MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Matt Eberflus open to making undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent the Bears’ No. 2 QB

When Tyson Bagent signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie quarterback out of Division II Shepherd University, he appeared to be merely a camp arm who might make the practice squad if he showed enough promise. But after Bagent’s strong performance in Saturday night’s preseason game, Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Bagent might not only make the roster, but even be the No. 2 quarterback behind Justin Fields in Week One.

Eberflus said he can’t rule out Bagent beating out both PJ Walker and Nathan Peterman and taking the Bears’ second-string job.

“I think everything’s open right now. I really do,” Eberflus said. “You never put a ceiling on any player. You’ll see guys, they get into a game and they start rising up.”

Asked specifically if Bagent can beat out Walker and Peterman, Eberflus repeated that he’s open to anything.

“Everything’s open right now,” Eberflus said. “Everybody can look at the roster and see who’s in a competition. Those are all going to be open. If you close your mind off to that, then you might be missing on something. So you have to let it play itself out.”

Fields didn’t play on Saturday and Bagent looked like the Bears’ best quarterback of the three who did, going 9-for-10 with no turnovers and also running for a touchdown. Neither Walker nor Peterman has looked good enough in the preseason to cement the backup job. Bagent is no lock to make the 53-player roster at all, let alone move ahead of both Walker and Peterman to get the No. 2 job, but he has done enough that he’s right in the thick of the Bears’ backup quarterback competition.

NBC

 

Jordan Love: I’m definitely ready for Week 1 and the season

Packers quarterback Jordan Love turned in a solid preseason performance on Saturday night, and he says he has no doubts that he’s ready for his first season as a starting quarterback.

Love said he thinks the five series he has played in two preseason games against the Bengals and Patriots have been enough, although he’ll be ready to play in the third and final preseason game if Matt LaFleur wants him to.

“I’m definitely ready for Week One and carry on throughout the season. I think these first two games we did a lot of good work, getting the practice in with Cincinnati and the Patriots as well. Playing in that last game would just be getting more reps, getting more comfortable with seeing new looks against another team, so I don’t think it would hurt,” Love said.

In two preseason games, Love is 12-for-18 for 130 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. No one really knows how ready he is to take over the job that has been held by Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre for the last three decades, but Love sounds confident that he’s going to be good to go.

PFT

 

NFL outlines procedure for using third quarterback

The NFL has brought back the third quarterback rule. This time, however, it has some new tweaks.

For starters, the third quarterback must be on the 53-man roster. This could prompt plenty of teams to never utilize it.

As to the teams that do, they’ll be permitted to dress the third quarterback without having him count against the game-day limit. And the third quarterback can enter only if the two other quarterbacks are not available, due to injury or ejection.

On Monday, the league sent a memo to all teams elaborating on the rules. For example, the player must be a “bona fide” quarterback, not a player at some other position, to be the emergency quarterback.

The memo also makes it clear that the rule should not be utilized as a way to put or keep the third quarterback in the game, and that he can stay only as long as the first two quarterbacks are not available.

“A club that activates an Emergency Third Quarterback during a game will be required to file a detailed written report to the NFL Player Personnel department stating the reason the player entered the game,” the memo explains. “The club may be asked to provide medical records of all the involved quarterbacks for review. Team doctors and members of the athletic training staff may be interviewed as well. The League office also reserves its right to send the player(s) to see an Independent Physician to verify an injury.”

The league seems to realize that, under certain circumstances, a team could be tempted to keep the third quarterback in, even if the second quarterback is ready to return. Sometimes, the third quarterback could give the team a lift. At other times, the team might want to give the third quarterback some reps.

“This rule is enacted to protect the integrity of the game and is intended only for bona fide quarterbacks. Compliance with the spirit of this rule is required and appreciated,” the memo concludes. “A club found in willful violation of this rule will be disciplined under the Policy on Integrity of the Game and Enforcement of League Policies.”

That’s fine. But good luck proving willful violations. And good luck mustering the will to prove it.

Frankly, who cares if the third quarterback stays in the game? The prior version of the rule was simple — if the third quarterback entered before the fourth quarter, the other two could not return. In the fourth quarter, the third quarterback could enter and exit at will.

Why not just do that again? Why complicate it with a procedure that creates a temptation to potentially leave the third quarterback in the game, and why put the league in a position to have to potentially determine whether an injured quarterback was really injured?

The league hopes to avoid a repeat of the situation that played out in the NFC Championship, when the 49ers were out of quarterbacks. It’s wise to do that. It’s frankly not nearly as wise to attach a bunch of provisos and prohibitions to the rule.

Keep it simple. Keep it easy. And keep teams incentivized to have a third quarterback in uniform so that there isn’t a prime-time or playoff poopfest featuring one team with no quarterback at all.

PFT/ MIKE FLORIO

 

I would almost want to see it mandatory for every playoff team to adhere to this rule. Any team that makes the playoffs and doesn't have an emergency QB, I will root against if the 2 QBs go down. They deserve to lose with a rule designed to avoid that situation.

 

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Baker Mayfield would start Week 1 against the Vikings.

And there ends the most dismal training camp competition in NFL history. Mayfield gets the nod for opening day even after Trask impressed in preseason Week 2 against the Jets, completing 20 of his 28 passes for 218 yards and a score. Mayfield is probably the best bet for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to prove viable for those who draft them as a WR3 or WR4 in redraft leagues. Mayfield is nothing more than a superflex flier.

 

Quarterback Anthony Richardson will get one more dress rehearsal before making his first regular season start in the NFL.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that Richardson will start Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Eagles. Steichen said that decisions about playing time for other starters will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Richardson was 7-of-12 for 67 yards and an interception in the team’s first preseason outing, but he did not play at all against the Bears in their second outing.

Once Thursday night’s game is in the books, Richardson will have a little over two weeks to prepare for their home opener against the Jaguars on September 10.

 

Lions proposed the third quarterback rule, but they might not take advantage of it

The return of the third quarterback rule came not from a Competition Committee recommendation, but from a proposal made by the Lions. And, as noted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, there’s no guarantee the Lions will take advantage of the reconstituted rule.

To dress a third quarterback, a team must carry three quarterbacks on the active roster. That means, for the Lions, retaining Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater, and (presumably) Nate Sudfeld. (Rookie Hendon Hooker, still recovering from a torn ACL, likely will spend the season on the reserve/PUP list.)

“I don’t think that’s a factor into what we’re going to do with the roster,” coach Dan Campbell said, via Birkett. “I think for us it’s, is it worth keeping three quarterbacks, No. 1? No. 2, where are we at with the rest of the roster? You want to do that, but yet who are we losing to do that, or vice versa?”

Last year, only 12 teams had three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. This year, the ability to dress the third quarterback on game days as an extra uniformed player could be the thing that tips the scales in favor of carrying three.

Still, for most teams, losing QB1 and QB2 means that the cause is SOL even if there’s a third quarterback waiting in the wings to try to save the day. For most teams, the third-string quarterback is on the third string for a reason.

Not all (like the 49ers), but most.

NBC

 

A seventh for Lance?

 

I can't stand Rapaport... Nearly every "breaking news" he has says " according to me and 'someone else'". Why can't the guy just give credit to the one that actually broke the story? If your source is another writer, then they aren't a source, it's just you regurgitating news and taking credit.

He's a douche bag..

 

According to a "source familiar with the situation", I cant argue with that.

 

Mike Tomlin sees Kenny Pickett growing as a leader in Year 2

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett played two series in Thursday night’s preseason finale, and the Steelers scored touchdowns on both of them. But that’s not the main reason that Mike Tomlin said after the game that he’s pleased with Pickett’s growth.

Tomlin said Pickett has been “really solid” throwing the ball in training camp and the preseason, but he said what he really likes is the way that Pickett has grown as a leader of the football team as his second season approaches.

“The leadership things, the communication things, the bringing-people-together things,” Tomlin said. “That is significant. It’s not play related, but it is. He is the catalyst for that unit, he controls the pace and the tenor of that unit, and I think if he’s comfortable that unit is comfortable, and I think that’s been the biggest difference.”

The Steelers drafted Pickett to be the franchise quarterback, and Tomlin believes Pickett is developing into that, and not just as a passer.

NBC

 

Shane Steichen: Anthony Richardson solid, a lot to clean up as well

Heading into the draft, quarterback Anthony Richardson was seen as a prospect with immense potential and a need for refinement before he’d be able to thrive at the professional level.

Richardson’s final preseason outing did little to change that picture. He played the entire first half against the Eagles and led three scoring drives while going 6-of-17 through the air. The six completions generated 78 yards and Richardson also ran five times for 38 yards as he showed both inaccuracy and an ability to make plays as both a passer and a runner over the course of the first half.

After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson’s “ability to create outside the pocket is definitely going to help us” while noting that there’s a lot to work on in the weeks to come.

“Shoot, I thought he did a solid job,” Steichen said at his press conference. “We scored three out of the first four drives, which is good. The two-minute drive wasn’t what we wanted, but we’ll go back, look at the tape. I thought he did some really good things and some things we’ve got to clean up as well.”

The regular season will bring a different level of preparation for opposing teams and Richardson said he is “excited to see the way we game plan” on a weekly basis. Plenty of others will be watching to see how the Colts make use of Richardson’s skills while working to develop him into a quarterback who can lead the team for years to come.

PFT

 

Anthony Richardson leads Colts on three scoring drives in first half

Anthony Richardson showed some moxie Thursday night against the Eagles.

The Colts rookie quarterback played the entire first half and led the team on touchdown drives of 52 and 75 yards and a field goal drive of 39 yards against Philadelphia’s backups. Deon Jackson scored on a 3-yard run; Evan Hull plunged in from the 1; and Lucas Havriski kicked a 41-yard field goal to give the Colts a 17-13 halftime lead.

After Jackson’s touchdown, Richardson mocked Eagles fans with the team’s “Fly, Eagles, Fly” celebration in the end zone.

He went 6-of-17 for 78 yards and ran for 38 yards on five carries in the first half against the Eagles. Richardson was not sacked and took only two quarterback hits.

The Colts gained 149 yards on 33 plays in the first half.

The No. 4 overall pick, named the Week 1 starter, played 29 snaps in the first preseason game but did not play in the second after joint practices with the Bears last week. He started only 13 games as a one-year starter at the University of Florida, so he needed the 33 reps he got Thursday night.

Richardson now is 13-of-29 for 145 yards and an interception in the preseason, adding 45 rushing yards on seven carries.

PFT

 

Dak Prescott says not playing in preseason allowed him to focus on Week 1

Dak Prescott is one of a handful of starting quarterbacks who will get no snaps in the preseason.

The Cowboys quarterback put a positive spin on it, saying Thursday it has allowed him to get a head start on Week 1. Dallas opens the season at the Giants on Sept. 10.

“Understanding that I wasn’t playing in the preseason a week ago allowed me to move forward and watch some of their past games, our history with them,” Prescott said, via Nick Harris of the team website. “You’ve got to prepare. It’s game one. You want to start off hot and start off the right way, and when you’ve got the time, you’ve got to use it.”

Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers are among the league’s quarterbacks who have played or will play this preseason, and it’s safe to assume they already are looking ahead at their season openers, too. But Prescott is in a better place than he has been the past few years heading into the season opener.

He has not played in the preseason since 2019. The NFL didn’t play any preseason games in 2020 because of the pandemic, and then Prescott was working his way back from a fractured ankle in the 2021 preseason and a shoulder injury last preseason.

Prescott said he feels “much different” about where he is and where the Cowboys are than a year ago.

“I feel great about where we are,” Prescott said. “Much different than last year. I think we’ve said it all offseason, spring and in training camp, we’re in a much better place right now than we were at this time last year with the installation and the details of everything. It’s about making sure we’re crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s in this next week before we go in.”

The Cowboys have not won a season opener since 2019 when they beat the Giants 35-17. They lost to the Rams in the season opener in 2020 and the Bucs in 2021 and 2022.

PFT

 

49ers trade Trey Lance to Cowboys for a fourth-round pick

The 49ers have found a new home for Trey Lance.

They are trading the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 to the Cowboys for a fourth-round draft pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Cowboys will pay Lance’s guaranteed salaries of $940,000 for 2023 and $5.3 million for 2024, according to Schefter. Dallas has the right to decide whether to exercise Lance’s fifth-year option for 2025.

The trade of Lance is not surprising. In fact, it was expected after he lost the No. 2 job to Sam Darnold earlier this week.

The destination, though, is.

The Cowboys have Dak Prescott entrenched as their starter, and Cooper Rush is 5-1 over the past two seasons as the starter. Will Grier is the third quarterback but now is expected to be waived with the addition of Lance.

Lance’s injuries and the unexpected success of 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy made Lance expendable. He went 2-2 in two seasons in San Francisco, passing for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.

Lance’s four starts are the fewest for a quarterback drafted in the top 5 in the common draft era for the team that drafted him, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. Jack Thompson, the third overall pick in 1979, started five games for the Bengals.

NBC

 

Bears don’t say who No. 2 QB will be on Saturday


The Bears will be starting Justin Fields at quarterback against the Bills in Saturday’s preseason finale, but they’re keeping the rest of their plans to themselves.

Head coach Matt Eberflus declined to reveal how the rest of the playing time will be divvied up. The team has Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman, and P.J. Walker on the depth chart behind Fields.

“I’m not going to answer that,” Eberflus said, via Josh Schrock of NBCSportsChicago.com. “That’s still a competition though, as we’ve said all along, and we’re open to that. That’s exciting. And that was created. It wasn’t like we created it — when I say we, the coaching staff. That was created by pure competition. Like I said, if you keep an open mind and you let things play out, then good things will happen. A lot of times I’ve seen that coaches predetermine things a lot of times and we just based it on performances and we’re going to continue to do that and let the competition play itself out.”

Eberflus said last weekend that Bagent, an undrafted free agent, could beat out the more experienced Peterman and Walker for the No. 2 job. With this season’s change in rules allowing for teams to designate an emergency quarterback if they have three on their 53-man roster, a good performance on Saturday would help his chances of sticking through Tuesday’s cuts at the very least.

NBC

 

Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has officially been named the starter.

After Sunday night’s preseason finale, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that Stroud had earned the starting job.

“C.J. will be our Week One starter in Baltimore,” Ryans said.

That’s no surprise. Stroud has been getting most of the work with the first-string offense throughout training camp and the preseason, and the Texans didn’t draft him to stand on the sideline. But Ryans had been resisting making it official — until now.

Both Ryan and Stroud declined to discuss the details of the conversation they had when Ryans informed Stroud that he would be the starter, but Stroud said he appreciated Ryans’ vote of confidence in him.

“Blessed to be a starter at so young in this league,” the 21-year-old Stroud said.

Now the Texans will hope that Stroud plays in a way that justifies their belief in him.

NBC
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Good for him. Hope he does well.

 

Colt McCoy gone in Arizona.

Looks like Dobbs and Tune going into week 1

Kyler Murray put on the PUP.

 

Anthony Richardson: Everybody wants me to win a Super Bowl my first year

The Colts have started seven quarterbacks since 2019 when Andrew Luck unexpectedly retired before the start of the season. Most were bridge quarterbacks. None was a young prospect, highly drafted by the Colts.

Anthony Richardson is.

He is the third quarterback the Colts have drafted in the top five since 1998, following Peyton Manning (No. 1 overall in 1998) and Luck (No. 1 overall in 2012).

The Colts already have named Richardson the starter, and he will become the seventh rookie to start the season opener in team history. No Indianapolis rookie quarterback has won an opener since George Shaw in 1955.

“I know they invested a lot in me,’’ Richardson said Monday, via Mike Chappell of Fox59, “but I’m not the only person on this team. They invested a lot into the other players. They invested a lot into this staff.

“I know they’re going to ride with me, and I’m going to ride with them. I don’t really see it as I’m the main guy because, without the other pieces on the team, it’s not going to work.’’

Manning went 3-13 in his first season, 13-3 in his second season and won a Super Bowl in his eighth season. Luck went 11-5 his first season and reached the AFC Championship Game in 2014 but got no further.

Richardson made only 13 starts in college, so he is inexperienced, and the Colts have missed the playoffs six of the past eight seasons. Thus, this season could be difficult, though Richardson knows what everyone in Indianapolis is hoping and expecting.

“Everybody wants me to come here and win a Super Bowl my first year,’’ Richardson said. “I wish I could, and I hope I can.

“But sometimes, you’ve got to understand it’s not all about me. [I’m] making sure everybody on this team is involved and everybody is doing their job, because I’m not the only one here.’’

NBC
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Not everybody... Ive waited 61 years for the Vikings. (hope i got another 61, might see one then)