Transactions News & Rumors

Steelers Cut S Juan Thornhill

Continuing to make noteworthy changes at the safety position, the Steelers have cut Juan Thornhill, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Thornhill will go through waivers. If no team claims him, he’ll become a free agent.

The Steelers have shaken things up at safety since starter DeShon Elliott suffered a serious knee injury in Week 8. Elliott is now on IR.

Shortly after losing Elliott, the Steelers acquired Kyle Dugger from the Patriots on Oct. 28. Dugger has since stepped into a starting role next to longtime cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who transitioned to free safety during a Week 9 win over the Colts.

With Dugger and Ramsey taking over at safety, Thornhill worked exclusively on special teams against Indianapolis and in Pittsburgh’s loss to the Chargers on Sunday. The 30-year-old started in one of nine games, logged a 48.5% snap share on defense, and totaled 38 tackles this season before the Steelers moved on from him.

After coming off the board in the second round of the 2019 draft, Thornhill divided his first six NFL seasons between Kansas City and Cleveland. He served as a full-time starter on two of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning teams before spending two years with the Browns.

The Browns released Thornhill last offseason, leading him to the Steelers on a one-year, $3MM deal. Although his union with the Steelers didn’t work out, Thornhill – who has 75 career starts and eight interceptions – could be attractive to safety-needy clubs down the stretch. If a team claims him, it would take on the remainder of his league-minimum base salary.

With Thornhill on his way out, the Steelers claimed safety Sebastian Castro off waivers from the Buccaneers on Monday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com relays. Castro signed with the Steelers as an undrafted rookie from Iowa in late April, but the Buccaneers plucked him off their practice squad on Sept. 30. He appeared in one game with the Bucs and totaled six snaps (all on special teams). Castro will join Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers among the Steelers’ depth options at safety.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/10/25

Here’s a look at Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL…

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee Titans

The Titans will have 21 days to activate Brown and Mullings after opening their practice windows. Brown worked exclusively on special teams over four games before going on IR with a knee injury on Oct. 4. Mullings, a sixth-round rookie from Michigan, appeared in two games but didn’t record any offensive snaps before an ankle injury sent him to IR on Sept. 26.

Commanders DT Daron Payne Issued One-Game Suspension

5:47pm: Hearing officer Ramon Foster has upheld Payne’s suspension, according to NFL senior VP of football and international communications Michael Signora. Payne will not play in Week 11.

4:30pm: Payne will appeal his suspension, per ESPN’s John Keim. If he does not win the appeal, he will not be able to travel with the Commanders for their upcoming matchup in Madrid.

8:40am: During Sunday’s blowout loss, the Commanders experienced a lapse in discipline on a number of occasions. That included Daron Payne punching Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown after a play.

Payne was ejected as a result, and further discipline has now been issued. The veteran defensive tackle has been issued a one-game suspension, as noted by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Payne will miss Washington’s Week 11 game against the Dolphins (pending a successful appeal) as a result.

The Commanders have dealt with a number of injuries on both sides of the ball during their ongoing five-game losing streak. Losing Payne will represent another blow on defense, as the eighth-year contributor has remained a full-time starter in 2025. Payne has spent his entire career in the nation’s capital, and he missed only one game during his first seven years in the NFL.

Due to this suspension – which, to no surprise falls under the unsportsmanlike conduct category – however, the 28-year-old will not be in place when the Commanders take on the Dolphins in Madrid. Washington’s bye will follow that contest, so Payne will not be in the lineup again until Week 13. A Commanders team which has lost each of its last four games by double digits will be thin along the defensive front until then.

Payne was retained in 2023 via the franchise tag before becoming one of several defensive tackles to sign a lucrative new deal. The former first-rounder is under contract through 2026 and he will be expected to remain a key figure during that campaign along with the closing stages of the current one when he returns. Payne earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2022 when he recorded 11.5 sacks. The Alabama product followed that up with back-to-back seasons of four sacks.

So far in 2025, Payne has only notched one sack but he is also responsible for a safety forced by Washington’s defense and has recorded five pass deflections. That production will be absent for one contest when the Commanders look to rebound on the scoreboard but also in terms of disciplined play.

Eagles Activate LB Nolan Smith From IR

The Eagles are getting a pass-rushing reinforcement back ahead of a Monday night showdown with the Packers. The team has activated edge rusher Nolan Smith from IR, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Smith is returning less than a week after Philadelphia opened his 21-day practice window.

The Eagles have gotten off to a 6-2 start despite limited contributions from Smith, who has been out since suffering a strained triceps in Week 3. Smith started in his first three appearances this year and logged 10 tackles.

After working in a reserve role as a rookie, the 2023 first-round pick from Georgia broke through last season with 42 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 16 games (10 starts). Smith performed even better during the Eagles’ four-game playoff run, notching 16 tackles and four sacks to help the team to a championship. However, he tore his triceps in the Eagles’ 40-22 Super Bowl LIX win over the Chiefs and had to undergo surgery.

Fortunately for Smith and the Eagles, the 24-year-old’s latest triceps injury wasn’t as severe as the one he suffered last February. He’ll now return to a pass-rushing group that has undergone a makeover during the past couple of weeks. The Eagles brought franchise icon Brandon Graham out of retirement in late October. Not content to stop there, general manager Howie Roseman acquired Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins for a third-round pick before last Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The Smith-Graham-Phillips trio will play together for the first time Monday in a potential playoff preview against the 5-2-1 Packers. They’ll join Jalyx Hunt and Joshua Uche as the Eagles’ main edge options.

Along with activating Smith, the Eagles elevated outside linebacker Patrick Johnson from their practice squad on Monday. Johnson has played in seven games this year and picked up one sack. With 136 special teams snaps this season, he ranks fifth on the team.

Seahawks Place DT Jarran Reed, WR Dareke Young On IR

NOVEMBER 9: General manager John Schneider said on a Seattle Sports radio appearance (via Condotta) Reed recently underwent surgery on his wrist. Recovery from the procedure has not gone as planned, so instead of continuing to play through the issue (as he did last week) Reed will look to fully heal while on IR.

NOVEMBER 8: The Seahawks announced that they have placed defensive tackle Jarran Reed and wide receiver Dareke Young on IR. Reed is dealing with wrist and thumb issues, while Young has a quadriceps injury. Both players will miss a minimum of four games.

Reed, a 10th-year man who began his second stint with the Seahawks in 2023, has once again been a significant contributor this season. Appearing in all eight of the 6-2 Seahawks’ games before his IR placement, Reed has logged a 47.3% snap share with 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder’s wrist injury limited him to a season-low 17 snaps in a blowout win over the Commanders last week.

Although Reed’s wrist has bothered him, the IR placement comes as a surprise after he was a full participant in practice during the week. Reed’s thumb problem seems to be a new development, though, and it will help lead to a lengthy absence. As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes, only Reed’s wrist malady was listed on the injury report throughout the week. The team announced his thumb injury on Saturday.

Young has totaled just four catches in 39 games since the Seahawks used a seventh-round pick on him in 2022. The 26-year-old has picked up a pair of receptions for 48 yards in six games this season. Most of Young’s impact has come on special teams, where he has played 48.4% of snaps in 2025.

Along with Young, the Seahawks are dealing with injuries to fellow receivers Cooper Kupp (hamstring, heel), Tory Horton (groin, shin), and Jake Bobo (calf) ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the NFC West rival Cardinals. Kupp is questionable, Horton is doubtful, and Bobo is out.

To replenish their depth, the Seahawks signed D-tackle Quinton Bohanna and receiver Cody White from their practice squad to their 53-man roster on Saturday. They also elevated receiver Ricky White III and linebacker Patrick O’Connell from their practice squad.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/8/25

Here are Saturday’s taxi squad moves around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/25

Several teams around the NFL made tweaks to their rosters on Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s slate of games. Here are all the latest moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Week 10 will mark the debut for both players the Chargers gave the IR-designated for return label during roster cutdowns in August. Their activations had already been accounted for, but Hand’s had not. With those three now back in the fold, the Bolts have three IR activations remaining on the season.

Buccaneers Activate Luke Goedeke From IR

After returning to practice on Nov. 3, Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke is already set to rejoin their lineup. The team announced that it has activated Goedeke from injured reserve. Goedeke is now eligible to play against the Patriots on Sunday.

The Buccaneers have gone without Goedeke since he aggravated a foot injury in a Week 2 win over the Texans. The team has since welcomed back left tackle Tristan Wirfs from offseason knee surgery. He and Goedeke are now set to bookend the Bucs’ line for the first time this year. That’s excellent news for a unit that lost right guard Cody Mauch to a season-ending knee injury in mid-September.

Injuries have torn through the Buccaneers’ offense this season, but they’re still 6-2 and in first place in the NFC South. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has offered an MVP-level performance despite the long-term absences of Goedeke, Wirfs, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and running back Bucky Irving, among others.

The return of Goedeke should make life easier on Mayfield. A second-round pick in 2022 and a former tackle at Central Michigan, Goedeke spent most of his rookie year at guard. He made a full-time transition to tackle in his second season and hasn’t looked back. Goedeke started in all 30 of his appearances from 2023-24, leading the Buccaneers to hand him a four-year, $90MM extension this past September.

To make room for Goedeke, the Buccaneers waived safety Sebastian Castro. Signed off the Steelers’ practice squad in late September, the undrafted rookie from Iowa picked up one tackle in his lone appearance with the Buccaneers in Week 6.

In other Saturday moves, the Bucs elevated linebackers Nick Jackson and Mohamed Kamara from their practice squad for Sunday’s game. Jackson, another undrafted rookie from Iowa, is in line for his season debut. This is the second elevation of the season for Kamara, who played in five games with the Dolphins as a fourth-round rookie last year. Those two are up with the Buccaneers having ruled out LBs Haason Reddick and Markees Watts for Week 10.

Browns Activate Cedric Tillman From IR

NOVEMBER 8: The Browns activated Tillman from IR on Saturday, per a team announcement, clearing the way for him to return on Sunday against the Jets. Cleveland also signed safety Christopher Edmonds to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared on special teams in two games in 2024 as an undrafted rookie but has yet to take the field this season.

NOVEMBER 3: The Browns designated wide receiver Cedric Tillman to return from injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. Cleveland also released veteran safety Damontae Kazee from the 53-man roster.

Tillman started the first four games of the season and caught 11 of his 20 targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns. That is somewhat disappointing given his 71% snap share across those contests. The 25-year-old wideout suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 that landed him on IR, but he will return to practice this week after the Browns’ Week 9 bye. He will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR. Freeing up a 53-man roster spot right away indicates that Tillman will be activated sooner rather than later.

The Browns have struggled to get much production out of their wide receivers this season. Jerry Jeudhas regressed from his career-best production in 2024, and Jamari Thrash and Isaiah Bond have not impressed in their first NFL action. The rookie will likely step back into rotational roles when Tillman returns to the lineup.

The team’s quarterback woes are certainly a factor in their passing game struggles, as well. In theory, the return of a big-body receiver like Tillman could make life easier on Dillon Gabriel, but the 2023 third-rounder has not lived up to his draft profile of a physical deep threat with only 11.0 yards per catch and a 10.5-yard average depth of target in his career.

Kazee, a nine-year veteran, signed a one-year deal with the Browns during the offseason. He appeared in four games this year with 11 snaps on defense and 37 on special teams. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes this parting of ways was a mutual decision, with Kazee forfeiting his remaining guarantees (more than $200K) to allow for a fresh start.

Titans Waive S Quandre Diggs After Request

Titans veteran safety Quandre Diggs was placed on waivers today. First reported by Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt, the move doesn’t appear to be a performance-related transaction, at least not on the part of Diggs. According to Ian Rapoport, Diggs’ waiving was the result of Tennessee honoring the 32-year-old’s request to be released from his contract.

Diggs was in his second season with the Titans. This is actually the second season in a row in which Diggs won’t finish the season for Tennessee. Diggs’ 2024 campaign came to a close after eight starts when he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury. He played one more game for the team this year before being granted his exit. Despite not working as a full-time starter this year, Diggs saw plenty of time as the third safety on a defense that frequently featured an extra defensive back. Often, starters Xavier Woods and Amani Hooker would rotate from the defensive outfield to the box with Diggs’ presence deep allowing them to roam.

Diggs’ departure will thin out the secondary’s depth a bit. The Titans aren’t terribly short of bodies at the position, but experience will be lacking. Tennessee drafted former Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. in the third round of this year’s draft, they roster Kendell Brooks, and they were just awarded Jerrick Reed II off of waivers after he was cut in Seattle. Winston hasn’t seen much action so far in his rookie season, but he may be thrust a bit more into the spotlight with Diggs no longer in the fold. Brooks and Reed have mostly been special teamers so far in their young careers.

The loss of Diggs does come with some convenience. The Titans are currently on their bye week, so they’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to run the defense without him moving forward. As for Diggs, if he clears waivers, he’ll be able to choose where he works out and with whom he might sign.