NFL Player News

Tagovailoa did not play in the Dolphins' 20-13 preseason win over the Falcons on Friday night.

As expected, Miami's $212.4 million quarterback was on the sideline for the exhibition opener. However, considering the 2020 first-round pick did play in the final two preseason games last summer after also sitting out the first contest, Tagovailoa could at least see a series or two against the Commanders in a home preseason battle a week from Saturday night.

Penix started the Falcons' 20-13 preseason loss to the Dolphins on Friday night, completing nine of 16 passes for 104 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

The rookie eighth overall pick played on the Falcons' first five possessions, leading Atlanta to 10 points overall on the third and fourth drives of the contest. Penix displayed solid command of the offense during his time in the game and connected with Chris Blair on a 41-yard pass for the Falcons' biggest pass play of the night. The performance was certainly an encouraging one for a pro debut, and with Kirk Cousins not slated to play this preseason, Penix should be afforded ample playing time again in Atlanta's second exhibition on the road against the Ravens on Aug. 17.

Pickett completed 14 of 22 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 16-13 preseason win over the Ravens.

Reporting earlier in the day suggested that Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' first-team offense would get a series at the beginning of the game, but instead Pickett got the start under center and played into the second half. While he did connect with Will Shipley on a seven-yard TD pass on Philadelphia's second possession, Pickett had no success stretching the field and averaged just 4.0 yards per attempt, with his longest completion going for only 10 yards. The former Steeler appears set as Hurts' top backup this season, but he'll only be an emergency or garbage-time option.

Hurts didn't end up seeing any action in Friday's preseason win over the Ravens.

Reporting earlier in the day suggested that the Eagles would give their offensive starters, including Hurts, one series in the team's preseason opener, but that proved not to be the case as Kenny Pickett got the start under center and played into the second half. Hurts' next opportunity to see exhibition action will come Thursday against the Patriots.

Coach Mike Tomlin said after Friday's preseason loss to the Texans that Wilson will suit up Saturday, Aug. 17 against the Bills, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

The Steelers posted an unofficial depth chart Tuesday, which listed Wilson as the No. 1 quarterback ahead of Justin Fields, and Tomlin reiterated Wednesday that the order of the two players was "real," according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. It was so real that Wilson didn't see the field in the team's exhibition opener Friday, while Fields started and completed five of six passes for 67 yards, turned three carries into two yards and fumbled twice (none lost) across three series. Look for Wilson to get the nod under center for Pittsburgh next weekend.

Stroud completed two of four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 20-12 preseason win over the Steelers.

Stroud played two drives, capping his outing in style with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell. With Dell back from last year's season-ending leg injury and Nico Collins returning after a breakout 2023 season alongside offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs, Stroud will have one of the league's most talented wide receiver rooms at his disposal for his sophomore season. Stroud already looks like he's in midseason form, but he may get more opportunities to work on his timing with Houston's receivers in the Texans' next preseason game against the Giants a week from Saturday.

Fields completed five of six passes for 67 yards, rushed three times for two yards and had two fumbles, both recovered by his own team, in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans.

Fields got the start and played the first quarter with Pittsburgh's first-team offense while Russell Wilson was held out after recently battling a calf injury. Wilson remains the frontrunner in Pittsburgh's quarterback competition, and Fields didn't make a convincing case to change that narrative, as he failed to lead the offense to any points and put the ball on the ground twice. Fields will try to rebound and make up some ground on Wilson in next Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.

Coach Sean Payton announced Friday that Jarrett Stidham will start Sunday's preseason opener against the Colts, while Nix will start the team's following contest Aug. 18 versus the Packers, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

DiLalla notes that Nix will play after Stidham gets his reps Sunday, followed by Zach Wilson, with Nix potentially getting in some snaps with the first-team offense. Despite a posted unofficial depth chart that favors the team's veterans at this stage, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic notes that Stidham and Nix have largely split first-team practice reps since camp training began. Meanwhile, Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post suggests that Nix remains expected to push Stidham for the starting job by Week 1, adding that it would be a moderate surprise if the rookie first-rounder didn't end up getting the nod.

Penix looks slated to start Friday's road exhibition matchup against the Dolphins with Kirk Cousins not in line to play this preseason, Victor Prieto of Fox 5 Atlanta reports.

Penix, the eighth overall pick of April's draft, looks positioned to spend at least his rookie campaign redshirting behind Cousins, so even preseason game reps figure to be valuable for his development. D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Cousins isn't expected to take the field at all this preseason, which should mean Penix is also primed to start versus the Ravens on Aug. 17 and against the Jaguars on Aug. 23, before returning to a backup role at home against the Steelers in Week 1. Coach Raheem Morris declined Wednesday to name a starting quarterback for Atlanta's preseason opener, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports, but the expectation is that Penix will enter the game first, followed by Taylor Heinicke and Nathan Rourke.

Coach Sean Payton announced Friday that Stidham will start Sunday's preseason opener against the Colts, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Per the report, Bo Nix will play after Stidham gets his reps Sunday, followed by Zach Wilson, with Nix potentially getting in some reps with the first-team offense. DiLalla adds that Nix is slated to start Denver's second preseason contest, against the Packers on Aug. 18. While Stidham's name is atop the Broncos' posted unofficial depth chart, that can be taken with a grain of salt, considering that Nix and the team's other rookie skill players are notably listed at the bottom. What's more relevant is that Stidham and Nix have largely split first-team practice reps since camp training began, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. With that in mind, Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post suggests that Nix remains expected to push Stidham for the starting job by Week 1, adding that it would be a moderate surprise if the rookie first-rounder didn't end up getting the nod. For now, however, consider the competition a close one.