Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:
New York Giants
- Released: DB LaMareon James
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OLB Trevis Gipson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Lance McCutcheon
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Opened practice window: T Storm Norton
Cincinnati Bengals
- Opened practice window: DE Cedric Johnson
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: QB Sam Ehlinger
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: LB Zach Cunningham
Houston Texans
- Designated to return from IR: CB Jaylin Smith
Miami Dolphins
- Designated to return from IR: CB Jason Marshall
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: DT John Ridgeway
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated to return from IR: CB Jakorian Bennett
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated to return from IR: QB Will Howard
- Waived (with injury settlement): T Gareth Warren
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Robert Beal Jr.
- Designated to return from IR: OL Spencer Burford
- Released: DE Trevis Gipson
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: TE Eric Saubert
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: G Michael Jordan
- Placed on IR: WR Mike Evans (story)
While several players were designated to return from injured reserve today, Norton and Johnson’s designations took place back on 8/26, the roster cut deadline. The Texans are in danger of being without their top three receivers in Week 8. Tank Dell is already on IR, but Nico Collins and Christian Kirk’s statuses for the weekend are up in the air as Collins deals with a concussion and Kirk has been dealing with n hamstring injury.
Not that they’ve needed him, since Aaron Rodgers has looked a bit more effective than he was in his days with the Jets, but Howard is nearing a return to the roster for the remainder of his rookie season. It will be interesting to see where the sixth-rounder slots in on the depth chart as he adds another level of security behind the 41-year-old Rodgers.
While the Bengals are unlikely to trade superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson before the Nov. 4 deadline, they could move another longtime defensive linchpin in the next couple of weeks. They’re “open to dealing” linebacker Logan Wilson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Now in his sixth season, Wilson joined the Bengals as a third-round pick from Wyoming in 2020. After mostly working as a reserve during his rookie campaign, Wilson has started in all 65 of his appearances since his second season.
In his most productive season, 2023, Wilson tallied 135 tackles, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles over 17 games. The Bengals signed him to a four-year, $37.25MM extension prior to that season. He’s under team control through 2027 as a result.
Despite the long-term commitment the Bengals made to Wilson, and despite his past production, the team has reduced his role this season. Wilson has played in all seven of the Bengals’ games and notched 41 tackles, but fourth-round rookie Barrett Carter has begun eating into his playing time under first-year defensive coordinator Al Golden. While Golden coached Wilson and the rest of the Bengals’ linebackers from 2020-21, Lou Anarumo ran the defense during the first five years of his career. Anarumo is now the D-coordinator for the Colts, who are looking for defensive help.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor indicated last week that Carter will continue to get more reps than Wilson, per Ben Baby of ESPN.com, saying: “I just felt he’s shown enough to [have us] continue to work through it. We’re going to see constant improvement every single game.”
With Carter usurping Wilson’s role alongside Demetrius Knight, the Bengals’ other primary linebacker, a deadline trade looks like a realistic possibility. Fowler and colleague Matt Bowen name the Colts as a potential fit, which would enable Wilson to reunite with Anarumo. They also identify the Cowboys, 49ers, and Bills as other teams that could swing a deal for Wilson.
Although the Cowboys boast an elite offense, they’re in dire need of defensive help, whether that’s Wilson or a more splashy acquisition. The 49ers could have interest in Wilson after losing four-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner to a season-ending ankle injury. The Bills extended LB Terrel Bernard on a four-year, $50MM pact last March, but the oft-injured Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson aren’t under contract past this season, and third-year man Dorian Williams has struggled in 2025.
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Raiqwon O’Neal
- Placed on IR: OL Ryan Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Jeremiah Moon
- Released: CB Keion Crossen, OT Michael Tarquin
Chicago Bears
- Released: DL Tanoh Kpassagnon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Marques Cox
- Released: OL Karsen Barnhart
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Ty Summers
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Seth Coleman
- Released: CB Keenan Garber
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Trayveon Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Audric Estime
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Elijah Garcia
New York Jets
- Signed: DT Fatorma Mulbah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: TE Jaheim Bell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: QB Logan Woodside
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Stone Blanton, TE Brayden Willis
- Released: TE Messiah Swinson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE David Ebuka Agoha, LB Ochaun Mathis
- Released: LB Curtis Jacobs
Week 7 saw the 49ers improve to 5-2 on the year. The team is now dealing with even more injuries, though, and San Francisco’s edge rush group has been dealt another blow. 
Defensive end Bryce Huff has a hamstring injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). An absence of multiple weeks is expected as a result. Starting center Jake Brendel finds himself in the same situation as Huff.
Matt Hennessey filled in at center to close out Sunday’s contest, and he could continue in that role moving forward while Brendel recovers. The interior of San Francisco’s offensive line could manage in that instance, but the team’s depth along the edge is now even more of a concern. Nick Bosa is out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear, something which has led many to expect a 49ers pass rush trade acquisition in the near future.
With Bosa sidelined, Huff has taken on an increased role. The former UDFA recorded one sack against the Falcons on Sunday, bringing his season total to four. After last year’s trade to the Eagles did not go as planned, Huff has managed to find success upon reuniting with 49ers defensive coordinator (and former Jets head coach) Robert Saleh. Having him unavailable for any period will be detrimental as a result. Shanahan added (via Wagoner’s colleague Adam Schefter) he hopes Huff does not miss more than two weeks.
General manager John Lynch has publicly confirmed the 49ers’ interest in making a trade to help compensate for Bosa’s absence along the edge, with 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson a name to watch on that front. More recently, however, he has suggested San Francisco could avoid costly acquisitions with not only Bosa but also All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner sidelined. It will be interesting to see how the team operates with two weeks remaining before the trade deadline given Huff’s status.
Tarron Jackson was moved to injured reserve in July after suffering a neck injury during practice. That move ended his campaign before it started, so instead of serving in a depth role behind Bosa and Huff he is on the mend as well. With a thin depth chart still in place along the edge, the 49ers will look to at least remain one of the NFC’s top teams until Huff is back in the fold.
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Colton Dowell
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB David Long Jr.
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Brayden Willis
David Long Jr. brings some experience to Indy’s practice squad, as the veteran defensive back has seen time in 79 career games. This included a 13-game showing with the Colts in 2024, although all but nine of his 117 snaps came on special teams. If he finds his way to the active roster, he’ll likely be eyeing a similar role this time around.
Last week, the 49ers suffered the loss of their best defensive player for the remainder of the season when Fred Warner‘s ankle was fractured and dislocated. The team officially placed him on injured reserve yesterday while, at the same time, hosting five free agent linebackers for workouts. Per Howard Balzer of CardsWire, linebackers Ben Niemann, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Chandler Wooten, and two others were in San Francisco for the tryout yesterday. 
One of the worst parts about losing a player as talented and reliable as Warner is that, considering he’s missed one of a possible 122 regular season games in his career, there usually isn’t much incentive to stack talent at the position behind him. The 49ers typically run two off-ball linebackers in their base defense. The starters are Warner and Dee Winters, and before last week’s game, there had only been five defensive snaps all season in which both were not on the field.
It was Tatum Bethune that subbed in for Warner in the remainder of last week’s game. Bethune was a seventh-round draft pick out of Florida State last year who played almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie. Appearing in 11 games, he saw defensive snaps in just five. He only saw more than four snaps in one game — the 6-11 team’s regular season finale in which Bethune was given a chance to start. The Week 18 start was not a sign of things to come, though. When Bethune entered for Warner last week, he was seeing his first defensive snaps since the three he played in Week 1 of this year.
So, while the 49ers may be comfortable moving forward with Bethune as the starting middle linebacker based on his familiarity with the defense over the past year and a half, one can hardly blame them for trying out some potential help. Niemann is the most experienced of the crowd. Starting his seven-year career in Kansas City, Niemann has been a dependable rotation defender for the Chiefs, Cardinals, and Lions over his career. He’s played in 103 total games, starting 25, and aside from his rookie season and a down year in Denver in 2023, Niemann’s averaged just over 50 tackles per season.
Reeves-Maybin is the next most experienced linebacker. Though he spent many years (seven in Detroit, one in Houston) as a depth piece and special teamer, Reeves-Maybin has shown he can perform as an injury replacement with 14 spot starts for the Lions, including 11 in 2021. He and Niemann were actually on the same defense in Detroit last year. Wooten was a depth piece and special teamer for the Panthers the last few years, earning two starts last year. He had signed briefly to San Francisco’s practice squad last year, returning to Carolina after a week.
The other two linebackers attending the workout were undrafted rookies Stone Blanton and Kam Arnold. Blanton signed with San Francisco out of Mississippi State, spending the offseason with the 49ers before failing to make the initial 53-man roster. Arnold, coming out of Boston College, followed a similar path with the Commanders. No contracts came immediately from yesterday’s workouts, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on, depending on how Bethune performs in place of Warner as the season goes on.
Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad elevations as we head to the seventh Sunday of the regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: DL Ta’Quon Graham
- Placed on IR: CB Clark Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Travis Homer
- Elevated: DT Jonathan Ford, K Jake Moody
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: G Jacob Monk
- Elevated: DE Arron Mosby, RB Pierre Strong
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: LB Branson Combs
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, CB Kendall Sheffield
New England Patriots
- Elevated: CB Miles Battle, RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Nephi Sewell
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: OLB Victor Dimukeje
- Waived: DL Elijah Garcia
- Elevated: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Ja’Markis Weston
- Signed to active roster: WR Isaiah Williams
- Elevated: CB Korie Black, LB Jackson Sirmon
- Waived: LB Mark Robinson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: TE E.J. Jenkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, WR Mason Kinsey
As injured reserve activations start to dominate the headlines, a couple teams are making minor additions off their injured lists. In Homer, the Bears are getting a veteran special teamer and some running back depth. Monk adds depth to Green Bay’s offensive line. And Weston will do the same for a linebacking corps in New York that has seen rookie fifth-round pick Francisco Mauigoa starting in place of an injured Quincy Williams.
Ford in Chicago, Sewell in New Orleans, and Jacobs in Tennessee are all being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. In order to appear in any more games after this weekend, their respective teams will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.
As the 49ers say goodbye to one star, they’ll welcome another. Opening a spot on the 53-man roster by officially placing linebacker Fred Warner on injured reserve, San Francisco will fill it with the activation of tight end George Kittle from IR. Kittle is joined as an IR activation by defensive tackle Kevin Givens.
After suffering a full tear of his right hamstring in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks, Kittle sat out five games – the second-highest total of his career. The six-time Pro Bowler will return to an offense that will go without starting quarterback Brock Purdy for the third straight game. With Purdy dealing with a toe injury, Mac Jones will lead the 4-2 Niners against the 3-2 Falcons on Sunday.
The multi-game absences of Kittle and Purdy have been among several injury-related setbacks for San Francisco’s offense this year. The defense also hasn’t been spared. Star pass rusher Nick Bosa went down with a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3. The unit took a similarly brutal shot when Warner dislocated and fractured his ankle in a loss to the Buccaneers last week. The four-time Pro Bowler underwent surgery and will miss the rest of the regular season. A playoff return for Warner is an extreme long shot.
With Warner out of commission, Tatum Bethune will face a gargantuan task in replacing one of the game’s preeminent defenders. Bethune, a seventh-round pick in 2024, has only made one start in 17 career games. Out of 134 snaps this year, just 48 have come on defense. Bethune has otherwise worked on special teams.
While San Francisco’s defense has lost Warner, it’s getting some D-line depth back with Givens set to make his season debut. Givens hasn’t played in 2025 as a result of a pectoral injury. The seventh-year 49er totaled 3.5 sacks and six QB hits in eight games last season.
In addition to the IR transactions, San Francisco announced that defensive end Trevis Gipson has been signed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Joining him for the weekend as standard gameday practice squad elevations will be wide receiver Malik Turner and offensive lineman Nick Zakelj. To make room for Gipson on the active roster, the 49ers waived tight Brayden Willis.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
The 49ers ruled out quarterback Brock Purdy for Week 7, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, meaning that Mac Jones will make his fifth start of the season.
Purdy was still limited in practice this week due to a re-aggravation of his toe injury. Jones, meanwhile, progressed to full participation despite dealing with knee and oblique injuries. He has led the 49ers to a 3-1 record in his four starts with a league-high 313 passing yards per game.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan also said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner) that tight end George Kittle would be activated from injured reserve for Sunday’s game, ending his four-game absence due to a Week 1 hamstring injury. Kittle is not expected to be on any kind of snap count, according to Tafur.
San Francisco created the space for Kittle’s activation on Friday by placing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on injured reserve, per Wagoner. The eight-year veteran will now be on the shelf for at least four games with a calf injury and becomes the latest 49ers wideout to miss time. Ricky Pearsall has been out for the last two games with a knee issue that will sideline him for Sunday’s contest as well. Jacob Cowing is on IR, though Shanahan said (via Wagoner) that he is “getting close” to returning to practice. Jauan Jennings has missed two games and played through four others with a litany of injuries. That’s not even mentioning Brandon Aiyuk, who will not be back until November at the earliest.
Kittle’s return will obviously go a long way in relieving the pressure on the 49ers’ injured receiving corps. Backup tight end Jake Tonges has performed well in his absence, giving Shanahan the options of using more two-tight end formations until the rest of his offense gets healthier.
Shanahan also said that defensive tackle Kevin Givens will “most likely” be activated from IR as well, which would add depth to a defensive line that has also dealt with a number of injuries this year. The 49ers can easily create a roster spot for Givens by placing linebacker Fred Warner on injured reserve after an ankle injury that is expected to end his season.