Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/25
Several NFL teams completed minor transactions on New Year’s Eve to prepare their rosters for Week 18. Here are the latest updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated for return from IR: S DeMarcco Hellams
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: LB Noah Sewell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed from the Lions’ practice squad: C Kingsley Eguakun
- Placed on IR: G Wyatt Teller
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: S Johnathan Baldwin, QB Clayton Tune
- Placed on IR: S Zayne Anderson
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LB Austin Keys
New England Patriots
- Designated for return from IR: CB Alex Austin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed from practice squad: OL Jack Driscoll
- Placed on IR: TE Darnell Washington (story)
Washington Commanders
- Placed on IR: C Tyler Biadasz
- Signed from practice squad: OL Julian Good-Jones
Sewell suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday night’s loss to the 49ers, ending his 2025 season and starting a length rehab process for the third-year linebacker.
Teller aggravated a calf injury on Sunday against the Steelers. He will miss the Browns’ last game of the season and is set to hit free agency this offseason. After seven years in Cleveland, Teller may need to find a new home this offseason.
Washington underwent surgery on his broken arm on Tuesday, per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. The third-year tight end will not be able to return in the playoffs if the Steelers qualify.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings moves are noted below.
Chicago Bears
Claimed:
- LB D’Marco Jackson (from Saints), CB Jaylon Jones (from Cardinals)
Released:
- LS Scott Daly, WR Devin Duvernay
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Maurice Alexander, WR Miles Boykin, RB Brittain Brown, TE Stephen Carlson, DL Xavier Carlton, LB Power Echols, LS Luke Elkin, CB Tre Flowers, DL Jonathan Ford, DB Mekhi Garner, DL Tanoh Kpassagnon, DL Jamree Kromah, OL Jordan McFadden, WR JP Richardson, OL Ricky Stromberg
Detroit Lions
Signed:
Claimed:
- DT Tyler Lacy (from Jaguars), DE Tyrus Wheat (from Cowboys)
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Myles Adams, WR Ronnie Bell, C Trystan Colon, DL Keith Cooper, DB Erick Hallett, TE Zach Horton, WR Tom Kennedy, WR Jackson Meeks, OL Mason Miller, OL Michael Niese, LB Anthony Pittman, RB Jacob Saylors, S Loren Strickland, T Dan Skipper, DL Isaac Ukwu
Green Bay Packers
Signed:
- LB Nick Niemann
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- RB Israel Abanikanda, DL Deslin Alexandre, DB Johnathan Baldwin, T Brant Banks, DL James Ester, WR Mecole Hardman, LB Jamon Johnson, K Mark McNamee, DL Arron Mosby, WR Isaiah Neyor, WR Will Sheppard, DB Jaylin Simpson, LB Kristian Welch
Minnesota Vikings
Signed to practice squad:
- G Henry Byrd, WR Dontae Fleming, S Kahlef Hailassie, DL Jonathan Harris, WR Lucky Jackson, WR Jeshuan Jones, WR Tim Jones, G Vershon Lee, CB Fabian Moreau, OLB Gabriel Murphy, TE Bryson Nesbit, T Max Pircher, DL Taki Taimani, RB Xazavian Valladay, TE Nick Vannett, CB Zemaiah Vaughn
Packers Make Cuts, Set Initial 53-Man Roster
The Packers announced their initial 53-man roster as well as the following transactions:
Released
- CB Corey Ballentine
- WR Mecole Hardman
- LB Isaiah Simmons
- LB Kristian Welch
Waived
- RB Isaiah Abanikanda
- DE Deslin Alexandre
- S Johnathan Baldwin
- OL Brant Banks
- LB Jaret Bartlett
- QB Sean Clifford
- OL Tyler Cooper
- RB Tyrion Davis-Price
- QB Taylor Elgersma
- DT James Ester
- CB Tyron Herring
- WR Julian Hicks
- OL Trey Hill
- RB Amar Johnson
- WR Cornelius Johnson
- LB Jamon Johnson
- CB Kalen King
- OL JJ Lippe
- LS Mark McNamee
- DE Arron Mosby
- WR Isaiah Neyor
- DT Devonte O’Malley
- WR Will Sheppard
- S Jaylin Simpson
- OL Lecitus Smith
- OL Kadeem Telfort
Placed on IR (designation to return)
- RB MarShawn Lloyd
- OL Jacob Monk
Placed on IR
Placed on reserve/PUP
- DE Collin Oliver
- WR Christian Watson
- OL John Williams
Despite his struggles to carve out a role in the NFL, Simmons made the 53-man roster in each of his first five seasons after the Cardinals selected him with the No. 8 pick in 2020. That streak has come to an end in Green Bay with his release today.
Alexandre is expected to return to the Packers’ practice squad if he clears waivers, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood, who places Banks in the same category.
Lloyd suffered a groin injury early in training camp and a hamstring injury more recently, which will land him on IR and sideline him for at least four weeks. Monk, though to be the team’s backup center, will also be out for a minimum of four weeks.
Packers Sign 10 UDFAs
While serving as the host of the 2025 draft, the Packers selected eight rookies over the course of the three-day event. Green Bay has since added to its rookie class with the following UDFA signings:
- Johnathan Baldwin, CB (UNLV)
- Brant Banks, T (Rice)
- Kahzir Brown, S (FAU)
- Tyler Cooper, G (Minnesota)
- Tyron Herring, CB (Delaware)
- Amar Johnson, RB (South Dakota State)
- Jamon Johnson, LB (Kentucky)
- J.J. Lipe, G (Northern Illinois)
- Nazir Stackhouse, DT (Georgia)
- Jalen White, RB (Georgia Southern)
The Packers do not have a track record of making major commitments in term of base salaries for undrafted free agents. Baldwin represents an exception, however. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports he received $100K locked in for his base salary along with a $15K signing bonus. That is a strong indication he will receive a long look during the summer.
Brown measured 6-1 and 223 pounds at FAU’s Pro Day, during which he posted a 4.53 40-yard dash time. That combination of size and speed could help him land a roster spot in a special teams capacity. Brown posted a pair of interceptions, along with eight pass deflections and a forced fumble in 2024.
Stackhouse won a pair of championships with the Bulldogs during his five-year run with the team. With only three sacks to his name, he will look to carve out a role based on his play against the run. The 6-3, 320-pounder totaled 96 tackles (including nine for a loss) in college.