NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/28/26
Today’s reserve/futures move:
Tennessee Titans
A former sixth-round pick by the Bengals, Trey Hill got into 25 games in Cincinnati, starting three of those appearances. After spending most of the 2024 campaign on the Bengals practice squad, he spent last offseason with the Packers organization, although he ended up being cut loose at the end of the preseason. He later signed with the Bears practice squad, where he spent most of the 2025 season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/28/26
Two practice squad moves to pass along:
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Patrick Johnson, WR Trent Sherfield
Patrick Johnson is a new addition in New England, as he spent most of the 2025 campaign on the Eagles practice squad. The former seventh-round pick actually spent the majority of his career in Philly, appearing in 58 games with the organization. He’s garnered 1,902 special teams snaps in his career vs. 615 defensive snaps.
Trent Sherfield is a more familiar face, as he had a stint on the Patriots practice squad earlier this month before getting cut. The veteran wideout brings 124 games of experience to New England, and he’s hauled in 89 career catches for 1,034 yards and six touchdowns. He appeared in 12 games with the Broncos and Cardinals earlier this season, hauling in three total catches.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/27/26
Tuesday’s reserve/futures contracts in the NFL:
Chicago Bears
Denver Broncos
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/26/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Denver Broncos
- LB Levelle Bailey, TE Caleb Lohner, DT Jordan Miller, RB Cody Schrader, G Calvin Throckmorton, RB Deuce Vaughn
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
- OT A.J. Arcuri, WR Tru Edwards, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Cam Lampkin, OT Dylan McMahon, LB Eli Neal, DT Bill Norton, WR Brennan Presley, TE Mark Redman, WR Tyler Scott
Chargers, DT Teair Tart Agree To Extension
Teair Tart will be staying in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to an extension on Monday, ESPN’s Kris Rhim reports. 
Tart was on track for free agency this March, but this deal ensures he will not reach the open market. According to Rhim, the sides have agreed to a three-year pact. The deal is worth a maximum of $37.5MM and includes $20MM guaranteed, a massive raise compared to Tart’s previous NFL contracts.
Over the course of his career, Tart has amassed roughly $13MM in earnings. His time with the Chargers has gone well to say the least, though, and a sizable commitment has now been made to demonstrate as much. The former UDFA spent his first four seasons in the AFC South, splitting his time between the Titans and Texans. Tart joined the Dolphins in 2024 but ended up being cut in August. That resulted in a low-cost Chargers deal.
During his first year playing under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, Tart handled a rotational role. He did enough to earn another one-year pact with the Bolts last offseason, with a notable bump in pay accompanying it. The FIU product secured $3.5MM guaranteed on his previous deal, one which set him up to handle a full-time starting role. Tart saw a career-high 49% snap share in 2025; he totaled 32 tackles, four pass deflections and one forced fumble along the way.
The 28-year-old was held without a sack in 2025 and has totaled just 3.5 over the course of his career. Tart will not expected to emerge as a major interior presence from a pass-rush perspective over the course of this contract, but he will be leaned on to remain an impactful contributor against the run. Los Angeles ranked eighth in that regard this season, and with Tart still in the fold expectations will be high for the team’s success to continue.
The Bolts recently lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter when he became the new head coach of the Ravens. Tart loomed as a candidate to follow Minter to Baltimore in free agency, but given today’s news that will not be happening. The Chargers have made a number of draft investments along the defensive interior during recent years. Much of their core at that spot will remain intact, although Otto Ogbonnia‘s rookie contract is set to expire shortly. This Tart investment could point to a free agent departure in Ogbonnia’s case.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/26
Here are today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Conference Championship teams not covered in larger posts:
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: DE Larrell Murchison, LB Elias Neal
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers, RB Velus Jones Jr.
Following a season-ending ACL tear to RB2 Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks are calling up Akers and Jones to assist recently activated running back George Holani in backing up Kenneth Walker for the NFC Championship game.
Broncos Activate C Luke Wattenberg From IR; RB J.K. Dobbins Ruled Out
After losing him for the final couple weeks of the regular season and missing him in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos have activated starting center Luke Wattenberg off their injured reserve in time for tomorrow’s Conference Championship. In a corresponding move, the team placed quarterback Bo Nix on IR following his season-ending ankle injury. 
After playing every snap of the season through 15 games for the Broncos, Wattenberg appeared on the injury report leading into Week 17 with a shoulder issue. Ultimately, it was determined that he would need to be placed on IR with the possibility that he may be able to make a return at about this point of the playoffs.
Denver turned to backup center Alex Forsyth, a third-year lineman taken out of the seventh round from Oregon, to take over in Wattenberg’s absence. Forsyth had previous subbed in as a starter for four games that Wattenberg missed in 2024, as well. In his role as the backup center, Forsyth ended up having some injury issues himself. In both his Week 18 and Divisional Round starts, third-string center Sam Mustipher was tasked with filling in for a couple snaps in place of Forsyth.
Now Wattenberg returns to close out the season for the Broncos, who are limping along at this point after the injury to Nix. The team is also without veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, who was officially ruled out yesterday and will remain on IR, per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Additionally, second-leading wide receiver Troy Franklin seems to be trending in the wrong direction as he attempts to work through a hamstring injury.
As a result, the Broncos are utilizing their two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore for Sunday’s game. Moore was called up last week, as well, but has still yet to make his Broncos debut. According to Tomasson, Moore was aware that he wouldn’t be playing last week and that the elevation was just a way of rewarding him with a full game check. Franklin’s hamstring issue opens the door, though, to some potential playing time for taxi squad pass catchers.
Though the offense isn’t at 100 percent, it’s the Broncos defense that’s gotten them this far. They’ll need that side of the ball to hold off the visiting Patriots enough to allow for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, rookie running back RJ Harvey, and the rest of the offense to find success at this most crucial point of the season.
Patriots Activate Mack Hollins From IR
An already strong Patriots offense will welcome back a key reinforcement against the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Patriots have activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve. Hollins landed on IR with an abdomen injury on Dec. 27.
After a solid 2025 showing with AFC East rival Buffalo, Hollins joined New England on a two-year, $8.4MM agreement in free agency. The move reunited Hollins with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who first coached the well-traveled wideout in Las Vegas in 2022.
Hollins posted career highs in receptions (57), targets (94) and yards (690) in his lone season with the Raiders, and he was similarly productive this year before his IR stint. In his first 15 games as a Patriot, the 32-year-old Hollins hauled in 46 receptions on 65 targets, racked up 550 yards, and found the end zone twice.
Despite missing the last two games of the regular season, Hollins led Pats receivers in snaps (657), edging out Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs. The Patriots and MVP-contending quarterback Drake Maye nonetheless rattled off four straight wins without Hollins, including playoff victories over the Chargers and Texans.
With a win in Denver over backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriot who will fill in for the injured Bo Nix, New England will earn its 12th trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will enter the game as rare road favorites, and the return of Hollins should further increase their chances of pulling it out.
Along with activating Hollins, the Patriots made a handful of other roster moves on Saturday. The team placed defensive tackle Eric Gregory on IR, elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson and DT Leonard Taylor from the practice squad, and released receiver Trent Sherfield from its taxi squad.
Sherfield, who played 10 games with the Broncos this season, signed with the Patriots on Jan. 13. There’s little doubt the Patriots quizzed Sherfield on the Broncos during his short stay in New England.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/26
Friday’s only reserve/futures deal:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- TE J.J. Galbreath
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/23/26
Here is today’s only practice squad transaction:
New England Patriots
- Released: DE Darrell Taylor
A former part-time starter as a second-round pick with the Seahawks, Taylor racked up 21.5 sacks in his first three seasons. He’s struggled to maintain that success ever since in stops at Chicago, Houston, and now New England, where he failed to appear in a game.