NFL Player News

Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich said Wednesday that Trask has been "improving drastically" this summer, Andrew Crane of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The second-year signal-caller appeared to take a step back in the second preseason game against the Titans after he was impressive in the exhibition opener versus the Dolphins, throwing for 258 yards and completing 25 of his 33 attempts in that contest. However, Leftwich confirmed Wednesday that Trask is improving on various aspects of his game that aren't necessarily evident from a spectator's perspective, and he added that the 24-year-old's progress is especially relevant when measured against the amount of reps he's received. Tom Brady's recent 11-day personal leave from the team opened up plenty of short-term opportunity, however, and despite the future Hall of Famer's recent return, Trask should still see ample playing time in Saturday's preseason finale against the Colts.

Winston (knee/foot) said Wednesday that he's "feeling better every day" and will be ready to play if the Saints want him on the field for Friday's preseason finale against the Chargers, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Dennis Allen hasn't specified which of the team's projected starters, if any, will play Friday, but either way, Winston appears on track to be ready for Week 1 against Atlanta. He's been practicing since OTAs after suffering an ACL tear and MCL damage to his left knee last season, with his recent absences in the preseason being the result of a relatively minor foot injury. Winston returned to practice Sunday and has avoided any setbacks so far.

Keenum completed 16 of 18 passes for 192 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions in Saturday's preseason win over Denver.

Keenum showed major improvement in his second preseason outing, after a poor showing in his Bills debut a week prior. The efficient showing should be enough to squash any talk of Matt Barkley overtaking Keenum for the No. 2 job, but with Josh Allen being rested in the preseason finale this week against the Panthers, both of the backups should see plenty of playing time.

Head coach Matt Rhule said that Mayfield could play into the second quarter of Friday's preseason finale against the Bills, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The Panthers are currently inclined to play their healthy starters in the contest, though David Newton of ESPN.com suggests the team may play it safe with top back Christian McCaffrey. Once Mayfield gets through his shift on the field Friday, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker will be available handle the quarterback reps the rest of the way.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday that he couldn't provide an update on Wilson's timeline to come back from Aug. 16 arthroscopic right knee surgery, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Wilson hasn't been ruled out for the season opener against Baltimore, though he seems likely to miss at least one game with reports suggesting that he faces a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks. Joe Flacco is the Jets' top quarterback while Wilson recovers from the recent meniscus surgery.

Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wednesday that Johnson will be the backup quarterback to Brett Rypien and will play the second half of Saturday's preseason contest against the Vikings, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Hackett said Rypien has earned the chance to be the starter against Minnesota, but he also wants to see consistency from both quarterbacks during the preseason finale. Johnson was impressive in Denver's first exhibition contest but was lackluster against the Bills on Saturday. The 36-year-old was the early favorite to earn the No. 2 spot behind Russell Wilson, but it appears like the preseason finale will be the final test for both quarterbacks to prove they deserve the backup gig.

Lance is in line to see action in Thursday's preseason finale against the Texans, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested Tuesday that the 49ers' starting quarterback would play two quarters, at most, before exiting the contest. Once Lance heads to the bench, Nate Sudfeld and Brock Purdy will be next up for snaps.

Head coach Pete Carroll said that Smith will start Friday's preseason finale against the Cowboys, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Carroll suggested that Smith will play early on in the contest, after which Drew Lock is set to receive extended playing time, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. At this stage, the team has yet to announce a starting quarterback for Week 1, with Carroll noting Tuesday that the Seahawks will take "all the time (they) need" to make a decision on that front, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. To that end, Carroll implied that Smith remains ahead in the competition, but noted that he's "wide open" to the possibility that Lock could overtake Smith.

Burrow (appendix) is slated to practice without limitations Wednesday, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Burrow, who underwent an appendectomy July 26, continues to progress, but Ben Baby of ESPN.com notes that the quarterback is still working his way back from the procedure. In any case, Burrow is on track to be ready for the Bengals' Week 1 game against the Steelers.

Allen won't play in Friday's preseason finale against the Panthers.

Allen looked sharp Saturday against the Broncos in limited action, so there's no reason for the Bills to risk anything with the franchise quarterback. Case Keenum and Matt Barkley are the only other quarterbacks on the roster, so those two are likely to split the reps against Carolina.