Bills Sign P Mitch Wishnowsky, Place P Cameron Johnston On IR
The Bills finished their Week 4 game without their usual kicker and punter. Cameron Johnston joined Tyler Bass as injured specialists in Buffalo, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the punter would miss time with a leg injury.
As a result, the Bills will add former 49ers staple Mitch Wishnowsky, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Wishnowsky is joining Buffalo’s 53-man roster. Rather than carry two punters on the active roster, Buffalo is placing Johnston on IR, per Schefter. The 33-year-old will now miss at least four games after suffering an injury on a roughing the punter penalty in a win over the Saints last Sunday.
Wishnowsky, also 33, is already the third punter the Bills have employed this season. Interestingly, he joins Johnston as the second Australian the Bills have used at the position this year.
The Bills began 2025 with Brad Robbins as their punter, but they cut him loose after he averaged 39.5 yards per boot (38.0 net) in a win over the Ravens in Week 1. Johnston, a former Eagle, Texan, and Steeler, averaged 44.0 yards with a nearly identical 37.9 net in two games before landing on IR.
A 49er from 2019-24, Wishnowsky carries a career average of 45.6 yards per punt and 40.7 net. He played in just nine games last year before going on IR with a season-ending back injury in mid-November. Wishnowsky began this season on the Commanders’ practice squad, but they released him on Sept. 13. He’ll now get an opportunity to give the undefeated Bills something they haven’t found in 2025 — a solution at punter.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/25
Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: DE Xavier Carlton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Trey Washington
- Released: S Darrick Forrest
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Lawrence Cager
- Released: P Mitch Wishnowsky
The Commanders needed Wishnowsky as insurance with regular punter Tress Way dealing with back issues throughout the week, but having made it through Week 2 with a heathy Way, Washington brings back Cager, whom they dropped to make room for Wishnowsky.
Carlton was moved off the practice squad to make room for former third-round kicker Jake Moody, who cleared waivers after getting cut from San Francisco this week and signed a practice squad deal in Chicago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/25
Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the league:
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated from practice squad: OT Brant Banks, CB Micah Robinson
- Placed on injured reserve: DL Brenton Cox
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed from practice squad: WR Tim Jones, TE Nick Vannett
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): WR/KR Xavier Gipson
- Placed on IR: LB Micah McFadden (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed from practice squad: CB Shaquill Griffin
- Released: WR Cody White
Washington Commanders
- Elevated from practice squad: C Michael Deiter, P Mitch Wishnowsky
Gipson was waived by the Jets after a costly fumble in Week 1, but will not need to switch states (or even home stadiums) when joining the Giants. The 24-year-old will serve as a depth receiver for his new team and could also contribute as a returner.
The NFL also issued a three-game suspension for free agency safety Qwuantrezz Knight, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Knight appeared in six games for the Cardinals in 2023.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/25
Wednesday’s taxi squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Channing Tindall
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Phidarian Mathis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE K.J. Henry
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Jaylon Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Cole Christiansen
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released from practice squad/injured list (with injury settlement): WR Jalen Reagor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Jacob Sykes
- Released: CB Eli Ricks
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: QB Logan Woodside
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Messiah Swinson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: P Mitch Wishnowsky
- Released: TE Lawrence Cager
With regular punter Tress Way in danger of missing this week’s Thursday Night matchup in Green Bay with a back injury, Washington has signed the former 49ers veteran as insurance.
49ers Activate Yetur Gross-Matos, Place Mitch Wishnowsky On IR
NOVEMBER 16: As anticipated, both moves have now officially been made. San Francisco has four IR activations remaining on the year. The team’s playoff push will include another stint with one specialist on the sidelines, although the 49ers will have the option of bringing Wishnowsky back before the end of the regular season.
NOVEMBER 15: The 49ers are expected to activate defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and place punter Mitch Wishnowsky on injured reserve with a back injury, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
Gross-Matos was placed on injured reserve on October 5 after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. He returned to practice on November 5 and is eligible to play against the Seahawks in Week 11. Wishnowsky will be sidelined for at least four weeks before he can be activated from IR.
Gross-Matos was a full participant in practice this week, but is still listed as questionable on the injury report since he has not officially been activated yet. The 49ers will be hoping Gross-Matos can play if Nick Bosa is sidelined with a hip injury, though he returned to practice on Friday after missing Tuesday and Wednesday. Bosa is questionable for Sunday’s game.
Wishnowsky’s injury leaves the 49ers down yet another specialist this year. Jake Moody missed a month with a high ankle sprain, and his replacement, Matthew Wright, landed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Anders Carlson then filled in for two games before Moody returned in Week 9.
The 49ers signed former Bears and Packers punter Pat O’Donnell to their practice squad on Wednesday as insurance for Wishnowsky’s back. He will likely be elevated for the game on Sunday, though the 49ers will need to make another move to promote him to the active roster since Gross-Matos will likely be taking Wishnowsky’s spot on the 53.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/23
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on PUP: WR Marquez Stevenson
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from PUP: WR Anthony Schwartz
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP: LB Tariq Carpenter, OT Caleb Jones, S Tarvarius Moore
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Ty Scott
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Isiah Brown
- Waived/injured: CB Jordan Perryman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Kevin Atkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino
- Activated from PUP: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Ben Burr-Kirven
Washington Commanders
- Released: S Xavier Henderson
Ben Burr-Kirven was a fifth-round pick by the Seahawks back in 2019, and he transformed into a key special teamer through his first two seasons in the NFL. However, he suffered a knee injury during the 2021 preseason that ended up wiping out that entire season. The issues persisted in 2022, and after spending that year on PUP, he was ultimately released in March. Coach Pete Carroll apparently reversed course and ended up bringing back the linebacker.
“He’s in a little bit of an experimental mode,” Carroll said earlier this year (via the team’s website). “The surgeries that he has had and the process he is going through, he is making progress. He’s always in the weight room with us. He’s always here working with a tremendous mentality. The nerve issues, really intricate stuff going on, so he’s had to have a really good attitude about it to stay in the fight and he is. He’s planning on getting back out there. So, we are going to give him every chance. If he can do it, this is going to be the place that he does it.”
Xavier Henderson was released today with an injury settlement, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent landed on the physically unable to perform list earlier this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23
With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on NFI: DE Calais Campbell
- Waived (failed physical designation): RB Caleb Huntley
- Waived from IR: RB B.J. Baylor
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers (from Giants): WR Makai Polk
- Placed on NFI: LS Nick Moore
- Released: WR Andy Isabella, WR Mike Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on PUP: LB Tyler Matakevich, LB Von Miller, DT Jordan Phillips
- Placed on NFI: RB Nyheim Hines
- Released TE Nick Guggemos
Chicago Bears
- Placed on NFI: WR Dante Pettis
- Waived: P Ryan Anderson, LB Sterling Weatherford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from PUP: CB Chidobe Awuzie
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Josh Butler
- Placed on PUP: CB Jourdan Lewis
- Placed on NFI: TE Luke Schoonmaker
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
- Waived: QB Jarrett Guarantano
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Cody Chrest
- Placed on NFI: LB Tariq Carpenter, S Tarvarius Moore
Houston Texans
- Placed on PUP: OL Dylan Deatherage, OT Charlie Heck, TE Teagan Quitoriano, CB Kendall Sheffield, DE Chase Winovich
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on PUP: DE Tyquan Lewis, TE Will Mallory, RB Jonathan Taylor
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Kyle Peko
- Waived: CB Isiah Brown, QB Chase Garbers
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from NFI: CB Ethan Bonner
- Placed on PUP: OT Terron Armstead, TE Tanner Conner, OT Isaiah Wynn
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OT Bobby Evans
- Placed on NFI: WR Malik Knowles
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Jalen Hurd
- Activated from PUP: DT Justus Tavai
- Placed on NFI: OT Calvin Anderson, DL DaMarcus Mitchell
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Max Garcia
- Waived: TE Miller Forristall, G Koda Martin
New York Giants
- Signed: DE Tashawn Bower
- Placed on PUP: DT D.J. Davidson, G Marcus McKethan , CB Aaron Robinson, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Sterling Shepard
- Waived: DB Trenton Thompson
- Waived/injured: LB Elerson Smith
- Released from IR (injury settlement): CB Leonard Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Deon Cain, OL Dennis Kelly
- Placed on reserve/retired: DE Matt Leo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Terrance Mitchell
- Placed on NFI: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Levi Bell, DT Roderick Perry, CB Andrew Whitaker
- Released: CB James Campbell, CB Isaiah Dunn, LB Alton Robinson
Washington Commanders
- Placed on IR: TE Armani Rogers
- Released: QB Tim DeMorat
Free Agents
- Suspended: OT Isaiah Wilson
Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.
Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).
Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.
49ers Extend P Mitch Wishnowsky
The 49ers may be facing long-term questions at the quarterback position, but a key member of their special teams unit will remain in the fold for the foreseeable future. The team announced on Friday that they have extended punter Mitch Wishnowsky on a four-year deal. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the contract will pay him just under $3MM annually and has a maximum value of $13MM.
A fourth-rounder in 2019, Wishnowsky has one year remaining on his rookie contract. This new pact will not only represent a sizable increase in compensation relative to his 2022 pay, it could make him the second highest-paid punter in the NFL if it reaches the $3.25MM-per-year mark, behind only Seattle’s Michael Dickson.
The 30-year-old Australian has yet to miss a game so far in his career, and has been consistent across his three seasons in the league. His busiest campaign came in 2020, when he punted 66 times for an average of 46.9 yards, his personal watermark in that regard to date. In addition to punting, Wishnowsky has also handled kickoff duties, doing so 219 times in the regular season.
The Utah alum will now be on the books through the 2026 season, giving San Francisco some long-term stability at one of their specialist positions. Both kicker Robbie Gould and long snapper Taybor Pepper are set to hit free agency at the end of the year; the former’s age (40) in particular could leave his future in doubt. The latter, meanwhile, has just begun his third season in the Bay Area after making appearances with the Packers and Dolphins previously.
In what should be far better conditions than he had to face during the 49ers’ Week 1 loss in Chicago, Wishnowsky will look to help get his team back on track when they host the Seahawks on Sunday knowing that his long-term future is secure.
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/1/22
Here are the New Year’s Day activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Brandon Copeland, QB Feleipe Franks, S Richie Grant
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Mazzi Wilkins
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Brian Burns, DE Marquis Haynes, LB Shaq Thompson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Brandon Allen, LB Germaine Pratt
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Scotty Washington
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Simi Fehoko
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: T Aviante Collins
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Andre Mintze
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Jonathan Harris
Detroit Lions
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Steven Montez
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Corey Bojorquez, G Ben Braden, LB Oren Burks, TE Tyler Davis, TE Marcedes Lewis, LB Ty Summers (remains on IR)
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DL R.J. McIntosh
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Carson Wentz, CB T.J. Carrie, T Braden Smith
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Chris Wilcox
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Malcom Brown, DT DaVon Hamilton, TE Chris Manhertz, OL Andrew Norwell, DL Jihad Ward
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Dawuane Smoot
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Denzel Perryman, CB Casey Hayward, LB Cory Littleton, DT Darius Philon
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Nasir Adderly, S Alohi Gilman, CB Chris Harris Jr., CB Davontae Harris, K Dustin Hopkins, T Storm Norton, LS Matt Overton, T Trey Pipkins III
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Adam Butler, S Brandon Jones
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Noah Igbinoghene, S Sheldrick Redwine
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Oli Udoh
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Matt Judon, LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB Brandon King, QB Brian Hoyer, DE Josh Uche
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Marcus Williams, C Erik McCoy
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT Malcolm Roach
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Nick Vannett
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Julian Love
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Dante Pettis
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Bryce Hall
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Derek Barnett
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR KeeSean Johnson, CB Craig James
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Isaiah Buggs
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Sidney Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamel Dean, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Bud Dupree, DL Denico Autry, CB Buster Skrine
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Cody Hollister
Draft Pick Signings: 4/30/19
The first 2019 draft pick signing commenced Tuesday. Only 253 to go.
- The 49ers signed their fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall), punter Mitch Wishnowsky, to the CBA-mandated four-year contract. Wishnowsky was the first specialist chosen in this year’s draft. Ranking second in Division I-FBS with a 47.7-yard punting average, the Utah alum earned second-team All-America honors last season. However, Wishnowsky broke into football late; this will be the Australia native’s age-27 season.