive a team to pick up the phone and call New York.

The motives would be clear for both sides. For any team looking to trade for Wilson, they wouldn’t be asked to cover Wilson’s entire one-year, $10.5MM deal. Since $8MM of that contract came in the form of a signing bonus, any calling team would only be responsible for covering a portion of his $2MM base salary. As for the Giants, while they have confidence in rookie first-rounder, Jaxson Dart, any doubts of failure or injury are quickly remedied by the presence of Jameis Winston, who has proven to be an effective backup in the past.

Because of these factors, Wilson stands as a superfluous asset with potential value just burning a hole in New York’s pocket. With no significant need to hold on to Wilson and the potential that some needy team could offer up valuable draft capital or more, it’s hard to picture a future in which Wilson finishes the season with Big Blue.

Ravens Place DTs Nnamdi Madubuike, Broderick Washington On IR

September 27th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s doubly bad news for an already struggling defense. In addition to the semi-expected placement of Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike on injured reserve, Madubuike’s draft classmate Broderick Washington is joining him there. Baltimore will now face a four-game stretch that includes the Chiefs, Texans, Rams, and Bears without two key pieces on their defensive line.

The Madubuike move was semi-expected after head coach John Harbaugh expressed some concern about the two-time Pro Bowler’s long-term availability in a media session yesterday. Now, those concerns have been realized as the veteran lineman will embark on an extended absence with the aim to heal his troubling neck injury. His presence was greatly missed on Monday as the Ravens went sackless for the first time in 57 games without their 2023 team sack-leader.

Things won’t get much better with Washington joining Madubuike on IR because of an ankle injury. The Texas Tech product has not been nearly as productive as his A&M counterpart, Madubuike, but Washington has established himself as a dependable depth piece for Baltimore over six years with the team. Out of a possible 87 career games, Washington has started 22 of 73 game appearances and is usually good for a sack or two per year.

To make matters worse, another starting defensive tackle, Travis Jones, is currently listed as questionable for tomorrow’s trip to Kansas City with an ankle injury, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Playing on the final year of his rookie deal, this could be a big opportunity for Jones to gain some bargaining power for the offseason, but he’ll need to be on the field to make that a reality.

With Madubuike and Washington definitely out and Jones questionable, the Ravens are bringing up three defensive linemen for tomorrow’s game. Veteran lineman Brent Urban will be promoted to the 53-man roster after a short stay on the team’s practice squad. Recent practice squad signee Josh Tupou and C.J. Okoye will join Urban on Sunday, but as standard gameday practice squad elevations, they will revert back to the practice squad after the game.

That still leaves one open slot on the 53-man roster, and the Ravens will utilize it to promote practice squad tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden. This may be additional bad news as there was hope yesterday that Isaiah Likely would be ready to make his 2025 debut tomorrow. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that Likely won’t be available, but it could hint at Baltimore’s confidence in his likelihood to play.

Dolphins Considering RG Change

September 27th, 2025 at 9:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Miami’s offensive line has dealt with a number of notable absences early in the season. That includes right guard James Daniels suffering a pectoral injury which has landed him on injured reserve.

In need of additional help up front, the Dolphins added Cole Strange off the Patriots’ practice squad. The former first-rounder has yet to play this season, though, and it appears a starting spot could remain unavailable on the right side at least. It is unclear at this point who will man the RG position in Week 4.

Head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) a competition has been taking place at that spot in recent days. Kion Smith received the start in Weeks 2 and 3, but during the Dolphins’ loss against Buffalo he was replaced by Daniel Brunskill. Those two have taken first-team reps during practice, although Jackson notes Strange has also received a look with the starting O-line at both guard positions.

Smith has yet to be charged with a sack allowed by PFF in 2025. In spite of that, the former UDFA has not drawn strong evaluations for his play. Brunskill took over starting duties at the right guard spot midway through the Dolphins’ loss against the Bills, and his performance upon doing so resulted in relatively positive reviews aside from the play which resulted in a critical fourth quarter interception. Jackson adds it would come as little surprise if Brunskill, 31, were to start against the Jets on Monday.

A veteran of 94 appearances and 66 starts, Brunskill certainly represents the most experienced option available to the Dolphins at this point. He has previously worked as Miami’s backup center, but a run at guard would mark a return to Brunskill’s most familiar position. While Daniels continues to recover, it will be interesting to see how the winless Dolphins proceed up front.

Chargers Could Pursue Edge Rush Trade

September 27th, 2025 at 8:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Managing to remain healthy early in the 2025 season as been akin to pulling teeth for the 49ers. With Nick Bosa out of the picture for the remainder of the campaign, San Francisco is understandably known to be a suitor regarding an in-season trade acquisition along the edge.

The 49ers are not the only 3-0 team to watch in that regard, however. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes the Chargers could be in the market for a pass rush trade. Khalil Mack finds himself on injured reserve, and Week 4 will mark the second of at least four games he is required to miss. Joey Bosa was released in the offseason, meaning neither member of Los Angeles’ long-running EDGE tandem is available for the time being.

The Chargers have veteran Bud Dupree in the fold, and his notable workload (55% snap share through three weeks) is likely to continue especially while Mack is sidelined. Undrafted rookie Caleb Murphy has played in every game to date, while Kyle Kennard (taken in the fourth round of the draft) made his debut against the Broncos in Week 3. Those two will continue to operate in complementary roles moving forward.

Of course, Tuli Tuipulotu is in place as well. The 2023 second-rounder has yet to record a sack this season after notching 8.5 in 2024, but he has been a key figure with a 77% snap share to date. That will no doubt remain the case moving forward, especially if Mack’s absence proves to be a lengthy one. Regardless, Los Angeles could seek out a veteran option to finish out the campaign.

At the start of the season, the likes of Za’Darius Smith, Jadeveon Clowney and Preston Smith were free agents. Each member of that trio has since been signed, however, thinning out the market for options on that front. A trade could be explored by second-year general manager Joe Hortiz ahead of the deadline as a result.

Los Angeles holds a two-game lead on the rest of the AFC West entering tomorrow’s action. Considering each of the team’s wins have come in divisional matchups, the Chargers are in a very strong position early on to build off last year’s postseason berth and contend for a deep run. With over $11MM in cap space, finances would not be an issue if a rental swap were to be worked out in time for the stretch run.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25

September 27th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

With Colts cornerback Kenny Moore presumed to potentially miss a few weeks, the recent signee, Hilton, will get his opportunity to supplement the team’s secondary. He may be able to earn an official spot on the 53-man roster with an impactful game. Similarly, Cropper may be able to get into his first NFL game since going undrafted in 2023 as he gets elevated to a receiving corps that will sorely miss CeeDee Lamb.

Morris is getting called up for the third time for Jacksonville. If the Jaguars intend for him to appear in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.

Giants Place K Graham Gano On IR

September 27th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Ely Allen

After nearly becoming an early scratch on Sunday night, Giants kicker Graham Gano will miss at least the next four games. The Giants announced today that Graham has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury in warmups before last week’s game. Practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney will kick for the team this weekend.

Graham’s injury put the G-Men in a tough position on Sunday night. Despite rostering McAtamney as a backup on the practice squad, the timing of Gano’s injury came far too close to the start of the game for the Giants to have had time to bring up the taxi squad kicker. Instead, the team tried a number of alternative measures in the kicking game.

After driving down the field on the first possession on the game, New York faced a fourth-and-three at the Kansas City 28-yard line. Though they might have gone for it anyway, the lack of a primary kicker perhaps made the decision a bit easier; they did not convert. When the team actually did score a touchdown later on in the game, lefty punter Jamie Gillan came on for the extra point, kicked it too low, and had it blocked. In the fourth quarter, the offense got the ball to the seven-yard line and rushed the field goal team out onto the field, including a clearly ailing Gano. Gano made the 25-yarder but showed significant discomfort.

Now, Gano will be unable to come back to the field for at least four games. McAtamney hears his name called once again, after filling in as a backup kicker once last year for the Giants. In his only NFL game appearance, McAtamney converted both his only extra point attempt and his only field goal attempt — a 31-yarder.

Joining McAtamney from the practice squad as active players for the weekend will be outside linebacker Tomon Fox, defensive tackle Elijah Garcia, and linebacker Neville Hewitt. Fox and Garcia will be officially joining the 53-man roster, while Hewitt and McAtamney will be standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s game.

Garcia needed to be signed to the active roster in order to appear in another game for New York. He was elevated the maximum three times on a single practice squad contract through the first three weeks of the season. If New York chooses to do so, they could release Garcia after this week’s game and sign him back to the practice squad, and his three-game limit count would revert back to zero.

Dolphins’ Darren Waller Will Debut In Week 4

September 27th, 2025 at 1:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Dolphins tight end Darren Waller will finally make his return to the NFL on Sunday against the Jets.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said on Saturday (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that the 33-year-old “looks firmly ready to contribute, which is why he will play in the game.”

Waller came out of retirement this offseason to replace Jonnu Smith after he was traded to the Steelers. McDaniel also noted that the 6-foot-6 tight end would add some much-needed size to Miami’s group of pass-catchers.

Waller spent most of training camp ramping up after more than a year away from the field. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list in late August but suffered a hip strain before the regular season.

The Dolphins offense has struggled to start the year with minimal production from tight ends Julian Hill and Tanner Conner. Smith proved with his breakout 2024 that the position isn’t completely ignored in McDaniel’s offense, and the team is hoping that Waller can replicate some of his impact. Waller’s size should help in the red zone, but it’s worth noting that he only has 20 career touchdowns across 63 starts with only one season with more than three scores.

Miami’s offense could make another change on Sunday after an early-season competition at right guard following an injury to Week 1 starter James Daniels. Kion Smith took over after Daniels and started the next two games, but was benched last week for Daniel Brunskill. Former Patriots first-rounder Cole Strange has also taken first-team reps at guard this week and could factor into the picture, giving Miami multiple alternates if their starter – likely Brunskill, per Jackson – falters.

Patriots Not Punishing RB Rhamondre Stevenson For Fumbles

September 27th, 2025 at 11:40am CST by Nikhil Mehta

SEPTEMBER 27: Vrabel said on Friday (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) that Stevenson is not “on some sort of discipline,” suggesting that he may maintain his normal workload after all. Vrabel indicated that Stevenson may not get the official start, but he is not being benched outright, either.

SEPTEMBER 25: Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson led his position with seven fumbles last year, and his ball security issues seem to have continued into 2025.

The five-year veteran fumbled twice in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, which is likely to reduce his workload in the short-term, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. That will “help the coaches make a point to the rest of the team about accountability,” an especially important precedent for Mike Vrabel to establish after his predecessor, Jerod Mayo, struggled to maintain the support of his players.

A downgrade for Stevenson would result in more action for Antonio Gibson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Gibson has played just 34 snaps through three games and is trending towards career-low production, primarily due to Henderson taking over his RB2 role. However, the second-round pick has received fewer opportunities than expected to start the year with just 19 rushing attempts, though his 11 receptions lead the running back room.

Henderson clearly profiles as the future of New England’s backfield and only fumbled twice across four years and 590 carries in college, so it would not be surprising to see him take on a much bigger role in Week 4. However, Graziano cautions that changes to the running back snap distribution may not be permanent.

“The goal with Stevenson is to get him past this problem so he can be a big contributor on offense — not to cast him aside as punishment,” Graziano writes.

The Patriots’ willingness to be patient with Stevenson may stem from their financial commitment to the 27-year old. He signed a four-year, $36MM extension before the 2024 season and still has $3.25MM in guaranteed salary in 2026, per OverTheCap, so the team is likely hoping to keep him for at least another year. However, Stevenson’s fumbling issues seem to be chronic, and continuing to turn the ball over will not allow him to last long under Vrabel.

Jets QB Justin Fields To Play In Week 4

September 27th, 2025 at 10:51am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced the quarterback Justin Fields had cleared concussion protocol and would return to the field in Week 4.

“Justin is playing,” said Glenn (via SNY’s Connor Hughes).

Fields sustained the concussion after a poor start against the Bills in Week 2. He was sidelined for a week of practice and the Jets’ next game, but returned as a full participant this week. After starting last Sunday, veteran Tyrod Taylor will return to his backup role.

New York still scored 27 points against the Buccaneers without Fields, but the offense should have more upside with him in the lineup. He will get an exploitable matchup right away against a Dolphins defense that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for a league-high 128.9 passer rating this year. The unit is also one of three in the NFL that has not forced a turnover so far this year.

Fields’ debut as a Jet was one of the best games of his career, and the team will be hoping he can quickly return to that level. He showed off a rapport with former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson on an early touchdown connection before scoring twice on the ground himself in the second half. He also limited negative plays, taking just one sack and avoiding any turnovers.

A repeat performance in Miami could go a long way to steady a Jets team that has started the season 0-3. Their defense, however, will be without edge rusher Jermaine Johnson for a second week in a row due to an ankle injury, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. He returned from last year’s Achilles tear in time for the season opener, but didn’t have much of an impact before going down in Week 2. Rookie Tyler Baron saw his playing time increase in Week 3 and will likely have a similar role on Sunday.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Unlikely To Play In Week 4; No Surgery Necessary

September 27th, 2025 at 9:30am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 27: McLaurin will not play in Week 4, but he is not expected to land on injured reserve with a mandatory four-week absence, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The star wideout is considered “week-to-week” with little clarity on his precise return timeline.

SEPTEMBER 25: The Commanders could have quarterback Jayden Daniels available for Week 4 depending on the status of his knee sprain. Even if he is back in the fold for Sunday, however, Washington’s top receiver will likely be unavailable.

Terry McLaurin has been dealing with a quad injury since the third quarter of the Commanders’ Week 3 win. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the two-time Pro Bowler’s status for this week was uncertain, adding further opinions on his injury would be sought out. Indeed, a visit has taken place with Dr. Williams Meyers, as noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Dr. Meyers is an expert on core muscle injuries, something of note given the relatively uncertain nature of McLaurin’s injury. With his prognosis still unclear at this time, signs point to an absence at least covering Washington’s upcoming game. According to Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo, though (video link), the decision to seek out multiple opinions has produced a consensus that core muscle surgery will not be required.

Procedures of that kind often entail long-term absences, so today’s update is an encouraging one for McLaurin. Still, it remains to be seen what his recovery timeline will look like at this point. Any missed time on the part of the 30-year-old would of course deal a major blow to Washington’s offense.

“It’s pretty normal that, when you have something, a second opinion takes place,” head coach Dan Quinn said when speaking about the injury (via Tom Schad and Vic Tafur of the Washington Post). “So as I get into Friday, then we’ll have a sense of ‘Okay, what does it look like for Sunday?’”

McLaurin was among the most talked-about players around the NFL this offseason as he engaged in a contract standoff with the Commanders. In the end, a three-year, $87MM extension was worked out to avoid a potential free agent departure next spring. The Ohio State product has recorded 149 scoreless yards to date as he seeks out a sixth straight season of 1,000 or more yards. Efforts on that front will be hindered by a long absence, but Thursday’s update suggests one may not be in store.

Trade acquisition Deebo Samuel has scored one touchdown through the air and another on the ground early in his Commanders career. The former 49ers All-Pro will be counted on to handle a larger role on offense for however long McLaurin is sidelined, and further updates on that front will be worth monitoring over the coming days.

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