Cardinals Activate DL Walter Nolen, CB Garrett Williams

The Cardinals will have a pair of defenders available in time for tonight’s game. Most notably, Walter Nolen is positioned to make his NFL debut against the Cowboys.

The first-round rookie has been activated, per a team announcement. Nolen was shifted to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns while continuing to recover from a calf injury. The Cardinals opened his practice window on October 15, though, which began the 21-day period for him to be activated.

To no surprise, Nolen has been brought into the fold in time to play tonight. The Texas A&M and Ole Miss product stood out as one of the top prospects in a loaded 2025 defensive tackle class. Expectations are high in his case as a result, although given his missed time a long-running acclimation period can be expected. Nevertheless, any contributions early on will be key for the Cardinals’ defensive front.

Arizona will also have an important figure available in the secondary beginning in Week 9. Cornerback Garrett Williams has been activated from injured reserve. The 24-year-old retuned to practice less than one week ago, and he has clearly not encountered any setbacks. Williams totaled 17 starts across his first two seasons in Arizona, and he was a first-team presence for each of his two appearances in 2025 before being sidelined with a knee injury.

Having him back will be critical against a high-powered Cowboys offense. Beyond that, Williams will be expected to reprise his role as a starter as the Cardinals look to end their streak of close defeats and remain in contention for the postseason. The team ranks just 24th against the pass this season, but having the Syracuse product back in the fold could bring about needed improvements. This move leaves Arizona with five IR activations available.

Nolen has plenty of time to develop as he plays out his rookie contract. Williams, on the other hand, will be eligible for an extension as early as this coming offseason. A strong run from this point on would help the latter’s chances of landing a new deal or at least cementing his status as an impact player for 2026. Both defenders could prove to be notable contributors for years to come if all goes according to plan.

With the Cardinals still thin in the backfield, Michael Carter is the team’s only gameday elevation for tonight. He has bounced on and off the roster while also seeing time on the practice squad, and he will look to chip in on offense during his fifth appearance of the campaign.

Bucs Designate RT Luke Goedeke For Return

The Buccaneers have continued to withstand body blows on offense, but they may be getting some help after the bye. Tampa Bay will see right tackle Luke Goedeke back at practice this week.

Down since aggravating a foot injury in Week 2, Goedeke received a return designation, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. This injury came before the spree of skill-position maladies — affecting Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka — to plague the NFC South leaders. A Goedeke return would help a Bucs O-line that has missed other pieces at points.

While Goedeke has been sidelined, the Bucs lost right guard Cody Mauch for the season. They have yet to deploy Goedeke and starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs in a game together this season, with the All-Pro not debuting until Goedeke landed on IR. Having that duo back together would give Tampa Bay four of its five starting O-linemen — along with left guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton — together. This would certainly benefit Baker Mayfield, whose MVP push has included a shorthanded squad throughout.

Goedeke made a second-year move from guard to tackle, and his work on the edge moved him into position to secure a late-summer extension. The Bucs gave Goedeke a four-year, $90MM extension, locking him in through the 2029 season a year after extending Wirfs through 2030 at a then-record tackle rate. The Bucs have 21 days to activate Goedeke, and it certainly sounds like the team will have him available soon.

Tampa Bay is hoping to have Evans back at some point in December; the future Hall of Fame wideout suffered a broken clavicle last month. The team has not used IR for Godwin or Irving, but each has missed extensive time. Irving has been out for four games with foot and shoulder injuries, while Godwin — who did not debut until Week 5 due to his fractured ankle — has missed the past three contests with a fibula issue. Neither is assured to be back for Week 10, but the running back and wide receiver landing on IR remains a positive sign regarding near-future returns.

While Evans’ reemergence is a long way off, the Bucs could have nine of their 11 offensive starters back fairly soon. Goedeke, who will turn 27 this month, has started 40 career games. This will be his third season as a Wirfs bookend, with the Bucs having kicked the standout to left tackle in 2023. That duo helped Mayfield stabilize his career, and the resurgent quarterback having played well without several key pieces on offense bodes well for his form when most are back.

Commanders’ Marshon Lattimore Suffers ACL Tear; Luke McCaffrey Headed To IR

3:11pm: When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed Lattimore did indeed tear his ACL. Attention will now turn to the recovery timeline in this case, with Lattimore likely in line to miss the beginning of the 2026 campaign.

9:16am: Jayden Daniels was not the only member of the Commanders to suffer a major injury last night. The team’s defense and special teams have each been dealt a blow as well.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore exited the contest with a left knee injury, and he may very well be done for the year. The Commanders fear Lattimore suffered an ACL tear, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. Further testing will be required, but confirmation would end the veteran’s first full campaign in Washington.

Lattimore was acquired almost exactly one year ago as the Commanders added to their secondary in advance of a run to the NFC title game. A repeat of that success seems highly unlikely now, and rebounding from a 3-6 start to the campaign will be challenging with a shorthanded secondary. Lattimore, 29, has operated as a full-time starter in 2025. He would have continued doing so if not for this injury.

As the Commanders seek out an in-house replacement to take on his snaps – or look into the trade market for an external addition – Lattimore’s attention will turn to a lengthy rehab process presuming his ACL is confirmed to be torn. The four-time Pro Bowler is under contract through 2026, with a $2MM roster bonus due in March. None of Lattimore’s base salary for the year is guaranteed, so this injury could threaten his future in Washington or at least lead to a pay cut being worked out in the spring.

In other injury news, receiver/returner Luke McCaffrey may also have seen his last action of 2025 on Sunday night. The 2024 third-rounder was injured on the opening kickoff of the game; Garafolo, Rapoport and colleague Tom Pelissero report McCaffrey suffered a broken collarbone. As such, a stint on injured reserve is forthcoming. That will shut him down for at least four games, but it is unclear at this point if McCaffrey will be able to return this season.

The 24-year-old has operated as a depth option in the passing game early in his career, and his average of 18.5 yards per reception in 2025 ranks second on the team. McCaffrey’s most important contributions have come on special teams, though. His 769 kick return yards rank second in the NFL, so his absence will be acutely felt in the third phase.

Terry McLaurin is set to miss multiple games, and losing McCaffrey will deal another blow to Washington’s receiving corps. The team’s outlook for 2025 is not in a good place given its record along with the strong chance of Daniels missing even more time down the stretch. Losing Lattimore and McCaffrey will add further to the Commanders’ injury issues and increase the chances of the campaign ending well short of expectations.

Bears DE Dayo Odeyingbo Out For Season With Torn Achilles

Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo is out for the season with a torn Achilles suffered in a Week 9 victory over the Bengals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Odeyingbo, originally a Colts second-round pick in 2021, arrived in Chicago this offseason on a three-year, $48MM deal. He started the Bears’ first eight games this year with a 75% snap share, but only logged one sack and two tackles for loss before his injury on Sunday.

Shemar Turner and Dominique Robinson are already dealing with injuries, so the Bears’ defensive line depth will be tested further by Odeyingbo’s absence. The return of Austin Booker from his knee injury will help, and 2022 seventh-rounder Daniel Hardy will likely be asked to play more snaps as well.

The Bears may regret their decision to release Tanoh Kpassagnon from their practice squad last month. He has since signed with the Colts’ practice squad, but Chicago could still sign him to its 53-man roster. The Bears also have Jonathan Garvin and Jamree Kromah on their own practice squad for game day elevations and/or a promotion to the active roster.

Odeyingbo’s debut season in Chicago will now be considered a disappointment due to his lack of production and, now, availability. Beyond his low counting stats, Odeyingbo has only logged a 4.8% pressure rate and a 8.9% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Last year, those numbers were 9.6% and 12.6%, respectively.

The 26-year-old edge rusher will likely aim to return by the beginning of the 2026 season when he can retake a starting job opposite Montez Sweat. The Bears may still bring in some depth off the edge to bolster a pass rush that has not consistently gotten to opposing quarterbacks this season. Their defense overall has been a bottom-10 unit, but their results on the other side of the ball appear to be proof-of-concept for the Ben JohnsonCaleb Williams partnership. A return from Odeyingbo and additional investments in the defense could help them take a bigger leap in 2026.

Patriots Shopping OLB Anfernee Jennings

Mike Vrabel‘s run as Patriots HC has produced a six-game win streak, restoring the team as a contender after a few down years. The Vrabel period has also produced a number of separations, as previous-regime players have been either demoted or shown the door (or both).

Last week, the Pats unloaded Kyle Dugger and Keion WhiteBill Belichick draftees, one of whom (Dugger) current GM Eliot Wolf extended — and more assets could be dealt away despite a 7-2 record. One of those may well be Anfernee Jennings. The edge rusher is being shopped ahead of the deadline, per veteran insider Jordan Schultz.

Just more than 24 hours remain until this year’s trade endpoint, and the Patriots are trying to trade player who has fallen out of favor. This would be an interesting move, especially considering New England already dealt an edge rusher. White went to San Francisco in a Day 3 pick-swap agreement.

The Patriots are also not exactly deep on the edge, relying on late bloomer K’Lavon Chaisson as a starter opposite ex-Titan Harold Landry. Chaisson is making a reasonable attempt to shed the bust label this season. After notching five sacks in four Jaguars seasons, he has 11.5 over the past two seasons. Five and a half of those have come this year, tying Landry for the team lead. Free agency addition Milton Williams has 3.5, though no other Patriot has two. This has led to some rumors about the AFC East leaders being in the market for an EDGE addition. The team pursued Jaelan Phillips, as unrealistic as an intra-AFC East swap would have been, as well.

It would seem the Patriots are not satisfied with the quality of their edge-rushing situation, as they appear ready to add Jennings to the discard pile along with White. Jennings has been on the trade block for a bit, as rumors about his Foxborough departure came up in August — after he landed on Vrabel’s roster bubble — and October.

During Wolf’s year with Jerod Mayo, the Pats re-signed Jennings to a three-year, $12MM deal. Less than $1MM remains in 2025 base salary, and Jennings’ $3MM 2026 paragraph 5 number is nonguaranteed. He played well in 2023, notching 14 tackles for loss. Never a prolific sack artist (6.5 in his career), the former third-round pick has made 37 starts in a six-year career. Nevertheless, the Pats look to making final calls on unloading the Belichick-era player. It will be interesting to see if he is replaced on the trade market before Tuesday’s deadline.

49ers DE Mykel Williams Suffers Torn ACL

NOVEMBER 3: Tests confirmed that Williams tore his ACL, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will sideline him for the rest of the year and likely impact his sophomore year in the NFL as well. Given a typical recovery timeline of at least nine months, Williams may not be ready to play by the beginning of the 2026 season.

NOVEMBER 2: The 49ers earned a win in Week 9 but they may have suffered yet another major injury on defense along the way. Mykel Williams‘ rookie campaign may be over.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) the team fears Williams suffered an ACL tear in today’s win against the Giants. The first-rounder went down with roughly four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of today’s game, and a season-ending absence could now be in store.

Further testing – including an MRI – will take place to confirm a diagnosis. When coaches express concern about major injuries such as this, however, it is rare the worst-case scenario winds up being avoided. If that holds true for Williams, San Francisco’s pass rush will be even further shorthanded for the second half of the campaign.

The team is already without Nick Bosa, who suffered an ACL tear of his own in September. Since then, linebacker Fred Warner has gone down with an ankle injury which threatens to keep him sidelined for the rest of the season. If Williams – who has served as a full-time starter during his rookie campaign – is indeed out for the stretch run and the playoffs, the 49ers could be forced to an even larger extent to add another pass rusher ahead of the trade deadline (having already acquired Keion White from the Patriots).

The team has been connected to making at least one additional acquisition in that regard, with links emerging to Trey Hendrickson in particular. A blockbuster along those lines would be a surprise, but San Francisco was still among the teams to watch on the trade front for an EDGE addition prior to today. That will especially be the case if Williams is sidelined.

The 21-year-old notched just one sack and three QB pressures during his first eight appearances. Williams nevertheless logged a 68% snap share, and that was set to continue (particularly while Bryce Huff recovers from a hamstring ailment). The 49ers have the cap space to afford a rental trade addition and at 6-3 they could easily adopt a buyer’s stance leading up to the November 4 deadline. Out of necessity, a move could be in store shortly.

Raiders Could Trade DE Tyree Wilson?

The Raiders’ loss on Sunday dropped them to 2-6 on the year. Especially with a first-year GM-HC tandem in place, it would come as little surprise if a seller’s stance were to be adopted ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.

Maxx Crosby remains untouchable, but Jakobi Meyers is among the receivers viewed as a strong candidate to be dealt. Regardless of what happens on that front, other Raiders could be the subject of trade calls. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated adds Tyree Wilson to that list.

Wilson entered the league with high expectations as the seventh overall pick in 2023. Questions were raised about his ceiling based on a good-not-great finish to his college career, but the Texas Tech product has been a regular on defense during his Vegas tenure. Wilson has logged a snap share between 44% and 50% during each of his three NFL seasons.

Over that span, however, he has not managed to develop as hoped in terms of pass rush production. Wilson notched 3.5 sacks as a rookie before upping that total to 4.5 the following year. So far in the current campaign, his playing time has dipped slightly compared to 2024. Wilson has amassed a pair of sacks and six QB pressures this season while sharing time with Malcolm Koonce as a complementary piece to Crosby along the edge.

Koonce was retained on a one-year deal this offseason, allowing him to rebuild his value after missing all of last season. He has only managed one sack so far in 2025, a far cry from the eight-sack showing Koonce delivered during his last healthy campaign. The Raiders could elect to move on in his case, although as a pending free agent Koonce would not generate much in the way of a return.

Wilson could be viewed as a relatively high-upside target by comparison. The 25-year-old is under contract through at least 2026, and an acquiring team could extend that by one season by exercising his fifth-year option. Even in the (likely) event that were not to take place, Wilson would represent more than a half-season rental. That could provide a slight boost to his trade price in the event the Raiders were willing to move on.

John Spytek and Pete Carroll were not in place when Wilson was drafted, a factor which could be key in determining if a trade takes place. No links to suitors have been made so far, but as Breer notes Wilson’s ability to line up on the edge and along the defensive interior could make him an attractive depth piece as contenders look to add for the stretch run.

Cowboys Activate C Cooper Beebe, Place LB Jack Sanborn On IR

The Cowboys’ 31st-ranked defense is losing another piece. The team is placing linebacker Jack Sanborn on IR, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. This move will make room for Cooper Beebe‘s return, however.

Beebe is being activated from IR ahead of tonight’s Dallas-Arizona game. The Cowboys’ starting center has been out since Week 2 with foot and ankle injuries. The second-year blocker suffered a lateral ankle sprain along with a bone fracture in his foot in September; his return comes within the initial recovery timeline.

Dallas has been using Brock Hoffman at center in place of Beebe, but the more experienced player will be set to return to backup status. Beebe has started all 18 games he has played as a pro. The Cowboys plugged he and fellow 2024 draftee Tyler Guyton into the lineup as rookies. They will now have three first- or second-year players, with Tyler Booker in the lineup, starting up front against the Cardinals. Beebe’s development will remain a priority for the Cowboys, who turned to their 2024 third-rounder to replace departed free agent Tyler Biadasz last year.

This activation will leave the Cowboys with four injury activations remaining. The team already activated cornerback Caelen Carson and used summer IR-return designations on wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and defensive end Payton Turner. The latter has not yet returned to practice, but by virtue of the summer IR-return move, he already counts toward Dallas’ eight-activation total.

Pro Football Focus has Hoffman rated 31st among centers, pointing to Beebe’s return providing a boost. The Cowboys have been wildly inconsistent this season, but they do sport one of the league’s best offenses. Beebe’s comeback figures to help Javonte Williams continue his bounce-back season.

Sanborn has started five of the six games he has played with Dallas. The team continues to wait on DeMarvion Overshown‘s return from a major knee injury. Overshown remains in the PUP-return window, having begun practicing late last month. PFF slots Sanborn 55th among qualified linebackers this season.

The former Bears defender is on a one-year, $1.5MM deal, coming over as one of a few low-cost Cowboys linebackers in recent years. A groin injury will move Sanborn off the 53-man roster for at least four games, per the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins. Sanborn started five games before coming off the bench in Week 7. He missed the team’s Week 8 Broncos matchup.

The Cowboys also signed running back Malik Davis from the practice squad and used their standard gameday elevations on defensive back Zion Childress and tight end Princeton Fant.

Commanders Listening On OLs Nick Allegretti, Andrew Wylie

The Commanders dropped to 3-6 after a one-sided Sunday-night loss, and they are facing an extended period — perhaps the rest of the season — without star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Suddenly, seller’s trades are logical for the 2024 NFC runner-up.

Washington also is well stocked at a position teams frequently covet at the trade deadline, rostering three backup O-linemen with notable starting experience. While 2024 third-round pick Brandon Coleman is not likely to be moved in a trade, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes the Commanders are listening on Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti.

Allegretti lost his starting two games into the season, with Wylie entering the lineup in Week 3. The Commanders drafted Josh Conerly Jr. in Round 1, stationing him at right tackle, and initially had Wylie playing in place of Sam Cosmi at right guard. Wylie ceded the RG gig to the high-priced starter in Week 7 and has worked as a backup since.

Wylie followed Eric Bieniemy over from Kansas City in 2023, while Allegretti came a year later — despite the longtime Chiefs assistant being a Commanders one-and-done — in free agency. Both players likely do not factor into Washington’s post-2025 plans, and neither figure to be too pricey to acquire before Tuesday’s 3pm CT deadline. Barely $1MM remains on Wylie’s 2025 salary, a figure the Commanders reduced via an offseason pay cut, while Allegretti is due less than $1MM the rest of the way.

While Allegretti functioned as a Chiefs guard backup prior to his three-year, $16MM Commanders deal in 2024, Wylie has played extensively at both guard and tackle. The 31-year-old blocker operated as a Chiefs guard starter from 2018-20 and then primarily played tackle from 2021-22. The Chiefs kept Wylie at tackle despite a poor showing in Super Bowl LV, where he needed to kick outside due to starter injuries, and he parlayed a gig as the Super Bowl LVII-winning squad’s RT into a three-year, $24MM Washington pact.

These two reside as reside as interesting pieces heading into the deadline crunch, as both could be on the move. The Commanders have been using 2022 seventh-round pick Chris Paul as their left guard starter. With Paul in a contract year, Coleman could land another opportunity in the not-too-distant future. But neither Allegretti (17 2024 starts at LG) nor Wylie are likely coming back. That makes them clear targets to monitor for OL-needy teams this week.

Patriots Had Interest In Jaelan Phillips

The Patriots had interested in Jaelan Phillips before the Dolphins traded him to the Eagles on Monday morning, according to Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal.

New England sent Keion White to the 49ers last week, likely because he did not fit in new head coach Mike Vrabel‘s vision for the defense. That raised the need for a third edge rusher behind Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson. Phillips would have fit the bill, but it seems that the Patriots were not willing to beat the Eagles’ offer. Miami also may have hesitated to trade Phillips within the division.

The Patriots have made a huge leap under Vrabel to start the 2025 season with a 7-2 record and a +68 point differential. They lead the AFC East with one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, making them a contender not only for a divisional title, but a top playoff seed as well. That could inspire an aggressive trade-deadline investment in their pass rush to take advantage of an impressive season thus far. Upgrading a defense that has already excelled this year could mean even more if and when the Patriots play the AFC’s best offenses in the postseason.

Giardi also notes that Arden Key may make more sense for the amount of draft capital that the Patriots are willing to move. The Titans seem to be full-on sellers after firing Brian Callahan, and Key’s production has dipped enough for him to be a cheap acquisition. A trade to the Patriots would reunite Vrabel with another of his pass rushers from his time in Tennessee – the first being Landry.