NFL Player News

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.

Lock (hip) is expected to miss time due to a bone contusion and strained oblique suffered during Thursday's preseason game against the Lions, but he will not require surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Coach Brian Daboll said the Giants could add another quarterback with Lock injured. Though Daboll declined to offer a true estimate of Lock's recovery timetable, per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, he did say "it could be longer than a couple days." Tommy DeVito figures to step up and handle the bulk of second-team reps at practice as long as Lock is unable to go. It's possible, depending on the extent of Lock's absence and whether DeVito is able to impress with more opportunities on deck, that a competition for the No. 2 spot behind starter Daniel Jones could materialize.

Prescott is not practicing Friday as he manages ankle soreness, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Prescott's ankle soreness stems from Thursday's joint practice with the Rams. Per the Cowboys, his absence Friday is completely precautionary, but Prescott is nonetheless not expected to suit up for Sunday's road preseason matchup against Los Angeles. The veteran quarterback was spotted with a protective walking boot on his right foot back in July, which was also linked to ankle soreness, but it remains to be seen whether his current issue is related. Prescott did say after Thursday's joint practice that he feels fully ready for the regular season, though, so it doesn't appear either his ankle issue or ongoing contract negotiations with the Cowboys are at any risk of impacting his availability Week 1 against Cleveland.

Cousins will not suit up for any of the Falcons' preseason games, but he "has no limitations" per coach Raheem Morris and remains on track to start Week 1 versus the Steelers, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

"The guy's full-go," Morris said. "I don't worry about [Cousins]." The veteran signal-caller has reportedly showcased a recent willingness to tuck and run the ball at practices and take hits that will extend a play, which are positive signs as he heads into his age-36 season while working back from a serious injury. Morris said the Falcons fully expect Cousins to be ready for Sept. 8's regular-season opener, but that in the meantime "we're just trying to avoid any unnecessary trips or stumbles." Rookie eighth overall pick Michael Penix could be the biggest beneficiary of Cousins not suiting up for preseason action, as Atlanta could allow him to get the bulk of first-team exhibition reps, beginning with Friday's contest on the road in Miami.

Plummer completed 11 of 21 pass attempts for 86 yards and rushed twice for four yards during Thursday's 17-3 preseason loss to the Patriots.

With Bryce Young and Andy Dalton sitting out Thursday, Plummer was the Panthers' top quarterback. It was a rough game for Carolina's entire offense, and Plummer wasn't helped by his supporting cast, as he was sacked five times and dealt with drop issues from both Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall. Plummer definitely left more to be desired after his performance Thursday, but he'll likely have the opportunity to continue competing for Carolina's No. 3 quarterback spot as the preseason progresses.

Hurts and other starters are expected to play one drive in Friday's preseason game against Baltimore, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

McLane notes that Philadelphia's starters could end up playing a bit more, depending on how the first series goes. That probably means Hurts will get one drive if he's able to move the ball, or two drives if the opening series quickly stalls out. Either way, he's unlikely to play more than 10-15 snaps, if that.

Zappe completed 12 of his 20 pass attempts for 108 yards and ran once for six yards in Thursday's 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers.

Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Zappe logged a team-high 36 snaps among the Patriots' QBs in the team's exhibition opener, while top options Jacoby Brissett (four snaps) and Drake Maye (six snaps) both saw limited action in the contest. At this stage, Zappe is competing with rookie sixth-rounder Joe Milton for depth slotting, with Chad Graff of The Athletic suggesting that in the current context Zappe seems unlikely to make New England's 53-man roster.

Coach Shane Steichen said Friday that Richardson and most other starters will play "a series or two" in Sunday's preseason game against the Broncos, Larra Overton of Colts.com reports.

Steichen said one or two healthy starters may be held out, but he clarified that his starting quarterback wouldn't be one of them. Richardson thus figures to get some playing time, though perhaps not enough to make him a good option for preseason DFS contests.