NFL Player News
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Malik Willis QB | GB
Packers' Malik Willis: Leads two drives
Willis completed three of six passes for 50 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Saturday's 20-7 preseason win over the Seahawks.
Willis started in the absence of Jordan Love (thumb) and played with the majority of Green Bay's top skill-position players. His longest completion went for 39 yards to Matthew Golden, and he later capped the same drive with a one-yard touchdown toss to Romeo Doubs. Willis also displayed some inconsistency as a passer, as he overthrew Malik Heath for an interception to end the Packers' first drive. Willis will enter the season as the backup to Love.
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Hendon Hooker QB | NYJ
Lions' Hendon Hooker: No. 2 job slipping away
Hooker completed six of 11 passes for 70 yards and an interception in Saturday's 26-7 preseason loss to the Texans. He added 25 yards on his only carry.
While it was encouraging to see him make a big play with his legs, Hooker was once again out-performed through the air by Kyle Allen, who got the start completed all five of his passes and hit Isaac TeSlaa for a 33-yard TD. Hooker headed into training camp the favorite to take over the No. 2 QB job behind Jared Goff, but he may have squandered the opportunity and let Allen leapfrog him on the depth chart.
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Kyle Allen QB | DET
Lions' Kyle Allen: Perfect in preseason finale
Allen completed all five of his passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 26-7 preseason loss to the Texans.
The 29-year-old QB may have locked up the No. 2 job for the Lions with this performance. Allen got the start and while he took a sack to end Detroit's first possession, he was laser-focused on the second, ending the drive with a 33-yard TD pass to Isaac TeSlaa. Hendon Hooker, meanwhile, went 6-for-11 for 70 yards and an INT after taking over from Allen. Jared Goff is locked into the starting role for the Lions, but Allen appears to be the next man up should anything happen to him.
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Jordan Love QB | GB
Packers' Jordan Love: May take snaps this week
Coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers are hopeful that Love (thumb) will be able to take snaps when the team reconvenes for practice Tuesday, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
Love had surgery Aug. 12 to address a ligament injury in his left thumb and was able to practice on a limited basis as of this past Monday. Green Bay predictably held him out of its final two preseason contests, allowing backup QB Malik Willis to get some run with the starters in Saturday's exhibition win against the Seahawks in particular. There's little concern about Love's availability for a Week 1 matchup with the Lions on Sunday, Sept. 7, and increasing his team drills this coming week would put him on pace to do so.
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Shedeur Sanders QB | CLE
Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Poor showing in preseason finale
Sanders completed three of six passes for 14 yards in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
The 2025 fifth-round pick was the third quarterback into the game for the Browns behind Week 1 starter Joe Flacco and 2025 third-round selection Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders did little to shake up the depth chart, as he took five sacks on five drives while playing most of the second half. Kenny Pickett (hamstring) is still in the mix as well for slotting behind Flacco, but Gabriel appears to be firmly ahead of Sanders if there's room for only one rookie QB on the roster.
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Dillon Gabriel QB | CLE
Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Tosses TD in preseason finale
Gabriel completed 12 of 19 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
Entering the game in the second quarter after No. 1 quarterback Joe Flacco handled the Browns' first three drives, Gabriel quickly led the team to 10 points before halftime, highlighted by a three-yard TD toss to Gage Larvadain with 17 seconds left on the clock. The absence of Kenny Pickett (hamstring) during training camp and the preseason has provided Gabriel with valuable reps, and the 2025 third-round pick has rarely looked out of place. Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders remains in the mix for a spot behind Flacco as well, but Gabriel has made a solid case to begin the season in the No. 3 role, if not No. 2.
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Joe Flacco QB | CIN
Browns' Joe Flacco: Sharp in Saturday's start
Flacco completed nine of 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
Flacco was nearly flawless while working the Browns' first three drives, capping the second with a 15-yard TD strike to rookie tight end Harold Fannin. The 41-year-old is set as the Week 1 starter for Cleveland, and while the team may choose to take a look at one of the quarterbacks it selected in the 2025 Draft, Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, if the season goes off the rails, Flacco offers a much more stable floor for the passing game, and targets such as Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku.
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Teddy Bridgewater QB | TB
Buccaneers' Teddy Bridgewater: Out due to illness
Bridgewater won't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Bills due to an illness, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
With No. 1 QB Baker Mayfield set to sit out in Tampa Bay's exhibition finale, Kyle Trask was expected to start, while Bridgewater was in line to enter the contest after him. Now that Bridgewater isn't available Saturday, Connor Bazelak will be tasked with handling any reps under center that don't go to Trask. Bridgewater put some decent tape together last Saturday versus the Steelers, completing six of 11 passes for 85 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions after signing with the team Aug. 5.
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Ben DiNucci QB | DEN
Ben DiNucci: Cut by Falcons
Atlanta waived DiNucci on Saturday, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports.
DiNucci had been a longshot to make the Falcons' initial 53-man roster since Michael Penix, Kirk Cousins and Easton Stick opened camp ahead of him on the QB depth chart. The 2020 seventh-round draft pick hasn't played in an NFL regular-season game since 2020, when he got into three contests with the Cowboys.
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Riley Leonard QB | IND
Colts' Riley Leonard: Sharp in preseason finale
Leonard completed 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and rushed once for 14 yards in the Colts' 41-14 preseason win over the Bengals on Saturday afternoon.
The rookie sixth-round pick drew the start and took full advantage of his extended opportunity, leading an 11-play, 56-yard march that culminated in a field goal to open the contest and eventually spearheading touchdown drives of 83 yards (12 plays) and 77 yards (four plays). Leonard's one scoring toss was a noteworthy one, where he slung a 59-yard dart to Laquon Treadwell with time winding down in the first half. Leonard completed just 50.0 percent of his passes in his preseason debut against the Ravens back on Aug. 7, but he finished strong by going 22-for-32 for 253 yards and Saturday's scoring toss over the final two exhibitions. Leonard also made an impression on the ground by rushing for 58 yards on seven carries across all three preseason tilts, seemingly leaving him with a solid chance of securing the No. 3 job behind Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson.