NFL Player News

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Watson and Jacoby Brissett will share the Browns' first-team quarterback snaps to begin training camp, Jake Trotter of ESPN reports. "I wouldn't get into the exact percentage," Stefanski said, when asked about the extent to which the two quarterbacks will split work in practice. "But they're both going to get a ton of reps."

Additionally, Stefanski reiterated Wednesday that Brissett would serve as Cleveland's starting signal-caller in the event Watson is suspended by the NFL. Trotter adds that league disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson continues to weigh whether Watson violated the league's personal conduct policy. At this time, there is no timetable for when her determination on the matter will occur.

Pickett has been the third quarterback through drills at training camp, behind presumed Week 1 starter Mitchell Trubisky and fourth-year pro Mason Rudolph, John Luciew of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

Rudolph already has two years of experience with offensive coordinator Matt Canada but has thrown for only 2,366 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 384 career attempts (6.2 YPA). The Steelers went 5-4-1 in Rudolph's starts filling in for Ben Roethlisberger over the past three years, so it isn't a given that Pickett eclipses Rudolph on the depth chart by Week 1, even with a clear advantage in athleticism and draft status. The bigger question, of course, is when the rookie first-round pick will get his shot to start, which largely depends on the performance and health of Trubisky, who joined Pittsburgh on a two-year deal early in the offseason. The Steelers have deployed Trubisky as their first-team quarterback since the spring, now continuing the trend in the opening days of camp. Pickett will have a chance to shake up the competition Aug. 13, when the Steelers host the Seahawks in their preseason opener.

Trubisky was consistently the first quarterback through the rotation at Wednesday's practice, with Mason Rudolph second and Kenny Pickett third, Josh Rowntree of Newsradio KDKA Pittsburgh reports.

Pickett, a rookie first-round pick, represents the real threat to Trubisky's job security, be it early in the season or later on. Most reports out of Pittsburgh have Trubisky as a heavy favorite for the Week 1 start, and he's taken the bulk of first-team reps dating back to spring practices. Rudolph is the only one of the three who has any experience working in the Steelers offense under offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but Trubisky and Pickett both are more athletic and have stronger arms.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Dobbs has a leg up on Josh Rosen to be the team's third quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

If Deshaun Watson is suspended prior to Week 1 as expected, that would make Dobbs the Browns' de facto No. 2 option. That might make him worthy of stashing in uber-deep two-quarterback leagues, as Cleveland figures to be playing from behind often as long as Watson is out, and Dobbs does possess the tools to produce as a rusher if nothing else.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said both Brissett and Deshaun Watson will get "a ton of reps" this summer, with Brissett in line to start at quarterback if Watson is suspended, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

With Baker Mayfield out of the picture, Brissett would be the unquestioned starter in the event Watson is suspended. Stefanski also mentioned that Joshua Dobbs is ahead of the newly signed Josh Rosen for the No. 3 job, which might equate to the backup role early in the season.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Burrow underwent successful surgery Tuesday to remove his appendix, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports. Burrow will be discharged from the hospital Wednesday, but a timeline for his return to the field isn't known.

Taylor said he isn't too worried about Burrow's current absence because new offense installs will be addressed later in training camp, per Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. In the meantime, Brandon Allen will likely handle the bulk of first-team reps. While Burrow's availability for preseason action looks iffy, there's no indication that the Bengals have any concerns about his Week 1 availability.

Garoppolo passed his physical Tuesday, which means he has recovered from his shoulder injury, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Garoppolo is healthy again after undergoing shoulder surgery March 8. The quarterback passing his physical should allow the 49ers to ramp up trade talks involving Garoppolo, but San Francisco has already made it clear that the veteran signal-caller isn't part of the team's future, as the 49ers plan to build around 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance under center.

Coach Dennis Allen indicated that Winston (knee) will participate in team drills when the Saints begin training camp, Katherine Terrell of ESPN reports.

Winston has shown signs of progress in his recovery from knee surgery throughout the offseason, but this is his biggest step yet. Given how far along Winston's rehab is in July, he'll almost certainly be ready to start for the Saints when the regular season begins in September, barring a setback.

Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Tuesday that the 49ers are moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo, telling reporters, "This is Trey [Lance]'s team," Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

It's been a likelihood for a long time and a near-certainty for the past few months. Lance, the third overall pick in last year's draft, will take the helm of an offense with superstars at left tackle (Trent Williams), wide receiver (Deebo Samuel) and tight end (George Kittle). It'll likely be a run-heavy offense, but that's not a bad thing for Lance's fantasy managers if the young QB gets a lot of those carries. Lance took 24 carries for 120 yards (5.0 YPC) and one TD in his two starts last year, completing 31 of 52 passes (59.6 percent) for 441 yards (8.5 YPA), with two TDs, two INTs, three sacks and no fumbles. The Trey Lance era in San Francisco begins in earnest Sunday, Sept. 11 in Chicago.

Coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with Garoppolo (shoulder) on Tuesday and confirmed afterward that the 49ers have moved on to Trey Lance as their quarterback, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Shanahan doesn't plan on Garoppolo practicing with the team this summer while the 49ers figure out details of a trade or release. Candidates for the 30-year-old's services include the Texans and Seahawks.