NFL Player News

Coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday that Murray won't suit up for any of Arizona's preseason contests, including Saturday's exhibition opener against the Saints, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

That sets the stage for Desmond Ridder and Clayton Tune to see plenty of preseason reps. A torn right ACL delayed his 2023 debut until Week 10, but Murray has been fully healthy in camp and his rushing production is ready to bounce back to usual levels. The addition of 2024 fourth overall pick Marvin Harrison should lead to a step forward in his passing production as well. Arizona also added veteran wideout Zay Jones this offseason, while tight end Trey McBride and second-year wideout Michael Wilson could develop further as targets for Murray.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said most of the 49ers' starting team, which Purdy headlines, will not participate in Saturday's preseason opener against the Titans, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Shanahan didn't specifically rule Purdy out, as he left a window open for some starters to see action, but it seems safe to say the 24-year-old signal-caller won't be risked in exhibition action Saturday without the rest of the starting offense around him. His supporting cast could also be in flux, with Brandon Aiyuk trade talks heating up, while 2024 first-round wideout Ricky Pearsall aggravated a shoulder injury Tuesday, Lombardi also reports. Purdy has drawn praise and has reportedly been working on improving his accuracy while on the move, but he won't get a chance to show that off in game action quite yet.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that the plan is for Love and the rest of Green Bay's healthy starters to suit up for Saturday's preseason game against the Browns, Rob Demovsky of ESPN reports.

LaFleur acknowledged that "there's an inherent risk" to playing in the preseason, saying "we'll be smart with [Love]," so it sounds like the starting quarterback may play only a series or so. Top running back Josh Jacobs appears uncertain for Saturday due to a recent groin issue, while right tackle Zach Tom has been ruled out after a recent return to practice. Love is coming off an enormous four-year, $220 million contract extension, and expectations for his second season as a starter will be sky-high after he threw 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions during the final 10 regular-season games of the 2023 campaign.

Nix is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on Denver's first unofficial depth chart Tuesday.

Nix is listed behind both Jarrett Stidham (No. 1) and Zach Wilson (No. 2) on the Broncos' first unofficial preseason depth chart, but it's worth noting that every member of Denver's rookie class is listed at the bottom of his respective positional group. In practice, the Broncos have been regularly rotating members of the quarterback room with the first-team offense, and there still appears to be a true ongoing competition for the Week 1 gig. Preseason action could help narrow things down, potentially beginning with Sunday's road exhibition context against the Colts, depending on whom coach Sean Payton opts to have see the field.

Stidham is listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the Broncos' first unofficial depth chart of the preseason Tuesday.

Stidham is currently in the lead of Denver's quarterback competition, per the team's first unofficial depth chart, with Zach Wilson listed as the No. 2 man and rookie first-round pick Bo Nix in the No. 3 spot. Preseason depth charts mean little, though, especially given the caveat that not a single rookie is listed higher than as a third-stringer. Competition for the Week 1 starter gig could stretch deep into the preseason for Stidham, Nix and Wilson. If coach Sean Payton opts for all three quarterbacks to get some action during Sunday's exhibition matchup against the Colts, one or two of those signal-callers could have an early opportunity to pull away from the pack.

Young won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Patriots, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Coach Dave Canales previously said Young might not play at all this preseason and now has confirmed the QB will be held out for the first exhibition. With Andy Dalton nursing a quad injury and also unavailable, the Panthers will rely on Jack Plummer and recent signee Jake Luton -- a situation that seemingly sets up Plummer for a lot of playing time.

Wilson (calf) returned to practice as a full participant Tuesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Wilson had been managing a minor calf strain for nearly the last two weeks, which gave Justin Fields a chance to command Pittsburgh's first-team offense at training camp alone, but the former is now back in the mix at practice. Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Wilson and Fields are alternating reps to begin Tuesday's session, which can be considered confirmation of Adam Schefter of ESPN's recent report that the two remain in a competition for the Week 1 starting gig. Friday's preseason game against the Texans could serve as an opportunity for Wilson or Fields to pull ahead, if they do suit up for a series or two.

Coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday that Goff isn't in line to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Giants, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Campbell suggested other key players will be held out but only mentioned Goff by name. The list of absentees figures to include WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, TE Sam LaPorta (hamstring) and RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, among others.

Coach Jerod Mayo said Tuesday that the plan is for Brissett to start Thursday's preseason opener against the Panthers, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Mayo said "everyone who is healthy enough to play in the game, will play," per Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site, so Brissett figures to have command of the full first-team offensive unit. New England's starters likely won't play more than a few series, and Brissett could have a further cap on his reps if the team also wants rookie third-overall pick Drake Maye to also get some work in with the first-team unit. Albert Breer of SI.com reports that Brissett has shown out as the best quarterback throughout training camp, so the veteran remains the favorite to start Week 1 under center, though Maye has quietly also shown progress.

Coach Jerod Mayo said Tuesday that Maye will play in Thursday's preseason contest against the Panthers, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

Maye has spent training camp working behind veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who remains the favorite to open the 2024 campaign as New England's starter. The rookie No. 3 overall pick has reportedly had an up-and-down camp, but Albert Breer of SI.com reports that many of those struggles can be attributed to working with the second-string O-line, and that Maye has nonetheless impressed the coaching staff with his vision. Brissett figures to start Thursday's exhibition matchup, but it will be interesting to see whether Maye also gets a chance to work with the first-team offense.