HEADLINES

Dayo Odeyingbo

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/4/25

November 4th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions after a busy trade deadline:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Waived (with injury designation): S J.T. Gray

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Usually when a player retires in the middle of the season, it’s a free agent who hoped they’d find a home due to the attrition of the regular season but never do. Rarely do we see active players like Lovato retiring partway through a campaign like this. Lovato is choosing to go out on his own terms, though, as it appears he was close to being released. Los Angeles only signed Lovato just before the season because its regular long snapper, Josh Harris, got hurt and placed on the team’s injured reserve with a designation to return. Harris returned to practice last week, so seeing the writing on the wall, Lovato is saving the Chargers the trouble of releasing him.

Kane had been a core special teamer for the Ravens since getting drafted out of the seventh round last year but had been made a healthy scratch in each of the team’s past two games. Jackson, though, has emerged as a standout on the unit over three practice squad elevations. The Ravens wanted Jackson to keep playing, so he’ll take Kane’s spot on the 53-man roster.

Reed’s time on Seattle’s active roster was short-lived. They’ll likely plan for him to sign back to the practice squad, but he’ll have to clear waivers before they can bring him back. The same is expected of Davis in Dallas.

Bears DE Dayo Odeyingbo Out For Season With Torn Achilles

November 3rd, 2025 at 2:38pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

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 Johnson–Caleb Williams partnership. A return from Odeyingbo and additional investments in the defense could help them take a bigger leap in 2026.

Bears DE Austin Booker Primed For Breakout Season

July 9th, 2025 at 8:26pm CST by Ely Allen

Chicago’s biggest free agent signings this offseason were on their defensive and offensive fronts. Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and center Drew Dalman all earned three-year contracts with values north of $40MM. Odeyingbo will now line up across from Montez Sweat on the ends of the defensive line, which will force a promising, young second-year player to come off the bench in his sophomore campaign.

According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Austin Booker seems primed for a breakout season in 2025. A fifth-round rookie last year, Booker didn’t get any starts in his first season, but he became an important member of the defensive line rotation early and often throughout the year. In the first half of the season, he frequently was on the field for a third of the team’s defensive snaps, twice seeing the field for nearly half of the defense’s snaps in games. In his limited time, he tallied 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss.

Booker benefits most this year from a lack of depth at the position. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and second-round rookie Shemar Turner both have the flexibility to kick outside in bigger formations, but behind Sweat and Odeyingbo, Booker is competing as a true edge rusher with Dominique Robinson, Xavier Carlton, Daniel Hardy, and Jamree Kromah. Robinson has more experience than Booker, but in three years, he’s struggled to stay on the field and struggled to make an impact whenever he is available. Carlton is impressive but has much to prove as an undrafted free agent rookie. Hardy was a special teamer for most of last year, and Kromah was an undrafted rookie who failed to ever see the field in 2024.

While Booker didn’t jump off the stat sheet in Year 1, he showed lots of promise. With a lack of serious competition behind him, Booker is primed to enter training camp as the first defensive end off the bench. If he can hold that position going into the regular season, the 22-year-old should have plenty of opportunities to get on the field and make a name for himself in Year 2.

Contract Details: Allen, Bills, Bears, Giants, Adebo, Packers, Hobbs, Chiefs, Saints

March 13th, 2025 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Starting with one monster Bills extension and another big-ticket deal, here are the latest contract details from around the NFL:

  • Josh Allen, QB (Bills): Six years, $330MM. Classified as a two-year add-on that provides the reigning MVP with a roughly $90MM raise, the deal includes some key dates. On fully guaranteed salaries in 2025 and ’26, Allen will see all of his 2027 pay become fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per OverTheCap. On Day 5 of the 2027 league year, Allen’s 53.5MM salary locks in. $14MM of Allen’s 2029 roster bonus ($22.3MM) becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2028 league year. Allen will be due a $35MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2029 league year. He is tied to a $41.3MM cap number in 2025, but restructures are likely coming; his cap hit spikes to $61.4MM in 2026.
  • Gregory Rousseau, DE (Bills). Four years, $80MM. Rousseau will see $49MM guaranteed at signing, OverTheCap notes, while his 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed. The Bills are providing guarantees into Year 3, as KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes that $5MM of Rousseau’s $16.41MM base is locked in already. The rest will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is also in place on Day 5 of the 2029 league year.
  • Paulson Adebo, CB (Giants). Three years, $54MM. The young cornerback will see $34.75MM guaranteed at signing. Despite Adebo only signing a three-year deal, that full guarantee ranks 10th among corners. The Giants guaranteed $13.5MM of Adebo’s $17.25MM 2026 salary, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The rest becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Dayo Odeyingbo, DE (Bears): Three years, $48MM. The ex-Colt will see $29.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. $13MM of Odeyingbo’s $15.5MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, with Wilson adding the rest locks in on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. A $1MM roster bonus is also due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year; Odeyingbo’s 2027 base is nonguaranteed.
  • Nate Hobbs, CB (Packers). Four years, $48MM. While Hobbs is guaranteed $16MM at signing, the general Packers contract structure resurfaces here. Reminding of Josh Jacobs‘ 2024 deal (also 4/48), his former Raiders teammate has no guarantees beyond that $16MM signing bonus, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. A $6.25MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets. The Packers typically do not guarantee second-year salaries, but they would be out $12MM in dead money if they move in on 2026 — due to signing bonus prorations.
  • Darius Slayton, WR (Giants). Three years, $36MM. Now on a third Giants contract, Slayton will receive $22MM at signing, Wilson tweets. That is $10MM more than his second contract was worth in total. Slayton’s 2026 salary is mostly guaranteed, with Wilson adding $9.75MM of that $12.25MM is locked in. A $2.5MM roster bonus in place on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
  • Juwan Johnson, TE (Saints). Three years, $30.75MM. Johnson will see $21.25MM at signing, with Wilson adding his 2025 and ’26 base salaries are guaranteed. Johnson’s 2027 paragraph 5 number ($7.5MM) is nonguaranteed, but a $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
  • Jaylon Moore, T (Chiefs). Two years, $30MM. The Chiefs are guaranteeing their new left tackle hopeful $21.24MM at signing. A career-long 49ers backup, Moore will see $7MM of his $14.24MM 2026 base salary guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.

Bears To Sign DL Dayo Odeyingbo

March 10th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears have made three major moves along the offensive line this offseason, and their defensive front is also undergoing changes. Dayo Odeyingbo is headed to the Windy City, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

This will be a three-year deal, Biggs adds. $48MM represents the overall value of the pact, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. $32MM is guaranteed in full, according to his colleague Ian Rapoport.

PFR’s No. 12 overall free agent, Odeyingbo will parlay his work in multiple D-line roles in Indianapolis into an upper-middle-class D-tackle deal in Chicago. Odeyingbo became a bit too pricey for the Colts to retain, as they already have D-line commitments to DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam and Grover Stewart; the team also has first-rounders Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu under contract.

Throwing out his injury-delayed rookie season — which came after a pre-draft Achilles tear — Odeyingbo totaled 21 tackles for loss and 45 QB hits in his career. He posted eight sacks in 2023, playing 210 snaps on the inside (compared to 162 in 2024), as the Colts finished with 51 sacks – fifth-most in the league. The young D-end combined for eight sacks between the 2022 and ’24 seasons and has forced four fumbles over the past two years.

Odeyingbo will bring a power component opposite Montez Sweat‘s pure pass-rushing skillset, though the former has extensive experience sliding inside to rush on passing downs. Grady Jarrett is now in place on the Bears’ D-line as well, giving Sweat much better complementary rushers than he enjoyed last season. Bears 2024 trade acquisition Darrell Taylor is now a free agent.

No Bears player surpassed six sacks last season, as Sweat’s total dropped significantly from 2023. The additions of Odeyingbo and Jarrett should add some muscle to Chicago’s defense, thus helping Sweat receive better opportunities. Sweat’s presence also will free up Odeyingbo. After operating as an auxiliary pass rusher with the Colts, the Purdue alum will be expected — via this $16MM-per-year deal — to be a consistent producer. Odeyingbo’s three-year contract will allow for a potential second lucrative payday down the road, should he deliver on this initial accord.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Colts’ Dayo Odeyingbo To Test Free Agency

February 20th, 2025 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts picked up Kwity Paye‘s fifth-year option last May and then made Laiatu Latu the first defensive player chosen in the 2024 draft. With Samson Ebukam also under contract for 2025, Dayo Odeyingbo may need to find his second contract elsewhere.

The increasingly productive D-lineman is nearly three weeks from free agency, and although the Colts have been a retention-heavy organization (as 2024 especially showed) under Chris Ballard, the veteran GM said last month a philosophical shift would be in play. As of now, Odeyingbo is heading into free agency likely to test the market.

[RELATED: G Will Fries Wants To Re-Sign With Colts]

“I love being here, but it’s also a business and things change,” Odeyingbo said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins. “There’s anxiousness about the unknown. There’s excitement, obviously, looking at a new contract and being able to continue to play in the league. It’s just a blessing to be able to even talk about free agency, to have the opportunity to either leave or come back.”

As Gus Bradley‘s defense struggled once again, Ballard had acknowledged he had put too many resources into his D-line — at the expense of his second and third levels on defense. The Colts have struggled to identify corners beyond Kenny Moore for a bit, and their Shaquille Leonard extension did not pan out. The team started the 2021 draft with two D-linemen, despite having traded a first-rounder for DeForest Buckner in 2020, and have seen both blossom into regulars.

Playing both defensive end and D-tackle during his rookie contract, Odeyingbo impressed as it progressed. The former second-rounder tallied eight sacks in 2023, helping the Colts to 51 as a team, and notched 17 QB hits in each of the past two years. Playing more at D-end last season (one Ebukam missed with an Achilles tear), Odeyingbo only added three sacks. Still, he should generate a fairly competitive market. It will be interesting to see if a Colts team that has Buckner and Grover Stewart signed for two more seasons apiece and Latu inked for at least three more years pays up to keep another D-line regular — after the spree of re-signings and extensions last year.

With Ballard potentially set to deviate from his long-held build-from-within plan, the team may make some cuts to clear cap space. Former third-round pick Jelani Woods would not bring too much in the way of savings, but Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes the injury-prone pass catcher is likely on the way out after missing the past two seasons. Tyquan Lewis, who has signed four Colts contracts, is also a candidate to receive his walking papers, Chappell adds. Cutting Lewis would save Indianapolis $4.55MM, while waiving Woods would add $1.44MM.

Right tackle cornerstone Braden Smith also missed the final five games of last season, dealing with an unspecified personal issue. The Colts could save $16.75MM by cutting their longtime RT, though the team also has starting center Ryan Kelly and RG Will Fries headed to the market. Overall, Indy is projected to carry just more than $35MM in cap space. Then again, the team has not been big free agency spenders under Ballard.

Colts Activate DL Dayo Odeyingbo From NFI List, Waive RB Jordan Wilkins

October 30th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles in January but still managed to become a second-round pick. The Colts rookie appears set to make his NFL debut less than eight months later.

The Colts activated Odeyingbo from their non-football injury list Saturday, introducing the prospect of its top two draft picks playing together on the defensive line early. A Vanderbilt product viewed as a player who can line up at both defensive end and D-tackle, Odeyingbo went down while training for the draft. Like Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons in 2019, Odeyingbo is set to see rookie-year action after suffering a major injury during the winter.

Indianapolis selected defensive end Kwity Paye in the first round and followed that up by selecting Odeyingbo in Round 2. The team let Denico Autry defect to Tennessee in free agency and did not re-sign Justin Houston. The Paye-Odeyingbo pair represents the Colts’ hopeful replacements. Odeyingbo, who goes 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, recorded 12 tackles for loss as a junior with the Commodores and added 5.5 sacks as a senior. Paye has yet to record a sack in four-plus games played this season but has recovered two fumbles.

Among the other roster moves the Colts made before this afternoon’s Week 8 deadline, the team cut running back Jordan Wilkins. A 2018 draftee, Wilkins has backed up Marlon Mack and then Jonathan Taylor for more than three seasons. But fellow 2018 pick Nyheim Hines‘ passing-down and special teams ability won out, moving Hines higher on the depth chart and leading to an extension. Wilkins still saw sporadic time in the backfield from 2018-20 and resides as an interesting waiver option.

Wilkins averaged 5.6 yards per carry as a rookie and 6.0 per tote in 2019, seeing increased time when Mack missed games with injuries. The former fifth-round pick was not as efficient last season (3.7 per carry on a career-high 84 handoffs) and has not received a carry this year. Still, with the Colts previously placing Mack on the trade block, this Wilkins cut is an interesting decision.

The Colts promoted running back Deon Jackson and safety Josh Jones to their active roster and activated linebacker Jordan Glasgow from IR. Indianapolis also waived defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

Colts’ Quenton Nelson Returns To Practice

October 20th, 2021 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Colts guard Quenton Nelson has been designated for return. Ditto for rookie defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and wide receiver Dezmon Patmon, who also took to the practice field on Wednesday.

Nelson could potentially play against the 49ers on Sunday night, but that’ll all depend on how his practice sessions go this week. Whenever he returns, it’ll be a big boost to the Colts’ front five.

“[He’s] an elite leader, not just an elite player,” head coach Frank Reich said earlier this month (via ESPN.com).

The multiple-time All-Pro has been sidelined for weeks with a high-ankle sprain, unfamiliar territory for the otherwise healthy lineman. Before this, Nelson hadn’t missed a game through his first three years in the NFL.

Nelson, the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, stands as one of the top offensive guards in the game. Barring any further complications, he’s expected to ink a record-setting extension come next year. In the meantime, he’s focused on the task at hand — helping the Colts gain ground in the AFC South.

After an 0-3 start, the Colts have rallied somewhat to win two of their last three. Now 2-4, the Colts have a chance to close in on the 4-2 Titans.

Colts Down To 53

August 31st, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have reached the 53-man limit. On Tuesday, Indy formally:

Waived

Released

Waived/Injured

Placed on Reserve/NFI

  • DE Dayo Odeyingbo

Hundley’s release signals that the Colts aren’t all that concernedabout Carson Wentz‘s foot, or his vaccination status. The move comes even after sixth-round rookie Sam Ehlinger suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for a good chunk of time. The real takeaway is that they’re comfortable with 2020 fourth-round pick Jacob Eason, — he’s now the only other healthy quarterback behind Wentz on the initial roster.

Colts Sign Kwity Paye, 4 Other Draft Picks

May 6th, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have jumped out to an early lead in draft pick signings. They agreed to terms with five draftees Thursday, including their top two picks — defensive linemen Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Chosen 21st overall, Paye will be expected to play a key role for the Colts as a rookie. The team entered the draft with a significant edge rusher need, and the Michigan product was viewed as one of the top outside pressure artists available. Paye ranked as Scouts Inc.’s top pass-rushing prospect in this year’s draft, and for good reason. This was thanks in part to a 2019 campaign where the Michigan product finished with 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.

While this was not viewed as a strong D-line draft class, the Colts have not re-signed Justin Houston and did not have a steady edge presence opposite him in 2020. The team doubled up at this position group to start the weekend. Chosen 54th overall out of Vanderbilt, Odeyingbo may profile as a player who operates both outside and inside — perhaps similar to Denico Autry, who departed for Tennessee in free agency. Odeyingbo, however, qualifies as a project. He may miss his rookie season, having suffered an Achilles’ tendon tear in January while training for the draft.

Only fourth-round pick Kylen Granson, a tight end, and former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger (Round 6) are unsigned from Indianapolis’ draft class. Here are the Colts’ rookie signees thus far:

  • Kwity Paye, DE (Michigan, Round 1)
  • Dayo Odeyingbo, DL (Vanderbilt, Round 2)
  • Shawn Davis, S (Florida, Round 5)
  • Mike Strachan, WR (Charleston, W.V., Round 7)
  • Will Fries, OL (Penn State)