NFL Player News

Thompson-Robinson completed eight of 11 passes for 82 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while adding six carries for 36 yards during the Browns' 21-16 preseason win over the Jets in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

Thompson-Robinson played the entire second half and immediately helmed an 11-play, 93-yard touchdown drive on his first possession. The rookie fifth-round pick was back at it two drives later, connecting with Austin Watkins for a 22-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. Considering he didn't turn the ball over and also offered an impressive rushing dimension, Thompson-Robinson arguably outperformed his primary competitor for a roster spot, Kellen Mond, on the night. The two will continue their job battle a week from Friday in a home preseason matchup against the Commanders.

Mond completed 13 of 19 passes for 92 yards with one touchdown and one interception and rushed once for two yards during the Browns' 21-16 win over the Jets in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

Mond played the entire first half and threw his touchdown pass on his final play, connecting with John Kelly from three yards out just before halftime to cap off an impressive 17-play, 71-yard drive. The 2021 third-round pick is battling Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who followed him Thursday and was impressive as both a passer and rusher, for the No. 3 quarterback job. Mond's second-quarter interception in his own territory did set up a Jets touchdown, but otherwise, the Texas A & M product put together a respectable performance he'll aim to build on during a home exhibition matchup versus the Commanders a week from Friday.

Wilson completed three of five passes for 65 yards in the Jets' 21-16 preseason loss to the Browns in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

Wilson was the first quarterback in with Aaron Rodgers getting the night off, and matters didn't get off on the right foot when he took a sack on the Jets' second play from scrimmage. However, the 2021 first-round pick rebounded on his second possession with a 57-yard completion to Malik Taylor from his own seven-yard line to help set up a Greg Zuerlein field goal. Wilson was in for one more drive, which also culminated in three points off the foot of Zuerlein, before giving way to Tim Boyle. With the Jets having an extra preseason game to work with this summer, Wilson could well start in place of an idle Rodgers again in New York's road preseason battle versus the Panthers a week from Saturday.

Hurts has looked impressive in training camp practices, most notably connecting on numerous standout throws to A.J. Brown, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hurts and Brown have been close friends since they were teenagers, so they naturally found chemistry quickly when Brown was traded to Philadelphia prior to last season. Now tasked with shaking off the disappointment of the 38-35 Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, Hurts is determined to lead the Eagles to even greater heights in 2023 while throwing to a talented group of pass catchers led by Brown, DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.

Wilson is seemingly in better shape than last season and could utilize his mobility more in 2023, Jon Heath of BroncosWire reports.

Wilson appears poised to get back to a more mobile playing style that made him such a dynamic quarterback in Seattle for the first nine years of his career. In 2022, however, the veteran posted just 55 rushes for 277 yards, accounting for his second-lowest single-season total in rushing attempts and third-lowest in rushing yards. With Wilson losing weight this offseason, head coach Sean Payton has allowed his franchise quarterback to scramble and practice off-script plays. "I'm comfortable when I see him climbing [the pocket] and taking off because one of those plays is like a 30-yard gain," Payton said. "When something breaks down and he flushes, a lot of the time good things happen. You have to practice that and get everyone on the same page when it happens," he added. It's clear the Broncos are committed to giving Wilson the freedom to move around more this season, a departure from Nathaniel Hackett's offensive scheme that seemed to restrict the 34-year-old to the pocket. A return to form for Wilson could lead to a bounce-back year for both Denver's offense and the signal caller's potential for fantasy success.

Pickett has been making good reads in practice early in training camp, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Pickett had an up-and-down rookie season in 2022, completing 63.0 percent of his passes for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing 55 times for 237 yards and three touchdowns. He had some encouraging games but had some inefficient performances and topped 200 passing yards in just four of his 13 games last year. He enters the 2023 campaign as the Steelers' clear starting quarterback and has impressed during training camp, but he'll likely be somewhat limited by offensive coordinator Matt Canada's run-first offense.

Coach Robert Saleh noted earlier this week that if Rodgers plays during the preseason, it would be for "a quick tuneup" in the Jets' exhibition finale on Saturday, Aug. 26 versus the Giants, Randy Lange of the team's official site reports.

With the Jets playing it safe with the veteran QB, Zach Wilson is in line to draw the start in Thursday's preseason opener against the Browns and quite possibly the team's subsequent exhibition tilts. Assuming Rodgers is limited to a cameo appearance in the preseason, his first full contest with the Jets will occur in Week 1 against the Bills.

Quarterbacks coach Brian Griese said Thursday that Purdy has dealt with minimal soreness after throwing sessions, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Purdy Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com it's no different from the normal soreness a quarterback feels after a busy day of throwing passes. He's reportedly throwing about 110 times on the day he practices, with the 49ers scheduling numerous days off to make sure his surgically repaired elbow stays strong. Purdy was on a 'two days on, two days off' schedule through the first week and a half of training camp, but the routine seems to be changing given that he practiced Monday and Tuesday and now is back on the field for Thursday's practice after resting for only one day. Purdy has strictly worked with the first-team offense during camp, while Trey Lance and Sam Darnold have taken snaps with the starters and the backups.

Coach Ron Rivera cautioned reporters Tuesday that they shouldn't "sleep on" Brissett, who has done a "nice job" at training camp, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Rivera said back in June that Brissett was in the running for the starting job, even though Sam Howell had been getting all the first-team reps in spring practices. Howell is still dominating those reps during training camp, but at the very least Rivera is making it clear he's confident in his backup, which makes sense given that Brissett's track record places him among the better No. 2 QBs in the league. That reality combined with Howell's lack of experience gives Brissett a decent chance to make starts at some point this season even if Howell seems to have the Week 1 starting assignment all but locked up.

Mariota has gotten off to a slow start during training camp, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Mariota has thrown four interceptions in the first week of training camp. However, for the time being, that's being chalked up to him being on his third team in three seasons. According to teammate Boston Scott, "he's still learning the playbook, but he's a really smart guy. It's gonna take time, but you can see the tools for sure." Mariota will have plenty of time to adjust to the new offense and his role as Jalen Hurts' backup throughout the remainder of training camp and preseason.