NFL Player News

Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Smith (knee) will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chargers, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Smith had a cyst in his knee removed last week that had forced him to miss time. Now that he's healthy and fellow backup Paxton Lynch is dealing with a head injury, it will be Smith and J.T. Barrett given the reigns for snaps behind Russell Wilson on Saturday.

Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Lynch (head) won't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chargers, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Lynch is still feeling the effects of an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit dished out by Vikings cornerback Holton Hill on Sunday. With the former first-round pick battling Geno Smith for the backup job, the injury is certainly serious enough to hold him out. Smith will shoulder backup work behind Russell Wilson for Saturday's game with Lynch sidelined.

Coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday that Rypien is competing for the backup quarterback job, Zac Stevens of BSNDenver.com reports.

Rypien's opportunity comes with rookie second-round pick Drew Lock (thumb) expected to miss the start of the regular season. Lock is guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster and appears destined for the backup gig at some point, but Rypien could earn the No. 2 role to begin the regular season if he's able to beat out Kevin Hogan.

Allen will be the first quarterback off the bench Thursday against the Patriots, not starting as we initially relayed, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Allen is competing with Will Grier for the Panthers' backup job behind Cam Newton. Newton will start and play three or four good possessions.

Rodgers' (back) availability for Thursday's preseason game against the Raiders in Winnipeg has yet to be determined, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Rodgers indicated Monday that he no longer has any issues with the back, so there's a chance he will make an appearance Thursday. Even if he does, there's a good chance it wouldn't last beyond a few series as he looks to preserve his good health for the start of the regular season.

Lock (thumb) will be sidelined for the start of the regular season, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

It was already reported that Lock had suffered a thumb sprain and was going to miss some time, but now Lock is on track to be out for the start of his rookie season. This isn't too surprising given that it is a thumb sprain on Lock's throwing hand and now, Kevin Hogan is in line to secure the backup quarterback job behind Joe Flacco for the start of the regular season.

Lock said he suffered "just a little sprain" on his right thumb, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Lock's position makes the injury a much bigger deal than it would be for other players, but he at least seems to have avoided a long-term issue after X-rays on his right hand came back negative. Missed time in practice and/or the final two weeks of the preseason could help Kevin Hogan secure the No. 2 spot at quarterback -- something that already was being discussed the past few weeks. Lock has produced just 254 yards on 51 pass attempts (5.0 YPA) this preseason, but Hogan (3.5 YPA) somehow has been even worse.

Coach Adam Gase said Darnold and other starters will play into the third quarter during Saturday's preseason game against New Orleans, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

That doesn't include Le'Veon Bell, who was held out for the first two weeks and isn't likely to see more than a few snaps, if any, come Saturday night. Darnold has been sharp in two preseason games, completing nine of 12 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Garoppolo completed one of six passes for zero yards and threw an interception in Monday's preseason win over Denver.

Garoppolo's first four throws consisted of two batted passes, an ugly interception and a dropped interception that could've been returned for a touchdown. The poor outing alone wouldn't be a big deal, but it's somwhat concerning given the multiple reports out of training camp about Garoppolo's performance being uneven, including interceptions on five consecutive practice snaps last Wednesday. He should see more playing time in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs.

Lock (hand) underwent X-rays on his right hand and they have come back negative, Mike Klis of 9News.com reports.

This is good news for the rookie quarterback, who exited Monday's contest against the 49ers early in the third quarter. Still, there's a good chance the Broncos opt to give Lock some extra time off to recover with a little under three weeks left until the regular season kicks off. Should Lock miss time, look for Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien to absorb some extra reps.