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 Announce 18 UDFA Signings
After adding nine players throughout this weekend’s draft, the Chargers still had plenty of room for rookie additions. Los Angeles announced their 18-man undrafted free agent signing class shortly after the event closed, disclosing these players as signees:
- TeRah Edwards, DT (Illinois)
- Josh Fuga, DT (Virginia Tech)
- Luke Grimm, WR (Kansas)
- Kylan Guidry, OLB (Western Kentucky)
- Nash Jones, G (Texas State)
- Jaylen Jones, S (Virginia Tech)
- Josh Kaltenberger, C (Maryland)
- Stevo Klotz, TE (Iowa State)
- Jordan Oladokun, CB (Bowling Green State)
- Myles Purchase, CB (Iowa State)
- Garmon Randolph, OLB (Baylor)
- Nikko Reed, CB (Oregon)
- Eric Rogers, CB (Rutgers)
- Raheim Sanders, RB (South Carolina)
- Corey Stewart, T (Purdue)
- DJ Uiagalelei, QB (Florida State)
- Savion Washington, T (Syracuse)
- Marlowe Wax, LB (Syracuse)
After slightly favoring offense (five players to four on defense) during the draft, Los Angeles evens things out by favoring the defense (10:8) in the undrafted class, giving them 13 offensive rookies and 14 defensive rookies in 2025.
Once heralded as the quarterback of the future set to take over the Clemson program after Trevor Lawrence, Uiagalelei ends up in Los Angeles after stops with Oregon State and the Seminoles. Sanders was expected to be a late-Day 3 selection. Sanders rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 for Arkansas before injuries limited him in 2023. He transferred to South Carolina and tallied 881 yards and 11 scores on the ground, adding 316 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air.
The team loaded up on flyers in the secondary this year. After drafting safeties with each of their last two picks, the Chargers added one more in free agency and signed four undrafted cornerbacks. Reed is maybe the most capable of the group. One of Deion Sanders‘ cast-outs at Colorado, Reed transferred to Oregon for two strong years, collecting 26 passes defensed and five interceptions in his four years of college. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Reed’s UDFA contract includes $100K of base salary guaranteed plus a $15K signing bonus.