NFL Player News

Beathard (groin) will not play in the Hall of Fame Game against the Raiders on Thursday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

Beathard is still recovering from a groin injury suffered in minicamp. The 28-year-old has been limited in practice and isn't quite ready to take the field yet. With Trevor Lawrence also getting the night off , Jake Luton will get the starting nod.

Luton will draw the start Thursday against the Raiders in the Hall of Fame Game, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

With Trevor Lawrence getting the night off, and C.J. Beathard still recovering from a groin injury suffered in minicamp, Luton will get the nod. The 26-year-old will use the opportunity to help prove he deserves to be Lawrence's backup, as Beathard is still currently projected to fill that role.

Murray (illness) is "feeling better" according to coach Kliff Kingsbury and could return to practice by the end of the week, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Murray recently tested positive for COVID-19 but has been participating in meetings virtually. Additionally, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site notes that Murray had his right wrist checked out during Friday's practice, but Kingsbury relayed that the signal caller's wrist is improving. While Murray is unable to practice, Colt McCoy will take Arizona's first-team QB reps.

Pickett moved up to the second-team offense Monday for the first padded practice of training camp, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Pickett reportedly struggled, albeit in a relatively short session during which most of his snaps were hand-offs. The rookie first-round pick had worked with Pittsburgh's third-team offense for the most part so far, with Mitch Trubisky leading the starters and Mason Rudolph handling second-team work. Pickett could enter Week 1 as a gameday inactive if Rudolph outperforms him this summer.

Lawrence won't play in the Hall of Fame Game against Las Vegas on Thursday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

With Lawrence held out and C.J. Beathard (groin) unavailable, it'll be Jake Luton getting the start and Kyle Sloter coming off the bench. Beathard vs. Luton for the backup job may be the only real competition in the QB room this summer, but it's also a crucial time in Lawrence's career as he prepares for his second NFL season with the help of a new coaching staff. The Jaguars also gave him a bit more on-field help this year, signing RG Brandon Scherff and WRs Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in the offseason. We'll likely see Lawrence in action later this preseason, if only for a few drives.

Stafford (elbow) didn't work in team drills Monday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Sean McVay noted that the approach was taken because the QB is "still feeling a little bit of pain." Despite that comment, McVay indicated that he's not too concerned, suggesting that Stafford could push through the pain, but "that's not the goal with somebody like him." With that in mind, consider Stafford day-to-day until he's next able to participate fully in team drills.

Murray has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss at least five days of practice, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Murray likely will return to practice next week ahead of the Cardinals' preseason opener in Cincinnati on Aug. 12. He recently signed a five-year contract extension for approximately $230.5 million.

Neither Mayfield nor Sam Darnold has pulled away from the other over the first few days of training camp, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Mayfield has had the higher highs, per Gantt, but Darnold thus far has been more consistent. While Mayfield faces a steeper learning curve after having been acquired via trade in July, his Thursday session was the sharpest from either quarterback to date. This competition may take a while to resolve, but Mayfield is the consensus favorite to eventually beat out Darnold as Carolina's Week 1 starter under center.

Darnold has been more consistent than Baker Mayfield over the first few days of Carolina's training camp, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Gantt points out that Darnold likely has benefited from having more time in the team's system than Mayfield, who was acquired via trade in July. Mayfield thus far has shown more upside but less consistency. While Mayfield is the consensus favorite to win Carolina's quarterback competition, Darnold won't make it easy to do so.

Mills studied his throw chart from his rookie season and has worked on improving his weaker areas, Mark Lane of USA Today reports.

Mills played his best football down the stretch last season, going 2-3 with a 9:2 TD:INT in his final five starts after an 0-6 start to his career. He's looking to build on his promising finish by eliminating his weaknesses, and Mills hopes he'll be able to make every throw asked of him after addressing his weak spots.