NFL Player News

Smith completed 11 of 18 passes for 117 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and added 24 yards and a touchdown on six rushes in the Seahawks' 23-15 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday.

Smith entered Saturday's contest on the final series of the first half and played the duration of the contest with Paxton Lynch (head) unavailable. The veteran performed well after missing last week's game following a cyst removal from his knee, and he made a direct contribution on the scoreboard with an eight-yard scoring scamper to cap off a 13-play, 69-yard drive in the third quarter. Smith seems set to go for the regular season, and he appears ready to enter as Russell Wilson's immediate backup.

Allen completed 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Rams' 10-6 preseason win over the Broncos on Saturday. He also rushed once for seven yards.

Allen drew the start and saw the bulk of playing time, and although he was efficient overall, he only was able to put together one scoring drive. John Wolford followed Allen, and while he only completed 50.0 percent of his 12 attempts, he did manage to notch the only touchdown of the game with a four-yard scoring throw to Jalen Greene. Allen has the advantage of having been on the practice squad all of last season, and he may therefore have the upper hand if the Rams opt to keep three quarterbacks.

Walker was 6-of-13 passing for 65 yards with an interception and also lost a fumble in Saturday's preseason loss to Chicago.

Walker struggled Saturday and hasn't been impressive this preseason. It was notable that Chad Kelly got the start Saturday with Jacoby Brissett sitting out as Walker may have fallen to third string. With Kelly suspended the first two games, Walker will likely be Indy's backup quarterback with the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck. However, the Colts could be in the market to boost their quarterback depth with the news of Luck's retirement, so Walker's spot on the roster could be in jeopardy.

Rypien entered Saturday's 10-6 preseason loss to the Rams on the fourth series and completed 14 of 23 passes for 80 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

With rookie Drew Lock (thumb) set to miss the start of the regular season, Rypien is officially in contention for the No. 2 job behind Joe Flacco as per coach Vic Fangio himself. However, his performance Saturday wasn't anything that would seemingly advance his case by any appreciable degree. The 23-year-old's minuscule 3.5 yards per attempt certainly speaks to how close to the vest he played while logging extensive action. Rypien will have one more opportunity to show what he's capable of in Thursday's preseason finale against the Cardinals.

Watson didn't attempt a pass or a rush on his lone series during Saturday's 34-0 preseason loss to the Cowboys.

Watson was sacked twice in three plays to begin the game (although one resulted in a penalty), sandwiched around a rushing attempt which resulted in a seemingly serious knee injury to Lamar Miller. All things considered, the Texans thought it wise to remove their star signal caller for the rest of the night. Watson is unlikely to play in the exhibition finale and could see an uptick in attempts during the regular season if the team struggles to run the ball without its top returning rusher.

Garoppolo completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 188 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's 27-17 preseason win against Kansas City.

Faint concern was starting to mount about the state of Garoppolo's game headed into 2019, with 10 career starts in five seasons, multiple injuries to his name, and a forgettable preseason through Weeks 1 and 2 (1-for-6 passing with zero yards, no touchdowns and one interception). Garoppolo's performance in the 49ers' dress rehearsal was encouraging, with the 27-year-old signal caller helping San Francisco come away with 11 first downs, and points on three of five offensive drives in the first half.

Prescott completed two of five pass attempts for 22 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's preseason game against the Texans.

After misfiring on both of his attempts on the initial drive, Prescott took advantage of a short field on the next possession, which he concluded with a nifty 12-yard touchdown pass to Michael Gallup. He then gave way to Cooper Rush and has seemingly seen his final action of the preseason schedule. The fourth-year signal caller has led the first-team offense efficiently in limited action and appears ready to go. Of course, Prescott's unsettled contract situation and the absence of teammate Ezekiel Elliott could be distracting, but he could flourish in what should be an improved offensive scheme.

Mahomes completed eight of 10 pass attempts for 126 yards and one touchdown, absorbing zero sacks and rushing for eight yards on his only carry during Saturday's 27-17 preseason loss to San Francisco.

Mahomes connected with Damien Williams for a 62-yard pitch, catch and run that resulted in a touchdown on Kansas City's third play from scrimmage. Then on his second and final drive of the night, he proceeded to lead the offense on a 12-play, 68-yard march that culminated in a field goal. The reigning MVP seems poised for another statistically prolific campaign, last year having joined Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season. Thus far in the exhibition slate, he's completing 73.7 percent of his passes with 10.7 yards per attempt.

Brissett is slated to become the Colts' starting QB following the expected retirement of Andrew Luck (calf/ankle) on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The news emerged in the second half of the Colts' third preseason game, one in which both Luck and Brissett didn't take the field. There was some conjecture in the lead-up to this contest that coach Frank Reich would make a call on the Week 1 starter after its conclusion, but Luck presumably will force his hand. In the wake of Luck's decision, Brissett will have an array of weapons at his disposal, namely T.Y Hilton, Marlon Mack and the tight end duo of Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle.

Cousins completed three of 13 pass attempts for 35 yards in the team's third preseason contest against the Cardinals on Saturday.

Cousins played the entirety of the first half, spanning six drives. However, he failed to get into any kind of rhythm, with the only Vikings' score coming on an 85-yard rush by Dalvin Cook. The lone highlight of Cousins' day came on the team's final possession before the close of the first half, when he connected with Stefon Diggs for a 29-yard gain. While this isn't the most encouraging way for Cousins to head into the regular season -- he's unlikely to play in the team's final exhibition contest -- his track record and surrounding offensive weapons suggest he'll get back on track.