NFL Player News

Bagent is battling with Nathan Peterman to be Chicago's third-string quarterback, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Bagent is an undrafted free agent, but the Bears may be more interested in seeing if they can develop him instead of sticking with Peterman, who has NFL experience. Ultimately, this camp battle is expected to determine who is behind Justin Fields and PJ Walker on the depth chart.

Peterman is competing with Tyson Bagent for the Bears' third-string quarterback role, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Peterman provided the Bears with needed veteran experience last year. However, the team has the potential to develop Bagent, which may be more beneficial to the team. Regardless, the winner of the camp battle projects to be Chicago's No. 3 quarterback.

Walker is expected to be the backup to Justin Fields when the regular season begins, Adam Jahns of The Athletic reports.

Walker has had struggles during training camp, but his experience gives him an edge over Tyson Bagent and Nathan Peterman. Should Fields miss time, the likely drop off to Walker may be significant.

Dorian-Thompson will get the start Thursday against the Eagles, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Dorian-Thompson has been solid during the preseason, completing 17 of 21 passes for 184 yards, with 47 rushing yards on nine carries. This may be evidence that he has at least surpassed Kellen Mond, who will come in after the UCLA product, on the team's positional depth chart. Joshua Dobbs will not suit up.

Dalton is dealing with back tightness, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Dalton's back issue doesn't currently sound like it will impact his Week 1 availability. 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young is locked in as the Panthers' starter, but Dalton remains one of the league's most experienced backups and should be key as a mentor for the rookie. As long as he's sidelined, 2022 third-round pick Matt Corral figures to see increased reps behind Young.

Minshew will head into Week 1 as the Colts' backup quarterback after head coach Shane Steichen announced Tuesday that Anthony Richardson will open the regular season as the starter.

Steichen's decision isn't a major surprise, as the Colts' goal heading into training camp was to get Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, ready to stake his claim to the starting role. The fact that Steichen made the announcement after just one preseason game is more of a surprise, but the rookie has apparently shown enough in camp and turned in a decent performance in the Colts' exhibition opener. Unless Richardson gets hurt or fails to show much growth over his first several starts, Minshew doesn't look as though he'll be in store for much playing time in 2023.

Richardson will open the regular season as the Colts' starting quarterback, head coach Shane Steichen announced Tuesday.

Richardson will carry his preseason starting duties into Week 1, relegating Gardner Minshew, a capable veteran, to backup and mentorship duties. Adapting to the NFL may not happen quickly for Richardson due to his limited starting experience in college, but his elite athleticism and multidimensional skill set could translate for fantasy purposes without much delay. In his first preseason start against the Bills, Richardson completed seven of 12 pass attempts for 67 yards and rushed twice for seven yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will likely get another chance to showcase his talents in Saturday's exhibition matchup with the Bears.

Purdy (elbow) will no longer require scheduled off days during weekly practices as he gears up to start the Sept. 10 regular-season opener versus the Steelers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The second-year quarterback looks as though he'll ramp up his physical activity just in time for Week 1, which falls within the time frame the 49ers originally provided for his recovery from elbow surgery. Coach Kyle Shanahan even mentioned Monday that Purdy could play in one of the 49ers' final two preseason games, the first of which comes against the Broncos on Saturday. Seeing him enter an exhibition game would ease any health concerns fantasy managers may have for the 23-year-old heading into draft season. Purdy returns to a 49ers offense with explosive weapons both in the backfield and in the passing game.

Haener went 10-for-17 passing for 105 yards and one touchdown to one interception in Sunday's 26-24 preseason victory over Kansas City.

Haener played the entire second half alongside most of the Saints' second- and third-team offensive players. The fourth-round rookie got off to a rough start with three straight incompletions on his first two offensive series, including an interception when he overthrew Saints wideout James Washington near midfield. Haener did bounce back with a seven-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to running back Ellis Merriweather, pulling New Orleans within one point at just under one and a half minutes remaining. Overall, Haener performed alright given the noticeable struggles from the Saints' reserve offensive line, though it seems unlikely that he'll push veteran Jameis Winston for the No. 2 quarterback spot anytime soon.

According to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, Winston's stock is trending down after he completed 11 of 13 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-24 preseason win versus the Chiefs.

Winston took the field to begin the Saints' second offensive series, and he wound up evenly splitting snaps (31) with rookie signal-caller Jake Haener. The 29-year-old backup started out very clean, including when, just four plays after being inserted into the game, he threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie wideout A.T. Perry near the goal line. However, Winston looked to struggle with defensive pressure while working with New Orleans' second-team offensive line for most of the second quarter. He wound up being sacked three times, the last of which pushed the Saints out of field-goal range near the end of the first half. Winston still outperformed fourth-round rookie Haener, who completed 10 of 17 passes for one score and a pick in the second half, so the veteran shouldn't be in jeopardy of losing the No. 2 quarterback role anytime soon.