NFL Player News

Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert turned in a sharp performance but suffered a sprained right thumb in Saturday's preseason game against the Jets, according to ESPN.

Gabbert and the first-team offense got four series of work. He connected with Allen Reisner for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. He completed 13 of 16 pass attempts for 165 yards and one touchdown with a 130.5 passer rating.

It is unclear when Gabbert suffered the injury. His status remains uncertain for the team's third preseason game against Philadelphia on Aug. 24.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton made a quick impact as he fired his first touchdown pass of the preseason in Saturday's exhibition game against the Titans.

Dalton, who was without A.J. Green and Andrew Hawkins, got three series of work with the first-team offense. He connected with Mohamed Sanu for a short, 2-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter.

Dalton completed 9 of 14 pass attempts for 115 yards and a touchdown with a 113.7 passer rating. He has completed 12 of 21 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown through two preseason games.

The Bengals will play their third preseason game at Dallas on Aug. 24.

Jaguars starting tight end Marcedes Lewis is sidelined from the preseason game Saturday night against the Jets with tightness in his calf. Backup Allen Reisner took advantage of his opportunity by snagging a 5-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Gabbert to tie the game at 7-7 on the last play of the first quarter.

Rookie quarterback Geno Smith (ankle) will not play in the preseason game Saturday night for the Jets, reports the New York Daily News. Smith practiced all week on the gimpy ankle, but the Jets do not want to risk worsening the injury. Smith is in a battle for the starting spot with Mark Sanchez.

A celebratory dance reminiscent of John Belushi in the movie "Animal House" has cost Redskins tight end Fred Davis some bucks, according to ESPN. Davis fell to the ground and shook after snagging a short touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins in the team's preseason opener last week. The NFL has confirmed that it has levied a fine of $7,875 against Davis for unsportsmanlike conduct

Former Packers and current Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson has answered the criticism of quarterback Aaron Rodgers launched by former Packers wide receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

"I don't understand where it's all coming from," Woodson told ESPNWisconsin on Friday. "...It's got to be hurtful to [Rodgers] because what are they talking about, to question his leadership ability, his leadership skills? The guy is one of the best players in the NFL, and I think he does a great job as far as leading them into battle."

Being widely recognized as one of the top passers in the league is not enough for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to rest on his laurels. As he told Sports Illustrated, he has received advice from other elite passers on the need to keep improving every offseason.

"Tom Brady told me after the '07 season -- we got to play a little golf, and I picked his brain -- that you should work on at least one or two things every off-season," Rodgers said.

This offseason, Rodgers put in extra work on his downfield throws, adding strength and improving his accuracy down the sidelines. Throwing deep has long been a big part of the team's offense, but one that he struggled with last season.

"This season we went through the cutups in the spring, and one thing that stood out was deep balls," he said. "We weren't as efficient as we had been in the past this year on deep balls, so I really focused on my deep throws -- especially to the left. I was missing some out of bounds. I also lifted heavier and harder than I have in probably six years."

Rodgers passed for 4,000-plus yards for the fourth time in five seasons in 2012, however his yards per attempt fell to 7.8, his lowest total since 2008. 

The Jaguars named Blaine Gabbert as their starting quarterback for their game Saturday at the Jets, per the official team website.

Coach Gus Bradley emphasized this isn't a final decision whatsoever on the starting job. The team just wants to evaluate how Gabbert looks. Chad Henne will also see time with the first-team offense. 

Gabbert started the team's first preseason game vs. Miami and completed 5 of 10 passes for 19 yards with an interception. Henne, the primary competitor for the starting job, completed 8 of 11 passes for 87 yards. 

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will get the starting nod on Saturday against the Jaguars in preseason play. It is believed both he and Geno Smith will see time with the first-team offense. The two continue to battle for the starting job in training camp. 

After Jets quarterback Geno Smith struggled on his sprained ankle Wednesday, coach Rex Ryan said the rookie might not play Saturday against the Jaguars. “Well, I guess, we’ll see how it goes,” Ryan said. “He’s been out there practicing, working through things... but that could be a possibility.”