NFL Player News
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Bryce Young QB | CAR
Panthers' Bryce Young: Tosses TD in preseason opener
Young completed four of six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown during Friday's 30-10 preseason loss to the Browns.
The third-year quarterback got the start but only handled the Panthers' first two drives before handing things over to Andy Dalton. Young made an impact in his brief time on the field however, capping his final possession with a five-yard TD strike to Jalen Coker, a score set up by a 29-yard connection with rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan. Young showed signs of growth in 2024 after a disastrous rookie campaign, and Carolina is counting on the first overall pick in the 2023 Draft to take another big step forward with his development this season.
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Kyle Allen QB | BUF
Lions' Kyle Allen: Perfect passer rating Friday
Allen completed seven of eight pass attempts for 120 yards and two touchdowns while taking two carries for 10 yards in Friday's preseason tilt in Atlanta.
Allen entered the contest with a little over five minutes left in the first half and proceeded to orchestrate three consecutive scoring drives. two of which resulted in touchdowns. Fellow backup Hendon Hooker started Friday's exhibition and produced little offensively while turning the ball over twice. Both signal-callers are vying to serve as Jared Goff's primary backup this upcoming season, with Allen having the clear early advantage based on performance and experience.
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Emory Jones QB | ATL
Falcons' Emory Jones: Enters after halftime Friday
Jones completed four of five pass attempts for 49 yards while taking two carries for nine yards in Friday's preseason tilt against the Lions.
Easton Stick started the first half for the Falcons (15-18, 149 yards, TD) and outperformed Jones on a statistical basis. In the latter's defense, he only had a fraction of the interim starter's playing time after the game was suspended following three quarters of play. Jones is currently competing with Stick for the Falcons' third quarterback role behind Michael Penix and a disgruntled Kirk Cousins. The next opportunity for Jones to showcase his skills will come against Tennessee next Friday.
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Sam Hartman QB | WAS
Commanders' Sam Hartman: Struggles in preseason start
Hartman completed nine of 19 passes for 64 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Friday's 48-18 preseason loss to the Patriots. He added one rushing attempt for six yards.
Hartman got the start with Jayden Daniels resting and Marcus Mariota (lower leg) unavailable. The former Notre Dame quarterback played deep into the second quarter before being replaced by veteran Josh Johnson, who threw for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Hartman and Johnson will continue to compete for the third spot on the depth chart in Washington's second preseason game, Aug. 18 against the Bengals.
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Shedeur Sanders QB | CLE
Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Tosses two TDs in preseason debut
Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns while adding 19 rushing yards on four carries during Friday's 30-10 preseason win over the Panthers.
Getting the start with Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel both dealing with hamstring injuries and Joe Flacco held out along with the Browns' other starters, Sanders connected with Kaden Davis for two second-quarter scores before eventually turning things over to Tyler Huntley for the final few drives. It was an intriguing performance from Sanders in his first NFL game action of any kind, but the 2025 fifth-round pick still has an uphill battle ahead of him over the rest of training camp and the preseason to even make Cleveland's gameday roster for Week 1. If he continues to take advantage of his opportunities while Pickett and Gabriel are sidelined however, Sanders could force coach Kevin Stefanski to make some tough decisions.
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Drake Maye QB | NE
Patriots' Drake Maye: Better with legs than arm
Maye completed three of five passes for 12 yards in Friday's 48-18 preseason win over the Commanders. He added two rushing attempts for 16 yards and a touchdown but also lost a fumble.
Maye played two drives. He turned the ball over with a fumble on the first but capped the second with a five-yard rushing touchdown. Maye has posted pedestrian passing stats in his young NFL career, but the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has been an effective scrambler, rushing for 30-plus yards in half of his 12 regular-season starts as a rookie. Maye will look to sharpen his passing in the Patriots' second preseason game against the Vikings on Aug. 16.
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Easton Stick QB | ATL
Falcons' Easton Stick: Sharp in preseason start
Stick completed 15 of 18 pass attempts for 149 yards and a touchdown in Friday's preseason tilt against the Lions.
Stick got the start for Atlanta with both Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins sitting out the exhibition. The 29-year-old Stick was nearly perfect from the pocket in the first half before giving way to Emory Jones after halftime. The pair of backups will continue battling for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart this preseason when the Falcons take on the Titans next Friday.
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Hendon Hooker QB | TEN
Lions' Hendon Hooker: Fumbles twice in preseason start
Hooker completed seven of 10 pass attempts for 38 yards while gaining 27 yards and losing two fumbles on three rushing attempts in Friday's preseason game against the Falcons.
Hooker got the nod under center for the Lions after struggling mightily against the Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31. The 2023 third-round pick didn't fare much better against Atlanta, coughing up the football on Detroit's opening drives in the first and second quarters. Fellow backup Kyle Allen (120 yards and two touchdowns) took over in the second half and outperformed Hooker yet again, giving the veteran signal-caller an early lead in the competition to be starter Jared Goff's primary backup in 2025.
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Tyler Shough QB | NO
Saints' Tyler Shough: Will be backup in preseason opener
Shough will serve as the Saints' backup quarterback for Sunday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Shough has gotten some reps with the first-team offense during training camp, but Spencer Rattler will be New Orleans' QB1 for the first exhibition game while Jake Haener operates as the third-string passer. Shough and Rattler are battling to be the Week 1 starter, and the former should have an opportunity to be the starter in at least one of the Saints' three preseason games.
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Spencer Rattler QB | NO
Saints' Spencer Rattler: Starting in preseason opener
Rattler will be the Saints' starting quarterback for Sunday's preseason opener against the Chargers.
Rattler saw more reps with the first-team offense during this past week's training camp practices, and the 2024 fifth-rounder will get the first crack at winning the QB1 job against Tyler Shough. Rattler started in six of seven games during his rookie campaign, including the final four contests of the regular season. Over those last four games, he completed 71 of 129 pass attempts for 746 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while turning nine carries into 85 yards.