NFL Player News

Darnold is in line to open the regular season as Minnesota's starting quarterback with J.J. McCarthy (knee) set to undergo surgery to address a meniscus tear, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The former Jet, Panthers and 49er has already been handling the majority of first-team reps in training camp, and with McCarthy slated to miss anywhere from a few weeks to multiple months depending on what form of surgery he needs, Darnold has a clear path to the starting gig to open the regular season. In his lone preseason series thus far, he completed four of eight pass attempts for 59 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Given the quality of Darnold's pass-catching corps to begin the season, headlined by wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the journeyman QB could be in the mix as a fantasy option in deeper leagues when Minnesota faces the Giants on the road in Week 1.

McCarthy (knee) is expected to undergo knee surgery to address a meniscus issue after having an MRI on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McCarthy reported knee soreness over the weekend, and the MRI he underwent Monday revealed an issue serious enough to require surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that McCarthy will require either a meniscus trim, which would carry a recovery timeline of at least a few weeks, or a repair which could sideline the rookie quarterback multiple months. Even if McCarthy is able to make a rapid return, Sam Darnold now has a clear path to the Week 1 starting gig for Minnesota.

Wolford completed 12 of 18 passes for 131 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Buccaneers' 17-14 preseason win over the Bengals on Saturday night. He also rushed twice for four yards.

Wolford played the entire second half after Kyle Trask started and handled the first two quarters. Wolford led the Buccaneers to a field goal on his first drive and subsequently helmed an eight-play, 69-yard march late in the fourth quarter that culminated in a Ramon Jefferson three-yard go-ahead touchdown run. Wolford again profiles as a serviceable No. 3 quarterback heading into the 2024 campaign, and he should continue to see a solid allotment of playing time across the final two preseason games.

Fromm signed with the Lions on Monday.

Fromm will head to Detroit after spending last season on Washington's practice squad. The 2020 fifth-round pick will now compete for the team's backup quarterback spot alongside Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker (concussion).

Hartman is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

It's not clear at this point when Hartman picked up the injury or how serious it might be. His absence should open up some reps at practice for veteran journeymen Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel.

The Bills signed DiNucci on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

With Shane Buechele set to miss extended time due to a neck injury he sustained in Saturday's preseason loss to the Bears, the Bills will bring in DiNucci to serve as the third quarterback behind Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky. DiNucci was cut by the Broncos in May after Denver traded for Zach Wilson and selected Bo Nix 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday that Buechele will be out for an extended amount of time after sustaining a neck injury in Saturday's 33-6 preseason loss to the Bears, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Buechele took over under center in the second half of Saturday's contest after Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky handled snaps in the first half. Buechele finished the contest completing six of 10 passes for 53 yards and one interception while adding 22 rushing yards on three carries. The Bills brought in Ben DiNucci to take snaps with the second- and third-team offenses while Buechele is sidelined.

McCarthy (knee) is not practicing Monday, and it is unclear if he will travel to Cleveland for joint practices, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

McCarthy excelled during his preseason debut to the tune of two passing touchdowns and 188 yards through the air. The rookie also completed 11 of 17 passes and finished with a 116.8 passer rating. It is unclear how serious his knee soreness is, but it would not be surprising to see the Vikings exercise caution with the 10th overall pick in this year's draft. If McCarthy ultimately misses more practice time, Sam Darnold would presumably get all of the first-team reps while Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall continue competing for the No. 3 role under center.

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.

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.