NFL Player News

Wilson is seemingly in better shape than last season and could utilize his mobility more in 2023, Jon Heath of BroncosWire reports.

Wilson appears poised to get back to a more mobile playing style that made him such a dynamic quarterback in Seattle for the first nine years of his career. In 2022, however, the veteran posted just 55 rushes for 277 yards, accounting for his second-lowest single-season total in rushing attempts and third-lowest in rushing yards. With Wilson losing weight this offseason, head coach Sean Payton has allowed his franchise quarterback to scramble and practice off-script plays. "I'm comfortable when I see him climbing [the pocket] and taking off because one of those plays is like a 30-yard gain," Payton said. "When something breaks down and he flushes, a lot of the time good things happen. You have to practice that and get everyone on the same page when it happens," he added. It's clear the Broncos are committed to giving Wilson the freedom to move around more this season, a departure from Nathaniel Hackett's offensive scheme that seemed to restrict the 34-year-old to the pocket. A return to form for Wilson could lead to a bounce-back year for both Denver's offense and the signal caller's potential for fantasy success.

Pickett has been making good reads in practice early in training camp, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Pickett had an up-and-down rookie season in 2022, completing 63.0 percent of his passes for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing 55 times for 237 yards and three touchdowns. He had some encouraging games but had some inefficient performances and topped 200 passing yards in just four of his 13 games last year. He enters the 2023 campaign as the Steelers' clear starting quarterback and has impressed during training camp, but he'll likely be somewhat limited by offensive coordinator Matt Canada's run-first offense.

Coach Robert Saleh noted earlier this week that if Rodgers plays during the preseason, it would be for "a quick tuneup" in the Jets' exhibition finale on Saturday, Aug. 26 versus the Giants, Randy Lange of the team's official site reports.

With the Jets playing it safe with the veteran QB, Zach Wilson is in line to draw the start in Thursday's preseason opener against the Browns and quite possibly the team's subsequent exhibition tilts. Assuming Rodgers is limited to a cameo appearance in the preseason, his first full contest with the Jets will occur in Week 1 against the Bills.

Quarterbacks coach Brian Griese said Thursday that Purdy has dealt with minimal soreness after throwing sessions, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Purdy Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com it's no different from the normal soreness a quarterback feels after a busy day of throwing passes. He's reportedly throwing about 110 times on the day he practices, with the 49ers scheduling numerous days off to make sure his surgically repaired elbow stays strong. Purdy was on a 'two days on, two days off' schedule through the first week and a half of training camp, but the routine seems to be changing given that he practiced Monday and Tuesday and now is back on the field for Thursday's practice after resting for only one day. Purdy has strictly worked with the first-team offense during camp, while Trey Lance and Sam Darnold have taken snaps with the starters and the backups.

Coach Ron Rivera cautioned reporters Tuesday that they shouldn't "sleep on" Brissett, who has done a "nice job" at training camp, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Rivera said back in June that Brissett was in the running for the starting job, even though Sam Howell had been getting all the first-team reps in spring practices. Howell is still dominating those reps during training camp, but at the very least Rivera is making it clear he's confident in his backup, which makes sense given that Brissett's track record places him among the better No. 2 QBs in the league. That reality combined with Howell's lack of experience gives Brissett a decent chance to make starts at some point this season even if Howell seems to have the Week 1 starting assignment all but locked up.

Mariota has gotten off to a slow start during training camp, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Mariota has thrown four interceptions in the first week of training camp. However, for the time being, that's being chalked up to him being on his third team in three seasons. According to teammate Boston Scott, "he's still learning the playbook, but he's a really smart guy. It's gonna take time, but you can see the tools for sure." Mariota will have plenty of time to adjust to the new offense and his role as Jalen Hurts' backup throughout the remainder of training camp and preseason.

Richardson is taking "practically all the first-team reps" at Thursday's practice, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

After alternating days with Gardner Minshew at the start of training camp, Richardson has dominated first-team reps in consecutive practices (Tuesday/Thursday) since missing Monday's session to recover from a procedure on his nasal septum. While this doesn't mean he's the Week 1 starter, it can only help to get more work with the guys who will be blocking for him and catching his passes if the Colts decide to enter the season with the rookie under center.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday that he feels "pretty strongly" that Ridder is "going to be our quarterback of the future," Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Arthur Smith named Ridder as the team's starting quarterback in late March, two weeks after the team signed Taylor Heinicke to a two-year, $14 million contract. The second-year pro seems to be making a good impression in training camp, but there's still a lot that can go wrong with a relatively unproven young quarterback who has one of the better backups in the league behind him. Even if his standing atop the depth chart is truly secure this summer, Ridder won't be long for the starting job come September if he doesn't play well. Ridden has several things working in his favor, including ample collegiate experience as a starter, an Atlanta offensive line that improved greatly last season and a supporting cast of skill-position players that includes top-10 picks from each of the last three NFL Drafts (tight end Kyle Pitts, wideout Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson). It doesn't hurt to have the support of the team owner either, though Blank is 80 years old and seemingly not quite as involved with the team's day-to-day operations as he once was.

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas said Tuesday that his relationship with Carr is progressing tremendously, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

The 30-year-old wideout is healthy and practicing after ankle and foot injuries limited him to 10 games over the past three seasons. Between Thomas and second-year standouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, Carr will have a talented and diverse group of wide receivers for his first season in New Orleans. The tight-end group is somewhat less impressive, though certainly deep, and the offensive line should get back on track after an injury-riddled and uncharacteristically mediocre 2022 season, with the projected starting five for this season consisting of four first-round picks and a second-rounder. It's a nice setup for Carr's first season outside the Raiders organization, creating potential for a rebound after his own performance left much to be desired in 2022.

Jones turned in his best practice of training camp so far Tuesday, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

The report notes that Jones finished the session going 7-of-10 in team drills, while throwing two TDs in a final red-zone portion versus the first-team defense. Per Callahan, the 2021 first-rounder "weaponized tempo, audibles and his best trait -- accuracy within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage -- over the best showing by any quarterback this summer." As the Patriots' preseason opener approaches, Dakota Randall of NESN.com suggests that talk of QB controversy seems to have died down, even if coach Bill Belichick has yet to specifically confirm Jones as the Week 1 starter.