NFL Player News

Watson won't play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Jets, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.

Neither will top backup Joshua Dobbs, who is trying to fend off young QBs Kellen Mond and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Coach Kevin Stefanski named Mond his starter for the Hall of Fame Game, though it won't be surprising if Thompson-Robinson ends up playing more snaps. Watson, meanwhile, is locked in as the Week 1 starter and doesn't figure to get much playing time (if any) this preseason.

Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Mond will start at QB against the Jets in Thursday's Hall of Fame preseason contest, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

The report adds that rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson is slated to play in the second half of the contest, a scenario that gives the duo a chance to log preseason snaps as the two compete for depth QB slotting. With that in mind, fellow signal-callers Deshaun Watson and Joshua Dobbs, are listed atop the Browns' current unofficial depth chart.

Haener is doing well during camp and had another good showing Tuesday, Sean Fazende of FOX 8 New Orleans reports.

Haener has been hitting his targets during practice. Fazende specifically mentions him hitting Jesse James on a deep corner route and making another strong throw to Keith Kirkwood over the middle of the field. Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 Draft, Haener is expected to fall behind Derek Carr and Jameis Winston on the team's positional depth chart, but with Winston on the last year of his contract, it's possible Haener could ultimately be vying for the backup role to Carr.

Richardson, who recently underwent a nasal septum procedure, returned to practice Tuesday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Richardson missed Monday's session but was back out there Tuesday. He handled first-team QB reps, which he continues to split in an ongoing rotation with veteran Gardner Minshew. The report also indicated that the rookie first-rounder currently checks in at around 250 pounds, up from his NFL Combine mark of 244 pounds. "That's just my body, muscle mass growing," noted Richardson, who turned 21 in May.

Wilson is slated to draw the start at QB in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Browns, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports.

Coach Robert Saleh noted that it has yet to be determined how much Wilson will play in the team's exhibition opener. In any case, the 2021 first-rounder is slated to spend the coming season backing up veteran newcomer Aaron Rodgers, with Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler also in the Jets' depth signal-caller mix.

Stafford took a rest day Monday, but coach Sean McVay said after practice that the quarterback is healthy and that Stafford isn't expected to miss any more days of training camp, Eric Williams of Fox Sports reports.

Stafford's day off stemmed from a desire to get the quarterback on the same schedule as the regular season, when the goal will be for Stafford to throw four out of every seven days. After dealing with elbow soreness heading into last season and finishing the campaign on injured reserve due to a neck injury, Stafford is being deemed fully healthy heading into the 2023 campaign.

Purdy (elbow) is practicing with the first-team offense Monday in San Francisco's first padded practice, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Purdy rested for the last two of San Francisco's four non-padded practices, but he'll assume starting quarterback duties in training camp less than five months after having surgery to repair the UCL in his right throwing arm. Purdy tore his UCL during the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles in January. Per Kevin Patra of NFL.com, coach Kyle Shanahan has been pleased with Purdy's health and form early in training camp. "He's had no arm troubles," Shanahan said of Purdy. "He's been totally healthy. I think he's getting all his timing back, his rhythm. I was really impressed with him in his two practices."

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans noted Stroud's "command of the huddle" as an area of progress for the rookie quarterback, John McClain of SportsRadio 610 reports. "With college players now, a lot of it is looking to the sideline, and they see a signal or a picture, and that's their play," Ryans said. "But here, we're asking them to operate from a huddle, which is new."

Stroud continues to share first-team reps with Davis Mills, and Ryans mentioned a few areas of improvement before anointing the rookie as the No. 1. The coach referenced Stroud's footwork and progressions, which are things he's working on with coaches. Ryans made it a point to keep Stroud from being overwhelmed by giving him one thing per day to work on instead of multiple items.

Richardson will miss Monday's practice after having a procedure to correct his nasal septum, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

The rookie QB practiced over the weekend and reportedly has a chance to rejoin his teammates as soon as Tuesday. The Colts have split first-team reps between Richardson and fifth-year pro Gardner Minshew through the first week of training camp, and a missed practice or two shouldn't have too much impact on their ongoing competition for the Week 1 starting assignment.

Sinnett signed with the Bengals on Sunday.

Sinnett worked out with the Bengals on Saturday -- along with Drew Plitt -- to fill in as the third quarterback with Joe Burrow out for several weeks with a calf strain. Sinnett had practice squad stints with the Buccaneers, Eagles and Dolphins and most recently suited up for the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas this spring. He'll slot behind Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning as a training camp quarterback while Burrow sits out.