49ers, with 8,000-mile trip on tap, deal with roster uncertainty for opener (paywall)
“Earlier in the offseason, after Los Angeles traded for Garrett, Lynch joked about reading an inspirational John Wooden quote that fell on deaf ears with Shanahan. The quote read: “Don’t lose sleep worrying about your competition. Let them lose sleep worrying about you,” to which Shanahan responded, “You know what? F John Wooden.”

The feeling is only exacerbated by the return of Donald. But Lynch still feels confident in his team’s prospects ahead of the Rams showdown. 

“They got better certainly with him deciding to come out of retirement,” Lynch said. “I think we’re pretty good, too.”

Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch discuss creating 49ers’ initial 2026 roster
“Who’s your starting left guard and who’s your backup running back?

KS: “Don’t know yet.”

On either one?

Nope. It’s the truth. Usually, we get all three of these practices and then by that Monday is like when we come in and usually do leadership council, captains and, ‘all right, this is who we’re rolling with.’ But, we haven’t had those three practices yet and we just added a new guy to the group too. So, it’s truly fluid.”

49ers roster moves: Safety, punter re-signed; 2 defensive players head to IR

“The 49ers announced they have re-signed safety Ashtyn Davis and punter Corliss Waitman to one-year deals. To make room on the roster, the team placed cornerback Nate Hobbs and linebacker Nick Martin on the injured reserve list.” 

49ers lose UDFA Bryson Eason to the Chiefs; 2 players the Niners should add to the practice squad
“Eason fell to a numbers game at defensive tackle. It’s an unfortunate loss. He looked the part. Was a smart player who held his own against the run. There wasn’t much to offer in the passing game, but you could argue that’s true for the majority of the defensive tackles on the 49ers roster.

I’d love to be a fly on the wall to see how much draft status played a part in this decision. Eason outplayed Alfred Collins in the preseason. You could argue he was just as good, if not better, than CJ West during the games. But those were draft picks and you’re not going to cut ties with the players you invested in the draft just a year ago…[Isiah] Foskey played edge rusher for the Bengals. He was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He had a strong preseason, recording 11 pressures. His tackling was shoddy, but Foskey showed enough as a pass rusher and was comfortable dropping into coverage, where it’s worth a waiver claim — especially for a team struggling to generate a pass rush.

Foskey has good size and length at nearly 6’5”, 264 pounds, with 34” arms. He ran a 4.58 40 and had a broad jump in the 89th percentile, so the get-off should be there. The 49ers would be banking on the second-round pedigree, Notre Dame’s all-time sack leader, and a player who plays hard. The idea is to upgrade your depth at edge rusher. Foskey allows you to get younger and more athletic.”

49ers initial roster + waivers reaction (paywall)
“I’m not shocked that Robert Jones was cut. He was bad all preseason. I’m also not shocked Cruz made it, though he was worse all preseason. With Lowe in question and Pleasants out four weeks, it makes more sense. I had Toth as making the roster, then heading to IR. I had Zakelj as a cut. They went on season-ending IR instead, which … is functionally the same (unless an injury settlement goes down).”

The Los Angeles Rams officially welcomed defensive tackle Aaron Donald back on Sunday, Aug. 30.

On his second day back with the team, he did not participate in practice, but it was a planned absence.

Rams coach Sean McVay continues to take it “a day at a time” when it comes to Donald and his process to get ready for the defensive tackle’s first NFL season since 2023.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year helped lead the Rams to victory in Super Bowl 56 in the years before his brief retirement.

“This has never been done before,” McVay said. “I think him being able to help guide us and then being able to trust Reggie (Scott) and what we think is best for the ramp-up is what we're going to do.”

Scott oversees the Rams' medical and physical rehabilitation staff.

McVay indicated that Donald “did a lot of stuff. It was inside, off the field.”

Most casual fans likely don’t know when the official cut day is for NFL teams to trim their rosters down to 53 active players. Due to the insanity that is college football, TROs and certain programs, more people might have been tuned in this season.

Most Rebel fans likely know where Jaxson Dart, AJ Brown and DK Metcalf are at these days, but we need to check in on all our former Rebs, especially the rookies who made teams out of camp.

Dawson Knox – Buffalo Bills

AJ Brown – New England Patriots

Tavious Robinson – Baltimore Ravens

Cedric Johnson – Cincinnati Bengals

DK Metcalf – Pittsburgh Steelers

Tahj Chambers – Indianapolis Colts

Kapena Gushiken – Indianapolis Colts (claimed off waivers from Philadelphia)

Laquon Treadwell – Indianapolis Colts

Evan Engram – Denver Broncos

D.J. Jones – Denver Broncos

Diego Pounds – Kansas Chiefs (via trade with Baltimore Ravens)

JJ Pegues – Las Vegas Raiders

Tre Harris – Los Angeles Chargers

Deane Leonard – Los Angeles Chargers

Jonathan Mingo – Dallas Cowboys

Jaxson Dart – New York Giants

Elijah Moore – Philadelphia Eagles

Laremy Tunsil – Washington Commanders

Trey Amos – Washington Commanders (IR)

Jared Ivey – Atlanta Falcons

Princely Umanmielen – Carolina Panthers

Walter Nolen – Arizona Cardinals

Jayden Williams – Arizona Cardinals

Wydett Williams Jr. – Arizona Cardinals

De’Zhaun Stribling – San Francisco 49ers

Jordan Watkins – San Francisco 49ers

So the Colts and Cardinals tie for the most former Rebs with three apiece. While each team in the NFC East has at least one former Ole Miss player, there is no representation at all in the NFC North. Of the 26 NFL Rebs at the moment, the largest position group is wide receiver with eight. There are seven(ish) defensive lineman. Some rosters show Ivey and Umanmielen as linebackers.

Tomorrow we will go over those who did not make the 53 man rosters and see who has landed on which practice squads.

The health of Patrick Mahomes will determine if the AFC West is a good division or the best division in football in 2026.

The Kansas City QB tries to get his team back atop the conference while Denver and Los Angeles also have high hopes – and high expectations from NFL predictions markets.

Here’s how I see the AFC West shaking out during the 2026 NFL season.

AFC West best picks for 2026

Pick	Probability
Broncos – Yes AFC West Winner	33%
Broncos - Yes +10 Wins	55%
Bo Nix – Yes 3,500+ Passing Yards	53%
Chiefs - No AFC West Winners	66%
Patrick Mahomes – Yes 4,000+ Passing Yards	40%
Raiders - Yes 6+ Wins	56%
Brock Bowers – Yes 1,000+ Receiving Yards	41%
Chargers - Yes 10+ Wins	59%
Justin Herbert – Yes 25+ TD Passes	New

Read on for Jason's full analysis and AFC West breakdown! 

AFC West odds for 2026

To win	Broncos	Chiefs	Raiders	Chargers
Super Bowl	4%	6%	1%	4%
Conference	9%	11%	2%	11%
Division	33%	34%	5%	32%
Make Playoffs	60%	65%	16%	58%

Best futures play: Broncos – Yes AFC West Winner (33% probability)

AFC West breakdown

Denver Broncos: Horsepower

The Denver Broncos get thrown in the deep end to start 2026. The first six games all come versus 2025 playoff qualifiers, and Denver is an underdog in five of those outings, including twice at home (7-3 ATS as home pup since 2021). A top-tier defense will earn its paycheck during that span. The Broncos’ pass rush and stellar secondary combined to check rival QBs for the lowest success rate per dropback and a collective passer rating of just 78.7 (fourth lowest).

The Denver offense, which has been vanilla under head coach Sean Payton, gets a dash of spice. Not only did the Broncos give QB Bo Nix a legit No. 1 target in WR Jaylen Waddle, but OC Davis Webb is now calling plays, injecting tempo and deeper strikes into the mix. Nix owned the fourth-lowest completed air yards among starters in 2025, so any improvement is notable. All of this works behind the best offensive line in the business.

Best Broncos play: Yes +10 Wins (55% probability)

Kansas City Chiefs: Bieniemy is back

Patrick Mahomes appears to be on track to return for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. He shredded his knee last December, and his health and mobility make or break things for KC in 2026. As long as Mahomes is on the field, the Chiefs have the edge at QB and coaching. That goes a long way into squeezing every ounce of talent from a very ho-hum roster. Kansas City isn’t exceptional at any one position group, and the team is begging its aging studs to be elite for one more year.

The market is pro-Chiefs, with the win total at 10.5 O/U and look-ahead lines listing Kansas City as a fave in 11 games. The return of OC Eric Bieniemy aims to not only provide pop in the passing game but complement Mahomes with new RB Kenneth Walker, who can get gains on the ground and as a pass catcher. The ceiling for this offense is very high if Bieniemy can keep defenses guessing and avoid the plague of injuries from last year.

Best Chiefs play: No AFC West Winners (66% probability)

Las Vegas Raiders: Black and Silver lining

Klint Kubiak parlayed a Super Bowl win into a head coach gig in Sin City, hired to set the tone for the Las Vegas Raiders and their young studs going forward. Rookie QB Fernando Mendoza, RB Ashton Jeanty, TE Brock Bowers and new OL Tyler Linderbaum are the budding base of Vegas’ future. But life in the AFC West doesn’t allow for sunshine, with your three rivals all destined for double-digit wins.

Oddsmakers have the Silver and Black getting points in 14 of 17 outings, with eight of those lines at +6 or higher. However, along the way, the Raiders run into fellow bottom feeders (Miami, N.Y. Jets, Cleveland, Tennessee and Arizona). If promoted DC Rob Leonard can crank up the intensity with a 3-4 base — after years of passive play — and create game-changing plays (sacks, INTs), Las Vegas can be the better of the bad teams.

Best Raiders play: Yes 6+ Wins (56% probability)

Los Angeles Chargers: McDaniel makes magic

Mike McDaniel is offensive coordinator No. 5 during Justin Herbert’s career. He brings a speed-focused attack with plenty of pre-snap motion and misdirection to the Los Angeles Chargers. This makes L.A.’s offense far more dynamic, especially after finishing in the bottom third of the league in EPA per play and DVOA in 2025 - despite having a Top 5 QB. The Bolts also get a boost in the red zone from McDaniel’s schemes after logging the third-lowest TD RZ rate in 2025.

The Chargers defense took a hit with DC Jesse Minter moving on. He was able to get everything out of this group, and Los Angeles is hoping protégé Chris O’Leary can keep things consistent. The Bolts are laying points more than any other AFC West team (faves in 12 games) and run a gauntlet from Week 3 to Week 10, playing seven straight playoff qualifiers and at Baltimore on MNF to wrap up that nasty stretch.

Best Chargers play: Yes 10+ Wins (59% probability)

My favorite AFC West player props this season

Bo Nix – Yes 3,500+ Passing Yards

53% probability

Webb does the playcalling and takes the training wheels off Nix in 2026. The addition of Waddle to an underrated receiving corps has Nix projected for as many as 3,700 passing yards.

Patrick Mahomes – Yes 4,000+ Passing Yards

40% probability

If Kansas City is going to reclaim its place in the AFC, this offense needs to get back to big plays. Bieniemy’s offense unlocked the future HoF QB in his first stint with KC, and with the Chiefs defense slowing down, Mahomes needs to do more.

Brock Bowers – Yes 1,000+ Receiving Yards

41% probability

Bowers played just 12 games in 2025 and couldn’t match his 1,000+ yard rookie campaign. Kubiak’s offense and QBs (young and old) leaning into their TE has his projections calling for as many as 1,200 yards, with most forecasts right on 1,000.

Justin Herbert – Yes 25+ TD Passes

New at Kalshi

The Bolts were dreadful in the red zone last year, and Herbert finished with 26 touchdown throws. McDaniel’s systems make this offense less predictable, and Herbert is projected for 28 touchdowns in 2026.

AFC West trends to know for 2026

• Broncos: Under head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos don’t give up much in AFC West rivalry games. Denver is a collective 6-12 Over/Under in divisional contests since 2023, including 2-7 O/U when hosting an AFC West foe.
  
  
• Chiefs: The Chiefs were 2-1 ATS as rare underdogs in 2025, with one of those games coming in Week 17 after Mahomes went down. Since he took over the QB1 role in 2018, Kansas City is 13-9 SU and 15-6-1 ATS when catching points.
  
  
• Raiders: Considering the sideline upheaval in Las Vegas since moving to the desert, it’s tough to put any faith in patterns and trends. The Raiders have routinely stunk against non-conference competition, owning a 4-16 SU record and 6-12-2 ATS mark versus NFC foes since 2022. That includes a 0-5 SU and ATS count last year. The powerful NFC West comes calling in 2026.
  
  
• Chargers: Under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers have continued a tradition of coming in Under the total in non-conference games. He’s led the Bolts to a 2-7-1 O/U record (78% Unders) in his two years, improving L.A. to 6-17-2 O/U (74% Unders) in non-conference games since 2021.

AFC West schedule in 2026

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds favorite as he attempts to work his way back from a devastating ACL tear suffered at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

However, an intriguing new candidate is climbing up the board in Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement to join the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year contract worth up to $30 million.

Let's look at the latest NFL odds as we build toward Week 1.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds

Player Name	Probability
Patrick Mahomes	36%
Kyler Murray	15%
Malik Nabers	9%
Aaron Donald	8%
Daniel Jones	8%
Travis Hunter	5%
Micah Parsons	4%
Tucker Kraft	4%
Fred Warner	4%
George Kittle	4%

Odds as of 8-31. Percentages courtesy of Kalshi.

Kalshi is a regulated financial exchange where you trade on real-world event outcomes. Instead of traditional odds, prices are listed as percentages (0-100%), representing the market’s estimated probability of an event occurring.

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Hollywood sequel for Aaron Donald?

Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald has officially come out of retirement to rejoin Los Angeles Rams, the current Super Bowl odds favorites. He's currently given an 8% probability at Kalshi to win the award, but should he even be eligible?

The CPOY guidelines were recently codified following Joe Flacco's "Comeback from Sucking" in 2023-24.

"The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season."

A voluntary retirement by Donald certainly wouldn't fit that criteria, but it might not stop voters from casting their ballots for No. 99 anyway.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year prediction

Concussion history aside, Tua Tagovailoa should really benefit from a change of scenery with the Atlanta Falcons.

Tua spent three consecutive years from 2022–2024 leading the league in either passer rating, passing yards, or completion percentage, and landing in an offense featuring Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts could give the Falcons quarterback production similar to his best days under Mike McDaniel.

Tagovailoa will also escape the cold conditions of the AFC East, no longer having to play in Buffalo or Foxborough, instead spending half his time indoors at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with favorable environments in New Orleans and Tampa Bay. 

If anything, Tagovailoa should feel like he's back in his SEC college days.

CPOY Pick: Tua Tagovailoa (1% probability at Kalshi)

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NFL Comeback Player of the Year betting trends

• Over the last eight years, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has gone to a quarterback seven times.

• From 2014 to 2018, every Comeback Player of the Year had suffered a season-ending injury during the previous year, and Alex Smith won in 2020 after recovering from a devastating leg injury that almost required amputation. 

• Joe Burrow joins Chad Pennington (2006 and 2008) as the only player to win this award twice.

Previous NFL Comeback Player of the Year award winners

Year	NFL CPOY winner	Team
2026	Christian McCaffrey	San Francisco 49ers
2025	Joe Burrow	Cincinnati Bengals
2024	Joe Flacco	Cleveland Browns
2023	Geno Smith	Seattle Seahawks
2022	Joe Burrow	Cincinnati Bengals
2021	Alex Smith	Washington Commanders
2020	Ryan Tannehill	Tennessee Titans
2019	Andrew Luck	Indianapolis Colts
2018	Keenan Allen	Los Angeles Chargers
2017	Jordy Nelson	Green Bay Packers

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The Los Angeles Rams are entering the 2026 season with an unprecedented amount of leadership.

After finishing their initial 53-man roster Sunday, the Rams announced Monday that their players had voted for 11 team captains. That is the largest captain group of the Sean McVay era, surpassing the nine captains selected in 2020. The Rams had seven captains in 2025.

The group is also notable for its balance. Five captains represent the offense, five represent the defense and Joe Cardona represents special teams. It includes six returning Rams captains and three newcomers to Los Angeles, while Davante Adams and Coleman Shelton are first-time Rams captains.

McVay described the group as having as much leadership as the Rams have had during his tenure, and the list certainly backs up that assessment.

Matthew Stafford

Rams captaincy: 6 years | NFL career captaincy: 17 years

There is perhaps no bigger captaincy lock on the roster than Matthew Stafford. The veteran quarterback has been selected as a Rams captain every season since arriving in Los Angeles in 2021, making 2026 his sixth consecutive year wearing the “C.”

Stafford’s NFL captaincy history is even more impressive. He has been a captain in every season of his career except his rookie year in 2009, giving him 17 captaincies entering his 18th NFL season.

Kyren Williams

Rams captaincy: 2 years | NFL career captaincy: 2 years

Kyren Williams returns as a Rams captain for the second consecutive season. The veteran running back has established himself as one of the team’s most important offensive leaders while also becoming a consistent contributor on the field.

His 2026 selection represents his second career captaincy.

Davante Adams

Rams captaincy: 1 year | NFL career captaincy: 5 years

Davante Adams earns his first captaincy as a member of the Rams after being voted a captain four times previously during his career with the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders.

Adams’ experience and status as one of the NFL’s most accomplished veteran receivers make him a natural addition to a leadership group that McVay believes is particularly strong.

Tyler Higbee

Rams captaincy: 2 years | NFL career captaincy: 2 years

Tyler Higbee returns to the captain group after previously earning the honor in 2023. His 2026 selection marks his second season as a Rams captain and his second career captaincy.

Higbee has spent his entire NFL career with Los Angeles and is one of the longest-tenured players remaining from the McVay era.

Coleman Shelton

Rams captaincy: 1 year | NFL career captaincy: 1 year

Coleman Shelton is a first-time captain for both the Rams and his NFL career.

The veteran center’s selection gives the Rams another offensive lineman in a leadership role and demonstrates the respect he has earned from his teammates since joining the organization.

Kobie Turner

Rams captaincy: 3 years | NFL career captaincy: 3 years

Kobie Turner has become one of the central leaders of the Rams’ defense. He is entering his third consecutive season as a captain, making 2026 his third career captaincy.

Turner’s rise from rookie defensive lineman to one of the team’s most trusted voices has been rapid, and his continued presence among the captains underscores his importance to the defense.

Myles Garrett

Rams captaincy: 1 year | NFL career captaincy: 3 years

Myles Garrett is one of three newcomers to the Rams who earned a captaincy in his first season with the organization.

Garrett previously served as a captain for the Cleveland Browns, including in 2024 and 2025. His 2026 selection therefore gives him his third career captaincy.

Considering his status as one of the NFL’s premier defensive players, his immediate selection is hardly surprising.

Nate Landman

Rams captaincy: 2 years | NFL career captaincy: 2 years

Nate Landman has earned consecutive captaincies since joining the Rams. After being selected in his first season with Los Angeles in 2025, Landman returns to the group in 2026.

That makes this his second Rams captaincy and second NFL captaincy.

Trent McDuffie

Rams captaincy: 1 year | NFL career captaincy: 1 year

Trent McDuffie is another newcomer who immediately earned the trust of his new teammates.

The cornerback arrived in Los Angeles after beginning his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and quickly established himself as one of the leaders of the Rams’ defense. His 2026 selection marks his first captaincy at the NFL level.

Quentin Lake

Rams captaincy: 3 years | NFL career captaincy: 3 years

Quentin Lake is back as a captain for the third consecutive season.

The safety has become a fixture in the Rams’ leadership group, earning the honor in 2024, 2025 and now 2026. With three captaincies, Lake is tied with Turner for the most among Rams players outside of Stafford.

Joe Cardona

Rams captaincy: 1 year | NFL career captaincy: 2 years

Joe Cardona rounds out the group as the Rams’ special teams captain.

The veteran long snapper previously earned a captaincy with the New England Patriots in 2024 before joining the Rams. His 2026 selection gives him his first captaincy in Los Angeles and second in his NFL career.

Cardona replaces Ethan Evans as the Rams’ special teams representative after Evans served as a captain in 2025.

A Historic Leadership Group

The Rams’ 11 captains represent one of the deepest leadership groups McVay has assembled since becoming head coach in 2017. The previous high-water mark came in 2020, when Los Angeles had nine captains, while the 2021 and 2023 teams each had eight.

This year’s group is different in another important way: it combines the continuity of established Rams leaders with the immediate influence of several newcomers.

Stafford remains the centerpiece, extending his remarkable streak to six straight seasons as a Rams captain. Turner, Lake, Landman and Williams also return, while Garrett and Cardona bring captaincy experience from previous stops.

Adams and Shelton provide additional veteran leadership, and Higbee returns to a role he previously held.

The Rams record number of captains doesn’t even include Aaron Donald who returned to the team on Sunday.

With Super Bowl LXI set to be played at SoFi Stadium, the Rams have made it clear that expectations are enormous for the 2026 season. The decision to name 11 captains reflects just how much leadership the organization believes it has available as it begins its championship pursuit.

Just about everybody has been talking about the pairing of Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett on the Rams’ defensive line, but there’s a chance neither plays Week 1.

Garrett has only fully participated in practice twice this summer as he manages swelling in his knee, which is certainly something to monitor as the Rams are set to face the 49ers in the NFL season opener next week.

“He’s making good progress. Really good progress. The goal all along has been Australia,” head coach Sean McVay said Monday.

The Rams are taking a cautious approach with the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who posted a league-high 23 sacks in a single season with the Browns in 2025.

By trading for Garrett, the Rams added the best defensive player available and also gave the unit another leader. Garett was named one of 11 team captains for the 2026 season.

But the 30-year-old’s extended absence from training camp practice could be cause for concern.

McVay, however, didn’t imply that there was any reason to worry. But the social media discourse is loud and fans are worried.

The Rams expected Garrett to return to practice last week, but that didn’t happen.

While Garrett appears to be trending for Week 1, the Rams have also been tight-lipped on Donald’s availability for the overseas season opener.

“If he’s not ready, and that’s not what’s best for him and the team, absolutely wouldn’t have him play in Australia,” McVay said.

Opposing teams should be terrified to face the duo of Garrett and Donald, but it isn’t a sure thing to witness the first week of the 2026 campaign.

After finalizing their initial 53-man roster Sunday, the Rams announced Monday that they had signed 17 players to the practice squad, taking advantage of the additional spot available through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. The official group includes 16 traditional practice-squad players and international punter Jack Bouwmeester.

A significant portion of the practice squad consists of players who have already spent time with Los Angeles.

Six players — Tanner Ingle, Cam Lampkin, Elias Neal, Bill Norton, Brennan Presley and Jordan Waters — were on the Rams’ practice squad during the 2025 season. All six signed Reserve/Future contracts with Los Angeles earlier this offseason after spending time on the practice squad last year.

Practice Squad (17)

RB, Dean Connors

S, Nick Andersen

DT, Tim Keenan III

CB, Cam Lampkin

WR/KR/PR, Alex Bachman

OL, Austin Blaske

P, Jack Bouwmeester

DB, Nyzir Fourqueran

OL, Blake Hance

S, Tanner Ingle

DL, Larrell Murchison

LB, Elias Neal

DL, Bill Norton

EDGE, Daryl Peterson III

WR, Brennan Presley

RB, Jordan Waters

TE, Dan Villari

That gives the Rams a strong level of continuity heading into the regular season. Ingle, Lampkin, Neal, Norton, Presley and Waters have already spent considerable time learning Sean McVay’s system and working with the team’s coaching staff.

The Rams also have a couple of veterans with previous experience in the organization. Larrell Murchison has spent multiple seasons with Los Angeles, while Alex Bachman originally entered the NFL as a Rams undrafted free agent in 2019. Murchison has played for the Rams in 2022, 2023 and 2025, while Bachman returns to Los Angeles after spending the 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The remainder of the group provides the Rams with plenty of young talent to develop. Rookie defensive lineman Tim Keenan III, who narrowly missed the 53-man roster, gets another opportunity to remain in the organization, while Austin Blaske, Nick Andersen, Nyzier Fourqurean, Darryl Peterson III and Dan Villari will continue their development.

Dean Connors is another notable name returning to the organization after an impressive preseason. The running back produced several strong performances during the exhibition schedule and gives the Rams additional depth at a position where injuries can quickly change the roster.

The practice squad can become much more than a collection of reserve players over the course of a season. Players can be elevated for games, promoted to the active roster or eventually earn larger roles.

For a Rams team with Super Bowl aspirations, maintaining quality depth behind the initial 53-man roster could prove extremely important.

We’re not in August anymore, but we’re still in the midwest in early September for Notre Dame’s season opener against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. So… there could be a variety of different weather forecasts for Sunday’s game, but thankfully for everyone going to the game — it should be a fairly good day and night for college football.

There are going to be some major storms rolling through Green Bay this week, which is going to leave the area VERY muggy with predictions of very high humidity. Fans looking to have fun during the day won’t have to worry about the rain, but it still mught feel wet as you gulp down one or two or three brats and chug some of the finest beer in the land, PBR.

As we get closer to game time, the temperature will begin to drop significantly, but the humidity will still be very high. With the humidity and this being the first game of the year, players on the field and fans in the stands should be careful of cramps throughout the contest.

De’Zhaun Stribling may have switched his jersey number at the wrong time.

The 49ers rookie is set to wear No. 7 for the upcoming season, which is the same jersey number that fraudster Daejon Love claimed to have.

Love was arrested on Aug. 24 after posing as a 49ers player to allegedly swindle cash from multiple women through an extensive romance and investment scam. There are 26 reported victims that Love allegedly stole more than $1.3 million from.

The scam has emerged as another viral meme for the 49ers amid a tumultuous offseason. San Francisco has endured a summer that has featured the horrific car accident of head coach Kyle Shanahan, multiple injuries throughout training camp, the arrest of owner Jed York, and most recently, Love’s fraudulent scam.

Stribling, however, has been one of the bright spots for the 49ers. The rookie turned heads in the preseason, posting the highest offensive grade among rookie receivers (90.0).

The Ole Miss product is expected to play a key role for the 49ers this season, especially because of Ricky Pearsall’s absence from the wide receiver corps. Stribling even received high praise from star players, including Brock Purdy and Trent Williams.

The rookie didn’t play in the 49ers’ final preseason game, but recorded 109 receiving yards on 11 receptions in his first two games. San Francisco evidently expects great things from Stribling, regardless of his jersey number.

The Cincinnati Bengals are moving steadily through the process of filling out their practice squad. NFL teams can officially have 17 players on the practice squad (if one of them is part of the International Pathway Program), but most of them are just 16 men strong.

The Bengals have officially announced 11 members of their practice squad, but it is not hard to guess where one more might come from.

Here are the 11 that have been announced by the Bengals

• RB Kentrel Bullock

• QB Sean Clifford

• DT Howard Cross III

• DE Isaiah Foskey

• LB Joe Giles-Harris

• LB Shaka Heyward

• CB Bralyn Lux

• HB Kendall Milton

• WR Jordan Moore

• WR Noah Thomas

• S Russ Yeast

These are all players who spent time with the Bengals during training camp. It isn’t hard to imagine that the 12th one should be.

See, Cincinnati claimed Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Myles Hinton. That means they had to release a player who made the initial 53-man roster. Well, the released tight end is Tanner Hudson.

He probably wants to return, as much as the Bengals would like to have him on their practice squad.

Otherwise, the players they have kept here are either players who have been here for a while, or guys who impressed in camp.

The Bengals can call up any of these guys to be activated on game day up to three times before they have to make room for them on the 53-man roster officially.

Also, if a player goes on injured reserve for any period, they can call these guys up. So it is not only a way to keep developing these guys in your building, but it is actually a vital part of roster building since the rules around it changed during the COVID season to allow veteran players on it beyond those who have only played for two seasons or less.

Given that Cincinnati has seen some of their more talented players they cut move on to other teams, these are the players they were looking to keep from their own guys before they went out and added from other teams.

We will see if they can land any interesting players that could show up on a couple of Sundays.

The Green Bay Packers don’t have a third quarterback, and that’s weird. Half of the NFL kept three players at the position (four of them kept four, if you can believe it) at the cutdown deadline, when rosters shrank from 91 to 53 on Sunday. So for the Packers to have only rostered two players at the position and have no internal option to even add to the practice squad sticks out like a sore thumb, but that’s the offset when the Miami Dolphins are willing to give you a draft pick for a guy you signed off the street in January.

I’m sure a lot of you are thinking, “Wait, who am I going to see under center if Jordan Love or Tyrod Taylor ever go down, God forbid?” I don’t know the answer to that, but I’m going to throw a couple of options out for you today.

Bring back Kyron Drones

This is probably the least inspired of our options. The Packers signed Kyron Drones to a deal worth $5,000 guaranteed as an undrafted free agent this offseason, and he was beat out for the QB3 job (at least in the summer) by Kyle McCord (who, again, is now a Dolphin). Drones was outright waived by the team — with the Packers not even needing to fill his roster spot for several days — after a four-dropback performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason opener. Drones was sacked on three of those plays, including a screen. It seemed like they were just over the experience.

Sign a player who was just cut

Alright, here’s where I did a lot of legwork. We’re going to have to use different fonts to mean different things, because I want you to be able to take one glance and understand the full landscape at the position.

• Players whose names are bolded were cut from teams that kept three or more quarterbacks. These are the players who are most likely to be available for the Packers, as these teams are less likely to need a practice squad arm for the scout team.
• Players who are italicized come from teams that have only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, but there were multiple quarterbacks cut on Sunday. These teams will likely try to re-sign one of them on the practice squad, but not both quarterbacks.
• Players who are not bolded or italicized come from teams that only kept two quarterbacks on the roster but only released one on Sunday, meaning they’re more likely to be retained by their original team’s practice squad as a camp arm. Given the option, quarterbacks in the #3 spot in the pecking order tend to return to their original club on the practice squad.

Below is a full list of all of the quarterbacks cut league-wide (without an injury designation) on Sunday.

• ARZ: Kedon Slovis
• BAL: Austin Reed
• BUF Shane Buechele [update: Buffalo signed Buechele to practice squad]
• CAR: Kyle Trask
• CHI: Miller Moss
• CIN: Sean Clifford [update: Cincinnati signed Clifford to practice squad]
• DET: Luke Altmyer [update: Detroit signed Altmyer to practice squad]
• HOU: Brett Rypien
• IND: Easton Stick [update: Tampa Bay has signed Stick to practice squad]
• JAX: Nick Mullens and Joey Aguilar [update: Jacksonville signed both Mullens and Aguilar to practice squad]
• LV: Jacob Clark
• LAC: DJ Uiagalelei [update: Chargers signed Uiagalelei to practice squad]
• MIA: Mark Gronowski and Cam Miller [update: Miami signed Gronowski to practice squad]
• NO: Hunter Dekkers
• NYG: Brandon Allen and Jake Haener [update: New York signed Haener to practice squad]
• NYJ: Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook [update: Miami claimed Cook, New York reported to have signed Zappe to practice squad]
• SF: Adrian Martinez
• TB: Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak
• TEN: Will Levis and Hendon Hooker [update: Tennessee signed Hooker to practice squad]
• WAS: Sam Hartman [update: Washington signed Hartman to practice squad]

This draft cycle, I reported that scouting sources told me the Packers were interested in Kyron Drones, Haynes King and Mark Gronowski as potential pickups. Drones had his stint in Green Bay, while Gronowski ended up in Miami (where he took a pre-draft visit) and King actually made Carolina’s 53-man roster as a UDFA (good for him). For perspective, King signed for $210,000 guaranteed compared to Drones’ $5,000. Ultimately, King was just in a different market than Drones when they were both free agents post-draft.

So Gronowski is a good start for a watch list, but Miami might retain him. If they do, though, that will likely free up Cam Miller, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft. Maybe he’s an option, too.

Along with King, Jalon Daniels and Jack Strand were UDFA quarterbacks who received large guarantees this offseason and ended up making their team’s initial 53-man roster. A couple who were just cut, though, are Luke Altmyer, Joey Aguilar and Miller Moss. Altmyer, who the Packers had a pre-draft virtual meeting with, will likely be kept by the Detroit Lions, as they only have two quarterbacks on their roster. Aguilar could be available, as the Jacksonville Jaguars have two quarterbacks and released two today. Moss will almost certainly be available, as the Chicago Bears kept three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.

I’m not sure that Will Levis will pass through waivers unclaimed, but if he does, I think his addition would make a lot of sense for the Packers. It seems like both he and the Titans just want to move on, and that he won’t be brought back to Tennessee. If for whatever reason he does return to the Titans, though, that means that they (probably) won’t be bringing back Hendon Hooker, who was a pre-draft visitor with Green Bay before his selection at 68th overall in 2023 by the Detroit Lions. He’s another option that makes some sense.

I have no idea how Kedon Slovis (outside of his game against the Packers on Friday) or Adrian Martinez played this preseason, but both of them played in “LaFleur-like” offensive systems, so maybe there would be less friction for them to hit the ground running than a typical outside signing to the practice squad. Those are just a couple of names that I think are realistic right now.

A street signing

The Packers worked out quarterback Seth Henigan, a UDFA from the class of 2025, this offseason. Green Bay didn’t do a lot of workouts since the start of camp, but they brought him in once, so that’s one possibility.

Some veterans are out there, like Jimmy Garoppolo, but it seems highly unlikely that they’d be interested in a practice squad opportunity. I just wouldn’t hold my breath on experience at QB3 this year. Tyrod Taylor has taken care of us in that department.

—

There’s probably no great answer to QB3 right now, but which of these options do you like better? Let us know in the comments section. My opinion: I think they just grab a scout team arm for now, but if there’s ever a serious injury, I bet they go the veteran route and start looking at Garoppolo and co. on the 53-man roster.

—

Update: The Vikings are the first to waive a quarterback on Monday. They’re letting go of fourth-stringer Max Brosmer.

Joe Milton is also out in Dallas.

—

Update:

After initial practice squad signings were announced, the following players remain available for the Packers to sign at the quarterback position, before Brosmer and Milton clear waivers tomorrow:

• Kedon Slovis (ARZ)
  • Career stats: 82 of 126, 816 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs (5.9 AY/A)
• Austin Reed (BAL)
  • Career stats: 29 of 45, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT (6.3 AY/A)
• Kyle Trask (CAR)
  • Career stats: 218 of 349, 2,192 yards, 10 TDs, 8 INTs (5.8 AY/A)
• Miller Moss (CHI)
  • Career stats: 17 of 31, 163 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs (5.3 AY/A)
• Brett Rypien (HOU)
  • Career stats: 267 of 451, 2,565 yards, 11 TDs, 17 INTs (4.5 AY/A)
• Jacob Clark (LV)
  • Career stats: 1 of 2, 18 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs (9.0 AY/A)
• Cam Miller (MIA)
  • Career stats: 36 of 75, 373 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs (3.4 AY/A)
• Hunter Dekkers (NO)
  • Career stats: 8 of 15, 69 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs (4.6 AY/A)
• Brandon Allen (NYG)
  • Career stats: 386 of 640, 3,867 yards, 15 TDs, 21 INTs (5.0 AY/A)
• Adrian Martinez (SF)
  • Career stats: 100 of 184, 1,044 yards, 3 TDs, 5 INTs (4.8 AY/A)
• Jake Browning (TB)
  • Career stats: 391 of 595, 4,013 yards, 22 TDs, 21 INTs (5.9 AY/A)
• Connor Bazelak (TB)
  • Career stats: 46 of 68, 338 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs (5.3 AY/A)
• Will Levis (TEN)
  • Career stats: 370 of 622, 4,337 yards, 21 TDs, 17 INTs (6.4 AY/A)

Career stats include regular season and preseason play at the NFL level.

The Seattle Seahawks have done what they were required to do at the end of preseason: form a 53-man roster and a practice squad.

There will undoubtedly be a slew of activity from now until the day before Seattle’s opening night game against the New England Patriots on Sept. 9, so what you see right now is almost certainly not what you’re going to see come Super Bowl banner raising night at Lumen Field. We still, ultimately, have a lot to talk about when it comes to Seattle’s roster decisions.

The initial 53-man roster didn’t feature too many shock moves, particularly when the Seahawks retained so many of their players from last season. Maybe there was a minor shock when the Seahawks used some 2027 draft capital to get Avery Smith from the Los Angeles Chargers, signifying yet another move focused on finding the right depth at cornerback. There was no need to fret, for example, about cornerback Trevon Diggs being released when he was destined for the 17-man practice squad, which may have yielded more eyebrow raisers.

None of Cody White, Jamie Sheriff, Noah Igbinoghene, D’Anthony Bell, or Jalan Gaines made Seattle’s initial practice squad. We know what White won’t be back after he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad, but we’re still TBD on whether any of those players makes their way back to Seattle any time soon.

To recap and analyze all of the big moves the Seahawks made over the weekend, join myself and The Hawks Eye Podcast host (and Field Gulls staffer!) Bryce Coutts at a little after 6:35 pm PT for our roster and practice squad breakdowns in the first Seahawks Aftermath of the season. If you don’t catch us live, this podcast will be available for replay whenever we’re off the air, which is ideally in about an hour or less. You can tell us your biggest takeaways and thoughts either in the comments section or in the YouTube live chat function!

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Earlier today, we speculated that there may be a potential reunion between Tampa Bay and one of its Super Bowl champion defensive backs. The “Grave Diggers” was Tampa’s moniker during the team’s dominant playoff run in 2020. At the forefront of the team’s success was their pass defense. The pass-rush, led by Shaq Barrett, J.P.P., Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, and co., feasted on offensive lines while the team’s young defensive backfield of Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead, Mike Edwards, and Sean Murphy-Bunting feasted on quarterbacks.

Amidst the unit’s generational run through some of the league’s most iconic all-time passers (Brees–Rodgers–Mahomes), few ate more than Sean Murphy-Bunting. In four playoff games, Murphy-Bunting snagged himself three interceptions— Including the interception that set up one of the most legendary plays in team history, Scotty Miller’s Hail Mary touchdown catch.

Across four seasons in the red and pewter, SMB wore a good amount of hats. He flipped between starter over as well as back up behind Jamel Dean, he played games inside at nickel, and also as an outside corner. In his Buccaneer career, he totaled six interceptions, four forced fumbles, and scooped up a loose ball as well.

SMB left Tampa Bay in 2023, signing with the Tennessee Titans. After just one season in Tennessee, he moved out west joining the Arizona Cardinals. Murphy-Bunting did not play in 2025, however, in his two healthy seasons away from Todd Bowles the former Buccaneer stayed productive pulling in five interceptions, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

While he is only joining the Bucs’ practice squad, he could certainly find his way to the active roster sooner rather than later— especially considering the team’s questionable depth at defensive back. It’s very unlikely the Bucs will be getting back the Sean Murphy-Bunting of old, but there will always be value in a defensive player who has a nose for the ball and comfort in the scheme. Sean Murphy-Bunting has proven to be a ball hawk that comes with a résumé of success in Todd Bowles’ defense.

Steve Sarkisian is all for the SEC's move to stop programs from bringing back professional football players, even if it is a bit hypocritical. 

The Texas coach was asked about recent rulings in college sports aimed at stopping teams from adding former NFL players to their rosters. The SEC, along with the other power conferences, has adopted a policy that will prohibit schools from rostering players who signed professional contracts.

"These players on all of our rosters, not just ours, have been working for nine months for this moment on Saturday, which then will lead into the next five to six months," Sarkisian said, via CBS Austin's Bob Ballou. "The fact that somebody out there is going to take a player off of an NFL roster and tell somebody that's been doing it for nine months to go kick rocks, that doesn't sit well with me. I think that's wrong. That morally is wrong."

While it might not be as blatant as what LSU has attempted to do, Texas has a player on its roster who participated in minicamp with two NFL teams after going undrafted. Offensive lineman Cole Hutson received a state injunction and is practicing with the Longhorns. He's entering his fifth year of eligibility this fall after previously playing in 48 games for the Longhorns, including making 23 starts. 

"Cole's a guy with so much experience, played a lot of football for us," Sarkisian said in July before Hutson was granted his injunction, via ESPN. "He's a guy that unfortunately didn't get drafted. So he puts himself in a bit of a different situation than maybe most guys that got done playing their fourth year in college."

The NCAA recently passed its "five in five" model, which granted athletes five years of eligibility. Hutson is one of several athletes from the 2022 recruiting class who took legal action to gain that fifth year. 

A number of players who signed pro contracts have attempted to return to college on NIL deals. LSU has gotten the most attention on that front. To be fair, there is a difference between participating in an NFL minicamp and signing a professional contract and making it to training camp.

The SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC have all passed resolutions banning players who were drafted by pro teams or who signed pro contracts from playing for their programs. That has only led to more legal challenges, and the SEC is exploring its options to address the Tigers' plans to add former pros to their roster. Those options reportedly include teams boycotting competition against LSU and even expulsion from the conference.

No. 5 Texas will open the season against Texas State on Saturday before hosting top-ranked Ohio State on Sept. 12. Sarkisian is entering his sixth season with the Longhorns.

While it's unclear what role Hutson will play for the offensive line, Sarkisian is, at least publicly, taking the side of the SEC in an eligibility fight that doesn't appear to be close to over.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers today signed the following players 16 players to the practice squad:

TE Devin Culp

WR      Garrett Greene

OLB     Yasir Holmes

DL       Jayson Jones

G         Henry Lutovsky

S          Ifeatu Melifonwu

CB       Roman Parodie

WR      Dean Patterson IV

WR      Eric Rivers Jr.

S          J.J. Roberts

T          Paul Rubelt

G         Ben Scott

QB       Easton Stick

RB       Josh Williams

S          Rashad Wisdom

LB        Javin Wright

Fifteen of the 16 players signed today were with the Buccaneers during training camp, including offensive lineman Paul Rubelt – a member of the International Player Pathway Program – who does not count against Tampa Bay’s player limit for the practice squad. Quarterback Easton Stick joins the club’s practice squad after being waived by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, August 30. Tampa Bay’s practice squad currently sits at 16 out of a possible 17 players.  

Stick (6-1, 224) has appeared in six career games for the Los Angeles Chargers, making four starts and completing 112-of-175 passes (64.0%) for 1,133 yards and three touchdowns against one interception for an 85.7 passer rating. He originally entered the league as a fifth-round selection (No. 166 overall) by the Chargers in the 2019 NFL Draft and spent six seasons with the organization before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2025 and Colts in 2026. He played collegiately at North Dakota State University (2014-18), starting 52-of-55 games and finishing as the FCS’s all-time winningest quarterback with a 49-3 record as a starter. Stick concluded his career as NDSU’s all-time leader in passing yards (8,693), passing touchdowns (88), total offense (11,216) and touchdowns responsible for (129). He helped the Bison win four FCS national championships, including three as the starting quarterback. As a senior in 2018, he earned first-team Associated Press All-America honors and was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year. The Omaha, Nebraska, native will wear No. 16 for Tampa Bay. 

(Courtesy of the Buccaneers Communications Department.)

Odell Beckham Jr. got back to his hotel room Sunday night and began to cry. 

These were the best type of tears. 

He had just found out — from Giants coach John Harbaugh, while walking off the practice field — that he officially made the 53-man roster, completing the full-circle journey back to the franchise in which he broke out as a superstar to begin his roller-coaster NFL career. 

“Figuring out [that] I’m going to be here and I have an opportunity to rewrite some of the last bit of the chapter,” Beckham said after practice Monday. “Don’t know [if it’s my] last year, whatever it is, I just know I’m going to give my all. But definitely had that moment where it was like you could let out some of the pain that I feel like I went through. It was just very healing, very emotional, something I was very happy about.” 

That sentiment was shared all the way up to the top of the organization with owner John Mara, who had a close relationship with Beckham when he first came into the league. 

“He says his grandsons were super happy,” Harbaugh said. “Because they’ve been kind of asking him every day, ‘Is Odell going to make it? Is Odell going to make it?’”

That question finally has an answer. 

Now 33, Beckham saw his body hold up throughout training camp and he showed enough burst on the field to establish himself as a depth receiver in the new-look Giants receiving corps. 

Yes, Calvin Austin III tearing his ACL boosted Beckham’s odds of making the roster. But it wasn’t Beckham’s old stats, his former highlights or any fan excitement that got him on the team. There is an overwhelming feeling across the coaching staff and the roster that he fully deserves to be here and can help the Giants win games. 

“I earned the right to be here, this wasn’t given to me,” Beckham said. “I was given the opportunity, but I wasn’t given making it here where I’m at. I’m truly happy about it.” 

Harbaugh feels like Beckham hit another gear the last two weeks. 

“There’s nobody in that locker room, I believe, or anywhere in the building that questions Odell’s earning this,” Harbaugh said. “It’s clear-cut. … The odds were probably against him, I would say. He overcame the odds and did it.”

Malik Nabers, who remembers watching Beckham as a kid and credits him for sparking his football fandom, still occasionally has to take a moment seeing Beckham on the field next to him. Now, they’re officially teammates. 

“They didn’t make it easy for him,” Nabers said. “He earned everything he got. He put great film on tape. I’m sure everybody’s seen. He was a great leader. So, good things get rewarded to good people, for sure. … Just for him being here right now, in the same room as me, it’s surreal.” 

The conversation now turns from making the roster to playing time. As far as what his actual role will be, that’s still a bit up in the air. 

After Nabers, the pecking order among Giants receivers is fluid. 

“He’ll be rotating in in different personnel groups,” Harbaugh said, “and he’ll be playing.”

“I feel confident in my ability, and whatever it is that I need to provide, I’m looking to do that and more,” Beckham said. “I’ve never shied away from competition or anything like that. So, I feel that I can produce. I know that’s what I want to do and now it’s about putting the work in to be able to do that.” 

Just one thing was missing Monday, however. 

One digit, to be more specific. 

Beckham was still in his No. 3 jersey, the same one he wore throughout training camp and the preseason — not his old No. 13 he wore during his first stint with the Giants. 

Jalin Hyatt, who was signed back to the practice squad Monday after being part of Sunday’s cuts, is still occupying that number — for the moment, at least. 

Abdul Carter wears No. 3, meaning Beckham will need to find a new number one way or another. Teams can’t have multiple players with the same number for regular-season games. 

“I think we all know what that [number] means to me, and there definitely will be some conversations,” Beckham said. “I’ll just say we’ll see what happens. It would be an honor and a privilege to put that back on.” 

Regardless of what number he wears, what began as his dream at the start of the summer is now his reality. 

Beckham is officially back. 

The San Francisco 49ers have finalized their 53-man roster as they look to put pieces in place for the 2026 NFL season.

Their roster is led by the likes of Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and defensive leader Fred Warner. But the 49ers also brought in familiar faces back into the fold with Deebo Samuel Sr. and Dre Greenlaw returning to San Francisco. They have bright spots in their 2026 draft class.

Punter Corliss Waitman and long snapper Jon Weeks were cut during deadline day on Sunday, Aug. 30, but were later brought back to the team. Weeks joined the practice squad, while Waitman signed a one-year deal to be on the active roster.

Now, head coach Kyle Shanahan and company will shuffle the pieces together of who's healthy and who needs to sit as they get ready for Week 1, when they face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

There are some good things to takeaway from their roster, and some not so good. Here are winners and losers after the 49ers' 53-man roster:

I’ll keep this one short: The Green Bay Packers target their pre-draft visitors at a high clip, whether it’s the draft, as initial undrafted free agents or further down the line. For example, last cutdown cycle the team traded a pick for offensive linemen Darian Kinnard and picked up tight end Josh Whyle to the practice squad. Whyle eventually ended up winning a roster spot and made this year’s initial 53-man roster.

So, who was just made available to the Packers? Good question. So far, these are the players who just hit the market and were brought to Green Bay during their draft cycle (since 2022, when the team started targeting more draft picks).

Quarterback

• Hendon Hooker, Titans (Update: signed with Titans practice squad)
• Sean Clifford, Bengals (Update: signed with Bengals practice squad)

Can I interest anyone in Sean Clifford as a QB3 again?

Running Back

• Velus Jones Jr., Seahawks (Update: signed with Seahawks practice squad)
• Evan Hull, Cardinals (Update: signed with Cardinals practice squad)
• Lew Nichols, Steelers (Update: signed with Steelers practice squad)
• Damon Bankston, Giants

The one I’m most interested here is rookie Damon Bankston, who received eight times the guarantees to sign with the New York Giants than the Packers’ UDFA signing Jaden Nixon got this cycle. If Green Bay is pivoting to a more outside zone-based scheme, which has been the indication, I think Bankston fits really well. With that being said, he would probably be a practice squad signing immediately, not a 53-man roster guy.

Receiver

• Anthony Smith, Cowboys (Update: signed with Cowboys practice squad)
• Samori Toure, Eagles

I don’t think the team wants to go down the Samori Toure path again, but rookie receiver Anthony Smith is interesting. Smith was taken two picks after Packers kicker Trey Smack. The seventh-round pick did not make it on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster. He ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at 6’2” and 197 pounds.

The guy is a speedster.

Tight End

• None

Offensive Line

• Kiran Amegadjie, Bears (Update: Signed with Eagles practice squad)
• Esa Pole, Chiefs (Update: Signed with Commanders practice squad)

Both Kiran Amegadjie and Esa Pole are players I could see the Packers adding to the bottom of their offensive line unit. Amegadjie was a third-round pick out of Yale for the Chicago Bears back in 2024, but he never caught on with the team. Esa Pola is a second-year former UDFA who was working with the first-team unit as the team’s left tackle in Kansas City at points this summer, but the Chiefs traded for Diego Pounds right before the cutdown deadline.

Defensive Line

• Eric Johnson II, Falcons

With seven interior defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, I’m not sure the Packers even need a practice squad defensive lineman right now.

Edge Defender

• Sam Williams, Cowboys

Sam Williams was arrested for felony sexual battery at Ole Miss, but the charges were later dropped. I know now this isn’t a great time to say this, but the Packers bring in a lot of prospects with “off-field” red flags for visits, and they generally do it to rule them out completely. I do not expect Williams to be on Green Bay’s short list.

Off-Ball Linebacker

• Trevin Wallace, Panthers (Update: Claimed by New York Jets)

Here’s an interesting one: Trevin Wallace, the 2024 third-rounder who made 12 starts in 12 games played last year for the Carolina Panthers, was waived by the Panthers today. In total, he played 25 games (20 starts) for Carolina over two regular seasons. I could see the team taking a swing on him.

Cornerback

• D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, Chiefs (Update: Re-signing with Chiefs practice squad)

D’Arco Perkins-McAllister actually started his college career off as a fairly big recruit, but wound up bouncing around schools after two years at TCU. He ended up at New Mexico, UT-Chattanooga and Louisiana-Monroe after that. He was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs, and it’s not like the Packers’ third-team defensive backs played well in the preseason. Maybe they change things up.

Safety

• Jammie Robinson, Falcons
• Chris Edmonds, Browns

Safety is a position that will probably be more impacted on the practice squad level, if anything, than on the 53-man roster level, but two were made available today. Chris Edmonds has played almost exclusively as a special teamer when he’s been active in NFL games in his career, while Jammie Robinson, a former fifth-round pick, is looking to catch on with his sixth team in four years. He’s been available before, and the Packers haven’t added him, so I’m not sure the 25-year-old is going to be a priority for them now.

Aaron Donald is the only player in the history of Pro Football Focus (PFF) to record 10 seasons with a grade over 90.0. The superstar defensive tackle has never fallen below that mark. That includes his rookie year where the Los Angeles Rams slow-walked him into the fold. That includes 2022 where his season was abbreviated by injury. That also includes the year before he chose to walk away from the game.

10 seasons. 10 times with an “elite” grade. Zero other players in the same comapany.

This is the part that is not up for debate. Who Donald is in 2026 is until we shortly see him on the field.

Source: values transcribed from the supplied Season Grades image. “—” indicates no value shown.

What does a “90.0” PFF grade mean?

PFF converted it’s grading scale to a 0-100 system partially because JJ Watt and Donald were breaking the old approach. The new scale applies a dark blue to elite marks, which represents exceptional, game-changing play at the highest positional level. The grades do not take into account strength of competition.

For comparison, only a single defensive interior player posted a grade better than 90.0 last season: Cameron Heyward at 90.4. If we extend the list to include EDGE rushers, Myles Garrett, Will Anderson, Micah Parsons, and Aidan Hutchinson make the cut.

That is simply the best of the best. It’s a high bar and speaks volumes to how consistently great Donald was before sitting out for two years.

Donald is 35. He has not played a regular season snap since 2023. The Rams are talking about him like the statue walked back into the building. Maybe he did. The more apt question is what Donald looks like after two years of rest.

And individual performance isn’t the only relevant question. Donald will likely want to play a full workload. That means less snaps and opportunities for Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Poona Ford, Tyler Davis, and others.

There is no doubt that Donald’s return helps the Rams. The bigger unknowns are whether he’s still the same elite threat, and how his presence impacts the development of LA’s long-term roster pieces.

Some answers we could receive as soon as Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne. Others may take longer.

NFL teams have until Sunday, August 30 at 6 pm ET to get their final roster down to 53 players, and then they’ll spend the next few days adding guys to their practice squads and moving those with injuries around. There are plenty of former Eagles still vying for roster spots throughout the league, and here’s a look at who is on the move.

Practice squad signings

• DL Ogbo Okoronkwo — 49ers
• CB Mario Goodrich III — Titans
• OG Josh Sills — Colts
• RB Lew Nichols — Steelers
• TE Albert Okwuegbunam — Raiders
• OG Julian Good-Jones — Commanders
• FB Ben VanSumeren — Chiefs
• QB Nick Mullens — Jaguars
• OL Matt Pryor — Cardinals
• TE Stone Smartt — Saints
• S K’Von Wallace — Ravens

Trades

• The Dolphins traded for QB Kyle McCordin a deal with the Packers that sent a 2028 sixth round pick to Green Bay. (Source)

Roster deadline cuts

• CB Mario Goodrich III, Titans
• RB Lew Nichols, Steelers
• OT Gottlieb Ayedze, Dolphins
• FB Ben VanSumeren, Bills
• OG Josh Sills, Colts
• WR Jalen Reagor, Dolphins
• OL Matt Pryor, Cardinals (Source)
• OG Trevor Keegan, Cowboys (Source)
• TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Raiders (Source)
• LB Quinton Bell, 49ers (Source)
• QB Nick Mullens, Jaguars (Source)
• TE Jack Stoll, Browns — released from IR
• DE Titus Leo, 49ers — released from IR

Other moves, injuries and notables

• Center Brett Toth has missed the last three week for the 49ers with a concussion, and the team may have to bring in someone if they don’t think he’ll be able to return ahead of Week 1.
• Derek Barnett signed a one-year deal with the Browns near the end of training camp, but due to injuries, Cleveland needed depth at edge rusher.
• Other former Eagles who were placed on IR earlier in training camp, effectively shutting down their 2026 season, were RB Trey Sermon (Falcons), CB Zech McPhearson (Rams), and WR River Cracraft (Commanders) — although Cracraft was later released with an injury settlement to allow him to explore other options.

Kirk Cousins has always been the favorite to land the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback job: He has the experience; he had head coach Klint Kubiak’s backing ahead of training camp.

But an anonymous source believes rookie Fernando Mendoza is set to start sooner than previously thought.

On The Pat McAfee Show, NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that he received a text message that stated: “Mendoza will start sooner than you think.”

The Raiders have been reluctant to officially name a starting quarterback, an indication that the door for Mendoza is still open. But Cousins is expected to be the Week 1 starter against the Miami Dolphins.

“I still think it’s gonna be Kirk. I’d be surprised if it was anyone other than Kirk at this point in time. I think that’s the way it’s been trending all along,” Schefter said.

If the Raiders fall to the Dolphins in the season opener, there could be reason for the team to make a change at quarterback. But Las Vegas personnel have been adamant the organization doesn’t want to rush Mendoza’s development.

If Mendoza is thrust into a game by Week 2, the Raiders wouldn’t be standing by their philosophy for the rookie. However, the unknowns of the NFL season have yet to be revealed.

But the more Cousins has success as the starting quarterback, the longer the Raiders can hold off Mendoza’s debut.

“There’s no doubt his time is coming. He’s going to be the starter. He’s going to be the face of the franchise,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show.

“The question is how soon?”

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The Eagles kept three running backs on the 53-man roster — Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley —, and also brought back Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele on the practice squad. Five RBs just isn’t enough, apparently, because the team is reportedly signing former Cowboys rusher Jaydon Blue, according to Adam Schefter.

Blue was a fifth-round draft pick for Dallas in 2025, and he finished his rookie season with 38 carries for 129 yards and one touchdown. Drafted out of Texas, the RB also had one catch last year for five yards, and did get some snaps on special teams, returning three kicks for 72 yards.

Overall, he seems like a young, versatile player, who the Eagles see enough potential in to bring him to Philadelphia. It seems surprising that the team would carry six running backs, but if Sean Mannion’s offense leans more on the run game, it’s always good to have depth.

The Cincinnati Bengals are getting whole just in time for the season opener.

Dax Hill, who has been held out of practice since early August with a hamstring injury, was finally back running with his teammates, as seen in the video below from the official Cincinnati Bengals Twitter account.

Hill will likely jump back into his starting role in what is a contract year for the fifth-year veteran out of Michigan. He was always considered an elite athlete, but it took him some time to find his role in the NFL.

Last year was the turning point for Hill. He finished with a grade of 64.9 from Pro Football Focus, and he was elite after the bye week.

As Marcus Whitman notes in the tweet below, after moving to corner in Week 11, Hill allowed just 15 receptions on 30 targets and 22.6 yards per game. He had six pass breakups while allowing zero touchdowns. Hill was PFF’s 10th-best corner in that stretch.

Here’s to hoping Hill will get to join an emerging defense that has a new centerpiece in Dexter Lawrence. The veteran who came over from the New York Giants is looking to turn around a historically bad defense, but if he can disrupt 0-lines the way fans expect, Hill could have his best year yet.

The Chicago Bears have begun signing players to their initial 2026 practice squad, but the list will be fluid, and we’ll update it throughout the year.

Here are the first 11 signed players per the NFL transaction wire, but a couple of others were reported earlier today and are listed in our tracker. There will be other players added to the practice squad tomorrow.

1. Caden Barnett, OG
2. Kyle Hergel, iOL
3. Salvon Ahmed, RB
4. Scotty Miller, WR
5. Kaden Davis, WR
6. J.P Richardson, WR
7. Stephen Carlson, TE
8. Wayne Matthews, LB
9. Marlen Sewell, S
10. Deantre Prince, CB
11. Marcus Davenport, DE

Here are the qualifications for practice squad eligibility and some rules to remember.

• A 17th player is permitted as long as he qualifies for the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
• Players with no accrued seasons (rookies) and those with fewer than nine regular-season games in their lone accrued season.
• A maximum of ten players are allowed who have earned no more than two accrued seasons.
• Up to six players with unlimited accrued seasons are permitted on the practice squad.
• However, the number of players in the last two categories cannot exceed 10 total players.

Teams can elevate up to two practice squad players for each game, but they can still only have 48 players active on game day. After the game, the elevated player(s) will revert to the practice squad. A player can be elevated up to three times, but if he’s needed after that, the team would be required to sign him to the 53-man active roster.

Players on practice squads are free agents who can be signed to another team’s active roster. A player’s current club can’t block him from leaving; they can only make a counteroffer to keep him. Ultimately, it’s the player’s decision. If a player is signed away, his new team must keep him on its 53-man roster for three weeks, but if he’s released, he’ll revert to his previous team. Players signed to another active roster are also guaranteed three weeks’ salary.

A practice squad player can’t sign with his team’s upcoming opponent unless he does so six days before the upcoming game or ten days prior if his team is on its bye week.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ roster is down to the 53-player limit after Sunday’s cuts deadline, but Howie Roseman is not one to sit down and call it a day.

Teams had until Sunday at 6:00 PM Eastern to make their roster cuts. At 1:00 PM on Monday, August 31, any claims for players on the waiver wire will be revealed. The Eagles are No. 23 in the claiming order, so there’s quite a few teams that would have to pass on anyone Roseman might be interested in. Still, after players are claimed, teams can then fill their 16-man practice squads.

Keep track of the Eagles roster/practice squad moves below.

Eagles Practice Squad Members

RB Jaydon Blue

LB Chance Campbell

WR Britain Covey

C/G Jake Majors

T John Ojukwu

S Maximus Pulley

OLB Mason Reiger

RB Carson Steele

OLB Joshua Weru

S Cole Wisniewski

OLB Keyshawn James-Newby (Source)

OT Kiran Amegadjie (Source)

DT Gabe Hall (Source)

DT Uar Bernard (Source)

RB Dameon Pierce (Source)

Eagles Waiver Claims

The Eagles did NOT get any players through the waiver wire.

Eagles Waiver Losses

• OT Cameron Williams — Falcons
• OT Myles Hinton — Bengals
• DB Kapena Gushiken — Colts
• TE Cameron Latu — Patriots

Updates

All times Eastern.

[8:02 PM]: The Eagles are signing former Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue, according to Adam Schefter.

[3:39 PM]: The Eagles have formally announced 13 players who have signed to the practice squad, which leaves them four additional spots to fill — with either Bernard or Wero counting as the extra IPP spot.

[2:26 PM]: The Eagles are bringing back DT Gabe Hall to the practice squad, and signing OT OT Kiran Amegadjie, according to Jeremy Fowler.

[2:22 PM]: Safety Andre’ Sam cleared waivers which means he reverts back to the Eagles injured reserve list and will miss the 2026 season.

[2:09 PM]: It looks like at one of the team’s International Pathway Program players will be staying in Philly, with Ryan Fowler reporting that DT Uar Bernard plans to sign with the Eagles practice squad. The team does get one extra practice squad spot to accommodate an IPP player.

[1:57 PM]: With a shorter window between the roster cut deadline and the waiver wire deadline, we didn’t get as many leaks about plans to fill the practice squad. We’ve now learned, however that the Eagles didn’t get anyone from the waiver wire, and ended up having four of their guys claimed — none of them were named Uar Bernard or Joshua Weru, though.

[11:15 AM]: If OT John Ojukwo clears waivers, he intends to sign back in Philly to the Eagles’ practice squad, according to Eagles beat writer Cayden Steele.

[11:01 AM]: The first player reportedly ready to sign with the Eagles practice squad is running back Dameon Pierce, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pierce made a strong case for a roster spot, so having him back really solidifies the RB depth.

While we wait for updates, make sure to check out these links:

• First look at the 2026 Eagles’ first roster
• Eagles cut another 2026 draft pick

Live Twitter Feed

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The Commanders formally set their initial 53-man roster on Sunday and then made some tweaks to it. Expect that pattern to continue over the next two weeks, as Washington prepares to play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13 in the regular-season opener.  

Monday afternoon marked the first time head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters spoke publicly since the weekend’s roster cuts, and they explained why actions were taken and how this team was formed.  

Here are some key takeaways from that session with on-site reporters:  

Commanders confidence in Nick Allegretti 

The Commanders have been stress-tested at the center spot. Nick Allegretti suffered a calf strain in Washington’s first training camp practice and aggravated it two practices into his return. 

Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin proved to be insufficient backups – Good-Jones was since released and is on the practice squad – at that position, which the Commanders did not address via waiver claims or a free-agent signing.  

That has led to major concerns, considering the value placed on centers as a cerebral hub within coordinator David Blough’s system.  

Quinn delivered some positive news on Monday, relaying to reporters that Allegretti returned to practice.

There’s also a great deal of internal confidence in the veteran despite a lack of preseason or camp. If Allegretti validates such faith and is available all season, all this center talk will be rendered moot.  

“Not having Nick for most of camp was something we had to work through, but we have a ton of confidence in him,” Peters said. “He has played 3,000-some odd snaps in this league, and he has played good football for us before. He went through the whole offseason, so we’re really confident. 

“He’s not a guy who needs a ton of reps, especially from a mental standpoint.”

While Quinn stated that the Commanders are still working through the center situation and are not afraid to add to it, they also believe that Gulbin can step into a game and play. 

“I feel the strength with him in the pocket,” Quinn said. “He’s not someone who repeats a lot of mistakes. Is he going to make some? Hell yeah. That’s part of training camp and learning from them. …To see him not repeat those, that’s a sign of a mature player who is making a lot of progress.” 

Jayden Daniels’ heavy workload 

Jayden Daniels played just three snaps during the Commanders preseason slate, but the third-year quarterback still got tons of work in over the summer. 

His accuracy, leadership and poise were lauded by many throughout the course of camp, and the Commanders believe he’s all set to have a huge year following a 2025 campaign plagued by injury. He’s healthy now and ready to go. 

“I love Jayden’s readiness,” Quinn said. “He took over 500 snaps this training camp. That’s almost like a half season’s worth of reps. His timing with Stef (Diggs) and Terry (McLaurin) is invaluable. With a new system, to put that kind of work in – he’s elite with the ball in his hands. He’s decisive in this system.”  

Why Trey Amos went on IR

The Commanders consider Trey Amos their top cornerback. The second-year pro hasn’t practiced but twice since fracturing his fibula last year, with soft-tissue soreness and then an ankle sprain preventing his return to regular action. 

Washington placed him on injured reserve with a designation to return on Sunday, meaning he’ll miss the first four games at least. After all that time missed, the Commanders want to be cautious about his return to prominence. 

“Not having Trey, he hasn’t played since midseason last year, so we want to take it slow with him,” Peters said. “That’s why we put him on IR. Could he have come back in a few weeks? Maybe. But, with the advances in sports science and what it will take for him to get ready to play after not having played since midseason last year, we wanted to take that a little bit slower. We’re confident he’ll be ready when it’s time for him to come out.”

The Commanders are happy with the Rasul Douglas and Fabian Moreau additions to this point, which will help the team survive until Amos returns.   

Seven receivers, Adam?

The Commanders went heavy on receivers Sunday, keeping seven of them on their 53-man roster. That’s an unorthodox number to be sure, but Washington didn’t want to let several of them go in what might be the deepest position group on the team. 

“It ended up being a really deep room,” Peters said. “All of those guys have a little bit different skill set and different ways they can help our team. Some of them are better on special teams. Some of them are better inside or outside. 

“We wanted to keep a mix of all those guys, and we thought more than who we kept are NFL players, and so we wanted to keep all the guys that could help us this year. Seven is probably — you usually keep maybe six; five, six or seven, you can keep any of those numbers — whatever you do, you’re taking away from another position. You try to balance that out to get the best 53 you can get. We certainly felt we had seven really capable NFL players at that position.”

Better news on the injury front 

Quinn and Peters announced some positive news regarding Washington’s difficult bout with injuries over the second half of training camp, with Allegretti, defensive lineman Daron Payne, quarterback Marcus Mariota, tight end Ben Sinnott and linebacker Jordan Magee all returning to practice. 

There’s also optimism, per ESPN reporter John Keim, that running back Bill Croskey-Merritt and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) will be able to return next week. The outlook on top pass rusher Odafe Oweh is murkier, with his availability for the season opener in minor doubt. 

With our Miami Dolphins breaking camp this past week and the majority of the team’s roster made up of unknown players at the NFL level, I asked the following question:

Which more or less unknown player or players do you believe have legitimate chances of becoming so-called “household names” when our Miami Dolphins are a good team again?

Below are some of your thoughts and answers-

Bill Moody is looking into the future for us.

Mark Johnson, WR. 1st round draft pick in 2032, will be a household name in his 3rd year, 2034 season.

Pod of Dolphins called it on Campbell.

D J Campbell is going to make the team, this kid is the steal of the draft, he is a mover with great feet plus he can play both G position.

phinette23 wants to see the two rookie WR’s flourish at the NFL level.

Would be great if Bell and Douglas can reach their potential.

Reid_305 didn’t get their wish, I guess.

I like what I saw out of LB Cam Riley.

MiamiItaliano believes Bell is a future star.

Chris Bell

MIAMI235 is clearly feeling very confident in the new roster.

None.

SlayerNation1 is not a fan of my definitions.

…needing a better definition of Household Name.

To Me, it would be someone known for their on-field prowess to the most casual fans and people who generally don’t watch or bet.

No players are showing that, but that isn’t their concern this season.

Frankly, casual fans may scarcely remember the whole damn franchise exists, which is a bigger problem. No national TV games to sink them further into irrelevance as a franchise.

The NFL is just a giant Casino fronting as a sports league, so Achane will always be recognized by the gambling addicts.

Dolfanjoe is hopeful for a couple of rookies.

Hopefully Jacob Rodriguez becomes known to the younger fan as Zach Thomas is known to so many. Agree with Miamiltaliano, it would be great if Chris Bell becomes a hall of Famer for the offense !

sdphinsfan, if taking the positive slant on things, sees a lot of these rookies who could eventually show out.

When I put my rose colored glasses on, I think we could see alot of these guys become household names. Rodriguez is an obvious one to me. Louis is another. Proctor another…

So far, its hard to imagine being in a better position with this newest draft class. But the real class begins here in about 2 weeks and will run the entire semester of the season.

StanleyDoyle1 thinks it might wind up being the Swiss Army knife of a linebacker.

Kyle Louis.

Well, if there is a consensus, it’s that a lot of us have some high hopes for many of this season’s rookies. Here’s to hoping that every damn one of them reaches and exceeds any positive projections we have for them. As always, thank you to each of you who took the time to stop in and answer our Phinsider Question Of The Day.

The New York Giants officially announced the signings of 13 players to their practice squad on Monday evening. Those players are:

• DL Ben Barten
• WR Braxton Berrios (veteran)
• WR Dalen Cambre
• FB Grant Finley
• OLB Trace Ford
• OL Jarrod Gray (international)
• QB Jake Haener
• WR Jalin Hyatt (veteran)
• DB Raheem Layne
• LB Chandler Martin
• OL Ryan Schernecke
• DL Josh Tupou (veteran)
• DB JT Woods

Gray has an international exemption. The Giants can still add four more players to their practice for a total of 17.

Practice squad updates

Thirteen of the Giants’ 17 practice squad spots are filled, per Dan Duggan. The Giants are bringing back edge defender Trace Ford, OT Ryan Schernecke, as well as international player OT Jarrod Gray.

The Giants are signing 2023 3rd round pick, WR Jalin Hyatt, to their practice squad per Jordan Raanan. Hyatt reportedly made noise to start camp, but suffered an ankle injury prior to the first preseason game. [Our story]

Mike Garafolo is reporting that the Giants are signing QB Jake Haener to the practice squad. Unless they add a second quarterback to the practice squad, Haener will be their emergency third QB. Branden Allen was in line to back up Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston, but was done in by a poor preseason.

Adam Schefter reports that WR Braxton Berrios will sign with the Giants’ practice squad with the intention of playing Week 1. [Story Link]

While not confirmed yet, Dan Duggan reports the first four players signed to the Giants’ practice squad are, WR Dalen Cambre, FB Grant Finley, DL Josh Tupou, and S Raheem Layne.

Here is a list of players who could be claimed, via Jordan Raanan:

Here is Ed’s list:

• Dalen Cambre (watch for Arizona, where ex-Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has that job now)
• Ben Sauls (Arizona, New York Jets among the possibilities)
• Trace Ford
• Art Green
• Jalin Hyatt (speed always gets extra chances)

Here is some early potential good news about Cambre:

2026 practice squad signings

• QB Jake Haener [Garafolo]
• WR Jalin Hyatt [Raanan]
• WR Braxton Berrios [Schefter]
• WR Dalen Cambre [Duggan]
• FB Grant Finley [Duggan]
• OL Jarrod Gray [Duggan]
• OL Ryan Schernecke [Duggan]
• DL Ben Barten [Duggan]
• DL Josh Tupou [Duggan]
• OLB Trace Ford [Duggan]
• iLB Chandler Martin [Duggan]
• CB JT Woods [Duggan]
• S Raheem Layne [Duggan]

Odell Beckham Jr. has a spot on the New York Giants’ 2026 roster, marking the first step in a comeback many did not see as realistic.

Making the roster, though, is only part of the deal. Now the question is, how much can the 33-year-old Beckham, who has suffered a number of leg injuries throughout a career than began when the Giants selected him 12th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, help the Giants on the field?

Beckham didn’t come back to be a nostalgia act. He didn’t come back to wave at fans from the sidelines on game days, get some polite cheers, and then watch other receivers catch passes from Jaxson Dart.

He came back to show that he could still be a productive player. He came back, as he has said several times, to leave the game the way he wanted to leave it rather than having it taken from him before he was ready to go.

When Beckham badgered Giants coach John Harbaugh into giving him a tryout, then a second tryout, and finally signing him, Harbaugh laid it out for him.

“You can’t be just okay. You’re Odell Beckham,” Harbaugh said at the time. “You’ve got to come out here and you have to be performing at a high level in workout, you’ve got to be performing at a high level in practice. You got to be a guy capable that we can see would have a chance to make a difference in NFL games. You have to be that kind of player.”

Beckham thinks he still can be.

“I feel confident in my ability, and whatever it is that I need to provide, I’m looking to do that and more,” Beckham said on Monday. “I’ve never shied away from competition or anything like that. So, I feel that I can produce. I know that’s what I want to do and now it’s about putting the work in to be able to do that.

“As far as what I feel like I can do on the field, I feel confident in that, and I’ve never allowed anything anyone says to shake that confidence.”

Harbaugh said Monday that Beckham is not on the roster to be a spectator.

“He’ll be in that receiver group,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, he’ll be rotating in in different personnel groups, and he’ll be playing.”

Harbaugh said he “sensed accomplishment” from Beckham when the coach told Beckham after Sunday’s practice that he would be part of the initial 53-man roster.

“I feel like he felt like he accomplished something, but not finished, and he said that,” Harbaugh said. “He wants to get – now it’s time to make it count, that’s where he’s at.

“But I know he knows he accomplished a lot. It’s kind of unheard of, in some ways, to be away for so long to come back. I don’t know how many times this has actually been done. It would be interesting to see, but the odds were probably against him, I would say. He overcame the odds and did it. Now what do you do with it? And that’s what he’s focused on.”

Beckham admitted to shedding tears when he knew he had made the roster.

“I have an opportunity to rewrite some of the last bit of the chapter,” he said. “Don’t know, last year, whatever it is, I just know I’m going to give my all. But definitely had that moment where it was like you could let out some of the pain that I feel like I went through. It was just very healing, very emotional, something I was very happy about.”

Beckham said “it’s everything” to make the roster for the team that drafted him. Making the roster, though, isn’t enough.

“Nobody’s playing just to play – you all want to win,” Beckham said. “So, that was kind of the message I had to the group. It’s like, it’s one thing to get here. It’s an honor and a privilege, but how do you take that next step each and every day and find ways to level up?”

‘He earned his spot’

I have, at times, been accused of being a Beckham hater. I was even accused of that in the Monday morning roster review podcast I did with Tony DelGenio.

I am not a Beckham hater. I did hate some of the self-serving, “look at me” things Beckham did as a young player with the Giants. Why? Because those things forced us to talk about stuff that had nothing to do with football, and how great Beckham was at playing it. As much as Beckham has often said he never wanted to leave New York, his own words, actions, and choices are what led to him being traded before the 2019 season.

I have admitted to thinking that the Giants bringing Beckham back was not a good idea. I doubted both his ability to still play at a high enough level, and his willingness to accept without complaint a role where things did not revolve around him.

The version of Beckham we have seen this summer has not sought adulation or attention, though fans shower him with plenty of both. He has only come to work every day, and done his best to show that he belongs on the football team.

“He was one of the best guys, he earned it, he earned his spot,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, from beginning to end, he earned it.

“There’s nobody in that locker room, I believe, or anywhere in the building, that questions Odell’s earning this. It’s clear cut, so that’s it.”

Beckham, father to a young boy and a more spiritual person than he was as a younger man, has talked about his journey.

“He has talked quite a bit about that. And I think it’s – what he says, I listen to what he says because it’s interesting to me. I’ve been in these conversations with him now for, over the years, a lot, but probably in the last six months a lot lot,” Harbaugh said. “And he’s been – this is what he’s been talking about, kind of the growth. I just think he’s going through some things in his life that have really made him take stock of certain things, and what’s important in his life, and it’s neat to see. We all go through that and hopefully continue to.

“But he’s in a great place, he’s in a great place, he’s ready to compete. He’s ready to help the Giants be the best team they can be. He wants to make plays, he wants to make blocks, he wants to do whatever he can do to help the team.”

Beckham has earned this second chance with the Giants. Let’s hope he does something good with it, and that he can live in peace with however it turns out.

The Los Angeles Rams may boast one of the best rosters in professional football history on paper.

But margins are extremely thin in the NFL. For every position of strength—like the defensive line with Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, and others—there is somewhere where LA is hoping people don’t notice just how thin they are running.

I spy two places that are concerning and could grow even more so should attrition strike: offensive tackle and defensive back.

The Rams effectively turned in a roster with three tackles and almost no reserve secondary players. It’s not a nitpick—it’s a reality.

Alaric Jackson is still awaiting word from the league that he’s in the clear. Until then, a suspension will linger over his head. David Quessenberry is the next man up at left tackle. That probably isn’t good enough. Rookie Keagen Trost will miss at least the first four games of the season.

On the defensive side, the Rams have truly cut out all fat. There’s nothing left at safety or corner.

Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie are entrenched as starters. McDuffie could play often in the slot, which means Rams fans will probably see more of Emmanuel Forbes on the outside than they realize. Josh Wallace also made the cut but hasn’t played outside much over his tenure in Los Angeles.

At safety behind Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens, and Quentin Lake is only Jaylen McCollough. McCollough isn’t really a backup—he’s someone who carved out a decent role as a situational contributor a year ago.

Running skinny at these positions is a direct relationship to keeping seven receivers, five tight ends, and three quarterbacks. WR#7, TE#5, nor QB#3 are going to keep Matthew Stafford upright or help protect a lead into the playoffs. These are luxuries.

We’ve read this book before. 2022 brought intense attrition starting with the offensive line. Stafford shortly followed when the Rams couldn’t block a soul. Before we knew it, half the roster was prematurely calling it a season.

Did the Rams not learn their lesson? A weakened secondary would make a great sequel, although it runs the risk of ending the same way.

The Seattle Seahawks made the somewhat surprising decision to not just release veteran wide receiver Cody White, but to not even retain him on the practice squad like has been the norm over the past couple of seasons. We now know that the next chapter of White’s career will be with his former Seahawks offensive coordinator.

White has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad, which will reunite him with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.

The Raiders have scarcely looked at signing available former Seahawks players, but now they have Cody on the practice squad and free agent signing Dareke Young on their 53-man active roster. If you’ve taken a look at the Raiders’ receiver depth chart, there is a more viable path to game day elevations if not an outright promotion to the active roster for Cody. White joins the waiver-claimed Jared Ivey as the first two Seahawks roster cuts confirmed to be heading elsewhere this season.

White was in competition with Ricky White III, Montorie Foster Jr, and Emmanuel Henderson Jr for the bottom-end of Seattle’s wide receiver depth chart. With Jake Bobo out for the year, there figured to be a reasonable chance that Cody would either be on the active roster or signed back to Seattle’s practice squad. The fact that neither happened is yet another strong endorsement for the rise of Foster, who appeared to separate himself pretty clearly from Ricky White and Henderson throughout camp and preseason.

We’ll always have this moment, Cody White! And you’ve got a ring as a result.

What could’ve been Dublin Delight turned into Dublin Disaster for the TCU Horned Frogs, who suffered a season-opening 15-10 loss to Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday. TCU committed 11 penalties for 100 yards, turned the ball over once and couldn’t score a point for three consecutive quarters.

Frog fans, we want to hear your thoughts! Who’s most to blame for the team’s loss? Does the blame fall on head coach Sonny Dykes for the lack of discipline? Or does it fall on new quarterback Jaden Craig, who fumbled and went without a touchdown pass in his TCU debut? Is there blame for new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, whose vanilla playcalling and conservative approach led to a lack of explosive plays Saturday afternoon?

Craig finished 20-of-32 for 175 yards with four carries for -22 yards. Jeremy Payne was by far the best player for the Horned Frogs, rushing for a game-high 142 yards on 25 carries (5.7 yards per carry). Ed Small led the wide receivers, catching nine passes for 65 yards. Ka’Morreun Pimpton added a 40-yard reception. TCU has two weeks off before taking the field at Amon G. Carter Stadium for a home opener against Grambling on Sept. 12.

Jets fans waiting for the team to add a veteran backup quarterback are going to have to continue waiting.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn announced Monday that rookie Cade Klubnik will be Geno Smith’s backup to open the season. 

“He’s our backup quarterback and he’ll do a good job,” Glenn said. 

It has been trending this way for weeks but it is still a mild surprise that the Jets will enter the season with Klubnik one injury away from being their starter. The team drafted Klubnik in the fourth round of April’s draft out of Clemson.

He played in all three preseason games, starting two. He went 16-for-27 passing for 134 yards with one interception. He led them on three scoring drives, but did not throw a touchdown pass. 

Glenn acknowledged that part of the decision to give the No. 2 job to Klubnik is the practice reps he will get and how that will help him develop. Backup quarterbacks usually run the scout team offense in practice against the starting defense. 

“That was a huge part of it,” Glenn said. 

But Glenn also pointed out everything he liked about Klubnik. 

“It’s just the confidence and how he operates and what he’s done in practice and what he’s done in the games,” Glenn said. “I don’t think anybody ever said that there weren’t going to be hiccups. He’s a rookie. But he’s always learning. He’s a very intelligent guy. We’re proud that we have him. He’s improved over the course of training camp and he’s going to continue to improve.

“Cade has done a really good job for us.” 

The Jets are expected to bring veteran Bailey Zappe back on their practice squad as the No. 3 quarterback. Zappe has been with the Jets all offseason. The team also had Brady Cook, who started four games at the end of last season, on the roster but they waived him Sunday and he was surprisingly claimed by the Dolphins. 

Klubnik has been unfazed by the spotlight on him this summer. He was a surprise starter in the first preseason game against the Buccaneers after Smith was a late scratch with ankle soreness. Klubnik has been under the microscope for a long time as a quarterback. He was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the country coming out of high school in Texas. He became a starter at Clemson at the end of his freshman year and played in many big games for the Tigers, including ACC Championships and the College Football Playoff. 

Klubnik was projected by some to be a first-round pick before last season but he had a terrible season as he battled injuries and the entire Clemson team struggled. That made him last in the draft and the Jets moved up to get him in the fourth round. 

Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich has spoken highly of Klubnik all spring and summer. Before last week’s Giants game, he praised Klubnik’s work against the Steelers in the preseason. 

“He’s extremely poised,” Reich said. “I mean, probably my favorite play for him in the [Steelers] game was when we were backed up and we drop back in the pocket and he’s in the end zone, and we called something to the right that I thought was going to be a get it out, quick thing, and they covered it and so he had to progress all the way back to the No. 3 guy on the backside, and man, he just looked extremely poised in the pocket. That’s hard to do for a quarterback in the NFL. Standing in the end zone, No. 1’s not open, No. 2’s not open, OK let me work back here to No. 3 and I’m standing in the end zone. He did it like he’s been doing it for years, so that was probably, for him, my favorite play. So, he’s made good progress.”

The Jets now have to hope he’s ready if Smith gets sidelined.

Keeping OBJ

Harbaugh hinted that Odell Beckham Jr. had done enough to crack the roster following Friday's preseason finale, and just two days later the team made the homecoming official.

Big Blue decided to keep the veteran heading into what will be his 13th NFL season. 

"From beginning to end he earned it," Harbaugh said. "He looked like he was ready to help us -- you take the roster, you take the guys, you take the reps, the plays, what you need going into the season, and you pick the best guys.

"He was one of the best guys for us, he earned it, he earned his spot." 

Beckham will be rotating in and out with different personnel groups, but he is expected to play a role in the receiver room heading into this season. 

"Whatever it is that I need to provide, I'm looking to do that and more," the wideout said. "I've never shied away from competition or anything like that, so I feel like I can still produce and I know that's what I want to do."

The plan for Berrios

One of the receivers who didn't make the cut in that crowded room was Braxton Berrios. 

It didn't take long for Berrios to return to the organization after being cut free on Sunday, though, as he rejoined them on the practice squad on Monday. 

Harbaugh said the plan is to treat him like he's playing on the 53-man roster, for now. 

"We have an opportunity, the way that you can work the roster now, to do that so that's the plan," he explained. 

The Giants expect to have Berrios on their active roster ahead of the season opener, and he is currently penciled in to serve as their top punt returner. 

Four-man running back room

There had been some buzz around the Giants potentially parting with Tyrone Tracy Jr. after his brutal preseason, but they ultimately elected to hold on to him. 

They now head into the season with a bit of a crowded running back room compiled of returning starter Cam Skattebo, recently signed Najee Harris, Tracy, and veteran Devin Singletary. 

"We just felt like they were part of our 53 best players, and it wasn't comfortable letting one of them go," Harbaugh said. "We felt all those guys would be able to play a role for us and we'd be able to have those guys contribute."

No concern over rookie kicker

There's always some worry turning your special teams over to a rookie kicker, but the Giants aren't concerned at all. 

Young Dominic Zvada was tremendous throughout camp and preseason action, beating out Ben Sauls for what's been a shaky spot for Big Blue over the past few seasons.  

Zvada converted all three of his field goals during Friday's final tune-up. 

"He made a bunch of kicks before that, and I'm sure he'll make a bunch in the future," Harbaugh said. "And if Dominic misses one, it's not the end of the world, I learned that -- I think he's going to kick really well for us."

Nic at CB6

One of the players on the roster bubble the team decided to keep around is Nic Jones, with Art Green instead being waived with an injury settlement. 

Jones is the sixth and final member of the CB room, but the team likes the versatility he brings. 

"Art got nicked up, got the concussion, so that was part of it," Harbaugh said. "But Nic also plays nickel, he can play inside and outside, and he can play some safety -- we feel that he's a valuable piece for us."

Jones appeared in 13 games with the Giants last season, but logged just 20 defensive snaps. 

We’ve kept track of all the transactions for each team and outlined each team’s initial 53-man roster now that the first wave of moves is in the rearview mirror.

Among the high-profile players to get cut was quarterback Will Levis, a former second-round pick who reportedly requested the release to get a fresh start with a new team. Levis officially cleared waivers Monday, making the former Kentucky QB a free agent. The Seahawks also cut CB Trevon Diggs just two weeks after signing him, though they’ve since signed him to the practice squad.

A few teams surprised on Sunday — including the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles — by keeping four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man rosters (though the Vikings have since pared down to three with the release of Max Brosmer on Monday).

Not all moves on Sunday included players getting traded or cut. Longtime NFL defensive tackle Aaron Donald officially made the decision to un-retire, and he is rejoining the Rams on a one-year, $20 million deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Also, Packers running back Josh Jacobs and Broncos LB Jonathon Cooper have been placed on the commissioner's exempt list while the NFL looks into domestic violence allegations against both players. Other players, such as Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Ravens WR Rashod Bateman and Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson, may land on the exempt list on a later date.

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL news, injury updates and more leading up to Week 1 of the regular season.

Salary cap space

All information shown is current as of 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 31.

Current space: $2.9 million

This includes the estimated salary cap impacts of all known signings and releases. More information about our cap space calculation is available below the tables.

Please note: All NFL teams must remain below the salary cap between the beginning of the new league year in mid-March and the end of each season. If our estimate of the team’s cap space is a negative number, it’s because contracts for some reported roster moves have not been officially submitted to the league office, or there is a difference between publicly available salary information and the official figures.

Most recent transactions

Older transactions are at the bottom of the page.

• Current roster number: 53
• Awarded via waivers (8/31) defensive tackle Bryson Eason, defensive end Jack Pyburn (roster to 53)
• Waived (8/31) defensive tackle Marcus Harris, cornerback Kevin Knowles (roster to 51)
• Signed to Practice Squad (8/31) wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, defensive tackle Cole Brevard, linebacker Cole Christiansen, wide receiver Omari Evans, linebacker Cam Jones, safety Tanner McCalister, enter Pete Nygra, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, running back Jadyn Ott, cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McCalister, safety De Shon Singleton, defensive end Tyreke Smith (practice squad to 12)
• Reverted to Reserve/Injured (8/31) guard CJ Hanson, quarterback Chris Oladokun, running back EJ Smith (roster unchanged)
• Acquired via trade (8/30) offensive tackle Diego Pounds (roster to 53)
• Placed on Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (8/30) defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (roster to 52)
• Placed on Reserve/Injured (8/30) wide receiver Jimmy Holiday (roster to 53)
• Waived/Injured (8/30) guard CJ Hanson, quarterback Chris Oladokun, running back EJ Smith (roster to 54)
• Waived (8/30) defensive end Vincent Anthony, linebacker Kam Arnold, wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, defensive tackle Cole Brevard, wide receiver Jason Brownlee, wide receiver Jacob De Jesus, running back Emari Demercado, offensive tackle Ethan Driskell, wide receiver Omari Evans, offensive tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick, defensive end Ethan Hurkett, linebacker Cam Jones, defensive end Niles King, wide receiver Xavier Loyd, safety Tanner McCalister, defensive tackle Amari McNeil, center Pete Nygra, running back Jadyn Ott, defensive tackle Damon Payne, cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McCalister, tight end Mason Pline, offensive tackle Esa Pole, safety De Shon Singleton, cornerback Melvin Smith, defensive end Tyreke Smith, guard Josh Thompson, cornerback Zelmar Vedder, tight end Tre Watson, wide receiver Jeff Weimer (roster to 57)
• Released (8/30) linebacker Cole Christiansen, cornerback Kaiir Elam, cornerback Kader Kohou, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (roster to 86)
• Acquired via trade (8/24) guard Joshua Ezeudu (roster to 90)
• Waived (8/24) tackle Kellen Diesch (roster to 89)
• Reverted to Reserve/Injured (8/25) wide receiver Jeff Caldwell (roster unchanged)
• Signed (8/24) defensive end Niles King (roster to 90)
• Waived/Injured (8/24) wide receiver Jeff Caldwell (roster to 89)
• Reverted to Reserve/Injured tackle Matt Waletzko (roster unchanged)
• Signed (8/20) tackle Kellen Diesch (roster to 90)
• Waived/Injured (8/20) tackle Matt Waletzko (roster to 89)
• Signed (8/19) linebacker Cam Jones (roster to 90)
• Waived (8/19) defensive end Anthony Dunn (roster to 89)
• Signed (8/13) defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (roster to 90)
• Waived (8/13) cornerback Bryce Phillips (roster to 89)
• Signed (8/3) wide receiver Jeff Weimer (roster to 90)
• Signed (8/1) defensive end Ethan Hurkett (roster to 89)
• Placed on Reserve/Injured (7/28) defensive end Ethan Downs, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg (roster to 88)
• Placed on Active/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (7/25) tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (roster unchanged)

Roster by position

Please note: The number of players listed in each position group may include players who are under contract, but are not counted on the active roster because of a roster exemption. Those players are indicated in the second table. The Total shown here is the number of players counted on the active roster; adding up the numbers for each position group may give a different result.

Roster by category

Cap space calculation

Salary data shown in the table is from Spotrac.com, which estimates the team’s salary cap space to be $2.9 million.

This cap figure is based on a total team salary cap of $308.6 million, plus $336,000 in 2025 rollover and $15.2 million in dead cap from previously released players.

But Spotrac’s figure does not include the salary cap impacts of the following recently-signed free agent or otherwise missing contracts. The amounts shown in parentheses are estimated cap space decreases for each contract. These could change when actual figures are available.

• None at this time

With these adjustments (if any) included, the team’s cap space should be $2.9 million.

Remember: salary cap figures are estimates based on publicly available contract information, which can be misunderstood, rounded or inaccurately reported. Only the NFL, the involved teams and players know the precise figures. Therefore, any salary cap calculation must be taken with a grain of salt.

Older transactions

• Signed (6/17) tight end Mason Pline (roster to 90)
• Traded (6/15) tackle Wanya Morris (roster to 89)
• Signed (6/9) cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (roster to 90)
• Waived (6/9) safety Marlen Sewell (roster to 89)
• Rookie contract signed (6/9) cornerback Mansoor Delane (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (6/9) defensive tackle Peter Woods (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (5/21) defensive end R Mason Thomas (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (5/20) cornerback Jadon Canady (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (5/5) running back Emmett Johnson(roster unchanged)
• Signed (5/4) tackle Kahlil Benson, wide receiver Xavier Lyd, safety Marlen Sewell (roster to 90)
• Waived (5/4) quarterback Jake Haener, defensive end Ethan Hurkett, defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (roster to 87)
• Signed (5/1) defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr., linebacker Wesley Bissainthe , defensive tackle Cole Brevard, wide receiver Jeff Caldwell, wide receiver Jacob De Jesus, defensive end Anthony Dunn, wide reciever Omari Evans, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, defensive end Ethan Hurkett, defensive tackle Amari McNeill, safety Xavier Nwankpa, center Pete Nygra, running back Jadyn Ott, defensive tackle Damon Payne, cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, cornerback Bryce Phillips, safety DeShon Singleton, running back E.J. Smith, guard Josh Thompson, cornerback Zelmar Vedder (roster to 90)
• Rookie contract signed (5/1) wide receiver Cyrus Allen and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (roster unchanged)
• Waived (5/1) linebacker Brandon George (roster to 70)
• Roster exemption granted (4/29) offensive lineman Chukuebukua Godrick (roster to 71)
• Wavied (4/29) running back ShunDerrick Powell (roster to 72)
• Drafted at 7/249 (4/25) quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (roster to 73)
• Drafted at 5/178 (4/25) wide receiver Cyrus Allen (roster to 72)
• Drafted at 5/161 (4/25) running back Emmett Johnson (roster to 71)
• Drafted at 4/109 (4/25) cornerback Jadon Canady (roster to 70)
• Drafted at 2/40 (4/24) defensive end R Mason Thomas (roster to 69)
• Drafted at 1/29 (4/23) defensive tackle Peter Woods (roster to 68)
• Drafted at 1/6 (4/23) cornerback Mansoor Delane (roster to 67)
• Signed Exclusive Rights tender (4/20) punter Matt Araiza (roster unchanged)
• Signed (4/2) cornerback Kaiir Elam (roster to 66)
• Re-signed (3/23) tight end Travis Kelce
• Re-signed (3/20) linebacker Jack Cochrane
• Acquired via trade (3/16) quarterback Justin Fields
• Re-signed (3/14) offensive lineman Mike Caliendo
• Signed (3/12) running back Emari Demercado and safety Alohi Gilman
• RFA Contract tender (3/11) punter Matt Araiza
• Re-signed (3/10) wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, wide receiver Nikko Remigio and linebacker Cole Christiansen
• Signed (3/9) running back Kenneth Walker III, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman
• Re-signed (3/7) long snapper James Winchester
• Traded (3/4) cornerback Trent McDuffie
• Released (3/2) offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor
• Released (2/23) defensive end Michael Danna
• Signed to a Reserve/Future deal (2/2) quarterback Jake Haener
• Signed to Reserve/Future deal (1/27) wide receiver Jason Brownlee
• Signed to Reserve/Future contract (1/12) tight end Tre Watson
• Changed to ERFA (1/12) punter Matt Araiza, wide receiver Nikko Remigio and cornerback Eric Scott Jr.
• Changed to RFA (1/12) guard Mike Caliendo
• Changed to UFA (1/12) wide receiver Marquise Brown, safety Deon Bush, linebacker Leo Chenal linebacker Cole Christiansen, linebacker Jack Cochrane, safety Bryan Cook, safety Mike Edwards running back Kareem Hunt, running back Keaontay Ingram, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, tight end Travis Kelce, quarterback Gardner Minshew, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, defensive end Charles Omenihu running back Isiah Pacheco, defensive tackle Mike Pennel, running back Dameon Pierce, defensive end Janarius Robinson, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, tight end Robert Tonyan Jr., cornerback Jaylen Watson, cornerback Joshua Williams and long snapper James Winchester
• Practice squad contracts expired (1/12) guard Matt Broeker, wide receiver Jason Brownlee, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, defensive end Malik Herring, running back Carson Steele, defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, tight end Tre Watson (PS roster to zero)
• Released from practice squad (1/10) defensive back Tanner McCalister (PS roster to 7)
• Signed to Reserve/Futurecontracts (1/6) wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, running back ShunDerrick Powell
• Signed to Reserve/Futurecontracts (1/5) linebacker Kam Arnold, defensive tackle Marcus Harris, wide receiver Jimmy Holiday, tackle Matt Waletzko
• Waived (1/5) quarterback Shane Buechele (roster to 52)

While there were not a lot of individual announcements for us to track, the Minnesota Vikings were signing players to the practice squad on Monday, coming to terms with fifteen players, almost all of whom were with the team during training camp.

Here is the full list of players the team has brought back.

• CB Da’Veawn Armstead
• WR Michael Briscoe
• G Henry Byrd
• C Gavin Gerhardt
• G Joshua Gray
• S Kahlef Hailassie
• LB Bangally Kamara
• TE Marshall Lang
• OT Tristan Leigh
• OT Jack Nelson
• CB Bryce Phillips
• DL Jahvaree Ritzie
• WR Trayvon Rudolph
• OLB Cam’Ron Stewart
• S Tavierre Thomas

There had been a report from NFL reporter Aaron Wilson that the Vikings had signed former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Cam Grandy to the practice squad as well. Whether that report was inaccurate (which would be odd) or the deal simply was not worked out prior to the NFL’s transaction deadline, Grandy’s name was not on the list of practice squad signings that the team released.

Of the fifteen players the team signed to the practice squad, fourteen of them went through training camp with the Vikings this season. The lone exception is Nelson, who was a seventh-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He appeared in 10 games for the Falcons last year, almost exclusively on special teams. According to Pro Football Reference, he played only four snaps on offense.

The Vikings might be interested in bringing back either quarterback Max Brosmer or wide receiver Dillon Bell to the practice squad, as both of those players were waived on Monday to make room for the team’s two waiver claims, Nick Samac and Trevor Keegan. If that’s the case, both of those players will have to be on waivers for 24 hours (and go unclaimed, of course) in order for the Vikings to bring them back to the practice squad.

But, as it stands for now, that is your Minnesota Vikings practice squad, folks. What do you think about the players the Vikings brought back?

The San Francisco 49ers are starting to make some moves, trimming the 90-man roster to 53. Those that don’t make the 53 have a chance of being placed on the practice squad.

The practice squad is important: players on it can travel with the team and do much of the work that any other active player does. They just don’t suit up on game day. That means they can help the 49ers prepare for their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

The 49ers sit as 3.5-point underdogs over at FanDuel Sportsbook. The game is in Melbourne, Australia, with the Rams as the designated home team. Without the Rams’ field to help (which usually gets invaded by 49ers fans), the playing field is severely leveled.

An NFL practice squad consists of 17 players. One of which is part of the NFL International Pathway Program, six can be veterans with no cap on experience, and the final 10 must be rookies or second-year players. As of this writing, the full 17 spots are available, so the 49ers have lots of flexibility.

Of that practice squad, the 49ers get to designate four protected players, which means they can’t be placed on another team’s active roster (basically to stop poaching). Two players can be promoted to the active roster for one week and return to the squad. If they play an additional consecutive week, then the 49ers have to offer the player a one-year deal.

In other words, the 49ers want both young talent they can develop over the season and players who can be absolute backups when injuries occur. Some of these players will be protected and won’t even sniff the field for a year while they develop. Others are chances the 49ers take to hold onto unless they sign to another team’s active roster.

Isaac Alarcon will be the International Player Pathway exemption following his release, per Matt Maiocco. That allows the 49ers to have 17 on their practice squad.

Maiocco also hinted that running back Khalil Herbert, wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, and edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo would be on the plane for Australia on Wednesday. Whether those are “handshake deals” after being released, or they make the initial 53-man roster remains to be seen.

We’ll update this thread in the meantime with any rumors or reports of who the 49ers plan to use to fill out the 17 spots on the squad.

Kyle’s update, 9:42 a.m. PT: The Ravens released Adisa Isaac, a former third-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft.

Isaac has a long list of injuries in his short career. He only played four games as a rookie due to a hamstring injury that lingered into the season after sustaining it during training camp. Last August, Isaac dislocated his elbow in the preseason. That elbow injury cost Isaac his 2025 season after he underwent surgery in November.

Isaac entered the NFL as a raw, toolsy pass rusher. He has elite traits. While he’s only listed at around 247 pounds, Isaac had a broad jump in the 83rd percentile, while his height, arm length, 40, and vertical jump were all in the 60th percentile.

The 49ers could buy low on a player like Isaac and hopefully develop him into a role player. Isaac can also contribute on special teams. He’d be a better fit in Raheem Morris’s scheme, as Isaac could play from a two-point stance.

The cupboard is bare at the position after Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Sam O, and Romello Height. You’re unlikely to have Williams healthy to begin the season. Isaac gives you a power rusher who can drop in coverage with traits to build on. Why not roll the dice on a former third-rounder to see if he can give you more than what Ogbo Okoronkwo can?

Kyle’s update, 10:59 a.m. PT: A couple of other former draft picks at edge rusher have been waived. Jose Ramirez is undersized, listed at 6’1 7/8″ and 242 pounds. He had elite shuttle times with a 3-cone in the 88th percentile and a 20-yard shuttle in the 78th percentile. If the 49ers are looking to add speed on the roster or practice squad, Ramirez is worth a look.

Trice tore his ACL in the first preseason game of his rookie year. He hurt the same knee last preseason. Injuries are brutal. Some had high hopes for Trice. It’s unlikely even Raheem Morris, somebody familiar with Trice, would roll the dice on him after multiple injuries.

Kyle’s update, 11:16 a.m. PT: The 49ers released Quinton Bell. That’s the first of many moves to come today.

Kyle’s update, 12:37 p.m. PT: The 49ers waived tight end Khalil Dinkins. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team plans to bring him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Dinkins is an intriguing project at tight end. He was an impressive blocker in the preseason finale.

Pat’s Update 1:33 p.mPT: The 49ers have waived LB Jalen Graham. That’s a possible practice squad candidate. As Matt Barrows points out, Jalen’s height + background at safety could be something the 49ers could use.

Pat’s Update 1:42 p.m. PT: The 49ers have waived WR Will Pauling. That’s another practice squad candidate.

Pat’s update 1:50 p.m. PT: Per Matt Maiocco, the 49ers have waived tight end Hayden Rucci. Things are going a bit quicker now as the deadline approaches.

Pat’s update 1:51 p.m. PT: The 49ers have waived defensive back Patrick McMorris. That’s another practice squad candidate.

Kyle’s update, 2:15 p.m. PT: Jalen Stroman has been waived, per Maiocco. The 49ers intend to bring him back to the practice squad.

Kyle’s update, 2:57 p.m. PT: Any minute now, the 49ers’ full roster should be out. Until then, the team released wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge. Depending on how they feel about the rest of the receiver room, Hodge would be a candidate to return to the practice squad and be elevated on game day to cover kicks.

Kyle’s update, Monday, 10:36 a.m. PT: The 49ers are building their practice squad. According to Matt Barrows, edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo, tight end Khalil Dinkins, and wide receiver Wesley Grimes will all sign with the practice squad.

Kyle’s update, 11:17 a.m. PT: Linebacker Jalen Graham and defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez will also join the practice squad, according to Barrows.

Mike Garafolo tweeted that wide receiver Will Pauling will also join the practice squad.

Vic Tafur tweeted that running back Sincere McCormick will also sign to the practice squad. That brings the practice squad to 7 members.

Pat’s update 12:07 p.m.PT: For those of you hoping to see Darrell Luter or Bryson Eason coming to the 49ers practice squad, you will be disappoited. Both have been claimed off waivers. Easeon was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs and Darrell Luter was claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Pat’s Update 12:31 p.m. PT: 49ers have announced their practice squad signings. In addition to the ones we’ve updated it looks like KhaDarel Hodge, Drake Nugent, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Jakob Robinson, Jalen Stroman, and Jon Weeks are officially official for the squad. Here’s the list:

OT – Isaac Alarcon
TE – Khalil Dinkins
LB – Jalen Graham
WR – Wesley Grimes
WR – KhaDarel Hodge
RB – Sincere McCormick
OL – Drake Nugent
DL – Ogbo Okoronkwo
WR – Will Pauling
CB – Jakob Robinson
S – Jalen Stroman
DL – Sebastian Valdez
LS – Jon Weeks

Pat’s Update 12:36 p.m. PT: It’s never done. In addition to the above names, Matt Barrows reports the 49ers plan to sign OL Foster Sarell to the practice squad.

Kyle’s update, 4:16 p.m. PT: Former Bills cornerback Brandon Codrington signed to the practice squad, per Aaron Wilson.

Codrington spent the past two seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He was undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. Codrington, 5’9″, 180 pounds, played sparingly in the slot for Buffalo. He did get some action as a kick and punt returner. His longest return came in Week 1 of last season. That was 41 yards. He also had a couple of double-digit-yard punt returns.

As a rookie, Codrington had a 53-yard kickoff return in Week 1 against the Cardinals. He had four punt returns of at least 20 yards. With Jacob Cowing working on the side of practice Monday, this might be the team’s punt returner in Week 1.

As the New England Patriots continued to tinker with their 53-man roster on Monday, they also began the process of putting together their practice squad.

In total, New England added 12 players to their developmental team, 11 of which were with the team during training camp this past summer.

Here are the top storylines regarding the team’s initial practice squad.

Spaces remain

New England’s initial developmental squad features 12 players, one being an International Pathway Player that does not count against the 16-man limit. That means the Patriots have five open spots on their practice — in addition to two spots on their 53-man roster.

Vested veterans Ben Brown and K.J. Britt, who both were released on Monday after making the initial 53-man roster, are candidates to return to the team and fill two of the remaining spots.

Punter contingency

The Patriots placed punter Bryce Baringer on injured reserve, meaning the 27-year old will miss at least the first four weeks of the season. It’s a disappointing result for Baringer, who suffered the undisclosed lower body injury in the second preseason game, as he was having a strong camp.

With Baringer sidelined, the Patriots signed veteran Mitch Wishnowsky to the practice squad. Wishnowsky spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers before punting in 13 games for the Bills last season. He is the only current member of the practice squad that did not spend the summer with the team.

Offensive line depth

The backup offensive line was struck with the injury bug this offseason, as Marcus Bryant will start the year on injured reserve while Ben Brown was also sidelined. New England is then keeping offensive tackle Lorenz Metz and center Jacob Rizy on the practice squad as additional depth.

Rizy filled in this summer for Brown as the second-team center, while Metz has been with the team last January. Part of the International Pathway Program, the 6-foot-9 Metz does not count against the 16-player practice squad total.

New England is set to then add even more depth up front, with Brown’s expected return and the reported signing of Jake Kubas from the New York Giants.

Receiver replacements

New England’s practice squad last season featured wide receivers John Jiles and Jeremiah Webb for the duration of the season. Jiles, however, was released earlier this offseason while Webb landed on injured reserve early in training camp.

That led to a pair of UDFA’s in Kyle Dixon and Cameron Dorner signing with the practice squad this season. Dixon brings good size to the scout team while he impressed in the preseason finale. Dorner had several impressive moments this summer with his ability to separate and generate explosive plays.

Backfield depth

Elsewhere on offense, the Patriots kept both Hassan Haskins and Lan Larison at the running back position. The duo was competing for the RB3 spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson this summer before the Patriots traded for Corey Kiner.

With Haskins’ power and Larison’s ability as a pass catcher, the duo brings a good variety of skillsets to the practice squad while both have special teams ability.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Jesse Minter's performance went viral.

But at the Baltimore Ravens' team dinner, he was not the first coach to take the mic. And staff performances were not part of the plan.

The Ravens' dinner, scheduled during their trip to Minnesota for joint practices and a preseason game against the Vikings, featured a standard NFL tradition: rookie players singing before the rest of the team.

Second-round rookie edge rusher Zion Young asked defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver if he could perform another act. Young had already shown his defensive teammates his imitation of Weaver; could Young show his Weaver bit to the whole team?

Weaver agreed, but cautioned Young: Your defensive teammates have already seen this and your offensive teammates won't catch many of your references. Young risked the flop.

"So it was a dud, it was bad," Weaver told Yahoo Sports of the imitation he admitted was "hilarious" the first time around. "I did warn him. I did. I tried to. That's my job as a coach: Try and save you. So I got up there and sang to save him from the ridicule from his teammates.

"I essentially got up there and changed the focus of attention."

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As Weaver's rendition of Anthony Hamilton's "Charlene" impressed players, an energetic room continued to call for coaches.

"Double D!" wide receiver Zay Flowers exclaimed into the microphone afterward.

Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle hadn't expected to sing, but the detail-oriented coach considered his cues as he reached the front of the room.

"Similar to how I call plays, I was thinking about like, 'All right, what are the boys going to know?'" Doyle told Yahoo Sports. "You watch rookie performances and they're literally all about enthusiasm. And as long as you don't forget the words, and you're enthusiastic and you have energy, you should be fine."

So Doyle pulled off his rendition of "Shot for Me" by Drake. Then momentum turned toward the Ravens head coach.

Would Minter, a steady-energy personality like Doyle, let loose and sing? The question wasn't what artist he'd choose — Weaver had already correctly guessed Minter's Eminem fandom at a spring uniform reveal event for fans. But would Minter, a rookie head coach, play into a ruse he had the option to avoid?

Minter's 30+ seconds of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" energized the room and soon the internet after highly touted rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane shared a clip on Instagram. Players gathered around a table of half-eaten key lime pie and partially drank water glasses, singing along. The moment felt almost natural despite the surprise.

Because after 18 years with John Harbaugh as the Ravens head coach, a new and needed energy shift has arrived. That's by design. It's not a knock on Harbaugh, whose culture is now animating his New York Giants locker room. But sometimes messages lose their edge — as parents and children across time have seen — and disciples are more willing to listen to a new source.

Enter 43-year-old Minter to replace the 63-year-old Harbaugh, and 30-year-old Doyle to take over for 60-year-old Todd Monken (now the Cleveland Browns head coach). A youth movement has arrived in Baltimore. Players noticed even before Minter rapped "Lose Yourself," which he figured would resonate despite its 2002 release given Eminem had "survived the last 10 years on my playlist." And they're well aware after it.

"For him to end it off like that kind of shows that at the end of the day, he's our leader, but at the same time, he's going through everything we're going through and he's willing to do the things that it takes," cornerback Chidobe Awuzie told Yahoo Sports. "Some coaches [would] be like, 'Oh no, I'm too big for that.' But [Minter] got up there, turned us all up, had a great time.

"You have a coach that has that energy, it just reinforces all those things that we're trying to get out of the game."

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While Ravens D could look similar, Lamar Jackson and offense are changing  

From the Ravens' Jan. 22 hiring of Minter to their early February hiring of Doyle, Baltimore did not simply hire young play-callers for the sake of hiring young play-callers.

Minter arrives in Baltimore after coordinating consecutive top-10 scoring defenses for the Los Angeles Chargers. Doyle earns his second straight promotion from a boss under which he's not previously worked, after coordinating Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson's top-10 scoring offense.

Minter and Weaver each return to Baltimore after prior stints coaching there in the last decade, creating a continuity with recent Ravens units that leaned into physicality and aggressiveness. Baltimore maintained its hold on top-10 defenses in terms of scoring and yardage from 2022-2024 before falling to 18th in points allowed and 24th in yardage last season.

With a defensive line that now features edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Young, and a secondary that continues to be anchored by chess piece Kyle Hamilton, the Ravens' first-team defense created problems for both the Vikings and the Washington Commanders in August joint practices.

Weaver references a film review from their joint practice in Minnesota, the camera angle just behind Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray. The Ravens had dropped eight defenders in coverage on a red-zone play that presented a third-and-5 play, give or take. 

"There was no place to go for the ball," Weaver said. "You just felt the pocket with Calais [Campbell] and Trey [Hendrickson] and [Tavius Robinson] out there right on three-man rush. And that's not even all rushers out.

"But when I think about that, that's what you constantly want to see. You just want to see suffocating defense."

A suffocating defense could give an offense undergoing more noticeable shifts room to breathe.

In Lamar Jackson's ninth season, expect more under-center work from the two-time MVP who has not been primarily under center since youth football, he said. Expect Jackson's throwing mechanics to shift from a right-foot-forward motion to a left-foot-forward motion that Shanahan-McVay and West Coast system teams across the league believe is imperative to the timing of the passing game. 

"Everything in the dropback passing game times up with that left foot forward," Doyle said. "That took a little bit, not a little discussion, but I wanted to make sure he felt comfortable doing it before we were like, 'Hey, let's just go down that path.' He felt really good about it, and so we started working in the spring, and it's come really natural to him."