NFL Player News

Luton (illness) was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, John Reid of the Florida Times-Union reports.

Luton spent a week on the COVID-19 list after he tested positive for the virus, but he'll return to the team after he missed the first few days of practice. The 25-year-old recorded 624 passing yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions as a rookie in 2020.

Lance has impressed early on in training camp with his arm strength and scrambling ability, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Lance's strong arm and athleticism were the skills that enamored the 49ers' front office leading up to the draft, so it's no surprise that he put those skills on display early in camp. The rookie's accuracy from the pocket and ability to pick up coach Kyle Shanahan's complex playbook will be what determines when he truly is ready to take the reins of San Francisco's offense. Shanahan was clear in his intentions to start incumbent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to begin the 2021 campaign, but if Lance stays aggressive and progresses quickly this preseason, then he may find himself starting sooner than expected.

Winston practiced with the first-team offense Saturday, Mike Triplett of ESPN reports.

Head coach Sean Payton seems to be keeping his word that both Winston and Taysom Hill will rotate practices with the first-team offense. While Hill practiced with the starters for the first two days of training camp, Winston had those honors Saturday, and the 27-year-old reportedly has impressed Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., who deemed Winston a "quick study." However, there remains no substantial evidence to suggest either Winston or Hill is in the lead for the starting job, and it's possible that won't change until the end of the preseason.

Mills spent time with the first-team offense Saturday, as Tyrod Taylor (personal) was not at practice, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It was a red-zone day for the Texans, and Mills started well, throwing touchdown strikes to Jordan Akins and Chris Conley. Later, however, he was picked off twice by safety Justin Reid. Overall, the rookie threw five interceptions, per Aaron Reiss of The Athletic. Houston head coach David Culley took a big-picture view, noting it was a good learning experience for Mills, the 2021 third-round draft pick that is expected to back up Taylor and possibly Jeff Driskel.

Taylor did not practice Saturday for personal reasons, Aaron Wilson of Houston Sports News reports.

Coach David Culley said Taylor's absence was excused, and that the 31-year-old will be back with the team Monday. Taylor's personal day gave rookie quarterback Davis Mills an opportunity to work with the first-team offense, while Jeff Driskel handled second-team reps. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson once again participated in camp activities but didn't handle any full-team work. Through the early days of training camp, Taylor has operated as Houston's clear top option at quarterback.

Browning will receive all the reps at quarterback with Kirk Cousins (undisclosed), Kellen Mond (illness) and Nate Stanley (undisclosed) sidelined due to the COVID-19 protocols, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Mond tested positive for the virus, while Cousins and Stanley are sidelined until they clear the protocols as apparent close contacts, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Browning, a 2019 UDFA, faces long odds to make the season-opening roster, but he'll have an opportunity to showcase himself with the other quarterbacks out of the picture for the immediate future.

Mond tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Mond will be away from the team until he clears the health and safety protocols. Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley are also unavailable while going through the protocols as apparent close contacts. Jake Browning will receive all the reps at quarterback for Minnesota for the immediate future.

Cousins (undisclosed) is unavailable while going through the COVID-19 protocols, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Kellen Mond tested positive for the virus, so it appears Cousins is sidelined as a close contact until he clears the protocols. Nate Stanley (undisclosed) is also caught up in the protocols, leaving Jake Browning to take all the reps at quarterback for the immediate future.

Allen injured his ankle in practice Saturday, Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic reports.

It's unclear yet how severe the injury is and whether it has any relation to the broken ankle Allen suffered last October and had surgically repaired. Allen's currently third on Washington's depth chart behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinicke, and he can ill afford to miss much time if he wants to surpass at least one of those alternatives. He'll try to heal up in time to participate in Washington's Aug. 12 preseason opener.

Stidham underwent surgery Wednesday for a back injury and is expected to miss around 12 weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Stidham was placed on the PUP list last week and it appears he'll continue to be saddled with the designation when the regular season rolls around. Even when he's cleared for action, Stidham ranks third, at best, on the Patriots' depth chart at quarterback behind Cam Newton and 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones, so his absence shouldn't have many fantasy ramifications.