NFL Player News

Tagovailoa looked healthy Monday during the Dolphins' first padded practice of training camp, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com.

The report notes that Ryan Fitzpatrick remains the favorite to get the Week 1 start, but that's more about his experience and solid performance last season than anything to do with Tagovailoa's return from hip surgery. The No. 5 overall pick should see the field at some point this season, and his practice reps likely will be increased as the Dolphins progress through camp.

Coach Doug Pederson said Carson Wentz and Nate Sudfeld -- rather than Hurts -- will get most of the QB reps during training camp, Daniel Gallen of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

It isn't the first time Pederson has hinted at Hurts beginning his career as the No. 3 quarterback in Philadelphia. That said, the rookie took 16 snaps in a sharp performance at Monday's practice, while Sudfeld got 17 snaps and didn't play nearly as well, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP. Even if Sudfeld enters Week 1 in the backup job, Hurts could oust him before the end of the season.

Stidham, Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer split the Patriots' QB reps "fairly evenly" during Monday's practice, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

Howe notes that Stidham "had the best day of the trio" Monday, but we wouldn't read too much into that, as we'd expect Newton -- the favorite to claim the team's top QB job -- to have sharp practice sessions of his own as he grows more comfortable with New England's offense.

Tannehill (undisclosed) wasn't spotted at Monday's practice, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

It remains to be seen if Tannehill's absence was related to an injury or illness or simply an off day. In any case, Logan Woodside and Cole McDonald handled the Titans' QB reps Monday.

Mariota has been impressing Raiders coach Jon Gruden with his athleticism and mobility in training camp, as Gruden proclaimed last Friday that his new backup quarterback is "a dazzling playmaker with his feet," Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Gruden also mentioned that Mariota has overcome an ankle issue, allowing the former Titan to take off running when the pocket broke down in Friday's training camp session. Mariota doesn't pose much of a threat to starter Derek Carr heading into Week 1 of the regular season as the latter still has control of the offense, but the Raiders appear to be content with their offseason investment in Mariota at this point.

Lock impressed during Sunday's practice, Benjamin Allbright of KOA News Radio reports.

Allbright, in particular, noted a beautiful deep ball Lock uncorked to Courtland Sutton. Lock impressed during his five-start audition to end the 2019 season with quarterback ratings of over 90 in three games despite playing with a depleted offensive line and little in the way of skill players. Expectations must be tempered as Lock is playing in a new scheme with a lot of young faces. Still, the early reports have been that rookies Jerry Jeudy and Lloyd Cushenberry are impressing, and Lock is responding well to Pat Shurmur's scheme. Any sort of gelling at this stage should prompt excitement.

Garoppolo is still wearing "a light brace," contradicting a previous report that the QB was brace-free, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The distinction hardly matters, as Garoppolo was excellent last season while wearing a brace. Perhaps his mundane rushing total (62 yards in 2019) could improve once the 28-year-old officially sheds the brace, and it's entirely possible the team is just being overcautious with its star QB, allowing Garoppolo to have the full extent of his mobility come the regular season. With George Kittle locked down to a long-term extension Thursday, Garoppolo should be poised for another successful season, especially if Deebo Samuel, who had offseason surgery on his foot, returns closer to the start of the season as expected.

Wilson believes he's just now entering the prime of his career, John Boyle of Seahawks.com reports.

The 31-year-old may be slightly past his physical prime, but it would hardly be an oddity for an NFL quarterback to enjoy his best seasons in his early-to-mid 30s. Wilson also happens to have the best receiving corps of his career, with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf forming a formidable duo at wide receiver while Greg Olsen and Will Dissly (Achilles) figure to get most of the targets at tight end. Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer has taken a lot of heat for his run-heavy approach, but he did find a better balance last season, with Wilson jumping from 427 pass attempts in 2018 to 516 in 2019. Another increase isn't out of the question, as Wilson has now reached a 65 percent completion rate and 8.0 YPA in back-to-back seasons.

Stevens is wearing No. 85 at practice and is listed as a tight end on the Saints' roster, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 235, the rookie seventh-round pick is about 15 pounds away from matching the NFL tight end size prototype, and he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at his pro day back in March. Stevens posted a 59.9 completion percentage and 7.2 YPA on 202 pass attempts throughout this college career, but he took 159 carries for 887 yards (5.6 YPC) and 12 TDs, adding 14-62-2 as a pass catcher. The Saints may be grooming Stevens as a replacement for Taysom Hill, who is expected to spend more time focusing on the QB position in preparation for Drew Brees eventually retiring.

Darnold should have an improved offensive line in front of him this season, but the Jets' receiver group still appears shaky, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

The Jets appear to have turned over four of the five spots on their O-line, and while center Connor McGovern is the only one proven to be an above-average starter, the group should at least be less of a disaster than it was last year. On the other hand, it isn't clear if newcomer Breshad Perriman will be an upgrade or downgrade from Robby Anderson (now with the Panthers) out wide, nor is it clear that second-round pick Denzel Mims will be ready to contribute out of the gate. Darnold may once again find that slot receiver Jamison Crowder is his most reliable target, especially if tight end Chris Herndon doesn't rebound the way the Jets are hoping. All in all, it's one of the weaker rosters of skill players in the league, but there is at least reason to think Darnold can improve his own play in his age-23 season.