NFL Player News

With coach Klint Kubiak naming Kirk Cousins the Raiders' starting quarterback Wednesday, Mendoza will open the season as the backup, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

Mendoza was in the competition all offseason, but it was going to take some otherworldly play to knock Cousins out of the top spot on the depth chart. While Cousins completed 13 of 17 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown across 30 preseason snaps, Mendoza struggled some, completing just 26 of 46 passes for 250 yards, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions during exhibition action. Cousins is likely to have a decently long leash to begin the season, but Mendoza remains a good bet to make starts as a rookie.

Coach Klint Kubiak named Cousins the Raiders' starting quarterback Wednesday, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

It was a decision everyone expected and comes as no surprise after Cousins worked with the first-team offense all offseason. Cousins played 30 offensive snaps during the preseason and completed 13 of 17 pass attempts for 101 yards and one touchdown, while rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza was more scattershot, completing just 26 of 46 passes for 250 yards, one touchdown and a pair of picks. Cousins should have a somewhat long leash to begin the season, but Mendoza remains very likely to see rookie-year playing time.

Goff closed out training camp on a high note Thursday, notably leading the Lions on a 99-yard touchdown drive during the first series of practice, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports.

Head coach Dan Campbell elected to put the offense in a tough spot to begin the final session of training camp, but Goff didn't wilt from the challenge. He found Jameson Williams for a 22-yard gain early on the drive to give the offense some breathing room, then completed five more pass attempts before an incompletion set up a fourth-and-goal from the five-yard line. Goff evaded some pressure on fourth down and connected with a tightly covered Williams in the back of the end zone to wrap up the drive. The 31-year-old quarterback threw for another touchdown later in the session, finding top target Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 16-yard score on the second-to-last drive of the day. While his lack of rushing ability will likely prevent him from emerging as a truly elite fantasy option in 2026, Goff is about as steady of a performer as it gets at the quarterback position, as he's turned in three straight seasons of at least 4,500 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes. The Detroit defense is still looking suspect heading into the upcoming season -- especially in the secondary -- which could result in the offense being involved in frequent shootouts that would enhance the fantasy value of Goff and the team's other skill-position players.

The Dolphins cut Gronowski from the practice squad Tuesday.

The Dolphins waived Gronowski during Sunday's cut-down day. The quarterback cleared waivers and signed with the practice squad Monday before ultimately being cut Tuesday. Gronowski's role on the practice squad has now been deemed unnecessary, so the undrafted free agent out of Iowa will need to find work elsewhere.

The Chargers signed Uiagalelei to the practice squad Monday.

The Chargers waived Uiagalelei during Sunday's cutdown day. The quarterback cleared waivers and has shown enough potential in training camp to once again be invited to the team's practice squad, similar to his rookie year. Uiagalelei participated in all three preseason contests, completing 24 of his 42 pass attempts for 341 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jaguars signed Aguilar to the practice squad Monday.

The Jaguars waived Aguilar during Sunday's cutdown day. The quarterback played in all three preseason games, completing 17 of his 20 pass attempts for 230 yards and a touchdown. The 25-year-old cleared waivers and will now compete with Nick Mullens on the practice squad for a chance to be elevated to the active roster if Trevor Lawrence or Quinn Ewers suffers an injury.

The Jaguars signed Mullens to the practice squad Monday.

The Jaguars released Mullens during Sunday's cutdown day. The quarterback participated in all three preseason games for the team, completing 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 160 yards and an interception. Mullens may be elevated for a contest if Trevor Lawrence or Quinn Ewers misses time due to injury.

The Lions signed Altmyer to the practice squad Monday.

Altmyer appeared in three preseason games for the Lions in 2026, throwing for 271 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions off 29-for-46 passing. While he didn't play the best throughout the preseason, he still did enough to earn a spot on Detroit's practice squad.

The Bengals signed Clifford to the practice squad Monday.

The Bengals waived Clifford during Sunday's cutdown day. The quarterback was able to clear waivers and has now returned to the team. Clifford will likely return to the active roster if Joe Burrow or Joe Flacco suffers an injury that requires them to miss time.

Buechele signed a practice-squad contract with Buffalo on Monday, Alec White and Mike Maynard of the team's official site report.

Buechele spent training camp with the Bills but was cut Sunday. However, he'll stick with the team as organizational depth on the practice squad. Unless Josh Allen or Kyle Allen becomes unavailable for any reason, Buechele isn't likely to be a regular part of Buffalo's game-day roster.