NFL News

The Atlanta Falcons’ preseason was supposed to be about Michael Penix Jr. Then Kirk Cousins would take over for the regular season. Apparently Penix doesn’t really need the preseason reps that much. It was a bit of a surprise that Penix didn’t start Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Taylor Heinicke got the start. Falcons coach Raheem Morris explained …

Caleb Williams draws elite quarterback comparison from Tyreek Hill during preseason win originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams got off to a slow start on Saturday during his second preseason appearance against the Bengals. But he finished in style with flashy plays as the first half winded down. Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill noticed Williams’ elite …

Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson did what he had to do in today’s preseason game to make the Ravens feel good about their backup quarterback situation. Johnson started the game and went 11-for-11 for 120 yards with a touchdown in the Ravens’ preseason win over the Falcons. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said afterward that he liked what he saw from …

Michael Penix played last week. He didn’t play today. The Falcons’ decision not to play the rookie quarterback against the Ravens was curious, as curious as their decision to draft him despite signing Kirk Cousins in free agency. Cousins and Penix were two of 40 players not to play for the Falcons, but Penix is not a starter. That left …

Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith needs snaps. He won’t get them tonight against the Raiders. The 2023 first-round pick had an allergic reaction Friday that forced him to miss the team charter to Las Vegas. The Cowboys had hoped to fly him to Las Vegas on Saturday to play against the Raiders. He won’t. The team announced Saturday that Smith …

Titans receiver Kearis Jackson was injured on a kickoff return with 4:58 remaining in the first half. The team announced that Jackson has a knee injury and listed him as questionable to return against the Seahawks. He was hurt on a 38-yard return to the Tennessee 40, but it was negated by a holding penalty on James Williams. Jackson, 24, …

Schrock’s report card: Grading Caleb Williams, Bears in preseason win vs. Bengals originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago CHICAGO — If that was it for Caleb Williams in the preseason, the Bears’ rookie quarterback emphatically punctuated his exhibition season Saturday in Chicago’s 27-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. Williams started slow Saturday as the Bears’ first-team offense …

The perpetual mystery that is Aaron Rodgers includes whether he’ll play in the annual preseason showdown between the Jets and the Giants. Via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Jets coach Robert Saleh wouldn’t say after Saturday’s preseason game in Carolina whether Rodgers will play in the Week 3 game, next Saturday night. The question of whether Rodgers will play at all …

The Buccaneers have reached agreement with edge rusher Randy Gregory, leading to his release next week, play-by-play announcer Chris Meyers said during the local broadcast of Saturday’s preseason game. Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber, the color commentator on the broadcast, said the team will recoup the veteran’s signing bonus. Gregory had $1.365 million guaranteed, including a $1.13 million signing …

Quarterback Russell Wilson made his preseason debut with the Steelers on Saturday night. He split the game with Justin Fields; both players got four drives. Fields led to Pittsburgh’s only points of the night, on a field goal. Wilson completed eight of 10 passes for 47 yards. He was sacked three times. His best throw was caught along the deep …

Chargers quarterback Easton Stick passes under pressure from Rams defensive lineman Tyler Davis during the Chargers’ 13-9 preseason loss Saturday at SoFi Stadium. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) Easton Stick was again given the first half to prove himself as the Chargers’ backup to injured quarterback Justin Herbert. While his performance improved over the preseason opener, it fell short of …

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey made a 66-yard field goal to end the first half of Saturday night’s preseason game against the Raiders. The kick won’t official count since it came in a preseason game, but it tied the longest field goal in NFL history. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker hit a 66-yarder on the final play to beat the Lions in …

The Las Vegas Raiders expressed a desire to pick a starting quarterback after their second preseason game. If they stick to that, they might be making a decision without a definitive answer. Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell are battling for the spot and neither has made the choice obvious based on their preseason play. O’Connell outplayed Minshew on Saturday …

Getty Images Who said historic kicks are reserved for regular-season and playoff games? Not Brandon Aubrey. Already a surging face of NFL special teams thanks to his unprecedented transition to football, the Pro Bowl kicker furthered his emerging legacy Saturday night, drilling a 66-yard field goal as time expired in the first half of a preseason matchup with the Las …

Another week, another round of NFL preseason action. And you can tell things are heating up around the league, whether in battles for roster spots and starting jobs or in anticipation of the real games around the corner. Which players and teams stood out during the Week 2 slate of exhibition matchups? Here are some of the top highlights: Cowboys’ …