NFC NORTH

DETROIT

With the writing on the wall, RB JUSTIN JACKSON opted to put some writing on retirement papers (presumably).  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

Just 18 days after re-signing with the Lions, running back Justin Jackson has retired from the NFL at age 27, the team announced Thursday. The former Chargers reserve, who appeared in 16 games for Detroit in 2022, was competing for the No. 3 RB job and reportedly also expected to serve as the team’s primary kick returner.

The Lions overhauled their RB room this offseason, trading D’Andre Swift and signing former Bears starter David Montgomery to replace Jamaal Williams, then spending a first-round draft pick on Jahmyr Gibbs. They re-signed Jackson, whose contract expired in March, on July 22 to compete with Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson for the third-string role.

Jackson, who scored two touchdowns in 2022, had seemingly become the front-runner to earn that job in training camp. Originally a seventh-round pick of the Chargers out of Northwestern in 2018, he spent his first four years in Los Angeles, totaling just over 1,500 scrimmage yards behind the likes of Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon and Joshua Kelley.

The Lions on Thursday signed former Steelers reserve Benny Snell Jr. to bolster the preseason RB competition. Jackson, meanwhile, is the second notable RB to abruptly retire in recent weeks. Former Patriots starter Sony Michel rejoined the Rams to compete for a reserve role on June 20, only to announce his own retirement just over a month later.

MINNESOTA

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com was impressed with RB TY CHANDLER in Thursday night’s preseason opener:

Running back Ty Chandler took advantage of an extended look Thursday night as he competes for the No. 2 job behind starter Alexander Mattison. Playing for almost the entire first half, Chandler rushed for 41 yards on 11 carries, while also catching four passes for another 29 yards. Along the way, he demonstrated his ability to make the first defender miss. And he did so, coach Kevin O’Connell said at halftime, on some plays that were not blocked well. With Kene Nwangwu sidelined by injury for most of camp and rookie DeWayne McBride struggling, Chandler has a clear path to the No. 2 job at this point. — Kevin Seifert

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

More on mean old Eric Bieniemy.  This from Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera raised some eyebrows this week when he said that some of his players have come to him with concerns about how intense new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is. But Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel is thrilled with what Bieniemy is bringing to the team.

“I love the new offense,” Samuel told JP Finlay of NBC Sports. “Coach is going to give us a lot of opportunities to be the best we can be.”

As for Bieniemy’s intensity, Samuel says it should be welcomed by any player who wants a coach who will bring the best out of him.

“He’s a tough coach but nothing I’m not used to — it’s like a college environment,” Samuel said. “When you’ve got a coach like that 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.”

During Bieniemy’s successful tenure as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, several players in Kansas City made similar comments about how Bieniemy made them better. That’s what Rivera brought Bieniemy to Washington to do.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

The Panthers will be playing their starters more than most teams this preseason.  Steve Reed of the AP:

Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich informed his players that nearly all should expect to play in Saturday’s preseason home opener against the New York Jets.

Reich said it’s largely because the Panthers have new coaches, new schemes and several new players. They need to get prepared for the start of the regular season, which begins with two straight games against NFC South division foes.

“We just feel like we’re at a different stage,“ than other teams, Reich said. ”A lot of teams won’t play their starters in the preseason. We’ve talked as a team from the very beginning and said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna play in the preseason.’ … We’ve got to get ready to go.”

Meanwhile, the Jets plan to rest 18-year veteran Aaron Rodgers, and coach Robert Saleh was non-committal Thursday on if the other starters will play in their second preseason game, saying only “we’ll see.”

The Panthers plan to give No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young his first career preseason start, although it’s unclear how much he’ll play.

Reich has been impressed with how the 22-year-old Young has progressed, saying the rookie from Alabama has “checked all of the boxes he needed to check” during training camp.

“Taking over the huddle, his leadership in the locker room and on the field, his command of the offense… they are all things that have showed up again and again,” Reich said.

Added Panthers backup QB Andy Dalton: “Bryce has had a really good camp. I think he feels really comfortable with everything that we are doing and this (offense) is really tailored to his skillset.”

RB MILES SANDERS is one Panther who will not play.  The former Eagle has a groin problem.

TAMPA BAY

Before a preseason snap is taken, Coach Todd Bowles implies there is a leader in the battle between BAKER MAYFIELD and KYLE TRASK for the QB1 job.  JoeBucsFan thinks it is Baker.

Stunning words from head coach Todd Bowles this afternoon.

Bowles hopped on SiriusXM NFL Radio and was asked, of course, about the quarterback battle between Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield.

Instead of the usual pablum, Bowles implied there’s an in-house stat sheet with a clear leader. He also said the Bucs have a strong feel of their desired quarterback direction.

Here’s the verbatim exchange with co-host Pat Kirwan.

Pat Kirwan: How long can that go on? … Do you feel like, ‘I gotta start focusing on one of them?’ What do they have to do to get more reps than the other guy?

Todd Bowles: We got a good basis of where we are with those two guys. And we just need to see some things Friday as far as running the offense and getting a feel for where they are. We kind of have a good basis and ground basis of what we want to do. But seeing them perform is completely different from game to practice. So we got an idea and we got a good feel. So we’ll kind of let it play out a little bit more. but we have a good stat sheet where we kind of have everything rated of how we see them.

Not long ago Joe asked Bowles if there’s a quarterback scorecard of sorts. Bowles said, “No,” but his full response was more of a roundabout answer that the team wasn’t in that position yet.

Well, it now seems there is a report card sitting in a locked conference room at One Buc Palace.

Joe would be stunned if Baker Mayfield’s name doesn’t have the extra gold star on it.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

WR HOLLYWOOD BROWN isn’t concerned about Arizona’s pass offense – after all he played in Baltimore.

Cardinals wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is confident that whatever the team’s new offense looks like this season, he’ll be able to do more than he did during his time with the Ravens.

Brown, who was traded from Baltimore to Arizona last year amid talk that he didn’t like playing in the Ravens’ run-heavy offense, was asked if he has any concerns about the Cardinals’ new offensive scheme this season.

“Not really. I mean, I played in Baltimore,” Brown said. “I played in Baltimore, so I’ve been in it. When I met with these guys and they told me their philosophies and their thought process, I was like, OK, I can work with it, and this is something that we need as a team, and we can thrive in.”

The Cardinals acquired Brown in part because he’s close to quarterback Kyler Murray, and Brown said he thinks Murray will thrive in the new offense. But for now, Murray is hurt and Colt McCoy is slated to start at quarterback early in the season.

“Colt is like another coach,” Brown said. “He’s great to have out there.”

No matter who’s at quarterback, Brown thinks he’s in a better offense than the one he had in Baltimore.

SAN FRANCISCO

The 49ers never had to cross this bridge because they lost to the Eagles after QB BROCK PURDY went down – but Philip Rivers could have started a Super Bowl.  Kyle Shanahan on that and the departure of QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO with Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

Long before the San Francisco 49ers ran out of healthy quarterbacks in their NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, they had begun making contingency plans for the position had they advanced to Super Bowl LVII.

One of those plans involved bringing veteran signal-caller Philip Rivers out of retirement to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He was prepared to,” Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday. “Now that’s stuff we talked about throughout the whole year. We would’ve had to have seen how that was for the Super Bowl, but that was the plan most of the year.”

That possibility never materialized as the Niners lost starter Brock Purdy to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and backup Josh Johnson to a concussion. Purdy finished the game but was unable to throw, essentially eliminating any chance the 49ers had of advancing. Those injuries came after the Niners lost Trey Lance to a broken right ankle in Week 2 and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to a broken left foot Dec. 4.

Had the Niners defeated the Eagles and signed Rivers, he would have been playing in the league for the first time since 2020. But joining the Niners in that hypothetical scenario would have given Rivers, 41, his first chance to play in a Super Bowl.

In 17 seasons as the quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts, Rivers was an eight-time Pro Bowler and the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2013. He ranks sixth all time in passing yards (63,440) and touchdowns (421) and 16th in passer rating (95.2).

Since retiring on Jan. 20, 2021, Rivers has served as the coach of the St. Michael Catholic High team in Fairhope, Alabama.

For his part, Rivers told AL.com in March that teams reached out to him during the season to gauge his interest in playing again but that he told them he did not foresee that.

“I heard from a couple of teams, just kind of checking in,” Rivers told AL.com. “I didn’t contact anyone and I’m not going anywhere. I think maybe some teams, with some guys going down, may have been just looking for a contingency plan.”

At the time, a more realistic option for the Niners appeared to already be on the roster. After Garoppolo’s injury, both he and the team held out hope he’d be able to play again if the Niners made it deep enough into the postseason.

And while Garoppolo did not make it back in time for the NFC Championship Game, he remained optimistic that he would be available had the Niners advanced.

“I was doing my thing, trying to get my foot ready,” Garoppolo said Thursday. “It didn’t work out how I wished it would have.”

Garoppolo and the Niners had a reunion of sorts Thursday as the 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders are holding joint practices in Henderson, Nevada, before Sunday’s preseason opener between the teams.

The Raiders signed Garoppolo to be their starting quarterback in March after the Niners made clear that there was no scenario in which they could bring back Garoppolo, especially from a financial standpoint.

Shanahan reiterated Thursday that his simple answer when asked whether Garoppolo could return was not meant to brush aside what the quarterback did for the organization.

“I think Jimmy was unbelievable for us,” Shanahan said. “We won lots of games. I think that was a simple question. Is there a scenario where he’ll be back here next year? And I give a common sense answer, and no. I think that was a little overblown on trying to be a shot at him or anything. We knew Jimmy wasn’t coming back on his standpoint and our standpoint financially and everything. So that was just the common sense answer. But anytime I’ve been asked about Jimmy and what he meant to us and how he was, I’ve never said it differently. Jimmy was unbelievable here.”

SEATTLE

An update on WR CADE JOHNSON, stretchered off from Thursday’s game with the Vikings, from Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Seahawks wide receiver Cade Johnson left Thursday night’s game on a stretcher and went to a local hospital to be evaluated for head and neck injuries.

The team said that the trip to the hospital was made out of precaution and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll offered an update on Johnson’s condition after the game was over. Carroll said that Johnson suffered a concussion, but avoided any other injuries.

“The first thing that we heard was that it was no findings,” Carroll said, via the team’s website. “I think he got concussed, but there were no findings beyond that at this point, so we got a real good report, the early one, I’m hoping that’s conclusive, but that’s what we heard . . . They just went to the max precautions, and the findings were already really positive.”

Johnson made four appearances for the Seahawks last season. He had two catches for 21 yards in three regular season games and had three catches for 39 yards in their lone postseason outing.

Meanwhile QB DREW LOCK was impressive in the game. Alper again:

Quarterback Drew Lock is starting his second season with the Seahawks, but he had never played on the team’s home field before Thursday night.

Lock did not play in the team’s lone preseason home game last summer and he didn’t play at all in the regular season after losing a competition for the starting job to Geno Smith. Lock re-signed with the Seahawks to serve as Smith’s backup again this year, but Smith didn’t play against the Vikings on Thursday night and Lock went 17-of-24 for 191 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in a 24-13 win.

“Overall it just felt great,” Lock said, via the team’s website. “To be playing football again, gosh . . . It’s weird when you go a whole year without taking a snap. Props to G for doing that last year and rallying this team and getting us to the playoffs, but man it felt good to finally be back out there.”

Lock said the “want and the desire to get out there on that field” was palpable for him last year, but he’s “never disappointed” when the team and Smith are doing as well as they did while making the playoffs in 2022. He said he re-signed with the team because he wants to “be a part of special” and believes that the Seahawks are capable of being exactly that in 2023.

AFC WEST

LAS VEGAS

WR DAVANTE ADAMS left Friday’s joint practice with the 49ers early, but Coach Josh McDaniels doesn’t seem too concerned.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

While Raiders receiver Davante Adams had to exit Friday’s joint practice with the 49ers early with an apparent right leg injury, it sounds like Adams may be OK.

“I haven’t seen anything. I don’t think it was crazy serious,” head coach Josh McDaniels said of Adams’ injury in his Friday press conference. “It was just kind of a bang-bang play — totally clean on both sides.”

On the first play of 11-on-11 drills, Adams took a hit from 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward and stayed down, according to multiple reporters on the scene. He was favoring his right leg as he limped off the field under his own power.

Adams is, of course, a key component to any success the Raiders will have offensively in 2023 — particularly since running back Josh Jacobs has not signed his franchise tender and remains away from the team.

In 2022, Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards with a league-leading 14 touchdowns.

As McDaniels noted, several more players were not practicing for Las Vegas on Friday — including receiver Hunter Renfrow and edge rusher Chandler Jones.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

Gone is Greg Roman, in is Todd Monken.  Ted Ngyuen of The Athletic on what it means:

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Going from Greg Roman to Todd Monken as offensive coordinator doesn’t mean the option is going away — that would be foolish — but it means fewer two-back sets with Patrick Ricard and multiple tight-end sets and more 11 personnel with a revamped wide receiver corps. Monken will deploy more spread formations and clean up a passing game that was chaotic at times. The Ravens will attempt to keep the best parts of Roman’s option game but do it with more space and complement it with a more efficient passing game.

A lot more will be put on Jackson’s plate and the offense will ride more on Jackson’s arm. He’ll have more freedom at the line of scrimmage to audible into favorable plays, and the dial will turn to favor more passing. Since 2019, the Ravens rank 23rd in Cook Index, which measures how frequently teams pass the ball on first and second downs in the first 28 minutes of regulation before time remaining and score differential influence run-pass tendencies. When Monken called plays for the Buccaneers in 2018, they ranked third in Cook Index. While I don’t expect Monken to turn the dial that far in the other direction, his offense will represent a philosophical shift that will give Jackson the opportunity to take the next step as a passer.

PITTSBURGH

DB PATRICK PETERSON is moving inside.  Ted Ngyuen of The Athletic:

Steelers DB Patrick Peterson

Peterson was one of the top outside corners in the game for a decade, but he’s 33 years old and his speed has been notably declining. Playing outside exclusively at a high level requires speed, but Peterson still has a lot to offer mentally, which is why he could be moving around the Steelers’ secondary this season.

“I hope that is in the coach’s plans, especially now being this late in my career. I feel like the game is so much slower to me now,’ Peterson said when he first signed with the Steelers on his podcast “All Things Covered.” “So, I see it in a different light, at a different speed. I have a different perspective. I have so much more knowledge of what I have, understanding what’s going to happen to me, and that’s why I’m able to be in position to make plays. Yeah, I might not be the fastest anymore, but this right here (tapping head) on top of my shoulders.”

On a later pod, Peterson confirmed that the Steelers coaches agreed with his assessment. Peterson said defensive backs coach Grady Brown said they would use him like Cameron Sutton, which means that they’ll move him around from nickel to safety. Hall of Famer Charles Woodson made a similar transition from outside corner to nickel/safety as a Green Bay Packer at age 30. Woodson would go on to win Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009, making plays all over the field. Holding Peterson to that standard is unfair, but I have high hopes for Peterson’s position change in a Steelers defense that has the potential to be very good this year.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Perhaps due to shaky blocking, QB C.J. STROUD was not a star in his debut.  DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN.com:

Texans: C.J. Stroud struggled in his first preseason start, which could allow the quarterback competition with Davis Mills to linger. Stroud played two series and went 2-for-4 for 13 yards with an interception. Mills went 9-for-12 for 99 yards with a touchdown. Stroud appeared to be separating in the competition as coach DeMeco Ryans gave Stroud all the first-team offensive reps in practice as he showed better command of the offense. But in his first NFL action, he was tentative, took a sack and threw an interception that led to a Patriots’ field goal. He didn’t have excellent protection, as he was under pressure on 60% of his dropbacks. On the other hand, Mills led the Texans to their only points of the first half with a touchdown throw to rookie receiver Tank Dell. — DJ Bien-Aime

INDIANAPOLIS

Rookie QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON will start for the Colts in the preseason opener.  Joel Erickson of the Indy Star:

Anthony Richardson was given the news right before the start of Thursday’s practice

The rookie is going to start the first preseason game of his NFL career.

Pleased with the progression he’s seen from Richardson, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen plans to throw the team’s first-round pick into the fire against the Bills defense and play Richardson at least a quarter.

“I want to see where he’s at,” Steichen said. “He’s been doing a nice job. Get him out there with the guys and go from there.”

Colts mailbag:Who makes it out of the TE room? How much will Anthony Richardson play in preseason?

Steichen left open the possibility that Richardson could play more than the rest of the starters. Indianapolis will pull its starters out of the game on a “case-by-case” basis.

Richardson’s earned the opportunity to play right away by taking ownership of the Colts offense.

From start to finish in training camp, the rookie’s energy has been infectious, and it’s clear he’s been trying to establish a rapport with the entire roster. Even when veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew has taken the first-team snaps, Richardson has opened practice periods by going to each player on the first-team offense with a fist-bump.

“The way he’s kind of melded into this offense, started to make it his own,” tight end Kylen Granson said. “We throw a lot at you right off the bat. … I couldn’t even imagine, as a quarterback, having to learn so much more, everything rests on your shoulders, but he’s taken it in stride, shown to be a leader. I’m excited to see how he does.”

Richardson’s excited to see the same.

There’s no way to know exactly how he’ll play. For all of the first-team work he’s done with the Colts this season, he still hasn’t played an NFL snap against another team. 

“Honestly, I don’t know (where I’m at) because I haven’t gone up against anybody yet,” Richardson said. “But I feel like I’m in a good spot, and hopefully I can showcase that Saturday.”

Richardson will also be able to take contact for the first time in an NFL uniform, a double-edged sword in a preseason game.

On the one hand, Richardson can finally take the governor off his legs and cut loose.

But he still has to be smart about taking hits. Even at Richardson’s size — the 6-5 quarterback weighs 250 pounds now — there isn’t much reason to take a big hit in a preseason game.

The Colts are confident the rookie’s natural instincts will keep him from taking the kind of hit that could end his season prematurely. 

“That’s one of his powers, that’s what makes him a dynamic player,” Steichen said. “Obviously, being safe, but he has natural feel, watching his college tape, for getting down, being smart.”

Indianapolis has telegraphed its desire to get Richardson into the starting lineup as early as possible from the moment Roger Goodell read the quarterback’s name on the podium during the NFL draft.

The No. 4 pick has played a lot less football than other rookie quarterbacks. Richardson spent just one season as the full-time starter at Florida. Because of that, the Colts believe he will develop best by getting on the field, and for that reason, Richardson is still in a battle with Minshew to be the team’s opening-day starter.

Buffalo represents Richardson’s first real chance to put a stamp on that battle.

“I know I’m going to be anxious,” Richardson said. “I get to play football again, so that’s always something big, and then being on the big stage, even going to Buffalo, I’ve never been, so it’s a first for everything. I’m excited.”

The key for Richardson will be to move past the nerves and play football. Unfortunately, his family likely won’t be able to be in Buffalo — Richardson’s little brother has a game Saturday — but the eyes of the Colts fan base will be all over him.

The rookie has been on upward trajectory in practices over the course of the past week, and he has to focus on the task at hand.

– – –

RB JONATHAN TAYLOR may return to Indy next week.  Josh Alper ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Colts have an idea when running back Jonathan Taylor will be back with the team, but there’s no such clarity when it comes to when he might return to practice.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Thursday that the team expects Taylor to return to the team next week. Taylor has been rehabbing his injured ankle on his own this week and has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp.

Taylor has also asked for a trade amid a push for a new contract, but the Colts have been unwilling to move on either front. That situation joins Taylor’s injury as reasons why it is unclear when Taylor might get on the field.

“I don’t have an answer for that and a timetable on that. But really looking forward to getting him back and getting him healthy and getting him back out there playing with the guys,” Steichen said, via Kevin Hickey of USAToday.com.

The Colts are also missing Zack Moss because of a broken arm, so they are quite thin in the backfield as they prepare to play their first preseason game of the summer.

JACKSONVILLE

Warning from Doug Pederson – QB TREVOR LAWRENCE is really spinning it this year.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence made some significant strides in his first to second NFL year, in no small part because his coaching dramatically improved in 2022.

As Jacksonville readies for a 2023 with more external expectations, head coach Doug Pederson had some positive remarks about the quarterback and how he might play in the coming season.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s throwing the ball the best I’ve seen him in the year and a half I’ve been with Trevor,” Pederson said 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.”

Pederson also complimented Lawrence on his maturity and the work the quarterback has been able to do with his position coach, Mike McCoy.

“He’s mature above his years. And I’ll tell you this, 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,” Pederson said. “Mike McCoy has done a great job of just sort of — because Mike coached Peyton Manning, he coached Philip Rivers, he’s coached some Hall of Fame-type quarterbacks. So being able to pour that knowledge and understanding into Trevor, a young quarterback, has been valuable to Trevor.”

Lawrence finished his second season having completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In two postseason games, Lawrence had a 60.5 percent completion rate for 505 yards with five TDs and five picks.

If the Jaguars are going to repeat as AFC South champions, the club will need Lawrence to continue to grow as a franchise quarterback.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

WR? QB?  What’s going on with MALIK CUNNINGHAM from Jeff Kerr ofCBSSports.com:

Malik Cunningham playing quarterback is nothing new, even if that position isn’t what the New England Patriots signed him to play. An undrafted free agent out of Louisville, Cunningham played quarterback in college but was converted to wide receiver in New England in hopes of making the roster.

The Patriots have used Cunningham at quarterback in some training camp practices, and transferred that into game action. Cunningham played quarterback in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s 20-9 preseason loss to the Houston Texans, completing 3 of 4 passes for 19 yards. He also led the team in rushing, having five carries for 34 yards and a touchdown — the team’s only touchdown of the night.

Fair to say Cunningham provided a spark in the offense.

“That’s his opportunity. He’s done a good job with it,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of Cunningham playing quarterback. “He’s embraced it, he’s worked hard, he’s improved a lot as a receiver. Snaps he’s had at quarterback in practice and tonight, he’s done a pretty good job.”

Cunningham’s athleticism has stood out in training camp, similar to his playing days at Louisville. He threw for 9,660 yards and 70 touchdowns while rushing for 3,179 yards and 50 touchdowns in five seasons. Not only did Cunningham succeed Lamar Jackson at Louisville, but Belichick has a history of converting good college quarterbacks into NFL wide receivers (see Julian Edelman).

No matter what role Cunningham is in, he’s good with whatever New England asks of him.

“It feels good. I mean tough player, I’m a team player, so whatever the coaches need me to do, I’m going to do it for the team,” Cunningham said. “That’s what happened, Coach told me to go to quarterback, and we had no touchdowns, so I told the O-line, the whole group, that we were going to go down and score and that’s what we did.”

Cunningham could be competing with Trace McSorley for the third quarterback job or with multiple others for a wide receiver spot on the depth chart. His versatility is more than intriguing for a Patriots offense that could benefit from his skill set. 

“Is it difficult? No, I feel like I’m a very clever, smart kid and the coaches have been doing a good job with me, explaining, breaking it down, helping me learn,” Cunningham said on playing quarterback. “The quarterbacks, the receivers, all those guys have been nothing but help to me, so I appreciate them.”

Cunningham, from Montgomery, Alabama, started 47 games at Louisville.  He spent 6 seasons in the ‘Ville, with a 2017 red-shirt year, three starts in 2018, then 4 years as the primary starter.

This note –

Cunningham originally went by his middle name, Malik, before changing to his true first name, Micale, midway through the 2019 season. He again went by Malik in 2020.

THIS AND THAT

BETTING ON THE ROOKIE QBs

From a gambling perspective, Mark Drumheller of YahooSports.com looks at the rookie QBs:

The NFL is all about the quarterback. Selecting one early in the draft is one of the most significant moves a franchise can make. It marks a starting point of a new era, and puts a face to its vision of the future.

The front office, coaching staff, players and fans are all ready to turn the page on the previous challenging season and embrace a new direction.

In today’s NFL, they usually don’t have to wait very long to see their quarterback in action. There will always be exceptions like Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love. But for the vast majority of these guys, the luxury of learning on the sidelines is not an option. That appears to be the case with this year’s class. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson each could realistically be under center when the season opens.

Wagering on win totals isn’t always just about combing over the schedule, grading offseason moves and applying your projections. It can be beneficial to target situations that surface year after year, and see if the historical data can provide a small edge. That can be new head coaches, quarterbacks with new playcallers or rookies playing against NFL defenses for the first time.

Clevanalytics had some interesting data on the success of teams that relied on first-round quarterbacks (for at least nine starts) in their rookie season. Since 2014, only 36% of teams went over their preseason win total. Going back to 2002, only 26.8% have won more than 50% of the games they started in Year 1. These are both based on small sample sizes, and the results are a combination of the massive jump from college and the lofty expectations from bettors for these players.

How will this season’s rookie quarterbacks fare? Are there any that are worth betting on? As always, that depends on the odds. Let’s take a look at each team’s win total.

Carolina Panthers

Over 7.5 -115

Under 7.5 +105

Bryce Young OROY +450

Bryce Young has the highest ceiling of the entire class but that comes with a serious caveat — his size. That has to be considered when betting on his performance this season. Outside of any durability concerns, building an offense to maximize his potential will be a gradual process.

As Young gets acclimated to the size and speed of the NFL defenders, it will be up to Panthers head coach Frank Reich to design plays that create clear throwing lanes for his young passer. Reich has always been a conservative play-caller who relies on the running game a little too much. In his last three full seasons in Indianapolis, his teams ran the rock at the fifth, ninth and fifth-highest rates in the league.

I am skeptical that Adam Thielen has much left in the tank, and swapping out D.J. Moore for D.J. Chark is a downgrade. They have a very manageable schedule, but I still project them to finish below New Orleans and Atlanta. The defense allowed more explosive plays (127) than any other team in the division, which isn’t a good combination with a rookie QB and conservative play-caller. I am excited for Young’s future in the long term, but I can’t justify playing over on the win total at this price. I don’t see how the offense will be explosive enough to warrant a bet on OROY at such short odds. Bet: Under 7.5

Houston Texans

Over 6.5 +110

Under 6.5 -135

C.J. Stroud OROY +850

The contrast of short-term production and long-term potential is even more pronounced in Houston. The hire of Demeco Ryans was impressive, but it’s going to take more than one aggressive draft to get this roster where it needs to be. Ryans brought in Bobby Slowik, former 49ers assistant and Pro Football Focus alum, to mold Stroud into a franchise quarterback.

Anyone who watched Stroud work Kirby Smart’s defense knows he’s up for the challenge, but he won’t get the protection he had in the Big Ten. Houston’s offense line is improving, but it’s still in the bottom half of the league. They are rolling the dice with Shaq Mason and counting on Juice Scruggs to slide into a starting role immediately.

The defense was a mess in 2022, ranking 26th in success rate and 31st in explosive plays allowed. Speaking of explosive plays, Stroud won’t have the benefit of those with the Texans receivers. That will only make converting drives into points tougher, which limits his ability to garner attention in the awards market. Bet: Under 6 -110.

Indianapolis Colts

Over 6.5 -130

Under 6.5 +110

Anthony Richardson OROY +700

I liked the Colts a lot more before Jim Irsay stoked the flames in the Jonathan Taylor feud. Hopefully, Saquon Barkley can share his epiphany with the Colts’ star running back by September. I already have a Richardson OROY bet in the account, but let’s touch on why I took action.

Admittedly, Young and Stroud are far more polished, with a lower floor, giving them a higher probability to reach their potential. If you ask who I think is most likely to have the best career — it’s not Richardson. Keep in mind, we are only betting on this season. New head coach Shane Steichen is a solid fit to get the most out of Richardson.

All three quarterbacks will be simply trying to survive until the game slows down, but it’s Richardson’s rocket arm and dual-threat ability that could produce the best results while in fight-or-flight mode. Michael Pittman Jr. had a ton of success with Carson Wentz, who unconditionally trusted him to win contested catches. Richardson has the arm strength to execute on big plays down the field, especially now that they have more speed to stretch defenses with the addition of Isaiah McKenzie.

We have to keep our fingers crossed Jonathan Taylor, or a solid free-agent alternative, can do the heavy lifting on offense to keep the chains moving. After last season, it’s hard to see Irsay not doing something drastic to fill the void if Taylor isn’t on the field. That could backfire, but the Colts have one of the easiest projected schedules (29th SOS). I’m not backing down on Indianapolis, but the win total banks on how the running back situation unfolds. Bet: Over 6.5 -130

BROADCAST NEWS

This seems like big news – you can bypass Direct TV with NFL+:

NFL+, the league’s streaming video subscription service, will now offer the ability to watch NFL Network and NFL RedZone, the NFL announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:

NFL+, now in its second season, will include a live stream of NFL Network in addition to access to live out-of-market preseason games, local and primetime regular season and postseason games. It costs $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

Fans can upgrade to NFL+ Premium for $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year to get NFL RedZone as well. The program is hosted by Scott Hanson and produced by NFL Network. It’s also available with a subscription to DirectTV, YouTubeTV and other streaming services.

NFL+ was available for $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually when it launched last season. The premium version was $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why is this significant?

This is huge news for NFL fans who have always dreamed of getting NFL RedZone and NFL Network direct to consumer. RedZone, in particular, has always been an intoxicating product, with host Hanson rightfully becoming one of NFL’s most popular broadcasters because of his devotion to multiple-screen action and “the witching hour.”

“People have asked me all the time where can I watch NFL RedZone, how can I get it on the go?” Hanson said today during a conference call. Now, they have their answer (for a cost).

Like all entities, the future (and current) is direct-to-consumer strategy and today’s announcement continues the NFL’s ultimate media strategy which is both reach and the accumulation of money — Deitsch

What about the price point?

The NFL’s senior vice president of NFL Media, David Jurenka, said Thursday that the league based its price point on research that showed what would be affordable for a base tier and a premium tier. At least anecdotally, there have been plenty of consumers who have wanted the Red Zone but did not want to pay hundreds of dollars for Pay TV.

Is $14.99/month ($99.99/year) fair value for the NFL+ tier including Red Zone, NFL Network, game replays, the All-22 Coaches Film? We’ll see. The league says its data shows there are 180 million NFL fans (this probably is a liberal number that includes many casuals), so that’s the base of potential customers for a direct-to-consumer product. — Deitsch

What they’re saying

“We launched NFL+ last season to further grow our direct relationship with millions of fans,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said a release Thursday. “The response was excellent. And as we embark on the second season of NFL+, we are excited to add NFL Network and NFL RedZone and provide greater access to football content for NFL fans everywhere.”

Backstory

In June, the NFL and DirecTV announced they had agreed to a multiyear renewal that for the first time includes RedZone access for all DirecTV customers. DirecTV used to produce its own version of the show, but last December, the NFL moved on from its Sunday Ticket deal with DirectTV, instead announcing a seven-year deal with YouTube. The YouTube deal is worth about $2 billion a year, per a source familiar with the deal.