NFL Player News

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Mayfield will be rested for the preseason opener Friday versus the Jets, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bowles indicated that the Bucs had been planning for backup Jake Browning to direct the first-team offense Friday, but Browning's status is now in question after he appeared to suffer a back injury during Tuesday's session. Mayfield didn't see any action during the 2025 preseason, and a similar approach with the veteran signal-caller seems likely in 2026. The 31-year-old is heading into his fourth season with Tampa Bay on an expiring contract and will be aiming for a bounce-back campaign after noticing a steep decline in his passing efficiency and touchdown total between 2024 and 2025, in large part due to injuries that accumulated over the course of last season.

Ward and other starters are scheduled to play in Thursday's preseason opener against San Francisco, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

The combination of a young QB and a new coaching staff could lead to more playing time than usual this preseason. Still, there's no guarantee of Ward playing more than a series or two Thursday night.

Evans (quadriceps) took part primarily in individual drills at Tuesday's joint practice with the Titans, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

After a week away from the practice field due to a minor quad strain, Evans was back in action, albeit in a limited capacity. Easing him back in isn't a surprise considering the cautious approach the 49ers have taken with Evans' injury. Even if he doesn't suit up for Thursday's preseason contest against the Titans, he still has one month to get healthy for the team's Week 1 matchup with the Rams in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Tuesday that Lawrence and the team's other established starters will sit out Saturday's preseason opener versus the Saints, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Per John Shipley of SI.com, the Jaguars don't plan on having Lawrence see much action in their final two exhibition contests either, a departure from how he's been utilized in his prior five preseasons. The QB doesn't believe a lack of preseason reps will affect his preparation heading into Week 1, especially now that he has a year under his belt in Coen's offensive system. The 26-year-old had the best fantasy season of his career in 2025, setting personal bests in touchdown passes (29), rushing yards (359) and rushing touchdowns (nine).

Coach Sean McVay said Nacua left Tuesday's joint practice with the Cowboys early and that he doesn't have an update on the wide receiver's status, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Nacua exited with the Rams' training staff, indicating that he's dealing with some sort of health concern. The team doesn't seem to be treating the issue as a serious one, but it could still keep Nacua out of the lineup for Saturday's preseason game against Kansas City.

Coach Sean McVay said after Tuesday's joint practice with the Cowboys that Garrett didn't take part due to swelling in his knee, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Garrett missed some time early in training camp due to what McVay called "soreness in his lower half," per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com, and the location of the injury is now known. McVay added Tuesday that Garrett is "85 percent." Garrett still has a month to get back to full health before the Rams' Week 1 matchup with the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.

Wiggins was carted off the field during Tuesday's practice after suffering a left leg injury, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports.

The Ravens' top cornerback couldn't put any weight on his left leg when heading into the team facility, which suggests he'll miss some time. Coach Jesse Minter declined to provide an estimate on when Wiggins might return to the field or even specify the nature of his injury. "I think there's optimism," Minter noted. "But we'll look at it [and] we'll see where it's at."

Bhayshul Tuten and Rodriguez are listed as co-starters on the Jaguars' initial unofficial depth chart, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union reports.

While preseason depth charts posted by NFL teams tend to be unreliable as projections for Week 1, this listing isn't unexpected. The Jaguars seem to be trending toward employing a committee approach to fill the void created by the offseason departure of Travis Etienne, with LeQuint Allen potentially mixing in on third downs as well. In that context, Rodriguez could see enough touches out of the gate this season to merit fantasy consideration.

Tuten and Chris Rodriguez are listed as co-starters on the Jaguars' initial unofficial depth chart, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Preseason depth charts can often be taken with a grain of salt, but in this case the listing aligns with the notion that the Jaguars will employ a committee approach to fill the void created by the offseason departure of Travis Etienne. Also in the mix for backfield touches is LeQuint Allen, who could factor in on third downs. Regardless of how the team's snaps and touches are distributed, Tuten figures to merit fantasy consideration right out of the gate this season.

Pittman (right leg) didn't practice Tuesday, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

DK Metcalf (undisclosed) was also sidelined, according to Aaron Rodgers. As a result, there's a decent chance that both wideouts will be held out of Thursday's preseason opener against the Packers, but there's been nothing so far to suggest that either player's Week 1 availability is in jeopardy.