NFL Player News
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Geno Smith QB | NYJ
Seahawks' Geno Smith: Not expected to suit up vs. Titans
Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Seattle's starters, Smith included, aren't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Titans, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.
Macdonald looks set to hold the Seahawks' starting units out of a second straight exhibition matchup, as Smith also didn't suit up this past Saturday against the Chargers. Instead, Macdonald stressed that the starters will get plenty of reps during joint practices with Tennessee, which will be fully padded. Smith dealt with hip and knee injuries earlier in training camp but has been a full participant at practice as of late.
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Deshaun Watson QB | CLE
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Set to play in preseason finale
Watson is slated to play in the Browns' preseason finale against the Seahawks on Saturday, Aug. 24, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson isn't in line to play Saturday against the Vikings in Cleveland's second preseason contest, but he's expected to see some action in the team's final exhibition outing. Per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, coach Kevin Stefanski has generally played most of the Browns' healthy starters, including the QB, in preseason finales during his tenure, and in that scenario Watson would be seeing his first game reps since Week 10 of the 2023 season.
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Jake Haener QB | KC
Saints' Jake Haener: Efficient in preseason opener
Haener completed nine of 13 passes for 107 yards during Saturday's 16-14 preseason win against the Cardinals. He also rushed once for three yards.
Haener relieved starting quarterback Derek Carr after he and the rest of the team's first-team offense came out of the game following their second offensive series. While the 25-year-old backup did not score himself, Haener did lead back-to-back field-goal drives in the second quarter. This included the biggest highlight of the game when he heaved a 58-yard pass down the left sideline for second-year wideout A.T. Perry, setting up kicker Blake Grupe for a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. Haener then turned the reins over to rookie signal-caller Spencer Rattler for the second half. These two will continue to compete for the No. 2 quarterback job heading into New Orleans' second preseason game at San Francisco on Sunday.
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Joe Flacco QB | CIN
Colts' Joe Flacco: Plays one drive in Colts debut
Flacco was 3-for-5 passing for 28 yards and played one series in Sunday's preseason loss to Denver.
Flacco should get more work later in the preseason as the backup to Anthony Richardson. The reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year is coming off an impressive showing with Cleveland last season but will be strictly a backup in Indy. He gives the Colts a veteran capable of keeping the team afloat should Richardson go down.
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Sam Ehlinger QB | DEN
Colts' Sam Ehlinger: Modest output in preseason opener
Ehlinger was 5-of-6 passing for 80 yards with an interception in Sunday's preseason loss to Denver. He also had one carry for four yards.
Ehlinger looks set win the third quarterback role and may not see any regular-season action if Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco are healthy.
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Stetson Bennett QB | LAR
Rams' Stetson Bennett: Plays whole game Sunday
Bennett played the entire game in Sunday's 13-12 preseason win over the Cowboys, completing 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown with four interceptions.
The Rams' coaching staff elected to sit both Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo (suspension) for the preseason opener, instead giving the team's 2023 fourth-round pick a full four quarters to show what he could do. Bennett, who didn't play at all in his rookie season, was predictably rusty, but the Cowboys failed to take full advantage of his turnovers and consistently settled for field goals. That left the door open for the Georgia product to engineer a scoring drive inside the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, and Bennett found depth tight end Miller Forristall for a six-yard touchdown with just four seconds left on the clock. With Garoppolo suspended for the first two games of the regular season, the Rams have plenty of incentive to get Bennett up to speed as quickly as possible, so he could see a hefty workload again Saturday against the Chargers.
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Mitch Trubisky QB | TEN
Bills' Mitch Trubisky: Major action in preseason opener
Trubisky completed 10 of 18 passes for 82 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in Saturday's preseason loss to the Bears, good for a 67.4 rating. He also rushed three times for 12 yards.
Trubisky is the clear No. 2 behind superstar Josh Allen, and he didn't do anything too terribly in this outing to put his spot at any risk. No. 3 quarterback Shane Buechele had a rough game with an interception and a 34.6 rating, so at this point it would be a pretty big shock to see the Bills enter the regular season with anything other than an Allen-Trubisky pecking order. Trubisky also has experience with the Bills dating back to 2021, and the Bills like that he offers a similar type of big-bodied player with an ability to run should anything happen to The Franchise.
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Trey Lance QB | LAC
Cowboys' Trey Lance: Mixed bag in preseason debut
Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards in Sunday's 13-12 preseason loss to the Rams. He added 44 rushing yards on six carries.
Cooper Rush got the start for Dallas in the team's preseason opener but saw only one series before handing the reins to Lance, who played the rest of the game. The 24-year-old quarterback flashed the physical ability that made him the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft, escaping pressure with his legs and showing off his arm strength, and his numbers were impacted by some drops by the second-team receiving options he was working with. Lance also had some accuracy issues of his own, though, and he failed to get the ball into the end zone despite multiple trips inside the 20, forcing the Cowboys to settle for four Brandon Aubrey field goals. This performance likely wasn't enough to push the former 49er ahead of Rush in the battle to be the primary backup to Dak Prescott, but Lance should get another chance in Saturday's preseason clash with the Raiders.
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Dak Prescott QB | DAL
Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Expects to practice Tuesday
Prescott (ankle) said Sunday that he expects to be back out on the practice field at the Cowboys' next session Tuesday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Prescott was unavailable for the team's 13-12 loss to the Rams in their preseason opener Sunday as a result of ankle soreness. It's unclear whether the quarterback would've played in the contest anyway, but it's a positive turn of events that he'll be able to return to practice right away.
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Spencer Rattler QB | NO
Saints' Spencer Rattler: Absent from practice
Rattler was unavailable for practice Sunday due to a thigh bruise, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Rattler appears to have suffered the injury in Saturday's 16-14 win over the Cardinals, and he's expected to be back for the team's next practice. The quarterback completed nine of 17 passes for 70 yards while also turning two carries into eight yards and a score against Arizona. Rattler will look to return to the field as soon as possible as he's in the midst of a competition with Jake Haener for the top backup role behind Derek Carr in 2024.