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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/25

November 18th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad moves around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OL Andrew Steuber

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed: DL Fabien Lovett Sr.

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: WR John Rhys Plumlee
  • Released: S Jack Henderson

Seattle Seahawks

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: S Marcus Banks

Tennessee Titans

Reeves-Maybin, the current NFLPA president, spent most of his career with the Lions but was released this offseason. He worked out with the 49ers in October and now returns to the NFC North with the Bears.

Odum began his NFL career in Indianapolis and is now returning to the Colts after a three-year stint with the 49ers. He will likely provide depth on special teams when elevated from the practice squad.

Kpassagnon, meanwhile, will be looking for his third team this season. He signed in Chicago this offseason to reunite with Dennis Allen, the Bears’ defensive coordinator and Kpassagnon’s former coach in New Orleans. He played 89 snaps across five games in Chicago before he was released. He then signed with the Colts’ practice squad, but did not make any appearances in blue and white.

The Seahawks signed Jones to their practice squad, but he was released the following day in a health-related move, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Rice, the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, will get to play for one of his father’s former teams. Jerry Rice played for the Seahawks during his last season in 2004.

Steelers Work Out QBs Jason Bean, Tanner Mordecai Amid Aaron Rodgers Injury

November 18th, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

With Aaron Rodgers dealing with a left wrist injury, the Steelers worked out veteran quarterbacks Jason Bean and Tanner Mordecai on Tuesday, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

Pittsburgh currently has three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster and zero on their practice squad. Backup Mason Rudolph, and third-stringer Will Howard will both move up a spot on the depth chart for at least a week, leaving the Steelers without a third option should either of them get injured.

Bean, 26, signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Kansas in 2024. He did not make the 53-man roster, but stuck around on the practice squad for the entire season. He was waived during final roster cuts this year and did not draw practice squad interest from the Colts or any other team.

Mordecai is also a 26-year-old who entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2024. Mordecai finished his college career at Wisconsin and signed with the 49ers last spring. He spent the season on San Francisco’s practice squad and was repeatedly cut and re-signed during training camp as the team balanced their other roster needs. He was waived due to injury a final time during roster cuts.

The Steelers did not sign Bean or Mordecai, though that could be coming in the next few days as they continue to assess Rodgers’ wrist. They could also work out other available quarterbacks later this week.

The Steelers also worked out wide receivers Cole Burgess, Elijah Cooks, and Cornell Powell on Tuesday, per Cardswire’s Howard Balzer.

NFL To Review Ja’Marr Chase-Jalen Ramsey Incident; Latest On Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers

November 17th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Rory Parks

NOVEMBER 17: Despite the “tiny fracture” in his wrist, Rodgers “is pushing to play” on Sunday, according to Rapoport, who hears there’s a “50/50” chance it will happen. It will come down to whether Rodgers is able to grip the football.

NOVEMBER 16, 10:05pm: Per Schefter, there is concern that Rodgers sustained a “slight break” in his left wrist. More clarity, including how much time Rodgers might miss, will come after his evaluation on Monday. It sounds as if some missed time is expected, because Schefter followed his report regarding the possible break with a post suggesting Rudolph will be under center when the Steelers face the Bears in Week 12.

Nonetheless, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says this is not expected to be a long-term issue.

5:54pm: The Bengals lost an important divisional game against the Steelers on Sunday, dropping them to 3-7. Already without starting quarterback Joe Burrow until at least Week 13, Cincinnati may also lose its top wideout, Ja’Marr Chase, for a game. 

In the fourth quarter of the Bengals-Steelers contest, Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase. While passing along a video of the incident, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says Ramsey’s transgression appears to have been more of a grab of Chase’s facemask than a true punch. Ramsey and Chase had already been flagged for offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, however, so Ramsey presumably would have been ejected regardless.

Ramsey’s teammate, Joey Porter Jr., told reporters after the game that Chase spit on Ramsey, which triggered the mercurial defensive back’s reaction (video link via ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin). Porter acknowledges he did not see the alleged expectoration, and Chase unequivocally denied it (via Martin).

But in a video passed along by Fox 19 sports photographer Austin Briski, it appears Ramsey was correct and that Chase did, in fact, spit on him. Head referee Bill Vinovich said in the postgame pool report that neither he nor any other members of his crew witnessed that part of the altercation (from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

An NFL spokesman told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the league will be reviewing the incident. And, as Garafolo reminds us, league precedent indicates spitting does merit a suspension.

Eagles DT Jalen Carter technically was not suspended for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first regular season game of the 2025 slate. However, that was only because the incident took place immediately after the opening kickoff, and before Carter even played a snap (Carter was fined the amount of a full game check). Since the Chase-Ramsey incident transpired in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s matchup, Chase could certainly be hit with a brief ban as well as a fine.

The spitting saga overshadowed the fact that the Steelers played half of the game without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The soon-to-be 42-year-old sustained a left wrist injury late in the first half and did not return. Per Rapoport, Rodgers will undergo an evaluation on his wrist on Monday morning.

Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/25

November 15th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s slate of games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

With the 49ers set to see their starting quarterback return, Martinez’s presence on the 53-man roster is no longer necessary. He’ll likely find his way back to the team’s practice squad.

The Panthers’ two elevations, Barnes and Mukuamu, are direct reflections of injury absences for tomorrow’s game. With Trevin Wallace and Lathan Ransom ruled out for Sunday, Carolina made the decision to call up another player at each position.

Mevis will once again be called upon for kicking duties in Los Angeles. In his NFL debut last week, he was untested in terms of field goal attempts, but he converted all six extra point attempts in a blowout win in San Francisco.

Kamara in Tampa Bay is being called up for the third time this season. If the Buccaneers intend to play him in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster, much as the Ravens did after Bryan exhausted all three of his standard gameday practice squad elevations.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/25

November 14th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s practice squad transactions:

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

A day after releasing Thomas to make room for Leo on the taxi squad, the Eagles have made the opposite transactions, bringing back Thomas while letting go of Leo. Sermon was waived to make room for sixth-round rookie quarterback Will Howard to come off of injured reserve, but he’ll stick around on the Steelers’ practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/25

November 13th, 2025 at 6:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL…

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Conner, a sixth-round pick from Texas, has yet to debut as a rookie after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. The Cardinals placed Conner on IR with a return designation when they trimmed their roster to 53 players on Aug. 26. Now that Conner’s back at practice, the Cardinals will have 21 days to activate him.

Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson will miss Thursday’s game against the Jets with a toe injury, leading the Pats to elevate Johnson. He’ll work behind TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings, though the latter is playing through a knee issue. It’s the third and final standard elevation of the year for Johnson, meaning the Patriots will have to sign him to their active roster if they want to promote him again. The 29-year-old has totaled just 15 snaps (nine on special teams, six on offense) this season.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Giants Bring Back WR Isaiah Hodgins

November 13th, 2025 at 10:33am CST by Adam La Rose

Isaiah Hodgins is heading back in New York. The sixth-year receiver has worked out a deal to return to the Giants, as first reported by Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

Hodgins has since confirmed the news (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan), which is now official. He had been on the Steelers’ practice squad, but he will now return to the Giants by joining their active roster. Today’s news comes one day after Lil’Jordan Humphrey departed New York’s taxi squad to return to the Broncos.

The Giants’ receiving corps has been without Malik Nabers since his ACL tear. As expected, the unit has struggled following that injury and Darius Slayton could now miss time with a hamstring ailment. This Hodgins reunion could thus result in immediate playing time.

The former Bills sixth-rounder only made three regular season appearances with Buffalo before finding himself in New York. Hodgins racked up 391 yards during his time with the Giants in 2022 before serving a regular role on offense once again the following year. 2024 was a different story, though, as the 27-year-old bounced on and off the Giants’ active roster while only playing three games.

At the end of the campaign, Hodgins signed a futures pact with the 49ers. That allowed him to spend training camp in San Francisco, although he did not survive final roster cuts. Hodgins joined the Steelers by inking a practice squad deal; after not seeing any game time in Pittsburgh, he will no look to do so in a familiar environment.

The Giants will begin the post-Brian Daboll era on Sunday against the Packers. It will be interesting to see if Hodgins suits up for that contest and in doing so logs a depth role on offense. Even if not, he could chip in over the closing weeks of the campaign and thus look to earn an extended stay in New York.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/25

November 12th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wallace was one of three defensive backs to work out in Houston today alongside nickelback Beanie Bishop and safety Brandon Hill. Though Bishop showed promise in parts of his rookie campaign last year, Wallace boasts the most experience of the three and has been added to the fold as the Texans attempt to make up for the absences of M.J. Stewart and Jalen Pitre.

Steelers Activate QB Will Howard From IR

November 12th, 2025 at 10:51am CST by Connor Byrne

After winning the national championship in his lone season at Ohio State in 2024, quarterback Will Howard entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Steelers last spring. Howard broke his hand early in training camp, though, forcing him to begin his career on injured reserve. After opening Howard’s 21-day practice window on Oct. 22, the Steelers activated the 24-year-old to their 53-man roster on Wednesday.

Taken 185th in the draft, Howard was always regarded as a developmental project for the Steelers. Even if he didn’t succumb to an injury over the summer, Howard was unlikely to see meaningful playing time this season.

Howard joined a team that brought in future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers as its new starter and the experienced Mason Rudolph as its primary backup during the offseason. Rodgers has stayed healthy during the Steelers’ 5-4 start, leaving just six snaps for Rudolph thus far.

The Steelers reportedly hope to retain Rodgers, who will turn 42 in December, next season. Rudolph is already under contract for 2026 after signing a two-year, $8MM deal. The Steelers will have plenty of time to figure out their QB setup for next year. In the meantime, they’ll get Howard back as an emergency third option.

As PFR’s IR tracker shows, Howard’s activation leaves the Steelers with five for the rest of the season. To make room for Howard, the Steelers waived running back Trey Sermon from their active roster. The former 49er, Eagle, and Colt signed a one-year pact with the Steelers last May. Sermon has appeared in four games this season, his fifth in the league, but 47 of his 48 snaps have come on special teams.

Steelers To Add CB Asante Samuel Jr.

November 11th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Asante Samuel Jr.‘s extensive visit schedule will end in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will be adding the free agent cornerback, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Although Fowler adds this is a practice squad deal, Samuel seemed to have options. He scheduled visits with the Panthers, Packers, Vikings, 49ers, Steelers and Bears. Pittsburgh was to be Samuel’s last summit, and that was scheduled for Wednesday. The extensively pursued defender has a new home long after becoming a first-time free agent.

Part of PFR’s top 50 free agents list in March, Samuel saw his stock freefall after it became known he needed spinal fusion surgery. The four-year Chargers starter was only cleared last week, but a host of teams took interest in that development. Players with Samuel’s combination of age (26) and starting experience (47 games) are not regularly available in November, and a Steelers defense that has taken a step back this season could receive some help.

Samuel joins a Steelers team that overhauled its cornerback cast alongside Joey Porter Jr. this offseason. The team signed Darius Slay and Brandin Echols before trading for Jalen Ramsey. The likely Hall of Fame-bound trade pickup had shifted to safety midseason but slid back to corner amid injury troubles for that unit. Slay suffered a concussion during the Steelers’ Week 10 loss to the Chargers. James Pierre saw increased duty following Slay’s injury, but the Steelers have not performed well in nearly all defensive aspects this season. Samuel could help, and he may need to make an impact to avoid a “prove it” deal in 2026.

Pittsburgh ranks last against the pass and has allowed the fifth-most total yards this season. While the team ranks 20th in points allowed and 19th in EPA per pass, a veteran-heavy defense has proven unreliable. Slay, 34, ranks outside Pro Football Focus’ top 70 corners; Porter sits 50th, Echols 56th. While Ramsey is faring well and attempting to become the latest 30-something corner to transition to safety, not much has gone right around him. The Steelers have now added Samuel and Kyle Dugger in-season, with the latter being acquired via trade with the Patriots.

Before it became known Samuel needed neck surgery, PFR ranked him 32nd among free agents entering the 2025 league year. The former Los Angeles-based ballhawk missed 13 games last season due to a stinger-type injury — at least, that was the 2024 assessment — stood to ding his stock a bit, but with this year’s top CBs available nearing their 30th birthdays, Samuel was positioned to join Paulson Adebo in benefiting. But the spinal fusion matter changed the second-generation CB’s trajectory. Samuel had visited the Cardinals and Saints in the spring, and he drew Dolphins interest following those meetings. But it took a midseason clearance for a team to pull the trigger on a deal.

PFF graded the 5-foot-10 defender as a top-30 corner in 2022 and ’23. Though Samuel gave up seven touchdowns as the closest defender during the ’22 season, he made a memorable contribution in the playoffs by intercepting Trevor Lawrence three times — albeit during a game that featured a 27-point Bolts blown lead. Samuel has shown playmaking ability, intercepting six passes from 2021-23 and totaling at least 11 passes defensed during each of those three seasons.

The former second-round pick will have seen an injury take him off the field for a sizable chunk of two seasons, and a “prove it” deal ahead of an age-27 season would further impede his chances of cashing in. This profiles as an important stretch for Samuel, who may soon be asked to be part of the Steelers’ effort to hold off the Ravens in the AFC North.

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