Colts Place RT Braden Smith On IR

In his first game back from four-plus seasons in retirement, Colts quarterback Philip Rivers will not have a fully healthy offensive line on Sunday in Seattle. The Colts have placed starting right tackle Braden Smith on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

At 8-5 and fighting for its playoff life, Indianapolis will go the rest of the regular season without Smith. The 29-year-old suffered a concussion and a neck injury in a loss to Jacksonville last Sunday.

Along with the Seahawks, Smith will miss games against three other playoff hopefuls in the 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans in the next four weeks. He’ll be eligible to return if the Colts make the playoffs, but they’re on the outside looking in at the moment.

With the four-year, $72MM extension Smith signed in 2021 set to expire after the season, it’s possible he has played his last game with the Colts. The 6-foot-6, 312-pounder has spent his entire career with the franchise since it chose him 37th overall out of Auburn in 2018. Smith has started in 105 of 107 regular-season games, including all 13 in 2025. Pro Football Focus ranks Smith’s performance 45th among 81 qualifying tackles this year.

Looking to protect the immobile Rivers as he returns at age 44, the Colts will count on rookie Jalen Travis to fill in for Smith. Travis, a fourth-rounder from Iowa State, has taken just 73 offensive snaps in his first 13 games. In his starting debut, Travis will face a Seattle defense that ranks fourth in the league in sacks.

In addition to the Rivers and Smith transactions, the Colts elevated defensive tackle Chris Wormley and wide receiver Coleman Owen from the practice squad. It’s the third standard gameday elevation for Wormley, who has picked up five tackles and a sack in two games. If the Colts want to use Wormley again after Week 15, they’ll have to sign him to their active roster. Owen, an undrafted rookie from Ohio, is in line for his NFL debut.

Colts Activate LB Jaylon Carlies From IR; K Blake Grupe Elevated

The Colts announced that they have activated linebacker Jaylon Carlies from injured reserve. He’ll make his season debut on Sunday against the AFC South rival Jaguars with first place in the division on the line.

[RELATED: Will The Colts Win The AFC South?]

Carlies, a fifth-round pick in 2024, has had trouble staying healthy during his young NFL career. The former Missouri safety missed seven games with a leg injury as a rookie, and he hasn’t played at all this season as a result of an ankle issue. The Colts gave Carlies a return designation when they placed him on IR on Aug. 26.

Carlies started in six of 10 appearances and made 36 tackles last year. After the departure of E.J. Speed to the division rival Texans in free agency, the Colts expected Carlies to start alongside Zaire Franklin this season. Carlies’ injury scuttled those plans, though, and a lack of in-house solutions led the Colts to sign Germaine Pratt on Oct. 8.

Pratt has served as a full-time starter over seven games with the Colts. Carlies figures to work in a reserve role as a result.

In other Saturday moves, the Colts elevated kicker Blake Grupe and defensive tackle Chris Wormley from their practice squad to their active roster.

Grupe, previously with the Saints, signed with the Colts earlier this week. He’s replacing Michael Badgley, whom the Colts cut after he missed an extra point in a loss to the Texans in Week 13. Badgley joined the team after Spencer Shrader suffered a season-ending torn ACL and MCL in Week 5. With Grupe replacing Badgley, the Colts are poised to use three kickers in a season for the first time in franchise history.

This is the second standard gameday elevation of the year for Wormley, who joined the Colts’ practice squad on Nov. 18. In his Colts debut, the 32-year-old played 19 defensive snaps and recorded a sack against Houston.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/25

Here are Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL, including gameday elevations for the remainder of Week 13:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

The Vikings brought back Desmond Ridder as quarterback insurance with J.J. McCarthy concussed. Ridder joined the team’s practice squad, and he will not dress for Minnesota tomorrow. Instead, it will be Wolford handling backup duties while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer makes his first career start.

Diggs returned to Seattle earlier this week. The veteran will receive the opportunity to play right away during his second stint with the Seahawks. Diggs earned three Pro Bowl nods during his first run in Seattle, and he will look to provide depth in the secondary with a familiar team down the stretch.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/25

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.

Ravens Activate Charlie Kolar From IR

The Ravens activated tight end Charlie Kolar from injured reserve on Friday, per a team announcement. He is expected to play in Baltimore’s regular season finale against the Browns on Saturday.

Kolar broke his arm during the Ravens’ Week 12 matchup with the Chargers, though he played through the injury for much of the fourth quarter. He landed on injured reserve later that week and was designated to return a month later.

The third-year tight end has quietly been an effective blocker in Baltimore’s league-leading rushing attack while taking full advantage of his limited opportunities as a pass-catcher. Kolar has recorded career-highs in targets (11), receptions (nine), and yards (131), including a Week 5 catch-and-run for a career-long 55 yards. His 3.12 yards per route run lead all tight ends with at least 10 targets, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he’s been targeted on 26.4% of his routes. With so many other weapons in the Ravens offense – including first-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers – opposing defenses tend to overlook Kolar, especially when Lamar Jackson fakes a handoff to Derrick Henry.

Kolar’s recovery is an example of the Ravens’ relatively good health as they approach the playoffs. Only one started – nose tackle Michael Pierce – has been on injured reserve all year, and he has made an appropriately-big impact on the defense since his return in Week 15.

The Ravens did place cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on injured reserve to clear a 53-man roster spot for Kolar. This is Armour-Davis’ second stint on IR this year and the fourth in his three-year career, reinforcing pre-draft injury concerns after he struggled with injuries at Alabama. He’s appeared in seven games this year with 94 snaps on defense and 135 on special teams. Armour-Davis will be eligible to return for the Super Bowl if the Ravens advance that far in the playoffs.

The Ravens also elevated defensive end Chris Wormley and wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad for Saturday’s game. Both players have appeared in two games this season; Wormley has made four tackles on defense while Miller’s lone reception of the year went for 16 yards against the Texans on Christmas.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/24

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

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo is listed as questionable, but head coach Raheem Morris is confident he’ll play, calling Patterson an emergency option.

Speculation out of Baltimore was that Maulet wouldn’t require a second stint on injured reserve with his calf injury, but that intel appears to have been off. Maulet and Kolar could potentially make a return in time for the postseason, but they’ll miss four games before they do.

VanSumeren served double-duty as a fullback and linebacker. With his placement on IR, Uzomah was targeted as a possibility to fill in at fullback.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/24

Today’s minor NFL moves including standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Ravens To Sign DL Chris Wormley

The Ravens are set to reunite with a familiar face along the defensive line. Chris Wormley worked out with the team on Monday and he has a deal in place, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. This will be a practice squad arrangement, he adds.

Wormley began his career in Baltimore in 2017. He spent his first three seasons with the team, making 39 appearances and 15 starts during that span. The former third-rounder’s playing time increased with each passing campaign, but ahead of the final year of his rookie contract he was traded to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh used Wormley sparingly during his first season there, but he did enough to land a two-year contract. That pact proved to be worthwhile during the 2021 campaign in particular, when the Michigan alum started 14 games and easily set a career high with seven sacks. He returned to rotational duties the following season and departed as a free agent by joining the Panthers.

Wormely made just five appearances last season and only totaled 46 defensive snaps. As a result, it came as no surprise the Panthers did not elect to retain him or that he remained on the open market well into the start of the regular season. This Baltimore pact will give him the opportunity to work his way back onto an active roster in relatively short order, though.

The Ravens lost a number of key defenders during the offseason, but their defensive line remained intact. Nnamdi Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and Brent Urban are all returnees from the 2023 campaign. Wormley thus has plenty of competition for a roster spot and playing time, but he will provide veteran D-line depth at a minimum upon returning to his original team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/15/23

Here are today’s minor transactions, including some practice squad callups for the Saturday games:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Getting Charles back should provide a bit of a boost for a Commanders’ offensive line that has allowed quarterback Sam Howell to be sacked an NFL-leading 58 times. That being said, they led the league in that category when Charles was healthy, as well. Still, as Charles attempts to come back from the calf injury that sidelined him for six games, he’ll have to overcome second-year guard Chris Paul, who has been starting in his place since the injury. While Charles had been struggling in a contract year, his replacement has ranked as the fourth-worst guard in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Wormley, Krull, and Senat all make their way up to the active roster for two reasons: first, injuries, and second, they’ve already appeared as standard gameday elevations off of the practice squad the maximum three times. In order to appear in any other games this year, all three needed to be signed to new contracts. If the players they are replacing come back from injury before the end of the season, any of them can be waived, re-signed to the practice squad, and elevated an additional three times.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/23

Today’s minor moves and callups heading into the Week 14 slate of Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There was some thought that Ammendola’s stint with the Texans had come to an end after four appearances. However, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that regular starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn still isn’t ready to return from his strained quadriceps, requiring the practice squad kicker to step in for at least another week. Ammendola has connected on six of his nine field goal attempts and all 10 of his XP tries this season.

With Trevor Lawrence a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, the Jaguars are adding some QB depth to the active roster. Rourke is a former CFL standout, with the quarterback earning the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022. Following that breakout, 25-touchdown campaign, Rourke got a look from a number of NFL teams and ultimately signed a three-year deal with the Jaguars this past offseason. He was waived at the end of the preseason and has spent the majority of the season on Jacksonville’s practice squad. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the rookie will be the emergency QB3 for Week 14.

Similarly, the Seahawks will call up Mannion and O’Connell as they deal with injuries to starting quarterback Geno Smith and linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Smith is questionable heading into tomorrow’s game with a groin injury.

Stewart is back on the Colts active roster after having served a six-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Through six games this season, the veteran has compiled 20 tackles, two stops for a loss, and five QB hits.

Crosby is set to make his 2023 debut and make an appearance for a team other than the Packers for the first time since the 39-year-old was drafted back in 2007.

Schweitzer head right back to injured reserve after being activated last week. The Jets signed a lineman to the active roster from the practice squad and elevated one for tomorrow’s game to add some depth at the position.

Show all