NFL Player News

Prescott (ankle) and coach Mike McCarthy both expect the quarterback to play this preseason, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

We aren't likely to see Prescott in the Hall of Fame Game against Pittsburgh on Aug. 5, but he might suit up later in the preseason -- perhaps Aug. 21 vs. the Texans or Aug. 29 vs. Jacksonville. Regardless, he's well on his way to a Week 1 appearance, having participated in 11-on-11s this Thursday at the first practice of Cowboys training camp. The team still may limit Prescott's workload once full pads come on, though he says his surgically repaired ankle has been a non-issue so far, noting that he doesn't even think about it when he's on the field.

Mahomes doesn't anticipate having any restrictions at training camp, as his left foot is fully recovered from February surgery, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

This was expected after Mahomes participated in spring practices. The toe/foot that bothered him at the end of last season is no longer an issue, nor is the rash of injuries that plagued Kansas City's offensive line during the Super Bowl. The team lost longtime starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz in the offseason, but then made up for it by signing LG Joe Thuney and trading for LT Orlando Brown. The Chiefs even get Laurent Duvernay-Tardif back from the COVID-19 list, so when all is said and done, their O-line could be better than it was last year. At the skill positions, their offense looks much the same as 2020, minus injury-prone wideout Sammy Watkins (now with the Ravens). As always, Mahomes is set up for success.

The NFL remains in "fact-finding and monitor mode" with regard to Watson, who had 22 civil lawsuits filed against him earlier this offseason, NFL reporter Josina Anderson reports.

Shortly after the end of the 2020 regular season, it leaked that Watson was dissatisfied with the Texans organization and as a result requested a trade. Those rumors were swept aside when accusations of inappropriate conduct and sexual assault were levied against him in March and April, and while he skipped the entire offseason program the league did its due diligence with such cases. Having said that, the NFL doesn't feel "a need to do anything too early," per Anderson, so Watson's status is in limbo. Not only is it unclear if Watson will report to training camp, the quarterback may not be punished by the NFL until the legal process works itself out. Assuming Watson doesn't join his teammates next week, Houston is expected to roll with 10-year veteran Tyrod Taylor under center, at least for the time being.

Prescott (ankle) practiced fully Thursday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

As the Cowboys kicked off training camp, Prescott took his usual place with the first-team offense, completing 11 of 16 passes during 11-on-11 drills. The development is a positive one for Prescott, who suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle that ended his season Week 5 last October. In any case, the true final test of his health will come at some point during the preseason, whether it's in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 5 or during one of Dallas' three other exhibitions next month.

The Patriots placed Stidham (undisclosed) on the PUP list Thursday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Stidham isn't ready to participate in the start of training camp practices, though it remains to be seen what sort of issue he's dealing with. Given that Cam Newton and rookie first-round pick Mac Jones are solidified above Stidham on New England's depth chart, missing time could only impact the 24-year-old's chances of winning out against Brian Hoyer for the Patriots' No. 3 QB gig.

The Jaguars placed Luton on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Luton returned a positive COVID-19 test, and he'll now have to begin following the NFL's related protocols, which includes isolating from contact. As a rookie in 2020, Luton appeared in three games, throwing two touchdowns and six interceptions.

Prescott (ankle) is participating in 11-on-11 drills Thursday afternoon at the first practice of Cowboys training camp, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

This comes as no surprise on the heels of coach Mike McCarthy's Wednesday media session in which he revealed his expectation for Prescott to be a full participant throughout camp. McCarthy did leave the door open for the Cowboys to limit Prescott's workload if any issues pop up, but it sounds like the QB is taking his normal snaps so far. He suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle last October, then signed a four-year, $160 million contract in March.

Head coach Mike McCarthy reiterated Wednesday that he expects Prescott (ankle) to participate fully in practice once training camp opens, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

That said, McCarthy acknowledged that the idea of the quarterback working fully once camp gets underway is "still a projection," and that Prescott will need to be monitored. Still, things are clearly moving in the right direction for the team's franchise signal-caller, who is bouncing back from a broken ankle that ended his 2020 season in Week 5.

Mayfield reiterated Wednesday that he's "not worried at all" about a contract extension, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

A strong finish to his third NFL season has Mayfield in position to ask for an extension, though he's under contract through 2022 after the Browns exercised a fifth-year option in April. The 26-year-old quarterback might even be more inclined to wait until next offseason for a new contract, thus betting on himself to have a big 2021 campaign as the frontman for a talented team. The Browns return all 11 starters on offense from last season, with wideout Odell Beckham (knee) seemingly on track for Week 1 at Kansas City.

Rodgers reportedly elected to pass on a two-year extension offer from the Packers this offseason, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter notes that Green Bay's offer would have kept Rodgers with the franchise for five more seasons while making him the highest-paid player in football. After the veteran QB elected not to participate in the Packers' on-field activities this offseason, the focus now turns to whether he'll be out there when training camp opens July 28. There have been plenty of reports suggesting that Rodgers' future with the team is cloudy due to issues he has with management, but to date the Packers have insisted that they won't deal their star signal caller.