NFL Player News

Mahomes (knee) opened Week 1 prep as a full practice participant Thursday.

Per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com, head coach Andy Reid relayed prior to the Chiefs' first official practice of Week 1 that Mahomes was "geared up and ready to go" for the season opener Monday versus the Broncos. The quarterback backed up his coach's optimism by taking every rep with the first-team offense Thursday, setting the stage for him to play in his first game since his 2025 season came to an end Dec. 14, when he sustained a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Mahomes made tremendous strides in his rehab from surgery and was cleared for full practices prior to training camp, and though he didn't play in any preseason games, he steered clear of any setbacks with his knee. According to Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com, Mahomes said that he'll continue to wear a protective brace on his knee, and while the Chiefs aren't expected to alter their game plans as a result, the 30-year-old could naturally scale back his involvement as a runner coming off major surgery.

Tagovailoa was limited at Thursday's practice by an oblique injury, according to the Falcons' official site.

It appeared Tagovailoa was dealing with a back injury, but it turns out he's actually tending to an oblique issue. This is a curveball for the Falcons, who are already shorthanded at quarterback with Michael Penix (knee) out for the opener. With Tagovailoa tending to the injury, the Falcons gave all the first-team reps to Cooper Rush on Thursday. Suddenly, Friday's injury report becomes one of the most impactful ones across the whole league as the Falcons could be down their top two quarterbacks for Week 1 if Tagovailoa doesn't bounce back quickly.

Rush took all of the first-team reps at Thursday's practice while Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) was unable to participate, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.

Michael Penix (knee) has already been ruled out, so if Tagovailoa is sidelined by the oblique injury he suffered during individual drills Thursday, Rush would be next in line to get tabbed for the Week 1 start Sunday against the Steelers, ahead of undrafted rookie Jack Strand. Tagovailoa officially went down as a limited participant Thursday, per Raimondi. Rush has a career 9-7 record as a regular-season starter, having gone 9-5 with the Cowboys from 2021 through 2024 but 0-2 with the Ravens last season.

Tagovailoa (back) could cede the Week 1 starting role to Cooper Rush, who took all of the first-team reps with the offense Thursday after Tagovailoa exited early due to a back injury, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Tagovailoa was named Atlanta's starter for Sunday's regular-season opener earlier in the week, but he went down grabbing his back in individual drills Thursday and subsequently sat out the remainder of practice. The Falcons are now preparing to head into Week 1 with the third-stringer Rush under center, as Tua is in danger of joining Michael Penix (knee) on the sidelines. If Tagovailoa is ruled out, Jack Strand would serve as Rush's backup this weekend.

Darnold (hip) received "really, really good news" regarding his injury, according to coach Mike McDonald, ESPN.com reports. "His hip is intact, and it's good," McDonald said Thursday.

Darnold underwent testing for his hip injury suffered in the season opener, including an initial CT scan followed by an MRI. The results are encouraging, as Darnold is believed to have "dodged a bullet" and is only expected to miss minimal time. An appearance for Darnold in Week 2 does not look likely at this stage, but the Week 3 game against the Commanders on Sunday, Sept. 27 is an optimistic but possible return date. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Darnold is primarily dealing with hip soreness.

Tagovailoa touched his back and sat down briefly during individual drills Thursday, then wasn't seen throwing again during the portion of practice open to media, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.

Raimondi cautions that only a small portion of practice is open to the media, but it's also possible that Tagovailoa was shut down for the remainder of practice after potentially hurting his back. The 28-year-old quarterback was named the starter for Sunday's season opener earlier in the week, as Michael Penix (knee) determined that he isn't ready for game action yet. Tagovailoa's official practice participation will be worth monitoring Thursday and Friday. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are Atlanta's alternatives under center.

Darnold (hip) is expected to miss Seattle's Week 2 game against the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.

Darnold avoided a major injury, but he's likely to miss at least one game as a result of the hip injury he sustained in the first quarter of Wednesday's 13-10 win over the Patriots. Assuming he's ruled out for Week 2, Darnold will have 18 days of recovery time between Wednesday's win and Seattle's Week 3 road game against the Commanders. Drew Lock, who threw for 187 yards and a touchdown after replacing Darnold on Wednesday, is expected to get the Week 2 start under center.

Darnold (hip) is expected to miss some time due to the hip injury he sustained in Wednesday's 13-10 win over the Patriots, but the Seahawks believe their starting quarterback has "dodged a bullet," Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Team doctors are still reviewing the results of the MRI that Darnold underwent on his injury Thursday morning, but the early results suggest Darnold isn't facing a long-term absence. Drew Lock looks likely to be tabbed as the starting quarterback for the team's Week 2 road game against the Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 20. Lock threw for 187 yards and a touchdown following Darnold's first-quarter exit in Wednesday's season-opening win.

Lock took over for Sam Darnold (hip) with 7:29 remaining in the first quarter of Wednesday's 13-10 win over the Patriots and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while adding two rushes for 13 yards.

Lock unsurprisingly took some time to get going, with his first six possessions netting just 95 total yards and zero points. However, the veteran signal-caller finally got into a rhythm late in the third quarter and led Seattle to its 13 points, the final 10 coming after Drake Maye's first two interceptions. Lock also picked up his connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the second half, hitting the star wideout for a 45-yard touchdown that knotted the game at 10 early in the fourth quarter. While Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports that head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed a fracture has been ruled out for Darnold, it's still possible Lock is under center for a Week 2 road matchup against the Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Darnold underwent a CT scan on his hip and is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday after the quarterback didn't return to Wednesday's win against the Patriots, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

Darnold injured his hip on the Seahawks' fifth offensive play of the game and eventually was ruled out. Per Schefter, the results of Darnold's CT scan were encouraging yet inclusive, while coach Mike Macdonald told Corbin K. Smith of SI.com postgame that a fracture has been ruled out, with more tests to be done. A number of scenarios appear to be on the table for Seattle's starting QB, but if Darnold needs to miss any time, Drew Lock would get another opportunity to lead the offense.