NFL Player News

Head coach Jerod Mayo has informed his team that Brissett will be the Patriots' starting quarterback Week 1 against the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

A shoulder issue that Brissett sustained in New England's preseason finale is evidently not a concern, and the veteran quarterback is now slated to face Cincinnati on Sept. 8. As a result, rookie first-round pick Drake Maye will serve as the team's top backup out of the gate this season, though he's eventually destined to ascend to the top of the depth chart. With Brissett at the helm and the wide-receiver corps in transition, the Patriots offense could be heavily run-based early on, a context that limits his fantasy ceiling.

The Chargers acquired Heinicke from the Falcons on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

Heinicke was the odd man out in Atlanta's quarterback room, where both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix stood firmly above him on the depth chart. He now joins a Los Angeles team that will feel more secure with a more proven option behind Justin Herbert (foot), who recently returned to 7-on-7 work while recovering from a plantar fascia injury. Herbert is expected to be ready for Week 1, but if the Chargers have any concerns about his recovery timetable, Heinicke and Eason Stick could both be in the mix as backup options. Stick is familiar with the offense and looked fine in limited action in 2023, but Heinicke is the more experienced signal-caller, having started 28 games over the last three seasons.

Hartman signed with the Commanders' practice squad Wednesday.

Hartman sat out for most of training camp due to a shoulder injury, but he will stick around in Washington to serve as the team's practice squad quarterback. Marcus Mariota (groin) and Jeff Driskel are slated behind 2024 No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels on the depth chart. Hartman would figure to move up to the active roster should either of those three quarterbacks miss time.

The Bears signed Reed to the practice squad Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Reed was unable to beat out Tyson Bagent for the backup quarterback job behind Caleb Williams. However, Reed will stick around on the practice squad and will serve as the emergency quarterback unless Chicago picks up another signal caller before Week 1 against Tennessee.

The Raiders signed Bradley to the practice squad Wednesday.

The undrafted free agent quarterback out of South Alabama signed with the Raiders in April. Las Vegas opted to keep just two quarterbacks on the roster after training camp -- Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell -- and if no other signal caller is signed to the active roster, Bradley could see some early call-ups as the emergency quarterback.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Sunday that Lock (hip) will likely be good to go for the start of the regular season, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic reports.

Lock hurt his hip in New York's preseason opener versus Detroit and didn't play in either of the team's remaining two exhibition contests. Daboll indicated that the quarterback is "moving in the right direction," which is supported by the fact that Lock recently returned to team drills and even suited up for the Giants' preseason finale against the Jets on Saturday, though he didn't take the field. It's worth noting, though, that New York included three quarterbacks -- Lock, starter Daniel Jones and second-year pro Tommy DeVito -- on its initial 53-man roster, with DeVito possibly making the cut as insurance for Lock.

General manager Brandon Beane said Wednesday that the status of Trubisky (knee) is uncertain for Week 1, Chris Brown of the Bills Radio Network reports.

Trubisky is working his way back from a knee injury sustained mid-August in a preseason game against the Steelers, and while he doesn't seem like a candidate to begin the regular season on injured reserve, he's not a lock to be ready for Buffalo's opener against the Cardinals on Sept. 8. As an insurance option behind Josh Allen, the Bills prioritized inking Mike White to the practice squad Tuesday after he was cut by the Dolphins.

Fields will begin the regular season as the backup to Russell Wilson, who was named the Steelers' Week 1 starting quarterback Wednesday, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports.

Fields began the offseason clearly behind Wilson on Pittsburgh's depth chart, and though he managed to pressure the veteran during training camp and the preseason, the 25-year-old signal-caller will ultimately have to wait in the wings for an opportunity as the season progresses. Throughout the preseason, Fields' performance was largely a mixed bag, as turnovers and unfortunate sacks reminiscent of his time in Chicago detracted from otherwise impressive athleticism and accuracy in the middle and short areas of the field. Fields will likely need Wilson to struggle or miss time in order to gain a starting opportunity of his own this season, but if such an outcome does materialize, he'll immediately enter the mix as a high-upside fantasy option thanks largely to his rushing ability.

The Steelers named Wilson their starting quarterback for the Sept. 8 season opener at Atlanta, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports.

Wilson has long been considered the favorite over Justin Fields, who saw considerable first-team snaps this summer while the 35-year-old dealt with a calf injury. Wilson has been practicing without limitations for three weeks now and even made a couple appearances in the preseason, confirming that his health won't be an issue heading into Week 1. He'll be in danger of losing the starting job to Fields if he doesn't play well, but a run-first offense under new coordinator Arthur Smith could hide some of Wilson's shortcomings at this later stage of his career.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that the team has made a decision between Maye and Jacoby Brissett (shoulder) as their Week 1 starting quarterback, but a formal announcement won't be made until Thursday, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

Prior to New England trimming its roster down to 53 men, Mayo said Monday that Maye had outperformed Brissett in recent weeks, but the coach also acknowledged his hesitancy to start the rookie quarterback immediately. Brissett's shoulder injury doesn't appear likely to affect his performance Week 1, so that shouldn't be a factor in Mayo's decision on a starter. If there are any concerns that New England's offense still has some wrinkles to iron out before putting Maye in the best position to succeed, however, that could be enough reason for the team to lean on Brissett to kick off the regular season.