NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/7/26
Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: QB Shane Buechele
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Demani Richardson
- Released: CB Michael Reid
Denver Broncos
- Signed: T Geron Christian, C Michael Deiter, TE Marcedes Lewis
- Released: G Nash Jones, C Joe Michalski
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Anthony Campbell
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: WR Will Sheppard
Houston Texans
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Marcus Maye
- Released: C Josh Kaltenberger
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Tre Flowers
Richardson, Christian, Lewis, Wallace, Maye, and Flowers all cleared waivers after being cut from their respective teams earlier this week. They’ll all return to those teams via new practice squad deals.
Chargers Add OL Ben Cleveland To Practice Squad
Ben Cleveland has found a new home. Days after getting waived by the Ravens, the offensive lineman has signed with the Chargers practice squad, per the team. To make room, the Chargers have released safety Marcus Maye.
Cleveland served as a rotational offensive lineman after he was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2021 draft. He started seven of his 64 appearances for Baltimore, appearing in 673 offensive snaps across five seasons. He also had a consistent special teams role.
The veteran was limited to only three offensive snaps in 10 games to begin the 2025 campaign before he was hit with a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Substances of Abuse Policy. Instead of activating the 27-year-old back to the active roster, the Ravens opted to waive him instead.
Cleveland passed through waivers and has now landed with a playoff team. With Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater sidelined, the Chargers offensive line has struggled mightily this season. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the team has shuffled through 29 different OL combinations, the third-most in the NFL. A player with Cleveland’s experience will provide some extra depth, but the team surely won’t turn to a newcomer ahead of a playoff game.
A former Jets second-round pick, Maye has spent parts of the past two seasons in Los Angeles. He made four appearances for the team in 2024, compiling 12 tackles and an interception. He joined the Chargers practice squad in December and was promoted for their season finale.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/26
After the final standard gameday practice squad elevations of the 2025 regular season, the three-game elevation limit resets for the postseason, so only players getting signed to the 53-man roster because of the limit will be noted today. Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: WR Tejhaun Palmer
- Elevated: CB Jaden Davis, WR Steven Sims
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: P Trenton Gill
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: WR Keith Kirkwood, CB Amani Oruwariye
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: LB Keonta Jenkins, DE Matt Judon
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: TE Nikola Kalinic, LB Ty Summers
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DT Howard Cross III, CB Bralyn Lux
Cleveland Browns
- Signed from practice squad: LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
- Elevated: TE Sal Cannella
- Placed on IR: LB Carson Schwesinger
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: RB Phil Mafah
- Activated from reserve/PUP: CB Josh Butler
- Signed from practice squad: LB Justin Barron
- Elevated: G Nick Leverett
- Placed on IR: G T.J. Bass, RB Malik Davis, RB Javonte Williams
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LB Levelle Bailey
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: TE Zach Horton, OL Chris Hubbard
- Placed on IR: OL Trystan Colon
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: WR Jakobie Keeney-James, G Lecitus Smith
- Elevated: TE Drake Dabney, LB Jamon Johnson
- Placed on IR: OL Donovan Jennings, WR Savion Williams
Houston Texans
- Elevated: DT Leki Fotu, S Kaevon Merriweather
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: QB Seth Henigan, TE Sean McKeon
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Patrick Herbert
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: WR Jason Brownlee, WR Jimmy Holiday
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: LB Jamin Davis, T Dalton Wagner
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed from practice squad: S Marcus Maye
- Elevated: G Branson Taylor, QB DJ Uiagalelei
- Placed on IR: CB Nikko Reed
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Derrick McLendon, RB Jeff Wilson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: WR Jeshaun Jones, LB Sione Takitaki
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: TE Treyton Welch
- Elevated: QB Jake Haener, RB Nyheim Miller-Hines
New York Giants
- Signed from practice squad: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse, WR Xavier Gipson, RB Dante Miller
- Elevated: TE Tanner Conner, DT Casey Rogers
- Placed on IR: CB Cor’Dale Flott, DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches Sr., WR Wan’Dale Robinson
New York Jets
- Signed from practice squad: QB Hendon Hooker, DE Kingsley Jonathan, G Kohl Levao
- Elevated: RB Raheem Blackshear, CB Samuel Womack III
- Placed on IR: RB Isaiah Davis, OL Xavier Newman-Johnson, TE Mason Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: LS Charley Hughlett, S Brandon Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: CB D’Shawn Jamison
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: LB Eric Kendricks, T Brandon Parker
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers, CB Tyler Hall
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: OLB Ali Gaye, WR Bryce Oliver
- Signed from practice squad: CB Kemon Hall
- Elevated: TE Cole Turner
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (story), WR Van Jefferson
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DT Ricky Barber, WR River Cracraft
The Browns made it known yesterday that they were shutting down Schwesinger and tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. for the final week of the season, but the Defensive Rookie of the Year-favorite is the only one to land on IR.
In Dallas, Williams failed to practice this week as he dealt with shoulder and neck issues. With Davis also being placed on IR, the Cowboys will rely on rookie fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue and the recently activated Mafah, a seventh-round rookie, in Week 18. The team used their eighth and final IR activation to bring Mafah back for a potential NFL debut.
Because Green Bay didn’t elevate recently signed practice squad quarterback Desmond Ridder, it appears either Malik Willis will be healthy enough to back up Clayton Tune or Jordan Love will serve as the potential QB2 for the Packers in Week 18.
Judon is set to make his Bills debut in the team’s regular season finale after signing to their practice squad two weeks ago.
With Saints backup quarterback Spencer Rattler not practicing this week with a finger injury, Haener gets the call to back up rookie Tyler Shough.
Hall in Tennessee had already been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation three times this season. In order for him to appear in the Titans’ regular season finale, the move to the 53-man roster was necessary.
Chargers Reunite With S Marcus Maye
The Chargers reunited with veteran safety Marcus Maye on Tuesday by signing him to their practice squad, per a team announcement.
Maye, 32, started the 2024 season with the Dolphins but was claimed off waivers by the Chargers at the end of November. He appeared in four games (one start) in Los Angeles before an ankle injury forced him on injured reserve.
The eight-year veteran hit free agency but was not connected with any team until a November workout with the Commanders. Maye did not earn a gig in Washington, but he is now needed in Los Angeles after multiple injuries in the Chargers’ safety room. Veteran Elijah Molden missed Sunday’s matchup with the Chiefs and rookie RJ Mickens went down during the game.
Last year, and for much of his career, Maye has been a steady if unspectacular safety who was a full-time starter through 2023. Despite his experience, he remained a free agent for most of the 2025 season, which could indicate that he was more selective about a new opportunity or needed more time for his ankle to fully heal.
Along with Maye, Chargers also signed undrafted rookie offensive lineman Josh Kaltenberger to their practice squad. In two corresponding moves, they released running back Royce Freeman and tight end Tanner McLachlan.
Commanders Work Out S Marcus Maye, Three Others
The Commanders are looking to add some safety depth. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the team worked out four safeties yesterday: Marcus Maye, K’Von Wallace, Daryl Worley, and Jaylen Mahoney.
Maye is the most accomplished of the bunch, as the former second-round pick has 92 games on his resume. The veteran got into 15 games in stints with the Dolphins and Chargers in 2024, and that campaign ended on injured reserve after Maye suffered an ankle injury in December. While the safety hasn’t recently come close to matching his Jets run, he still graded out as an above-average safety during his age-31 season.
Worley has gotten into even more games, as the journeyman has 99 appearances since his debut in 2016. While the West Virginia product was a starter earlier in his career with the Panthers and Raiders, he’s settled into more of a backup role in recent years, starting only 15 of his 42 appearances since the 2020 campaign. Wallace got a chance to start in 2023 when he was with the Cardinals and Titans, but he reverted back to his reeserve role with the Seahawks in 2024.
Mahoney is the only inexperienced option out of the foursome. The former Vanderbilt star joined the 49ers as a UDFA in 2024 and ended up getting into three games as a rookie. He stuck with San Francisco through the offseason and landed on their practice squad following the 2025 preseason. He was cut from the 49ers taxi squad last month.
Quan Martin exited Sunday night’s game with a hamstring issue, and Tyler Owens popped up on this week’s injury report with the same issue. While the Commanders should eventually get Will Harris back on the field, the team could be temporarily tapped at the position. Jeremy Reaves, Darnell Savage, and Percy Butler represent the team’s only healthy options at the position, with Robert McDaniel also around on the practice squad.
Chargers Place S Marcus Maye On IR, Add S Eddie Jackson To Practice Squad
After losing one safety to injury, the Chargers have added a veteran to the practice squad. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team has placed Marcus Maye on injured reserve. Meanwhile, the team announced that they’ve added Eddie Jackson to the taxi squad. To make room, the team has released running back John Kelly.
Maye suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of last Thursday’s game. His placement on IR means he’s done for the regular season, but he could make a return if the Chargers make a postseason run.
The Chargers represent Maye’s third team over the past 12 months. He was cut by the Saints back in February and caught on with the Dolphins, where he proceeded to start three of his 11 appearances. The veteran mostly played behind Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer, and with the Dolphins needing to squeeze out some extra roster space, Maye was let go last month.
He was quickly scooped up by the Chargers, who were dealing with injuries in their safeties room. Maye’s addition coincided with Alohi Gilman‘s placement on IR, and the midseason acquisition has seen his fair share of snaps. In total, Maye has seen time in 112 defensive snaps in four games with the Chargers. Tony Jefferson saw an uptick in playing time when Maye exited Thursday’s game, although the team was already scrambling with Elijah Molden out of the lineup.
The Chargers do have a new name to choose from after they added Jackson earlier today. The former Bears standout was cut by Chicago last offseason before he landed in Baltimore. The two-time Pro Bowler got into nine games (four starts) with his new squad before getting cut in November. It took him a whole month to find a new gig, but he lands in an enticing situation in Los Angeles.
However, Jackson didn’t perform all that well in Baltimore. His 50.3 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is the lowest of his career and ranks in the bottom 10 among NFL safeties this year. He also was displeased with his reduced workload, and “frustrations boiled over” prior to his eventual release. He’ll be seeking a fresh start in Los Angeles, although he may be hard pressed to play a significant role considering the point of the season.
Depending on Molden’s status, Jefferson will likely be inserted into the starting lineup, with Jackson potentially serving as a key backup. The Chargers could also turn to Kendall Williamson and/or Emany Johnson, and the could also get creative with Derwin James, who has played the majority of his snaps at slot CB this season.
Chargers Claim S Marcus Maye
Marcus Maye will join a fourth NFL team, not reaching free agency after the Dolphins waived him. The veteran safety is on his way to Los Angeles.
The former Jets, Saints and Dolphins defender did not make it past the Chargers on the waiver wire, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Maye is due just more than $400K over the season’s remainder. To make room for Maye on the roster, Pelissero notes the Bolts placed Eli Apple on IR.
Miami became the second franchise to cut Maye this year, following New Orleans, who used Maye’s deal as help toward cap compliance during an annual journey for the NFC South club. Maye played 11 games for the Dolphins. This has marked the first year the former second-round pick has not been a regular starter, but Miami used him on 293 defensive plays. Pro Football Focus graded Maye as having bounced back from a down 2023, slotting him 21st among safeties this season.
Maye’s stock soared in 2021, as the Jets — after trading Jamal Adams months earlier — franchise-tagged him. It has not reached that level since. An Achilles tear and DUI arrest plagued Maye during his final months as a Jet. New York let Maye walk in 2022, and New Orleans signed off on a three-year, $22.5MM deal. Maye, 31, did not live up to that pact; most notably, he missed 10 games in 2023 due to injury and a suspension. The Dolphins used Maye as a third safety alongside Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer this season.
Wednesday’s claim does mark an interesting bounce-back effort for Maye, as other veteran safeties recently cut — Adams, Eddie Jackson — have not found new homes yet. Maye will join a Chargers team that employs the NFL’s second-highest-paid safety (Derwin James) along with recently re-signed sidekick Alohi Gilman. The latter missed practice Wednesday. Trade pickup Elijah Molden also plays a regular role in the Bolts’ secondary, potentially making Maye an overqualified insurance option.
Maye has started 80 of the 88 career games he has played. He will now step into a high-end defense, with Jesse Minter elevating the unit from 24th in points allowed in 2023 to first through 11 games this season. This represents an interesting opportunity for Maye, who figures to play an auxiliary role for a playoff contender. Apple played in four Chargers games, seeing action on 47 defensive plays.
Dolphins To Waive S Marcus Maye
Among the handful of safety cap casualties this offseason, Marcus Maye will join Jamal Adams and Eddie Jackson in being cut twice in 2024. The Dolphins are moving on from the longtime starter, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
This exit follows Maye’s Saints departure earlier this year, though it is not yet certain the Dolphins are ending this partnership for good. If Maye clears waivers, Pelissero adds Miami would like to keep him around via a practice squad deal.
Similar to the Broncos’ Greg Dulcich cut Monday, the Dolphins have roster space to clear in order to go through with an activation. Safety Patrick McMorris is set to fill Maye’s spot on the 53-man roster, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson adds. Miami designated Morris for return November 7, meaning he must be activated or moved to season-ending IR by Thursday.
A sixth-round rookie, McMorris will soon jump ahead of Maye in the Dolphins’ safety hierarchy. McMorris has indeed been activated from IR, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. This transaction leaves Miami with four injury activations remaining this season.
That said, the Dolphins still could elevate Maye from the practice squad — should the former Jets second-round pick clear waivers and stay with the team — to continue using him a supporting role in their secondary. Maye, who signed a one-year deal worth $1.38MM in June, played in all 11 Dolphins games and made three starts this season.
Perennially needing to carve out extensive cap space each offseason, the Saints released Maye after two seasons. He missed 10 games due to injury and a personal conduct suspension last season. This season with the Dolphins, the former franchise tag recipient made 30 tackles and forced a fumble. Pro Football Focus had viewed the 31-year-old defender as having a bounce-back year, slotting him 21st among safety regulars (over 293 defensive snaps). The Dolphins, however, have Jevon Holland and fellow cap casualty-turned-starter Jordan Poyer as their primary back-line duo.
Although a few of this year’s safety cuts are still with teams (Poyer, Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs, Kevin Byard), Adams has not resurfaced since his Titans release while the Ravens cut Jackson this weekend. Adams’ former teammate in New York, Maye has made 80 career starts. A team to submit a claim would owe him just more than $400K for the season’s remainder.
Dolphins To Sign S Marcus Maye
Marcus Maye has found his next squad. The veteran safety is signing with the Dolphins, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
Maye was cut by the Saints earlier this offseason, ending his two-year stint in New Orleans. At the time, we heard the defensive back was drawing interest from a handful of teams, including the Titans. However, it’s been quiet on the Maye front for about three months before today’s news. Schultz notes that Maye did indeed attract interest from “multiple” suitors. Ultimately, Maye opted for the Dolphins because he wants to be part of a hopeful “Super Bowl contender” in Miami.
The Saints gave Maye a three-year, $22.5MM contract in March 2022, but he only got into 17 games across two seasons with the organization. Injuries and multiple arrests impacted his stint in New Orleans. Maye’s three-game ban — levied midway through last season — stemmed from a DUI arrest while the DB was with the Jets, but the player was also arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm in fall 2022.
New Orleans ultimately decided to move on following a 2023 campaign where Maye was limited to seven games. While his counting stats were serviceable (including a pair of interceptions), Pro Football Focus graded him only 80th among 95 qualifying safeties. The site was much kinder with their 2022 assessment, grading Maye as the 26th-best safety.
The former second-round pick had five up-and-down seasons with the Jets to begin his career. Maye was a top-20 safety between 2018 and 2020, including that latter season where PFF ranked him fifth at his position. However, before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in 2021, Maye graded as one of the league’s worst safeties through six games.
Of course, the Dolphins won’t be nearly as dependent on Maye. The team brought in another former AFC East safety in Jordan Poyer, pairing the veteran with Jevon Holland in the starting lineup. The rest of the team’s depth at the position consists of Elijah Campbell, sixth-round rookie Patrick McMorris, and UDFAs Mark Perry and Jordan Colbert, meaning Maye should be in line for a role as a key backup.
S Marcus Maye Drawing Interest; Titans Visit On Tap
The 2024 free agent class features a number of veteran safeties released by their respective teams in the lead-in to the new league year. Marcus Maye is among them, but he could soon have a new home.
Maye is on the radar of “several” suitors, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. She adds the former Jets and Saints starter has a visit with the Titans scheduled for Monday. Tennessee’s only free agent move in the secondary to date is the addition of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.
Kevin Byard occupied a starting safety role throughout his tenure in Nashville, but as part of the team’s efforts to move on from veteran contracts, he was dealt to the Eagles at the trade deadline. Byard became a free agent due to Philadelphia’s decision to release him, but he joined the Bears just before the start of the negotiating window. Maye did not reach the open market until the league year began, but he is now free to speak with interested teams.
The 31-year-old was informed at the end of February that he would be cut by New Orleans. The move was initially expected to occur with a post-June 1 designation given the financial benefits of doing so. However, teams are permitted to use that designation on only two players, and the Saints (in their latest round of salary cap gymnastics) did so with wideout Michael Thomas and quarterback Jameis Winston. Maye was therefore let go one day before free agency opened, but in any event he will provide his next team with a starting-caliber option.
The former second-rounder has started all 77 of his career games, but missed time through injury and suspension was a factor in his Saints tenure in particular. Maye was absent for 17 contests during his two-year run with New Orleans, and he posted only two interceptions and four pass deflections during that span. His next contract will no doubt check in at a lower figure than the three-year, $22.5MM contract he received from the Saints in 2022. If healthy, though, the Florida alum could prove to be an effective pickup for Tennessee or another team.
The Titans ranked 18th in the league against the pass last season, and their six interceptions were the fewest in the NFL. Adding playmaking on the backend via free agency or the draft would go a long way in helping the team rebound in the secondary under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. It will be worth watching to see how Maye’s Titans visit goes tomorrow and how many other suitors pursue him in the coming days.