NFL Player News

Taylor completed 13 of 21 pass attempts for 129 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers in Thursday's 23-21 preseason victory over New England. He also rushed once for two yards.

Daniel Jones and Davis Webb also logged time behind center in the contest, but Taylor saw the most action of the trio. He was responsible for the team's only passing touchdown, connecting with Richie James for a seven-yard score in the second quarter. Taylor will open the regular season as New York's backup quarterback, but he offers a viable alternative to Jones if the latter struggles in new head coach Brian Daboll's offense.

Jones completed six of 10 passes for 69 yards and rushed once for six yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason win over the Patriots. He didn't have a touchdown or turnover while playing the first two series.

Jones got the offense down to New England's seven-yard line on the opening drive, but the Giants ended up settling for a field goal before punting on the second possession. This was an unremarkable start to the preseason for Jones under new coach Brian Daboll, but he's still locked in as the Giants' starting quarterback. Jones will likely see a similar workload in the team's second preseason game at home against the Bengals on Aug. 21.

Huntley completed 16 of 18 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in a 23-10 preseason win over Tennessee on Thursday, adding three carries for 17 yards.

Huntley was accurate on short passes and mostly stuck to throws within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, though he did complete a 22-yarder to TE Isaiah Likely and a 14-yard, jump-ball TD to WR Shemar Bridges. The young QB got the start with Lamar Jackson and nearly every other starter sidelined for the Ravens, and it was a solid showing for Huntley apart from one early misfire on what should have been a long completion. It's still pretty much the same story as last year -- Huntley is mobile, smart and does well with short throws, but he's also small (196 pounds) and about three tiers below Jackson in terms of arm strength.

Willis completed six of 11 passes for 107 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed five times for 38 yards and a score in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night.

Willis' night started slowly with three incompletions and a pair of three-play, five-yard drives sandwiched around a one-play possession that ended in a Julius Chestnut fumble. However, the rookie hit his stride from that point, completing six of his last eight attempts, the highlight of those throws a 48-yard completion to Racey McMath early in the second quarter on a drive that culminated in a field goal. Willis' rushing score, a seven-yard jaunt on the prior possession, was also a thing of beauty, as he reversed direction and beat multiple defenders to the end zone with speed and a nifty cutback move to get past the goal line. The high-upside third-round pick did take two sacks and naturally needs plenty more seasoning at the pro level, but in his first half of NFL action, he already flashed the strong arm and elite mobility that endeared him to to the organization. Willis' first opportunity to build on a strong initial performance comes in a preseason home matchup against the Buccaneers a week from Saturday night.

Allen won't play in Saturday's preseason contest versus the Saints after testing positive for COVID-19, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

In a press conference earlier Thursday, coach Lovie Smith told Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com that Allen wouldn't play due to personal reasons, but the quarterback instead has entered COVID-19 protocols. Allen thus will need to stay away from Texans facilities for at least five days. With Allen sidelined, Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel will handle all the QB reps for the team Saturday.

Texans coach Lovie Smith said that Allen will not play in Saturday's preseason game against New Orleans due to personal reasons, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Smith also added that Allen missed practice Thursday for similar undisclosed reasons, though it's still unclear just how long the quarterback is expected to miss this preseason. The 26-year-old signal-caller signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Houston in March after completing 12 of his 19 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown over two games with Washington last season. In Allen's absence, journeyman backup Jeff Driskel figures to see increased run in Saturday's game behind starter Davis Mills.

Coach Lovie Smith said Mills is in line to play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Saints, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Prior to this statement, Smith also noted backup quarterback Kyle Allen won't play Saturday due to personal reasons, leaving Mills and Jeff Driskel as the only Texans available at the position this weekend. Smith didn't mention how much action Mills can expect to see, but it's safe to say the breakdown of snaps and possessions likely will tilt in Driskel's favor, so as not to risk Mills' health.

Coach Matt Rhule said Thursday that Darnold and Baker Mayfield will each play roughly one series apiece during Saturday's preseason game at Washington, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Darnold and Mayfield are in the midst of a quarterback competition, with the latter seeming to take on more of the first-team reps as training camp went on. That said, Rhule didn't announce who will start Saturday, only noting both players will earn 8-to-10 plays. The Panthers aren't expected to name a Week 1 starter between the two until after their second exhibition Friday, Aug. 19 at New England, at the earliest.

Coach Matt Rhule said Thursday that Mayfield and Sam Darnold will each play roughly one series apiece during Saturday's preseason contest in Washington, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

In particular, Rhule noted each quarterback will get 8-to-10 snaps, but he also didn't state who will be under center first between the duo. Mayfield took on more reps with the first-team offense as training camp progressed, so he may be the favorite to start this weekend. Still, the team isn't expected to name its No. 1 QB for the regular-season opener until after its second exhibition Friday, Aug. 19 in New England, at the earliest.

Mahomes is expected to see action in the first quarter of Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Based on coach Andy Reid's comments, after Mahomes works in the first quarter of the contest, the team will turn to Chad Henne in the second quarter, Shane Buechele in the third and finish up with Dustin Crum in the fourth quarter. In that scenario, Mahomes may not rack up a ton of passing attempts, but he will at least have a chance to get in some game reps with Kansas City's retooled wide receiver corps.