Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage will miss the 2023 season after suffering a serious knee injury at practice Wednesday, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.The 27-year-old couldn't put any weight on his leg and was in tears as he was carted off the field, according to Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report.Gage signed a three-year, $30-million deal with Tampa Bay prior to last season. He'd spent the previous four years with the Atlanta Falcons.The LSU product was stretchered off the field in the Buccaneers' wild-card game last season after a hit to the neck from Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson. He was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a concussion and neck injury.The injury leaves Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Deven Thompkins, and rookie Trey Palmer as the other receivers on Tampa Bay's depth chart.Gage was a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has 244 catches for 2,491 receiving yards in 74 career games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is returning to practice Wednesday for the team's joint session with the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Josh McDaniels announced.McDaniels said Adams is "ready to roll" and added that the All-Pro pass-catcher is 100% healthy, according to Logan Reever of 8 News Now.Adams has been sidelined since leaving practice early on Aug. 11 with an undisclosed injury. The 30-year-old battled a lower leg ailment, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.Adams has led the NFL in touchdown catches in two of the last three seasons. He racked up 100 receptions, 1,516 yards, and 14 touchdowns in his first year with the Raiders in 2022 after joining the team in a trade from the Green Bay Packers.Las Vegas also received good news on the defensive side of the ball Wednesday, activating first-round defensive end Tyree Wilson off the non-football injury list. Wilson, whom the Raiders drafted seventh overall in April, suffered a season-ending foot injury in his final college season at Texas Tech.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey will undergo foot surgery Wednesday to repair a lingering issue, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed. Harbaugh added that Humphrey's recovery will not be a "long-term deal."The 27-year-old is expected to miss the first two regular-season games, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.Baltimore is already thin at cornerback, as Rock Ya-Sin and Jalyn Armour-Davis sat out practices due to injuries. However, Harbaugh recently said both should return soon.Humphrey has been with the Ravens since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The three-time Pro Bowler has 347 tackles and 12 interceptions in 90 career games.The Ravens open their season against the Houston Texans before traveling to Cincinnati to play the Bengals in Week 2.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio said the Philadelphia Eagles took some "cheap shots" on both sides of the ball during their joint practice Tuesday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.Bitonio specifically mentioned a play in which Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat knocked the ball out of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's hand. Quarterbacks are not to be touched by defenders at practice."I mean, it's just in our practice, you protect the quarterback," Bitonio said. "You don't want to come close to the quarterback, you don't want to take cheap shots, things like that where there might've been a couple of questionable plays both ways today."Watson is entering his second year with the Browns, who acquired him in a trade from the Houston Texans in March 2022. The 27-year-old missed the first 11 games of the 2022 season after being suspended for violating the league's personal conduct policy following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. Watson completed 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns against five interceptions in six games last year.Things also got chippy at practice after Eagles rookie Sydney Brown ran over Browns running back Demetric Felton during a teammate's interception return, according to Cabot. A scuffle reportedly ensued after the play.However, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said Wednesday that he doesn't remember the Eagles taking any cheap shots."I didn't see cheap shots myself," Garrett said, according to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. "Not saying that they didn't happen, I didn't see any. They have a lot of vets that will help them continue to practice the right way and have good habits. We'll do the same."Philadelphia and Cleveland will play a preseason game Thursday.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson praised wide receiver Odell Beckham's athleticism and said the two are on the same page heading into the season."I feel like our chemistry, it's there," Jackson said after Tuesday's practice, according to team reporter Clifton Brown. "And he's a lot faster than people give him credit for. A lot faster."Beckham signed a one-year, $15-million contract with the Ravens this offseason, adding much-needed depth to the team's receiver room. Baltimore didn't have a wideout eclipse 460 receiving yards last season.The 30-year-old didn't play last year as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in Super Bowl LVI. Beckham had two catches for 52 yards and one touchdown before exiting the NFL championship contest.Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said Tuesday that Beckham is getting the best of him at camp and relayed Jackon's message about their chemistry together."He's done some kind of bad stuff to me, actually, so that's a good thing - that there's more in the tank," Humprey said. "I think that connection's going to be sweet. I'm really excited for those two guys to make some big things happen."Humphrey added he expects the Ravens to have two 1,000-yard receivers this season. Rashod Bateman, rookie Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, and Devin Duvernay round out Baltimore's wide receiver depth chart.Beckham was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The LSU product has 531 catches for 7,367 receiving yards in 96 career games.Baltimore kicks off its season on Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard emphasized that running back Jonathan Taylor's health has been the roadblock in his return to the field."Look, I think the world of Jonathan," Ballard said Tuesday on Sirius XM NFL radio, according to Mike Chappell of CBS4. "He's been a great Colt, a great player for the Colts. Unfortunately, last year he got hurt early in the season, was dinged up all year, fought through it until he finally got to the point where he had to have this surgery."Now, he's finishing his rehab process. Hopefully, as we move forward here, we'll get him back. But we need to get him 100% healthy before we do anything."Head coach Shane Steichen also said Tuesday that Taylor is rehabbing but wouldn't get into specifics, per Chappell.The 24-year-old reportedly returned to the club Monday after rehabbing his ankle injury away from the squad. The Colts placed Taylor on the PUP list at the start of camp, and he'll need clearance from team doctors before returning to practice.Taylor reportedly requested a trade from Indianapolis in July after meeting with owner Jim Irsay over his contract. Taylor is set to enter the season on the final year of his rookie deal. But Irsay said the team doesn't plan to trade the disgruntled running back and that there are no immediate plans to sign him to an extension.The 2021 rushing champion has recorded 3,841 yards on 756 carries in 43 career games.The Colts open their season on Sept. 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on Spotify, Apple, Google, and Stitcher.In this episode, Tera Victoria of FantasyPros joins Boone to discuss their favorite players to select in each round of this year's fantasy drafts.

The Indianapolis Colts announced Tuesday that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will start Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.The Colts drafted Richardson fourth overall in April as the third passer off the board after Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers) and C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans). Richardson beat out Gardner Minshew for Indy's starting job. Minshew joined the team this offseason after backing up Jalen Hurts on the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022."I'm all-in with what we got going," Minshew said Tuesday, according to Kevin Bowen of 1075 The Fan. "I can't stress enough, I'm really excited about Anthony. I think he's going to be really special."With Richardson taking over in 2023, Indy will have its eighth different Week 1 quarterback in as many seasons, according to ESPN's Ed Werder."Honestly, I was shocked," Richardson said about being named the starter so soon, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "I've been grinding, putting in the work to get the title, but it's not really all about the title. I'm just trying to make sure I'm ready for the team. Despite being labeled as QB1, I've still got other guys in the room helping me to get to that standard. I'm forever thankful for them. I appreciate them and I'm glad I did get the nod and have the trust of everybody in the building."The Florida product, who started one season with the Gators before turning pro, was considered one of the most promising and gifted quarterbacks in his draft class due to his arm strength and athletic ability."I like the progress he's made," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said, according to Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle. "Excited about his future and his playmaking ability that he brings to this football team."Indianapolis has been searching for stability at quarterback since Andrew Luck surprisingly retired prior to the 2019 season. The Colts, who haven't won any playoff games in the last four years, employed multiple veteran signal-callers in recent seasons, including Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan.With Richardson and first-year coach Steichen, Indy is kicking off a new era. The team hired Steichen, who was the Eagles' offensive coordinator from 2021-22, after going 4-12-1 in 2022.The new-look Colts hope to end the franchise's long losing streak in season openers, as Indianapolis hasn't won a Week 1 matchup since 2013.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest.Follow the links below to see his 2023 rankings.Half PPR

New York Jets tailback Michael Carter is stunned by his team's talent at the running back position ahead of the upcoming season."It's nuts, I can't believe I'm in a room like this," Carter said Tuesday, a day after New York signed four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook.In addition to signing Cook, New York activated Breece Hall off the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday, welcoming back to practice a second-year running back who put on a show as a rookie in 2022 before a torn ACL ended his campaign prematurely."The room that we have right now, it's nuts," added Carter, who led the team with 114 rushing attempts in 2022. "You can't get this done on Madden."Carter is expected to enter the 2023 campaign as New York's No. 3 running back behind Cook and Hall. The Jets plan to limit Hall's workload early in the season and lean on Cook as the primary rusher, a source told ESPN's Rich Cimini."We just added a great guy to the room," Hall said Tuesday of the Cook signing. "It's going to be good for competition and it's going to bring the best out of everybody."The team's running back depth chart still features Zonovan Knight and fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda, among others."There's only one football," Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said, according to Cimini. "You always want everybody to want the ball at all times, and I think we have a lot of people that want the ball and deserve the ball."With four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and 52 scrimmage touchdowns under his belt, Cook is easily the most accomplished running back on New York's roster. The 28-year-old spent his first six NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, rushing for 5,993 yards (4.7 per carry) in 73 games.Meanwhile, Hall stood out in the first half of the 2022 season before going down with a knee injury. The former second-round pick - who led the Jets with 463 yards on the ground despite appearing in only seven games - finished his rookie year with 681 scrimmage yards and five total touchdowns in just 99 touches.The Jets head into the 2023 season with sky-high expectations after acquiring quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a trade from the Green Bay Packers during the offseason.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It took some time, but two of the best running backs over the last half-decade have found homes for the 2023 season. Ezekiel Elliott signed with the Patriots, and Dalvin Cook signed with the Jets.Two playoff contenders in the gauntlet that is the AFC East bolstered their running back rooms - and they're hoping their offense, too. But how much do Elliott and Cook really have left in the tank? And what do the betting markets expect their production to look like?Elliott signed a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $6 million, while Cook inked a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $8.6 million, meaning there was a greater market for Cook than Elliott.Over/under total touchdowns and rushing yardsPlayerTDRushing yardsEzekiel Elliott4.5400.5Dalvin Cook5.5650.5No one expects Elliott or Cook to earn the rushing crown this season. Both running backs are at the backend of their careers. Yes, they're both just 28 years old, but the shelf life for a running back is much shorter than most positions.It's rare for a running back to play - or at least be productive - into their 30s, especially considering Elliott's and Cook's career workloads. Elliott is entering Year 8 in the NFL, and Cook is beginning Year 7.In the classic film "Moneyball," Billy Beane tells David Justice, "I'm not paying you for the player you used to be. I'm paying you for the player you are now."Neither team signed these guys to be the running backs they were. Both organizations want to maximize whatever the rushers have left in their accomplished careers. And both guys were brought in to provide relief rather than be asked to carry a huge load.Let's start with Elliott and the Patriots. New England had the ninth-worst rushing attack last season. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for over 1,000 yards on 210 carries as a second-year lead back.Stevenson is still expected to be the starting running back this season. Elliott might be the backup on the depth chart, but he'll still get ample opportunities. At this stage in his career, he doesn't have the burst to consistently be part of first- and second-down situations. Stevenson also caught 69 passes last year, so adding Elliott can create more pass-catching opportunities for Stevenson in two-RB sets, also known as 21 personnel.Elliott became used to this role when he split carries with Tony Pollard last season. Elliott still got more touches than Pollard last year, but he averaged 3.8 yards per carry compared to Pollard's 5.2, which is why the Cowboys cut ties with Elliott.Elliott should increase his efficiency despite decreasing his carries. With a rushing yardage line of 400.5, the market suggests Elliott's usage and productivity are heading south with the Patriots. The fewest yards Elliott has rushed for in a season was 876 last season.Elliott has never scored fewer than six rushing touchdowns. In a rough 2022, Elliott found the end zone 12 times. Even if Elliott's responsibilities are cut in half, it'd be wise to use him in goal-line situations. Four touchdowns seems low.Cook has more to offer than Elliott. Although the Vikings didn't need his services anymore, he had many suitors. Like the Patriots, New York ranked toward the bottom of the league in rushing yards last year.That was largely due to starting rookie back Breece Hall's season-ending ACL injury in Week 7. Hall was on pace to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards and become one of the premier backs in the NFL.On Tuesday, Hall was removed from the physically unable to perform list, meaning he returned to practice in a limited capacity.Hall may be active by Week 1, but he won't be ready to resume his role as a full-time back, which is why the Jets brought in Cook. Cook showed he still has gas left in the tank, rushing for 1,173 yards on 264 carries in 2022, the second most in his career.Hall is part of the Jets' future, so when he's fully healthy, he'll resume his services as the lead back, assuming his athleticism and burst are unchanged. But that might be a while. Cook will start the season as the starter, and even when Hall comes back, there's a good chance the Jets implement a committee approach.It's baffling that Cook's rushing total is as low as 650.5, given his productivity last season and his expected opportunity this season, at least to begin the year. Cook's touchdown line makes more sense. He's struggled to regularly find the end zone in recent years, averaging seven touchdowns a season the last two years.With Aaron Rodgers under center and Nathaniel Hackett calling plays, the Jets' pass-heavy approach could be a detriment to the rushing game. I still expect over 650 rushing yards for Cook this season.Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on social media @soshtry for more betting coverage.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper believes he and Elijah Moore can form one of the best wide receiver duos in the league."I think about great tandems like Torry Holt (and) Isaac Bruce. That's what I think we could be," Cooper said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "We both run really good routes, both create separation. We both can get open, and we're both reliable."Cleveland acquired Moore in a trade with the New York Jets this offseason after he requested to be dealt in October. The Browns sent a second-round pick to New York for a third-round pick and Moore.The 23-year-old was a second-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. He struggled to get playing time since entering the league, only starting 15 games over two campaigns. The Ole Miss product hauled in 86 catches for 1,193 yards in his final year in college."Elijah makes a lot of plays. He's a great complement to the offense, great complement to me," Cooper added.Moore has 984 receiving yards and 80 catches in 27 career games. The Browns kick off their regular season on Sept. 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Being a member of the New York Jets has surpassed all of Aaron Rodgers' expectations ahead of his 19th NFL season."This has been better than I was even daydreaming about sitting in that hole in the ground thinking about what my life could be," Rodgers recently said on "Boomer and Gio." "Because I contemplated retirement, I contemplated coming back, and the Jets was always the team that was the most interesting to me because of (coach) Robert (Saleh), because of (offensive coordinator) Nathaniel (Hackett), because of the way they worked their ass last year."The 10-time Pro Bowler added: "It's really been better than I could have expected. It feels like sometimes that I woke up inside of a dream and that this is my life playing out. I pinch myself at various times throughout the week every single week that I've been here."Rodgers spent his first 18 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him 24th overall in 2005. In Green Bay, the 39-year-old built a decorated career that included 223 starts, 475 touchdown passes, four NFL MVP awards, and a Super Bowl title.The Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets in April."It's not a shot against Green Bay," Rodgers said about how happy he is in New York ahead of the 2023 season. "I have a lot of love and gratitude for that time. But that chapter is over."The Jets boasted a top-five defense in 2022 but missed the playoffs after struggling offensively, particularly at the quarterback position. New York beat Rodgers and Green Bay at Lambeau Field last year in a game in which the star signal-caller was sacked four times.After working with his new teammates for several months, Rodgers says the Jets' roster is "definitely better" than he expected following their Week 6 matchup last season.The 2022 Jets featured four Pro Bowlers and three players who earned All-Pro nods. New York also rosters the NFL's reigning top offensive and defensive rookies in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, respectively.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brock Purdy has a firm grasp on the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback job."He would have to melt in practice to lose it," head coach Kyle Shanahan told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "And Brock's too good of a player to melt in practice."Team doctors have cleared Purdy to practice without taking days off, Shanahan announced Monday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Purdy previously participated on consecutive days with a built-in off day the following practice.The 23-year-old tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles and underwent surgery to repair the ailment in March.Quarterbacks Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are behind Purdy on the Niners' depth chart. Former third overall pick Lance started the team's preseason opener, throwing for 112 yards and one touchdown.Purdy stepped in for Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 12 last season after the veteran passer left with a foot injury. He threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team to victory.The Iowa State product went 8-1 in nine starts last campaign, including the playoffs, with the only loss coming in the NFC Championship Game."The games Brock played in, he played at as high a level as you can ask for, as consistent a level as you can ask for," Shanahan said, according to Breer. "Hell yeah, you can win with that and be very happy with that. That was (seven full) games, there's a lot that goes into it, and we'll see how it goes. I mean, we played good enough in those games to say we're going with him this year."Purdy was the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has 1,374 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine career regular-season games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New England Patriots are expected to sign free-agent running back Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year, $6-million contract, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.Elliott is finding a new home after spending the first seven years of his career as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.The three-time Pro Bowler is flying to New England on Tuesday morning to make the signing official, then plans on participating in the Patriots' joint practices with the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, according to Rapoport.Elliott was released by Dallas in March with a post June 1st designation. Elliott rushed for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns while splitting carries with Tony Pollard in his final season with the Cowboys in 2022.New England is adding a veteran presence to a backfield that was projected to lean heavily on third-year tailback Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots' running back depth chart also features Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, and J.J. Taylor.

The New York Jets continue to add offensive pieces.Running back Dalvin Cook is signing a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $8.6 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Cook has eclipsed 1,100 rushing yards in each of the last four seasons and earned four consecutive Pro Bowl nods. He has totaled 7,787 scrimmage yards and 52 touchdowns in 73 career games.The former Minnesota Viking will play alongside ex-Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The pair had a 4-4-1 record in head-to-head matchups as division rivals.Cook is at least a week away from being able to practice with his new team after undergoing shoulder surgery in February, per Schefter. The 28-year-old will also become a father for the first time soon, which could delay his arrival.He joins a backfield that's set to feature 2022 second-round pick Breece Hall and 2023 fifth-rounder Israel Abanikanda. Hall had 681 scrimmage yards and five total touchdowns in seven games as a rookie but missed the remainder of his first campaign after suffering a torn ACL.Hall isn't guaranteed to be available for Week 1 as he continues to rehab the knee injury. Adding Cook to the mix gives the club a pair of explosive playmakers out of the backfield as it seeks its first playoff berth since the 2010 season.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said the team is strapped for cash regarding a potential Xavier McKinney contract extension."We don't have a lot of cap space to do much more. I think our pockets are empty," Schoen said on the "Evan & Tiki" show, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.The Giants currently have $5.3 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. New York has dished out lucrative deals to its core players this offseason, giving quarterback Daniel Jones a four-year, $160-million deal and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence a four-year, $90-million contract extension.Running back Saquon Barkley and the team couldn't agree on a long-term deal after the Giants franchise tagged him. They settled on a revised one-year contract that can pay up to $11 million with incentives.McKinney has been with the team since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He missed seven games last season after suffering a broken hand in an ATV accident during the Giants' bye week.The 24-year-old safety flashed his potential in 2021, racking up five interceptions and 93 tackles in 17 games."X is a leader, he was a captain last year, he had the unfortunate incident, but he is a young player with upside," Schoen said.He added: "We'll see how it plays out through the season. If we can get something done down the road, he's somebody we'd like to have here."The Giants kick off their regular season on Sept. 10 against the Dallas Cowboys.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has missed a portion of training camp as he deals with an ear infection that is impacting his equilibrium."I want to be out there with the boys, obviously," Hockenson said Monday, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "My favorite thing is playing football with the guys in the locker room and having a great time with them. So it stinks, but on the same hand I've got to get ready for September. And that's what I'm looking forward to."Hockenson added that the ear issue is "starting to get cleared up." Minnesota's starting tight end took part in the extended walk-through portion of Monday's practice session, but he sat out both the contact and full-pads workout. It's unclear if Hockenson will take part in the team's joint practice with the Tennessee Titans later this week.Minnesota acquired Hockenson in a trade last November from the Detroit Lions. The 2019 first-round pick is set to enter the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. His salary for the 2023 season is set around $9.39 million, according to Spotrac.The Vikings listed the two-time Pro Bowler among several players the team would like to sign to an extension, along with star receiver Justin Jefferson.The 26-year-old posted career highs with 86 catches for 914 yards, tying a single-season high of six touchdowns while playing for both the Vikings and Lions in 2022.As Hockenson deals with his ailment, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt are leading the way at tight end.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.More in this series

Zack Martin's holdout is over.The All-Pro guard reached an agreement with the Dallas Cowboys on a reworked deal that'll pay him $18 million in each of the next two seasons, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Both years are reportedly fully guaranteed.Martin reacted to the news on social media:

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who's in a public feud with the team over his contract, is returning to the club.Taylor rejoined the Colts on Monday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, the star tailback remains on the PUP list.Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said Sunday he expected Taylor back sometime this week."He should be back this week," Steichen said, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. "Do I know the exact date he'll be back? No, but he should be back."Taylor has been rehabbing an ankle injury away from the team since early last week. The Wisconsin product has made it clear that he intends to return to the field when he is 100% healthy, sources told Holder.Steichen added that Taylor has to be cleared by the team's medical staff before being taken off the PUP list, per Holder.The 24-year-old reportedly requested a trade after meeting with owner Jim Irsay in late July. Taylor is looking for a new contract and is set to play on the final year of his rookie deal in 2023. Irsay stated there are no immediate plans to sign Taylor to a contract extension, and the team does not plan on trading him.Taylor led the league in rushing in 2021 but battled injuries last season. He only played in 11 games and was placed on injured reserve for the final three contests.The 2021 first-team All-Pro has 3,841 rushing yards with 33 touchdowns in 43 career games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz has been fully cleared for football activities and is on track to play Week 1, reports NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.Ertz hasn't played since November 2022 after tearing his ACL and MCL.Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed that Ertz will return to the practice field."He's coming off PUP this week. We'll get him out there," Gannon said, according to Paul Calvisi of 98.7 Arizona Sports. "He's excited."Despite appearing in only 10 games last season, Ertz led the Cardinals with four touchdown receptions. He also caught 47 passes for 406 yards.The 32-year-old's 103 catches rank second among Cardinals players since 2021 behind DeAndre Hopkins' 106.Arizona acquired Ertz in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2021 campaign. The three-time Pro Bowler played his first eight NFL seasons in Philly after being drafted in the second round in 2013. The Stanford product holds the single-season record among tight ends with 116 catches (2018).The Cardinals' offense heads into the upcoming season with several question marks, as quarterback Kyler Murray remains sidelined due to a torn ACL. Arizona also released Hopkins, its former No. 1 receiver, and hired offensive coordinator Drew Petzing this offseason.Coming off a 4-13 campaign, Arizona opens its 2023 regular season on the road against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 10.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Michael Oher petitioned a Tennessee court Monday with allegations that his adoption by the Tuohys was a lie, according to ESPN's Michael A. Fletcher.Oher, a former NFL player and the subject of the Oscar-winning film "The Blind Side," states in the 14-page petition that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never adopted him. He adds that the Tuohys instead tricked him into signing onto a conservatorship shortly after he turned 18 that gave them legal authority to make business deals in his name.The movie, released in 2009, earned more than $300 million. Oher says the Tuohys signed a deal that paid them and their two birth children millions of dollars in royalties while he didn't get anything. The Tuohys have continued calling Oher their adopted son, using the story to promote their foundation and motivational speeches.Oher's petition asks the court to end the Tuohys' conservatorship and issue an injunction barring them from using his name and likeness. It also seeks a full accounting of the money the family earned using his name, and for Oher to be paid his fair share of profits, Fletcher reports."The lie of Michael's adoption is one upon which co-conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their ward, the undersigned Michael Oher," the petition says, per Fletcher. "Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys."Oher was a high school senior when he signed the conservatorship deal. In his 2011 best-selling memoir "I Beat the Odds," he wrote that the Tuohys told him at the time that adoption and conservatorship were essentially the same thing. If the Tuohys had adopted Oher, he would have been a legal member of their family and retained the power to handle his financial situation, notes Fletcher.The Baltimore Ravens drafted Oher 23rd overall in 2009 after he posted a standout career at Ole Miss. In addition to Baltimore (2009-13), the 37-year-old played on the Tennessee Titans (2014) and Carolina Panthers (2015-16) before retiringOher's attorney, J. Gerard Stranch IV, said that Oher didn't thoroughly investigate his situation and the movie deal until after he retired from pro football because the film's success coincided with the beginning of his NFL career."Mike didn't grow up with a stable family life. When the Tuohy family told Mike they loved him and wanted to adopt him, it filled a void that had been with him his entire life," Stranch said. "Discovering that he wasn't actually adopted devastated Mike and wounded him deeply."Oher earned $34.5 million across nine NFL seasons, according to Spotrac.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on Spotify, Apple, Google, and Stitcher.In this episode, Boone discusses his biggest takeaways from the first week of preseason games.

Week 1 of the preseason is in the books. With weeks to go before meaningful football begins on Sept. 7, there's only one thing to do following a weekend of entertaining, sometimes unwatchable, and undoubtedly meaningless football. It's time to overreact.While fans inevitably begin to make proclamations about a team's future based on 10 snaps from a rookie quarterback, the betting markets know better.Most established players don't play in the preseason. The games are filled with players vying to make rosters and rookies itching to get as many NFL reps under their belts as possible before the games matter in September.Rookies are usually the only potentially impactful players who play extensively in the preseason. With eight wide receivers drafted in the first two rounds of this year's NFL draft, many rookie wideouts had notable performances over the weekend. So who will have the best season?Most receiving yards by a rookie oddsPlayer oddsJaxon Smith-Njigba+300Jordan Addison+300Quentin Johnston+400Zay Flowers+600Jonathan Mingo+1400Rashee Rice+1800Dalton Kincaid+2200Jalin Hyatt+2500Jayden Reed+2500The top rookie selected in the 2023 draft is the co-favorite to rack up the most receiving yards among his fellow draftees. The Seahawks drafted Jaxon Smith-Njigba 20th overall, creating even more depth in a talented wide receiver room.After an incredible Ohio State career, Smith-Njigba was an easy choice as the first receiver drafted. He joins star DK Metcalf and veteran Tyler Lockett as starting wideouts to help ensure Geno Smith replicates the season he had last year.In his first preseason game against the Vikings, Smith-Njigba flashed his potential in limited snaps. He totaled three catches for 25 yards on four targets. The Seahawks haven't drafted a receiver as high as Smith-Njigba since 2001, meaning he'll be featured plenty in Year 1. He has the fourth-best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at +800.Jordan Addison was across the sideline during Thursday night's preseason showdown. He was the 24th overall pick and the fourth receiver drafted.Addison (+1500 to win OROY) played scarce snaps in the game but had one official catch for 22 yards. He also had a toe-dragging snag on the sideline, but it was ruled incomplete despite it clearly being a catch.

A Prime Video documentary following Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce through the 2022 season will be released next month."Kelce" premiers Sept. 12."Jason Kelce has established himself as one of the most compelling and influential characters in sports, both on and off the field," said Matt Newman, head of Prime Video Original sports content. "We're privileged to partner with Skydance Sports, 9.14 Pictures, Vera Y Productions, and NFL Films on this project, which welcomes fans into the psyche of one of the greatest centers in the history of the league for what is arguably the wildest and most eventful season of his illustrious career."Kelce is widely considered the NFL's best center, having earned a first-team All-Pro berth in five of the last six seasons. The 35-year-old is coming off one of the best campaigns of his career, helping the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII. Philly fell short in the big game, suffering a 38-35 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.It was Kelce's second Super Bowl start with the Eagles, as he helped Philadelphia win the franchise's first Vince Lombardi Trophy in SB LII.Kelce, a team captain and one of football's most entertaining players, has started 176 games since the Eagles drafted him in the sixth round in 2011. The Cincinnati product considered retirement after the 2022 campaign but ultimately decided to return for his 13th season with Philadelphia.Jason is the brother of Chiefs Super Bowl-winning tight end Travis Kelce. The Kelce brothers also stood out off the field with their popular "New Heights" podcast.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Las Vegas Raiders legend Marcus Allen slammed the team's approach to running back Josh Jacobs' contract situation Sunday."I'm just going to say it: It's almost like collusion," Allen said, according to the Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal."They decided the running back position is one where the productivity is only for a short period of time, and instead of looking at each and every one individually, they have decided as a group that they're not going to pay them."After Jacobs ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 7 win against the Houston Texans last season, Allen told owner Mark Davis, "You are going to have to pay this dude," according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.Jacobs has yet to sign his franchise tag worth $10.1 million and is not with the team at training camp. The two sides can no longer negotiate a long-term deal but can come to terms on a revised one-year contract."I can understand what (the running backs are) thinking and what they're feeling, so hopefully things get resolved. Because to me, he's the heart and soul of the team," Allen said, per Hill.The 25-year-old Jacobs led the league in yards from scrimmage last season with 2,053. He's been with the Raiders since they selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.Jacobs has 4,740 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns in 60 career games. The Raiders kick off their season on Sept. 10 against the Denver Broncos.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Sorting out the Eagles' RBsIn the team's first preseason action of the year, Philadelphia's coaching staff elected to give Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott the night off. This immediately led to speculation that they might be ahead of newcomers D'Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny, who suited up for Saturday's game.Swift (two carries for 24 yards) played the first six snaps with the offense before taking a seat himself and allowing Penny (nine carries for 34 yards) to take over.This makes for an odd situation in fantasy, but we always expected a committee scenario in Philly - the only question was how the touches would be distributed among the top trio of Swift, Penny, and Gainwell.The decision to rest veterans like Gainwell and Scott - who are familiar with the system - makes sense for a team that knows what they have in those players. Getting Swift and Penny some looks in an early preseason game is also understandable and doesn't automatically mean they're behind on the depth chart."We wanted to see Rashaad go. Rashaad hasn't played in a little bit. ... My plan with the backs - and I have no problem telling you guys this - (with) the backs, I always like those guys getting tackled, so the first time they get tackled isn't in Game 1," head coach Nick Sirianni explained to reporters, including The Athletic's Zach Berman. "So, next game, (Scott or Gainwell) will get a couple carries like Swift did today, and the next game, the other one will get a couple carries. So, it was just D'Andre's turn tonight to do it. That's what went into that; that's my philosophy with backs."For now, we're still projecting a three-way split, with Swift being the most valuable and most talented (just look at his 22-yard run on Saturday), Penny being the bigger-bodied hammer, and Gainwell serving as the multipurpose trusted veteran.They're all worth selecting at their current ADPs in the seventh, eighth, and 14th rounds, respectively.Instant impressionsBuy the Howell-Dotson connection - After barely playing as a rookie, Sam Howell has a lot to prove this year. On Friday, he took the first step toward solidifying his role as Washington's 2023 starter by overcoming poor offensive line play and completing 9 of 12 attempts for 77 yards and a touchdown. He added eight rushing yards, which is important since his scrambling ability is what makes him a fantasy sleeper. The chemistry he's been displaying in practice with sophomore wideout Jahan Dotson was also on display during a beautiful 26-yard score. Dotson remains one of our favorite breakout candidates this season.Steelers' passing attack on the rise - Kenny Pickett was underwhelming in his starts as a rookie, but there's reason to believe a Year 2 improvement is coming. A positive drumbeat in camp turned into a strong performance on Friday, as he completed 6 of 7 passes for 70 yards and a 33-yard score where he hit George Pickens with a tight window throw and let his young wideout do the rest. Diontae Johnson also caught three balls for 32 yards and is positioned for another high-volume campaign after three straight seasons with at least 140 targets.Welcome to Chicago, D.J. Moore - Moore's impact on the Bears' offense was felt immediately, with his first catch as a Bear going for a 62-yard score. The overall pass volume in this attack is still a concern, but Moore's presence in Chicago (especially his run-after-catch ability) is going to help this team be more successful through the air. He remains a fantasy WR2 and will help Justin Fields challenge for a spot among the top-five fantasy QBs.Herbert standing out - The Bears' backfield was one of the few open RB competitions this summer, and it appears as though Khalil Herbert has the early lead after he played every snap with Fields. While the results on the ground were minimal (four carries for 15 yards), Herbert turned his lone catch into a 56-yard house call. Rookie Roschon Johnson ran well with his opportunities and should carve out more of a role as the season goes along, but Herbert is the favorite to be a fantasy difference-maker in Week 1. Both backs are values at their current ADPs.Etienne's ceiling in doubt? - Travis Etienne is locked in as the Jaguars' No. 1 back, but rookie Tank Bigsby getting a short-yardage preseason snap with the starting unit is a sign he'll be involved right away. It's tough to predict how the coaching staff plans to deploy the duo, but we could eventually see a split closer to what Etienne and James Robinson had at the beginning of last year's campaign - which isn't great news for Etienne's fantasy ceiling. He should be viewed as a fantasy RB2 moving forward, with Bigsby being an intriguing one-injury-away guy.Bills' youth movement - Running back James Cook has secured Buffalo's starting RB job and is a fantasy breakout candidate for 2023. His four carries for 20 yards and a score was a welcome sign for an offense that hopes to get more from its run game this season. If Cook is going to become a star, he'll still need to overcome Josh Allen's goal-line usage and the presence of Damien Harris (currently out with a knee injury) and 33-year-old Latavius Murray. Meanwhile, rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid played with the starters and projects to have a big role in the Bills' offense right out of the gate. Kincaid's pass-catching skills could earn him a spot among the top-10 fantasy tight ends in Year 1.Zach attack - After a shoulder injury sidelined rookie Zach Charbonnet early in camp, it was great to see him healthy and punishing defenders with physical runs on Thursday. The 22-year-old finished with four carries for 14 yards and two catches for 14 yards. Starting back Ken Walker, who's been out with a groin injury, was back on the practice field this weekend - but it's safe to assume Charbonnet will have a role even when Walker is back to full strength. He'll be a flex option with massive upside if Walker misses time at any point.Kirk limited to the slot? - We knew the arrival of Calvin Ridley would hurt some of the Jags' pass-catchers from a target-share standpoint. If the first preseason game is any indication, the player most impacted might be Christian Kirk, who took a seat in two-receiver sets in favor of Ridley and Zay Jones, according to PFF's Nathan Jahnke. Kirk being limited to slot snaps would make it nearly impossible for him to come close to his 2022 production. It's not time to panic yet, but it makes Kirk a tough sell at his early-fifth round ADP.Broncos' offense a work-in-progress - Though Russell Wilson's final stat line looks acceptable (7/13, 93 yards, TD), Denver's franchise QB played deeper in the opening preseason game than expected - staying out into the second quarter. Perhaps Sean Payton wanted to get his new passer more reps as they try to get comfortable with the scheme, and he did find some success with an eventual touchdown to Jerry Jeudy. But after the disappointment that was the 2022 season, it's clear there's still work to do in the Mile High City. It's worth noting backup Jarrett Stidham didn't make much of a push, completing just 5 of 15 passes for 50 yards and an interception.Tight ends with worrying usage - Greg Dulcich and Pat Freiermuth are among the players with a chance to crack the top-12 fantasy tight ends this season. Unfortunately, there are warning signs for both after the first preseason contest. Adam Trautman played over Dulcich and limited his sophomore teammate to obvious passing downs and two tight end sets. Trautman is familiar with the system going back to his time in New Orleans with Payton and might have an early edge. If this continues, it would be a big hit to Dulcich's breakout potential. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Freiermuth played the same number of snaps with the starters as rookie Darnell Washington. This is one of the reasons why we had Freiermuth on our list of bust candidates for 2023.Chandler makes a strong case - Despite some less than glowing reports about how the Vikings' backup running backs were playing in training camp, Ty Chandler delivered in the team's first preseason outing. The sophomore runner looked explosive while compiling 11 carries for 41 yards and four catches for 29 yards. Starter Alexander Mattison was sitting out, and Kene Nwangwu was dealing with an injury, but Chandler showed more than enough to eventually become the immediate backup to Mattison - as long as the team doesn't add a veteran.Temper the Tank Dell hype - With just two preseason games on Thursday, Dell's five-catch, 65-yard, one-touchdown performance garnered a lot of attention. However, we have to remember the history of players his size (5-8, 165 lbs) making a significant fantasy impact is very slim. It's also hard to tell where Dell fits in the lineup since veterans like Robert Woods and Noah Brown had the night off. Woods is likely locked in as a starter to begin the year, Nico Collins has reportedly been C.J. Stroud's top target in practice, and John Metchie is also in the mix. In the end, Dell might be an exciting part-time contributor, but it's unlikely a player with his frame commands serious volume over a full season.Rookie QBs taking their lumps - All three first-round rookie quarterbacks had up-and-down preseason debuts this week, but it's more important to observe the performances than to just look at the stats. Anthony Richardson faced a tough Buffalo defense and settled in after an early interception, eventually making a couple of quality throws and showing poise in the pocket. Bryce Young was under duress behind a Panthers offensive line that was dominated by the Jets' defensive front yet still appeared in control working through his progressions. Stroud is the hardest evaluation after looking overmatched by the Patriots' defense and playing just two series - one of which ended in a pick. The bottom line is you shouldn't overreact to rookie quarterbacks in their first preseason outing, especially when they're dealing with some of the best defenses in the league. We'll continue to check in on all three passers as the preseason moves along.Long way to go for Achane - Despite a flurry of praise from teammates and beat writers for his practice performances, De'Von Achane was way down the depth chart for the team's first preseason contest. Different teams handle rookies in their own way, and some coaches want to see a player earn their spot, which might be the case here. The Dolphins rookie runner finished with 10 carries for 25 yards but led the team with four catches for 41 yards. We expect to see him rise the depth chart over the next few weeks, but for the time being, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson are well ahead of Achane, and the threat of a potential Dalvin Cook signing still looms large in this backfield.Spears gets involved early - Titans rookie Tyjae Spears has been the favorite for the backup job behind Derrick Henry since he was drafted in April. The third-rounder proved his worth with a strong showing in his first preseason action en route to 36 yards on seven touches, including a 14-yard run where he used his speed to find a seam on the outside and even stiff-armed a defender along the way. We've been high on Spears all summer as the No. 2 option in this backfield and a possible weekly flex play if Tennessee wants to lighten the load for the 29-year-old Henry.Chargers' backup RBs - Joshua Kelley played ahead of Isaiah Spiller and outproduced him with nine touches for 54 yards to Spiller's seven touches for 38 yards. However, it's worth noting Spiller had a 71-yard touchdown run called back due to a penalty. This competition is far from over, and it's worth keeping a close eye on it since the victor might end up having flex value as the complementary back to Austin Ekeler.Ferguson a sleeper TE - With rookie Luke Schoonmaker still playing catchup after a foot injury sidelined him for most of the offseason, Ferguson has a strong hold on the starting tight end job in Dallas. He played most of the snaps on Saturday and came away with three catches for 38 yards. Ferguson belongs on any late-round sleeper list at tight end.New injuries to monitor - Buccaneers RB Rachaad White (undisclosed), Browns WR Elijah Moore (ribs), Saints RB Kendre Miller (knee), Ravens TE Isaiah Likely (undisclosed), Cardinals RB Corey Clement (undisclosed), Ravens QB Tyler Huntley (hamstring), Seahawks WR Cade Johnson (concussion)Other preseason standouts who caught my eye this week - Vikings WR Jordan Addison, Packers QB Jordan Love, Commanders TE Cole Turner, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield, Jets RB Israel Abanikanda, Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn, Rams WR Puka Nacua, Rams RB Zach Evans, Buccaneers WR Trey Palmer, Steelers WR Calvin Austin, Saints WR A.T. PerryDeeper rookie standouts who caught my eye this week - Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., Chargers RB Elijah Dotson, 49ers WR Ronnie Bell, Bengals WR Andrei Iosivas, Chargers WR Derius Davis, Rams QB Stetson Bennett, Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Patriots QB Malik CunninghamCopyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen liked what he saw from rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson during Saturday's 23-19 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills.Richardson completed seven of 12 pass attempts for 67 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the game. The first-year passer also quarterbacked multiple solid offensive drives that didn't result in points, as kicker Matt Gay missed a field goal attempt and receiver Alec Pierce dropped a would-be 34-yard pass near the goal line."I thought he had great poise," Steichen said of Richardson, according to ESPN's Stephen Holder. "I knew we had the early interception. That's my fault. We've got to do a better job communicating on that one. ... That starts with coaching, starts with myself. Other than that, I thought he was efficient."Richardson tossed an interception in his first drive while targeting wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie.

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson might have thought about Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton before picking his outfit for Saturday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.Payton - who joined the Broncos this offseason to replace Nathaniel Hackett, now the Jets' offensive coordinator - recently made it clear what he didn't want to see from his players during preseason games."I don't want to see uniforms off after (starters are) done playing, sunglasses on, Gilligan hats on, and interviews during the game," Payton said on Aug. 7, according to Jon Heath of Yahoo Sports. "That's what I don't want to see, but we will communicate all of that."Wilson didn't play in New York's 27-0 victory over Carolina on Saturday. However, the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year gave a live interview from the sideline during the game while apparently trolling Payton with his choice of apparel.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is thrilled with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken."It's great," Jackson said during the broadcast of the Ravens' preseason game, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I've been sending him plays of stuff I've been seeing, and he's been putting them in practice, and they're working. So it's like, I'm glad he's listening to me, man."Monken was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Georgia over the last three seasons. He helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships, with the team scoring 98 points combined in those games.The 57-year-old also served as the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018. The Bucs led the league in passing yards under Monken."The meeting room - I wish you guys could see the meeting rooms," Jackson said. "He's full of expressing what he's got going on in his mind. His mind is everywhere. It's like, 'I love you as a coach right now.' You know, I'm grateful for him."Monken is Jackson's third offensive coordinator since he entered the NFL in 2018. Marty Mornhinweg was the Ravens' offensive coordinator during Jackson's rookie campaign before he was replaced by Greg Roman, who departed the team in January.Jackson is set to return for Week 1 after missing the final 10 games of last season due to a knee injury. The Louisville product signed a five-year, $260-million deal with the team in April.The Ravens kick off their campaign Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin played in his first game Saturday since suffering a cardiac arrest in January, making an impact in the team's preseason matchup against the Indianapolis Colts."What we just witnessed to me is remarkable," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said afterward, according to Grant Gordon of NFL Network. "It's a true sign of a young man's courage and, obviously, everyone that helped him get to this point."Hamlin saw his first game action on the Bills' kickoff team early in the first quarter."It was fun, it was super fun, it was a great experience," Hamlin said. "Just another milestone and a step up to just getting back to myself as far as the football space."He added: "Just chopping this tree down as much as I can, one step at a time."He joined Buffalo's defense on the Colts' second offensive drive and made his presence known. The Pittsburgh product tackled Colts running back Evan Hull for no gain, forcing a turnover on downs. Hamlin finished the game with four tackles."It for sure felt like a little weight off my shoulders," Hamlin said of making his first tackle."I think it'll be like that probably every game. But even before my situation, it's kind of like that; we all get butterflies until we get that first contact. That's universal for being an athlete. That just lets you know you're human. That just lets you know you live in the moment."Hamlin collided with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in Week 17 last season, resulting in him suffering commotio cordis. He went into cardiac arrest, was transported to the University of Cincinnati via ambulance, and remained in critical condition for close to a week.The Bills kick off their regular season on Sept. 11 against the New York Jets.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

American football great Tom Brady surprised Birmingham City fans by greeting them at a pub outside their stadium on Saturday.Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady, who recently became a minority owner at the English second-tier football club, made his appearance at The Roost pub near St Andrew's before the game against Leeds."Tom Brady is here and he's perfect," tweeted Kelsea Ravenhill, 26, from Birmingham.

Russell Wilson and the rest of the Denver Broncos' offensive starters got more work in Friday night's preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals than perhaps anyone expected.Wilson played four series in the contest, which kept him in the game until midway through the second quarter. Head coach Sean Payton explained that the extended playing time was due to a lack of points on the board scored by the offense."We looked at the numbers and we went one more with the offense. I think defense totals, it was a little easier," Payton said postgame, according to Mike Klis of 9News. "Shoot, I wanted to score and leave a good taste in our mouths."Wilson and the rest of the offense came through on Payton's wish on his final drive. The quarterback connected with Jerry Jeudy on fourth down with a 21-yard touchdown to open the scoring for Denver.The veteran signal-caller completed seven of his 13 pass attempts for 93 yards and one touchdown to zero interceptions.The Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead and held a 17-10 advantage late but were unable to hold on. Cardinals quarterback David Blough engineered a 10-play, 75-yard game-winning drive that was capped off with a successful two-point conversion to hand Denver a 18-17 defeat."Regardless if it is a preseason game or a regular season game, you just can't stand losing," Payton added, according to David Brandt of the Associated Press. Especially in that fashion."Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow feels good after having his first throwing session since suffering a calf injury, according to head coach Zac Taylor."I think things are good and he's progressing as he should," Taylor said, according to WKRC. "I think everything has been positive."

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams left Friday's joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers early after suffering an apparent leg injury, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic.Adams, who was helped off the practice field, sustained the injury after taking a hit by 49ers defensive back Charvarius Ward. The All-Pro wideout pointed to his calf while heading to the locker room, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said he doesn't think Adams has a major injury."I don't think it was crazy serious. It was a bang-bang play," McDaniels said after Friday's practice.Adams, who joined Las Vegas last year in a blockbuster trade from the Green Bay Packers, caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022. The 30-year-old has led the NFL in TD receptions in two of the last three seasons.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Trevor Lawrence put on a show with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, but head coach Doug Pederson thinks the star quarterback looks even better ahead of the 2023 season."He's throwing the ball the best I've seen him in the year and a half I've been with Trevor," Pederson said of Lawrence in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. "And just really, the sky is the limit with this guy. And if we just continue to improve and just really keep those pieces around him healthy, this offense could really take off."Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, joined the Jaguars as one of the greatest prospects in recent memory. However, the Clemson product struggled as a rookie and led the NFL with 17 interceptions while playing for a struggling Jacksonville team led by Urban Meyer. The Jaguars fired Meyer 13 games into the campaign after he went 2-11.With Pederson replacing Meyer last year, Lawrence bounced back. The star passer caught fire in the second half of the season and finished 2022 with a 66.3% completion rate, 4,113 passing yards, and 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He also scored five rushing touchdowns."He's mature above his years," Pederson added. "What he went through his rookie season, to really come out of that last year and shine. He doesn't get too high or too low, he stays even-keeled. His emotions are that way."Lawrence also led the Jaguars to the club's first playoff appearance since the 2017 season. Jacksonville stunned the Los Angeles Chargers with a wild comeback in the wild-card game before falling short in the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel likes what he's seen from the offense under Eric Bieniemy despite the criticism regarding the team's new offensive coordinator."He's a tough coach, but nothing I'm not used to. It's like a college environment," Samuel recently told JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports. "When you've got a coach that's being tough and hard on you, he wants the best out of you. He's not doing it for ego purpose or his own benefit, he wants the best out of you. And I feel like doing that kind of stuff brings the best out of players. I love it."Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday that multiple Washington players were a "little concerned" with Bieniemy's intensity at practice. Rivera added that those players asked him to talk to Bieniemy about it.Rivera later said he met with Bieniemy to clear the air, saying, "I basically told him I put my foot in my mouth."The Commanders hired Bieniemy as offensive coordinator this offseason after he spent several seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Bieniemy didn't call offensive plays under Andy Reid's coaching staff in Kansas City but is expected to do so in Washington this year with the inexperienced Sam Howell at quarterback."I love the new offense. There's a lot of different things, a lot of moving parts, a lot of moving pieces," said Samuel, who spent his college career at Ohio State during the Urban Meyer era.He added: "We have to lock into the playbook and understand that coach is going to give us a lot of tools and opportunities to go out and be the best we can be."Samuel is in his third season with Washington. The 27-year-old caught 64 passes for 656 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games last year after an injury-plagued 2021 campaign.The Commanders, who ranked only 24th in points scored in 2022, kick off their 2023 regular season at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore staff took part in a 10-team, 12-round mock draft to offer some insight on what to watch for in each round.This is a half PPR scoring league with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN. We omitted defenders and kickers, as they're normally selected in the final two rounds.Draft participants: David P. Woods, Dan Wilkins, Caitlyn Holroyd, Taylor Rohaly, Daniel Valente, Andrew Dixon, Justin Boone, Navin Vaswani, Brandon Wile, Caio MiariRound 1PickPlayerTeam1Justin Jefferson (WR1)Woods2Christian McCaffrey (RB1)Wilkins3Ja'Marr Chase (WR2)Holroyd4Travis Kelce (TE1)Rohaly5Tyreek Hill (WR3)Valente6Austin Ekeler (RB2)Dixon7Cooper Kupp (WR4)Boone8Stefon Diggs (WR5)Vaswani9Bijan Robinson (RB3)Wile10A.J. Brown (WR6)MiariRound 1: While you could debate whether a player like Kelce went a spot or two higher than he should have, overall, there's very little to argue about here. As long as Kelce stays healthy, he offers an unfair advantage at tight end. Just remember, he turns 34 in October.My pick: Kupp likely slipped to seventh due to the hamstring issue that's kept him out of practice. It's always risky drafting a player who's overcoming an injury before the season, but Kupp has been running and participating off to the side this week. The team is calling him day-to-day, and the expectation is that he'll be ready for Week 1. When he's been healthy, Kupp has led all receivers in fantasy points per game over the last two years. He averaged 21.6 FPPG in half PPR scoring in 2021 and 20.3 FPPG last year before his ankle injury.Round 2PickPlayerTeam11Nick Chubb (RB4)Miari12CeeDee Lamb (WR7)Wile13Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR8)Vaswani14Tony Pollard (RB5)Boone15Davante Adams (WR9)Dixon16Garrett Wilson (WR10)Valente17Saquon Barkley (RB6)Rohaly18Derrick Henry (RB7)Holroyd19Chris Olave (WR11)Wilkins20DeVonta Smith (WR12)WoodsRound 2: The chalky start to this draft continues with all the usual names you normally see being taken in the second round. The only surprise for some might be the disappearance of the running backs with contract issues like Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs. While both players are worthy of second-round selections, the uncertainty around their disputes with ownership is causing them to fall in drafts. They'll be great values in Round 3.My pick: Pollard is another player coming back from injury, which adds extra risk to my opening two picks. However, it's hard to deny both of their ceilings. Pollard was a top-seven fantasy back in points per game in 2022 while sharing the backfield with Ezekiel Elliott. Now that Zeke is gone, Pollard has an outside shot to compete for the top-scoring RB in fantasy this season.Round 3PickPlayerTeam21Jalen Hurts (QB1)Woods22Jonathan Taylor (RB8)Wilkins23Jaylen Waddle (WR13)Holroyd24DK Metcalf (WR14)Rohaly25Calvin Ridley (WR15)Valente26Patrick Mahomes (QB2)Dixon27Josh Allen (QB3)Boone28Josh Jacobs (RB9)Vaswani29Mark Andrews (TE2)Wile30Deebo Samuel (WR16)MiariRound 3: If Taylor returns to the Colts before Week 1 and plays this season like most anticipate, Team Wilkins will have a very difficult backfield to overcome with two potential top-five options in McCaffrey and Taylor. Team Vaswani also capitalized on the falling RB value by getting last year's rushing king Jacobs as his RB1 on a roster that already has Diggs and St. Brown locking down the WR position. The ceilings of those picks far outweigh the possible downside.My pick: The elite quarterbacks have consistently gone off the board in the third round of our mocks. Though you might think a 10-team league allows you to wait longer on QB, a shallower league actually requires you to find an edge at every position if you intend on winning it all. And it's easier to find a breakout RB or WR as the draft unfolds than it is to hit on the next superstar QB.Round 4PickPlayerTeam31Lamar Jackson (QB4)Miari32Tee Higgins (WR17)Wile33Rhamondre Stevenson (RB10)Vaswani34Breece Hall (RB11)Boone35Jahmyr Gibbs (RB12)Dixon36Travis Etienne (RB13)Valente37Amari Cooper (WR18)Rohaly38Najee Harris (RB14)Holroyd39Terry McLaurin (WR19)Wilkins40DJ Moore (WR20)WoodsRound 4: At this point in a 10-team league, every roster looks amazing, so don't get too overconfident about crushing the early rounds of your draft. Most managers have stayed pretty balanced so far, with Team Woods being the only one without a running back. We'll keep an eye on his progress.My pick: Outside of Allen, this has been a riskier build than usual for me due to the injury situations surrounding Kupp, Pollard, and now Hall. The Jets' sophomore back has first-round fantasy upside if he can recover quickly from the ACL tear that ended his rookie campaign. Reports on his rehab have been positive, and we also tend to see younger players who are elite athletes bounce back faster than most. With a 9.96 Relative Athletic Score (out of 10), Hall fits that description.Round 5PickPlayerTeam41Joe Mixon (RB15)Woods42Mike Williams (WR21)Wilkins43Jerry Jeudy (WR22)Holroyd44Joe Burrow (QB5)Rohaly45Aaron Jones (RB16)Valente46Drake London (WR23)Dixon47Keenan Allen (WR24)Boone48Christian Watson (WR25)Vaswani49Alexander Mattison (RB17)Wile50DeAndre Hopkins (WR26)MiariRound 5: Unlike the four quarterbacks chosen before him, Burrow is more of a reach considering the calf injury that's expected to sideline him for several weeks. He already wasn't on the same level as a fantasy producer, averaging 2.5-to-3.9 fewer fantasy points per game than the elite trio of Hurts, Mahomes, and Allen last year. Now there's a chance he could miss time at the start of the season to ensure he's back to 100%. If you're targeting Burrow at this point, you might as well wait a round or two and take Justin Herbert instead.My pick: Allen was the WR12 in fantasy points per game last season, averaging 13.1 FPPG in half PPR formats. Getting him as the 25th receiver off the board might go down as one of the biggest steals in this draft. Even at 31 years old, Allen is an outstanding route-runner and a focal point of the Chargers' passing attack.Round 6PickPlayerTeam51Christian Kirk (WR27)Miari52Justin Fields (QB6)Wile53T.J. Hockenson (TE3)Vaswani54Brandon Aiyuk (WR28)Boone55Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR29)Dixon56Diontae Johnson (WR30)Valente57Kenneth Walker (RB18)Rohaly58George Kittle (TE4)Holroyd59Kyle Pitts (TE5)Wilkins60Cam Akers (RB19)WoodsRound 6: If you're searching for a tight end who could have a monster year and challenge for a spot close to Kelce and Andrews, this is the range to do it. Hockenson exploded after being traded to the Vikings, Kittle has been there before, and Pitts is the heir apparent to the tight end throne if Kelce ever gives up.My pick: My love for Aiyuk is on display once again as he finds his way onto another one of my rosters. He earned a spot in my seven players who will lead you to a title, and we discussed him during our recent WR preview show. As an ascending talent in a quality offense, he's an ideal WR3 in your fantasy lineup.Round 7PickPlayerTeam61Dameon Pierce (RB20)Woods62Darren Waller (TE6)Wilkins63Chris Godwin (WR31)Holroyd64David Montgomery (RB21)Rohaly65Justin Herbert (QB7)Valente66George Pickens (WR32)Dixon67Miles Sanders (RB22)Boone68Marquise Brown (WR33)Vaswani69Mike Evans (WR34)Wile70D'Andre Swift (RB23)MiariRound 7: After taking Pitts in the sixth round, Team Wilkins doubles up at the position and selects Waller a round later. Though both players have extremely high upside, it's a bizarre move that we wouldn't recommend. In my research, unless you're playing in a TE-premium or start-two-TE format, you don't want to use a tight end in your flex.My pick: This was my least favorite pick to make in this draft since there weren't any players standing out to me in this area. In the end, I settled on a value pick in Sanders, who the Panthers signed to a decent contract to be their lead back. Part of their recruiting pitch also involved the possibility of Sanders earning a bigger role in the passing game, which would be a welcome development for fantasy.Round 8PickPlayerTeam71Alvin Kamara (RB24)Miari72Tyler Lockett (WR35)Wile73Trevor Lawrence (QB8)Vaswani74James Conner (RB25)Boone75Javonte Williams (RB26)Dixon76Rachaad White (RB27)Valente77Zay Flowers (WR36)Rohaly78Deshaun Watson (QB9)Holroyd79Isiah Pacheco (RB28)Wilkins80Michael Pittman (WR37)WoodsRound 8: When you see the type of running backs who are still available in the eighth round, it should make you feel more comfortable about spending early picks on WR, QB, or TE. Kamara is only down in this range because of his three-game suspension, Conner is a top-15 back when healthy, White is a volume play as the Bucs' new starter, and Williams and Pacheco are injury discounts. All five of those backs have a chance to be strong RB2s or better in your lineup this season.My pick: Conner's ADP has been stunning this year, given he's been a top-10 fantasy back in points per game each of the last two years. With Hall coming back from the torn ACL, we now have Sanders and Conner to help provide depth at our RB2 spot.Round 9PickPlayerTeam81Gabe Davis (WR38)Woods82Dalvin Cook (RB29)Wilkins83J.K. Dobbins (RB30)Holroyd84Elijah Moore (WR39)Rohaly85Kadarius Toney (WR40)Valente86Courtland Sutton (WR41)Dixon87Jahan Dotson (WR42)Boone88James Cook (RB31)Vaswani89Treylon Burks (WR43)Wile90Dallas Goedert (TE7)MiariRound 9: There isn't a single bad pick in this round. Almost all these players are generating positive buzz in training camp. The exceptions are the always-enticing Toney, who's working his way back from a knee injury, Dalvin Cook, who's yet to sign with a new club, and Dobbins, who seems to be getting punished more than others for his contract standoff.My pick: Dotson is one of my favorite breakout candidates for 2023. He produced whenever he was on the field as a rookie, and beat writers have continuously commented on his growing chemistry with new QB Sam Howell. A big season is on the way for last year's first-round pick.Round 10PickPlayerTeam91Quentin Johnston (WR44)Miari92Rashaad Penny (RB32)Wile93Jordan Addison (WR45)Vaswani94Devon Achane (RB33)Boone95Samaje Perine (RB34)Dixon96Evan Engram (TE8)Valente97Zach Charbonnet (RB35)Rohaly98Antonio Gibson (RB36)Holroyd99Rashod Bateman (WR46)Wilkins100Brian Robinson (RB37)WoodsRound 10: As we preach every year, the later rounds should be dedicated to pure upside as you attempt to unearth the next fantasy diamond. Johnston, Penny, Addison, Achane, Perine, Charbonnet, Gibson, Bateman, and Robinson all fit that mold.My pick: Achane has the potential to be a game-breaker in a Dolphins offense built around speed. With beat writers projecting a significant role and teammates routinely impressed by his abilities, it might only be a matter of time before Achane is winning fantasy weeks.Round 11PickPlayerTeam101Khalil Herbert (RB38)Woods102Odell Beckham (WR47)Wilkins103Brandin Cooks (WR48)Holroyd104Skyy Moore (WR49)Rohaly105JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR50)Valente106Jameson Williams (WR51)Dixon107AJ Dillon (RB39)Boone108Damien Harris (RB40)Vaswani109Jerick McKinnon (RB41)Wile110Michael Thomas (WR52)MiariRound 11: Checking in on Team Woods after he passed on running backs in the first four rounds, and he's done an excellent job filling out his RB depth chart. Mixon can be a top-12 back if he avoids suspension. Akers and Pierce are both intriguing breakout candidates for 2023. Robinson and Herbert have a chance to emerge as the lead backs in their committees.My pick: Skyy Moore was my target in this round, but he was selected a few picks before me. Instead, I pivoted to a high-upside backup RB in Dillon. The 25-year-old can provide flex value while being an Aaron Jones injury away from fantasy stardom.Round 12PickPlayerTeam111Jamaal Williams (RB42)Miari112Nico Collins (WR53)Wile113Tank Bigsby (RB43)Vaswani114Dalton Kincaid (TE9)Boone115Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE10)Dixon116Darnell Mooney (WR54)Valente117Jaylen Warren (RB44)Rohaly118Jakobi Meyers (WR55)Holroyd119Anthony Richardson (QB10)Wilkins120Pat Freiermuth (TE11)WoodsRound 12: Team Wilkins was the last manager to select a quarterback, and he made the right call to chase the ceiling of a dual-threat rookie in Richardson. Even if it takes Richardson time to get comfortable in the pros, his rushing ability will make him a fantasy factor right away. And Team Wilkins can easily add a competent backup like Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, or Dak Prescott with a late-round pick.My pick: The positive drumbeat about Kincaid coming out of Bills camp continues to grow, making it hard to ignore the pass-catching rookie tight end. When you don't find the right TE value along the way, Kincaid should be at the top of your late-round target list. Pairing him with Allen was just an added bonus.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A weekend full of football. Is there anything better? Yes, it's the preseason, and the games are mostly meaningless to fans, but after months of football deprivation, anything is better than nothing.With two games last night, there are 14 set to kick off over the next three days. The times and odds are listed below, along with our two best bets for the weekend.Day (time ET)Game (spread)O/UFriday (7 p.m.)Giants @ Lions (+3)36.5Friday (7 p.m.)Packers @ Bengals (+4.5)35Friday (7 p.m.)Commanders @ Browns (-3)38.5Friday (7 p.m.)Falcons @ Dolphins (+2.5)36.5Friday (7 p.m.)Steelers @ Buccaneers (+2.5)39Friday (10 p.m.)Broncos @ Cardinals (+5.5)37Saturday (1 p.m.)Colts @ Bills (+5)38.5Saturday (1 p.m.)Titans @ Bears (-3.5)37Saturday (4p.m.)Jets @ Panthers (-3.5)37Saturday (5p.m.)Jaguars @ Cowboys (+4)37.5Saturday (7p.m.)Eagles @ Ravens (-5)35.5Saturday (9p.m.)Chargers @ Rams (-3)33Sunday (1 p.m.)Chiefs @ Saints (-3)37.5Sunday (4 p.m.)49ers @ Raiders (+3.5)35.5Eagles @ Ravens (-5), O/U 35.5There's a good reason why the Ravens are 5-point favorites Saturday against the Eagles. Baltimore has won a whopping 23 straight preseason games, the most in NFL history.It's even more impressive that the Ravens have covered the spread in 20 of those 23 wins.It's improbable that a team could win that many consecutive games with so many uncontrollable variables. While the record is absolutely meaningless and not predictive of the upcoming regular season, it does show that John Harbaugh values the preseason in a way many other coaches don't.Twenty-three wins, though? All good things - and streaks - must come to an end. I won't predict the Eagles will win Saturday night, but they'll cover the 5-point spread.Nick Sirianni has yet to reveal his preseason plans and said he won't until he's required. But it's fair to expect the Eagles to sit Jalen Hurts and most of the starters, especially the vets. Everyone remembers Hurts' first preseason game last year against the Jets when he was almost seriously injured in the first quarter.Marcus Mariota will likely start for the Eagles. He's one of the league's best, if not the best, backup quarterbacks. Philadelphia also has a ton of depth at various positions, as well as some youth and inexperience at defensive line and linebacker. Since most starters won't play Saturday, that could lead to valuable youngsters such as Nakobe Dean and Jalen Carter playing early drives.Lamar Jackson didn't play in any preseason games last year and threw just four passes during the 2021 preseason, which makes Baltimore's win streak even more impressive. It'd be shocking if Jackson suits up Saturday night. That means Tyler Huntley will start.When Harbaugh discussed the preseason win streak earlier this week, he noted that many of those games have come down to the final plays in the fourth quarter. I expect a similar scenario against the Eagles.Pick: Eagles +5Jets @ Panthers (-3.5), O/U 37As evidenced by the Jets' first preseason game and the subsequent behind-the-scenes "Hard Knocks" footage, New York isn't taking the preseason too seriously. None of the Jets starters played against the Browns last week and probably won't play against the Panthers, either.Even New York's second unit played somewhat limited snaps last week. The Jets and Panthers participated in joint practices this week, which is often seen as more valuable for coaches than the ensuing preseason game.While that'll stop Saleh from playing Rodgers and the rest of the highly touted crew, Frank Reich said the Panthers will play their starters, including No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.This is the first chance for Young to corroborate the overwhelmingly positive reports coming out of training camp. Plus, Young's backup is Andy Dalton, who's been around the league for quite some time. Although he's not starting-caliber anymore, he's still equipped to shred apart a defense full of backups.The Young-Dalton duo that'll be featured in the first half, and maybe for most of the game, is a massive advantage against the Jets' preseason quarterbacks.Even though Miles Sanders won't play Saturday after he tweaked his groin during Wednesday's practice, Chuba Hubbard should earn a big workload. It's hard not to lay the points with Carolina given the reps the starters are bound to play against New York's backups.Pick: Panthers -3.5Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter @soshtry for more betting coverage.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield won't try to emulate Tom Brady to achieve success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season."I've always been myself. That's kind of why people either love or hate me," Mayfield told The Athletic's Mike Jones. "I do it my own way. And I enjoy doing it. I have fun while I'm doing it. ... I respect (Brady) completely, but I'm not going to ever try and be him. I'm not built like him. I don't play like him. So just, yeah, try to be the best version of myself."He added: "Everybody talks about Tom's gone. Yes, he is the greatest quarterback to ever play. But football is the greatest team sport in the world. And so it takes a lot more than just one person. And there's a lot of good pieces here. And, yeah, they were banged up last year. I think everybody's hungry and ready to go."Mayfield is competing for the starting quarterback role against 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask. The winner of the training camp battle will step into the starting position once occupied by Brady. The future Hall of Famer led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl in his first season with the franchise in 2020. Brady announced his retirement in February for the second time in as many offseasons after the Bucs finished the 2022 campaign with an 8-9 record and lost in the wild-card round to the Dallas Cowboys.Head coach Todd Bowles echoed Mayfield's comments about the team not needing either of its passers to imitate their legendary predecessor."We have two different types of quarterbacks, and we're not trying to ask them to be nobody but themselves, and we have guys around them who can make plays," Bowles said.Mayfield joined Tampa Bay after signing a one-year, $4-million contract in March. Despite Mayfield finding himself on his fourth team since 2021, he's attempting to prove he can still be a starting option in the league.The 2018 first overall pick appeared set to be the face of the Cleveland Browns after throwing for 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions and helping them end an 18-year playoff draught in 2020. However, Mayfield hasn't produced a winning record in any season as a starter since.The Oklahoma product spent the first four seasons of his career with the Browns before suiting up for the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams in 2022.Mayfield has thrown for 16,288 yards, 102 touchdowns, and 64 interceptions while posting a 86.5 career quarterback rating. He's also compiled a 31-38 mark as a starter and has played in two postseason games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest.Follow the links below to see his 2023 rankings.Half PPR

Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher Joey Bosa spent a lot of time eating this offseason.Bosa, who's listed at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, told ESPN's Lindsey Thiry that he ate between 4,500 and 5,000 calories per day in order to bulk up for the 2023 season."Eating isn't really enjoyable these days," Bosa said. "It's more so just part of the job."In addition to his usual training regimen, the 28-year-old worked closely with a nutritionist and ensured he always had a refrigerator nearby so that he could eat five-to-six meals every day. His diet consisted of red meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, chickpea pasta, and lots of snacks like pretzels, nuts, and fruit."Was able to stay consistent with all the things that I normally would do," Bosa said. "But the key to gaining weight is just to eat a lot. Eat way more than you want to. And it's no fun a lot of the time."Bosa was limited to five games in 2022 due to a groin injury. He finished the season with 10 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and six quarterback hits.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Week one of the preseason kicks off with two games Thursday night.Some teams are more transparent about preseason playing time than others. For the teams that aren't, the coach's and players' preseason history is often a good indicator.It's important to remember games that are treated as player auditions where the final score is meaningless are hard to truly evaluate, and thus bet on. But we broke down Thursday's slate anyway.Houston Texans @ New England Patriots (+3.5), O/U 37The Texans' preseason opener will be full of debuts. After a disastrous 3-13-1 season that led to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Houston has a load of young talent it hopes is the future of the team. The best way to develop that young talent is through reps, and those reps start in the preseason.That's why rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is starting for the Texans on Thursday.Stroud is +900 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, which is third best among quarterbacks, trailing No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson.The Texans expect the Ohio State product to be the future of the franchise, but it'll take some time. Houston's roster is not ready to compete for a playoff spot this season. Teams with little expectation entering the season are more likely to play their starters because there's less risk. It's also Demeco Ryans' debut as head coach.Any experience against NFL competition is good experience, which is why Stroud and most of the Texans' starters will start on Thursday. Davis Mills, who was Houston's starting quarterback last year and is now the backup, will get a ton of reps, too.Wide receiver John Metchie III is also making his debut. He was drafted in the second round in 2022 but missed his entire rookie season battling leukemia.The Patriots, on the other hand, expect to compete for a playoff spot in the best division in football.Mac Jones and the rest of the Patriots' starters are reportedly not expected to play. Bailey Zappe will start at quarterback.He started multiple games last season after Jones was benched. The Patriots have a deep quarterback room with Trace McSorley and Malik Cunningham, who has reportedly been impressive in training camp.The Texans opened as 1.5-point favorites and have jumped to 3.5-point favorites, an indication most of the money is coming in on Houston. I don't have an official pick, but I'd lean toward laying the points with Houston's young weapons.Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks (-4.5), O/U 35Pete Carroll has kept his preseason plans close to his chest, but it's reasonable to expect most of the starters to play a couple of drives before they are pulled for backups. Geno Smith started in all three preseason games last year and threw 39 total passes, although he was a bigger question mark in Seattle a year ago.Seattle's backup Drew Lock played well in two preseason games last year and will surely get a plethora of reps.Carroll has shown he values the preseason more than many other coaches do. He's covered the spread in 57% of his preseason games as head coach, the third-best percentage against the spread among active coaches.While preseason is a crapshoot and some of that could very well be luck, it's telling that the Seahawks have been successful throughout Carroll's tenure.The Vikings have also not announced official preseason plans. However, their blueprint from last year can help us decipher what they'll do. Kirk Cousins did not play in last year's preseason, so don't expect him to play this season, either.Nick Mullens will likely start at quarterback with rookie Jaren Hall coming in to relieve him. Mullens has had success the last few seasons, jumping from borderline starter to high-end backup. He's thrown for over 5,000 yards in his career, more than most quarterbacks who play substantial minutes in the preseason.Minnesota has one rookie receiver everyone should have their eyes on in Jordan Addison, the 23rd pick out of Pittsburgh. The last time the Vikings spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver was Justin Jefferson, and we all know how that turned out.Another position group to keep an eye on is the running backs. With the departure of Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison assumes the starting role. It's not clear if he'll play much, or at all, against Seattle. Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, and rookie DeWayne McBride will have big roles.Chandler played well last preseason, totaling 113 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.The Vikings, despite entering as underdogs, may have the edge with a talented backup quarterback and young skill players likely to get meaningful reps. But instead of taking a side on the spread, I expect both offenses to shine and will play the over.Pick: Over 35Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter @soshtry for more betting coverage.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on Spotify, Apple, Google, and Stitcher.In this episode, Andrew Erickson of FantasyPros joins Boone to discuss how to approach tight ends in this year's fantasy drafts.

Punches were thrown and players were tussling on the ground Wednesday during a joint practice between the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.Packers left guard Elgton Jenkins was escorted from the field following two separate fights. He struck Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader in the second confrontation."Emotions get high," Green Bay offensive lineman David Bakhtiari said, according to USA Today's Ryan Wood. "I know (Jenkins will) never do it in the game. He's never done that in the game, but it's practice. It's a little bit different. You know you shouldn't, but you also know there's no consequence."Reader described the fracas as a typical training camp fight."Guys in they feelings about whatever. Who knows? I have no idea. He might've had a bad day today," Reader said when asked about the incident, per Cincinnati Bengals Talk. "Seemed positive early in practice and then it turned real negative for him. He wanted to get kicked out. He just didn't want to practice. He'll be out there Friday. We'll see him."Reader even shared his displeasure about the two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman on Twitter, calling Jenkins an abbreviation for "just another guy."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans praised Johnny Manziel after the former Cleveland Browns quarterback opened up about his mental health struggles."I thought it was very noble of him to do what he did, 'cause it takes heart to, like, admit a lot of that stuff," Evans said, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine.In Netflix's "Untold: Johnny Football," Manziel revealed that he attempted suicide after the Browns cut him in 2016. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and refused to enter rehab. He added that he began self-sabotaging, eventually going on a "$5-million bender" before attempting suicide with a gun.Evans said he was aware that Manziel - his former teammate at Texas A&M - had been addressing his mental health. However, the veteran pass-catcher didn't know the degree of those struggles."I knew he was in a very dark place; I didn't know about that," Evans said of Manziel. "I care about him, but, you know, I didn't know about his suicide attempt. That was news."Manziel and Evans are both in the Texas A&M Hall of Fame. They played together on the Aggies for two seasons before being drafted in 2014. Manziel joined the Browns as the 22nd pick that year, while the Buccaneers selected Evans seventh overall."He's a super-talented guy," Evans said of Manziel. "I mean, obviously his time, it came and gone, gone real fast, and that's hard for people to deal with. Especially, he's like the first of his kind - a rockstar (college) quarterback who's hanging with all celebrities. That's like the first of his kind, so he was in a tough spot early on."Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers praised Carolina Panthers rookie passer Bryce Young after the teams' joint practice Wednesday."I like the kid a lot," Rodgers said of Young, according to Carolina Blitz. "We share an agent, so I've known about him for a long time. I loved watching him in college. I like his demeanor, I like his movements, I like the way he throws. ... I think Carolina is in good hands."The Panthers shared a video of the two quarterbacks chatting at practice Wednesday.Carolina selected Young first overall in this year's draft following his impressive career at Alabama. The 22-year-old passed for 79 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in two seasons as the Crimson Tide's starter. He also won the Heisman Trophy in 2021.Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, joined the Jets this offseason as part of a trade from the Green Bay Packers. The 39-year-old led Green Bay to a Super Bowl title and earned 10 Pro Bowl nods while making 223 regular-season starts with the franchise from 2005-22.He also offered Young some career advice."Be gentle with yourself, it's a long journey," Rodgers said, according to Steve Reed of The Associated Press. "It feels like every little snap and practice is the end of the world if it doesn't go right; it's not true. It's a long journey. It's about holding on to your confidence and enjoying the ride, enjoying the little things every day. But I think he's got a great head on his shoulders and he'll be just fine."Young said he has a lot of respect for Rodgers."When you talk about someone like Aaron Rodgers, who's had so much success for so long, any advice that he gives me, I'll definitely be receptive to it," Young said Wednesday, per ESPN's David Newton.The Panthers and Jets have struggled at quarterback in recent years, with each team starting three different QBs in 2022. Carolina hasn't made the playoffs since 2017, while New York's last postseason appearance dates back to the 2010 campaign, the longest drought in the league.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.More in this series

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.With the NFL season quickly approaching, it's time to revisit this season's fantasy breakout candidates.More in this series