Lions Designate CB D.J. Reed, DE Marcus Davenport To Return From IR
The Lions are designating cornerback D.J. Reed and defensive end Marcus Davenport to return from injured reserve, per Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers. Both defenders are expected to practice with the team on Wednesday.
Reed landed on IR at the beginning of October due to a strained hamstring. He signed in Detroit this offseason and was off to an excellent start with his new team. Through four games, he allowed receptions on only eight of his 16 targets with four passes defended, putting him on pace for the best season of his career. Rock Ya-Sin has seen an increase in playing time in Reed’s absence and will likely return to a backup role upon his return. However, Terrion Arnold is dealing with a concussion, so Ya-Sin could still start this week even if Reed is ready to play.
Davenport suffered a Week 2 injury for the second year in a row. In 2024, it was a season-ending elbow injury, but he avoided disaster this time with a pectoral strain. The veteran defensive lineman has taken longer to return than the four-game minimum stay on IR, but he could be a late-season boost to the Lions’ pass rush.
The team has 30 sacks on the season, which ranks fourth in the league, though most of that production has come from four players. Edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad both have eight sacks, while linebackers Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes have chipped in four apiece. Davenport will add some depth on the edge and potentially allow defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to come up with some more creative pressure packages.
Broncos To Bring Back Lil’Jordan Humphrey
A day after adding tackle Geron Christian off the Cowboys’ practice squad, the Broncos are raiding another NFC East team’s P-squad to add more offensive help.
The team is bringing back Lil’Jordan Humphrey, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, adding him off the Giants’ taxi squad. Humphrey, who played for Sean Payton in New Orleans and Denver, is likely to play against the Chiefs on Sunday.
Joining the Giants this offseason (before yoyoing on and off their roster), Humphrey has played in three games. Although he has only seen action in a fraction of New York’s contests, the journeyman wideout started two of those and logged an 81% snap share in the game he has played. The Broncos used Humphrey regularly last season and are making an update to their receiving depth chart ahead of a crucial contest.
The Giants had used the maximum of three gameday elevations on Humphrey this season. With the team needing to give him a spot on its 53-man roster in order to give him a game uniform again this season, Mike Kafka‘s operation will instead see him depart. Humphrey joins a Broncos team loosely linked to wide receiver trades before this year’s deadline, but like the Bills and Steelers, the AFC contender stood pat.
Payton used Humphrey on 50% of the Broncos’ offensive plays last season, giving him the most run of anyone besides Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele at the position in 2024. Second-year cog Troy Franklin has seized Denver’s No. 2 wideout role this year, and the team has increasingly used Pat Bryant more as the season has progressed. Bryant’s blocking has appealed to Denver’s coaching staff, but Humphrey was viewed as a plus blocker previously. The Broncos have also missed Marvin Mims for the past two games due to a concussion. With Trent Sherfield rounding out the group, Humphrey will give Denver six WRs on its 53-man roster.
Humphrey, 28, played for Payton from 2019-21 with the Saints. After spending the 2022 season in New England, the big-bodied backup followed Payton to Denver in 2023. Humphrey made 15 starts from 2023-24 and posted a career-high 293 receiving yards last season, doing so after catching three touchdown passes in 2023. He caught four passes for 55 yards with the Giants, who are letting him go despite losing Malik Nabers for the season and having seen Darius Slayton miss time this year.
Cardinals To Place Zay Jones, Simi Fehoko On IR; Marvin Harrison Jr. To Miss Time
The Cardinals are heading into Week 11 with a shorthanded wide receiver room. Zay Jones and Simi Fehoko are both being placed on injured reserve, while Marvin Harrison Jr. will miss at least one game due to a bout of appendicitis, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Josh Weinfuss.
Jones suffered a torn Achilles in Arizona’s loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, which will sidelined him for the rest of the season. Fehoko is dealing with an arm injury and will miss at least four games. His earliest return would come in Week 14 against the Texans.
Harrison had surgery on Monday night. It is unknown when his appendicitis was discovered and diagnosed; he played in Sunday’s game with a full workload (12 targets on a 90.8 snap share).
The trio of receiver absences will push Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Xavier Weaver into bigger roles. Wilson has 22 receptions for 231 this season, which both rank third on the team behind Harrison and tight end Trey McBride. With Jones going on IR, no other Cardinals receiver has more than 15 catches or 75 yards this year. Dortch has just 73 yards on 16 targets this year, but has flashed some playmaking ability in the past. Weaver has only been targeted three times in six games over the last two years.
The Cardinals made one immediate move to bolster their receiver room, promoting Andre Baccellia to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared in 13 games in the last two years, though his last offensive involvement came in 2023. The team also has Jalen Brooks, Tejhuan Palmer, and Jalen Virgil – the last of whom was signed today – available for practice squad elevations.
Arizona also re-signed cornerback Jaden Davis to their practice squad. He was a Cardinals seventh-round pick a year ago, but has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
Steelers Activate QB Will Howard From IR
After winning the national championship in his lone season at Ohio State in 2024, quarterback Will Howard entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Steelers last spring. Howard broke his hand early in training camp, though, forcing him to begin his career on injured reserve. After opening Howard’s 21-day practice window on Oct. 22, the Steelers activated the 24-year-old to their 53-man roster on Wednesday.
Taken 185th in the draft, Howard was always regarded as a developmental project for the Steelers. Even if he didn’t succumb to an injury over the summer, Howard was unlikely to see meaningful playing time this season.
Howard joined a team that brought in future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers as its new starter and the experienced Mason Rudolph as its primary backup during the offseason. Rodgers has stayed healthy during the Steelers’ 5-4 start, leaving just six snaps for Rudolph thus far.
The Steelers reportedly hope to retain Rodgers, who will turn 42 in December, next season. Rudolph is already under contract for 2026 after signing a two-year, $8MM deal. The Steelers will have plenty of time to figure out their QB setup for next year. In the meantime, they’ll get Howard back as an emergency third option.
As PFR’s IR tracker shows, Howard’s activation leaves the Steelers with five for the rest of the season. To make room for Howard, the Steelers waived running back Trey Sermon from their active roster. The former 49er, Eagle, and Colt signed a one-year pact with the Steelers last May. Sermon has appeared in four games this season, his fifth in the league, but 47 of his 48 snaps have come on special teams.
Commanders Designate S Will Harris For Return; Latest On Terry McLaurin
The Commanders have gone without safety Will Harris for most of 2025, an injury-ravaged season for the team. Harris is closing in on a return, though, as the Commanders opened his practice window on Wednesday. They’ll have 21 days to activate him from IR.
A former Lion and Saint, Harris signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Commanders as a free agent last March. He started in Washington’s first three games and made 11 tackles before suffering a broken fibula in a Week 3 win over the Raiders. The Commanders were 2-1 at the time, but they’ve since fallen to 3-7 and drifted out of the NFC playoff race.
After Harris went down, the Commanders quickly added the experienced Darnell Savage to their secondary. Savage entered Washington with 82 career starts, and that number hasn’t changed. He has worked as a backup and played just under 22% of defensive snaps in seven games with the Commanders.
With Savage in a reserve role, Jeremy Reaves has gotten the lion’s share of playing time at safety alongside Quan Martin. Reaves is better known as a special teams contributor, but he has made six starts in 10 games and totaled 56 tackles and three passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance a decent 41st among 91 qualifying safeties.
While it appears the Commanders’ defense will welcome Harris back in the coming weeks, wide receiver Terry McLaurin could rejoin their offense soon. McLaurin, who’s dealing with a quad injury, will not play when the Commanders face the Dolphins in Madrid on Sunday. However, head coach Dan Quinn said McLaurin will begin on-field rehab work this week (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
Washington has a bye in Week 12, but McLaurin may be ready after that. After posting his fourth straight 17-game, 1,000-yard season and scoring a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2024, the two-time Pro Bowler has played in just four contests this year. That partially explains Washington’s precipitous drop in the standings after a 12-5 finish and a conference title game berth last season.
Eagles Place CB Jaire Alexander On Reserve/Retired List
Eagles cornerback Jaire Alexander stepped away from football on Tuesday to focus on his physical and mental health. It turns out that Alexander’s career may be over. The Eagles placed him on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday and activated cornerback Jakorian Bennett from IR in a corresponding move.
Now 28 years old, Alexander entered the NFL as a Packers first-rounder (No. 18 overall) in 2018. The former Louisville Cardinal quickly emerged as one of the league’s best corners. He earned two second-team All-Pro nods and a pair of Pro Bowl invitations during his first five seasons in the league. Alexander totaled 10 interceptions during that 62-game span.
The Packers signed Alexander to a four-year, $84MM extension before the 2022 season, which will go down as his most productive campaign. Alexander picked off a career-best five passes during a 16-start season, but he was unable to stay healthy after that.
After groin, back, shoulder, and knee injuries limited Alexander to 14 of a possible 34 regular-season games from 2023-24, the Packers released him last June. He quickly caught on with the Ravens on a one-year, $6MM deal, but the union didn’t work out for either side. Alexander dealt with a knee injury and appeared in just two games with Baltimore, which traded him and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Philadelphia for a 2026 sixth-rounder on Nov. 1.
Although Alexander expressed optimism about his health after the trade, he wasn’t active for the Eagles’ win over the Packers in Week 10. It now appears his career has come to an end.
While the Eagles are losing Alexander, Bennett is returning to bolster their corner depth. Acquired from the Raiders in August, Bennett played in three games and picked up 44 snaps (24 on defense, 20 on special teams) before the Eagles placed him on IR with a pectoral injury on Sept. 24.
Bennett will give the Eagles another option on the outside behind starters Quinyon Mitchell and Adoree’ Jackson. Slot standout Cooper DeJean, Michael Carter II, Kelee Ringo, and Mac McWilliams comprise the rest of the Eagles’ corners.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/25
Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL…
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Tre Avery
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: OT Geron Christian
- Waived: WR/KR Michael Bandy
- Placed on IR: LB Karene Reid
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to active roster: LB Kristian Welch
- Placed on IR: C Elgton Jenkins (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Suspended: RB Josh Williams
Washington Commanders
- Signed to active roster: WR Robbie Chosen, WR Jacoby Jones
- Placed on IR: CB Trey Amos (story)
The NFL issued Williams a six-game ban without pay for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Williams will be eligible for reinstatement after Week 16. The undrafted rookie from LSU has picked up four carries for 11 yards in three games this year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Ben Stille
- Released: OL Raiqwon O’Neal, LS Zach Triner
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DE Kingsley Jonathan, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Mike White
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE K.J. Henry, DE Ochaun Mathis
- Released: DT Simeon Barrow Jr.
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: OL Jack Conley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Peter Bowden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Nick Muse
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Shemar Bartholomew
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: WR Brenden Rice
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Zach Davidson, K Ben Sauls
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Tre Brown
- Released: DB J.T. Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Desmond Watson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
The Panthers waived White from their practice squad on Nov. 8, but the team quickly brought the veteran signal-caller back. White will continue to provide experienced depth behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He served as the Panthers’ emergency third QB in their Week 9 win over the Packers.
Bills Place Landon Jackson On IR, Open T.J. Sanders’ Practice Window
Bills rookie defensive end Landon Jackson tore his MCL and PCL in the first quarter of a 30-13 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Buffalo placed Jackson on injured reserve on Tuesday. Jackson is expected to make a full recovery, per Schultz, but he’s facing an extended absence.
Jackson is now the fourth member of the Bills’ nine-player 2025 draft class to land on IR. First-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston, second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, and sixth-round corner Dorian Strong have all been shelved with various injuries this year.
Strong is out for the foreseeable future with a neck issue, but Hairston made his debut in Week 8. Sanders, who has missed five straight games after undergoing knee surgery, could rejoin the Bills’ defense soon. They opened his 21-day practice window on Tuesday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reports.
The Bills used a third-rounder on Jackson after a productive run at Arkansas, but they’ve gotten little from that investment so far. The team has made Jackson a healthy inactive in six of its nine games. In the three contests Jackson has played, the 22-year-old has combined for a mere 30 defensive snaps.
The Bills plugged Jackson in against the Dolphins a week after losing Michael Hoecht for the rest of the season with an Achilles tear. They also were without A.J. Epenesa in Miami because of a concussion. If Epenesa returns this week against the Buccaneers, he’ll rejoin a group of ends consisting of Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, and Javon Solomon.
While Jackson may be done for the year, a potential Sanders return would add another option to a depleted defensive line. The Bills traded up to draft Sanders 41st overall. The former South Carolina Gamecock got off to a slow start during the first four games of his career, however, recording two tackles.
Ed Oliver, the Bills’ most effective D-tackle, will not return during the regular season after suffering a torn biceps in Week 8. With him and Sanders on IR, DaQuan Jones, fourth-round rookie Deone Walker, Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis represent the team’s healthy DT options. The injury issues have contributed to the Bills’ woes against the run. They rank 30th in the league in rushing yards per game allowed.
Scouring the open market for help, the Bills tried out free agent defensive lineman Morgan Fox on Tuesday, Getzenberg relays. Fox has gone unsigned since the Falcons released him in August, which came as a surprise after he signed a two-year deal with them in March. A former Ram, Panther, and Charger, Fox was teammates with Bosa from 2022-24. Although Fox missed the 2018 campaign with an ACL tear, he went on to appear in 100 straight regular-season games after that. The 31-year-old has racked up 27.5 sacks, including 3.5 in 2024.
Along with their injury troubles on defense, the Bills may go without an important part of their offense, tight end Dalton Kincaid, for a sizable chunk of time. Kincaid suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday, and head coach Sean McDermott said he’s now considered week-to-week (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
A former first-round pick from Utah, Kincaid has hauled in 29 of 36 targets for 448 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in his third NFL season. Fellow tight ends Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes, a rookie fifth-rounder, have gotten even more offensive snaps than Kincaid this year. They’ll continue to log significant playing time down the stretch, but losing Kincaid is a major blow for an offense that lacks dependable pass catchers.
Steelers To Add CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr.‘s extensive visit schedule will end in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will be adding the free agent cornerback, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
Although Fowler adds this is a practice squad deal, Samuel seemed to have options. He scheduled visits with the Panthers, Packers, Vikings, 49ers, Steelers and Bears. Pittsburgh was to be Samuel’s last summit, and that was scheduled for Wednesday. The extensively pursued defender has a new home long after becoming a first-time free agent.
Part of PFR’s top 50 free agents list in March, Samuel saw his stock freefall after it became known he needed spinal fusion surgery. The four-year Chargers starter was only cleared last week, but a host of teams took interest in that development. Players with Samuel’s combination of age (26) and starting experience (47 games) are not regularly available in November, and a Steelers defense that has taken a step back this season could receive some help.
Samuel joins a Steelers team that overhauled its cornerback cast alongside Joey Porter Jr. this offseason. The team signed Darius Slay and Brandin Echols before trading for Jalen Ramsey. The likely Hall of Fame-bound trade pickup had shifted to safety midseason but slid back to corner amid injury troubles for that unit. Slay suffered a concussion during the Steelers’ Week 10 loss to the Chargers. James Pierre saw increased duty following Slay’s injury, but the Steelers have not performed well in nearly all defensive aspects this season. Samuel could help, and he may need to make an impact to avoid a “prove it” deal in 2026.
Pittsburgh ranks last against the pass and has allowed the fifth-most total yards this season. While the team ranks 20th in points allowed and 19th in EPA per pass, a veteran-heavy defense has proven unreliable. Slay, 34, ranks outside Pro Football Focus’ top 70 corners; Porter sits 50th, Echols 56th. While Ramsey is faring well and attempting to become the latest 30-something corner to transition to safety, not much has gone right around him. The Steelers have now added Samuel and Kyle Dugger in-season, with the latter being acquired via trade with the Patriots.
Before it became known Samuel needed neck surgery, PFR ranked him 32nd among free agents entering the 2025 league year. The former Los Angeles-based ballhawk missed 13 games last season due to a stinger-type injury — at least, that was the 2024 assessment — stood to ding his stock a bit, but with this year’s top CBs available nearing their 30th birthdays, Samuel was positioned to join Paulson Adebo in benefiting. But the spinal fusion matter changed the second-generation CB’s trajectory. Samuel had visited the Cardinals and Saints in the spring, and he drew Dolphins interest following those meetings. But it took a midseason clearance for a team to pull the trigger on a deal.
PFF graded the 5-foot-10 defender as a top-30 corner in 2022 and ’23. Though Samuel gave up seven touchdowns as the closest defender during the ’22 season, he made a memorable contribution in the playoffs by intercepting Trevor Lawrence three times — albeit during a game that featured a 27-point Bolts blown lead. Samuel has shown playmaking ability, intercepting six passes from 2021-23 and totaling at least 11 passes defensed during each of those three seasons.
The former second-round pick will have seen an injury take him off the field for a sizable chunk of two seasons, and a “prove it” deal ahead of an age-27 season would further impede his chances of cashing in. This profiles as an important stretch for Samuel, who may soon be asked to be part of the Steelers’ effort to hold off the Ravens in the AFC North.