Wide receiver drama continues for 49ers, Bengals; college football Week 1 is here

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🏈 Good morning to everyone but especially ...

RUSSELL WILSON

The Steelers have their starting quarterback, albeit reluctantly. Mike Tomlin tabbed Russell Wilson as the Week 1 starter over Justin Fields after a long, not-super-inspiring preseason battle.

Wilson missed the beginning of training camp with a calf injury, giving Fields the chance to stake his claim.
Fields, however, was up-and-down, similar to his career so far. The athletic ability and big arm were on display, but so were the mistakes.
In preseason action, Wilson completed 10 of 12 passes for just 73 yards (6.1 yards per attempt), and he took three sacks on just 15 dropbacks.
Fields didn't exactly present the toughest competition. He took five sacks on 38 dropbacks and had four fumbles (three on aborted snaps), though he recovered all four.
Tomlin did say Fields-specific plays are "certainly on the table."

We know all about how Tomlin has never had a losing season and how he's done that despite quarterback issues. I'm just not quite sure Wilson or Fields solve those issues, and the fact that it took so long for one candidate to separate himself from the other isn't exactly encouraging.

Plus, regarding the sacks, Pittsburgh got more bad news: Guard Isaac Seumalo will miss time with a pectoral injury.

I don't want to be a complete downer. There are only 32 NFL starting quarterbacks on planet Earth, and Wilson has one of them. He'll be bolstered by a very good defense and what should be a good run game, and Arthur Smith has led plenty of effective offenses before. I do think Wilson raises Pittsburgh's already-high floor, even if just slightly. We'll see if he raises the ceiling.

👍 Honorable mentions

The Patriots will start Jacoby Brissett over first-round pick Drake Maye to begin the season.
LeBron James' famous high school jersey is being auctioned off.
The Cubs rallied from seven down in the seventh inning to beat the Pirates. Maybe the power of Taylor Swift is real?
Travis Kelce is now a part-owner of the racehorse "Swift Delivery."
The Giants have temporarily unretired No. 1 for Malik Nabers.
Kawhi Leonard will be ready for training camp.
The Celtics added Lonnie Walker IV.
Dylan Crews hit his first career home run.
The Guardians avoided a sweep and regained the AL Central lead with a win over the Royals.
Jacob deGrom aims to pitch this season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto began his rehab assignment.
Rhett Lowder will make his MLB debut tomorrow.
Nick Castellanos' new approach is working.
The Warriors backed Brandin Podziemski during a rumor-filled offseason.
Get to know Michigan's cancer survivor-turned walk-on-turned-potential starting quarterback Davis Warren.
Dennis Dodd wrote on Bobby Petrino's return to Arkansas.

🏈 And not such a good morning for ...

BRANDON AIYUK AND THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ... AND JA'MARR CHASE AND THE CINCINNATI BENGALS

It's another day but no progress for Brandon Aiyuk and 49ers and Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals, though both sagas took a turn.

Let's start with Aiyuk, who has been holding in (not practicing while staying around the team) as he awaits a new contract. Nothing much had changed there, and reports have vacillated between him being more likely to leave and him being more likely to stay, but certainly nothing close to definitive in either direction.

Wednesday, though, GM John Lynch said he expected Aiyuk to practice (He pointedly added, "At some point, you've got to play."), and coach Kyle Shanahan provided more detail, saying ...

Aiyuk was cleared by team doctors after having back and neck issues previously.
He expected Aiyuk to practice because of that, and ...
The medical clearance means Aiyuk would be subject to fines if he skipped practice.

Aiyuk then -- you guessed it -- skipped practice.

Things seemed to be heading in a better direction with Chase ... until yesterday. One day after Chase practiced and coach Zac Taylor said he'd continue to practice moving forward, Chase -- you guessed it again! -- didn't practice, showing up late and in street clothes.

Taylor then said he "probably put my foot in my mouth speaking too quickly" and that it's a "day-to-day situation" moving forward.

As much as I ragged on the Cowboys regarding CeeDee Lamb, at least Dallas got it done. We can't say the same about San Francisco and Cincinnati yet, and the clock is ticking.

😒 Not so honorable mentions

Breece Hall's "Madden 25" character ... does not look like Breece Hall.
Kyren Williams is the Rams' new punt returner(?)
No, Oregon did not illegally access Colorado practice video.
Blake Snell joined in on the Scott Boras/Jordan Montgomery drama.
Michael Lorenzen (hamstring strain) is on the IL.
Darwin Nuñez received a five-game ban (international games only) for fighting fans during Copa America.

🏈 College football Week 1 QB Power Rankings, preview

Deion Sanders has talked a big game from the moment he got the Colorado job. Even though a 4-8 debut wasn't ideal, he can show he has things on track in Year 2, which starts tonight as the Buffaloes host North Dakota State. Sanders and Co. certainly aren't sleeping on the Bison, who have won six of their last seven games against FBS opponents. In fact, Sanders even jokingly said he was mad at athletic director Rick George for them being on the schedule.

But this, in theory, should be a much-improved Colorado bunch, and Brandon Marcello's pick reflects that.

Marcello: "NDSU provides a great first test for the revamped offense, particularly on the ground. Though North Dakota State has experience and plenty of elite FCS talent, the Buffaloes have proven Power Four starters at every position on the field, unlike last season. This is an improved Colorado team and the Buffs will prove it. Pick: Colorado -9.5"

It also helps to have Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son. The star quarterback signed an NIL deal with Nike on the eve of the season opener, and he comes in at No. 5 in Tom Fornelli's season-opening QB Power Rankings. Here are the four ahead of him:

Carson Beck, Georgia
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Here are more previews for tonight:

UNC-Minnesota preview
Coastal Carolina-Jacksonville State preview

🏀 Caitlin Clark breaks rookie 3-point record

Already the owner of the rookie assists record, Caitlin Clark broke another record Wednesday, passing Rhyne Howard's mark for 3-pointers made by a rookie.

Clark entered the game tied with Howard at 85 triples, and she broke the record under three minutes in. She'd go on to make two more 3s and finish with 17 points, five assists and five rebounds.
Most importantly, the Fever beat the Sun -- one of the league's top teams -- 84-80 to inch closer to sealing a playoff berth. Indiana has won four of five.
It's not just rookie marks in Clark's sights any more. She's on pace to pass Alyssa Thomas' single-season assist record.

🏈 Top moves following NFL roster cuts day

The "final" 53 is never actually the final 53. One day after roster cuts, NFL teams moved quickly to fill holes and make upgrades as season openers loom.

We have a full list of waiver claims, and the Panthers, who owned the top claim thanks to their league-worst 2-15 record last year, weren't shy. Carolina claimed six players, including three cornerbacks, and also brought in veteran cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. to the practice squad, with plans of elevating him to the roster by Week 1.

Waiver claims weren't the only way teams made additions. There were plenty of trades, too.

Taylor Heinicke is headed from the Falcons to the Chargers for a conditional sixth-round pick.
The Titans sent Elijah Molden to the Chargers for a late-round pick as well.
The Commanders traded John Ridgeway III to the Saints for a late-round pick swap.

Jordan Dajani graded the trades of the past few days.

As for some other moves ...

The Cowboys added Dalvin Cook to their practice squad, and Jerry Jones expects him to help.
Frank Gore Jr. joined the Bills' practice squad.
The Chiefs added Bailey Zappe to their practice squad.

📺 What we're watching Thursday

🎾 We're watching the US Open. Here's how.
⚽ UEFA Champions League draw, noon on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏈 Western Carolina at No. 24 NC State, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 North Dakota State at Colorado, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Murray State at No. 11 Missouri, 8 p.m. on SEC Network
🏈 Coastal Carolina at Jacksonville State, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network