MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Kyler Murray won’t play in the preseason

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray won’t play in the team’s preseason opener against the Saints on Saturday. He won’t play in the other two exhibition games either.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced his decision Tuesday.

“No, he’s not going to play,” Gannon said, via video from Mark McClune of The Extra Point. “I like how the offense is operating, and I think he will get done everything he needs to get done to be the best version of himself.”

Gannon said the joint practice with the Vikings on Aug. 23 is a reason Murray won’t play in the preseason.

The two-time Pro Bowler has not played a preseason game since the second preseason game in 2021 when he played nine offensive snaps. In 2023, he was rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, returning midseason as the Cardinals finished 3-5 with him at quarterback.

The former No. 1 overall pick is 28-36-1 in his regular-season starts, with one winning season and one playoff game.

He said earlier in training camp that he feels a sense of urgency to win now.

PFT/Williams

 

LATROBE, Pa. -- Despite being very limited with a calf injury during the first half of training camp, quarterback Russell Wilson is ahead of Justin Fields for the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback job, coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday.

The Steelers released their first depth chart Tuesday night, listing Wilson as the starter and Fields second.

"You guys saw the depth chart that I released yesterday," Tomlin said. "That is real."

Wilson, however, won't participate in Friday's preseason game against the Houston Texans. Fields and the first-team offense will play "a couple series," Tomlin said, and it will be another opportunity for Fields to gain ground on Wilson.

"I think everything is an audition," Tomlin said. "Everything that we do is an audition not only for him but for others."

In addition to Wilson, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Isaac Seumalo, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Queen will not participate in Friday night's game, Tomlin said, citing both veteran status and minor training camp injuries.

ESPN

 

It will be Caleb Williams time on Saturday in Buffalo.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that the first overall pick in this year’s draft will get the start at quarterback against the Bills this weekend. Eberflus said the same is true of the team’s other healthy starters.

Williams did not play at all in the Hall of Fame Game last week and Eberflus declined to specify the number of plays that any of the first-string players will play.

“We want to see a good flow and a good rhythm to it,” Eberflus said at his press conference.

The Bills announced Josh Allen will also be playing this weekend, so Williams won’t be pitted against another Bears first-round quarterback to kick off his career. Mitchell Trubisky figures to be in the game for Buffalo fairly early, however.

PFT

 

Nick Foles retiring from NFL: Super Bowl LII MVP to be honored by Eagles in 2024 home opener

Foles has the highest completion rate in NFL playoff history

Nick Foles has announced his retirement from the NFL as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, the franchise that holds a statue of their lone Super Bowl-winning quarterback in his honor. Foles will be formally honored by the Eagles as part of a special ceremony on Sept. 16, when the Eagles play host to the Atlanta Falcons in their home opener.

The Eagles have not issued Foles' number (9) since he left the franchise after the 2018 season. The franchise put the number on hold after what Foles did for the organization in leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in the 2017 season. Foles completed 72.6% of his passes for 971 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, and a 115.7 passer rating in the 2017 postseason.

In Super Bowl LII, Foles took home MVP honors after going 28 of 43 for 373 yards, three touchdowns, and a 106.1 passer rating (also catching a touchdown pass from the "Philly Special"). He's the only quarterback to throw and catch a touchdown pass in the postseason. Foles still has the highest completion percentage in NFL playoff history (68.1%), slightly ahead of Patrick Mahomes (67.9%).

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to retire as a Philadelphia Eagle," Foles said, via a press release provided by the Eagles. "The City of Brotherly Love has always felt like home to me as an NFL player. Philadelphia is a city I truly love, and it has been an honor to wear the Eagles jersey. Thank you, Philadelphia, for embracing me and making me a part of your family forever. Your love and support have meant the world. Fly, Eagles, Fly!"

A third-round pick by the Eagles in 2012, Foles led the NFL in passer rating (119.2) and had the best single-season touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history (27-2) during a 2013 season in which he led the Eagles to the playoffs. Foles is the only NFL quarterback to record 20+ passing touchdowns in a season with no more than two interceptions, earning a Pro Bowl selection and winning Pro Bowl MVP honors.

Foles is one of only three quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for seven touchdown passes and zero interceptions in a game, joining Peyton Manning and Y.A. Tittle in that category. He's one of eight quarterbacks to throw seven touchdown passes in a game.

Foles also shares NFL records in most consecutive completions (25, tied with Drew Brees and Ryan Tannehill) and most consecutive pass completions in a game (25, tied with Brees). He also holds the Eagles' franchise record in passer rating (93.2) and passing yards in a game (471).

Foles played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Eagles, St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Indianapolis Colts. He finished his career with a 29-29 record, throwing for 14,227 yards with 82 touchdowns to 47 interceptions (86.2 rating).

His legacy, of course, is in Philadelphia.

"Nick Foles always carried himself with the utmost class and integrity, demonstrating through his actions, both on and off the field, what it meant to be a Philadelphia Eagle," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "He was the ultimate competitor, an inspiring teammate, a true representative of our city, and of course, a Super Bowl champion.

"As important as he was under center, it was his positive demeanor, approachability, and kindness toward others that resonated with everyone and continues to speak to his great character. We congratulate the Foles family on Nick's celebrated career and retirement."

CBS

 

Nothing really got resolved in the O'Connell and Minshew competition for the Raiders today. In fact it probably just got more complicated as both looked decent to me. Pierce may have to do rock-paper-scissors to make up his mind on who's starting week 1.

 

Mike Tomlin sends warning to Justin Fields after preseason debut: 'It negated a lot of good things'

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin liked what he saw from Justin Fields during the quarterback’s preseason debut Friday, but one issue marred the entire performance in his eyes.

Fields went 5-of-6 passing for 67 yards, but he fumbled a snap on two drives in a 20-12 loss to Houston. As far as Tomlin was concerned, the two failed snap exchanges negated the rest of the performance.

“I thought he did some nice things,” Tomlin said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “But obviously he was a component of the C-Q exchange, and from my perspective that’s dual responsibility on the center and the quarterback. It negated a lot of good things going on in those first couple of drives.”

The Steelers did recover both fumbles, but the incidents backed them up and led to a pair of three-and-outs. Fields was also sacked twice.

Standards are high in Pittsburgh — if Fields did not already know. He probably has to be very good in order to win the starting job away from Russell Wilson, who clearly appears to be in the driver’s seat for the job. He cannot really afford mistakes like that, no matter how good he was in other aspects of his performance.

YARDBARKER

 

'Outstanding': Bears rave over Caleb Williams' preseason debut

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore couldn't help but heap superlatives onto rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' preseason debut.

Williams' overall performance? "Outstanding," Moore said.

The quarterback's ability to make throws on the run, which resulted in his best throw of the day, a 26-yard strike to tight end Cole Kmet? "Second to none," the receiver claimed.

While Williams was more reserved in analyzing how he played during two series of Chicago's 33-6 win over the Buffalo Bills, the No. 1 pick walked away from his NFL debut confident about the direction he and the Bears' offense are headed.

"There's an understanding that it is preseason, that everybody's not going to show their looks and what they would do versus us and vice versa," Williams said. "But it definitely feels good to get out there. The last time I was out there on the field other than practice was Nov. 18. You go that long without something, it's tough.

"But it's been great. The guys have made it fun, they made it easy on me -- talking about our other players -- they've been great from the beginning to now. My progress, I would tie my progress and support, I would count it to them. They've been great. To get out there and have the confidence that we had out there, it's only going to get better and we can't wait."

in part/ESPN
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This news pisses me off.

JK, Its all good. The NFC North might be relative if the Vikings can keep up, which is a pipe dream currently.

 

This news pisses me off.



JK, Its all good. The NFC North might be relative if the Vikings can keep up, which is a pipe dream currently.



Bears got their QB Will and he looks to be a Natural.......But I watched last night game and I was impressed with JJ McCarthy the guy has a bullet of an arm and he is going to like throwing to JJ.........lol


Good Luck in 2024 for your Vikes

 

Deshaun Watson won’t play in second preseason game, but he’s now cleared for contact

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is cleared for contact, coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday.

Watson will take the majority of snaps in two joint practices with the Vikings this week, but he will not play in Saturday’s second preseason game.

Watson watched yesterday’s preseason game against the Packers from the sideline.

The Browns close out the preseason against the Seahawks on Aug. 24.

Watson is coming off Nov. 21 surgery to repair the fractured right shoulder socket, which ended his 2023 season prematurely.

Watson has played only 12 games the past three seasons, missing all of 2021 with the Texans, serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 after the trade from Houston and missing 11 games with his injury last season.

PFT

 

With Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew locked in a quarterback competition, Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said the goal is to announce a starter following the team's next exhibition game, at home Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.

"We've got to get ready to play football, and I think we've got enough film," Pierce said Sunday, a day after the team's 24-23 loss at the Minnesota Vikings.

"We'll have two games here [by then] to evaluate both quarterbacks to see how they'll play."
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Im telling you he's going to have them do, rock-paper-scissors.

 

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson won’t play in this week’s preseason game, but the team does expect him to get some snaps in game action before August is over.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Monday that the plan is for Watson to play in the team’s third and final preseason game. That contest will take place in Seattle on August 24.

Stefanski said on Sunday that Watson has been cleared for contact, which eliminated the last hurdle standing in the way of a game appearance. He will get the majority of the reps against the Vikings in joint practices this week before sitting out the game between the teams.

Watson last appeared in a game on November 12 of last year. He missed the rest of the year with a right shoulder injury that required surgery and a rehabilitation program that has reached its final stage.

PFT

 

I think I'll start drinking again, might throw in hard-core drugs to keep it balanced... been my battle cry for ever.

Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy to undergo knee surgery

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Tuesday that McCarthy needs the surgery but said the team does not have a specific timeline for how long he will be sidelined.

A decision will be made at the time of the operation whether McCarthy's meniscus requires a trimming or a complete repair, which will determine the length of his recovery.

McCarthy complained about knee soreness over the weekend, and underwent an MRI on Monday night. With the No. 10 overall draft selection sidelined, Sam Darnold now is squarely in line be the Vikings' Week 1 starting quarterback.

ESPN

 

Damn, I thought of all the rookies he had the best shot of starting strong…

 

I think I'll start drinking again, might throw in hard-core drugs to keep it balanced... been my battle cry for ever.


No Will............hang in there please......... by todays standards it's a simple surgery and he will be back in 8 weeks.....he looked great vs the Raiders and has the potential to be the Vikes # 1 QB.

 

I heard that the zombie pill was good

 

I just read that he's out for THE SEASON!!! Will?? Allow me to buy the first round.

 

Bo Nix, Josh Allen and Brock Purdy all getting the green light this weekend. Might be a few more starters going, I just haven't heard their names called yet.

 

Russel Wilson is going this weekend too

 

Thats good to hear, I wanna catch some of that. Havnt seen him take a snap yet in black n gold.

 

Mike Tomlin: Now that Russell Wilson is healthy, it’s going to “heat up” at quarterback

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t feeling any urgency to name a starting quarterback for the start of the regular season, but the process of coming to that decision will take a big step forward on Saturday.

Russell Wilson will make his first appearance of the preseason as the starter against the Bills and Tomlin said that kicks off “two significant weeks left in this process in terms of in-stadium performances” for both Wilson and Justin Fields. Fields started the first preseason game as Wilson finished his recovery from a calf injury and did some good things, although Tomlin said a pair of fumbled exchanges on snaps mitigated those positives.

Tomlin said the only timeline for naming a starter is “before the opener” while providing a snapshot of where things stand right now.

“It’s probably in the same place that I’ve described it throughout the spring and the summer,” Tomlin said, via the team’s website. “Both guys are vying for the role. Russ has pole position because of the collective body of work, the totality of the body of work that he brings into the circumstance. Both guys are new to us. We’re getting an opportunity to get to know them through this process. It’s been a great process. Now that Russ has full health, it’s going to heat up over the next couple of weeks, and I’m excited about watching it happen.”

Wilson’s place on the pole makes him the likely starter, but Tomlin’s not making any guarantees and that leaves some intrigue to the proceedings in Pittsburgh.

PFT/Josh Alper