Transactions News & Rumors

Bills Sign P Cameron Johnston

September 9th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills are quickly pivoting to a new punter. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team is signing veteran punter Cameron Johnston. In a corresponding move, the team has waived Brad Robbins.

Johnston, who shouldn’t be confused with Bill Burr, has found a job with his fourth NFL squad for his ninth NFL season. He had separate three-year stints punting for the Eagles and Texans, averaging 47.3 yards per punt and 42.2 net yards per punt. The veteran inked a three-year deal with the Steelers last offseason but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. He had an opportunity to reclaim his role during this year’s preseason, but he was cut after losing out on the gig to Corliss Waitman.

Now, he’ll look to revive his career in Buffalo. With Sam Martin departing for the Panthers, the Bills initially landed on Robbins as their new punter. The 26-year-old got four looks during the season opener, averaging 39.5 yards and 38 net yards on his punts. The Bills apparently had no interest in seeing if he could improve on those averages, as the team is already turning to their second punter of the 2025 campaign.

According to Howard Balzer, Johnston was one of three punters to get a look from Buffalo. Matthew Hayball and Ryan Stonehouse also auditioned for the team today.

In other special teams news, the Bills have signed kicker Matt Prater to the active roster. The veteran was a standard practice squad elevation for the season opener, a game in which he converted a dramatic game-winning field goal. With Tyler Bass landing on IR last week and being forced off the field for at least four games, Prater will have a secure spot on the 53-man roster for the time being.

Bengals Place G Lucas Patrick On IR

September 9th, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Bengals signed Dalton Risner in late August, they gave Lucas Patrick the right guard job. Patrick did not make it out of Cincinnati’s Week 1 game, and he will be shut down for a while.

The Bengals placed Patrick on IR today. That will keep the veteran interior O-lineman out until at least Week 6. The Bengals signed defensive tackle Mike Pennel from their practice squad to fill the empty roster spot.

Zac Taylor had said the calf injury Patrick suffered would sideline him for a least a couple weeks. The Bengals will not carry him on their 53-man roster while he recovers, and it will be interesting to see if Patrick can regain his starting RG job. The Patrick-Cody Ford competition did not impress, leading to the Risner signing. Risner replaced Patrick in Cincinnati’s lineup following the injury, and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes the seventh-year veteran will start in his place in Week 2.

Patrick signed a one-year, $2.1MM deal. Although the pact came with just $200K guaranteed, Patrick is a vested veteran and saw his full $2.1MM number lock in earlier this month. Risner is on a one-year, $1.34MM deal. The latter has become known for slow-moving free agency markets, having agreed to terms with the Vikings in September 2023 and with the Bengals just before this season. In between, Risner waited until May to rejoin the Vikings.

Risner, 30, has made 81 career starts. Patrick, 32, has started 65 games in a nine-year career that has included time at guard and center. Risner is a pure guard, having started for four seasons in Denver and having lined up as a Vikings first-stringer in 19 games from 2023-24. Making in-season moves to starting lineups in each of the past two seasons, Risner is familiar with this routine. He will have a chance to take Patrick’s job, one neither he nor Ford seized during training camp. The Bengals replaced both their guards this offseason, using Patrick and third-round rookie Dylan Fairchild at the positions in Week 1.

A 12th-year veteran, Pennel joined the Bengals last week and played in Week 1 as a gameday elevation. Spending four of the past six seasons with the Chiefs, Pennel has now seen game action with six teams.

The 25-game starter lined up as a Kansas City first-stringer last season, playing 30% of the team’s defensive snaps. Pennel lined up for 22 Bengals defensive plays Sunday. He serves as experienced depth behind B.J. Hill and Tedarell Slaton, with The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. indicating the team had aimed for depth behind its new nose tackle.

The Bengals also will give Isaiah Foskey a second chance, as veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports the former Saints second-round defensive end is joining Cincinnati’s practice squad. While Foskey registered zero sacks in 27 Saints games before failing to make their 53-man roster this year, he played under new Bengals DC Al Golden at Notre Dame. Golden was the Fighting Irish’s DC in 2022, Foskey’s final season in South Bend.

The Bengals also signed defensive end Myles Cole to their P-squad and released defensive end Isaiah Thomas.

Dolphins To Sign G Cole Strange Off Browns’ Practice Squad

September 9th, 2025 at 2:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Amid a rash of injuries along their offensive line, the Dolphins are signing offensive guard Cole Strange off of the the Browns’ practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Miami was already without Liam Eichenberg entering the regular season. The versatile lineman was expected to be the team’s primary backup at guard but landed on the physically unable to perform list in training camp. Eichenberg was not activated during final roster cuts and will be out for at least three more games.

The Dolphins then lost starting right guard James Daniels (pectoral) and starting right tackle Austin Jackson (toe) in Week 1. Needing depth at guard, they poached Strange from the Browns’ practice squad. He lined up at all three interior spots in the preseason and could be called upon to replace Daniels right away.

Strange, 27, was a surprise first-round pick in 2022. He started 17 games at left guard for the Patriots as a rookie but seemed to lose his job entering the 2023 season. He only started two of the team’s first six games with healthy scratches for the other four, but returned to start the next eight contests before a torn patellar tendon ended his season. Strange started the 2024 season on the PUP list and didn’t return to the field until late December. He started the last two games of the year at center.

The Patriots’ offseason coaching change and offensive line additions casted doubt on Strange’s future. Rookie Jared Wilson took over at left guard with veteran Garrett Bradbury starting at center, squeezing Strange out of the starting lineup. He couldn’t carve out a backup role and was waived during final roster cuts. The Browns then signed him to their practice squad.

The Dolphins inserted Kion Smith into Sunday’s game to replace Daniels, but Strange offers much more experience with 29 career starts under his belt. Backup center Daniel Brunskill could be another option at right guard; he has 3,300 career snaps at the position, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Daniels is now on IR, according to NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. This marks the second straight season Daniels has landed on IR. An Achilles tear sustained in Week 4 of last season ended Daniels’ Steelers run. He had stayed mostly healthy during his first two seasons in Pittsburgh. While this is not believed to be a season-ending injury, Daniels being out of the mix continues a run of bad injury luck for Dolphins O-linemen. Daniels also has a guarantee vesting date to monitor in 2026. He will see $3.48MM of his 2026 base salary shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. Returning to full strength will be key for Daniels to secure that guarantee.

49ers To Waive K Jake Moody

September 9th, 2025 at 2:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

2:40pm CT: Joseph is not expected to be the 49ers’ next kicker, according to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco. Though the veteran spent the offseason in San Francisco, the team will be looking for another option to succeed Moody.

11:50am CT: With two of his three field goals failing to split the uprights on Sunday, Jake Moody‘s 2024 struggles appear to have carried over into the 2025 season. As a result, the 49ers are moving on from the 2023 third-round pick, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Moody impressed as a rookie by converting 84.0% of his field goals and a league-high 60 extra points on 61 attempts. In 2024, he got off to a hot start with six field goals in Week 1 and a 93.9% conversion rate through five weeks before an ankle injury sidelined him for three games. The 25-year-old struggled from distance for the rest of the season, making just five of his 14 attempts from over 40 yards.

The 49ers explored other kicker options this offseason and signed six-year veteran Greg Joseph as potential competition, but new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer still expressed confidence in Moody. Joseph was cut before the preseason and Moody went six-for-seven on field goals and five-for-six on extra points to stave off any chance of a last-minute signing.

However, Moody underperformed in the 49ers’ regular season opener against the Seahawks with a 27-yard field goal clanging off the left upright and another attempt from 36 yards getting blocked. That kept the game close and forced San Francisco to score a touchdown with 1:34 remaining to win the game.

The 49ers don’t have another kicker on their active roster or practice squad, so they will need to make an addition before Week 2. Re-signing Joseph would be the team’s most obvious option. He worked out for the Bills and the Dolphins in late August but neither visit resulted in a deal. Several teams have kickers that could be poached from their practice squads – including Matt Prater in Buffalo and Riley Patterson in Miami – and a number of veteran free agents are also available.

Falcons To Explore K Options

September 9th, 2025 at 1:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 9: The Falcons have indeed added another kicker by signing John Parker Romo to the practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Romo emerged as the best option out of a tryout group that also included Zane Gonzalez, Michael Badgley, and Ben Sauls, per Pelissero.

SEPTEMBER 8: In the wake of their Week 1 loss, the Browns expressed confidence in kicker Andre Szmyt and indicated no competition would be brought in. The opposite is true in the case of the Falcons.

Atlanta will look into alternative options at the position, head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday. Younghoe Koo narrowly made one of his kicks yesterday, with a deflection off one of the uprights resulting in a successful attempt. At the end of the contest, though, a 44-yard field goal which would have tied the game was missed.

“We have to bring a competitive edge,” Morris said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall). “We have to go out there and look. We have to bring in people to compete. It definitely creates that sense of urgency. It’s about the process you have to go through from a physical and mental standpoint.”

Morris added (via Kendall) Koo is the incumbent for the time being but said the team will explore veteran as well as “up and coming” options. With over $8MM in cap space, finances will not be an issue if an addition is to be made. For now, attention will turn to the free agents who choose to visit the Falcons, with Eddy Pineiro, Zane Gonzalez, and Greg Joseph among the most notable names on the market.

Koo enjoyed a strong run with the Falcons beginning in 2019. The 31-year-old South Korean earned a Pro Bowl nod the following year and remained among the league’s most consistent kickers until 2024. Last year, Koo missed nine of his 34 field goal attempts, resulting in a career-low accuracy rate of 73.5%.

A training camp competition took place involving Lenny Krieg, was was waived during roster cuts but retained via a practice squad agreement. Morris said the German-born Krieg, who first signed with Atlanta in March, is considered a developmental player but added he will receive another opportunity to earn the kicking gig. Koo has two years remaining on his contract and is owed a total of $8.5MM over that span.

A parting of ways between he and the Falcons has been speculated about dating back to last season’s struggles, but that has not been the case so far. It will nevertheless be interesting to see how the coming days play out with Atlanta searching out alternatives.

49ers To Place George Kittle On IR

September 9th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

A Week 1 hamstring injury is expected to sideline tight end George Kittle for a few games, so the 49ers have opted to place him on injured reserve and open up a roster spot, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Kittle, 31 will be sidelined for a minimum of four games, making him eligible to return for San Francisco’s Week 6 visit to Tampa Bay. It’s another blow to a 49ers offense that started the season without wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk (knee, PUP), Demarcus Robinson (suspension), and Jacob Cowing (hamstring, IR with a return designation). Robinson will be eligible to return in Week 4, while Aiyuk and Cowing will be out until at least Week 5.

The 49ers then saw Kittle and Jauan Jennings exit their regular season opener with Brock Purdy playing through shoulder and toe injuries to finish the game. Initial tests on Jennings’ shoulder indicated that his injury is not serious, but Kyle Shanahan was noncommittal about Purdy’s Week 2 status.

Kittle’s absence will lead to more opportunities for backup tight ends Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges. Both saw more playing time after Kittle exited Sunday’s game with Tonges bringing in a tough contested catch for the game-winning touchdown. Practice squad tight end Brayden Willis will likely be promoted to the 53-man roster, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

This is Kittle’s first IR placement since 2021. He missed five games due to minor injuries over the last three years, but finished each season healthy. The nine-year veteran is coming off his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season, which included 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, both the second-best marks of his career. He also posted career highs with 11.8 yards per target and an 83.0% catch rate. In Week 1, he caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game.

Saints Restructure Taysom Hill’s Contract

September 9th, 2025 at 11:42am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints restuctured Taysom Hill‘s contract before the regular season, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

The eight-year veteran is coming off a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season and was placed on the physically unable to perform list during roster cut-downs.

The move was not a traditional restructure that converted base salary into a prorated signing bonus. Instead, $6MM of Hill’s 2025 salary was converted into per-game roster bonuses. Since he started the regular season on the PUP list, he can receive $500K per game for up to 12 games.

The Saints saved about $3.6MM with Hill’s restructured deal, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football. It will still void on the last day of the 2025 league year, making him a free agent after the season.

New Orleans is already over the 2026 salary cap with only 43 players under contract due to their aggressive use of traditional restructures and void years. As a result, re-signing Hill may not be a priority, especially if the team’s new coaching staff wants to move in a different direction on offense. However, Hill’s age (35) and recent injuries will limit his market in free agency. He which may allow the Saints to retain their longtime gadget player on an inexpensive deal.

Steelers To Sign S Jabrill Peppers

September 9th, 2025 at 9:43am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Fresh off a Week 1 win against the Jets, the Steelers are signing veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Secondary starters DeShon Elliott (knee) and Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) both left Sunday’s game, further depleting Pittsburgh’s already-thin secondary. The Steelers elected to carry just eight defensive backs on their initial 53-man roster – four cornerbacks and four safeties – leaving them especially vulnerable to injuries. Elliott has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain and is expected to miss a few weeks, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Enter Peppers, an eight-year veteran with 85 starts under his belt (though only 31 have come in the last five years). The Patriots released him during final roster cuts as they transitioned to more traditional deep safeties, but Peppers’ downhill play style and box/slot versatility could allow him to step into Elliott’s role right away. (On Sunday, the Steelers inserted former Raven and Jet Chuck Clark when Elliott went down.)

Elliott’s injury does not appear to be long-term, but even when he returns, Peppers will be important depth after the Steelers traded Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the Dolphins earlier this year. Other than starting free safety Juan Thornhill, the only other safety on the Steelers’ roster is special teams ace Miles Killebrew, who has only played 177 defensive snaps over his previous four years in Pittsburgh.

It doesn’t seem like Elliott will land on IR with the Steelers targeting a Week 4 return, per Schultz. If Peppers is being added to the 53-man roster – which seems more likely than the practice squad given his pedigree – Pittsburgh will need to make another roster move to open up a spot.

Eagles To Acquire Tank Bigsby From Jaguars

September 8th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Ben Levine

We have our first major trade of the 2025 season before Week 1 has even come to an end. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are trading for Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars will receive 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks from Philly. There is a slight wrinkle with the return. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the fifth-round selection is the pick the Eagles received from the 49ers in the Bryce Huff trade. That pick is set to improve to a fourth-round pick if Huff hits eight sacks in 2025. In that scenario, the Eagles would send that newfound fourth-round pick to Jacksonville instead of the listed fifth-round selection.

[RELATED: 2025 NFL Trades]

It’s a sudden, stunning move, especially from the Jaguars perspective. Bigsby was listed as a co-starter alongside Travis Etienne for the season opener. The latter finished that victory over the Panthers with 19 touches (including 16 carries) for 156 offensive yards. Bigsby was limited to only five carries and 12 yards.

Following the 2024 campaign, it appeared that Bigsby’s stock was rising in Jacksonville while Etienne’s continued to fall. A 2021 first-round pick, Etienne missed his rookie campaign before topping 1,400 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two healthy NFL seasons. However, he took a step back in 2024, when he was limited to only 812 yards and two scores. Bigsby, a 2023 third-round pick, served as a deep backup as a rookie before cutting into his teammate’s playing time in 2024, with the second-year player compiling 820 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.

With new head coach Liam Coen and a new front office guiding the way, there were bound to be changes in 2025, especially on offense. The team further muddied their RB depth when they used a pair of draft picks at the position, including fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten. The Virginia Tech product impressed during training camp and was expected to carve out his own role as a rookie. However, it was expected to come at the expense of Etienne, not Bigsby.

Now, the Jaguars will move forward with Etienne leading the depth chart and Tuten taking on the RB2 role. Etienne is currently playing on his fifth-year option and is set to hit free agency after the season. The impending free agent has every reason to remain on the field during the 2025 campaign, with Tuten potentially taking over in 2026.

Bigsby, meanwhile, will slide into a clear backup role with the defending champs. Saquon Barkley will continue to command touches as an offensive focal point, which will greatly impact Bigsby’s 2025 outlook. On the flip side, the Bigsby acquisition could convince the Eagles to lean more on their Barkley alternatives.

The defending Offensive Player of the Year finished his first season in Philadelphia with a career-high 378 touches, and that doesn’t include the 100-plus looks he had in the playoffs. Coming off such a significant workload, the Eagles always seemed destined to monitor his touches in 2025. With Bigsby now on the roster, the coaching staff may be even more comfortable giving Barkley some much-needed rest during his age-28 campaign.

The Eagles also lost some depth at the position during their season opener, as backup Will Shipley exited the game with a rib injury. AJ Dillon is currently penciled in as the team’s RB3, and Bigsby could slide right into Shipley’s spot on the depth chart assuming the second-year player is forced to miss some time.

The Eagles may also be eyeing Bigsby for a role beyond the offense. According to EJ Smith of PHLY Sports, the RB may have also been acquired for his special teams ability. Bigsby got a look as a kick returner during his first two seasons, returning 10 kickoffs for 294 yards. He also had a 20-yard return yesterday. John Metchie and Shipley both got looks as returners for the Eagles in the season opener, with the duo averaging 16 yards between the two of them.

As Schefter notes, the Super Bowl champs have been especially active in the trade market over the past few weeks. In addition to their acquisitions of Bigsby and Metchie, the team has also added QB Sam Howell and OT Fred Johnson via trade.

49ers Bring Back WR Kendrick Bourne

September 8th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kendrick Bourne is indeed heading back to San Francisco. The veteran wideout has a deal in place with the 49ers, per a Monday announcement from his agency.

Bourne’s pact is one year in length and has a maximum value of $5MM. San Francisco hosted him on a free agent visit recently, and an offer was made. Shortly after also meeting with the Commanders, Bourne has chosen a familiar landing environment for the 2025 season.

The former UDFA spent his first four seasons with the 49ers, serving as a regular on offense during that time. Bourne helped his free agent value with a strong 2020 performance, handling a 66% snap share that season. He inked a three-year pact with the Patriots during his first trip to the open market.

Bourne set a new career high with 55 catches and 800 yards during his debut New England campaign, matching his personal best with five touchdowns as well. Over the following three seasons, however, things did not go according to plan. It came as little surprise when New England elected to move on during roster cuts at the end of training camp. In the wake of that decision, it became clear the 49ers were a potential suitor in this case.

San Francisco spent the past few weeks in search of healthy receiving options. Brandon Aiyuk is still on the mend from the ACL tear he suffered last season, while Jacob Cowing opened the campaign on injured reserve (meaning he will be unavailable through at least Week 5). Demarcus Robinson, meanwhile, is serving a three-week suspension and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Jauan Jennings suffered a shoulder injury yesterday.

Bourne is fully healthy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds he could play as early as Week 2. That would be a welcomed development for a 49ers team which traded for Skyy Moore and signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the lead-up to Week 1. Bourne will join those two, along with Ricky Pearsall, as WR options for San Francisco until the team receives reinforcements at the position.

After playing eight games in 2023 and 12 last year, Bourne will look for a better campaign in terms of availability during his second San Francisco stint. Especially once the team’s other pass catchers are back in the fold, it will be interesting to see how his role takes shape.

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