NFL Player News

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that the starting units will get "some snaps" during Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.

Purdy was on the field for only three drives during Sunday's preseason win over the Saints, in which he completed two of six pass attempts for 11 yards. It seems likely that Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Brandon Aiyuk (contract dispute) will remain sidelined Friday, but McCaffrey is still on track to suit up Week 1 versus the Jets. Star pass-catchers Deebo Samuel and George Kittle figure to represent Purdy's top receiving options Friday. With Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) still sitting out Tuesday's practice, though, it's notable that Purdy has had almost no opportunities throughout training camp to build chemistry with the rookie first-round pick.

Coach Matt Eberflus said Tuesday that Williams and the majority of starters will not suit up for Thursday's road exhibition finale against Kansas City, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Williams has flashed a handful of highlight-reel plays across two preseason showings thus far, and the Bears don't need to see any more from the 2024 first overall pick ahead of the regular season. During Saturday's game against the Bengals, Williams completed just six of 13 passes for 75 yards, including going three-and-out against a Cincinnati defense that sat a significant number of starters. He rebounded well though, leading Chicago to a field goal and then scoring a seven-yard rushing TD on his fifth and final drive. Williams will look to make the most of his regular-season debut in Week 1 against the Titans, with a star-studded cast of skill-position players at his disposal. WRs DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, RB D'Andre Swift, and TEs Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett represent a pass-catching corps capable of helping Williams make an immediate impact at the NFL level.

Stafford (hamstring) is participating in team drills at the start of Tuesday's practice, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Stafford was limited to individual work in his return to practice Monday, but he's now resumed handling normal reps. That's enough to alleviate any concerns about the 36-year-old signal-caller's health, though the plan for Los Angeles all along has been for Stetson Bennett to start Saturday's preseason finale against the Texans. The Rams also expect second-year wideout Puka Nacua (hamstring) to be available Week 1 versus the Lions, so with Cooper Kupp also entering the 2024 season healthy, Stafford will have both his top wideouts available to kick off the season.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said Herbert (foot) "looked great with a capital G" during 7-on-7 drills Monday, ESPN.com reports.

Herbert was held out of 11-on-11s in his first practice since being diagnosed July 31 with a plantar fascia injury. He used a walking boot for two weeks and is now progressing through what the Chargers are calling a 'gradual return to play' protocol. Herbert should be ready for a Week 1 home game against the Raiders, but it's fair to wonder if the foot injury will impact his mobility or become a problem again as the season progresses.

Haener completed seven of 13 passes for 76 yards during Sunday's 16-10 preseason loss to the 49ers. He also logged one rush for two yards.

Haener was the first Saints' quarterback to follow starter Derek Carr during the team's preseason opener, but he flipped spots with rookie Spencer Rattler on Sunday. However, neither quarterback performed particularly well, as both failed to lead a touchdown drive against the 49ers. They also both played exactly 24 offensive snaps. With the competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot apparently at a dead heat, it's likely that New Orleans' final decision on this job could come down to the coming week's practices followed by the preseason finale against Tennessee on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Rattler completed four of eight passes for 27 yards and logged three rushes for five yards during Sunday's 16-10 preseason defeat versus the 49ers. He also lost one fumble and was sacked twice.

e Rattler seemingly took a step back after his strong preseason debut. The fifth-round rookie took over from starter Derek Carr midway through the second quarter, marking a change from the presason opener when second-year quarterback Jake Haener first followed Carr. However, Rattler got off to a rough start right away when he was strip-sacked on his fourth snap of the game Sunday, and the Saints finished with three points across Rattler's four offensive series. Haener and Rattler wound up playing exactly 24 offensive snaps against San Francisco, though neither seemed to separate themselves with their performances. Therefore, the competition for the team's No. 2 quarterback spot could come down to the preseason finale versus Tennessee on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The Bills signed Brown on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Brown was waived by the Raiders last week but will sign with Buffalo after going unclaimed. The 26-year-old will now have the opportunity to compete with Ben DiNucci to be Josh Allen's backup, as Mitch Trubisky is sidelined with a knee injury.

The Panthers placed Luton (undisclosed) on injured reserve Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Luton appeared in each of the Panthers' first two preseason contests, but he's now landed on IR with an undisclosed injury. The 2020 sixth-round pick out of Oregon State was likely in line to be Carolina's fourth option at QB before sustaining this injury. Now that Luton has landed on IR, he'll be forced to miss all of 2024 unless he and the Panthers agree on an injury settlement at some point this season.

Beathard (groin) won't play in Friday's preseason finale against the Falcons according to head coach Doug Pederson, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Beathard suffered the injury during Saturday's exhibition game against the Buccaneers and was unable to play in the fourth quarter. The Iowa product is currently battling former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for the backup role behind Trevor Lawrence, and it's unclear how much his unavailability for the team's final preseason contest may impact his chances of sticking on the roster.

Herbert (foot) was present for practice Monday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Herbert is bouncing back from a plantar fascia injury, and after having shed his walking boot last week, the QB is back on the practice field for the first time this month. It remains to be seen when Herbert will be able to work without restrictions, but either way he's trending toward being available for the Chargers' season opener against the Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 8.