NFL Player News

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that Mariota is dealing with a mild lower leg strain, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Quinn said his level of concern is "low" regarding Mariota's injury, but with Jayden Daniels and his top backup both not set to play in Friday's preseason opener against the Patriots, Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman will get a chance to handle the bulk of reps. It sounds like Mariota's injury is minor enough that he could be available to suit up for preseason action versus the Bengals on Aug. 18.

Garoppolo has impressed with the first-team offense while Matthew Stafford (back) has been sidelined, and head coach Sean McVay said Garoppolo "was awesome" during Tuesday's session, Stu Jackson and Wyatt Miller of the Rams' official site report.

Garoppolo appears in line to handle the bulk of first-team reps throughout training camp and the preseason, with McVay saying Wednesday that Stafford is week-to-week due to an aggravated disc in his back, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com. McVay downplayed the severity of Stafford's injury and said he expects the 37-year-old to be ready for Week 1, but in the meantime at least Garoppolo will see continued opportunities to build chemistry with top wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. However, given McVay's track record, it's likely Garoppolo and the rest of the first-team unit won't take the field during Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys.

Titans coach Brian Callahan said Wednesday that Ward and other starters will play in every preseason game, including a series or two this Saturday against Tampa Bay, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Callahan also said Ward has shown growth throughout training camp, adding that he feels good about the offense's trajectory. The No. 1 overall pick has long been locked in as a Week 1 starter, with not much competition behind him ever since Will Levis underwent season-ending surgery in July.

Stafford (back), who is dealing with what NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports is an aggravated disc, remains week-to-week.

Per the report, Stafford has received an epidural to help him deal with the back issue that has sidelined him of late. For now, the Rams plan to proceed cautiously with the veteran QB, but the team plans for him to be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, Jimmy Garoppolo is next in line for first-team signal-caller reps.

Lock will split reps with Jalen Milroe during Thursday's preseason game versus the Raiders, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

It's still unclear who will officially start the game, but offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is aiming to split the reps evenly between the two quarterbacks. Milroe draws plenty of hype due to exceptional running upside, while Lock is aiming to provide a steady No. 2 presence behind starter Sam Darnold. Last season, Lock made five starts for the Giants and completed 60.0 percent of his passes for 1,062 yards (6.2 YPA), six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Milroe and Drew Lock will split reps in Thursday's preseason game versus the Raiders, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Sam Darnold and the rest of the non-rookie starters are expected to sit out Thursday. A third-round pick in the 2025 Draft, Milroe is competing with Lock for the backup QB job, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is planning on an even split of reps Thursday. Furthermore, Kubiak is expected to design runs for Milroe, who gained 1,257 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground through 26 games over his final two seasons at Alabama. While his legs offer intriguing fantasy upside, Thursday's game will provide Milroe with his first opportunity to showcase any improvements he's made to his accuracy as a passer, the primary knock on his college scouting report.

Howard suffered a fractured small bone in his right hand Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Howard exited Tuesday's practice early after suffering an injury to his throwing hand, which is now understood to be something of significance. The quarterback is expected to miss at least three weeks, likely sidelining him for the entirety of the the preseason. It's a tough break for the rookie, who was certainly on track to handle a large workload in Pittsburgh's three exhibition contests. In the meantime, Skylar Thompson will stand to absorb most of Howard's snaps with the third-team offense at practice.

Milton was removed from joint practice Tuesday due to a right thumb injury, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Milton was off to a good start at practice against the Rams, but his time was cut short due to the thumb issue. Jerry Jones spoke with the media after practice, explaining that Milton's removal Tuesday can be viewed as precautionary ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams. The injury is not expected to threaten the quarterback's availability for the contest.

Milton did not finish Tuesday's joint practice with the Rams due to a hand injury, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Milton appeared to bang his throwing hand off a defender's helmet during practice, which prompted him to be sidelined for the rest of the day while Will Grier worked with the second-team offense. It's unclear how severe Milton's hand injury is, but it does put him in jeopardy of missing more practices this week, and potentially Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams.

Howard left Tuesday's training camp practice after injuring his throwing hand, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that the injury occurred during a quarterback-center exchange. It's bad timing for Howard, who is competing against Mason Rudolph for the backup QB job behind Aaron Rodgers. The severity of the injury is not clear, but it could put Howard in jeopardy of missing the Steelers' preseason opener against the Jaguars on Saturday. Skylar Thompson is set to take over third-string duties for as long as Howard is sidelined.