With the NFL cutdown day off to a fast start, there have been plenty of trades, surprise cuts, and even a future Hall of Famer coming out of retirement. Sunday provided much-needed news in a truly eventful fashion.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement for one last championship run on a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, Odell Beckham Jr. made the New York Giants’ 53-man roster, continuing his story right where it began.
Running back Josh Jacobs went on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, which prompted the Green Bay Packers to acquire running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Minnesota, the Vikings kept J.J. McCarthy, while the Titans moved on from quarterback Will Levis.
Here’s the latest NFL news that took place on Sunday.
After months of speculation, the payoff finally arrived. The Los Angeles Rams lured three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald out of retirement on a one-year, $20 million deal, ESPN first reported on Sunday afternoon.
The deal can reach as much as $30 million with incentives, assuming he plays up to expectations this season. Donald joins one of the league’s top defenses, forming a dominant front alongside Myles Garrett and pairing two of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history.
“I think this is a complete team with me here or without me here,” Donald told reporters about re-joining the Rams. “I already thought it was a stacked D-line with Verse … then you bring a guy like Myles Garrett, a generational talent, and it’s like, that could be fun, right?
After Donald last suited up for the Rams in 2023 and announced his retirement in March 2024 at the age of 32, the Rams posted back-to-back winning seasons. Now, after continuing to strengthen their defense, they welcome the legend back.
With Donald back in action, he’s expected to make his long-awaited debut in Week 1 when the Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia.
After years of injuries, Beckham is back on a Week 1 roster – and it’s a familiar one for him. He earned a spot on the Giants’ 53-man roster, completing a full-circle journey that lands him back where his career started.
After weeks of speculation, Beckham has officially made the cut. This marks the first time he’ll be on the Giants’ Week 1 roster since 2018 and with Malik Nabers working his way back from injury.
“I never wanted to leave; I wanted to win,” Beckham told reporters after the Giants’ preseason win over the Jets. “All I ever wanted was for the Giants organization was win a championship. All I ever wanted to do was be great, and those things still very much matter to me.”
Adding depth with an experienced player like Beckham was a must for head coach John Harbaugh. Now, with Beckham set to make the roster, the Giants have improved the receiver room from last season for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Beckham was selected No. 12 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and he put up staggering numbers during his Giants tenure. In 59 games, he recorded 390 catches, 5,476 yards, and 44 touchdowns before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019
With Nabers returning, Beckham joins a Giants receiver room alongside Darnell Mooney, Darius Slayton, and Notre Dame third-round pick Malachi Fields. Beckham offers depth while Nabers, Fields, and Mooney absorb most early snaps.
The Green Bay Packers officially placed edge rusher Micah Parsons on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list Sunday, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the regular season.
Parsons continues to recover from a torn ACL and meniscus damage sustained last December against the Denver Broncos.
Under NFL regulations, placement on the Reserve/PUP list requires a minimum four-game absence, sidelining Parsons for matchups against the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He remains on track for a potential October return, making a Week 6 matchup against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, a possible target.
Josh Jacobs will open the 2026 NFL regular season on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he will not be allowed to practice or play while he’s on the list. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
In a separate move, running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list on Sunday, which prevents him from practicing or playing while the league continues its review.
The decision follows a May arrest in Wisconsin, where initial domestic abuse charges were reduced Thursday to two misdemeanors: misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst acknowledged earlier in the week that the organization was “preparing” for a potential league suspension. To address backfield depth with Jacobs unavailable, Green Bay acquired running back Kaleb Johnson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Packers also made two trades on Sunday.
To address backfield depth with Jacobs unavailable, Green Bay acquired running back Kaleb Johnson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers addressed their backfield depth by acquiring running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Johnson, a 2025 third-round draft choice out of Iowa, saw limited action in Pittsburgh behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, logging 28 carries for 69 yards across 10 games as a rookie.
He joins a Packers running back room that includes MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks as Green Bay prepares for the regular season with starter Josh Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list. During his final season at Iowa, Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Green Bay Packers traded second-year quarterback Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick.
McCord, 23, is positioned to serve as the primary backup to starting quarterback Malik Willis in Miami. The trade follows a strong preseason finale performance by McCord, who completed 22 of 35 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals.
With Tyrod Taylor serving as Jordan Love’s backup in Green Bay, McCord was slated for third-string duties. Miami created roster availability over the weekend by trading quarterback Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars and releasing backup quarterbacks Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski.
After weeks of speculation regarding J.J. McCarthy’s future with the Minnesota Vikings, his future (at least in the short term) is now set. The second-year quarterback from Michigan is expected to make the Vikings’ final 53-man roster, as first reported by ESPN.
General manager Nolan Teasley has the final say over the Vikings’ 53-man roster, and he decided that the Vikings will carry quarterbacks Murray, McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer on their roster heading into the regular season. That could change in the two weeks before the Vikings’ regular-season opener, but O’Connell now has a strong mix of experience and development in the room.
After missing his entire rookie season with a meniscus tear, McCarthy underwhelmed in his first year as a starter in 2025. He completed just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, totaling 15 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Minnesota went 6-4 in the 10 games McCarthy started as he battled ankle and hand injuries, as well as a concussion. Still, those results weren’t enough to fully convince O’Connell and his staff that he is the long-term franchise quarterback.
All eyes now shift to the coming week to see if McCarthy remains on the active roster or if a trade partner finally emerges for the former 2024 first-round pick.
The Tennessee Titans released quarterback Will Levis on Sunday as part of their final 53-man roster cutdowns. The decision solidifies veteran Mitchell Trubisky as the primary backup behind 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward heading into the regular season.
Levis completed 53.8% of his passes for 200 yards across three preseason appearances this summer before the team made the move.
Originally selected by Tennessee with the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Levis started nine games as a rookie before earning the starting job in 2024.
He struggled through a 2-10 record as a starter that season, throwing 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while battling shoulder issues.
After the Titans selected Ward with the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Levis missed the entire 2025 campaign following season-ending shoulder surgery in July.
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