Rattler’s 3.8 yards per attempt won’t turn any heads, but the two sacks he took, one of which resulted in a lost fumble, might be enough to give Zach Wilson a chance at backup duties. Rattler didn’t complete a pass for more than nine yards on Saturday and will look to have a bounce-back performance in his next game, which is set for Saturday against the Rams.
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise after O’Connell sounded disappointed when discussing Adams’ injury after halftime. The 10-year vet had made a switch to linebacker last season and signed with the Vikings last month in hopes of carving out a role in Brian Flores’ defense. Adams has an MRI scheduled for tomorrow, which will reveal the extent of the damage.
This one was expected after the team said it feared Mertz suffered a torn ACL shortly after the game. Mertz joined the Texans as a rookie UDFA in 2025. He made the roster as the team’s third-string QB but did not attempt a pass. He will now be placed on injured reserve, ending his 2026 season. In a corresponding move, the Texans signed veteran QB Brett Rypien to the roster.
Concepcion did a little bit of everything in this one, with his most notable play coming on a 14-yard rushing touchdown on a jet sweep. The rookie first-rounder also had an impressive 31-yard punt return that would have gone for more if not for a shoestring tackle by Hayden Large. Concepcion played on 24 offensive snaps, with all four of his targets coming from Deshaun Watson. It was a strong debut for the explosive rookie, who is among the more intriguing sleepers in fantasy drafts this season.
Moore had his ankle rolled up on late in the fourth quarter and could be seen working with trainers on the sideline. Despite the scare, Moore told Brady after the game that he was “good to go,” suggesting there won’t be much to worry about going forward. Moore was impressive in his Bills debut, catching 3-of-4 targets for 61 yards in limited action.
Coleman took the field with the starters on Saturday and also spent some time with the second team offense. Coleman scored the first unofficial touchdown at the new Highmark Stadium. Josh Allen evaded pressure in the backfield to find Coleman in the end zone for a nine-yard score, while backup Kyle Allen connected with Coleman twice. It’s been a challenging year and a half for Coleman, who was a healthy scratch for a few games last season. The Bills remain committed to giving Coleman a chance to succeed. This decent showing in limited preseason action is an encouraging sign.
It was a non-contact injury for Adams, who is the latest player to fall victim to the MetLife Stadium turf. The veteran linebacker was seen holding his right leg after going down on the play, and head coach Kevin O’Connell said after halftime that the Vikings are “going to miss him.” O’Connell didn’t say Adams’ injury was a season-ender, but his tone suggested his 2026 season could be over. We’ll get more information on this soon, but it’s a brutal blow to Adams, who was carving out a nice role in Brian Flores’ defense.
Playing with and against backups, Sanders started the second half for the Browns and came out with two solid throws. His first attempt was a 24-yard completion to Gage Larvadain, and he connected with wide receiver Luke Floriea on a nicely thrown deep ball for a 35-yard gain to convert a third-and-13 a few plays later. Unfortunately for Sanders, he managed just 20 yards on his next eight throws, with multiple passes being batted down at the line of scrimmage and his last throw being picked off on an errant pass that sailed well beyond his receiver. Both Sanders and Deshaun Watson committed turnovers in this one. Sanders is scheduled to make the start in the Browns’ next preseason game, which comes on Saturday at home against the Bills.
Dart made a trip to the blue medical tent at the end of the first quarter after going down hard on a sack from Vikings safety Jay Ward. After clearing concussion protocol, Dart would return to the field and fire a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie Malachi Fields in the end zone. It would be the final play of the day for Dart, who took two sacks on the afternoon and didn’t add anything on the ground. While it’s good news to hear Dart cleared protocol, the visit to the tent is concerning for a player who was evaluated five times in 10 games for a concussion last season.
Moore’s first reception of the day came on a shallow crossing route that he turned upfield for a 32-yard gain. The new No. 1 target for Josh Allen would later haul in passes of 11 and 18 yards, but left the game with an apparent right ankle injury after having his leg rolled up on by a defender. Moore walked off under his own power and appeared in good spirits on the sideline, but we’ll likely get a better sense of his status after the game. Moore only ran six routes in this one, but his usage was very encouraging. It wouldn’t be surprising if we saw his ADP jump up a bit as a result of this strong first showing.
It was an up-and-down outing for Watson, who led two scoring drives in the first half. At times, Watson looked on point and decisive with his throws. On the lone touchdown drive he led, Watson went 4-for-4 passing, with his biggest play coming on a 43-yard screen pass to Dylan Sampson. Unfortunately, he also lost a fumble on a strip sack by Jamree Kromah and went three-and-out during a two-minute drill. It was exactly the kind of performance we expected to see based on reports of how the Browns’ QB battle has gone so far this offseason.
Both receivers are set to miss the Steelers’ upcoming preseason game against the Jets with undisclosed injuries. Without both starting wide receivers, you can expect Aaron Rodgers to sit out as well. Without much practice time remaining, the next time we see the Steelers’ starting offense very well may be in the regular season.
The deal includes $101 million guaranteed and makes Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history by both the total and average value of the contract. Witherspoon’s $132 million total value bests Rams CB Trent McDuffie, who signed a $124 million extension this offseason, for the biggest cornerback contract in the game. His $33 million per year average value overtakes Browns CB Denzel Ward’s $31.1 million for highest average value. Now attention should shift towards Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez, who appears to be next in line for an extension in this neighborhood.
Love came out of the Cardinals preseason game on Thursday with an ankle injury. HC Mike LaFluer said after the game that Love could have returned. On Saturday morning, he changed his tune. LaFluer told reporters Love’s ankle is a “little more sore” and that he’ll be out for at least week. He didn’t commit to Love returning for the Cardinals third preseason game, only that the 21-year old running back will be re-evaluated in a week. Love totaled 73 scrimmage yards and looked like the clear-cut starter against the Raiders on Thursday, but Tyler Allgeier could end up being the de facto starter if Love’s ankle injury lingers into the regular season.
Burden limped off the practice field a week ago and is expected to miss about a month with a groin injury. The injury isn’t considered serious and the hope is that he’ll be active for the Bears first regular season matchup against the Panthers in Week 1. Burden running on the field before the Bears first preseason game was a welcome sight for the organization and fantasy managers alike as the 22-year-old wide receiver appears to be progressing in his recovery.
Gonzalez missed practice on Tuesday, didn’t play in the Patriots’ preseason game on Thursday and remains off the field for Saturday’s practice. Still awaiting a contract extension from the Patriots, Gonzalez’ absence is related to an injury he suffered in practice last week, according to Patriots HC Mike Vrabel. While Gonzalez won’t practice, Vrabel said he’ll get treatment and work on conditioning, which implies the injury isn’t serious.
Even after TeSlaa’s training camp struggles extended into the Lions’ first preseason game, Detroit doesn’t seem worried about the 24-year-old receiver. TeSlaa had his first target go through his hands and off his helmet for an interception and later couldn’t hang on to a fourth down pass in the loss to the Bengals on Thursday. Still, his only competitor for the WR3 role is Greg Dortch, a journeyman receiver who also failed to catch a pass in the first preseason game. The Lions WR3 isn’t likely to be a fantasy-relevant role when everyone else in the offense is healthy, but Detroit would still like to see more development from their third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The deal was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Benton, who turned 25 in July, is entering his fourth season in the league after the Steelers selected him in the second-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Coming off a career-best season that saw him record 5.5 sacks, Benton would’ve been set to hit free agency next offseason without a contract extension. Now Benton joins LB Nick Herbig, TE Darnell Washington and K Chris Boswell on the list of Steelers to receive extensions this offseason. With his $18 million per year contract, Benton is now the highest-paid defensive lineman in Steelers history.
Douglas is worth a late-round pick. Dolphins QB Malik Willis attempted five passes tonight, sending two his way. Both of Douglas’ targets were downfield throws. Douglas erred on the first. After managing to get wide open, running toward the right sideline, the rookie wide receiver experienced a blip in his spatial awareness and ended up securing the pass while stepping out of bounds. Willis gave him another chance on a vertical route from the slot, firing a long ball to the lanky receiver downfield. Willis fought contact with his right hand while high-pointing the pass with his left, and critically retained possession as he landed hard on his back. The third-round rookie looks good.
Allen stole one snap from starting RB Breece Hall on the first drive. Allen then stayed on the field for all of the second drive, breaking off a beautiful 31-yard touchdown run to put the Jets up 10-0 at the end of it. On his scoring play, Allen broke left at the snap before cutting it back and exploding through the line between the right guard and right tackle. It was a foot race to the end zone after that. The performance should solidify his grip on the RB2 role.
The Buccaneers rested their established starters, which takes a little shine off of Hurst’s start. Regardless, he led the team in targets through three drives and nearly hauled in a deep target after helpfully getting open during a scramble drill. The third-round rookie appeared to slip while diving for the catch, and he was unable to fully secure the pass before he and the ball hit the ground. Still, it was a decent start for him. He remains a worthwhile late-round dart throw.
Cooper entered the game on the Jets’ second drive, after the established starters called it a night. The usage meant Cooper played behind WR Isaiah Williams, who played 7-of-11 snaps on the first drive. Cooper continued playing through the Jets’ sixth drive. According to Rotoworld’s own Kyle Dvorchak, the last non-quarterback first-round rookie to play that late is former Titans WR Treylon Burks, back in his 2022 rookie season. This does not bode well for Cooper’s early-season usage.
The report comes from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Bisontis is expected to miss most of the season and could end up missing all of it. Rapoport ambiguously adds that “only the MCL will be repaired,” leaving room for interpretation as to whether Bisontis’ knee took more damage in the injury. This is a very unfortunate situation for the second-round rookie. Hopefully, he makes a complete recovery and returns to form without issue.
Coleman took a few snaps with tonight’s starters after replacing RB RJ Harvey on the second drive. Coleman picked up two first downs on the ground, barreling through contact on both plays. He earned one target as a receiver out of the backfield and took it for a five-yard gain. Unfortunately, the play was erased by a penalty, but it was good to see him get involved through the air regardless. Coleman looks like a capable player. He is worth speculatively stashing on fantasy benches at this time.
Spring and summer reports indicated that the Dolphins’ new coaching staff wanted to operate a run-heavy offense. Those reports weren’t lying. Achane took run after run up the middle until he punched one in from one yard out. Questions remain as to how efficient this offense might be, but Achane is seemingly set to handle a large workload again this season. Backup RB Jaylen Wright was the RB2 tonight, taking his first carry for 13 yards up the middle.