NFL Player News

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that Lock will get more reps with the first-team offense, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

The Seahawks have given Geno Smith every chance to run away with the starting job, but Smith -- who has taken most of the reps with the starting offense during training camp -- has struggled thus far, and Lock has shown enough flashes to make this a true competition. To that end, Carroll intends to have Lock and Smith rotate in with the first-team offense so that whomever wins the job will have familiarity with star receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Smith will start in Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers, but expect both quarterbacks to get some reps with the starters, though it's unclear how much Metcalf and Lockett will play in the exhibition.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday that Mayfield and Sam Darnold will both take the field during Saturday's preseason opener against Washington, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Mayfield appears to have pulled ahead in Carolina's quarterback competition, per Ellis Williams of The Charlotte Observer, but Rhule didn't reveal whether Mayfield or Darnold will start Saturday's contest. The Panthers aren't expected to declare a regular-season starter until after the second preseason game Aug. 19 at New England, though a strong performance in the opener could go a long way in Mayfield's favor.

Smith will start Seattle's preseason opener Saturday against Pittsburgh, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Drew Lock reportedly outplayed Smith by a wide margin in Seattle's mock game Tuesday, but it won't be enough to flip the depth chart, at least not yet. Smith has taken most of the first-team reps this summer, after completing 65 of 95 passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in four games last season. The numbers are impressive at first glance, but Smith also took 13 sacks for 117 yards and added only 42 yards rushing. No qualified passer had a sack rate worse than 11.8 percent (Justin Fields) in 2021, while Smith was at 12 percent over the limited sample.

Head coach Nick Sirianni said Hurts and the starting offense will handle one or two series during Friday's preseason opener against the Jets, Bo Wulf of The Athletic reports.

The quarterback may end up commanding an offense without the protection of two of his top linemen in Jordan Mailata (concussion) or Jason Kelce (elbow). Even if he's on the field for only a brief period of time, Hurt will be able to get in some meaningful game reps with new top wideout A.J. Brown, though DeVonta Smith (groin) could sit out as he continues to deal with a minor injury.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Lawrence and the team's other starters will play in Friday's preseason game against Cleveland, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Pederson estimated his starters will play a couple of drives, after he held them out of last week's Hall of Fame Game entirely. Lawrence has job security, of course, but it would still be encouraging to see him put on a decent performance in the preseason following a disappointing rookie season.

Mayfield has established himself as the Panthers' best option at quarterback during practice this week, Ellis Williams of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Mayfield has garnered positive reviews since joining Carolina, with his performance through training camp thus far increasing the expectation that he'll ultimately be named the team's starting signal-caller over Sam Darnold. Despite having just three weeks with his new coaching staff, Mayfield's command of coordinator Ben McAdoo's offense reportedly already mirrors that of Darnold. Although coach Matt Rhule isn't expected to officially name a starter until after the second preseason game, Mayfield approaches this Saturday's exhibition opener versus the Commanders with considerable positive momentum.

McCoy will sit out Friday's preseason game against the Bengals, as he rests his arm, Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic reports.

This issue doesn't figure to be a great concern for McCoy, as the veteran quarterback is likely dealing with typical training camp fatigue from consistent throwing. Along with McCoy, Kyler Murray, who is nursing some wrist soreness, is also expected to watch Friday's game from the sidelines. As a result Trace McSorley and Jarrett Guarantano are in line to share QB reps in the team's preseason opener.

Stafford (elbow) is throwing in individual drills Tuesday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Stafford continues to manage elbow discomfort after an offseason injection, returning to practice Tuesday just as coach Sean McVay predicted a day earlier. The 34-year-old QB has been in and out of practice throughout training camp, with the Rams remaining optimistic he'll be ready for Week 1 against Buffalo. There is some chance the elbow is a problem for Stafford all year, potentially impacting his practice availability even if he's able to play in games.

Watson (suspension) will travel to Jacksonville for Friday's preseason game and could see his first live action since the end of the 2020 campaign, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Regardless of how things play out with his suspension, Watson is eligible for training camp and preseason games. Judge Sue L. Robinson recommended a six-game ban, which the NFL now is appealing. The appeal will be heard by former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, who was selected last week by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Expect both Watson and Jacoby Brissett to get some snaps with the first-team offense during camp.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Tuesday that McSorley will start Friday's preseason contest against Cincinnati, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Starting quarterback Kyler Murray was sidelined for a part of training camp due to a positive COVID-19 test and is now dealing with a sore wrist, which has limited his participation in practice. However, the decision to start McSorley likely has nothing to do with Murray's availability, as backup quarterback Colt McCoy is also not expected to play, leaving McSorley and Jarrett Guarantano to compete for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart during the preseason opener.