NFL Player News

Walker has the confidence of the Panthers coaching staff to back up Baker Mayfield while Sam Darnold (ankle) recovers from his injury suffered in Friday's preseason finale versus the Bills, ESPN's David Newton reports.

Walker entered Friday's game after Mayfield and Darnold played the first three quarters. He completed 8 of 10 passes for 50 yards but couldn't lead the Panthers to any points on his two drives. However, with rookie third-rounder Matt Corral (foot) out for the season and Darnold now expected to miss at least one month, Walker finds himself as Carolina's second-stringer heading into Week 1.

Brown completed 15 of 19 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 17-15 preseason win over Washington.

A lot of the yardage came on two big plays where Demarcus Robinson beat cornerbacks on double moves. Still, the undrafted rookie QB out of Oregon made his case for a roster spot, potentially convincing the Ravens to keep a third quarterback behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

Howell completed 24 of 35 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 17-15 preseason loss to Baltimore, adding eight carries for 62 yards.

Howell played the entire game and took five sacks, but mostly he played well, finishing the preseason 43-of-69 passing (62.3 percent) for 527 yards (7.8 YPA), one touchdown and one interception. The fifth-round pick figures to enter his rookie season as a third-stringer, but there's a path to playing time by the end of the year given that Washington's other QBs are Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke.

Willis completed 15 of 23 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Saturday's 26-23 preseason win over Arizona. He added four rushes for 79 yards.

Willis had his most impressive statistical performance of the preseason, and he delivered a few highlight-reel plays in the process. Early in the second quarter, he escaped from the pocket and ripped off a 50-yard gain on the ground, which set up a touchdown plunge from Julius Chestnut. Three possessions later, he capped off an eight-play, 60-yard drive on an impressive 14-yard touchdown throw to fellow rookie Treylon Burks during which he dropped his arm slot to fit the ball through defenders at the line. Willis has had an inconsistent preseason, but he has shown glimpses of the promise that he showed while a prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Brissett completed 13 of 23 passes for 109 yards and one interception in Cleveland's preseason game against Chicago on Saturday.

Brissett has obvious limitations and a game like this is a reminder that his passing abilities are far below average among starters, but he still seems locked in as Cleveland's starter for the 11 games Deshaun Watson is suspended. Brissett will need to play better than this when the regular season starts, though.

Tagovailoa completed six of seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 48-10 preseason win over Philadelphia.

Tagovailoa uncorked a deep pass on the first play of the game, connecting with Tyreek Hill for a 51-yard completion. He otherwise completed passes in the short and intermediate areas of the field and was sharp for the second consecutive exhibition game. Tagovailoa will head into the regular season with plenty of momentum, as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 179 yards in two preseason contests.

Fields completed 14 of 16 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns in Chicago's preseason game against Cleveland on Saturday.

Fields was automatic as a passer while playing Chicago's first five drives, and he added two carries for 11 yards. Fields' athletic tools make him a unique big-play threat when the team around him gives him some help, but that second point is the concern as the second-year quarterback heads into Week 1. The 49ers defense looks like a tough matchup for Fields' opening game.

Cousins is not in line to play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Broncos.

Cousins is one of 33 players the team announced as not slated to play in the contest, a group that included all of Minnesota's top skill players. Cousins' next start will occur in Week 1 against the Packers, with Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn set to serve as his top options at wideout out of the gate this season.

Ridder completed 14 of 21 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Saturday's 28-12 preseason win over the Jaguars. He also rushed twice for minus-1 yard while playing into the fourth quarter of Atlanta's preseason finale.

This performance showed why the Falcons plan to open the regular season with Marcus Mariota under center and are likely planning to keep starting him for most or all of the season. Ridder's a good athlete, but the rookie third-round pick still needs to work on his decision-making as a passer. His first pass of the game was picked off, and while Ridder bounced back with a two-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Tyler Allgeier on the next possession, he was intercepted again in the final seconds of the first half.

Coach Matt Rhule described the injury that Darnold suffered in Friday's preseason finale as a "significant" high ankle sprain, David Newton of ESPN reports.

Per Rhule, "it is a significant injury that could take some time," while adding that "if it's at least a four-game injury, we can put him on the short-term injured reserve." Given the typical recovery period of high ankle sprains, it's safe to assume that Darnold will miss some regular-season time and if he is indeed placed on IR after roster cut-downs, the Panthers' No. 2 QB would be forced to miss at least four games to begin the upcoming campaign.