NFL Training Camp Report: James Pearce Jr. Suspended Eight Games + Fantasy Football Training Camp News for Every Team
July 31, 2026 · Updated August 15, 2026

Updated: August 15, 2026
This report refreshes every morning throughout training camp with the previous day's biggest fantasy football training camp news for all 32 NFL teams, collected around the clock from the nearly 300 beat writers and insiders we track across every camp in the league. Bookmark this page — the URL never changes, and we publish a new edition here before your first coffee every day of camp.
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Editions: Latest (August 16) · August 15 · August 14 · August 13 · August 12 · August 11 · August 10 · Week of Aug 3: · August 9 · August 8 · August 7 · August 6 · August 5 · August 4 · August 3 · Week of July 27: · August 2 · August 1 · July 31
Yesterday's Five Biggest Stories
1. James Pearce Jr. Was Suspended for Atlanta's First Eight Games
The NFL announced Friday afternoon that the Falcons edge rusher will miss the first eight games of the regular season for violating the personal conduct policy. Ian Rapoport had it first (@RapSheet), Adam Schefter matched it from ESPN sources (@AdamSchefter), and the team posted the decision itself (@AtlantaFalcons).
The calendar is the part worth writing down. Per the Falcons' own story on the ruling, the suspension does not take effect until August 30 — the day rosters cut to 53 — so Pearce can play the rest of the preseason and take part in every team activity until then, and he becomes eligible for reinstatement on November 2, the week Atlanta is scheduled to play Cincinnati in Madrid. The same story notes he led the Falcons with 10.5 sacks as a rookie, the most by a rookie since Micah Parsons had 13 in 2021, after Atlanta traded back into the first round to draft him 26th overall.
It is the second first-round pick from that class Atlanta loses this month. Underdog laid the pair side by side: Jalon Walker tore his ACL on August 4, Pearce was suspended on August 14 (@UnderdogNFL). Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski's response, relayed by Tori McElhaney, was that the staff trusts it has the guys to step up (@tori_mcelhaney).
The fantasy read: an eight-game hole in a pass rush is an opponent-side input, not a roster-side one. Half a season of a diminished Atlanta rush is a small, steady tailwind for the quarterbacks and pass-catchers who face the Falcons in September and October, and we would rather log it in August than rediscover it in a Week 5 matchup screen.
2. Washington's Rookie Running Backs Owned the Night Jayden Daniels Sat
Daniels did not play in the preseason opener. Underdog carried it from Nicki Jhabvala (@UnderdogNFL), and Jhabvala's pregame photo of the veterans working out on the field was the tell that none of them were dressing (@NickiJhabvala). Marcus Mariota started at quarterback (@Commanders), with Athan Kaliakmanis in behind him (@Commanders).
What filled the vacuum was a backfield audition. Kaytron Allen carried 23 times for 85 yards and a touchdown (@UnderdogNFL); Robert Henry Jr. went for 57 yards and a touchdown on six carries (@UnderdogNFL), and the team marked a rookie's first NFL game and first NFL touchdown on the same night (@Commanders). John Keim's read afterward was that a strong night from the rookie backs turns Washington's running back competition into a live one (@john_keim).
Twenty-three carries is the number we keep. Volume that size in a preseason opener is a staff telling a player to show them everything he has, and it is the cleanest usage signal Washington has produced all camp.
3. The Texans Believe Graham Mertz Tore His ACL
Schefter reported that Houston believes its quarterback tore the ACL in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Chargers, with additional testing expected to confirm it (@AdamSchefter). Aaron Wilson, who covers the team, flagged injury and personnel fallout from the same game as his Friday subject (@AaronWilson_NFL).
Nothing beyond the belief and the pending test is on the wire yet, so that is where we leave it. A confirmed tear would move Houston's quarterback depth behind the starter down a rung and put a roster spot into play before the August 30 cutdown.
4. Jordyn Tyson's Hamstring Could Linger Into Week 1
Kellen Moore confirmed the rookie receiver has a right hamstring issue and will miss time (@AdamSchefter). Per Katherine Terrell's ESPN story, Moore declined to put a timetable on it and, asked directly about the regular season, allowed that it "could" reach into Week 1; the plan waits on the specialists. Mike Garafolo added that Tyson is seeking multiple opinions, which is why no return date exists yet (@MikeGarafolo).
Nick Underhill tracked the tone changing in real time — from a receiver who jogged off the field and probably was not badly hurt, to a team gathering information (@nick_underhill) — and made the seasonal point that a hamstring on this date threatens the start of the year (@nick_underhill). Ross Jackson's counterweight: New Orleans spent the offseason stockpiling pass-catchers, so nobody has to rush him back (@RossJacksonNOLA).
That combination — no timetable, multiple opinions, a roster that can absorb the absence — is the profile of a player whose August draft cost stops matching his September role.
5. Keeanu Benton Got Four Years and $72 Million in Pittsburgh
Rapoport reported the extension late Friday night: four years, $72 million, $18 million per year, which makes the defensive tackle the highest-paid defensive lineman in Steelers history, negotiated by agent Joe DiBenedetto (@RapSheet). Benton is 25 and coming off 5.5 sacks from the interior with 51 tackles (@RapSheet).
The pattern around it matters more than the number. Rapoport noted Benton joins Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington and Chris Boswell among Pittsburgh starters who have already cashed in (@RapSheet). A team paying its own in August is a team betting on continuity, and Pittsburgh has now locked in pieces on both sides of the ball before a snap counts. That is the quiet input behind every game total involving the Steelers this fall.
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Team-by-Team Camp Notes
Arizona Cardinals
- Second-round guard Chase Bisontis tore his MCL against the Raiders and needs surgery. Rapoport and Garafolo reported only the MCL will be repaired, and that Bisontis is out most — potentially all — of the season (@RapSheet).
- Garafolo's earlier account of the play: a player fell into Bisontis' knee, and Mike LaFleur indicated postgame that it was going to be long-term (@MikeGarafolo).
Atlanta Falcons
- Pearce's eight-game suspension leads the report above, and Atlanta's preseason opener against Denver gave the beat nothing to soften it with.
- Tua Tagovailoa's night: 3-of-5 for 22 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, with Kyle Pitts targeted on four of the five attempts (@UnderdogNFL). The Falcons posted his pregame reps (@AtlantaFalcons); Marc Raimondi noted he fumbled the snap on the second play (@marcraimondi).
- Atlanta's first five drives, per Underdog: punt, punt, interception, punt, pick-six (@UnderdogNFL). Raimondi had the crowd booing at the half (@marcraimondi), and Kevin Knight's verdict was that the offense is nowhere near ready (@FalcoholicKevin). Sean Payton's halftime line, via Troy Renck: "A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today." (@RapSheet, @UnderdogNFL)
- Rookie quarterback Jack Strand was in line to play Friday night. Daniel Flick's AJC feature traces the Division II path behind him — one scholarship offer, a double-wing high school offense, and a plan to head for graduate school and a NASA career before football intervened (@ByDanielFlick).
Baltimore Ravens
- Linebacker Teddye Buchanan passed his physical and came off the PUP list; tackle Kendall Lamm went to the Reserve/Retired list (@Ravens).
- The team's story on the activation fills in the ramp: Buchanan tore his ACL on December 14, Eric DeCosta called his work one of the "top 1% of rehabs" he has seen in 30 years, and Baltimore travels to Minnesota next week for a pair of joint practices with the Vikings before its second preseason game. He took over the starting job next to Roquan Smith early last season and finished third on the team with 93 tackles.
- Jeff Zrebiec noted the roster consequence: with Buchanan activated, the Ravens have nobody left on PUP, and he begins his ramp-up with the opener four weeks out (@jeffzrebiec).
Buffalo Bills
- Defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis was suspended three games for violating the NFL's substances of abuse policy (@AdamSchefter).
- Buffalo is one of the teams that checked on Vita Vea's availability in Tampa, alongside Chicago and San Francisco (@MikeGarafolo).
- The Bills open the preseason at home against Carolina; the team's tune-in page has the 1 p.m. kickoff at Highmark Stadium and the broadcast crews (@BuffaloBills).
Carolina Panthers
- Carolina's only wire item was its own how-to-watch post for the preseason opener in Buffalo (@Panthers). Nothing on reps, roles or the depth chart came out of Charlotte on Friday.
Chicago Bears
- Most Bears starters, Caleb Williams included, sit for the preseason opener against Cleveland. Larry Mayer's six-player watch list is where the reps go instead (@LarryMayer): per his piece at chicagobears.com, Tyson Bagent has attempted six passes in two years as the backup; undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker gets expanded work with Luther Burden III hurt; Salvon Ahmed is chasing the third running back job behind D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai; and fourth-rounders Malik Muhammad II (nickel) and Ruben Hyppolite II are auditioning with starters out.
- Chicago checked in with the Buccaneers about a Vita Vea trade, per Garafolo (@jacobinfante24, @MikeGarafolo).
- Brad Biggs' mailbag took the temperature on the camp injuries and the third running back spot, and his summary was that the sky is not falling (@BradBiggs).
Cincinnati Bengals
- Joe Burrow was sacked and hit in the preseason opener while the starters were in. Kelsey Conway carried Ted Karras' assessment of the offensive line's work in those series (@KelseyLConway).
Cleveland Browns
- The quarterback plan for the opener in Chicago, per Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi): Todd Monken has said Deshaun Watson plays the first half and possibly into the third quarter, with Shedeur Sanders taking the third. Grossi's piece at The Land On Demand adds that Monken has changed his mind before, and that rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston making their debuts may be the most interesting thing on the field beyond the quarterbacks. Full breakdown in the spotlight below.
Dallas Cowboys
- Cornerback Shavon Revel picked off Dak Prescott in practice, and Jon Machota's framing was that Revel has been having a great camp throughout (@jonmachota).
- Rookie defensive back Caleb Downs is in line for playing time in the preseason game, per Machota (@jonmachota).
- Dallas broke camp in Oxnard and flew to Seattle (@dallascowboys); Patrik Walker's note was that the camp battles now have to travel (@VoiceOfTheStar).
Denver Broncos
- No Denver beat reporting cleared the wire on Friday, so what we have is the team's own feed from Atlanta — and it was almost entirely defensive. Jahdae Barron returned an interception for a touchdown (@Broncos), a second interception followed (@Broncos), and another takeaway turned into a score (@Broncos).
- Courtland Sutton's one-handed grab was the offensive highlight the club chose to lead with (@Broncos, @UnderdogNFL), and Adam Prentice scored Denver's first touchdown of the year (@Broncos).
- The fantasy read here points at the opponent rather than at Denver. Two of Atlanta's first five drives ended in interceptions, one of them returned for a touchdown (@UnderdogNFL), and a passing game giving the ball away that often in its opener is the side of this matchup our projections move on.
Detroit Lions
Quiet day in Lions camp — nothing notable to report.
Green Bay Packers
Quiet day in Packers camp — nothing notable to report.
Houston Texans
- Graham Mertz is believed to have torn his ACL against the Chargers, with confirmatory testing still to come (see the top five) (@AdamSchefter).
- Aaron Wilson's Friday review of the game centered on the injury and personnel fallout (@AaronWilson_NFL).
Indianapolis Colts
- Anthony Richardson Sr. is the Colts story out of the preseason opener at New England. Stephen Holder went back to the tape and found a quarterback who started shaky and heated up considerably, which he called a good showing given a year in which Richardson lost the quarterback battle and nearly lost an eye (@HolderStephen).
- James Boyd's read was the same direction: one preseason game, but Richardson helped himself (@RomeovilleKid).
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quiet day in Jaguars camp — nothing notable to report.
Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City's camp produced no reporting on reps or roles on Friday. The team's own countdown put the preseason opener a day out and pinned its regular-season start to September 14 (@Chiefs, @Chiefs).
- One roster footnote with a Kansas City thread: linebacker Brandon George, an undrafted Chiefs rookie last year who spent the season on injured reserve, signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia (@ASaunders_PGH).
Las Vegas Raiders
- Klint Kubiak's verdict on the preseason debut of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza was that he sees an ascending player (@AdamSchefter, @RapSheet). Per Ryan McFadden's ESPN story, the line was 10-of-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown across four drives, with stretches that looked like a rookie adjusting to NFL speed and stretches that looked like the reason Las Vegas drafted him.
- Mendoza graded himself harder than his coach did. Sam Warren reported he was stern about his own performance and measured it against Kirk Cousins' play (@samwarren83), and told reporters the game was the first he had ever driven himself to (@UnderdogNFL).
Los Angeles Chargers
- Nothing on Chargers reps or roles surfaced Friday. The team's feed carried highlights from Thursday's opener against Houston (@chargers), the game in which the Texans believe Graham Mertz tore his ACL.
Los Angeles Rams
- Kam Kinchens is the name the Rams secondary keeps volunteering. Nate Atkins reported his teammates answered with "breakout player this year" and "All-Pro," and framed him as the young starter in that group who is not yet on a major deal (@NateAtkins_).
- The Rams and Seahawks will be the first teams to play in the league's Rivalries uniforms (@Seahawks).
Miami Dolphins
- Malik Willis opened his first game as Miami's starter with a 14-play, 93-yard touchdown drive that took 7:06 off the clock. Marcel Louis-Jacques logged it as about as close to a perfect drive as the starting offense could produce, with Willis 4-of-5 for 43 yards and De'Von Achane taking seven carries for 39 yards and the score (@Marcel_LJ); Joe Schad added the two rushes and the arm strength to the ledger (@schadjoe).
- Rookie receiver Caleb Douglas is the one to file. He caught the connection Miami led its highlight feed with on that opening drive (@MiamiDolphins), including a one-handed grab that Schefter passed along (@AdamSchefter, @UnderdogNFL). Per Louis-Jacques' ESPN story, Douglas is listed among the starting receivers on Miami's first unofficial depth chart alongside Jalen Tolbert and Malik Washington, has worked primarily with Willis and become his most reliable target, and got there on consistency — Jeff Hafley's line was "He's probably been one of our most consistent guys." The story is explicit that the job is provisional and has to be held through three preseason games.
- David Furones confirmed the personnel before kickoff: Achane, Douglas, Tolbert, Washington and first-team tight end Greg Dulcich all dressed (@DavidFurones_).
Minnesota Vikings
- The only Vikings item on the wire was Matthew Coller's podcast with ESPN's Kevin Seifert, working through the team's open questions — how the quarterback competition was handled, the ceiling on offense, J.J. McCarthy's future and whether the defense has quietly gotten young and interesting (@MatthewColler). No practice or rep reporting came out of Eagan.
New England Patriots
- The third running back job is now a two-man race. Per Evan Lazar's takeaways at patriots.com, with Terrell Jennings on season-ending injured reserve, seventh-rounder Jam Miller led the team with 14 carries for 55 yards while Lan Larison played 40 snaps, caught six passes for 38 yards and handled kickoff returns — Miller the early-down back, Larison the receiving one (@ezlazar).
- Second-year receiver Kyle Williams turned 25 snaps into two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on a 12-yard fade, and Lazar's separate note was simply that Williams was balling in the second quarter (@ezlazar).
- Rookie snap counts from the same piece: first-round tackle Caleb Lomu played 39 first-half snaps at right tackle and allowed one pressure; third-round tight end Eli Raridon logged 35 snaps; kicker Andy Borregales went 2-for-5 with a make from 52 and misses from 56, 55 and 49 while working with fill-in long snapper Niko Lalos. Lazar followed with a 25-player film review (@ezlazar).
New Orleans Saints
- Jordyn Tyson's hamstring is the story and it leads the report above (@AdamSchefter, @nick_underhill).
- Underhill and Mike Triplett previewed the roster races going into the opener against Jacksonville — how much the joint practice should count, which bubble players have a real shot, and whether Spencer Rattler pushes the ball downfield (@nick_underhill).
New York Giants
- Dan Duggan set the bar for Odell Beckham Jr.'s roster case: being the sixth-best receiver is not enough, because there are no offensive snaps for a WR6 — at that point a team is paying for special teams. Beckham has to climb to WR3 or WR4 to command a spot (@DDuggan21).
- Duggan's related point going into the opener is that the bubble players, not the starters, have the most on the line (@DDuggan21).
New York Jets
- Geno Smith did not play against Tampa Bay because of foot soreness — nothing the team is concerned about, and he would have played in a regular-season game, per Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo). Rich Cimini's story later that night described him as day to day with an ankle injury (@RichCimini); the two reports have not been reconciled.
- That handed fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik a start with the rest of the first-team offense (@MikeGarafolo). Zack Rosenblatt's point was that real reps with the starting line and the starting weapons are not nothing for a rookie who has barely had them this summer (@ZackBlatt). Cimini's postgame: poise across two series, a field goal and a touchdown from the starting offense — against Tampa's backups — and Cimini's word for the rookie was "moxie," though he would still go find an experienced backup (@RichCimini, @RichCimini).
- The receiver order shifted. Cimini reported first-round pick Omar Cooper Jr. working with the second-team offense, confirming what camp had shown: Isaiah Williams has leapfrogged him as the WR3 after a terrific summer (@RichCimini).
- Braelon Allen ripped off a 31-yard touchdown run (@UnderdogNFL), and David Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick, finished with eight snaps, a tackle and a pressure (@RichCimini). Garrett Wilson's warmup one-hander and an in-game grab were the highlight reel (@UnderdogNFL, @UnderdogNFL).
Philadelphia Eagles
- Dave Zangaro refreshed the position battles before the opener (@DZangaroNBCS). His update at NBC Sports Philadelphia has Marcus Epps taking the most first-team safety reps through 11 practices over Michael Carter II, with Vic Fangio calling it "a good competition between Marcus and Mike."
- At receiver, Zangaro has Dontayvion Wicks ahead on rapport with Jalen Hurts and out-breaking routes, with first-round rookie Makai Lemon having missed seven straight practices with a hamstring and Darius Cooper the best of the active group. Tanner McKee has closed the gap on Andy Dalton for the backup quarterback job, Drew Kendall is the top interior backup up front, and Jalyx Hunt has outplayed Nolan Smith for the second edge spot.
- Philadelphia signed linebacker Brandon George to a one-year deal (@ASaunders_PGH), and Jeff McLane flagged Jeff Neiburg's piece on Andrew Mukuba, whose return matters to the safety room after injury cut his rookie season short (@Jeff_McLane).
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Keeanu Benton's four-year, $72 million extension is covered in the top five (@RapSheet).
- The team spent Friday on Drew Allar's debut, marking the rookie quarterback's night and his postgame celebration (@steelers, @steelers). Mike McCarthy's assessment, relayed via The Pat McAfee Show: the Steelers felt they were getting a first-round pick when they drafted Allar, and everything since has held true (@UnderdogNFL). PFF graded the debut at 80.5 (@PFF).
San Francisco 49ers
- San Francisco is among the teams that inquired on Vita Vea (@MikeGarafolo, @UnderdogNFL).
- The club's own breakdown of De'Zhaun Stribling's preseason debut was the only receiver material out of Santa Clara (@49ers).
- The 49ers lost 19-13 to Tennessee on Thursday, and the Titans' recap credits San Francisco's backups with an 11-play, 68-yard drive against mostly starting Tennessee defenders (@jwyattsports).
Seattle Seahawks
- Gregg Bell's notes from the 17th practice: Sam Darnold comfortable and in complete command, Jadarian Price and Derick Hall both missing, Devon Witherspoon matched against Cooper Kupp, Elijah Arroyo rising — and running back depth thin heading into the preseason opener (@gbellseattle). That last one is the fantasy-relevant line: a thin room means the backs who are healthy get the carries.
- Darnold landed at No. 21 on the NFL Top 100 (@Seahawks), and Seattle hosts Dallas at Lumen Field (@Seahawks).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Emeka Egbuka underwent further testing with a specialist, which confirmed a sprain that is stable; Rick Stroud reported the Buccaneers are very optimistic he will be ready for Week 1 (@NFLSTROUD).
- Tampa Bay is not trading Vita Vea. Garafolo reported the team remains steadfast despite inquiries from Buffalo, Chicago and San Francisco, and has kept communication open on a new deal (@MikeGarafolo). Vea signed autographs after the game next to fan signs asking the club to pay him and Baker Mayfield (@MikeGarafolo).
- The Buccaneers beat the Jets 24-16 (@RichCimini, @Buccaneers).
Tennessee Titans
- Rookie guard Fernando Carmona Jr. started at right guard ahead of veteran Cordell Volson in the 19-13 win over San Francisco, continuing a competition in which he had also worked with the starters earlier in the week — per Jim Wyatt's recap at titansonline.com (@jwyattsports).
- From the same piece: Cam Ward went 5-of-12 for 57 yards with a touchdown on an 11-play, 95-yard opening drive, hitting Calvin Ridley for 18, Gunnar Helm for 16 and Wan'Dale Robinson for 19, and said afterward the passing game has things to clean up. Tyjae Spears took three carries for 36 yards including a 25-yard run. Carnell Tate drew three targets and caught none. Joey Slye made all four field goals from 39, 53, 55 and 58 yards.
- Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson was suspended six games for violating the policy on performance-enhancing substances (@AdamSchefter).
Washington Commanders
- The rookie backfield night leads the report above — Kaytron Allen's 23 carries and Robert Henry Jr.'s 57 yards on six (@UnderdogNFL, @UnderdogNFL).
- JP Finlay's comparison of the two looks at Miami is the note for the defense: Washington's starters had clamped the Dolphins in the joint practice, and the group on the field Friday night did not have the same early success against Miami's ones (@JPFinlayNBCS).
- Defensive end Dorance Armstrong was suspended one game for violating the personal conduct policy; he is coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 7 last season (@AdamSchefter).
- Stefon Diggs arrived at the stadium (@NickiJhabvala), Washington took the ball away repeatedly (@Commanders, @Commanders), and Jhabvala found the shirt of the night on a fan who had punter Tress Way's NFC Championship passing yards beating Dak Prescott's (@NickiJhabvala, @UnderdogNFL).
Camp Battles Tracker
Where the NFL camp battles stood after Friday's games and the last practices before them, with the receipts.
| Battle | Team | Latest | Fantasy stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting QB | Browns | Monken's plan: Watson the first half, maybe into the third quarter; Sanders the third (@TonyGrossi) | Target quality for rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston |
| WR3 | Jets | Isaiah Williams has leapfrogged first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr., who worked with the twos (@RichCimini) | Who gets the third look in New York |
| QB2 | Jets | Klubnik started with the ones and Cimini still wants a veteran behind Geno Smith (@RichCimini) | Insurance behind a quarterback with a foot issue |
| RB rotation | Commanders | Kaytron Allen 23-85-1, Robert Henry Jr. 6-57-1; Keim says the competition heats up (@john_keim) | Where the early-down work goes behind the top of the room |
| WR2 | Eagles | Wicks ahead on Hurts rapport; Makai Lemon has missed seven straight practices (@DZangaroNBCS) | The snap share opposite DeVonta Smith |
| QB2 | Eagles | McKee has closed the gap on Dalton over the last week (@DZangaroNBCS) | The fallback if Hurts misses time |
| RB3 | Patriots | Jam Miller 14 carries, 55 yards; Larison 40 snaps, six catches (@ezlazar) | Two different profiles for one roster spot |
| RB3 | Bears | Salvon Ahmed chasing the job behind Swift and Monangai after an injury (@LarryMayer) | Handcuff order in Chicago |
| Starting WR | Dolphins | Caleb Douglas dressed among the starting receivers and caught the opening drive's big play (@DavidFurones_) | Volume in the Malik Willis offense |
| Right guard | Titans | Rookie Fernando Carmona Jr. started over Cordell Volson (@jwyattsports) | Interior blocking in front of Tyjae Spears |
| Roster spot, WR | Giants | Duggan: Beckham has to reach WR3/WR4 to justify a spot (@DDuggan21) | Whether a familiar name occupies real snaps |
Cleveland Browns Quarterback Battle: How to Read the Reps
Cleveland's quarterback competition is the loudest one left in the league, and today it moves from practice reports to game tape. Tony Grossi's preview is one line and a link (@TonyGrossi); the plan is inside his piece at The Land On Demand.
The script, per Grossi: Todd Monken has said Deshaun Watson plays the first half and possibly into the third quarter, with Shedeur Sanders taking the third quarter. Grossi's own caveat is the important half of that sentence — Monken has changed his mind several times already, and there is a feeling that if Watson strings together a couple of decent series he gets pulled early, because Monken likes to end on a positive note. Sanders' supporters would then get extra possessions. So the snap split is a plan, not a promise.
Here is why the box score coming out of Soldier Field will be a poor scoreboard for this race. The Browns are expected to play far more regulars than Chicago is: Grossi notes the Bears are not planning to play nearly as many starters, which means neither Cleveland quarterback faces the defense that led the NFL with 33 takeaways while winning the NFC North at 11-6. Larry Mayer's watch list from the Chicago side confirms it — Caleb Williams and most of the starters sit, and the Bears' own list of players to watch is built from backups and rookies (@LarryMayer).
What we are watching: not the completion percentage. Two quarterbacks splitting halves against a backup defense produce numbers that cannot be compared to anything, because they will not have faced the same personnel, the same protection or the same script. The evidence in this game is the order and the timing, and both are visible without a box score.
The reads that survive that caveat are the ones about sequence and personnel rather than production. Which quarterback opens. Whether Watson's series end because the drives ended or because the staff decided they had seen enough. Whether Sanders inherits the same offensive line and the same skill group, or a shift toward third-string protection at the same time his snaps begin. And who catches the ball: Grossi's read is that the debuts of rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston may be the most interesting thing on the field beyond the two quarterbacks, which makes their usage the second thread worth tracking.
For fantasy purposes, the takeaway is that this competition will not be settled today no matter what the stat lines say, and our projections keep both Cleveland pass-catcher tiers wide until the reps stop moving. A quarterback room that is still splitting halves in mid-August is a room where the receiving volume is unforecastable, and that is a reason to let somebody else pay the draft-day price to find out. The rest of the position sits on our fantasy QB1 board.
Injury Watch
- Graham Mertz, QB, Texans (knee): Houston believes he tore his ACL in Thursday's opener against the Chargers; additional testing is expected to confirm (@AdamSchefter).
- Jordyn Tyson, WR, Saints (right hamstring): Will miss time, per Kellen Moore. No timetable, multiple opinions being sought, and per ESPN's story Moore allowed it "could" reach Week 1 (@AdamSchefter, @MikeGarafolo).
- Chase Bisontis, G, Cardinals (MCL): Torn against the Raiders and requiring surgery; out most or potentially all of the season (@RapSheet, @MikeGarafolo).
- Geno Smith, QB, Jets (foot/ankle): Held out against Tampa Bay with foot soreness the team is not concerned about (@MikeGarafolo); Cimini's later story has him day to day with an ankle injury (@RichCimini).
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers: A specialist confirmed a stable sprain, and Tampa Bay is very optimistic about Week 1 (@NFLSTROUD).
- Teddye Buchanan, LB, Ravens (knee): Passed his physical and came off PUP eight months after a torn ACL; Baltimore has nobody left on the list (@Ravens, @jeffzrebiec).
- Christian Gonzalez, CB, Patriots: Unavailable for the preseason opener, along with Christian Elliss, Brenden Schooler, Harold Landry and Christian Barmore, per Evan Lazar's takeaways (@ezlazar).
- Makai Lemon, WR, Eagles (hamstring): Has missed seven consecutive practices, per Zangaro's battle update (@DZangaroNBCS).
- Luther Burden III, WR, Bears: Out, which opens up receiver work for undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker in the opener (@LarryMayer).
- Jadarian Price and Derick Hall, Seahawks: Both missed the 17th camp practice, with Seattle's running back depth already thin for the preseason opener (@gbellseattle).
- Kendall Lamm, T, Ravens: Placed on the Reserve/Retired list (@Ravens).
- Suspensions affecting availability: James Pearce Jr., DE, Falcons — eight games, effective August 30, eligible to return November 2 (@RapSheet). Nazeeh Johnson, CB, Titans — six games, performance-enhancing substances (@AdamSchefter). Phidarian Mathis, DT, Bills — three games, substances of abuse (@AdamSchefter). Dorance Armstrong, DE, Commanders — one game, personal conduct (@AdamSchefter).
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