NFL Player News

Driskel (hamstring) is being placed on injured reserve Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Driskel's hamstring injury had not been previously reported, but it appears to be serious enough to land him on injured reserve. The backup quarterback job behind starter Andy Dalton will presumably go to Ryan Finley with Driskel out of the picture.

Hoyer was released by the Patriots on Saturday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Jarrett Stidham's emergence during the preseason made Hoyer expendable, and as a result the veteran immediately becomes one of the top backups available on the open market. Considering the position and Hoyer's experience as a starter, it'd be surprising if the 33-year-old isn't on another roster prior to Week 1.

Stidham is the Patriots' No. 2 quarterback following the release of Brian Hoyer, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

A fourth-round pick in 2019, Stidham fared well enough in his first pro preseason to serve as Tom Brady's backup off the bat.

Allen was waived by the Rams on Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Allen had been making a strong case for the third-string quarterback job throughout the preseason, but came up short in his efforts. The Arkansas product could be an intriguing option as a backup, especially for teams running a similar style to the Rams.

Minshew is set to serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Nick Foles on the Jaguars' initial 53-man roster, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Minshew finished a lackluster preseason Thursday in which he didn't lead a touchdown drive, completing 54 of 96 passes for 468 yards with zero interceptions and two lost fumbles. The rookie sixth-round pick played almost exclusively with the reserves and wasn't provided much help, but it's hardly a confidence-inspiring performance for the team's backup quarterback. Alex McGough was waived Friday, leaving Foles and Minshew as the lone signal callers on the roster. The Jaguars could still opt to bring in an outside quarterback, but for now Minshew is locked in as the No. 2 guy.

The Seahawks waived Lynch on Friday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Timesreports.

Condotta also notes that Seattle could try to keep Lynch on their practice squad for the 2019 season. Regardless, the 25-year-old will have to continue to wait for his shot at a bigger role under center. Lynch didn't see any regular-season action in 2018. The former first-round pick appeared in five games for Denver between 2016 and 2017, completing a total of 79 passes for 792 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Heinicke was cut by the Panthers on Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Heinicke backed up Cam Newton (foot) for most of the 2018 season. He made one start in Week 16 versus the Falcons before suffering a season-ending hyper-extended elbow, completing 33 of 55 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown (the first of his career) and three interceptions. He wasn't able to beat out Kyle Allen and rookie third-round pick Will Grier this offseason and will now look for a gig elsewhere in the league.

McGough was waived by the Jaguars on Friday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

McGough endured a rough preseason in Jacksonville, completing 11 of 29 passes for 60 yards and one interception, though he did add five carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew had similar struggles throughout the preseason, but he nonetheless showed enough to win the backup job behind starter Nick Foles.

Head coach Pete Carroll called Smith's knee injury a "tweak," stating that the QB will need to have it examined in the coming days, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Smith,who had to exit Thursday's final preseason game with what appeared to be a minor knee injury, was able to stand on the sideline in pads after exiting. The team will have the knee looked at, but assuming the injury isn't serious, Smith is the strong favorite to begin the season as Russell Wilson's primary backup.

General manager Jason Licht describes Gabbert (shoulder) as "iffy" for Week 1 but expects him to be ready to return very early into the season, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Licht went on to praise Gabbert's toughness and seems to have full confidence the veteran quarterback will be ready to serve as the primary backup to Jameis Winston in relatively short order. The fact Gabbert's shoulder dislocation is on his non-throwing arm certainly helps matters, but the fact the team's general manager is seemingly guaranteeing a roster spot for Gabbert is interesting considering how well fellow quarterback Ryan Griffin played this preseason.