NFL Player News

Mayfield will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Jenna Laine of ESPN reports.

As expected, Mayfield and the rest of the starters will suit up in Saturday's exhibition contest, with the veteran quarterback expected to play for at least the first offensive series and possibly the second as well. Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee), Tez Johnson (groin) and Cade Otton (undisclosed) are all working through injuries, so Mayfield's top pass catchers against Kansas City figure to be veteran Chris Godwin, rookie third-rounder Ted Hurst and tight end Payne Durham.

Tagovailoa didn't play in Saturday's 34-6 preseason win over the Colts.

Cooper Rush and Jack Strand split quarterback duties while Tagovailoa was rested along with Atlanta's other starters. Michael Penix (knee) has yet to be cleared for game action, so it's looking increasingly more likely that Tua will be under center when the Falcons kick off regular-season play Sept. 13 at Pittsburgh. It remains to be seen if Tagovailoa will feature in Friday's preseason finale against the Dolphins.

Niese (leg) was spotted leaving the Lions' locker room in crutches after sustaining an injury in Saturday's preseason game against the Commanders, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

Niese had his right leg crushed by a defender in Saturday's contest and is feared to have suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee. The reserve center has been a versatile piece of the Lions' offensive line and will likely need to miss time with the injury.

Washington is not playing in Saturday's preseason game against the Giants, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.

Washington played in the Dolphins' preseason opener against the Commanders on Friday, Aug. 14, when he caught three passes on as many targets for 15 yards. He'll be idle for Saturday's exhibition contest, so Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and rookie third-rounder Caleb Douglas are all in line for increased work.

Williams suffered a concussion during Detroit's preseason loss to the Commanders on Saturday, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

Williams will now need to clear the league's concussion protocol before's he's eligible to return to the field. The 24-year-old rushed for 16 yards on three carries before exiting the game.

Saylors rushed six times for 32 yards while also giving up a fumble-six in Saturday's 17-13 preseason win over the Commanders.

Saylors' 5.3 yards per carry and starting role were somewhat overshadowed by a massive mistake. The running back coughed up the ball on the second play of the game, leading to a fumble-six that gave the Commanders an early lead. The 26-year-old recovered well from the error, producing consistently and safely for the rest of the contest. It remains unclear how the Lions' opinion of the second-year rusher will be affected, but with Isiah Pacheco (knee) and Sione Vaki (back) still sidelined with injuries, Saylors will likely remain one of the top options at running back for the time being.

Williams turned 10 carries into 36 yards and a touchdown while adding a 24-yard reception during the Lions' 17-13 preseason win over the Commanders on Saturday.

Williams saw an extended run in Saturday's exhibition contest due to the absences of Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco (knee) and Sione Vaki (back). Williams played a pivotal role for the Lions late in the third quarter, when he turned a pass from Joshua Dobbs into 24 yards before ending the seven-play, 48-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. Williams figures to be a long shot to make the Lions' 53-man roster by the end of training camp, but he could play his way into a spot on the team's practice squad for the start of the 2026 regular season.

Vaki (back) didn't play in Detroit's preseason loss to the Commanders on Saturday, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

Vaki was dealing with back spasms, so the team held him out as a precaution. Once healthy again, the 25-year-old is expected to compete with Isiah Pacheco (knee) for the top backup spot behind Jahmyr Gibbs.

Dewberry (leg) exited Saturday's preseason game against the Colts early, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Dewberry got rolled up on and appeared to be having trouble putting weight on his left leg. The offensive guard will receive a further evaluation before a potential return timeline is given. With Dewberry out, Kyle Hinton will likely be the primary depth option at guard for the Falcons.

Dobbs completed seven of his 12 passes for 74 yards and an interception while adding two carries for 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Saturday's 17-13 preseason win over the Commanders.

Dobbs had a rather uneventful day passing, taking an egregious 15-yard sack and throwing a pressured interception in his one quarter of play. The backup quarterback's real value came on the ground when he rushed for a 50-yard breakaway touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. While Dobbs may not have had a stellar passing outing, third-string quarterback Luke Altmyer also had a disappointing day while taking four sacks for 35 yards and throwing for only 86 total passing yards in his half of play.