Russell Gage

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/25

With our first slate of Sunday games tomorrow, we’ll see our first slew of standard gameday practice squad elevations. Here are today’s minor transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Each NFL team is granted up to two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad who are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from the situation with somebody like Crumedy in Carolina. With Mathis’ placement on injured reserve opening a spot on the 53-man roster, Crumedy has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will remain until he is cut or his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If a team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, the team will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under the new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

As the Dolphins await Jason Sanders‘ return from IR, Patterson was named the winner of a kicking audition with three other veteran kickers. Miami will be able to elevate him three times but will have to promote him to the active roster for any games between that and Sanders’ activation. Similarly, Prater will likely be on the same plan in Buffalo.

Haener’s stint on the Saints’ active roster was short-lived as the team decides to move forward with only two quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler will handle starting duties to begin the campaign with second-round rookie Tyler Shough serving as his backup.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Eli Ricks
  • Released: OL Hollin Pierce

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Released: DL Isaiah Raikes

The Ravens added a notable special teamer to their taxi squad today, agreeing to a deal with veteran J.T. Gray. The 29-year-old spent his entire professional career with the Saints before getting cut by the team last week. The majority of Gray’s playing time has come on special teams, where he’s earned three All-Pro nods for his efforts. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes, the veteran will likely see a role in Baltimore, as the team is still looking to fill holes left by a handful of departed core special teamers this past offseason.

To accommodate the addition of old friend Gabe Davis to the practice squad, the Bills had to get a bit creative. Temporarily, the team has released veteran safety Jordan Poyer, but the former Buffalo starter shouldn’t be gone for long. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Poyer is expected to rejoin the Bills practice squad once Davis is placed on the taxi squad injured list.

The Lions landed on a third-string quarterback after holding an audition earlier today. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the team has signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad. Beathard worked out for the team earlier today alongside Nathan Peterman. Beathard has only started one game since garnering 12 starts for the 49ers between 2017 and 2020. He split last season with the Jaguars and Dolphins without getting into a game. In Detroit, he’ll serve as a third-stringer behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/25

Here are today’s minor moves as we inch a day closer to the start of the regular season:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived (with injury settlement): CB JayVian Farr, CB Roman Parodie

The 49ers are doing a bit of shuffling in their receiving corps, calling up Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad and cutting Gage. According to multiple sources, it’s believed that Gage will be immediately signed back to the team’s practice squad to remain with the team.

Haener was brought back to the active roster in New Orleans after being waived at the roster cut deadline. The Saints had three quarterbacks, with Iowa Western rookie practice squad passer Hunter Dekkers, but adding Haener gives the team a bit more experienced depth, if only barely, in what may be the league’s youngest quarterbacks room.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

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 49ersCardinalsRams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Signed: 

Claimed:

Released from IR (via settlement):

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Signed:

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

49ers Cut 25 Players, Set 53-Man Roster

The 49ers had some work to do to get down to their initial 53-man roster. The front office achieved that daunting task this afternoon, as the organization announced the following moves:

Released:

Waived:

Activated from active/PUP:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

Placed on reserve/suspended:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on IR:

Punter Thomas Morstead was cut today, but it sounds like the veteran won’t be a free agent for long. Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that Morstead is expected to re-sign with the organization. The 39-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Jets, including a 2023 campaign where he led the NFL in punts and punting yards.

Barrows also notes that Jacob Cowing made the initial roster but is expected to land on injured reserve as he nurses a hamstring injury. This could open the door for one of the team’s cut WRs to land back on the active roster. That grouping includes Russell Gage, who had more than 1,500 receiving yards for the Falcons between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Elsewhere on offense, Jeff Wilson‘s reunion with the 49ers proved to be short lived after he joined the organization earlier this month. The veteran spent the past two-plus seasons in Miami, but he had a successful run in San Francisco to begin his career. This included a 2020 campaign where he compiled 733 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/25

Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players through the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

  • DE Anthony Goodlow, OL Sincere Haynesworth, RB Zonovan Knight, NT P.J. Mustipher

Atlanta Falcons

  • WR Makai Polk

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • TE Jordan Murray

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

  • DL Tyler Manoa

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/24

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: T Ryan Hayes

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

While a few players in today’s roundup are catching back on with teams after being cut from their respective club’s active roster, the 49ers are adding Gage. This marks the veteran wideout’s first gig since the Ravens cut him following training camp. Gage, who totaled 700-plus-yard seasons with the Falcons in 2020 and 2021, did not justify a three-year, $30MM Buccaneers contract. The 28-year-old receiver has not played in a regular-season game since suffering a season-nullifying knee injury — a patellar tendon rupture — during Bucs camp in 2023.

Ravens Clear 8 Off Roster Ahead Of Deadline

Teams in the NFL are working to trim their rosters down to 53 players, and the Ravens are not exempt from the mass exodus. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley provided an initial list:

Released:

Waived:

Gage’s stay in Baltimore was a short, as he signed only three weeks ago. Gage put up back-to-back seasons over 700 yards in 2020 and 2021 with four touchdowns in each season and, in his lone season with Tampa Bay, Gage finished with 426 yards and a career-high five scores. A torn patellar tendon in 2023 training camp held Gage out for last year, and it seems his return to the field won’t come as a Raven.

Rigerman, Sharp, Simpson, and Walthour were all undrafted free agent signings in May and Ryan one from last year. Browning was an UDFA who originally signed in Buffalo and found his way to Baltimore afterwards.

Williams is an unfortunate name to see on this list. One of two cornerbacks Baltimore took in the 2022 NFL Draft, Williams has been struggling to find a role in the Ravens secondary despite ample opportunities to earn playing time with injuries to starters. In a group that now includes Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins, and Arthur Maulet up top, Williams was unable to make an impact in a rotation or depth role after two years with the team.

Ravens Sign WR Russell Gage

Russell Gage has found his next NFL deal. The veteran receiver signed with the Ravens on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Gage has spent his entire career in the NFC South to date. The 28-year-old was with the Falcons from 2018-21, serving as a regular in their passing game. His best season came in 2020 with a 72-786-4 statline; Gage essentially matched that production the following year.

In 2022, the former sixth-rounder inked a three-year, $30MM Buccaneers deal. That pact did not go according to plan, however. Gage was limited to 13 games in his debut Tampa campaign, totaling 426 yards on 51 catches. He missed the 2023 season altogether due to a ruptured patellar tendon, which explains why he remained on the market deep into the summer.

The Ravens’ offseason saw Odell Beckham Jrdepart in free agency after his one-year stint with the team. Baltimore did retain Nelson Agholor, though, and he is set to reprise his role as a complementary option behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. The team also has fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker along with returner Deonte Harty on the WR depth chart,

Gage will aim to return to health and in turn regain his previous form during an abbreviated stint with the Ravens during training camp. His play over the coming weeks will determine his candidacy for a roster spot either in Baltimore or with another team after cutdowns. Baltimore entered the day with roughly $5.4MM in cap space, limiting the team’s options to an extent from a financial standpoint. Given Gage’s missed time last year, though, this deal will no doubt be a low-cost investment.

Saints Working Out WR Russell Gage, S Roderic Teamer

As recent UFL players are emerging on the workout radar, NFL teams also use minicamp to occasionally audition veteran free agents. The Saints are doing so, bringing in a former Falcons regular looking to rebound.

Russell Gage‘s three-year, $30MM Buccaneers pact did not go well, and he missed all of last season with an injury. Gage excelled on his Falcons rookie contract, however, and the Saints will take a look at the NFC South lifer. The veteran slot receiver joins veteran safety Roderic Teamer as players working out at Saints minicamp, New Orleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets.

A ruptured patellar tendon sustained last August knocked Gage out for the 2023 season. Brought in to complement Mike Evans and Chris Godwin after the Antonio Brown addition predictably ended poorly, Gage did not justify his contract in 2022, either. While Gage did make some contributions by posting a 426-yard, five-touchdown season in Tom Brady‘s finale, he did not match his best Falcons showings while attached to an eight-figure-per-year contract.

Gage’s 2022 numbers, however, came in 13 games; the former sixth-round pick missed time due to a hamstring injury. The Bucs still gave Gage a slight pay cut during the 2023 offseason, though the team increased his guarantee figure in the process. The team declined a 2024 Gage option this offseason, sending him to free agency.

With an Atlanta team that had seen extended Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley unavailability stretches during the early 2020s, Gage stepped in as a key Matt Ryan target. The LSU alum posted 786 yards and four touchdowns in 2020, teaming with Ridley while Jones battled a chronic hamstring issue, and added 770 yards and four scores in 2021 — as Ridley left the team midway through the season. The Saints will evaluate Gage’s form ahead of his age-28 season.

New Orleans released Michael Thomas after a spate of injuries and did not make a major addition to their wideout group this offseason. The team did add Equanimeous St. Brown and use a fifth-round pick on Bub Means, but the Chris OlaveRashid Shaheed duo still leads the way in New Orleans. A.T. Perry also flashed during his rookie season. As the team shifts to a Klint Kubiak-run offense, more receiving help is on the radar.

Teamer, 27, has made 11 career starts. The former Chargers UDFA found a role with the Raiders, but the team moved on following a November DUI arrest. Teamer’s arrest came years after he incurred a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Teamer, however, is a New Orleans native who attended college at Tulane. His local team will see about a second chance.

The Saints roster a more acclaimed New Orleans native (Tyrann Mathieu) but released Marcus Maye this offseason. Jordan Howden, a 2023 fifth-round pick, operated as Maye’s primary replacement last season. A Teamer addition would undoubtedly be for depth purposes.