NFL Minor Transactions: 12/13/25
Here are today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for Week 15’s Sunday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: T Christian Jones
- Elevated: WR Jalen Brooks, WR Trent Sherfield
- Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, DE Andre Jones Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Simmons
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: OL Garrett Dellinger
- Elevated: S Chris Edmonds, DT Maurice Hurst
- Waived: WR Jamari Thrash
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: LB Jordan Turner
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, QB Sam Ehlinger
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: TE Shane Zylstra
- Elevated: S Erick Hallett, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Placed on IR: S Brian Branch (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Pierre Strong
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: TE Harrison Bryant
- Elevated: RB Jawhar Jordan, S K’Von Wallace
- Waived: RB Cody Schrader
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: G C.J. Hanson
- Elevated: T Chukwuebuka Godrick, DT Zacch Pickens
- Placed on IR: T Wanya Morris (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson, G Atonio Mafi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Dalevon Campbell, S Marcus Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: S Tanner Ingle
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB D’Ernest Johnson
- Elevated: DT Leonard Taylor
- Placed on IR: RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Kevin Austin, K Charlie Smyth
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: WR Dalen Cambre, OLB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: DT Elijah Chatman, P Cameron Johnston
- Placed on IR: OLB Victor Dimukeje, CB Nic Jones
- Waived: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Cam Jones
- Elevated: CB Tre Brown, QB Adrian Martinez
- Placed on IR: CB Azareye’h Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Andre’ Sam
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: DE Rylie Mills
- Elevated: RB Velus Jones
- Placed on IR: TE Elijah Arroyo
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: T John Ojukwu
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Darius Rush
Nichols began the year on the reserve/PUP list. The eight-year veteran has been hampered by injuries since signing with the Cardinals in 2024. After playing just six games last year, Nichols’ 2025 campaign will end after only four appearances.
Bryant makes his return to the Texans’ offense to replenish a thinned out tight ends group, while in Seattle, the Seahawks place their second-round rookie tight end, Arroyo, on injured reserve with a knee injury.
In Buffalo, this will be Jackson’s third and final standard gameday practice squad elevation. If the team wants to see him in another game this season, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster. The same is true for Strong in Green Bay, Jackson and Mafi in Las Vegas, Smyth in New Orleans, Sam in Philadelphia, and Jones in Seattle.
On the flip side of that, in Denver, Turner has been signed to the 53-man roster after running out of elevations last week.
Thomas suffered a shoulder injury in Week 14 and it will end his season. The third-round rookie confirmed on social media today he is set to undergo surgery in the near future. Thomas made five starts in 2025, totaling 22 tackles and seven pass deflections.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/25
NFL teams continue adjusting their practice squads as we close in on the regular season:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Zion Childress
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Micah Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Austin Trammell
- Released: WR Dorian Singer
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DE Ethan Downs, DT Brodric Martin, DT Zacch Pickens, DE Tyreke Smith
- Released: DT Coziah Izzard, WR Hal Presley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: CB Harrison Hand
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Jordan Colbert
New England Patriots
- Signed: T Thayer Munford
- Released: G Jack Conley
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Zaire Barnes, OL McClendon Curtis
- Released: OLB Trace Ford
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Ambry Thomas
- Released: WR Terrace Marshall, CB Eli Ricks
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Evan Anderson, T Kilian Zierer
- Released: DE William Bradley-King
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Timmy Horne, T John Ojukwu
- Released: RB Jermar Jefferson, CB Amani Oruwariye
Anderson cleared waivers after being cut and can now be assigned to the 49ers’ practice squad. The reason San Francisco can add two while only dropping one from a full practice squad is because Zierer is from Munich, Germany, qualifying him to be a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. While practice squads are capped at 16 players, teams can keep a 17th player if they are a part of the IPPP.
Bears Activate Jaylon Johnson, Cut Roster Down To 53
The Bears made a flurry of move to trim their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, per a team announcement, headlined by the activation of Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson from the physically unable to perform list.
Johnson missed all of training camp after injuring his leg during offseason training. Chicago is hoping that he can be ready for Week 1, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, but the 26-year-old still hasn’t returned to the practice field. Keeping him on the 53-man roster suggests that the team believe he has a good chance of coming back in the first four weeks of the season.
The Bears also activated Tory Taylor to the roster in a procedural move. The Australian-born punter was given an international exemption to give Chicago an extra, 91st roster spot during the offseason, but he cannot keep the exemption and remain on the 53-man roster.
Here are the rest of the Bears’ roster moves:
Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)
Waived/injured
- DB Tysheem Johnson
- OL Doug Kramer
- OL Bill Murray
Waived
- WR Maurice Alexander
- RB Brittain Brown
- LS Luke Elkin
- DL Jonathan Ford
- DB Mekhi Garner
- DL Jamree Kromah
- OL Jordan McFadden
- DL Zacch Pickens
- WR JP Richardson
- WR Tyler Scott
- OL Ricky Stromberg
Released
- WR Miles Boykin
- TE Stephen Carlson
- DL Tanoh Kpassagnon
Homer appeared in 10 games for the Bears in 2024, primarily on special teams. He re-signed in Chicago this offseason and will spent a minimum of four games on the sidelines to start the year as he deals with a calf injury, per Biggs. Ogbongbemiga, also a returning special teams ace, will also be out for at least four weeks after injuring his shoulder.
The Bears tried to trade McFadden before final roster cuts, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but were unable to find a partner and waived the former Charger.
Pickens and Scott are two 2023 draft picks that will not survive the team’s coaching change. Pickett, the first pick of the third round, started three games last year and appeared in six more with minimal production. Scott, a fourth-round pick, started four games as a rookie before fading into the background with just one reception in 2024.
Richardson is a practice squad candidate after a strong training camp, per Biggs. So is Stromberg, according to Adam Jahn of CHGO Sports. The former Commanders third-round pick will provide depth at center behind Drew Dalman and Ryan Bates.
Kpassagnon followed Dennis Allen to Chicago this offseason and signed a one-year deal with no guaranteed money, making him an ideal candidate to be released and re-signed to the practice squad via a handshake agreement. That appears to be the plan, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, which will keep the veteran linemen available for early-season elevations to the active roster.
Bears Sign Round 1 T Darnell Wright
The Bears now have their top 2023 draft choice under contract. Darnell Wright agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal Monday. This locks the Tennessee prospect down through at least 2026.
Wright’s contract comes with the fifth-year option, which has existed in first-rounders’ contracts since 2011, allowing the Bears to keep the No. 10 overall pick tied to his rookie deal through 2027. Wright will be expected to carve out a starting role immediately.
Although the Bears were believed to have signed off on drafting Jalen Carter, that may have been one of this draft’s smokescreens. Chicago traded down from No. 9 to No. 10, marking its second trade-down maneuver of the first round, and let Philadelphia take a chance on the high-risk defensive tackle. The Bears then made Wright this draft’s second offensive lineman drafted.
Scouts Inc. slotted Wright as this draft’s fourth-best tackle prospect, but the Bears went with the Tennessee alum over local product Peter Skoronski and Georgia’s Broderick Jones. Wright brings plenty of experience to Chicago, having started 40 games at tackle. He brings more experience on the right side (27 starts) compared to the left side (13), something that is not the norm for first-round tackles. The 333-pound blocker served as the Volunteers’ primary right tackle starter in 2020 and 2022, lining up on the left side in 2021. He also made five starts at right tackle as a freshman in 2019.
Wright more than held his own against No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. in Tennessee’s shootout win over Alabama last season. The first-team All-SEC lineman will be expected to start at right tackle this season for the Bears, who are planning to keep promising 2022 fifth-rounder Braxton Jones at left tackle. The Bears added both Wright and Nate Davis to their O-line this offseason; they will be the favorites to start on the right side of Chicago’s front. Chicago pursued Mike McGlinchey in free agency but bowed out, allowing Denver to sign the five-year San Francisco right tackle. The Bears will now put their trust in Jones, the team’s first Round 1 tackle pick since Gabe Carimi in 2011.
The Bears also signed third-round defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (South Carolina) and fourth-round wide receiver Tyler Scott (Cincinnati) to their respective rookie deals Monday as well.