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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/25

October 4th, 2025 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Week 5’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Huntley will be on hand to back up backup quarterback Cooper Rush in Baltimore tomorrow against the Texans. Okoye is called up for the second week in a row as injuries continue to hamper the Ravens’ defensive line, as well.

With some continuing injuries causing some concern in the secondary, the Browns will elevate Avery and Jones for the second straight week. Jones is being elevated for the third time this season, meaning that if Cleveland wants to see him in another game this year, the team will need to sign him to the active roster. The same is true for Logue in Buffalo, Hewitt with the Giants, Clark with the Jets, and Pili in Seattle.

Arnette’s promotion means Week 5 will mark his first regular season action in the NFL since the end of his Raiders tenure in 2021. The former first-round pick revived his career in part through his performances in the UFL this spring, something which created interest from multiple teams in free agency. Arnette, 29, will look to use tomorrow’s contest in a bid to land a permanent role in Houston.

This is the second time the Jets have parted ways with a kick returner following a game in which they had a costly fumble. Williams follows in footsteps of Xavier Gipson, who was waived following a similar mistake in the team’s season opener. There appears to be a pretty short leash for young returners in New York at the moment.

Panthers Activate DT LaBryan Ray From IR

October 4th, 2025 at 5:11pm CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 4: The Panthers have officially made the move to activate Ray from IR. With defensive end Tershawn Wharton ruled out this week with a toe injury, Ray’s added depth is well-timed. Additionally, linebacker Krys Barnes has been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation.

OCTOBER 1: A slew of transactions came out of Carolina today, including the opening of defensive tackle LaBryan Ray‘s 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve. The team announced Ray’s return to practice today among several other roster announcements.

Once a five-star recruit who came out of Alabama undrafted, Ray will look to join an improved defensive line rotation for the Panthers. Ray earned nine starts last year filling in for an injured Derrick Brown. He’ll now have 21 days to return from an injury of his own before being reverted to season-ending IR if he can’t be activated.

Carolina had three open spots on their active roster after some injured reserve placements, and taking those spots on the 53-man roster will be practice squad running back DeeJay Dallas and practice squad safety Trevian Thomas. Dallas signed to Carolina’s taxi squad after being cut by the Cardinals one year into a three-year deal. While he adds depth the running backs room as Chuba Hubbard continues to be limited at practice with calf issue, his real value in the NFL has come a return man, where he can add depth after the loss of David Moore.

To fill the open slots on the practice squad, the Panthers signed offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles, running Anthony Tyus III, and offensive lineman Aiden Williams.

Patriots Activate Jahlani Tavai From IR

October 4th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Patriots announced that they have activated linebacker Jahlani Tavai from injured reserve. Tavai will make his season debut against the division-rival Bills on Sunday.

Tavai, who missed the first four games after suffering a calf injury over the summer, earned a prominent role in New England over the past couple of years. A former Lions second-round pick, Tavai found himself on waivers after two seasons. The Patriots scooped him up prior to the 2021 campaign in a move that has worked out for both sides.

Before last season began, the Patriots signed Tavai to a three-year, $15MM contract extension. He then started in 16 of 17 games, finished second among Patriots defenders in snaps, and piled up 100-plus tackles (a team-high 115) for the second straight year.

Tavai will be playing his first game under new head coach Mike Vrabel and his staff on Sunday. With Vrabel at the helm, newcomer Robert Spillane has taken over as the Patriots’ snaps leader at linebacker. Tavai could be an important cog alongside him, though, especially considering the struggles of fellow linebacker Christian Elliss. While Elliss has played 59 percent of defensive snaps this year, Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 127th out of 132 qualifiers at his position.

Saints Activate Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau

October 4th, 2025 at 3:29pm CST by Connor Byrne

Saints quarterback/tight end Taysom Hill and tight end Foster Moreau will make their 2025 debuts against the Giants on Sunday. The team announced that it has activated Hill and Moreau from the reserve/PUP list.

In corresponding moves, the Saints placed wide receiver Trey Palmer on injured reserve, waived tight end Moliki Matavao, and called up linebacker Eku Leota from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation.

Hill suffered a season-ending ACL tear last December, limiting him to a career-low eight games in 2024 and shelving him for the first four contests this season. The ninth-year man returned to practice this week alongside Moreau, who’s also coming back from a late-2024 knee injury. Moreau hauled in 32 passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games last year. In addition to the torn ACL, Hill informed Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football he tore all four ligaments in the posterolateral corner of his knee.

Without Hill and Moreau around, tight end Juwan Johnson has gotten almost 94 percent of offensive snaps early in the season. He leads the 0-4 Saints in receiving yards (204) and trails only No. 1 WR Chris Olave in catches (22).

In 2023, his most recent healthy season, Hill recorded personal bests in receptions (33), targets (40) and yards (291) over 16 games. Hill was featured more prominently in the running game, as he piled up 81 carries for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He was on an even better pace as a runner in 2024 (39 attempts, 278 yards, six TDs) before his season ended prematurely.

Known for his versatility, Hill is expected to function as the Saints’ backup quarterback behind Spencer Rattler on Sunday, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reports. That will relegate rookie Tyler Shough, a second-round pick, to the No. 3 role. The 35-year-old Hill has completed 193 of 302 passes for 2,369 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in the NFL.

Meanwhile, guard Cesar Ruiz – one of Rattler’s key protectors – has avoided the IR and is recovering well from the high ankle sprain he suffered in last week’s loss to the Bills, according to Triplett’s colleague Nick Underhill. Ruiz won’t play on Sunday, but it appears he’ll miss fewer than four games.

Titans Activate Tyjae Spears From IR

October 4th, 2025 at 2:16pm CST by Connor Byrne

A prominent member of the Titans’ backfield is returning in time for a Week 5 meeting with the Cardinals. The Titans have activated running back Tyjae Spears from injured reserve, according to Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. They placed safety Mike Brown on IR in a corresponding move.

Spears missed the first four games of the season with an ankle injury, depriving Tennessee of its No. 2 back behind starter Tony Pollard. A third-round selection from Tulane in 2023, Spears appeared in 29 games in his first two seasons and picked up 184 carries for 765 yards (4.2 YPC) and six touchdowns. He also chipped in 82 receptions for 609 yards and another two scores, giving the Titans an effective pass catcher out of the backfield.

During an 0-4 start this season, the Titans have rushed for 348 yards – the fourth-lowest total in the league. Pollard has accounted for 261 of those yards, though he has averaged a career-low 3.8 per tote. Without Spears, the Titans couldn’t find a legitimate complement to Pollard. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward ranks second on the team in both rushes (nine) and yards (42). Julius Chestnut has totaled just five carries, meanwhile, and rookie sixth-rounder Kalel Mullings went on IR on Sept. 26 after receiving zero touches in his first two NFL games.

Brown, who’s dealing with a knee issue, hasn’t factored in on defense this season. Instead, the fourth-year man has played all 93 of his snaps on special teams. He’ll be unavailable for at least four games.

Along with their IR moves, the Titans elevated wide receiver James Proche and defensive back Kendell Brooks from the practice squad for Sunday’s contest. Proche, formerly with the Ravens and Browns, hasn’t seen any game action this year. The same is true of Brooks, who played in five games for the Titans in 2024.

Texans Place Folorunso Fatukasi On IR

October 4th, 2025 at 1:31pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Texans will go at least the next four games without defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi. The team placed Fatukasi on injured reserve, opening up the spot the team used to sign offensive tackle Trent Brown to its 53-man roster yesterday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Fatukasi, who’s dealing with a shoulder injury, will not be eligible to rejoin the Texans’ defense until a Week 10 matchup with the Jaguars. The 30-year-old has played just under 39% of defensive snaps this season and tallied eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a pair of quarterback hits. Four weeks into the season, Pro Football Focus ranks Fatukasi’s performance 134th among 179 qualifiers at his position.

Along with Fatukasi, the Texans have already ruled out fellow defensive lineman Denico Autry (knee) for a pivotal Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams have gotten off to surprisingly slow 1-3 starts this year. Although Autry’s practice window opened this week, the veteran defensive lineman remains on Houston’s reserve/PUP list.

Houston, which will avoid the injured Lamar Jackson and instead face backup quarterback Cooper Rush on Sunday, will continue to rely on interior D-linemen Sheldon Rankins and Tim Settle in prominent roles. Mario Edwards and Tommy Togiai are also in the mix.

Cowboys Place S Malik Hooker On IR

October 4th, 2025 at 1:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cowboys placed safety Malik Hooker on injured reserve on Saturday, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

Hooker started the team’s first four contests of the season before exiting last week’s game against the Packers with a toe injury. Now, he will be out for at least four games and will be eligible to return in Week 9.

The eight-year veteran has gotten off to a rough start in 2025, allowing a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He has been better as a run defender, consistently playing downhill to meet ballcarriers in the hole and missing just one of his 16 tackles.

Hooker will be replaced in the starting lineup by Juanyeh Thomas, who closed out the game in Week 4. The 2023 UDFA has been a depth safety and core special teams player during his three years in Dallas, so starting in Hooker’s absence is a major opportunity.

The Cowboys also signed safety Alijah Clark to the active roster from the practice squad. The undrafted rookie will further reinforce the secondary while helping out on special teams as well. Wideouts Jalen Brooks and Jalen Cropper were both elevated from the practice squad for Week 5 to bolster a receiving room that will be without CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin on Sunday.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/25

October 3rd, 2025 at 7:19pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions as we head into the weekend:

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Yesterday, the Eagles released Powell-Ryland and Ricks and signed Henry and Sykes, making today a complete undoing of yesterday’s moves. Since failing to make Philadelphia’s initial 53-man roster, Ricks has been signed and released three times, making this his fourth time signing to the taxi squad.

Powell-Ryland is catching up to Ricks after being signed, released, and then signed again in each of the last three days. Similarly, this is Sykes’ second one-day stay on the practice squad, and Henry’s first after joining yesterday. It seems likely that the Eagles have worked out some handshake deals that allow them to keep some regulars nearby to fill out the practice squad without going over the 16-man limit.

NFL Minor Transactions: 10/3/25

October 3rd, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Las Vegas Raiders

The Bengals are the second team to claim Jefferson this year. A 2024 fourth-round pick out of LSU, Jefferson couldn’t make it to Year 2 in Jacksonville and was waived in final roster cuts. Cincinnati tried to claim him then, badly needing improved depth on their defensive line at the time, but San Francisco had higher priority. When the Niners waiving him yesterday, the Bengals got a second chance to claim him.

Jackson is dealing with a foot injury that will take at least four weeks to come back from, making him an easy candidate for injured reserve.

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