Uncategorized News & Rumors

Cowboys To Designate C Cooper Beebe, CB Shavon Revel For Return

The Cowboys are designating center Cooper Beebe and cornerback Shavon Revel for return, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Both players will participate in practice this week.

Beebe landed on injured reserve after Week 2 with an ankle sprain and a foot fracture. Coming back after five weeks with a three-week practice window aligns neatly with his original six- to eight-week return timeline. The 2024 third-rounder took over a starting job as a rookie and appeared in 16 games last year, though the Cowboys had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.

Dallas’ offense has not skipped a beat without Beebe, averaging 32.4 points. per game over their last five contests. Backup Brock Hoffman has played well enough, but Dak Prescott will no doubt be glad to have his starting center back in the lineup.

Revel, a third-round pick in April’s draft, has been on the non-football injury list since July as he completes his recovery from last year’s ACL tear. The Cowboys were hoping that he would be ready by Week 5, but the rookie cornerback will miss that mark by at least three weeks.

Revel impressed during his time at Eastern Carolina and has the talent to contribute right away. However, coming back from a major injury after missing all of the preseason will likely require a multi-week ramp up and keep him from reinforcing the Cowboys’ bottom-ranked passing defense anytime soon.

The Cowboys also designated linebacker DeMarvion Overshown for return on Monday, so they could have as many as three impact players return in the next month. All three will have 21 days to practice with the team before they must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.

Mark Sanchez Booked, Released From Jail

The next step in the Mark Sanchez-saga saw the former NFL quarterback booked at the Marion County Jail today, promptly getting released after being processed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 38-year-old needed to be released from the hospital before getting processed at the jail, and both things needed to occur in order for Sanchez to be allowed to leave the state.

In an interview (via Max Lewis of FOX59) outside the jail, Sanchez expressed many thanks to the first responders that treated him in the aftermath of the altercation that led to him getting stabbed. In particular, he became emotional as he thanked the surgeon that operated on him, claiming that she “saved his life.” He informed the media that he was recovering slowly and, before leaving, apologized that he was unable to answer more questions.

Sanchez’s alleged victim, Perry Tole, is also reportedly suing both Sanchez and Fox Corp. Per ESPN, the lawsuit claims he sustained “severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress and other damages” resulting from Sanchez’s alleged attack. Reportedly, a picture of Tole in a hospital bed with a neck brace and a deep gash in the side of his face is making the rounds in the media, but it’s unclear if the image is legitimate evidence related to the case.

Initially charged with three misdemeanor charges of battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, Sanchez now faces a single felony battery charge. Our original report on the felony showed that the Level 5 charge could carry a prison sentence of one to five years and that the next step in the process would be a conference on November 4. ESPN’s latest update slightly adjusts these facts, claiming that the felony charge could carry a sentence up to six years and that the pretrial conference will take place on November 5.

Bengals Contacted Several Teams On QBs; Cincinnati Considered Derek Carr

The Bengals went from throwing support behind Jake Browning to frantically seeking an outside upgrade. Joe Flacco became that option, being sent across Ohio early this week in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange.

Prior to landing on Flacco — a development that surprised the Browns — the Bengals looked into many reserve QBs around the league and one who recently wrapped his NFL career. In addition to calling the Eagles on Sam Howell and the Seahawks on Drew Lock, the Bengals contacted the Texans on Davis Mills, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

[RELATED: Flacco Hail Mary Comes At Key Point On Bengals’ Timeline]

A long-hesitant franchise regarding the acquisition of players via in-season trades, the Bengals also made a call on Derek Carr. Rapoport indicates the recently retired passer became part of Cincinnati’s search. Had this progressed, the team would have needed to make a deal with the Saints for Carr’s rights. Like they did with Sean Payton when he stepped away in 2022, the Saints hold Carr’s rights after his mid-offseason retirement.

Carr did not enter the offseason assured of retaining his starting job. Kellen Moore took over in New Orleans, leading to rumors about a QB change — even in the event Carr kept playing. Two years remained on his Saints contract. Carr was not open to a pay cut on the four-year, $150MM deal and remained in the Saints’ plans for several weeks between Moore’s arrival and the post-draft retirement decision. As of September, Carr has not slammed the door on returning. But with the Saints needing compensation, that introduced a wrinkle they may have kept the 11-year veteran in retirement.

This certainly would have presented an interesting opportunity for Carr, as the Bengals paid up to retain their high-end Ja’Marr ChaseTee Higgins duo this offseason. Carr struggled to stay healthy in New Orleans, running into a few injuries. Most notably, a shoulder malady sustained in 2023 plagued him and ultimately led the ex-Raider to retirement. Should health circumstances improve, that could conceivably change the equation. Carr did gauge the trade market this offseason. But Carr is 34, limiting his window. During the summer, a report also indicated the former playoff starter is not likely to return to the league.

The Bengals made calls to teams with three quarterbacks and those with viable practice squad options, Rapoport adds. Mills obviously remains in the Texans‘ plans, having signed a one-year extension that moves his contract through 2026 in September. The Texans also rebuffed trade inquiries on Mills in 2023, keeping he and Case Keenum behind C.J. Stroud that season. A 2021 third-round pick, Mills has played his entire career in Houston. The team replaced him as their primary starter via the Stroud selection but still values him in the QB2 post.

Cincinnati did not inquire about Giants veterans, Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill. In not making Tannehill part of their QB search, the Bengals wanted a player who had been active recently, Rapoport adds. Tannehill has not played since the 2023 season, when the Titans benched him for second-round rookie Will Levis. Tannehill had been connected to the Vikings early this offseason and later came up for the Raiders following Aidan O’Connell‘s injury, but the 37-year-old passer remains out of football.

Flacco, 40, will make a start despite being acquired Tuesday afternoon. The Bengals sent Flacco cutups on his flight from Cleveland, per Rapoport, as he was getting up to speed in Zac Taylor‘s offense by Tuesday night. With the Browns giving Flacco two weeks to prepare before his first start with the team in 2023, today’s shorter-notice Packers matchup presents a daunting assignment. For the foreseeable future, however, the Bengals will have Flacco at the controls.

NFL Aiming To Play Eight International Games In 2026

The 2025 regular season schedule includes seven games played outside the United States. The CBA allows for eight such contests per year, and the maximum should be expected for next season.

[RELATED: NFL Still Eyeing 16 Annual International Games]

During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert BreerGerrit Meier – who serves as the NFL’s managing director of the international department – said the league is “pretty confident” the full eight-game slate for overseas contests will be included for 2026. It is already known a first ever game in Australia will take place next year, while a new deal was recently worked out for at least three games to be played in Rio de Janeiro over the next five years. It would also come as no surprise if a return to Dublin were to take place in short order after this year’s debut there.

“The ambition to go international itself, it’s not a new ambition,” Meier said. “I think the point we’ve gotten ourselves to now is, O.K., how has the world changed? And if we truly want to be a global sport, what are the different elements that go into that? And we’ve seen that just having a game, that’s not enough. Just having media, that’s not enough. So just talking about the various elements, we realized there’s something bigger.”

Indeed, the NFL’s efforts to grow the game in international markets has included more than staging games over a span of several years and in various cities. As Meier informed Breer, the league is set to open a headquarters in Spain. That will make it the eighth country outside the United States to house such a venue, joining Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, China and Australia in that regard. Madrid will play host to the Dolphins-Commanders game in Week 12 this year.

Given the long-running efforts to expand the NFL’s reach in Europe, the possibility of one or more franchises based there has been a talking point. According to Meier, though, an international team and/or division is not a “front burner” matter at this point. Instead, expanding into other markets – commissioner Roger Goodell has named Asia as a potential target in that respect – remains a clear priority, with Europe sill a high priority.

On that note, Meier confirmed the league is still interested in holding games in France in the future. He added Italy is another country the NFL is “exploring.” With further increases in the total number of overseas games played on an annual basis expected, the list of potential destinations for international contests continues to grow as well.

Bills Place K Tyler Bass On IR

The Bills have placed veteran kicker Tyler Bass on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Bass was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice due to a hip/groin issue that will now sideline him for at least four games, including Sunday night’s matchup with the Ravens. Though he has yet to finish a season with a conversion rate above 90%, Bass has been a reliable kicker for his five-year career in Buffalo and hit a career-long 61-yard field goal in 2024.

After Bass went down on Wednesday, the Bills quickly moved to sign Matt Prater to the practice squad as an injury replacement on Thursday. The former Broncos, Cardinals, and Lions kicker missed most of the 2024 season due to a torn meniscus; before that, he made 83.6% of his career field goal attempts, so Buffalo should be able to trust him while Bass is recovering. The Bills can only elevate Prater from the practice squad three times, so they will need to sign him to the active roster if he is going to replace Bass in all four games (and potentially more).

The Bills are also likely to be without veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White on Sunday. He did not practice all week due to a groin injury and is listed as doubtful on the injury report.

The Ravens also ruled out a few key players for Sunday Night Football: fullback Patrick Ricard and tight end Isaiah Likely. Likely is an expected absence as he recovers from preseason foot surgery, while Ricard has missed multiple weeks of practice with a calf injury. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, however, is off the injury report and expected to make his debut in purple and black.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BillsDolphinsJets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Buffalo Bills

Signed to practice squad:

Released from IR via injury settlement:

Miami Dolphins

Waived:

  • S Jordan Colbert

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Claimed:

Waived: 

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

Bears Host RB Jamaal Williams For Workout

The Bears hosted veteran running back Jamaal Williams for a workout Saturday morning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

[RELATED: Recapping Bears’ Offseason]

Williams’ star has fallen since a career-best 2022 that featured a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns and his first 1,000-yard season on the ground. He spent the last two years in New Orleans in a rotational role behind Alvin Kamara with only 181 touches in 27 games. To no surprise, a release took place in March.

The Bears would be Williams’ third NFC North team. He started his career in Green Bay as a fourth-round pick in 2017 before signing with the Lions as a free agent in 2021. Chicago is near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space, having entered Saturday with roughly $13MM in available funds. That would still allow for a Williams signing without much issue given the nature of his market.

The 30-year-old carried an AAV of $3MM during his Lions stint and his Saints pact averaged $4MM per season. Given the limited nature of his workload in New Orleans – and the fact he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry – Williams will be in line for a deal much closer to the league minimum when he signs with his next team. If that were to be the Bears, a notable workload would not be expected.

Chicago has D’Andre Swift in place to handle lead back duties once again in 2025. 2023 fourth-rounder Roschon Johnsonseventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai and veteran special teamer Travis Homer round out the depth chart. If Williams were to sign with the Bears, he would look to carve out a role as a short-yardage specialist during the final weeks of the offseason.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

NFC South Notes: Bridgewater, Bucs, Pitts, Falcons, Panthers, C, Saints

The 2020 free agent class featured a few viable starting quarterbacks, helping the Buccaneers transition from the erratic Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay was closely connected to two of the available options — Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater. Reporting at the time made it fairly clear Bridgewater — who had spent the previous two seasons as Drew Brees‘ Saints backup — was the Bucs’ second choice behind Brady. Upon circling back to the veteran QB this week, Jason Licht confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine) that was the case.

Licht said he mentioned this to Bridgewater upon the unretired passer joining to the Bucs — his eighth NFL team — this week. The Bucs landed Brady, beating out the Chargers, who were losing Philip Rivers to the Colts. Bridgewater ended up doing nearly as well as Brady on the contract front, scoring a three-year, $63MM Panthers deal. Though, as Carolina cycled through passers during the Matt Rhule years, Bridgewater wound up in Denver — on a sizable pay cut — in 2021 via trade. He joins Kyle Trask as a Baker Mayfield backup option.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Although the Falcons completed a notable extension this week — with right tackle Kaleb McGary, a recent report indicated they did not have anything brewing with Kyle Pitts. When asked about the possibility of an extension, GM Terry Fontenot (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall) did not discuss the matter. While Fontenot said the Falcons “love” where Pitts is ahead of his fifth season, they might need to see more from a player who has underwhelmed from the No. 4 overall draft slot. It would stand to reason Fontenot would be interested in a Pitts payday, seeing as he made the tight end his first draft pick as GM, but the inconsistent pass catcher has battled injuries — including an offseason foot issue he looks to have recovered from — and has not come close to matching his 1,000-yard rookie season. That said, Pitts (25) could position himself as a top-tier 2026 free agent with a solid contract year.
  • Staying with the Falcons, they are pitting Jordan Fuller against third-round rookie Xavier Watts in a competition to replace Justin Simmons. Fuller and Watts have alternated with Atlanta’s starters, per ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi, alongside Jessie Bates at safety. Even if Watts cannot beat out Fuller — a former Raheem Morris Rams charge — for the job, the Falcons are expecting him to log extensive rookie-year playing time. The team traded up five spots for Watts, a two-time All-American at Notre Dame.
  • Jamal Agnew did not see any game action last season, having spent 2024 recovering from a broken leg sustained in Week 17 of the 2023 season. Agnew wound up on the Steelers’ practice squad but did not suit up with the team. The Falcons signed him to a one-year, $2.5MM deal in March, only guaranteeing $400K. Still, the veteran receiver/return man is expected to make the Falcons’ 53-man roster, Kendall notes. While Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge are locks, Kendall pegs Agnew as a “strong bet” for the fifth spot. Adept at both kick and punt returns, Agnew — a 2022 Pro Bowler in Jacksonville — figures to be used in this capacity.
  • The Panthers re-signed Austin Corbett in March but also retained Cade Mays via RFA tender. At $3.26MM, the original-round tender brought tougher decisions this year; months later, Mays is in a competition with Corbett to start at center, ESPN.com’s David Newton notes. Corbett and Mays have alternated days with the Panthers’ first team. With Corbett missing 25 games between the 2023 and ’24 seasons, he is having to fend off Mays for the job. The Panthers slid Corbett from guard to center in 2024, having signed Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, and used him as a starter in each game he played. But the ex-Rams Super Bowl starter suffered a biceps tear in October, shutting him down. Mays has made 13 starts since 2023, logging all 495 of his 2024 snaps at center.
  • Julian Blackmon‘s one-year Saints contract is worth slightly less than initially reported. Rather than a $4MM deal, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell notes the veteran safety signed for $3.17MM. That amount is fully guaranteed.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Campbell, Cowboys, Revel, Nabers, Giants, Miller

The Eagles nearly pulled off a trade with the Chargers to climb 10 spots, to No. 22, in the first round. It turns out, the defending Super Bowl champions were in talks to move as high as No. 18. While it could have been interpreted as an effort to land a prospect higher on the board, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Eagles’ attempts were aimed at ensuring Jihaad Campbell became Philly-bound. Teams’ concerns about Campbell’s medicals affected his fall down the board, and the Eagles ended up moving up just one spot (via the Chiefs) to obtain Campbell.

This amounted to essentially a free fifth-round pick going to the AFC champions, who had their eyes on tackle Josh Simmons. Campbell rehabbed from shoulder surgery in time for an early-camp push to start alongside Zack Baun. Barring another setback, it would stand to reason the Alabama product will beat out Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for that role to open the season.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • In non-Micah Parsons Cowboys news, the team still is operating without two of its top three cornerbacks. While Trevon Diggs rehabs another knee injury that may lead to a delayed start to the season, Shavon Revel has yet to debut at practice because of an ACL tear suffered early during his final East Carolina season. Jerry Jones said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the third-rounder is making progress, but a return timeline is elusive here. Revel’s father recently weighed in on the situation, labeling (via 105.3 The Fan’s Gavin Dawson) his son roughly six to eight weeks from returning. This would put the reserve/NFI list in play; such a move would shelve Revel for at least four games. Diggs is aiming to avoid the reserve/PUP list. These developments are affecting a Cowboys secondary that also has second-year backup Caelen Carson out for at least a month with a hyperextended knee, pointing trade pickup Kaiir Elam toward an expanded role.
  • Malik Nabers has been dealing with a toe issue since his LSU days. It caused him to miss the Giants‘ offseason program. No surgery has addressed this problem yet, but the team has not ruled that out. The murky situation is now leading to reduced practice time at training camp, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. Nabers, who also dealt with a shoulder issue during camp, frequently can be seen tending to his toe during practices; Giants trainers are helping him along as well. For his part, Nabers said he is “feeling great” and ready to build on last year’s impressive rookie season. With this being more of a management issue, the second-year wideout’s toe looks appears likely to continue as a talking point moving forward.
  • The Commanders‘ $6.1MM Von Miller contract includes $4.4MM in incentives. Sack-based bumps are present here, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes those start at the seven-sack threshold. Seven sacks lands Miller $500K, while another $500K would come his way by reaching nine. A total of $2.5MM is available through sacks. A Pro Bowl nod would bring another $500K, Florio adds. If Miller reaches 11 sacks and Washington wins its first NFC championship since 1991, Miller would receive another $700K. A Super Bowl win following an 11-sack Miller season would net the future Hall of Famer another $700K.
  • Jake Ferguson‘s four-year, $50MM Cowboys extension includes $30MM in total guarantees and ties him for the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid tight end; Florio confirms the full guarantee number is $21.41MM. Ferguson’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are guaranteed at signing; his 2027 base ($6.25MM) shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2027. The contract includes a $9.75MM 2028 option bonus, which is nonguaranteed, though Florio adds $1.59MM of Ferguson’s $2MM 2028 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing. The deal includes another $9.75MM option bonus in 2029, with a $2MM base salary for that year as well. Neither 2029 figure is guaranteed. The Cowboys could cut Ferguson in 2027 with a $7.2MM dead money charge.

Pete Carroll Addresses Christian Wilkins Decision; Latest On Raiders’ DT Plans

The Raiders continue to struggle at giving Maxx Crosby a reliable supporting cast. Christian Wilkins has followed Chandler Jones as a free agency miss, one that came as the team’s top-10 Tyree Wilson investment has yet to produce much of consequence. Wilkins is out despite having been attached to the second-most lucrative defensive tackle deal.

As a fight between the surprising castoff and the Raiders brews, the team did not view the high-priced D-lineman’s recovery path as being set to yield a near-future return. As a result, Las Vegas cut bait and will move into training camp without much invested at defensive tackle.

We watched our way through the whole thing,” Pete Carroll said Friday, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. “There was no clear path to his return. And so we just had to move on.”

The Raiders had given Wilkins a monster guarantee ($57MM at signing) despite the former first-round pick not delivering much in the way of pass-rushing production outside of an impressive 2023 contract year. Wilkins, though, had displayed dominance as a run defender in Miami and was PFR’s No. 4-ranked free agent last year.

The Dolphins had hesitated on a monster extension due to limited pass-rushing production from 2019-22; a nine-sack 2023 changed the team’s thinking but cap issues prevented a true effort to compete in that market last March. Wilkins is now in free agency again and fighting for the guaranteed money he received upon signing.

To land the biggest fish in last year’s pass-rushing market, the Raiders authorized three fully guaranteed years. That is a rare structure, but it showed the demand Wilkins created after escaping the franchise tag deadline untethered. With Chris Jones being taken off the market two days before the 2024 legal tampering period, Wilkins benefited as the top DT prize. The Raiders did not, seeing Wilkins go down five games into the season. The Wilkins signing affected the Raiders’ decision to fire GM Tom Telesco after one year.

If the Raiders cannot succeed in voiding Wilkins’ remaining guarantees, they would be on the hook for a staggering $74.95MM in dead money (split between 2025 and ’26) stemming from guarantees and deferred signing bonus money. That would trail only Russell Wilson‘s Broncos penalty in NFL history. The Raiders informed Wilkins of their attempt to void the remaining guarantees last month, per Bonsignore, though CBS Sports’ Joel Corry views Wilkins’ guarantees as difficult to void based on what is known about this situation. The team is attempting to use a disagreement on a surgical path as a springboard to voiding them.

On the field, the Raiders’ D-line looks less imposing — even if Wilkins was unlikely to start the season on time. The team does not appear to be aggressively pursuing outside help at D-tackle, with Carroll indicating a “wide open” internal competition would take place. Leki Fotu, Jonah Laulu and 2025 draftees Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues are competing to join the recently re-signed Adam Butler as prominent Raiders contributors inside following Wilkins’ release.

Finding a one-for-one replacement on Wilkins’ level is impossible at this juncture, but some notable free agents remain. Ex-Wilkins Dolphins teammate Raekwon Davis is among them, joining Linval Joseph, William Gholston, Quinton Jefferson, Montravius Adams and ex-Raider Maurice Hurst Jr.. Jefferson, who played with the Raiders in 2021 and enjoyed two stints under Carroll in Seattle (2016-19, 2022), also worked out for the team before the Wilkins release, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes.

The team also claimed DT Keondre Coburn off waivers from the Titans, Wilson adds. Not bringing experience that rivals Jefferson’s nine-season run, Coburn played in 15 Tennessee games — as a backup behind a strong D-line trio — last season. He is tied to a one-year, $1.03MM contract. The Chiefs drafted the 332-pound defender in the 2023 sixth round.

Jefferson, now 32, remains in free agency. A 62-game starter, Jefferson split time with the Browns and Bills last season. Seventeen of Jefferson’s starts came with the Raiders, while he added 27 more under Carroll as a Seahawk. Seattle released Jefferson during Carroll’s final offseason in charge.