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Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/25

December 6th, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Week 14 Sunday slate:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Dort becomes Arizona’s 26th placement on injures reserve this year. The Cardinals’ receiving corps has been stretched thin with Marvin Harrison Jr. out with a heel injury and Zay Jones on injured reserve with an injured Achilles tendon.

Earning more and more responsibility over the course of his sophomore campaign, former undrafted free agent Roland-Wallace will unfortunately head to IR after starting in the Chiefs’ two most recent contests. As a roaming safety, he’s been functioning lately as a nickelback alongside the versatile pair of starting safeties behind him.

With Bosa set to miss this weekend’s game with a hamstring injury, Fox has been called up from the practice squad in Buffalo to help bolster a thin group of defensive ends.

Smyth gets the call again this week as the primary placekicker in New Orleans. He’ll be kicking in his second straight game following the team’s dismissal of Blake Grupe.

For Spector in Buffalo, this will be his third elevation this season, meaning the Bills will need to sign him to the active roster in order for him to appear in another game in 2025. The same is true of Turner in Denver, Hanson in Kansas City, and Banks in Tampa Bay. On the other side of that, Tindall in Arizona, Lewis in Jacksonville, and Cook in New York were all signed to 53-man rosters today after they used up their three allotted practice squad elevations.

Commanders Activate Noah Brown From IR

December 6th, 2025 at 5:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders continue to return to health on the offensive side of the ball. Noah Brown will be back in the lineup for Week 14.

The veteran receiver was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a team announcement. Brown has not been a full participant in practice this week, but head coach Dan Quinn predicted yesterday that he would be able to play against the Vikings. Today’s news ensures that will be the case.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

Terry McLaurin was able to play in Week 13, and Jayden Daniels will make his return tomorrow. That will give the Commanders their highly productive QB-WR tandem late in the season, albeit far too late for a second straight playoff berth to be possible. Brown will look to resume his complementary role in the passing game upon returning to action.

The 29-year-old’s practice window was opened early last week, so Washington could have waited to activate him until after tomorrow’s game. Instead, Brown will be available for the first time since September. In 2024 – his debut season in the nation’s capital – the former Cowboy and Texan posted 453 yards and one touchdown on 35 catches. Matching that production will not be possible this year, but as a pending free agent Brown managing to serve a role of some kind down the stretch will be key in establishing his value.

In a corresponding move, the Commanders have waived fellow receiver Chris Moore. In 11 games this season, the veteran has logged a 55% snap share thanks to the absences of McLaurin, Brown and others. Moore will now hit the waiver wire and become a free agent in the event he clears.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels To Return In Week 14

December 5th, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jayden Daniels has continued to make progress in his recovery from a dislocated left elbow. Despite the Commanders finding themselves out of playoff contention, their starting quarterback will return to action this week.

Daniels has been able to practice this week, logging a limited session on Wednesday and a full one yesterday. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year was recently cleared for full contact, so it comes as no surprise he will be in place against the Vikings on Sunday. This will mark Daniels’ first game action since Week 9.

Questions were raised in the wake of that blowout loss about why head coach Dan Quinn kept Daniels and other starters on the field as long as he did. Since then, the Commanders have continued what is now a seven-game losing streak. Marcus Mariota has generally played well as a fill-in QB starter, but Daniels’ return will certainly be welcomed by all involved.

Washington’s offense has been beset by injuries through much of the 2025 campaign. Ending things on a high note would mark a positive for a team which has fallen well short of its performance from last year. Daniels will look to remain on the field for the closing weeks of the campaign and in doing so resume his strong connection with wideout Terry McLaurin. The latter returned to action during Monday night’s overtime loss to the Broncos, posting 96 yards and one touchdown along the way. Finishing the year with Daniels under center will help McLaurin’s chances of maintaining that production.

Daniels was never placed on injured reserve, but discussions did take place between team and player about shutting him down for the remainder of the campaign. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old is set to return to action for a Washington team which currently sits at 3-9 on the year.

In other injury news, Quinn said (via Tashan Reed of the Washington Post) that receiver Noah Brown and linebacker Bobby Wagner are trending toward playing this week as well. Both players have missed practice time in recent days, but their availability will be key. Brown remains on IR at this point, so having him in the lineup for Sunday will require an activation in his case either today or tomorrow.

Commanders Activate DE Drake Jackson From IR

December 4th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders activated defensive end Drake Jackson from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

The team released safety Darnell Savage earlier in the day to clear a 53-man roster spot for Jackson. Savage appeared in three games this season with a rotational role in Washington’s secondary.

Jackson, 24, was a second-round pick by the 49ers in 2022. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie with decent production on a 33% snap share. He was on pace for better numbers in 2023 before a torn patellar tendon in Week 8 prematurely ended his season. The injury also sidelined him for all of 2024, and he was waived in May as San Francisco turned their attention to other edge rushers.

The third-year defensive end continued his recovery in 2025. Once he neared a return, he took visits with the Commanders, Jets, and Ravens in early October. He ultimately signed in Washington but was immediately placed on injured reserve to finish his rehab.

Jackson was designated to return to practice as soon as his minimum IR stint was up and is now set to make his 2025 debut on Sunday against the Vikings. He will add depth to an EDGE room that lost Dorance Armstrong to a season-ending injury in October. The Commanders will hope Jackson can reinforce a pass rush that has generated the fifth-fewest pressures in the NFL this season, though their sack and quarterback knockdown totals rank closer to the middle of the pack.

Commanders Expected To Waive DB Darnell Savage

December 4th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

2025 has seen Darnell Savage lose out on a starting job and change teams midway through the season. The veteran defensive back could be on the move once again in the near future.

Savage has asked to be let go by the Commanders, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. He adds Washington is expected to grant the request. Provided that takes place, Savage will soon find himself on waivers. Interested teams could add him via a claim; otherwise, he would become a free agent once again.

During training camp, Savage lost his starting spot in Jacksonville. By mid-September, the team’s new regime led by GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen elected to move on despite the guarantees remaining on his contract. That left Savage on the open market, and he quickly lined up a visit with the Commanders which produced an agreement.

During eight games in Washington, Savage has handled a defensive snap share of just 33%. The former first-rounder has struggled in coverage, allowing three touchdowns as the nearest defender while playing in the nation’s capital. That will hinder his chances of being claimed and no doubt deal a blow to his earning potential moving forward. Presuming Savage, 28, becomes available once more, it will be interesting to see if he lines up any suitors for the stretch run.

The Commanders have lost seven straight games, and at 3-9 the postseason is not a consideration for the team. Washington will look to the remainder of the campaign as an evaluation period for players in contention for a roster spot in 2026. Savage understandably does not fit that description.

The Maryland product has made 82 starts and 95 appearances over the course of his career. After Savage secured $12.5MM guaranteed in 2024, it is safe to assume he will not be able to match that figure during his next trip to free agency (whether it comes in March or before the end of the season).

Von Miller Reached Out To Broncos GM About Role In Offseason; Seahawks Pursued DE

December 3rd, 2025 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although this Commanders season has skidded well off track, Von Miller has quietly compiled five sacks as a rotational rusher. This came after a six-sack rebound season with the Bills, who saw him record zero in a 2023 return from ACL surgery. Miller is hoping to play in 2026, potentially in Washington, but he drew outside interest this past offseason.

Following his Bills release, Miller was believed to have made taken visits meetings to his Commanders signing. As it turns out, the Seahawks were the runner-up for the 15th-year edge rusher’s services. Miller said this summer he largely chose the Commanders because of confidence in Jayden Daniels, who ended up suffering three injuries and missing much of this season. While a trade rumor reconnected Miller to the Bills at the deadline, the Commanders held onto him.

“Nothing against Sam Darnold, but it was Jayden Daniels. In my opinion, it was the best situation,” Miller said of his free agency choice, via the Denver Post’s Troy Renck. “They were coming off the NFC championship game. And Dan Quinn had a plan for me as a veteran player. He gets it.”

The Seahawks are 9-3 and virtually assured of a playoff berth. After an overtime loss to the Broncos, the Commanders are 3-9. While Miller could conceivably be waived to catch on with a contender, no signs of that happening have emerged. Miller said he would like to re-sign with Washington but noted he would like a “rain check” before any commitments are made. It would stand to reason Miller would want to catch on with an assured contender in 2026, though he has already won two Super Bowls.

Seattle signed DeMarcus Lawrence early this offseason and have seen Uchenna Nwosu play in 11 games after two injury-marred seasons. The team has Boye Mafe and Derick Hall as supplementary rushers, but the two former second-rounders have combined for just two sacks this season. Miller would have seemingly fit in as an upgrade there. Seattle has relied more on its defensive line, which features a strong Leonard Williams–Byron Murphy combo. Miller would have fit in as a rotational rusher at this point in his career. The Commanders have used him as a one-game starter, playing him on 37% of the snaps.

Miller is on a one-year, $6.1MM deal that included incentives; it is unclear what the Seahawks offered. He needs two more sacks to trigger a $500K bonus. No Broncos reunion was on the table for the future Hall of Famer, though the 11-year Denver resident personally did due diligence there. Miller reached out to Denver GM George Paton before his Washington signing, only to hear an expected answer.

“When Garett [Bolles] brought it up, I was like, ‘Come on, man.’ You have Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper,” Miller said (via the Denver Post’s Troy Renck) about a conversation with the Broncos’ left tackle. “But I started thinking, ‘You have all these people on the team and there’s not a spot for me? I know there probably won’t be, but let me check and see.’ I talked with George and I already had an idea how it was going to go. And that is exactly what he said.”

Paton traded the former Super Bowl MVP to the Rams in his first year as GM, fetching second- and third-round picks for the high-profile rental chip. One of those picks brought back Bonitto, who has since signed a four-year, $106MM extension. Cooper signed an extension in October 2024, checking in at a more affordable $13.5MM per year. The Broncos have seen rotational rusher Jonah Elliss miss time due to injury this season, leading to a bigger role for USFL import Dondrea Tillman. The team also used a fourth-round pick on OLB Que Robinson, who has played sparingly.

Miller has moved into 13th on the all-time sack list this season, sitting on 134.5 for his career. He is just three away from the top 10, a goal Miller confirmed he would like to play in 2026 to reach. It would take 16 more sacks to reach the top five, which may require the aging talent to play multiple additional seasons. It should be expected Miller will draw interest as a 2026 free agent, with teams undoubtedly eyeing him as a pass-rushing specialist at this point.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/25

December 2nd, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Twenty-one different teams made practice squad transactions on Tuesday. Here are the latest updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: CB Jalen Kimber 

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Released: WR Kyrese Rowan

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Released: OL Wyatt Bowles

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: OL Kion Smith
  • Released: OL Braeden Daniels

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: DB Daequan Hardy

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

With J.J. McCarthy close to a return from his concussion, the Vikings parted ways with Ridder. He was signed last week after McCarthy entered concussion protocol, but was not elevated to back up Max Brosmer in Week 13. That responsibility instead went to John Wolford, who remains in Minnesota.

Bishop was released by the Steelers at the beginning of November. After appearing all 17 games last year with a 50% snap share, he did not make the 53-man roster this season and remained on the practice squad. He will now join the Saints in the hopes of making his 2025 debut in New Orleans.

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

December 1st, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Week 12 saw the Giants become the first team in the NFL to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Based on Sunday’s results, another two teams from each conference saw their postseason chances officially come to an end.

The Titans, Saints, Raiders and Cardinals have now been eliminated as well. Attention in the case of those teams will increasingly turn toward the offseason. For some, questions about changes at the quarterback spot will be ongoing through the spring. Free agency is not expected to include many notable options, so the draft will be sought out in several instances as a means of finding a 2026 starter.

Of course, the incoming class of passers has largely underwhelmed this season. That has led to uncertainty regarding the ceiling for many of the top prospects at the quarterback position. Nevertheless, supply often outweighs demand at the top of the Day 1 order in the NFL draft. How things shake out over the closing weeks of the season will be key in determining which QB-needy teams find themselves in the best position to select a new QB1.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is an early look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (1-11)
  2. New York Giants (2-11)
  3. New Orleans Saints (2-10)
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-9)
  6. Washington Commanders (3-9)
  7. New York Jets (3-9)
  8. Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
  9. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
  11. Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
  12. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
  13. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
  15. Carolina Panthers (7-6)
  16. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
  17. Detroit Lions (7-5)
  18. Houston Texans (7-5)
  19. Baltimore Ravens (6-6)
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
  21. Buffalo Bills (8-4)
  22. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
  23. New York Jets (via Colts)
  24. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
  26. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
  27. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
  28. Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
  30. Denver Broncos (10-2)
  31. Chicago Bears (9-3)
  32. New England Patriots (11-2)

David Blough To Finish Season As Commanders’ QBs Coach

December 1st, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Last week, Tavita Pritchard accepted the head coaching position at Stanford. That left the Commanders in need of a replacement quarterbacks coach to close out the season.

At the time of the Pritchard news, assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough was named as the logical candidate to take over. To no surprise, that will indeed be the case. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Monday (via Tashan Reed of the Washington Post) Blough will finish the season as the Commanders’ new QBs coach.

Blough was hired in 2024 as part of Quinn’s first Washington staff. That came shortly after his playing career – which included nine regular season NFL appearances – ended. During last year’s hiring cycle, Blough drew interest from a number of teams, with the Commanders blocking an interview request from the Jets. It will be interesting to see if the Washington’s commitment in this case continues past the 2025 season.

As Quinn has clarified (h/t Reed), pass-game coordinator Brian Johnson will assist in coaching the Commanders’ quarterbacks over the closing stages of the campaign. Johnson has also been a part of Washington’s staff for the past two years. His stint in the nation’s capital began after his run with the Eagles (including offensive coordinator duties for 2023) came to an end. No new assistant QBs coach will be named on an interim basis.

For the time being, Blough’s promotion has him on track to work with veteran backup Marcus Mariota. Starter Jayden Daniels continues to work toward a return as early as Week 14, however. Once Daniels is back in the fold, he will finish out his second year with a new (but familiar) position coach.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin To Return In Week 13; Latest On QB Jayden Daniels

November 30th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 30: Both Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) and ESPN’s Adam Schefter note that Daniels has not been cleared for contact yet and is officially out for Week 13. While Daniels could suit up in Week 14 and has expressed his desire to do so (per Schefter), it remains unclear 1) whether he will be medically cleared; and 2) if the team will believe it is worth the risk to put him back on the field for the stretch run of a lost season.

NOVEMBER 28: The Commanders are not in position to contend for a playoff spot in 2025, but they could be much closer to full strength on offense down the stretch. Receiver Terry McLaurin is in line to make his return on Sunday.

“I plan to play as much as I can and as much as they’ll allow me to,” McLaurin said (via ESPN’s John Keim). “It’s really encouraging to hear from my teammates and coaches that they don’t feel like I’ve missed a step. I just have a confidence about myself.”

McLaurin was available for the first three games of the season before suffering a quad injury. His next game action came in Week 8, and he aggravated the issue. That has resulted in by far the most missed time in the seven-year veteran’s career while dealing a blow to Washington’s offense. The Commanders sit at 3-8 on the year ahead of a primetime matchup with the Broncos.

A return to the postseason in 2025 is not in store as a result, but Washington’s outlook for the coming weeks would receive a boost with McLaurin back in the fold. The two-time Pro Bowler topped 1,000 yards every year from 2020-24, something which helped land him a $29MM-per-year extension in August. Expectations for the McLaurin-Jayden Daniels connection will remain high for the foreseeable future, and that duo could be back on the field together shortly.

Daniels is set to miss Week 13, but his recovery from an elbow injury is ongoing. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has returned to practice, setting up a potential return for next week. The possibility of shutting Daniels down for the remainder of the season has been raised, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms team and player have engaged in “big-picture conversations” about returning this late in a lost season. For now, though, a return as early as Week 14 can be expected.

Both Daniels and receiver Noah Brown – who was designated for return from IR on Monday – were full participants in yesterday’s practice. As such, they could soon rejoin McLaurin in game action, something which would give the Commanders a rare instance of offensive availability in 2025.

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