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Colts Place RT Braden Smith On IR

December 13th, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Connor Byrne

In his first game back from four-plus seasons in retirement, Colts quarterback Philip Rivers will not have a fully healthy offensive line on Sunday in Seattle. The Colts have placed starting right tackle Braden Smith on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

At 8-5 and fighting for its playoff life, Indianapolis will go the rest of the regular season without Smith. The 29-year-old suffered a concussion and a neck injury in a loss to Jacksonville last Sunday.

Along with the Seahawks, Smith will miss games against three other playoff hopefuls in the 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans in the next four weeks. He’ll be eligible to return if the Colts make the playoffs, but they’re on the outside looking in at the moment.

With the four-year, $72MM extension Smith signed in 2021 set to expire after the season, it’s possible he has played his last game with the Colts. The 6-foot-6, 312-pounder has spent his entire career with the franchise since it chose him 37th overall out of Auburn in 2018. Smith has started in 105 of 107 regular-season games, including all 13 in 2025. Pro Football Focus ranks Smith’s performance 45th among 81 qualifying tackles this year.

Looking to protect the immobile Rivers as he returns at age 44, the Colts will count on rookie Jalen Travis to fill in for Smith. Travis, a fourth-rounder from Iowa State, has taken just 73 offensive snaps in his first 13 games. In his starting debut, Travis will face a Seattle defense that ranks fourth in the league in sacks.

In addition to the Rivers and Smith transactions, the Colts elevated defensive tackle Chris Wormley and wide receiver Coleman Owen from the practice squad. It’s the third standard gameday elevation for Wormley, who has picked up five tackles and a sack in two games. If the Colts want to use Wormley again after Week 15, they’ll have to sign him to their active roster. Owen, an undrafted rookie from Ohio, is in line for his NFL debut.

Colts Sign QB Philip Rivers To Active Roster

December 13th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 13: The Colts officially signed Rivers to their active roster from their practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They could have used practice squad elevations for the next three games – after this week’s drama, no team would dare poach him – but he seems poised to start for the rest of the season. If that is the case, adding him to the active roster now makes sense.

The move also cements one of the most ironic aspects of Rivers’ decision to come out of retirement. He was a semi-finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year; now, he will not be eligible until 2031.

DECEMBER 12: Once Philip Rivers‘ deal with the Colts was officially in place, attention turned to the matter of when he would play. The now-unretired passer looks to be on course to make his NFL return this Sunday.

Rivers has practiced each of the past two days, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes it is clear which quarterback the Colts are preparing to get the nod for Week 15. Barring an unforeseen development, Rivers will be in place against the Seahawks. Provided that proves to be the case, it will add further to one of the NFL’s most interesting and unexpected stories in recent memory.

Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear ended his impressive debut season in Indianapolis and left the Colts thin on the QB depth chart. Backup Anthony Richardson remains on injured reserve, while sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard suffered a PCL sprain in Week 14 upon taking over from Jones. Brett Rypien is on the active roster after spending time on the practice squad, but Rivers is viewed as a better option for leading the Colts back into a playoff spot down the stretch.

Comebacks have been considered on more than one occasion in the 44-year-old’s case, but this is the first which has come to bear. Rivers immediately expressed interest in a second Colts stint upon being contacted by the team this past Sunday, as detailed by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Rivers and head coach Shane Steichen (who worked together during their shared time with the Chargers) have remained in contact since their time together ended, with the former using the latter’s offense on the high school team he coaches.

Rivers will presumably reprise his role as the head coach of his eldest son’s HS team next fall. Before that point, however, he is in line to briefly resume his NFL playing career. Doing so will restart the eight-time Pro Bowler’s five-year waiting period with respect to eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the meantime, Rivers will aim to guide the Colts to a win against a Seahawks defense which ranks near the top of the NFL in several categories.

Indianapolis sits at 8-5, an illustration of how far the team has fallen from a hugely successful start to the campaign. With the Jaguars (9-4) and Texans (8-5) firmly in contention for the AFC South title, a home playoff game is far less certain than it once looked. Securing a wild-card spot will be a strong challenge in its own right, and if the Colts are to achieve that feat it appears Rivers will be tasked with handling QB1 duties right away.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/12/25

December 12th, 2025 at 7:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s NFL practice squad transactions:

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Miami Dolphins

Ever the quintessential veteran, Lewis serves as the perfect example of how we explain the standard gameday practice squad elevation each year. Denver signed Lewis to their taxi squad just before November and was called up as a gameday elevation three weeks in a row. In order to get him into another game this past weekend, the Broncos signed Lewis to their 53-man roster. They waived him yesterday and have now signed him back to the p-squad after he cleared waivers. Under a new practice squad deal, Lewis’ three-elevation limit soul

NFL Minor Transactions: 12/12/25

December 12th, 2025 at 6:37pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles had already waived Hughlett’s injury replacement, Cal Adomitis, when they opened Hughlett’s practice window, so this was a fully expected move in Philadelphia. Shortly after returning to practice, Hughlett resumes his role as the team’s primary long snapper.

In Miami, Isaiah takes Caleb’s spot on the 53-man roster. This is convenient for the Dolphins because Isaiah had run out of standard gameday practice squad elevations back in early-November. With his promotion today, the three-game limit will no longer restrict his ability to suit up.

Jets, C Josh Myers Agree To Extension

December 12th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Myers will not reach the open market in March. The veteran center has a new deal in place with the Jets, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Team and player have agreed to a two-year, $11MM extension, per Fowler. He adds this new pact contains $6MM in guaranteed money. Myers was on course for free agency after signing a one-year pact with New York this past spring. Instead, he will remain in place as the team aims for stability up front. This contract places Myers 13th in terms of AAV for centers.

A second-round pick of the Packers in 2021, Myers played out his rookie contract with Green Bay. During that time, he started all 56 of his appearances and – aside from his debut season – avoided any lengthy absences. Nevertheless, inconsistent showings on the field resulted in the Ohio State product only securing a $2MM deal from the Jets during his first trip to free agency. Myers has now landed a notable raise on his third NFL contract.

PFF has not graded any of Myers’ five seasons favorably, and his 53.6 mark for 2025 is the lowest of his career. The 27-year-old has remained consistent in that regard, however, and he will be expected to maintain his current level of play through the 2027 season. As a result of this agreement, the Jets have four of their cuttent starting offensive linemen under contract through at least next year.

That includes tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, taken in the first round of the past two drafts. Left guard John Simpson is a pending free agent, so it is unclear if he will continue playing alongside Myers beyond the final four games of the current season. Another projected vacancy up front for next year is at the right guard spot, as Alijah Vera-Tucker is set to see his rookie contract expire this spring. The oft-injured blocker is currently set to reach the market after missing the entire 2025 season.

That will deal a major blow to Vera-Tucker’s value, and it remains to be seen if he will remain in New York or move on in March. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Myers will be counted on to continue operating as a full-time starter up front for a Jets team seeking improvements on offense for 2026 and beyond.

Seahawks Waive CB Shaquill Griffin, RB Cam Akers

December 11th, 2025 at 7:18pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks moved on from a pair of veterans today. Per the NFL’s daily transaction log, the team has waived cornerback Shaquill Griffin and running back Cam Akers.

Griffin joined the Seahawks on a one-year, $3MM deal this past offseason. The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career in Seattle, but this second stint with the organization didn’t last nearly as long. In fact, this is the third time this year that the veteran has been cut by the Seahawks.

He was among the team’s final preseason cuts back in August, and after joining the team’s practice squad, he was signed to the active roster in early September. He was cut again the following week before re-joining the taxi squad. He was promoted to the active roster in late November but hasn’t seen any playing time recently. In total, Griffin has appeared in a pair of games this season, collecting seven tackles.

Akers has bounced around a bit in 2025. He spent the preseason with the Saints but didn’t make the team, and he later caught on with the Vikings for his third stint with the franchise. He got into three games with the Vikings before getting cut, and he subsequently joined the Seahawks in late November. He didn’t end up making an appearance with his new squad.

These two moves were likely done in anticipation of players being activated from injured reserve. All of defensive lineman Rylie Mills, receiver Dareke Young, offensive lineman Jalen Sundell, and tight end Eric Saubert were recently designated for return. As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times passes along, Sundell and Saubert seem to have the best chance of suiting up this Sunday against the Colts.

Both Griffin and Akers will have to clear waivers before they can choose their next squad. There’s a chance the veterans simply land on Seattle’s practice squad.

NFL Minor Transactions: 12/11/25

December 11th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

New York Giants

  • Claimed off waivers (from Buccaneers): WR Ryan Miller

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Marcedes Lewis is being temporarily let go by the Broncos, but the 41-year-old tight end won’t be a free agent for long. According to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, Lewis is expected to quickly land back on Denver’s practice squad. However, the team may have some difficulty adding him back to the active roster. Since the Broncos have already exhausted Lewis’s three elevations, the team would have to sign him to the 53-man roster in order for him to make another appearance. Gabriel says the more likely scenario is Lewis sticking around on the taxi squad, with the organization valuing the player’s “leadership [and] character.”

Colts Open DeForest Buckner’s Practice Window

December 11th, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Connor Byrne

DECEMBER 11: Buckner revealed on Thursday (via Chappell) that he has been dealing with a herniated disc in his neck pressing against a nerve. If the issue is not resolved, surgery will be a possibility in the future. For now, the Colts will hope to have him available for the final four games of the season.

DECEMBER 10: The Colts have gone without defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, one of their most important players, for four straight games. Buckner is now working toward a return from IR. The Colts opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, Mike Chappell of FOX 59 relays.

Buckner, who last played in a loss to the Steelers in Week 9, has been on the shelf with a neck injury for a month. The Colts were 7-2 when Buckner went down, but they have lost three of four without him. Once the top seed in the AFC, 8-5 Indianapolis has dropped to eighth during what has been an injury-plagued several weeks.

Quarterback Daniel Jones is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward went on IR with his third concussion of the season on Wednesday, and fellow top CB Sauce Gardner seems likely to miss his second game in a row with a calf injury this Sunday. Gardner will not practice Wednesday, according to Chappell.

While the Colts’ defense won’t have Ward for the rest of the regular season, it could welcome back Buckner sometime in the next 21 days. The three-time Pro Bowler, 31, was enjoying another standout campaign before he went on IR. Buckner has notched 42 tackles, nine TFL, and four sacks in nine games. Despite a lengthy absence, he’s still tied for second among Colts in sacks, trailing only Laiatu Latu‘s 5.5. Pro Football Focus ranks Buckner as the league’s 12th-best interior D-lineman of 2025.

In the wake of Jones’ injury, it’s unclear who will quarterback the Colts for the rest of the season. Newly signed Philip Rivers, brought out of retirement at age 44, sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard, and journeyman Brett Rypien are their options. Considering the Colts’ questions at QB and a daunting slate of remaining opponents in the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans, their chances of rallying for a playoff spot appear slim. Getting Buckner back would improve their odds.

Raiders Designate T Kolton Miller For Return From IR

December 10th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Ely Allen

With starting quarterback Geno Smith doubtful to play this week amidst a 2-11 start to the season, the Raiders’ 2025 campaign is circling the drain. That shouldn’t take away from the positive news that star left tackle Kolton Miller is nearing a return to the field.

Las Vegas announced today that Miller has returned to practice, opening his 21-day practice window in which he can be activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster. Miller has missed the last 10 weeks with a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. There’s little to play for, but these final four weeks will give Miller some opportunities to see exactly where he is in recovery and where he needs to get stronger in the offseason after a long rest.

Miller has been extremely reliable throughout his career, playing in 109 of a possible 116 games before this season and staring 107 of them. He missed two weeks in 2020, one game in 2022, and two separate two-game stretches in 2023. Before this season, he had never missed three games in a row, let alone nine.

In Miller’s absence, Stone Forsythe has been filling in for the team at left tackle, continuing in a role he had carried over from the team that drafted him. A sixth-round pick out of Florida back in 2021, Forsythe never earned a role as a full-time starter with the Seahawks, but he operated as the team’s swing tackle, starting 14 of 53 game appearances in four years.

Following the expiration of his rookie contract, Forsythe signed with the Giants as a free agent. After spending the offseason with New York, Forsythe failed to make the team’s initial 53-man roster and signed with Vegas the day after the roster cut deadline. The Raiders currently lead the NFL in sacks allowed, so new expected starter Kenny Pickett will likely rejoice to see Miller’s momentum pushing towards a return.

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