NFL Player News

Hubbard gained 10 rushing yards on three carries and failed to catch his only target during Friday's 30-10 preseason loss to the Browns.

The fifth-year running back got the start but handled only a handful of snaps before giving way to Rico Dowdle midway through the first quarter. While the limited usage is a good sign that Hubbard's spot atop the depth chart isn't in any jeopardy, it's still uncertain how coach Dave Canales plans to split the backfield workload this season after the Panthers signed Dowdle in March. Both backs are coming off 1,000-yard campaigns -- Dowdle with Dallas, and Hubbard with Carolina -- but the latter's familiarity with the offense should keep him in the driver's seat for the bigger role come Week 1.

Young completed four of six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown during Friday's 30-10 preseason loss to the Browns.

The third-year quarterback got the start but only handled the Panthers' first two drives before handing things over to Andy Dalton. Young made an impact in his brief time on the field however, capping his final possession with a five-yard TD strike to Jalen Coker, a score set up by a 29-yard connection with rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan. Young showed signs of growth in 2024 after a disastrous rookie campaign, and Carolina is counting on the first overall pick in the 2023 Draft to take another big step forward with his development this season.

Allen completed seven of eight pass attempts for 120 yards and two touchdowns while taking two carries for 10 yards in Friday's preseason tilt in Atlanta.

Allen entered the contest with a little over five minutes left in the first half and proceeded to orchestrate three consecutive scoring drives. two of which resulted in touchdowns. Fellow backup Hendon Hooker started Friday's exhibition and produced little offensively while turning the ball over twice. Both signal-callers are vying to serve as Jared Goff's primary backup this upcoming season, with Allen having the clear early advantage based on performance and experience.

Davis caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and two touchdowns in Friday's 30-10 preseason win over the Panthers. He also lost two yards on his only carry and added 31 return yards.

An undrafted free agent back in 2022, Davis made his NFL debut last season in Week 18 with the Browns and made a positive impression on special teams with 107 return yards. The 26-year-old did more than that Friday, rising to the occasion as a red-zone target for Shedeur Sanders and hauling in TDs of seven and 12 yards in the second quarter. Davis is still likely on the outside looking in for a Week 1 roster spot, especially with DeAndre Carter on the squad, but if he keeps stacking strong performances, he could make the veteran return man expendable.

Jones completed four of five pass attempts for 49 yards while taking two carries for nine yards in Friday's preseason tilt against the Lions.

Easton Stick started the first half for the Falcons (15-18, 149 yards, TD) and outperformed Jones on a statistical basis. In the latter's defense, he only had a fraction of the interim starter's playing time after the game was suspended following three quarters of play. Jones is currently competing with Stick for the Falcons' third quarterback role behind Michael Penix and a disgruntled Kirk Cousins. The next opportunity for Jones to showcase his skills will come against Tennessee next Friday.

Johnson failed to catch either of his targets during Friday's 30-10 preseason win over the Panthers.

The veteran wideout got the start but wasn't on the field for long and failed to connect with Shedeur Sanders during the Browns' first two drives of the night. Johnson's main competition for the No. 3 receiver role, Jamari Thrash, also only saw two targets but showed more chemistry with Sanders by hauling both of them in, albeit for only nine yards. Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are locked into the top two spots on the wideout depth chart, and the 29-year-old Johnson is coming off an awful 2024 campaign which saw him bounce through three different organizations without making much impact. He'll need to do more with his opportunities if he's going to get his career back on track.

McCaffrey left Friday's 48-18 preseason loss against the Patriots due to an illness, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

McCaffrey tried to play through the illness and caught his only target for minus-1 yard but ultimately couldn't keep going. The Commanders' next exhibition game isn't until Monday, Aug. 18 against the Bengals, so McCaffrey will have additional time to recover. The 2024 third-rounder is battling for a bigger role in Washington's offense after finishing his rookie season with 18 catches (on 24 targets) for 168 yards across 17 regular-season games.

Croskey-Merritt rushed seven times for 24 yards and caught his only target for eight yards in Friday's 48-18 preseason loss to the Patriots.

Croskey-Merritt had been drawing rave reviews for his performance in training camp but failed to stand out Friday, though he was notably the first running back in the game for Washington while Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler were resting. The rookie seventh-round pick out of Arizona is competing for the third spot on Washington's running back depth chart with Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez. McNichols scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter Friday. The race for a roster spot is too close to call at this stage, so all three of Croskey-Merritt, McNichols and Rodriguez will likely get chances to bolster their respective cases Aug. 18 against the Bengals in the Commanders' next preseason game.

Hartman completed nine of 19 passes for 64 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Friday's 48-18 preseason loss to the Patriots. He added one rushing attempt for six yards.

Hartman got the start with Jayden Daniels resting and Marcus Mariota (lower leg) unavailable. The former Notre Dame quarterback played deep into the second quarter before being replaced by veteran Josh Johnson, who threw for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Hartman and Johnson will continue to compete for the third spot on the depth chart in Washington's second preseason game, Aug. 18 against the Bengals.

Sampson gained six rushing yards on two carries and failed to haul in his only target in Friday's 30-10 preseason win over the Panthers.

The 2025 fourth-round pick got the start in the Browns' exhibition opener with Jerome Ford being held out along with the other starters, and fellow rookie running back Quinshon Judkins still unsigned and away from the team due to off-field issues. Sampson didn't do much, but he was only on the field for Cleveland's first two drives before checking out of the contest. The limited snaps suggest that coach Kevin Stefanski may already be comfortable with Sampson's role in the offense and doesn't need the Tennessee product to prove himself, or risk injury, during the preseason. With Ford having flopped last season when he got a chance to establish himself as the team's starting RB, and Judkins' status still murky for Week 1, the door could be opening for Sampson to handle a significant role right out of the gate when the regular season begins.