NFL Player News

Mariota completed six of his 10 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown in Monday's preseason loss to the Jets.

Mariota led the offense on three drives, tallying 10 points. He was effective in different areas of the field, connecting on short attempts but also airing out passes that went for gains of 52 and 39 to Kyle Pitts and Anthony Firkser, respectively. While rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder also was effective, Mariota reportedly has been the more consistent quarterback in camp and should be the starting quarterback for the Falcons in Week 1.

Coach Arthur Smith said any Falcon who is healthy is in line to play in Monday's preseason outing at the Jets, a group that includes Mariota, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Smith relayed the news on Monday Night Countdown on ESPN. Mariota played one series in preseason Week 1 at Detroit, completing both passes for 36 yards and racking up 23 more yards on three carries, one of which resulted in a six-yard dive into the end zone. With Drake London (knee) and possibly Bryan Edwards (shoulder) out Monday, Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson will be the name skill-position players available to Mariota.

Corral is getting a second opinion on his Lisfranc injury, before the decision on whether or not he'll need surgery will be made Tuesday, according to head coach Matt Rhule, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Corral suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Panthers' preseason loss to the Patriots on Friday. The rookie third-round selection has struggled so far but was expected to be the team's No. 3 option behind Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. However, Corral may end up spending his rookie season on IR, clearing the way for P.J. Walker to earn a roster spot.

Mayfield is expected to play the first quarter of Friday's preseason game against the Bills, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

This preseason nugget arrives after the Panthers officially named Mayfield as their starting quarterback ahead of Week 1. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft gets through his abbreviated stint Friday, his focus will turn to preparing for Carolina's season opener against his former team, the Browns.

Brown went 10-for-13 passing for 91 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in Sunday's preseason win over the Cardinals.

The undrafted rookie saw heavy playing time as he tries to make a case for Baltimore to carry three quarterbacks going into the season. Brown completed 77 percent of his attempts at 7.0 YPA and tossed a pair of scores to help secure the victory. Tyler Huntley is locked in as Lamar Jackson's backup, but a strong performance from Brown in the preseason finale could keep him in consideration for a practice squad spot at the very least.

Coach Dan Campbell noted Monday that Goff won't play in Sunday's preseason finale against the Steelers, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Campbell indicated that other key healthy starters on the team are in line to play about a half, but the Lions will play if safe with their starting QB this weekend. In that context, Tim Boyle and David Blough are in line to split signal-caller reps versus Pittsburgh.

Winston (knee/foot) participated in 11-on-11 drills during Monday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

The report notes that Winston didn't participate in the Saints' two-minute drill at the end of the session, but the quarterback -- who is bouncing back from a torn left ACL suffered Week 8 last season -- continues to make progress and is trending toward a Week 1 start, barring any setbacks. As for the possibility of Winston appearing in the Saints' preseason finale Friday against the Chargers, coach Dennis Allen said, "We'll see," Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

Smith and Drew Lock split first-team reps at Sunday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Lock returned after missing Thursday's preseason game against the Bears due to COVID-19, while Smith bounced back quickly after bruising his knee in that contest. Lock figures to play a lot in the final preseason game, after Smith completed 10 of 18 passes for 112 yards last week in Lock's absence. Coach Pete Carroll says he's in no hurry to name a Week 1 starter.

The Panthers have named Mayfield as their starting quarterback ahead of Week 1, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

The decision was relayed Monday by head coach Matt Rhule, with Mayfield now set to start the Panthers' Week 1 contest against the Browns. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold is slated to serve as the team's No. 2 QB, with P.J. Walker in line to slot in as the Carolina's third signal-caller, given that rookie Matt Corral is sidelined by a foot injury. The Panthers plan to start Mayfield in their preseason finale Friday against Buffalo, giving him a few more reps to warm up for Week 1, according to James Palmer of NFL Network.

The Panthers have chosen Baker Mayfield over Darnold as their Week 1 starting quarterback, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The expected outcome was finalized Monday morning, resigning Darnold to a backup role in which his playing time will depend on Mayfield's health and performance. The battle played out on the practice field this summer, with Darnold attempting only three passes through the first two games of the preseason.