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AFC West Notes: Broncos, Adams, Perryman

August 14th, 2025 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nik Bonitto played in the Broncos‘ preseason opener but will miss some time leading up to the season. The 2024 All-Pro selection is down because of a procedure to have a bone spur removed in the top of his foot, per 9News’ Mike Klis. Sean Payton expects Bonitto to be ready to return by next week, though it can be safely assumed the edge rusher’s preseason is over. The Broncos also have an extension to sort out with Bonitto, who is entering a contract year. Denver has reached agreements with Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen during training camp, and a few Bonitto contract rumors have circulated this offseason.

This injury rehab stretch could give Bonitto’s camp time to hammer out a deal before the team’s top sack artist returns to practice, though the prospect of a Micah Parsons Cowboys extension raising the market’s ceiling — and thus the kind of deal Bonitto could command south of Parsons’ price point — could factor into the proceedings here.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • Another injury development coming out of Denver is not as kind. Fullback/tight end Nate Adkins will miss regular-season time due to a tightrope procedure to address a high ankle sprain, Payton said. Adkins could be a candidate for one of the Broncos’ two allotted August IR-return slots. Teams must announce the players for those spots by roster-cutdown day August 26. Those moves count toward teams’ eight injury activations — whether the player is eventually activated or not — in-season. Adkins played a healthy amount of snaps last season, logging 420 during a 10-start season. He caught 14 passes for 115 yards and three TDs last season, his second with the Broncos.
  • The Broncos might need to consider a fourth active-roster RB due to J.K. Dobbins‘ injury history; their early hierarchy may exclude a 2024 draft pick. Audric Estime did not enter the team’s preseason opener until the third quarter, as his entrance came after Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie saw action. The Broncos also have Blake Watson as a candidate, and the 2024 UDFA entered the game in the second half as well. Estime is firmly on the roster bubble, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel notes. It would not surprise if the team aimed to trade one of its options before cutdown day later this month, but ensuring two of these players are rostered behind Dobbins and R.J. Harvey would make sense as well.
  • Jamal Adams is vying for a Raiders roster spot and doing so, technically, at a new position. Adams is giving linebacker another try, confirming (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore) Pete Carroll told him immediately he would be working there. The Seahawks had asked Adams to play linebacker before, but he declined at the time. The 2024 Seattle cap casualty played sparingly as a backup with the Titans and Lions, representing a steep fall from formerly signing a safety-record extension. Adams’ best work has always come in the box or as a safety blitzer, making a linebacker transition more natural. On a one-year, $1.26MM contract with no guarantees, the ninth-year vet is also not exactly in a position to refuse such a request.
  • The gun charges against linebacker Denzel Perryman has been dropped, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes. Perryman was arrested on felony weapons charges during a traffic stop earlier this month. Five firearms, including two assault-style rifles, were found in the Chargers defender’s vehicle. He was initially held without bail, but ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim notes Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman declined to file charges. Perryman is on a one-year, $2.66MM deal to continue a second Chargers stint.

Cameron Fleming Works Out With Commanders; T Visited Chargers

August 14th, 2025 at 12:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders recently hosted George Fant on a free agent visit, but he is not the only veteran offensive tackle to receive a look. Cameron Fleming headed to Washington earlier today, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Fleming has put together a journeyman career, although since 2021 he has played exclusively for the Broncos. The 32-year-old operated as a full-time starter in 2022, but for the most part in recent seasons he has operated as a backup. In all, Fleming has made 62 starts across his 118 regular season appearances.

The Stanford product was among the veterans who visited the 49ers late last month, and Garafolo notes he also worked out for the Chargers recently. Los Angeles’ tackle situation was dealt a major blow when Rashawn Slater suffered a torn patellar tendon, sidelining him for the 2025 season. Joe Alt will take on left tackle duties in his absence, but the Bolts could stand to add veteran depth behind him.

The Commanders are likewise in the market for experience at the position, as demonstrated by the decision to host Fant. Washington swung a trade to acquire Laremy Tunsil this offseason, setting up the five-time Pro Bowler to operate as the team’s left tackle in 2025. The starting right tackle gig will be decided by the outcome of the ongoing competition between incumbent Andrew Wylie and first-round rookie Josh Conerly Jr. Further depth could still be added ahead of the regular season, though.

Washington currently has nearly $17MM in cap space. The Chargers, meanwhile, have $31.5MM in available funds, so finances will not be an issue if either team proceeds with a Fleming signing in time for final roster cuts at the end of the month.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/25

August 13th, 2025 at 8:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: CB Keni-H Lovely
  • Released from IR (injury settlement): CB Levi Wallace

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
  • Waived/injured: CB Jordan Oladokun

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: LB Cam Gill, LB Max Tooley
  • Reverted to IR: C Zeke Correll

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

The Titans swapped linebackers today, replacing Otis Reese with Brian Asamoah II. The latter was waived by the Vikings yesterday, but he’ll quickly land on his feet in Tennessee. The former third-round pick spent three years in Minnesota, collecting 30 tackles in 46 games. 802 of his 990 snaps came on special teams. He’ll be taking the spot formerly held by Reese, who started five games for the Titans over the previous two seasons.

Chargers RB Najee Harris Making Progress

August 13th, 2025 at 1:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Najee Harris is not yet off the Chargers’ active/NFI list, a training camp-only designation that emerged after the running back sustained an unspecified eye injury in a fireworks accident July 4. But the free agency addition is ramping up his workload.

The former first-round pick’s recovery has progressed to side drills at Chargers practice, ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim reports. This comes after Harris was only walking laps with a helmet and a weighted vest leading up to Tuesday’s side-field work. A player who did not suffer a lower-body injury only being given the green light to walk laps at an NFL practice points to a long recovery road, and the Chargers are not confirming the four-year Steelers starter will be ready for Week 1.

Jim Harbaugh has been coy with injury statuses since he returned to the NFL, but teams do not have to issue injury reports until Week 1. The Chargers will have a choice to shift Harris to the reserve/NFI list when setting their 53-man roster August 26 or to go week-to-week, saving a roster spot for a player they have a one-year, $5.25MM deal.

Greg Roman said Harris not being ready for Week 1 — a scenario Harbaugh’s vague remarks have also tabbed as realistic — would feature first-rounder Omarion Hampton rotating with a to-be-determined back. Roman said (via Rhim) a Hampton 1-B back in a non-Harris scenario features a “wide open” competition.

The Bolts have Kimani Vidal held over from their Ravens-centric 2024 backfield, and they claimed Hassan Haskins off waivers from the Titans last August. Ex-Commanders UDFA Jaret Patterson is also rostered, and the team included South Carolina’s Raheim Sanders in its UDFA class. The team also signed Nyheim Miller-Hines, the former Colts and Bills option who has missed the past two seasons because of a severe injury sustained in a 2023 jet ski accident.

Harris’ agent has said the fifth-year veteran suffered a “superficial eye injury,” while GM Joe Hortiz called it a surface-level injury earlier this summer. An August 6 Instagram photo, however, showed Harris’ left eye shut. Harbaugh, however, confirmed the running back can open that eye. We will not have much clarity on this situation until the Chargers either remove Harris from their active/NFI list or shift him to the reserve/NFI list later this month. The latter scenario, as is the case with an IR or PUP stash, would require a four-game absence to open the season.

Saints Lose OL Will Clapp For Season

August 12th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints have lost another piece of interior offensive line depth with center Will Clapp joining guard Nick Saldiveri on season-ending injured reserve, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Clapp, 29, is dealing with a Lisfranc injury, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He was listed as the Saints’ second-team center on their unofficial depth chart; now, New Orleans will have to find a new backup to Erik McCoy.

The job will likely fall to veteran Shane Lemieux, who recently re-signed with the Saints after Saldiveri’s knee injury. Lemieux, currently listed as the backup right guard, started four games as the team’s center in 2024. A majority of his experience prior to arriving in New Orleans last year came as a left guard for the Giants, making the 28-year-old a valuable multi-positional backup for the 2025 season.

Clapp’s injury could also help second-year UDFA and third-team center Kyle Hergel make the 53-man roster. Even if Lemieux holds down the backup center role, his potential to be needed at guard may keep Hergel around as an emergency center.

The Saints also worked out a number of veteran offensive linemen, according to Underhill. including Cody Whitehair, Scott Quessenberry, and Nick Harris. However, New Orleans decided to sign a less experienced option in Mike Panasiuk, who also tried out on Tuesday. Panasiuk, 27, spent time with the Raiders, Panthers, and Colts as a defensive tackle before converting to center last year, but has yet to appear in an NFL game.

Clapp, meanwhile, will spend the season rehabbing his foot. Lisfranc injuries are notoriously tricky to recover from, so shutting him down this early in the year should give him a chance at getting back on the field in time for the 2026 season.

The seven-year veteran is in his second stint with the Saints after starting his NFL career in New Orleans as a seventh-round pick in 2018. He started seven games across his first four years with the Saints before signing with the Chargers in 2022 to back up center Corey Linsley. Clapp took over the starting job when Linsley stepped away from the field due to a health issue, but ended the season on the IR with a knee injury. The Chargers went in a different direction when replacing Linsley in the offseason, and Clapp signed with the Bills ahead of the 2024 season. He didn’t appear in a game until Week 18, when he started at right guard and played every snap.

In addition to placing Clapp on the IR, the Saints also waived tight end Mason Pline with an injury designation, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. With a third spot opened by waiving injured wide receiver Chris Tyree, New Orleans signed tight end Seth Green, defensive tackle Jayden Peevy, and wide receiver Roderick Daniels, per Terrell.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/25

August 9th, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Baltimore Ravens

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Gaskin worked out for Baltimore on Saturday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The 28-year-old is far removed from his most productive days, which came with the Dolphins. Since the start of the 2022 season, Gaskin has handled just 13 carries. He will offer the Ravens depth in the backfield through their two remaining preseason games.

One week ago, the Jags signed Wallace in a move which allowed him to compete for a depth spot in their secondary. The 30-year-old has 96 appearances and 72 starts to his name, but an injury has quickly ended his chances of making Jacksonville’s roster. White was waived when Wallace arrived, so he will simply continue in his bid to earn a special teams role ahead of roster cutdowns later this month.

Chargers Sign T David Sharpe

August 9th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of Rashawn Slater‘s season-ending knee injury, the Chargers are taking the free agent route to add offensive tackle depth. David Sharpe has a deal in place with Los Angeles, as first reported by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Sharpe’s last regular season action came in 2023 when he made eight appearances off the bench with the Panthers. He recently visited the Dolphins without an agreement being worked out. In the case of the Chargers, though, Slater’s absence created the need for veteran depth.

With 45 appearances to his name, Sharpe will offer experience to the Bolts provided he survives roster cuts. The 29-year-old has only made six starts in the NFL, with the most recent one coming in 2020. Los Angeles will move forward with Joe Alt filling in for Slater on the blindside with Trey Pipkins taking on a starting gig at right tackle. The team’s depth chart behind those two will be sorted out over the coming weeks.

Sharpe spent time with the Ravens in 2021 and ’22. As a result, he is a familiar face for Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. The former fourth-rounder will look to earn a swing tackle role during the remainder of the offseason.

Sharpe has rarely been attached to a contract worth more than the veteran minimum, and given his absence from regular season action in 2024 that should be expected to continue with this Bolts pact. The team entered Saturday with roughly $31.5MM in cap space, so the Sharpe addition will not impact any other moves being planned as a return to the postseason is sought out in 2025.

Chargers Unsure Of RB Najee Harris’ Return Date

August 8th, 2025 at 9:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was noncommittal when asked on Friday about Najee Harris‘ return timeline.

The fifth-year running back is recovering from an eye injury suffered in a Fourth of July fireworks mishap. He started training camp on the non-football injury list and has yet to take the practice field this summer.

Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim) that “there’s a chance” Harris is ready for the team’s regular season opener against the Chiefs.

“I don’t comment because I’m not a doctor,” said Harbaugh, something he frequently says when asked about injuries, per Rhim. Harris and the Chargers have played his injury close to the chest, in large part because it happened away from the football field. The damage to Harris’ eye was initially called “superficial” by his agent with the expectation that he would be ready for the regular season.

However, the fifth-year running back stirred additional concern posted a picture on social media earlier this week in which his left eye appears to be swollen shut. Harbaugh said that Harris can open his eye, but obviously, two fully-functioning eyes are crucial for a ballcarrier’s field vision.

As long as Harris is out, first-round pick Omarion Hampton will likely take on a bigger and bigger role in the offense. The Chargers also have a number of running backs who could receive more touches early in the regular season if Harris is still getting back to 100%.

Chargers Confirm Torn Patellar Tendon For LT Rashawn Slater

August 8th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 8: Harbaugh confirmed (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim) that Alt will replace Slater on the blind side with Pipkins taking over at right tackle. The Chargers are also planning to work out some offensive linemen this weekend to find another swing tackle. They’ll also get a chance to evaluate Salyer, who is starting Sunday’s preseason game at left tackle, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

AUGUST 7: Rashawn Slater was carted off the field during Thursday’s practice. Hours later, the worst-case scenario emerged. Testing on the Chargers’ franchise left tackle indicates he will not play in 2025.

Slater is feared to have suffered a torn patellar tendon, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The team has since confirmed Slater suffered the tear. This is a brutal blow for Slater and the Chargers, who indicated the Pro Bowl tackle is heading to IR.

This also represents incredible timing for Slater regarding his extension. The Pro Bowl blocker established the new AAV standard for offensive linemen ($28.5MM), agreeing to terms before training camp. The Chargers paid Slater after he had solidified their LT position, a job that had seen turnover between King Dunlap‘s tenure and the Tom Telesco regime drafting Slater in the 2021 first round. Slater will still be expected to live up to the contract, but that effort is now delayed.

The Bolts gave Slater a four-year, $114MM extension that came with $56MM guaranteed at signing. Among left tackles, only Andrew Thomas — on a five-year Giants deal — bettered the at-signing figure. Slater managed to beat out tackles with better rookie-contract resumes, benefiting by the Chargers waiting until his fifth NFL offseason to pay him. Now, major questions emerge regarding the Bolts’ 2025 O-line.

Joe Alt played left tackle at Notre Dame; the Chargers moved the 2024 No. 5 overall pick to the right side due to Slater’s presence. After another full offseason of RT training, Alt sliding to the blind side would be a gamble for the Bolts. But that would be an option due to his dominance there with the Fighting Irish. The Chargers also moved Trey Pipkins from right tackle to guard to accommodate Alt’s 2024 arrival. Pipkins had re-signed to play right tackle. Jim Harbaugh announced earlier this week a starting five that did not included Pipkins. This could be a way back for the supplanted blocker, as ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim indicates an Alt-at-LT, Pipkins-to-RT plan is the most likely outcome following the Slater news.

Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper) the Chargers had decided on a Slater-Zion Johnson–Bradley Bozeman–Mekhi Becton-Alt front five. Slater, Becton and Alt were entrenched starters, while Johnson and Bozeman entered camp with positional uncertainty. Pipkins (56 career starts, most coming at right tackle) gives the Chargers options most teams do not have when they lose a player of Slater’s caliber. Alt moving over makes more sense, as Pipkins has not played more than 77 LT snaps in a season since his rookie year.

A 2019 third-round pick, Pipkins worked as the Bolts’ full-time RT starter from 2022-23. The Chargers passed on Malik Nabers at No. 5 last year to install Alt at RT, kicking Pipkins inside. The transition was not exactly successful, as Becton has since booted Pipkins from the starting lineup. Pro Football Focus graded Pipkins outside the top 60 at guard last season; the advanced metrics site did not grade him higher than 50th during his time as the Chargers’ top RT.

Teams certainly never have great options when losing a Slater-like presence. Alt was a two-time All-American left tackle at Notre Dame, honors that propelled him into the top five of last year’s draft. The three-year, $21.75MM deal Pipkins signed in 2023 — Telesco’s final offseason in charge — could represent a lifeline for both the Chargers and the contract-year blocker. Pipkins, 29, is also not the only possible contingency plan here.

Slater had bounced back from a three-game 2022, when he was shut down because of a biceps tendon tear. The Northwestern product played in 32 games over the past two seasons, missing one in 2024 due to a pectoral injury. The 2022 season also revealed another potential Bolts option, as Jamaree Salyer replaced Slater at left tackle.

A 2022 sixth-round pick out of Georgia, Salyer slid to guard in 2023 but was unable to keep a first-string job following the Alt move last year. Salyer worked as the Bulldogs’ starting left tackle from 2020-21. While Salyer made only four starts last season, he joins Pipkins as possible contingency plans for a Chargers team that has devoted considerable resources to its O-line.

Unfortunately, the team’s top piece is out of the picture. PFF graded Slater as the NFL’s second-best tackle last season. The standout missed offseason time while angling for a new deal, and the fifth-year tackle going down soon after signing it stands to significantly affect a Bolts team that doubled down at running back — via the Najee Harris signing and Omarion Hampton first-round investment — this offseason.

This Chargers offseason brought depth up front. Pipkins and Salyer join four-year Raiders center starter Andre James in representing the Bolts’ newfound depth. It would stand to reason the Chargers will call on Pipkins or Salyer to move into the lineup following this injury, and it will be interesting to see if Alt indeed makes the switch back to his college role for this season.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/25

August 7th, 2025 at 7:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: TE Steven Stilianos

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: TE Thomas Yassmin
  • Waived/injured: TE Jordan Petaia

New York Giants

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Ty Summers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Hernandez received full clearance after an October 2024 ACL tear, but his Cardinals return will not come with immediate full-time practice duty. The former Giants second-round pick should be considered a strong candidate to start again for the Cards, but for now, the team is easing him back into action.

Summer expects to be running again soon after suffering a groin injury, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, who indicates a return to the Giants is not off the radar. Summers played 16 games for the Giants last season, starting two.

A former Giants first-rounder who has bounced around the league in recent years, Apple will see his 49ers stint last barely a week. The 49ers were Apple’s seventh NFL team. He spent last season with the Chargers, playing four games.

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