Chargers Place LB Junior Colson On IR; Taylor Heinicke Among Team’s Cuts
The Chargers placed a key defender on season-ending IR and made a quarterback decision. Here are the Bolts’ moves to reach the 53-man roster limit:
Released:
- CB Harrison Hand
- QB Taylor Heinicke
- S Tony Jefferson
- LB Kana’i Mauga
- RB Nyheim Miller-Hines
- LB Del’Shawn Phillips
- WR Jalen Reagor
- T David Sharpe
Waived:
- G Karsen Barnhart
- DB Trikweze Bridges
- WR Dalevon Campbell
- DL TeRah Edwards
- WR Luke Grimm
- OLB Kylan Guidry
- DL Christopher Hinton
- WR JaQuae Jackson
- LB Emany Johnson
- G Nash Jones
- C Josh Kaltenberger
- TE Stevo Klotz
- OLB Tre’Mon Morris-Brash
- T Ryan Nelson
- CB Myles Purchase
- OLB Garmon Randolph
- WR Brenden Rice
- RB Raheim Sanders
- CB Nehemiah Shelton
- DL Nesta Jade Silvera
- T Corey Stewart
- G Branson Taylor
- QB DJ Uiagalelei
- RB Kimani Vidal
- TE Thomas Yassmin
Waived/injured:
- WR Jaylen Johnson
- S Jaylen Jones
- RB Jaret Patterson
Placed on IR:
Placed on IR (return designation):
- LS Josh Harris
- DB Deane Leonard
It is not known what injury Colson suffered — teams do not have to disclose injuries until Week 1 — but this is a significant setback for the former Jim Harbaugh Michigan pupil. Colson entered training camp with a chance to earn the starting linebacker job alongside Daiyan Henley; instead, he will miss the season. Harris and Leonard will be eligible to return from IR after four games; their IR-return placements drop the Bolts’ injury activation count from eight to six.
It is possible the Chargers circle back to Heinicke, who is a vested veteran. A practice squad stashing could make sense, but Trey Lance is also a vested veteran now. The Bolts are keeping the former No. 3 overall pick on their 53-man roster, while Heinicke’s status is uncertain. The Chargers re-signed Heinicke to a one-year, $2.5MM deal. They are positioned to eat $2MM in dead money due to the guarantees given to their 2024 backup.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/25
NFL teams are continuing to adjust their rosters to weather injuries and add depth with preseason games kicking off later this week. Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Dan Feeney
- Waived: DE Kameron Cline, OL Rush Reimer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Mitch Van Vooren, RB Trayveon Williams
- Waived: OT Julian Pearl
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, CB D.J. Miller
- Waived/injured: RB Kye Robichaux
- Placed on IR: S Dan Jackson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Corey Ballentine
- Released: CB Gregory Junior
Houston Texans
- Activated from active/PUP list: RB Dameon Pierce
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Tremayne Anchrum, DL Austin Johnson
- Waived: WR J.J. Jones
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Nesta Jade Silvera
- Waived/injured: DL Josh Fuga
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Chris Myarick
- Placed on IR: TE Jalin Conyers
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
- Waived: OT Marcellus Johnson
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP list: OL Vederian Lowe
New York Giants
- Signed: LB K.J. Cloyd, RB Jonathan Ward
- Waived/injured: RB Rushawn Baker
- Placed on IR: LB Ty Summers
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Michael Dowell, LS Zach Triner
- Placed on IR: S AJ Finley
- Waived: LB Seth Coleman
The Lions’ additions were likely a result of a shoulder injury to second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw. Head coach Dan Campbell said (via team writer Tim Twentyman) that “it’s going to be a while, at best” until Rakestraw returns to the field.
Ballentine returns to Green Bay, where he spent the last three seasons, after a brief stint in Indianapolis this offseason. He started six games and played 488 snaps for the Packers in 2023, but primarily contributed on special teams in 2022 and 2024.
The Giants are dealing with a number of injuries in their running back room, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Only Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Darius Miller are healthy, and the first two may not play much in the preseason. New York worked out a number of running backs on Monday, including Myles Gaskin and Isaiah Spiller (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), but Ward impressed enough to join the squad moving forward.
Finley went down with a knee injury at training camp that is believed to be serious, pending additional tests, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Triner, meanwhile, will fill in for Seahawks third-year long snapper Chris Stoll, who is dealing with a back issue, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/18/25
Here are today’s minor NFL transactions as we head into the weekend:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Dicaprio Bootle, CB Tyson Russell, RB Jabari Small
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on active/PUP: DE Collin Oliver, CB Micah Robinson, LB Quay Walker, WR Christian Watson (story), G John Williams
- Placed on active/NFI: K Alex Hale, C Elgton Jenkins, RB Amar Johnson
- Waived: DT Nesta Jade Silvera, DT Cameron Young
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on active/PUP: WR Brandon Aiyuk (story), T Andre Dillard, DE Yetur Gross-Matos, S Malik Mustapha (story), WR Ricky Pearsall (story), LB Curtis Robinson
- Placed on active/NFI: OL Ben Bartch, S George Odum
The Lions have added three players to the roster today after a working them out. Bootle has had a cup of coffee with a few teams in the league after going undrafted in 2021. Small didn’t see the field at all as an undrafted rookie with the Titans last year, and Russell becomes the latest undrafted rookie free agent to sign a deal this year. His tenacity has been rewarded two and a half months after the draft.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/14/25
Once the regular season ends, teams that are eliminated from the playoffs can sign players – typically young members of their practice squads – to reserve/futures contracts. Teams that lose in the playoffs are also eligible to sign such deals. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- G Brady Latham, DT Ralph Holley
Green Bay Packers
- CB Isaiah Dunn, WR Lediatrick Griffin, CB Kaleb Hayes, C Trey Hill, TE Johnny Lumpkin, DL Keith Randolph, DL Nesta Jade Silvera
Los Angeles Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-
S Marcus Banks, WR Marquez Callaway, CB Dallis Flowers, DL Mike Greene, OL Garret Greenfield, LB Antonio Grier Jr., LB Daniel Grzesiak, OL Luke Haggard, WR Dennis Houston, LB Deion Jones, WR Tanner Knue, OL Lorenz Metz, OL Raiqwon O’Neal, QB Michael Pratt, TE Tanner Taula, RB D.J. Williams, S Rashad Wisdom
Holley is a former Western Michigan Bronco who started his professional career with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 2022. He then signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts for the 2023 season and played a key role in their 2024 Grey Cup championship. Holley led all CFL interior defensive linemen with 8.0 sacks, drawing attention from multiple NFL teams before signing with the Browns, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Steward was an undrafted rookie out of Troy in 2024 who spent the year on the Bears’ practice squad. He was pursued by multiple teams once the regular season ended, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, but ultimately chose to stay within the NFC North with the Vikings.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/24
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Rashad Weaver
- Released: CB Troy Pride
New York Giants
- Signed: OLB Boogie Basham
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Nesta Jade Silvera
- Released: DE Jonathan Garvin
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: LB Markus Bailey, DL Ben Stille
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR: LB Milo Eifler
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: RB Chris Collier
- Promoted: LB Kristian Welch
Green Bay Packers
- Activated off IR: DL Jonathan Ford
- Released: LS Matt Orzech
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DT Zach Carter
- Waived: DT Nesta Jade Silvera
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: CB Dicaprio Bootle, CB Shaun Wade
- Promoted: C Sam Mustipher, WR Jalen Reagor
- Placed on IR: DB Deane Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Elias Neal
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: DT Armon Watts
New York Jets
- Reinstated from reserve/Did Not Report: LB Haason Reddick (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: P Trenton Gill
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, today’s moves were purely procedural. After returning to practice earlier this month, Jonathan Ford was nearing the end of his activation window. To avoid the defensive lineman landing on season-ending injured reserve, the Packers activated the former seventh-round pick to the active roster. That meant the Packers needed to carve out a spot, and long snapper Matt Orzech was the temporary casualty. However, Silverstein says Orzech will land back on the roster later this week following more roster machinations.
Meanwhile, the Giants added Armon Watts to the active roster following the lineman’s stint on the team’s practice squad. It sounds like rival teams may have forced the Giants hand. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes, other teams expressed interest in the former Bears starter, forcing the Giants to secure Watts services now (vs. continuing to stash him on the taxi squad).
Elsewhere in New York, Haason Reddick was officially activated from the Did Not Report list today. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Jets now have a two-game roster exemption to officially add the pass-rusher to the 53-man roster.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/8/24
Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Andre Baccellia, OL Jackson Barton, WR Kaden Davis, OL Marquis Hayes, RB Tony Jones, TE Bernhard Seikovits, WR Jeff Smith, CB Quavian White
Atlanta Falcons
- OL Barry Wesley
Carolina Panthers
- RB Mike Boone, RB Spencer Brown, WR Jalen Camp, RB Tarik Cohen, CB Lamar Jackson, TE Jordan Matthews, CB AJ Parker, TE Chris Pierce, WR Cam Sims, OT Badara Traore, DE Raequan Williams
Chicago Bears
- LB Micah Baskerville, TE Stephen Carlson, OL Jerome Carvin, DB Adrian Colbert, OL Aviante Collins, DL Michael Dwumfour, DL Daniel Hardy, OL Roy Mbaeteka, OL Bill Murray, WR Nsimba Webster
Cincinnati Bengals
- DT Domenique Davis, CB Allan George, C Nate Gilliam, DE Jeff Gunter, LB Shaka Heyward, WR Shedrick Jackson, G Jaxson Kirkland, WR Kwamie Lassiter II, WR Kendric Pryor
Denver Broncos
- RB Tyler Badie, QB Ben DiNucci, OT Demontrey Jacobs, S Devon Key, CB Reese Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, WR Tyrie Cleveland, S Marcel Dabo, WR Ethan Fernea, G Arlington Hambright, TE Jordan Murray, RB Zavier Scott, TE Eric Tomlinson
Las Vegas Raiders
- DE David Agoha, CB Cornell Armstrong, QB Anthony Brown, OT D.J. Fluker, TE Cole Fotheringham, S Jaydon Grant, DT Marquan McCall, RB Sincere McCormick, OT Jalen McKenzie, TE John Samuel Shenker, DT Nesta Jade Silvera, DE Elerson Smith, DE Charles Snowden, CB Sam Webb, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Minnesota Vikings
- LB Abraham Beauplan, G Henry Byrd, OT Coy Cronk, WR N’Keal Harry, WR Trishton Jackson, RB DeWayne McBride, G Tyrese Robinson, WR Thayer Thomas, CB Jaylin Williams, CB Joejuan Williams, G Tyrese Robinson, WR Thayer Thomas
New England Patriots
- DE William Bradley-King, LB Joe Giles-Harris, DB Azizi Hearn, DT Trysten Hill, WR T.J. Luther, OT Andrew Stueber, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
- DT Ryder Anderson, OT Yodny Cajuste, DB Kaleb Hayes, WR Dennis Houston, RB Deon Jackson, LB Dyontae Johnson, LB Jeremiah Martin, G Jalen Mayfield, OL Joshua Miles, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- OL Obinna Eze, OL Vitaliy Gurman, CB Tae Hayes, DL Manny Jones, RB Jacques Patrick, K Austin Seibert, DL Marquiss Spencer, WR Malik Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- LB Levi Bell, NT Matthew Gotel, RB Bryant Koback, TE Tyler Mabry, S Jonathan Sutherland, WR Cody White, WR Easop Winston Jr.
Tennessee Titans
- CB Shyheim Carter, DB Tay Gowan, WR Tre’Shaun Harrison, TE Thomas Odukoya, LB Thomas Rush, G Lachavious Simmons
Washington Commanders
- LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, WR Davion Davis, CB D’Angelo Mandell
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/22/23
Friday’s taxi squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: P Pat O’Donnell
- Released: LB Frank Ginda
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Nesta Jade Silvera
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Nick Bawden
- Released: CB Kalon Barnes
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/23
With many rookie minicamps set to start tomorrow, teams were busy today inking draft picks to contracts. We’ve compiled those signings below:
Cleveland Browns
- DT Siaki Ika (third round, Baylor)
Houston Texans
- C Jarrett Patterson (sixth round, Notre Dame)
- WR Xavier Hutchinson (sixth round, Iowa State)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- S Antonio Johnson (fifth round, Texas A&M)
Las Vegas Raiders
- WR Tre Tucker (third round, Cincinnati)
- QB Aidan O’Connell (fourth round, Purdue)
- S Christopher Smith (fifth round, Georgia)
- LB Amari Burney (sixth round, Florida)
- DT Nesta Jade Silvera (seventh round, Arizona State)
Minnesota Vikings
- S Jay Ward (fourth round, LSU)
New England Patriots
- K Chad Ryland (fourth round, Maryland)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- CB Cory Trice (seventh round, Purdue)
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Cameron Young (fourth round, Mississippi State)
- C Olusegun Oluwatimi (fifth round, Michigan)
- S Jerrick Reed II (sixth round, New Mexico)
Tennessee Titans
- TE Josh Whyle (fifth round, Cincinnati)
- OT Jaelyn Duncan (sixth round, Maryland)
- WR Colton Dowell (seventh round, Tennessee-Martin)