NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Zion Childress
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: WR Jalen Brooks
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Kyrese Rowan
New York Giants
- Signed: K Jude McAtamney
New York Jets
- Signed: S J.T. Woods
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: G Sua Opeta
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
After getting cut from the roster earlier today, McAtamney returns to his usual post on the practice squad. No corresponding move is necessary to make room for him on the practice squad, since McAtamney hails from Northern Ireland and qualifies for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and doesn’t count against the 16-man limit.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/21/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Raiqwon O’Neal
- Placed on IR: OL Ryan Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Jeremiah Moon
- Released: CB Keion Crossen, OT Michael Tarquin
Chicago Bears
- Released: DL Tanoh Kpassagnon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Marques Cox
- Released: OL Karsen Barnhart
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Ty Summers
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Seth Coleman
- Released: CB Keenan Garber
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Trayveon Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Audric Estime
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Elijah Garcia
New York Jets
- Signed: DT Fatorma Mulbah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: TE Jaheim Bell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: QB Logan Woodside
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Stone Blanton, TE Brayden Willis
- Released: TE Messiah Swinson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE David Ebuka Agoha, LB Ochaun Mathis
- Released: LB Curtis Jacobs
Eagles Approached Brandon Graham About Return Before Signing Za’Darius Smith
Brandon Graham seemed to shock nobody when he re-joined the Eagles following a very brief retirement. There were some pundits who assumed the Za’Darius Smith‘s sudden retirement accelerated Philly’s pursuit of their franchise leader in games played. While that was likely partly true, Graham revealed to NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that the Eagles actually approached him about a reunion before Smith even signed.
[RELATED: Brandon Graham Re-Signs With Eagles]
“[I] just wasn’t ready at the time,” Smith said (via NFL Media on X). “I wasn’t as confident as I am now because I didn’t think that opportunity would come for real.”
Smith inked a one-year, $9MM deal with the Eagles in early September and was expected to replace Graham’s leadership and pass-rush prowess. However, the free agent acquisition decided to call it a career after only five games with his new squad, at which time the front office approached Graham again. This time, the franchise legend was ready.
Graham left the door open for a potential return immediately following his retirement, and the veteran admitted he “got that itch” to continue playing after attending a training camp practice. It took more than a month for the actual deal to come to fruition, but as expected, Graham will soon be lining up on the edge for the Eagles defense.
While the Eagles added some much-needed pass-rush help to a defense that’s tallied only 11 sacks this season, they may not be done. Even before they added Graham, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the front office was sniffing around for some cornerback depth.
Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell have accounted for the majority of the team’s snaps at cornerback this season, with Adoree’ JacksonandKelee Ringo also taking on some leftover reps. Pro Football Focus has DeJean graded as the league’s eight-best cornerback this season, while Mitchell ranks 38th among 112 qualifiers. However, both Jackson and Ringo rank towards the bottom of the position in those same metrics, so the team is logically in the market for some reinforcement.
DeJean has seen the majority of his snaps as a slot CB this season, while Jackson and Ringo have mostly played out wide. DeJean’s versatility means the team doesn’t necessarily have to settle on an outside CB, but that would be the presumed target as they inch towards the trade deadline.
Russini also noted that the Eagles were seeking some help on the edge, although her report came out before news of Graham’s signing. For what it’s worth, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com hinted last night that the Eagles weren’t done adding to the position, even with Graham back on the roster.
Eagles Informing Teams A.J. Brown Remains Unavailable
A.J. Brown-Eagles drama has quieted a bit, as the mercurial wide receiver came up big in the defending champions’ win in Minnesota, but his role in the offense remains a regular talking point despite the team’s success.
Other clubs have been monitoring this situation, and the Eagles are certainly not shy about wading into the trade market. Brown’s importance to this year’s team is obvious, but the Eagles also could fetch a big haul for one of the NFL’s best receivers. That is almost certain not to happen this year, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reporting Philadelphia has no plans to move Brown before the November 4 deadline.
Teams have called the Eagles, as they did in the offseason, continuing this as a talking point. Considering Philly’s standing and commitment to 2025 success — based on another active offseason — moving Brown before the deadline would be one of the most surprising deals in recent NFL history.
But the seventh-year player’s issues with his role — which cropped up before the team’s Week 5 game, seemingly keying a pass-heavy gameplan against Denver — are not likely to cease. If the Eagles continue down this path and hold onto their No. 1 target throughout the season, this storyline will undoubtedly produce more trade rumors entering the 2026 offseason.
At 51 targets through seven games, Brown is on pace for more than he drew last season (97). But a 123-target season (or something in that vicinity) would still check in far south of where the number was during the wideout’s more impressive 2022 and ’23 slates. Brown drew 145 looks in 2022 and 158 in ’23. A three-game injury absence and being rested in Week 18 reduced Brown’s 2024 total, making this season’s 123-target pace more in line with where he was on a per-game basis last season. The Eagles, though, have not seen Saquon Barkley closely approach his 2024 work yet. They have needed more from their passing attack than they did in 2024.
In Week 7, Philly saw Brown catch four passes for 121 yards and two scores. This came on a day when DeVonta Smith exploded for a nine-reception, 183-yard game. This remains a top-tier NFL receiving duo, albeit one that saw Barkley’s 2024 resurgence reduce its relevance. Barkley is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry this season, sitting at 369 yards after ripping off 2,005 in 16 games last year. If the Eagles’ run-game struggles — after making Barkley the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year RB — persist, more will be needed from Brown and Smith.
Brown’s three-year, $96MM extension runs through the 2029 season. As this is the Eagles, it is filled with option bonuses and void years. Brown’s 2026 compensation locked in after he remained on Philly’s roster this past March, but this rolling guarantee structure only includes a $4MM 2027 trigger if he is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the ’26 league year. That could extend this partnership for at least one more season, but the Eagles would certainly receive more value trading Brown ahead of an age-29 season in 2026 than when he turns 30 in ’27.
A WR-needy team likely would not be too intimidated by Brown’s near-$30MM guarantee in 2026, especially if he keeps proving himself as an upper-crust wideout. For now, the Eagles and Brown will need to keep working together. The Eagles’ losses to the Broncos and Giants notwithstanding, this remains one of the NFL’s best rosters. It can certainly improve before the November 4 deadline as well.
Retired DE Brandon Graham Mulling Return To Eagles
OCTOBER 20: Graham is expected to be back in the fold “soon,” per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. He adds thoughts about a return to action in this case predate Za’Darius Smith’s retirement. As such, a trade for pass rush help could certainly still be in store regardless of the role Graham plays in 2025.
OCTOBER 19: Retired defensive end and Eagles icon Brandon Graham is mulling a return to the team. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network were the first to report the news, and they confirm Graham and Philadelphia brass have had conversations about a comeback.
This is not a terribly surprising development. Less than a month after announcing his retirement in March, Graham left the door open to a possible return, saying he was “90 percent retired.” While he did clarify that he intended to keep his cleats in the closet, there was speculation at the time that the 2010 first-rounder could rejoin the only club he has ever known to aid in another championship push.
Now 37, Graham is the longest-tenured Eagle in franchise history, having played for the team for 15 seasons. He was part of both of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl-winning outfits, and his strip-sack of then-Patriots QB Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII has become an enduring image in Eagles lore.
Nostalgia aside, the Eagles would welcome Graham’s on- and off-field presence. After a 4-0 start to the 2025 season, the team has lost two in a row, and Rapoport and Garafolo characterize the team’s locker room as “splintered.” Graham has long been respected as a steadying influence and leader among both defensive and offensive players, which the club could use at the moment.
This offseason, Graham retired, Josh Sweat left in free agency, and Bryce Huff was traded to the 49ers. That left the Eagles with a number of question marks in the pass rush department, and as of the time of this writing, the team’s nine sacks are the eighth-fewest in the NFL. Those troubles have been exacerbated by Za’Darius Smith’s surprise retirement and the fact that both Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo are on injured reserve.
From a raw statistics perspective, Graham was never a dominant pass rusher, as he reached double-digit sacks just once in his lengthy career. He could nonetheless stabilize the team’s play along the edge, but even if he returns, it would be fair to expect GM Howie Roseman to continue exploring the trade market for pass rush help.
Bengals Considered Long List Of QBs Before Joe Flacco Trade
After a Week 5 loss to the Lions, their third straight lopsided defeat under backup signal-caller Jake Browning, the Bengals aggressively began searching for a different Joe Burrow fill-in. Led by director of player personnel Duke Tobin, the Bengals put together an extensive list of potential upgrades over Browning, Albert Breer of SI.com details.
Before swinging a trade with the division-rival Browns for Joe Flacco, the Bengals considered Anthony Richardson (Colts); Kirk Cousins (Falcons); the Giants’ backup duo of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston; the Rams’ Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett; Tanner McKee (Eagles); and Josh Johnson (Commanders). They joined the previously reported Derek Carr (Saints), Sam Howell (Eagles), Drew Lock (Seahawks), and Davis Mills (Texans) in Cincinnati’s exhaustive search.
The Bengals narrowed the list down to five before choosing Flacco as the best option, according to Breer. It’s unclear who joined the 40-year-old in the group of finalists or whether the Bengals even made calls on all of those QBs.
In the end, Flacco won out as a result of a few factors. Flacco is affordable ($1.26MM base salary) and only cost a fifth-round pick. The well-traveled Super Bowl XLVII MVP also has plenty of AFC North experience, and coordinator Dan Pitcher identified him as a clear fit based on similarities between Cincinnati’s offense and Cleveland’s in terms of “spacing the field and progressing pass concepts,” Breer writes.
Two weeks into what will be a short-lived run as the Bengals’ starter, Flacco has looked like a shrewd acquisition. The Bengals lost his first start to the Packers, but they bounced back with an upset over the division-rival Steelers on Thursday.
Flacco outdueled fellow 40-something Aaron Rodgers in Week 7, going 31 for 47 for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 thriller. He made superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase the focal point of the offense, targeting him on a jaw-dropping 23 throws and hitting him 16 times for 161 yards and a score. Chase has already hauled in 26 passes and two of Flacco’s five TDs as a Bengal. Flacco has yet to throw a pick with the team after tossing six in four games with the Browns.
The goal in acquiring Flacco was to hang around long enough to make a potential Burrow return worthwhile in 2025. Burrow, who underwent toe surgery on Sept. 19, is expected to miss at least three months. That means the Bengals will have to stay in the race into December under Flacco. At 3-4, they trail the division-leading Steelers (4-2) and sit in ninth place in the AFC. While the Bengals are still facing an uphill climb, Flacco has at least given them a more credible option than Browning under center.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/25
Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad elevations as we head to the seventh Sunday of the regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: DL Ta’Quon Graham
- Placed on IR: CB Clark Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Travis Homer
- Elevated: DT Jonathan Ford, K Jake Moody
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: G Jacob Monk
- Elevated: DE Arron Mosby, RB Pierre Strong
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: LB Branson Combs
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, CB Kendall Sheffield
New England Patriots
- Elevated: CB Miles Battle, RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Nephi Sewell
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: OLB Victor Dimukeje
- Waived: DL Elijah Garcia
- Elevated: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Ja’Markis Weston
- Signed from practice squad: WR Isaiah Williams
- Elevated: CB Korie Black, LB Jackson Sirmon
- Waived: LB Mark Robinson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: TE E.J. Jenkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, WR Mason Kinsey
As injured reserve activations start to dominate the headlines, a couple teams are making minor additions off their injured lists. In Homer, the Bears are getting a veteran special teamer and some running back depth. Monk adds depth to Green Bay’s offensive line. And Weston will do the same for a linebacking corps in New York that has seen rookie fifth-round pick Francisco Mauigoa starting in place of an injured Quincy Williams.
Ford in Chicago, Sewell in New Orleans, and Jacobs in Tennessee are all being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. In order to appear in any more games after this weekend, their respective teams will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.
Vikings To Start Carson Wentz Vs. Eagles
The Carson Wentz revenge game is officially happening.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Wentz will start on Sunday against the Eagles, his former team. The Eagles traded up to draft Wentz with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft with the hopes that he would be their long-term franchise quarterback.
It didn’t quite work out that way. Wentz struggled as a rookie before a breakout 2017 season that was cut short by an ACL tear. The Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl with Nick Foles under center. Injuries remained an issue for Wentz, though the team still signed him to a four-year, $108MM extension in 2019. By the end of the next season, he was benched for Jalen Hurts, and during the offseason, he was traded to the Colts. That kicked off a series of one-year stints with the Commanders, Rams, and Chiefs before signing with the Vikings this offseason.
O’Connell has repeatedly made it clear that J.J. McCarthy will be the Vikings’ starting quarterback when he’s fully healthy, but that has not been the case for weeks. Wentz started the last two games, and though he picked up a shoulder injury last week, he will be under center once again on Sunday.
McCarthy has still been limited in practice this week as he works his way back from an ankle injury, but O’Connell said that the second-year quarterback will be active as the Vikings’ emergency third quarterback in Week 7, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Max Brosmer will still be the team’s primary backup, but O’Connell indicated that he was comfortable with McCarthy taking the field in an emergency.
49ers, Colts, Eagles, Cowboys Among Potential Suitors For Trey Hendrickson
All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has emerged as a popular name in trade talks following an offseason contract saga with the Bengals and their subsequent 2-4 start to the season.
The 49ers are among the teams interested in trading for Hendrickson, though Cincinnati is reportedly not interested in moving him. Other expected suitors include the Colts, Eagles, and Cowboys, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline. Hendrickson is owed $9.8MM for the rest of the season if traded after Week 8 ($8.9MM if after Week 9, per OverTheCap), and the Bengals will likely want an acquiring team to pick up all of his remaining salary.
We noted when the Colts restructured Kenny Moore‘s contract earlier this month that general manager Chris Ballard could be clearing space for a big swing ahead of the trade deadline to take advantage of a surprising 5-1 start. Going after Hendrickson, one of the league’s premier edge rushers, would certainly fall into that category. Indianapolis does not necessarily need the pass rush help – their 16 sacks are tied for seventh-most in the NFL – but no individual player has more than 3.0 sacks. Instead, they have 11 defenders who have contributed to a sack this year; adding Hendrickson to that group would give them an elite individual sack-getter on top of a well-schemed pass rush.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a reputation of being a big-name hunter on the trade market, but most of his higher-profile deals have come during the offseason. However, Philadelphia has a bottom-10 pass rush with only nine sacks as a team and no player with more than two. Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo are already on injured reserve, and Za’Darius Smith just retired, so the Eagles defense could definitely use reinforcements on the edge. Roseman’s aggressive cap management has given the team enough room to absorb’s Hendrickson’s contract, though it would tighten their budget for the rest of the season.
The Cowboys pass rush has predictably struggled following the departures of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, leading to one of the worst defensive units in the NFL. Jerry Jones recently hinted that he could be active ahead of the trade deadline, and he acknowledge that every asset would be on the table, including the picks acquired from Green Bay in the Parsons trade. The Cowboys could certainly use a player of Hendrickson’s caliber, as they currently have the ninth-fewest sacks in the NFL (11).
We heard recently that the 49ers see Hendrickson as “an ideal fit for their defense.” The team lost star pass rusher Nick Bosa to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3, and 49ers general manager John Lynch has made it known that he’s looking for help on the edge. That front office hasn’t been afraid to take in-season swings, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the team acquired a player of Hendrickson’s talent as they look to maximize their current core.
As mentioned, the Bengals have resisted any trade inquires for their star pass rusher. However, if the team doesn’t improve as the trade deadline inches closer, there’s a chance the team starts fielding offers.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown, WR Bryson Green
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Thayer Munford
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: T Kilian Zierer
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Jason Brownlee
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Dalevon Campbell, CB Myles Purchase
- Released: C Josh Kaltenberger
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Jaheim Bell, DE Titus Leo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: T Isaac Alarcón
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Tyler Scott
- Released: WR Tyrone Broden
Both Jacksonville and San Francisco had their practice squads filled up with 16 players apiece, but Zierer and Alarcón were both able to be added as players in the league’s International Player Pathway Program. Zierer is a German-born lineman, and Alarcón was born in Mexico.