Cousins played on just one drive in Thursday’s loss. He went 5-for-6 on his pass attempts and capped his lone drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mayer. Rookie Fernando Mendoza, who looked sharp at times in his debut, is still positioned to open the season as Cousins’ backup, as Kubiak reasserted his decision to open the year with Cousins as the starter as of right now. Cousins has worked primarily with the starters in training camp and has received mostly good reports. It seems highly unlikely he would lose the starting job before Week 1’s game against the Dolphins.
LaFleur said Beck would have been well enough to throw if it were seven-on-seven drills, adding that the team “didn’t want to risk it” when it came to starting the rookie in Thursday’s preseason game. Beck already has some preseason experience under his belt. He threw for 188 yards and a touchdown in the Hall of Fame Game last week against the Panthers and will hopefully have a chance to suit up in next week’s preseason game against the Cowboys on Saturday.
Richardson’s interception came on a play in which the ball bounced off his receiver’s hands and into a defender’s arms. The former No. 4 overall pick was mostly solid on Thursday, making quick and decisive throws to his receivers while going a perfect 6-for-6 on pass attempts of 10-plus air yards. Richardson also lost a fumble on a 10-yard scramble in the second quarter, but made up for it later on a one-yard touchdown run on a QB sneak. His days as a Colt are likely numbered. Richardson stringing together a nice preseason could draw the interest of several QB-needy teams before the start of the season and position him to eventually see the field sometime in 2026.
Two of Bech’s three receptions came with Fernando Mendoza under center. Mendoza threaded the needle twice to get the ball to the second-year receiver, with his first target to Bech resulting in a nine-yard gain to convert a third-and-eight. Mendoza would later find Bech for a short six-yard touchdown pass to give the Raiders their second touchdown of the night. Bech spent a significant amount of time playing with the backups, and his 20 snaps led all Raiders receivers on Thursday. Bech looked solid in this one and could be in line for a more meaningful role after a disappointing rookie year that saw him catch 20 passes for 224 scoreless yards.
The rookie fourth-rounder wound up leading the Raiders in both rush attempts and rushing yards on Thursday, with his most notable run coming on a 53-yard burst that saw him evade multiple defenders on the play. Washington is competing for the Raiders’ RB2 spot behind Ashton Jeanty and should have the inside edge over third-year back Dylan Laube, who totaled 11 yards on five carries in Thursday’s loss.
Mendoza took over for Kirk Cousins on the Raiders’ second drive. New Raiders coach Klint Kubiak had Mendoza lining up under center and running play action, and the No. 1 overall pick responded by successfully threading the needle on tight window throws to both WR Malik Benson and Jack Bech. He also checked down to fellow rookie Mike Washington when needed. Mendoza’s score was a six-yard strike to Bech, with the second-year wideout turning the grab into a tumbling plunge into the end zone. It was a solid start for a rookie who is evidently going to begin the year on the bench.
Cam Ward played three series, but Tate was most active on the opening drive, playing 10-of-11 snaps (via NFL Network’s Michael F. Florio). The goose egg looks disappointing, of course, but it is utterly inconsequential. Slightly more concerning has been a hype-free start to Titans camp for the No. 4 overall pick, though he has been lauded for a few highlight plays of late. Emphasis on “a few,” we guess. It’s hard to muster too much concern, but then again, this was always likely to be a bumpy road for the Titans’ revamped offense this season. Tate is a WR3/4 with plenty of upside but “slow start” risk to match.
The No. 34 overall pick and projected starter appeared to be in a heap of pain upon going down in the third quarter. It’s a potentially brutal break for this woebegone franchise, though Friday’s testing could come back less severe than expected. If Bisontis is looking at a multi-month or season-ending absence it will likely force the Cardinals to dip into the free agent or back-end trade market.
The 49ers rested their starters but let their second-round rookie play. Stribling lined up in the slot and out wide. He looked good winning contested targets and picking up yards after the catch, and showed no ill effects from the hamstring injury he dealt with earlier this month, which was nice to see. Rookie season FLEX treatment could be in play for him.
Ward, who played three series, didn’t offer up many highlights, but he did help author a 95-yard touchdown drive on the Titans’ opening series vs. the 49ers’ backups. Learning a new offensive system as he breaks in a heavily revamped supporting cast, it’s not a surprise tonight was a “growing pains” effort even if it came against the second and third string. If Ward plays in the Titans’ second preseason game, it will be against the defending champion Seahawks.
The controversial third-round pick is battling veteran Mason Rudolph and sophomore Will Howard for backup duties behind Aaron Rodgers. All three signal callers had strong outings against the Packers’ reserves on Thursday. A former massive recruit whose Penn State career did not go as planned, Allar has youth (22) and raw physical talent on his side as he looks to develop under Mike McCarthy. There is very little chance he would be ready for prime time if forced into 2026 action.
Vidal stayed in for two drives and did not catch his only target. Tonight’s start suggests Vidal is behind RB Keaton Mitchell on the depth chart. Mitchell did not play, nor did starting RB Omarion Hampton. Vidal is a proven, capable fill-in starter, but he should only be drafted as the Chargers’ RB3 at this time.
The second-year incumbent tight end is seemingly behind the Chargers’ free agent signee veteran TEs Charlie Kolar and David Njoku. Neither Kolar nor Njoku suited up this evening. Gadsden can still be viewed as a TE2/3 in best ball formats, but his current role could be undesirable for re-draft purposes.
Love looked powerful and explosive against the Raiders tonight, at one point showing off a leaping spin move and later a hurdle. The first-round rookie running back out-snapped RB Tyler Allgeier 8-3 on the first drive with QB Jacoby Brissett. The two running backs continued rotating through the second drive, helmed by backup QB Gardner Minshew. Allgeier hung up his cleats after that, while Love played on 8-of-10 snaps on the third drive. If the first-drive snap count is any indication, Love may already have earned the clear-cut starting role in Arizona. His continued participation on the third drive clouds the picture. Hopefully we learn more next week.
Reed played 7-of-9 snaps on the first drive before calling it a night. He was in the slot for all seven snaps. Reed snagged a 19-yard pass via a post route from the slot on 3rd-and-5. He was targeted again on a corner route just outside the end zone on 3rd-and-4 from the Steelers’ 19-yar4d line, but the pass was broken up. Packers WR Matthew Golden led the first-team offense with nine snaps.
Iosivas was on the field for two drives, taking 10 of the first 13 snaps and playing alongside QB Joe Burrow. Fourth-round rookie WR Colbie Young subbed in, taking one snap on the second drive and remained on the field after the starters left. He looked good hauling in a 20-yard gain on 3rd-and-16 from QB Joe Flacco. The battle for the Bengals’ WR3 role continues with Iosivas seemingly ahead of the rookie.
The Lions’ established starters did not play. Lions WR Greg Dortch could be challenging TeSlaa’s WR3 role, although Dortch went 0-for-1 as a receiver as well. TeSlaa out-snapped him 15-7 on the first three drives. TeSlaa took two more snaps on the fourth drive, sans Dortch, which ended in a turnover. This is a position battle to keep an eye on.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the NFL must decide whether to put Arnold on the Commissioner’s Exempt List regarding his February arrest in relation to a robbery and kidnapping. Arnold reportedly has eight pending felony charges. The Lions drafted Arnold in the 2024 NFL Draft’s first round. They waived him in June. He notched four pass breakups and one interception in eight games last year.
Rodgers may not play at all, and reports indicate that he, personally, could go either way on the matter. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy plans to play quarterbacks in three groups. The first two will split first-half reps, while the third plays for the entire second half. Shortly after this report, during pre-game warmups, Pryor said that “all signs are pointing to Rodgers being on the bench tonight.”
Although a potential, albeit brief, matchup against Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is intriguing, the Packers’ wide receiver rotation is the real reason to tune in. Packers WR Christian Watson should be the team’s top target earner this season, and Love said WR Matthew Golden is set to assume X-receiver duties. Will slot WR Jayden Reed get to take snaps in two-receiver sets? That is to be determined.
According to Rapoport, the “biggest question” Kraft faces is whether he will get a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL before the season kicks off. Kraft led the team in receptions (16) and receiving yards (225) when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 9 last year. At 25 years old, he is early in his prime.
Earlier this week, McDaniel said he plans to employ a hot-hand approach at the running back position and plans to “use all three of those guys probably every game.” NFL Daily co-hosts Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue helpfully followed up on those comments, specifically regarding their fantasy football implications. McDaniel encouragingly prefaced his response by saying, “no one has to worry,” adding that benching productive players is “bad business.” If you were already bullish on one or more of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal, these comments can be taken positively. Reading between the lines, if Hampton, the starter, proves his value as the team’s RB1, he should receive a fantasy-friendly workload.
Smith, 33, retired in October 2025 as a member of the Eagles. The team released him from the reserve/retired list in June, officially making him a free agent. He is apparently hoping to continue his career. Smith played for the Browns in Weeks 1-9 during the 2024 season before being traded to the Lions.
When Garrett initially began experiencing knee soreness and swelling in late July, Rams coach Sean McVay said he expected Garrett to resume practicing by August 6th. Garrett retook the field on August 5th, but began sitting out again this week. Garrett, 30, has regularly played through injuries in his career. At this point, he has plenty of time to get right for the season opener. His participation is worth tracking, though.
Nabers reportedly sported a red, non-contact jersey as he took part in a walkthrough period that Giants coaches used to install plays. According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, Nabers caught a couple of passes while running routes against the defense today. Per Hughes, “everything points towards him being back for the start of the season.”