Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/26
Four playoff teams made minor moves on Tuesday. Here’s a look:
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: TE Lucas Krull
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: OLB Nick Hampton
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: TE George Kittle (story)
- Signed from practice squad: TE Brayden Willis
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from IR: ILB Chazz Surratt
In the wake of Kittle’s season-ending Achilles tear, the 49ers are calling on Willis to serve as depth behind Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell. Willis, a 2023 seventh-round pick from Oklahoma, has appeared in 23 games with the 49ers in three seasons. He played in six of the 49ers’ regular-season contests in 2025 and logged 98 of his 111 snaps on special teams.
Surratt, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 12, missed the Seahawks’ last six games of the regular season. He got an extra week to recover after top-seeded Seattle earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. With the Seahawks preparing to host the 49ers in a divisional round matchup Saturday, Surratt could return to action. The 28-year-old wasn’t a factor on defense in the regular season, but he posted a 40% snap share on special teams. Surratt finished second among Seahawks special teamers in tackles (11).
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/26
Here are Friday’s minor moves as we head into the first weekend of the 2025-26 postseason:
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: OLB Nick Hampton, S Tanner Ingle
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return from IR: DE Isaiahh Loudermilk
The Rams calling up practice squad elevations in anticipation of the NFL’s opening playoff games tomorrow, while the Steelers are looking to add some defensive line depth for their own attempt at a playoff run.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/25
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Waived: G Calvin Throckmorton
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return from IR: S Daniel Scott
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: LB Nick Hampton
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: WR Kevin Austin
- Waived: K Cade York
- Placed on IR: RB Devin Neal
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed from Panthers’ practice squad: LB Jeremiah Moon
- Waived: DT Brodric Martin
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: WR Dareke Young
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers, OT Amari Kight
After earning the first three starts of his career, Devin Neal‘s rookie season has come to an end. The Saints running back landed on injured reserve today with a hamstring injury, ending his season early. The sixth-round pick filled in for Alvin Kamara recently, with the rookie compiling 185 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in his three starts.
Elsewhere in New Orleans, Cade York‘s stint with the team has come to an end. The veteran joined the Saints practice squad last month as a potential replacement for Blake Grupe. The team ended up opting for Charlie Smyth to take over as their primary kicker, with the second-year pro converting four of his five field goal attempts and all five of his extra points in three appearances.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks will welcome back Dareke Young for tonight’s game against the Rams. The fourth-year receiver landed on injured reserve in early November thanks to a quad injury. Known mostly for his special teams prowess, Young has had an occasional role on offense during his stint in Seattle, hauling in four catches for 72 yards.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/25
Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Chargers’ practice squad: RB Trayveon Williams
Detroit Lions
- Waived: TE Ross Dwelley
Houston Texans
- Waived: S Jalen Mills
- Claimed off waivers (from Chargers): DT Naquan Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: QB Daniel Jones (story), CB Chris Lammons
- Signed from practice squad: CB Cameron Mitchell
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Nick Hampton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: CB Chigozie Anusiem
- Placed on IR: CB Kyu Blu Kelly (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: LS Cal Adomitis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed from practice squad: LB Nick Jackson
Jones was waived by the Chargers on Monday and quickly found himself joining one of the NFL’s best defenses in Houston. The Texans recently lost Tim Settle to a season-ending injury, so Jones will help fill his snaps in the defensive line rotation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24
Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: OL Tylan Grable
- Waived: DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: LB Trevin Wallace, LB Claudin Cherelus
- Waived: DB Anthony Brown
- Signed to active roster: WR Dan Chisena, LB Jacoby Windmon
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: K Cade York
Detroit Lions
- Signed from Jaguars’ practice squad: LB Anthony Pittman
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: LB Nick Hampton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on commissioners/suspended list: DE Janarius Robinson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: LS Jake McQuaide
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Ambry Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Artie Burns
After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.
The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.
Rams Activate TE Tyler Higbee
The Rams needed to activate Tyler Higbee from the reserve/PUP list this week, and rather than ensure the veteran tight end missed the whole season, the team is moving him back to the 53-man roster.
Down with an ACL tear sustained in a 2023 wild-card game, Higbee has spent the season on the PUP list. The Rams designated the ninth-year player for return on November 27, giving them until Wednesday to activate him before a move to season-ending IR would have commenced. Higbee, however, is back and would be moving toward debuting.
Los Angeles also placed linebacker Nick Hampton on IR and added veteran edge rusher Rashad Weaver to its practice squad. Higbee, of course, is the lead news item here. With Aaron Donald retired, Higbee is the team’s second-longest-tenured player — behind only right tackle Rob Havenstein.
Sean McVay said in late November that Higbee was still several weeks away from coming back. The Rams designating him for return when they did, however, gave him three weeks of practice in advance of this point. Higbee, 31, would end up with four weeks of practice ahead of L.A.’s Week 16 game. That provides a lengthy onramp, and it will be interesting to see if the Rams have him in uniform Sunday.
Drafted in the 2016 fourth round, Higbee joins Havenstein as the only Rams to predate McVay’s arrival. Higbee, however, has signed two Rams extensions. The most recent — a two-year, $17MM deal — runs through the 2025 season. Higbee secured $2MM of his $4.5MM 2025 base salary guaranteed, which will make him a bit harder to jettison next year. He could be a nice bonus for this year’s Rams, who have rallied from 1-4 to the NFC West lead.
The 8-6 team has used free agency addition Colby Parkinson as its top pass-catching tight end. The former Seahawk has 288 yards on 29 receptions. Hunter Long, acquired in the 2023 Jalen Ramsey trade, has just seven grabs for 60 yards. Higbee has been an integral part of McVay’s passing attack, averaging at least 51 yards per game in each of the past six seasons. Chosen as the team’s long-term tight end over Gerald Everett years ago, Higbee has a 734-yard season on his resume and three more 500-plus-yard years. Missing two games last season, Higbee still totaled 47 catches for 495 yards. This came after he amassed 621 yards on a career-high 72 receptions.
Los Angeles played an extended stretch without both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, with each impact receiver joining Higbee in picking up injuries. The trio could be back together soon, as the Rams attempt to secure their first division title since 2021.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/21/23
Another pair of signings of late-round picks today:
Los Angeles Rams
- LB Nick Hampton (fifth round, Appalachian State)
- T Warren McClendon (fifth round, Georgia)
The team with forty rookies on the roster signed two of them today to their initial four-year contracts. Hampton turned into a physical specimen over his time with the Mountaineers, gaining 40 pounds to reach his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame. He landed on the NFL’s radar after a redshirt junior season that saw him record 11.0 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. Injuries held him up from reaching those numbers again in 2022, but he still was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection in both of his final two seasons. He may need some time before he is considered an every-down NFL linebacker, but his experience as a standup pass rusher should get him some snaps in rotation with the Rams.
McClendon was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, planted at the right tackle position. While he was never as lauded as former teammates Jamaree Salyer and Broderick Jones, who started on the opposite side of the line in each of the last two years, he didn’t allow a sack in the 2021 or 2022 seasons and earned first-team All-SEC honors as a team captain last year. McClendon provides an immediate benefit as depth in a room thin on tackles but should have the ability to move inside and help out at guard, as well, if necessary. With Hampton and McClendon now under contract, the team has six more draft picks to sign.