Titans put Calvin Ridley on IR, sign James Proche to 53-man roster
Titans head coach Mike McCoy announced after Sunday's game that wide receiver Calvin Ridley suffered a season-ended broken fibula in the team's loss to the Texans and Ridley officially landed on injured reserve on Tuesday.
Ridley missed three games with a hamstring injury before returning to action against Houston and ends his season with 17 catches for 303 yards. His final catch of the year came on the first play of Sunday's game and he did not return to the field after suffering his injury on that play.
The Titans filled the open roster spot by signing James Proche off the practice squad. He has appeared in two games this season.
They also signed wideouts Lance McCutcheon and Kristian Wilkerson to the practice squad. The team may need reinforcements at receiver this week with rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike also dealing with injuries.
Vic Fangio’s defense is coming off two incredible games against the Packers and Lions and it’s probably not a coincidence that the defense is taking off as Nakobe Dean rounds into form.
Dean, 24, began the season on the PUP list but has been a difference-maker since his return.
While Dean was active for the Eagles’ loss to the Giants in Week 6, he was limited to special teams. He began playing defense in Week 7 and has been a big catalyst for this four-game winning streak.
“I know what he looks like when he is right,” Fangio said on Tuesday. “I think we did the right thing. He could have played that Giants game, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that. He’s progressed nicely both in practice and in the games, and you guys have seen it.”
In the last two weeks, Dean has 2 sacks, 10 tackles, 2 TFLs, 3 QB hits and 1 forced fumble.
Dean played at a really high level last season before tearing his patellar tendon in the wild-card round against the Packers. That’s a significant injury and recovery but Dean has been excellent since coming back in 2025.
Is that surprising to Fangio?
“I know he worked really hard in his rehab,” Fangio said. “He was bugging those guys in the training room to come back earlier than they allowed him to. So, from that regard, no. Nakobe’s got good instincts, good football acumen. I don’t want to say it comes easy, but it comes natural to him, so that speeds it up too.”
The Eagels began this season with Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell as their starting inside linebackers. But since Dean’s return, he has been taking away snaps from the rookie Campbell, who has been getting work on the edge too.
Against the Lions, Dean played his highest-percentage of snaps so far this season. He played 40 snaps, while Campbell played 17 at inside linebacker. Fangio on Tuesday said that rotation will “probably stay similar.”
Not a rookie anymore
Back in October, Fangio called rookie safety Drew Mukuba’s season “uneven.” But since then, Mukuba has been able to find some more consistency.
He isn’t making a ton of huge plays but he’s not giving them up either.
“That’s a part of us playing better too,” Fangio said. “Early in the year, he had some bad plays that led to big plays for the opponent and we haven’t had that lately.”
The Eagles began the season with Mukuba and Sydney Brown splitting reps but Mukuba has now started nine games and has been the full-time starter for most of the season. The second-round pick is getting better.
And that was to be expected. The Eagles just had to be patient.
“Yeah, I think I told you guys a story, Bud Grant always used to say, ‘For every rookie you play, add a loss to your loss column,’” Fangio said. “I heard another guy say, ‘You’ve got to pay taxes on when you play rookies.’ But now it’s game 11 coming up. He’s not a rookie anymore.”
On a snap count
Fangio on Tuesday confirmed that OLB Nolan Smith is still on a snap limitation three weeks into his return from Injured Reserve with a tricep injury.
It’s clearly not Fangio’s decision as he mentioned head athletic trainer Tom Hunkele, but it’s probably wise to let Smith ramp up. Smith tore his triceps in the Super Bowl and then landed on IR this year with another injury to his triceps.
Here are Smith’s snaps in his two games since coming back from IR:
Week 10 at Green Bay: 19 snaps (27.9%)
Week 11 vs. Lions: 22 snaps (37.3%)
For reference, Smith averaged 34.1 snaps per game in the regular season last year and then played 52.3 snaps per game in the playoffs. Even with Jaelan Phillips and Jalyx Hunt playing well, the Eagles will want to keep increasing Smith’s usage.
Off to a good start
It’s hard to imagine Jaelan Phillips’ first two games in an Eagles uniform going any better than they have.
Phillips, 26, has been great against the Packers and Lions and is producing like he did in half a year under Fangio in 2023.
“Yeah, I think he’s close to being back to that spot,” Fangio said. “I really do.”
Back in 2011, Phillips had 6 1/2 sacks in 8 games under Fangio in Miami before tearing his Achilles. In two games under Fangio this season, Phillips already has 11 tackles, 13 pressures, 1 sack, 4 QB hits and 2 TFLs.
Is there another level for Phillips to reach?
“Yeah, he’s a young player still,” Fangio said. “He can still get better.”
Most of the people ESPN's Kalyn Kahler spoke to in Madrid did not know who the Miami Dolphins were - and most of those that did were from Mexico [Getty Images]
Sunday's game in Spain wrapped up a landmark year for the NFL's global expansion.
Not only was there a record seven regular-season games played overseas this season, they were played across five countries.
And the NFL ended this season's slate of international games by ticking off two more iconic venues, staging its first games at Berlin's Olympiastadion and Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium.
Henry Hodgson, general manager of NFL UK and Ireland, told BBC Sport the games "remain a very important part of our growth internationally".
So what's next for America's biggest sports league as it aims to capitalise on its growing popularity around the world?
How many international games will there be in 2026?
The NFL's first regular-season game to be played abroad was in Mexico in 2005 and the UK has hosted annual games since 2007.
Germany was added to the schedule in 2022 but the league's desire to truly go global began with South America staging its first game in Brazil in 2024.
Four European countries hosted games this season - with Ireland and Spain having their first - and in 2026 Australia will host the first NFL game outside the Americas or Europe.
There will again be games in Brazil and Germany, while the NFL has had a long-term commitment to play three in London each year.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has also said the NFL will return to Mexico, with the Estadio Azteca having been renovated for the 2026 World Cup, although there has been no official confirmation yet.
If announced, that would make it seven international games for 2026. Under the NFL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, it can play up to 10 per year and the league has been assessing potential host cities worldwide, including the Middle East and Asia.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have played in London each year from 2013, and twice in 2023.
They are the only team solely responsible for organising an international game so keep all revenues from the event, and team president Mark Lamping told BBC Sport that a Wembley game is more profitable than one in Jacksonville.
But rumours of the Jaguars one day relocating to London were quashed when the Florida franchise committed to a major renovation project of their own stadium costing $1.4bn (£1.1bn).
"We haven't determined the number yet," said Lamping. "First we have to determine where we'll play in 2027, then if there are scheduling difficulties, that may lead us one way or the other."
Tickets did not sell as quickly for this season's London games, but come gameday the attendances at Tottenham and Wembley matched previous years.
Despite there being more international games, many European fans still travel to the UK. BBC Sport spoke to several Germans who attended a London game as they have never managed to get a ticket for a game in their home nation, such is the demand in their homeland.
"NFL fans across Europe are being served incredibly well," added Hodgson. "There's lots of opportunities to visit different countries and watch NFL games, but I think there's [still] more than enough appetite for fans to come and visit us."
Will the NFL return to Germany, Ireland & Spain?
The NFL launched a global markets programme in 2022, giving teams marketing rights in specific countries, and more have rights in Germany than any other country (11).
Two of them played in the Berlin game on 9 November, when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, while the other nine hosted events in the German capital that weekend.
Munich and Frankfurt have previously staged games, and the NFL has agreed to return to Berlin in 2027 and 2029.
The league is set to announce which city will host games in 2026 and 2028, and Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL Germany, said: "I think we'll have a good mix of two cities going forward."
He added that teams are "queueing up" to play in Germany and joked his team "wouldn't complain" about having multiple games, but they are also "rallying behind the NFL's efforts to really grow the game internationally, which includes far beyond Germany.
"We know the value of each international game and are supporting our international colleagues to identify those destinations that make the most sense for us as a league."
Several NFL officials have said the Pittsburgh Steelers' win in Dublin in September surpassed expectations and the league is still evaluating whether to go back to Ireland.
Commissioner Goodell said the NFL will return to Spain after the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders in overtime on Sunday, despite it being what ESPN's Kalyn Kahler called "a nascent market".
The Dolphins have marketing rights in Spain but Kahler spoke to locals in Madrid's main plaza last week and "for the most part, they had no idea what the Miami Dolphins or the NFL were".
"Multiple people asked me 'que tipo de rugby es' - what type of rugby is this?"
She added that Spain is "not at the level of football knowledge or fandom that the UK is or Germany, Mexico or even Brazil. I feel like this market was their biggest experiment [yet]."
The NFL has also looked at playing in Barcelona, with the Nou Camp seen as another iconic stadium the league could tick off once it has been fully renovated.
The league has carried out site visits in several cities, including Paris and Abu Dhabi, and work in potential host markets begins years in advance.
For example, the New Orleans Saints are the only team with marketing rights in France while the San Francisco 49ers are one of three operating in the UAE, and both are engaging with local communities to build interest there.
"We're monitoring and examining locations around the world," added Hodgson.
"People often focus on 'is this stadium viable?'. But actually, the important thing for us is, 'are those markets going to be viable, not just to play a game in but to grow a fanbase?'. That really is where the decision gets made."
