NFL Player News
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Panthers' Baker Mayfield: Almost beats Browns
Mayfield completed 16 of 27 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Browns. He also rushed five times for six yards and a touchdown.
Mayfield took a while to get Carolina's offense going, but after scrambling for a seven-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, he subsequently found Robbie Anderson for a 75-yard score on his very next play. Although him leading the Panthers to a late, go-ahead field goal ultimately wasn't enough to defeat his former team, Mayfield's second-half performance should offer some encouragement ahead of Week 2's matchup against the Giants. It's worth noting, however, that Mayfield was charged with four fumbles Sunday, and even though he recovered just as many, that still represents an area he'll aim to clean up going forward.
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Jameis Winston QB | NYG
Saints' Jameis Winston: Stellar in second half of win
Winston completed 23 of 34 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Saints' 27-26 win over the Falcons on Sunday. He also rushed twice for nine yards and threw a two-point conversion pass.
Winston slogged through a sluggish first half that ended with the Saints down by a 16-7 score. However, the 2015 first overall pick came alive following intermission, throwing for 212 yards while leading New Orleans to 20 second-half points and the narrow win. Winston enjoyed his most prolific connection with Jarvis Landry, whom he hit on seven occasions for 114 yards. However, the story of the day, and the comeback, may have been the play of Michael Thomas, who brought in both of Winston's touchdown passes in his first game action since January 2021. Given the momentum he generated over the final two quarters, Winston's fantasy managers have to be feeling much better than earlier in the day as he gets set to face his old Buccaneers squad in a Week 2 home matchup next Sunday.
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Mac Jones QB | SF
Patriots' Mac Jones: Stops for X-rays after Week 1 loss
Jones completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 20-7 loss to Miami. He also rushed twice for no gain and lost a fumble. After the game, Jones stopped by the X-ray room, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Jones capped New England's first possession with an interception before having his second-quarter fumble returned for a Miami touchdown. The Patriots took a 17-0 deficit into the locker room, but Jones' six-yard touchdown pass to Ty Montgomery capped a 92-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter to cut Miami's lead to 10. That was all the offense New England could muster, though. Despite glowing offseason reviews from within the Patriots organization, Jones didn't show much progress from his rookie campaign in his first action of 2022, perhaps hindered by New England's lack of experienced coaches on the offensive side of the ball. Assuming Jones is healthy, the 2021 first-round pick will look to bounce back in Week 2 against a Steelers defense that turned Joe Burrow over five times in its season opener.
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Kenny Pickett QB | CAR
Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Might sit all season
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin plans to have Pickett 'sit-and-learn' all season long behind Mitch Trubisky, Fox's Jay Glazer reported on their morning preview show.
It isn't necessarily surprising that Tomlin, who has never had a losing season, would prefer to go that route. Moreover, it's a logical statement for a head coach to make when naming a veteran as the starter - it would be unusual if Tomlin came out and said that he plans to swap quarterbacks later in the season.
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Dak Prescott QB | DAL
Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Felt pop Thursday
Prescott (ankle) fully practiced Friday and is slated to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, but the injury he sustained in practice this week was a little scarier than the Cowboys initially let on, Jay Glazer reported on "Fox NFL Sunday."
According to Glazer, Prescott felt a "pop" in his right ankle, and the team was concerned enough to give him a series of X-rays, which came back clean. The conclusion from the team was that Prescott likely had some scar tissue from his surgically repaired ankle come loose, but he's free and clear for the season opener. The issues that are troublesome for the Cowboys (lack of depth at receiver, left tackle Tyron Smith's knee injury) remain, but at least Prescott avoided a major setback with his ankle.
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Kyle Allen QB | BUF
Texans' Kyle Allen: Inactive for Week 1
Allen (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's season opener against the Colts, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Allen will open the season as the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel, who was elevated from the practice squad Friday. Allen was expected to be the primary backup behind Mills to open the season, so the move is somewhat surprising.
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Sam Howell QB | DAL
Commanders' Sam Howell: Inactive Sunday
Howell (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Jaguars.
Howell is currently behind starter Carson Wentz and No. 2 quarterback Taylor Heinicke on the team's positional depth chart. The rookie will need an injury, or to make further strides throughout the season to crack the active roster on gameday.
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Sam Ehlinger QB | DEN
Colts' Sam Ehlinger: Inactive as expected Week 1
Ehlinger (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Texans.
The second-year signal-caller enjoyed an excellent preseason overall, but the Colts will unsurprisingly roll with veteran Nick Foles as fellow newcomer Matt Ryan's backup to open the season. Nevertheless, the progress Ehlinger displayed this summer could leave him poised to mount a challenge for the No. 2 job as the campaign unfolds.
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Jeff Driskel QB | WAS
Texans' Jeff Driskel: Bumps to active roster
The Texans elevated Driskel to the active roster Saturday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
This move may be a contingency in the event one of the Texans' top two quarterbacks -- Davis Mills or Kyle Allen -- suffers an injury during pregame warmups for Week 1 against the Colts. A decision on Driskel's availability, or lack thereof, will come about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Cooper Rush QB | ATL
Cowboys' Cooper Rush: Called up for Week 1
Rush has been called up to the Cowboys' 53-man roster ahead of their Week 1 game against the Buccaneers, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Although he was named the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Dak Prescott, Dallas has kept Rush on its practice squad until now. The 28-year-old will now be available under center should anything ultimately happen to Prescott.