NFL Player News

Darnold was informed Wednesday that he will serve as the 49ers' No. 2 quarterback behind Brock Purdy to open the season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

After joining the 49ers in free agency this offseason, Darnold will begin the 2023 campaign as the team's top backup over 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance. A first-rounder himself from the 2018 NFL Draft, Darnold is coming off a strong training camp and seems to be a solid fit in head coach Kyle Shanahan's quarterback-friendly offensive system. The announcement puts Darnold firmly on the radar as a stash in deeper fantasy leagues that start multiple signal-caller, and could foreshadow Lance ultimately being moved by the 49ers.

Stroud is slated to start Sunday's preseason finale against the Saints, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The assignment will mark Stroud's third straight exhibition start, and the rookie signal-caller is expected to log about two series' worth of action, according to Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site. Once Stroud gets his reps in against New Orleans, he'll turn his focus to preparing for Houston's Sept. 10 regular-season opener against the Ravens.

White (concussion) is practicing Wednesday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

White entered the league's concussion protocols Monday, but he was able to clear them quickly. He'll now return to working to earn the team's No. 2 quarterback role over Skylar Thompson.

Keenum (leg) returned to practice Wednesday, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Keenum has been out of action since Aug. 14 when he initially missed practice and was spotted with a sleeve on his left leg. He'll now return to working to earn a spot on the roster as the team's No. 3 quarterback.

Levis (lower body) returned to practice Wednesday and expects to play in Friday's preseason finale against the Patriots, Ben Arthur of Fox Sports reports.

Levis missed Tennessee's second preseason game, but the rookie second-round pick still has a chance to beat out second-year pro Malik Willis in the battle for the backup job behind starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Willis didn't help his case with Levis out, throwing for just 85 yards while playing the entire game against the Vikings on Aug. 19.

Allen completed 12 of 15 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers.

Allen was outplayed by his main competition for the backup quarterback job, Matt Barkley, in the first preseason game, but Barkley was picked off three times Saturday and also suffered an elbow injury. As such, Allen appears to have quickly flipped the script and stands as the favorite to open the season as Josh Allen's top understudy.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Pickett and most of Pittsburgh's other starters are likely to play in Thursday's preseason game against Atlanta, Dale Lolley of the Steelers' official website reports.

It's a bit surprising given that Pickett and the starters played in the first two games and did quite well, with the QB completing nine of 11 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Tomlin did say that his older starters and elite players likely will be held out, which probably means we'll see a lot of starters on offense and a lot of backups on defense.

Levis (lower body) said his goal is to play in the Titans' preseason finale against the Patriots on Friday night, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Coach Mike Vrabel also expressed hope and optimism that the rookie could play in the preseason finale after he missed the second exhibition last weekend. Levis did indicate his injury isn't too serious, but this might be his last chance to make a move on Malik Willis for QB2 duties behind Ryan Tannehill. In the preseason opener, Levis completed nine of 14 passes for 85 scoreless yards and one interception.

Coach Shane Steichen said Richardson will start the Colts' preseason finale Thursday night against the Eagles, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Richardson didn't play in the second preseason game after being named the team's regular-season starter, but he'll get in some more reps ahead of Week 1. On 29 offensive snaps in the preseason opener, Richardson completed seven of 12 passes for 67 yards (5.6 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns and one interception. Once his night against Philadelphia is complete, the 2023 first-rounder will turn his focus to preparing for his regular-season debut, Aug. 10 against the Jaguars. While there's clarity with regard the Indy's QB pecking order, it remains to be seen who will be handling the team's rushing duties early on this season, with Jonathan Taylor having been granted permission by the franchise to seek a trade.

Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield will start Tampa Bay's preseason finale against the Ravens on Saturday and play the first half, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Mayfield was freshly named the Bucs' Week 1 starter Tuesday, and after not playing in the second preseason contest, he will get a final tune-up before the regular season. Kyle Trask will play the second half with the second-team offense.