NFL Player News

Rourke (ribs) will not return to Thursday night's preseason opener against the Titans, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Rourke completed 12 of 14 passes for 101 scoreless yards before suffering a rib injury, allowing Adrian Martinez to come in to finish out the exhibition opener. Rourke also rushed three times for 14 yards prior to his departure. The second-year quarterback's next chance to suit up will be next Thursday against the Chargers.

Gesicki didn't catch his only target in Thursday's 16-14 preseason win over the Lions.

Gesicki's lone target came on a pass from Joe Burrow on the game's second possession. Cincinnati's starters exited the contest shortly thereafter. The 30-year-old Gesicki is tentatively penciled in atop a Bengals tight end depth chart that also includes Drew Sample, Erick All, Tanner Hudson and Jack Endries, the last of whom caught a four-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from backup quarterback Joe Flacco.

Rakestraw (upper body) is dealing with a bruise after Thursday's 16-14 preseason loss to the Bengals, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Rakestraw suffered an upper-body injury up near his shoulder in the first half, and he ultimately did not return to the contest. Head coach Dan Campbell outlined that after the game that he doesn't think that the injury is serious. The cornerback can be considered day-to-day for the time being, and an update on his status will likely come when the Lions return to practice this week.

Goff didn't suit up for Thursday's 16-14 preseason loss to the Bengals.

Goff sat out the preseason opener, as did Detroit's other key starters. Luke Altmyer and the recently signed Joshua Dobbs split quarterback duties Thursday. Altmyer and Dobbs will likely continue to get most of the preseason playing time as the Lions sort out their depth chart behind Goff in the wake of veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater's retirement. The Lions will continue preseason play Aug. 22 against the Commanders.

Higgins and quarterback Joe Burrow have had no trouble connecting at practice, Dan Hoard of the Bengals' official website reports.

Higgins and Burrow were drafted together in 2020, and they've had a long-standing connection with one another on the field. The two players have had no trouble getting back up to speed with each other after the offseason, and amongst the many plays they've made at camp, Higgins reeled in a red zone touchdown pass from Burrow at practice Tuesday. The wide receiver caught 59 of 98 targets for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2025, a campaign during which Burrow, Jake Browning and Joe Flacco all started at least three contests at quarterback. Now with Burrow fully healthy ahead of the 2026 season, Higgins figures to once again be one of the most productive No. 2 WRs in the NFL.

Brown rushed five times for 16 yards in Thursday's preseason-opening 16-14 win over the Lions.

Brown and the rest of Cincinnati's starters played two drives Thursday. After recording at least 1,350 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns in each of the past two regular seasons, Brown is locked in atop a Bengals running back depth chart that also includes Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks. Cincinnati will continue preseason play Aug. 22 against the Bears.

Burrow completed five of six passes for 39 yards in Thursday's preseason-opening 16-14 win over the Lions.

Burrow played on Cincinnati's first two possessions Thursday before turning things over to backups Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford. The Bengals' two drives with Burrow in the game resulted in a punt and a field goal. Offense hasn't been the Bengals' problem when Burrow has been healthy, so the star QB isn't expected to see extensive action during the preseason.

Rodgers did not suit up for Thursday night's preseason opener against the Packers, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

According to coach Mike McCarthy, he was prepared to play Rodgers in the exhibition but opted against it since Michael Pittman (leg) wasn't available. McCarthy said he only would've used Rodgers if both Pittman and DK Metcalf (undisclosed) were able to play. Rodgers' next chance for game action will be next Friday against another one of his former teams, the Jets.

Chase caught his only target for 16 yards in Thursday's preseason-opening 16-14 win over the Lions.

Chase's catch came on Joe Burrow's first pass of the game, as the star QB-WR duo didn't take long to get on the same page. Cincinnati's starting offense played two possessions, but Chase wasn't thrown to again. Chase is expected to see a heavy dose of targets again in 2026 after leading the league in that category during each of the past two regular seasons. Cincinnati's next preseason game will be Aug. 22 against the Bears.

Rourke (ribs) is questionable to return to Thursday night's preseason contest against the Titans, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Rourke suffered an injury to his ribs in the first half, and his status for the remainder of the game is now up in the air. The second-year pro is competing with Adrian Martinez for the No. 3 quarterback role with San Francisco this season, and his chances to beat out Martinez would take a major hit if the injury sidelines him moving forward.