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Trey Sermon

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

August 27th, 2025 at 5:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Baltimore Ravens

Signed to practice squad:

Cincinnati Bengals

Signed to practice squad:

Reverted to IR:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed to practice squad:

Steelers Cut 13 Players, Set Initial 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Ben Levine

After slowly reducing their roster count over the past week, the Steelers officially got to their 53-player limit this afternoon. The Steelers announced the following transactions:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

The Steelers made a pair of relatively surprising cuts on defense. Beanie Bishop joined the Steelers as a UDFA last year and ended up getting into all 17 games (six starts), compiling 45 tackles, four interceptions, and seven passes defended. If he doesn’t get scooped up by another team, there’s a good chance he lands back on Pittsburgh’s practice squad. The same goes for DeMarvin Leal, who appeared in 28 games for the Steelers since being selected in the third round of the 2022 draft.

On offense, the team terminated the contracts of two notable veterans. Robert Woods was looking to revive his career following two quiet seasons in Houston. The former Rams standout hit new lows in 2024, finishing with career-lows in receptions (20) and receiving yards (203). The team also moved on from former 49ers draft pick Trey Sermon. The running back spent the past two seasons with the Colts, where he collected 431 yards from scrimmage in 31 games.

Steelers, RB Trey Sermon Agree To Deal

May 11th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers have lined up a backfield addition deep into free agency. Pittsburgh has agreed to a one-year deal with Trey Sermon, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

A third-round pick of the 49ers in 2021, Sermon only lasted one season in San Francisco. He did not survive roster cuts in advance of his second NFL campaign, with the 49ers placing him on waivers. The Eagles claimed him, although that did not yield a workload of note. Sermon handled a total of just 12 snaps in Philadelphia, and he found himself on the move the following year.

Shortly after being released in the summer of 2023, Sermon inked a practice squad deal with the Colts. His debut Indianapolis campaign resulted in 160 scoreless rushing yards, but the free agent departure of Zack Moss opened the door for an increased workload. At one point, Sermon seemed to be in position to handle RB2 duties behind Jonathan Taylor. In the end, though, the Ohio State product only saw a marginal uptick in carries (56 compared to 35).

As a result, this Steelers pact will no doubt be a small commitment on Pittsburgh’s part. The Steelers leaned heavily on former first-rounder Najee Harris over the past four seasons. As many expected, Harris departed in free agency this spring, leaving Jaylen Warren atop the depth chart. The latter is attached to a second-round RFA tender for 2025, and he will look to play his way into a long-term pact with Pittsburgh or another team next offseason.

The Steelers used a third-round pick (their second selection of the draft) on running back Kaleb Johnson. The Iowa product enjoyed a highly successful college career and he is in line to compete for a notable role alongside Warren and free agent signing Kenneth Gainwell as a rookie. Sermon, 26, could earn a place as the team’s No. 3 or 4 option in the backfield, although he does not have considerable experience on special teams (something which would likely be necessary for someone in that role to earn a roster spot).

The Steelers entered Sunday with more than $34MM in cap space, so today’s deal will not alter their other roster-building plans. Sermon will turn his attention to competing for a depth gig on his latest team during the summer.

Latest On Colts’ RB Depth

June 24th, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts ended their standoff with Jonathan Taylor last October, assuring the running back would stick in Indy for the foreseeable future. With the former All-Pro locked in, the Colts front office had to watch as key backup Zack Moss took a starting gig with the Bengals this offseason.

Taylor has missed 13 games over the past two years, meaning the Colts RB2 should be in line for a significant role. With that in mind, ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes that veteran Trey Sermon is the “likeliest option” to take over that top backup gig following a standout performance at OTAs. Holder points out how Sermon’s “hard-running style” could be appealing to the Colts, and his familiarity with the offense gives him some leeway for the RB2 job.

The former third-round pick collected 193 yards with the 49ers as a rookie, but he was quickly squeezed out of a crowded RBs room. He spent the 2022 campaign in Philly before catching on with the Colts last year. He ended up getting into 14 games with Indy, collecting 173 yards from scrimmage.

He should see an uptick in those numbers next season, even if Taylor remains relatively healthy. The team doesn’t have many other experienced options at the position, although both Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson bring their own intrigue. Hull was a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft, but the Northwestern product spent the majority of his rookie campaign on IR. Goodson was also on the Colts in 2023, collecting 121 yards on 19 touches. Zavier Scott and Trent Pennix round out the depth chart.

“I love the room,” Sermon said of his fellow RBs (via Locked On Colts on YouTube). “Everybody’s a little bit different, but we’re all great running backs. We compete, we push each other. If one of us makes a big play, we’re all excited for each other.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/24

March 14th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Colts Release RB Deon Jackson

September 23rd, 2023 at 10:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are moving on from a Week 1 starter. The team is releasing running back Deon Jackson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Colts are filling the open roster spot with running back Trey Sermon, who will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

[RELATED: Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad]

With Jonathan Taylor sitting on PUP and Zack Moss sidelined with a hand injury, the Colts handed Jackson the reigns to start the season. The third-year RB disappointed, finishing Week 1 with 28 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches. Moss returned in Week 2 and stole all the running back carries, and Jackson was limited to only a single special teams snap in that win over the Texans.

Now, Jackson will find himself looking for his next gig. The former UDFA out of Duke spent two-plus seasons in Indy, appearing in 27 games. He started two of his 16 appearances in 2022, finishing with 445 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

While the Colts continue to seek a resolution with Taylor, the team has done some work to reshuffle their RB corps this week. The team added Sermon to the practice squad before declaring Evan Hull out for the season with a torn meniscus. For the time being, the Colts will move forward with a depth chart that consists of Moss, Sermon, and Jake Funk.

Sermon started two of his nine appearances for the 49ers during his rookie campaign, with the third-round pick finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. San Francisco ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he spent most of last season on the Eagles practice squad.

Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad

September 19th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

With Jonathan Taylor‘s future with the Colts looming over the organization, the team has added an intriguing name to the running backs room. The Colts announced that they’ve signed running back Trey Sermon to the practice squad.

[RELATED: Colts Likely To Resume Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks]

It wasn’t all that long ago that Sermon looked like he could be the future RB for the 49ers. However, the 2021 third-round pick quickly fell behind 2021 sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell in the pecking order, and Sermon was only thrown into the lineup when he was the last man standing. Sermon ended up starting two of his nine appearances during that 2021 campaign, finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.

The 49ers ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he quickly caught on with the Eagles via waivers. He wasn’t able to make much of a dent in a deep Philly RBs room, with Sermon garnering a pair of carries (for 19 yards) in two appearances. Sermon was waived/injured by the Eagles back in August, and after passing through waivers and reverting to IR, the Eagles let him go for good last week.

Now he’ll be joining a Colts RB corps that’s a bit uncertain with their leading rusher sitting on PUP. It’s unknown if Taylor will even play again for Indy, leaving the team to figure out a contingency plan at the position. Zack Moss returned from injury in Week 2 and got all of the looks at RB for the Colts, stealing snaps from Week 1 starter Deon Jackson. The Colts are also rostering Jake Funk.

In other words, Sermon has a chance to carve out a role on a questionable depth chart. The team hinted that they could be seeking additional depth at the position when they worked out James Robinson earlier this month.

Browns Hosting Kareem Hunt On Visit; Cam Akers On Radar

September 19th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:25pm: This process is moving fast. The Browns are hosting Hunt on a Tuesday visit, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This marks Hunt’s fourth known visit this offseason. He met with the Vikings, Saints and Colts. As of this past weekend, Indianapolis still had the six-year veteran on its radar.

2:52pm: Nick Chubb‘s gruesome injury has forced the Browns to look for a running back addition. The team is in the Cam Akers trade market, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot reports Kareem Hunt is also back on the radar.

In April, a report emerged indicating the Browns were not planning to bring back Hunt, who played out a two-year, $12MM extension with his hometown team last season. But Hunt has remained a free agent for the past six months. Having visited the Colts, Saints and Vikings, the former rushing champion looms as a natural fit for the Browns, seeing as he spent the past three seasons in Kevin Stefanski‘s system.

At 24, Akers is four years younger than Hunt, who turned 28 last month. The Cleveland-area native came up in trade talks before last year’s deadline, but after Hunt completed a down season, the running back market cratered. No substantial offers have likely come Hunt’s way, leading to the longtime Chubb complementary piece remaining unattached. An interesting opportunity could soon await, though it might depend on what the Rams are willing to accept for Akers. Hunt has logged 1,106 career touches; Akers’ NFL odometer sits at 387.

At least four teams are believed to have discussed Akers with the Rams. The former second-round pick is again on the trade block, becoming a healthy scratch in Week 2. While the Rams and Akers mended fences after last year’s dustup — one that led to trade talks ahead of the 2022 deadline — Sean McVay confirmed a trade represents this latest saga’s likely endpoint.

As Chubb led the NFL in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric last season, with 284, Hunt finished with minus-10. Hunt gained only 678 scrimmage yards in 17 games. The 2017 rushing champ had requested a trade during the 2022 offseason, and after the Browns refused to accommodate him at that point, they were open to an in-season move. A fourth-round pick emerged as a Cleveland ask, but the team ended up hanging onto Hunt during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension. A host of lower-profile backs found deals in March, and Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott wound up with teams during training camp. Hunt and Leonard Fournette, however, have been unattached for more than six months.

Calf and ankle injuries limited Hunt in 2021; he amassed just 560 scrimmage yards that year. The ex-Chief played a major role in the Browns snapping their near-two-decade playoff drought in 2020, producing 1,145 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns alongside Chubb. During the Chubb-Hunt partnership, the latter played a much bigger passing-game role. Akers has not done much as a receiver during his pro career.

Hunt complementing 2022 fifth-rounder Jerome Ford in a similar capacity makes sense for the Browns, who did acquire Pierre Strong from the Patriots in August. Ford played the lead role following Chubb’s season-ending injury Monday night.

Going through an up-and-down career with the Rams, Akers did close the 2022 season well after seeing a July 2021 Achilles tear sidetrack him. Akers produced three straight 100-yard games from Weeks 16-18 but has seen 2022 fifth-rounder Kyren Williams usurp him in L.A.’s backfield. Akers rushed for just 29 yards on 22 carries in Week 1, with most of those totes coming after the Rams had put the Seahawks matchup out of reach.

Hunt arrived back in Cleveland during John Dorsey‘s GM stretch, reuniting with the exec who drafted him with the Chiefs. But Hunt signed the above-referenced extension during Andrew Berry‘s first year at the helm. With this looming as a crucial year for Stefanski (and perhaps Berry as well), it is logical the Browns are looking for a veteran to team with Ford, who totaled just eight carries for 12 yards last season. Trey Sermon also landed on the Browns’ radar, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but the ex-49ers and Eagles back signed with the Colts’ P-squad.

Eagles’ Avonte Maddox To Undergo Surgery On Torn Pectoral Muscle

September 18th, 2023 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 18: After undergoing an MRI and receiving a second opinion, Maddox will indeed have surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. As a result of the procedure, the Eagles will be without a starter in their secondary for an indefinite stretch, or potentially the remainder of the season. Maddox is on the books through 2024, but none of his scheduled base salary for that year ($6.85MM) is guaranteed.

SEPTEMBER 15: Letting their starting safeties and linebackers walk in free agency, the Eagles paid up to keep their cornerback contingent intact. The new deals for Darius Slay and James Bradberry kept them in the fold with slot corner Avonte Maddox, who signed an extension back in 2021.

Slay and Bradberry are unlikely to have Maddox alongside them for a while. Another injury has cropped up for the experienced inside defender, with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark reporting the team fears Maddox suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Maddox is seeking a second opinion, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The final diagnosis confirming this fear would almost definitely sideline Maddox for the rest of the season. This continues a trend for Maddox, the longest-tenured member of the Eagles’ secondary. The 2018 fourth-rounder missed time because of hamstring, ankle and toe injuries last season. The ankle setback prompted Philly to place Maddox on IR; the toe injury sidelined him for three late-season games. Maddox ended up missing nine of the Eagles’ 20 games last year.

Maddox, 27, left Thursday night’s game in the second quarter. Second-year UDFA Mario Goodrich replaced him in the slot. The injury-relief cameo doubled as Goodrich’s first NFL action. The Clemson product spent last season on the Eagles’ practice squad, and the team retained him via reserve/futures deal in February. The Eagles kept Goodrich on their 53-man roster this year; he may be needed to play extensively going forward.

Joining the Eagles just after their Super Bowl LII-winning season, Maddox has been a regular on their defense since his rookie slate. Despite the team trading for Slay and extending him in 2020, the Eagles paid Maddox not long after. Maddox’s three-year, $22.5MM extension runs through 2024. He is due a $6.85MM base salary next season.

The Eagles already went into last night’s game without defensive starters Reed Blankenship and Nakobe Dean. Additionally, Philly released one of its recent linebacker pickups — Rashaan Evans — from its practice squad Friday. The team also reached an injury settlement with running back Trey Sermon, who landed on season-ending IR — after being waived with an injury designation — last month. This will sever ties between the former third-round draftee and the Eagles, who had claimed Sermon off waivers from the 49ers in August 2022.

Evans requested to be released off the Eagles’ P-squad, Schefter tweets. He has received interest from other teams. While clubs can poach players off P-squads, the player’s options are limited. Evans, who spent several months in free agency this offseason, will try his luck back on the market.

Eagles To Waive RB Trey Sermon

August 29th, 2023 at 1:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Fielding a running back room that has surely confused fantasy GMs ahead of drafts, the Eagles’ post-Miles Sanders plan — for the time being, at least — will not include Trey Sermon.

The defending NFC champions waived the former 49ers third-round pick Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Sermon was viewed as the odd man out in a backfield that still houses Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott; those two join offseason pickups D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny.

Sermon will be waived with an injury designation, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes, adding the third-year back suffered an injury in the team’s final preseason game.

Sermon wound up in Philadelphia via waiver claim last year. The 49ers cut him after his second training camp with the team. Sermon was viewed as a potential starter option for the 2021 49ers, but the team preferred sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell. The latter remains Christian McCaffrey‘s backup, while the higher-drafted player may soon be on a third team in three seasons.

That said, the Eagles could bring Sermon back into the fold on a practice squad deal. Not a vested veteran, Sermon is subject to waivers. If unclaimed by Wednesday afternoon, Sermon could land on Philly’s 16-man practice squad. He spent most of the 2022 season on that unit, playing in two games.

The Eagles only guaranteed Penny $600K, but the ex-Seahawks first-rounder remains on the team’s roster. One of the NFL’s longest-tenured backup running backs in recent memory, Scott is going into his sixth season with the Eagles. The team acquired Swift during draft weekend — two years after using a fifth-round pick on Gainwell. This convoluted setup should be expected to produce a committee. While Sermon could become part of the group again — if/when injuries occur — he must clear waivers first.

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