NFL Player News

Watson took every starting rep in team drills during Saturday's practice, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Shedeur Sanders was scheduled to work with the first-team offense Saturday, but he ended up splitting second-team reps with Dillon Gabriel while Watson ran with the starters. Watson made the most of the opportunity with a productive practice, when he made nice connections with Isaiah Bond and Denzel Boston during team drills. Head coach Todd Monken will use Sunday's scheduled off day to deliberate whether Watson or Sanders will start in Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears.

The Panthers signed Trask to a contract Sunday, Kassidy Hill of the team's official site reports.

Trask is likely a temporary signing to hold down depth at the position throughout the preseason as current No. 3 quarterback Haynes King (hamstring) recovers from the injury he sustained during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Cardinals. Trask will likely see the field against the Bills next Saturday after Kenny Pickett and the starters get a few drives in. The Panthers waived/injured Malick Meiga (undisclosed) and Nick Hampton (undisclosed) in corresponding moves to make room for Trask on the roster.

King (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of next Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

King sustained a hamstring injury during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Cardinals and is considered week-to-week as he manages the issue. Due to the issue, the Panthers signed quarterback Kyle Trask on Sunday.

Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Sunday that Goff and other key starters will not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Bengals, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

Although Goff won't see action Thursday, he could see some action in the Lions' second exhibition game against the Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 22. With Teddy Bridgewater stepping away from the team Sunday, Luke Altmyer is the only other quarterback on the 90-man roster, so the Lions will work out some veteran QBs to compete for the backup job behind Goff, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Bridgewater was placed on the Lions' reserve/retired list Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Bridgewater inked a one-year deal with the Lions in March after serving as the Buccaneers' backup quarterback to Baker Mayfield in 2025, but Bridgewater has now decided to step away from football. With undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer the only quarterback other than starter Jared Goff on the 90-man roster, the Lions will work out some quarterbacks to bring in competition for the backup job. Bridgewater was selected by the Vikings with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Louisville product suited up for seven different NFL teams during his career and appeared in 83 regular-season games, with a 33-32 record over 65 starts. He completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 15,182 yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.

Head coach Dave Canales told reporters Sunday that Young and the Panthers starters will play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Bills, Kassidy Hill of the team's official site reports.

Canales added that the starters will get about 10-to-20 reps in Buffalo. Young, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming off the best year of his three-year career. Across 17 regular-season games in 2025, he completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 216 yards and two scores on 54 carries. The fifth-year option on Young's rookie contract was picked up for the 2027 season, and it looks like any contract negotiations between the 25-year-old quarterback and the Panthers won't take place until after the 2026 campaign.

King picked up a hamstring injury during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Cardinals, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

King played well in Thursday's exhibition game, completing 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns while turning three carries into 39 yards and a score in Carolina's 33-30 victory. However, it appears King tweaked his hamstring in the process, which could prompt the Panthers to bring in another quarterback like Kyle Trask and Jack Plummer for the rest of training camp, per Joe Person of The Athletic. King entered training camp listed as the Panthers' QB3 behind starter Bryce Young and backup Kenny Pickett.

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters Saturday that he has not decided whether Bennett will play in the Rams' preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 15, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

McVay relayed that rookie first-rounder Ty Simpson will "definitely" play in the Rams' first exhibition game, though it's not clear whether Bennett or starter Matthew Stafford will also suit up. Bennett has not played in an NFL regular-season game since he was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he's projected to operate as Stafford's backup for the 2026 campaign, with Simpson serving as the QB3.

Head coach Sean McVay said Saturday that Simpson will "definitely" play in the Rams' preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 15, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Matthew Stafford may get some work in the first series of work, and there's uncertainty over whether Stetson Bennett will play. As such, Simpson figures to see the bulk of the reps on offense for the Rams' first preseason game, with undrafted rookie Matthew Caldwell also in the mix for some playing time. Simpson was a first-round pick of the Rams in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Bennett has taken the bulk of second-team reps in training camp, so the rookie out of Alabama could operate as the Rams' QB3 for the upcoming season, per Nate Atkins of The Athletic.

The Dolphins waived Gronowski on Friday.

Gronowski caught on with the Dolphins in early May as an undrafted free agent, but the Iowa product will look for opportunities elsewhere, assuming he clears waivers. During his final season as a Hawkeye, Gronowski completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 1,741 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while turning 130 carries into 545 yards and 16 scores across 13 games.