NFL Player News

Commissioner Roger Goodell has designated former New Jersey attorney general Peter C. Harvey to hear the league's appeal of Watson's six-game suspension for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, NFL.com reports.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that it would appeal disciplinary officer Judge Sue L. Robinson's ruling, which called for a six-game suspension for the Browns QB. Citing a source familiar with the appeal, NFL Network's Judy Battista indicated that the league is seeking a one-year suspension for Watson. The NFL Players Association, which initially stated it wouldn't appeal Robinson's decision, has until Friday to respond to the league following Thursday's announcement. The report notes that under the league's personal-conduct policy, the appeal will be processed on an expedited basis and will be based on a "review of the existing record."

Stafford is still dealing with elbow tendinitis, and while he "did not get to a place he really needs to be" after an offseason procedure, the Rams expect him to be fine for the upcoming season, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports.

Rapoport says the offseason procedure was a "PRP-type deal" rather than a surgery. Stafford didn't throw at spring practices and had his reps limited through the first week of training camp, with coach Sean McVay recently mentioning Wednesday (Aug. 10) as a target date to resume throwing in team drills. Stafford is expected to start Week 1, but with some possibility he'll need to manage pain/discomfort during the season.

Carr is among the Raiders' key players who figure to play sparingly, if at all, in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Jaguars, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

With the Raiders slated to play three more preseason games after the Hall of Fame Game, it seems likely that the team will take it easy on a number of the team's key cogs versus Jacksonville. With that in mind, look for Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens to see their share of QB snaps Thursday, with rookie Chase Garbers a candidate to mix in.

Mariota continues to dominate first-team snaps in practice and has looked "crisper" and "more accurate" than rookie Desmond Ridder, ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein reports.

Mariota looks like one of the lesser Week 1 starters around the league, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be rapidly unseated by a rookie third-round pick. Then again, Mariota struggled to stay healthy when he was the starter in Tennessee, and that was behind much better O-lines than what the Falcons have fielded in recent years. While an injury or benching is certainly possible, it doesn't look like Ridder has much chance to earn the Week 1 starting job. Still, he'll be one of the players to watch closely this preseason, with his development potentially impacting Atlanta's plans for not only this season but also next year's draft. Mariota, meanwhile, arguably offers more upside for fantasy than real life, as he had at least 252 rushing yards and multiple TDs in each of his first NFL seasons, despite playing in offenses that didn't give him many designed runs. Those designed QB runs haven't been a huge part of Falcons coach Arthur Smith's offenses in the past, but he may reconsider that approach now that he's working with Mariota and Ridder instead of Ryan Tannehill or Matt Ryan.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that he doesn't expect Stafford (elbow) to throw in any team drills before Aug. 10, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

That date coincides with the completion of the squad's training camp practices in Irvine, Calif. That said, McVay reiterated that he's not overly concerned about Stafford's elbow, adding that the Rams' goal is simply to make sure that the quarterback is ready for the team's Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Bills.

The NFL opted to appeal Watson's six-game suspension Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

On Monday, NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson issued her ruling in the investigation into Watson's multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. At the time, the NFLPA announced that it wouldn't appeal the suspension, but the league has decided to, with Jake Trotter of ESPN.com indicating that the league is seeking a tougher penalty for the quarterback. Citing a source familiar with the appeal, Judy Battista of NFL Network relayed that the league is reportedly seeking a one-year suspension for Watson. With the appeal filed, it now will be on commissioner Roger Goodell (or his designee) to review the determination and then issue a decision that will constitute final disposition of the dispute, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rudolph said Tuesday that he expects to get reps with the first-team offense during practice in the coming days, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The Steelers have given Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett work with the starters among the first few days of camp, but both of those quarterbacks have shown some signs of inconsistency. Rudolph has also experienced some struggles early in training camp, but he appears to be firmly in the mix for the starting job ahead of the regular season. The 27-year-old notably connected with rookie Calvin Austin on a deep ball down the left sideline to end Tuesday's practice session, and Rudolph should have a chance to build a rapport with the team's starters in the near future. Rudolph was believed to be on the roster bubble earlier, but he's making a case for a starting role now that training camp is underway.

Fields will play in the Bears' preseason opener Aug. 13 against the Chiefs, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Not only is Fields entering his first full preseason as the Bears' starting quarterback, but he's also learning new head coach Matt Eberflus' offensive system. In addition, Chicago has quite a few new receivers fighting for roles, so the preseason may be more important for the Bears than for many other teams. Overall, any reps that Fields gets in the preseason can only help his development. Although he's typically being selected outside the top 12 quarterbacks in most redraft formats, Fields' rushing ability gives him the upside to finish well above his average draft position.

Garoppolo (shoulder) went through a throwing regimen on a side field at the same time as the 49ers practiced Tuesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The roughly hour-long session included a variety of passes, including up to 50 yards in the air and numerous 25-yarders while rolling out to the left and right. GM John Lynch noted that Garoppolo is "doing a really job (of) building his stamina in his throwing program that was prescribed all along and working out really strongly and aggressively." After undergoing surgery March 8 to address a torn capsule in his right throwing shoulder, Garoppolo reported to training camp last Tuesday and promptly passed a physical. At the same time, coach Kyle Shanahan announced the 49ers were moving on from Garoppolo to 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance under center, making the veteran QB available via trade.

Jones had his best day of training camp Tuesday, according to Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record and Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

Stapleton reports that Jones completed 16 of 20 passes on a day where the situational focus was on third-and-longs, though the QB did also throw two interceptions to CB Adoree' Jackson. The situation in New York is a bit different this year, as the quarterback seemingly faces a make-or-break season with new head coach Brian Daboll not necessarily tied to Jones. There's also some hope for the rest of the offense to rebound, with offseason additions including first-round pick Evan Neal at right tackle and second-round pick Wan'Dale Robinson at wide receiver. Healthier years from RB Saquon Barkley and WRs Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney could also go a long way toward giving Jones a decent supporting case for the first time in his career.