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49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Bills, Patriots, Jaguars, Eagles Seen As Possible Buyers At Trade Deadline

October 5th, 2025 at 11:22am CST by Rory Parks

We are a month away from the November 4 trade deadline, and the league’s contingent of buyers and sellers is starting to take shape. Eric D. Williams of Fox Sports identifies a handful of teams that league sources believe could be active buyers.

That includes a trio of NFC West clubs: the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks. All three of those teams currently sport winning records, and even the division’s fourth-place outfit, the Cardinals, are 2-2 (their two losses have come by a combined four points). It therefore stands to reason that the combatants in what could be a tightly-contested division will be seeking any possible advantage at the deadline.

Moving over to the AFC East, Williams’ sources name the Bills and Patriots as potential buyers. The Bills, who have become a perennial contender in the Josh Allen era, are just one of two undefeated teams left after the first four weeks of the campaign, and Buffalo may be on the lookout for upgrades as it tries to break through to the Super Bowl after a number of recent postseason heartbreaks.

New England, at 2-2, was not necessarily expected to contend this year. New head coach Mike Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye presented reasons for optimism in Foxborough, but the general consensus was that the club — which underwent more than 50% roster turnover from 2024-25 and which entered the regular season as the league’s fifth-youngest team (h/t ESPN’s Mike Reiss) — was still at least a year away from true competitiveness.

And that still may be the case. After all, much can change between now and the first week of November, and even tonight’s matchup with the division-rival Bills could go a long way towards solidifying the Pats’ status as legitimate contender or otherwise.

After a last-second loss to the Bengals in Week 2, the Jaguars bounced back with victories over the Texans and Niners to improve their record to 3-1. As Williams notes, the rookie GM/HC duo of James Gladstone and Liam Coen both cut their NFL teeth with the Rams, whose Les Snead/Sean McVay operation has developed a reputation for making bold strikes.

Ditto Eagles GM Howie Roseman, and Philadelphia – the league’s other undefeated club – is unsurprisingly named by Williams’ sources as another team that could look to acquire talent in advance of the deadline. Per OverTheCap.com, the Eagles also have just shy of $12MM in cap space, so they should have the flexibility to make a move or two.

The Patriots, 49ers, and Seahawks are all in the top-five in terms of cap room as of the time of this writing, and the Rams are just outside the top-10. The Bills, with just $2.57MM of space, could have a harder time making a splash acquisition.

2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

October 4th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 26 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations at that point.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 8:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Chicago Bears

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Latest On 49ers’ Injuries

October 3rd, 2025 at 8:04pm CST by Ely Allen

San Francisco is one of a few teams that have been bitten especially hard by the injury bug this season. Luckily, they’ve avoided the injury to their star running back that had everyone worried about to start the year, but in a crucial divisional matchup last night, the 49ers’ injury report ruled out five players, including the starting quarterback and three wide receivers.

San Francisco was able to pull out a victory in last night’s game despite the team that’s taken so many hits thus far taking a few more in Los Angeles. The successful trip saw injuries sustained by defensive tackles Kalia Davis, Yetur Gross-Matos, and rookie Alfred Collins, as well as rookie cornerback Upton Stout, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The only one who appears to have gotten off easy is Stout, who avoided a high ankle sprain, just suffered a regular ankle sprain, and is currently day-to-day.

Davis, on the other hand, will require surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the procedure was scheduled to take place today. There’s some thought that Davis could potentially miss as few as two games. As a defensive lineman, Davis doesn’t have too much use for the gripping mechanic of that appendage in a game, and some expect him to return to play with a club cast on his hand.

Gross-Matos had just come off his only full practice of the week as he worked his way back from a knee injury. While the knee seemingly held up last night, Gross-Matos is now set to miss time with a hamstring strain, which could mean a multi-week absence. The rookie, Collins, suffered a sprained knee. With the Thursday Night Football matchup allowing for a bit more time to recover before their next game, Collins may stand a chance at not missing time, depending on the severity of the sprain.

Lastly, while we knew that star tight end George Kittle would be eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 6 after being placed on list after the season opener, we’ve finally received some insight on a more specific timeline. Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the media that Kittle likely will not be able to make it back until at least Week 7. At best, this will limit the veteran in-line pass catcher to a five-game absence.

NFL Minor Transactions: 10/3/25

October 3rd, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Las Vegas Raiders

The Bengals are the second team to claim Jefferson this year. A 2024 fourth-round pick out of LSU, Jefferson couldn’t make it to Year 2 in Jacksonville and was waived in final roster cuts. Cincinnati tried to claim him then, badly needing improved depth on their defensive line at the time, but San Francisco had higher priority. When the Niners waiving him yesterday, the Bengals got a second chance to claim him.

Jackson is dealing with a foot injury that will take at least four weeks to come back from, making him an easy candidate for injured reserve.

Brock Purdy Suffered Setback With Turf Toe Injury, Could Miss Week 6

October 3rd, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 3: Shanahan confirmed (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area Sports Group) that Purdy re-aggravated his injury and will again be week-to-week moving forward.

“[I] don’t know how it will heal,” added Shanahan.

The 49ers can be patient with Purdy’s recovery, as Jones has played well in his three starts, including a 342-yard, two-touchdown perfomance on Thursday night against the Rams. However, the team’s financial commitment to Purdy will likely stave off any chance of a quarterback controversy. Instead, Jones could follow in Sam Darnold‘s footsteps and parlay his success in San Francisco into a starting gig elsewhere.

OCTOBER 2: While it sounded like a short turnaround was the main reason for Brock Purdy‘s absence from tonight’s Week 5 contest, the 49ers QB may actually be sidelined for more than just this week. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Purdy suffered a setback with his turf toe injury and is now considered week-to-week.

Per Rapoport, the quarterback reported soreness following his return in Week 4. The player later underwent an MRI, which revealed an aggravation of his lingering injury. As a result, Purdy is now at risk of missing more than just Week 5, with Rapoport hinting that the 25-year-old could also sit out the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup against the Buccaneers.

Purdy missed Weeks 2 and 3 while dealing with the turf toe injury. He returned for Week 4 and didn’t miss a snap, but he informed coach Kyle Shanahan of some soreness following the loss. Shanahan noted that Purdy and the team had to navigate “a totally different element” considering the four-day turnaround before Thursday Night Football, and after being listed as a non-participant on Monday, the quarterback was later ruled out for Week 5.

Now, it sounds like Purdy is at risk of missing at least his fourth game of the 2025 campaign. The former Mr. Irrelevant has generally stayed healthy throughout his career. He suffered a torn UCL as a rookie during the NFC Championship Game but managed to return for 16 games as a sophomore. He also missed a pair of games in 2024 thanks to shoulder and elbow injuries.

In two games this season, Purdy has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 586 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. After tossing 31 touchdowns as a sophomore, Purdy finished the 2023 campaign with 20 touchdown passes. The QB inked a five-year, $265MM extension with the 49ers back in May.

Mac Jones will continue to start for the 49ers as long as Purdy is sidelined. The former first-round pick has guided the 49ers to a pair of wins through his first two starts, tossing four touchdowns vs. only one interception.

49ers Sign QB Adrian Martinez From Practice Squad

October 2nd, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers signed quarterback Adrian Martinez to their active roster from the practice squad on Thursday, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

For the third time in four weeks, Martinez will serve as the backup to Mac Jones, who is starting once again in place of an injured Brock Purdy.

Martinez was elevated from the practice squad in Weeks 2 and 3, and the 49ers had the option to use up his third and final elevation for Thursday’s game. Instead, they signed him to the 53-man roster, which will ensure he is available to play as long as Purdy is sidelined after his recent setback.

Jones played every snap in his two starts, winning both games with a total of 563 passing yards and four touchdowns. Turnovers are somewhat of a concern – Jones threw one interception and fumbled twice (one lost) – but he would have to implode for the 49ers to put in Martinez for his NFL debut. Instead, the team will be hoping that Martinez only takes the field if they have built up a massive lead.

A former starter at Nebraska, Martinez spent his senior year at Kansas State, where he tossed six touchdowns vs. one interception. He also had a standout performance while running the ball, collecting another 627 yards and 10 touchdowns. He joined the Lions after going undrafted in 2023, and he later won UFL MVP before winning the league championship with the Birmingham Stallions. He spent the 2024 season on the Jets practice squad and was among the team’s final cuts following the 2025 preseason. He caught on with the 49ers practice squad in late August.

The 49ers offense will also be without wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings on Thursday night, giving them an uphill battle against a strong Rams defense on a short week.

Joining Martinez from the practice squad will be defensive end Trevis Gipson and wide receiver Malik Turner, who have been called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations. To make room for Martinez on the 53-man roster, defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson was waived, and to fill Martinez’s open spot on the practice squad, the team signed cornerback Derrick Canteen.

49ers QB Brock Purdy Out For Week 5

October 1st, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 1: Purdy has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). As a result, it will be Jones handling QB1 duties once again when the 49ers visit the Rams.

SEPTEMBER 30: After missing two games with turf toe, Brock Purdy managed to return to action in Week 4. The 49ers may once again be without their starting quarterback on Thursday, however.

Purdy did not miss any time in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. The injured toe was not an issue during the game. Shortly after the contest, though, Purdy informed head coach Kyle Shanahan he had begun to experience soreness. With the 49ers on a short week, this situation will be worth watching closely.

“Anytime guys are sore and hurting on a Monday, you usually don’t stress too much about it,” Shanahan said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required). “But any time you have a Thursday game, it’s a totally different element. So yeah, I’m concerned with anybody who’s not totally healthy at this moment, but we’ll have to get more information on that… to really kind of have a clue of what to speculate.”

San Francisco did not practice on Monday given the team’s upcoming Thursday night contest against the Rams. On the team’s estimated practice report, Purdy was listed as a non-participant. The 49ers will conduct a walkthrough today as preparation, and it will be interesting to see if he able to take part. Even if that is not the case, the 25-year-old could of course still manage to suit up on Thursday. At this point, Purdy is considered questionable.

“We will take every precaution to make sure Brock’s alright,” general manager John Lynch said during an appearance on KNBR radio this morning (via Barrows). “I think he is.”

Purdy – who inked a five-year, $265MM extension this spring – has totaled 586 passing yards so far this season while throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions in each of his starts. In the event the 2023 Pro Bowler is once again forced to miss time, Mac Jones will return to the lineup. Jones has won each of his starts while posting a 4:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. With a game against the 3-1 Rams upcoming, San Francisco’s quarterback situation will again be something to monitor.

49ers Hosted DB Shilo Sanders

September 28th, 2025 at 12:35pm CST by Rory Parks

While Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is still awaiting his first snap in a regular season NFL game, his older brother, Shilo Sanders, is simply trying to get back into the league. Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Shilo worked out for the 49ers earlier this week.

Shilo, a defensive back, signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in May. Of course, he and Shedeur spent four collegiate seasons together, first at Jackson State and then at Colorado, all under head coach/father/NFL icon Deion Sanders. While Shedeur’s draft stock was one of the preeminent storylines of this offseason, Shilo’s NFL future largely flew under the radar.

Facing the same uphill battle that all UDFAs encounter, Shilo did not help his cause by getting flagged for pass interference and being ejected for throwing a punch in the Bucs’ preseason finale. The club ultimately waived him during final cutdowns at the end of August and elected against bringing him back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.

Shilo’s visit with San Francisco is the first time he has received publicly-reported interest since Tampa Bay waived him. The Niners were apparently looking for secondary/special teams depth, as they also hosted fellow DBs Brandon Joseph and Jaylen Mahoney at the same time, per Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports. The team ultimately added Mahoney – who saw action in three games with San Francisco last year – to the taxi squad, leaving Shilo to continue looking for an NFL employer.

Should he choose to explore a football career north of the border, he may have such an opportunity. As JC Abbott of 3DownNation.com writes, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League added Shilo to their negotiation list, just as they did with Shedeur earlier this year. 

As a reminder, being on a CFL club’s negotiation list does not mean a player has expressed an interest in playing for that club, or even playing in the CFL at all. It merely means that the team will have the first opportunity to sign the player should he ever attempt to play in the league.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25

September 27th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

With Colts cornerback Kenny Moore presumed to potentially miss a few weeks, the recent signee, Hilton, will get his opportunity to supplement the team’s secondary. He may be able to earn an official spot on the 53-man roster with an impactful game. Similarly, Cropper may be able to get into his first NFL game since going undrafted in 2023 as he gets elevated to a receiving corps that will sorely miss CeeDee Lamb.

Morris is getting called up for the third time for Jacksonville. If the Jaguars intend for him to appear in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.

49ers’ Brock Purdy To Return In Week 4

September 26th, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers will have their starting quarterback ready to roll in Week 4. After two missed games, Brock Purdy is returning; Kyle Shanahan confirmed the recently extended passer will be back against the Jaguars.

It had been trending in this direction for a bit. Purdy made progress early during his recovery, offering more optimism than this two-injury rehab process initially brought. His return will be a welcome sight to another injury-plagued 49ers team.

[RELATED: Brandon Aiyuk Not Close To Returning]

San Francisco lost its starter to a bout with turf toe and a shoulder injury. These two games marked Purdy’s second and third injury-driven absences as a pro (he missed Week 18 of the 2024 season). Though, Purdy has obviously not been a health staple since debuting. His UCL tear sustained in the 2022 NFC championship game prompted the NFL to change the rules regarding QB roster spots. While Purdy was limited throughout the 49ers’ ensuing offseason, he returned in Week 1 of the following season and earned an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod.

This comeback will help a 49ers team that has missed George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ben Bartch on offense. San Francisco’s defense absorbed the strongest injury blow, losing Nick Bosa for the season. Still, the 49ers are 3-0 and facing a favorable schedule.

Mac Jones delivered two capable performances, helming the 49ers to wins over the Saints and Cardinals. Benched by the Patriots in 2023 and dealt to the Jaguars for a Day 3 pick in 2024, Jones is on a two-year, $7MM contract. The backup performed well considering the injuries the 49ers have suffered on offense; this included Jones aggravating a PCL sprain sustained in the preseason. The former New England first-rounder combined for 563 passing yards, four touchdown passes and one interception (66.3% completion rate) in his starts, providing an encouraging sign in the event Purdy misses more time.

How Purdy performs upon return will be worth monitoring, as the 49ers gave him a five-year, $265MM extension that came with $100MM fully guaranteed. Purdy, 25, received a no-trade clause on a deal that did not approach Dak Prescott‘s 2024 record-setter. Purdy sits as only the seventh-highest-paid QB, but 49ers fans will need to see a noticeable gap between he and Jones to feel good about the team reshaping its cap sheet around a $53MM-per-year contract.

Purdy did his best work when the 49ers carried their five-All-Pro cadre on offense in 2023. Only two of those players (Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams) are presently available, with Kittle on IR, Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/PUP list and Deebo Samuel being traded. The 49ers did see Jennings provide a limited practice Friday after missing Week 3 with ankle and shoulder maladies. Ricky Pearsall, who exited Week 3 as the NFL’s third-leading pass catcher, practiced twice in a limited capacity this week with a knee injury. The 49ers also saw Demarcus Robinson‘s three-game personal conduct suspension end, moving the free agency addition toward his debut.

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