Kellen Moore: Saints’ QB Competition Too Close To Name Starter
AUGUST 23: When speaking to the media on Saturday, Moore said (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell) a final decision on the team’s starting gig will be made “at some point in the next few days.” The evaluation process will include breaking down today’s preseason finale, which saw each of Rattler, Shough and Haener take part. 15 days remain until the Saints’ regular season opener.
AUGUST 21, 4:01pm: Moore announced on Thursday afternoon that Rattler would start against the Broncos on Saturday, suggesting he has a slight edge in the race to be the Saints’ Week 1 starter under center.
3:29pm: Although the Browns and Colts began the week by settling their Week 1 starting quarterbacks, the Saints are not there yet. New Orleans’ starting quarterback competition between Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough will go on for another week.
Head coach Kellen Moore declined to name a starter going into the team’s third preseason game and said (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell) that Rattler and Shough have been “really really close…going all the way back to the start of training camp.”
“I think both these guys are putting in tremendous effort, tremendous work,” added Moore.
The two young passers have put up improbably similar statistics across two preseason games. On 44 dropbacks, Rattler has completed 25 of his 35 attempts for 252 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Shough dropped back 40 times and completed 24 of his 35 attempts for 231 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Their efficiency markers are just as close, in terms of completion percentage (Rattler’s 71.4% to Shough’s 70.6%), yards per attempt (7.2 to 6.8), and passer rating (89.2 to 86.8).
Interestingly, PFF’s grades clearly favor Rattler (70.8 passing grade, 71.4 overall) to Shough (57.3, 56.8), though each was credited with two Big Time Throws and one Turnover Worthy play. Rattler did have a substantially higher average depth of target (8.3 to Shough’s 6.8) and a much lower pressure to sack rate (15.8% to Shough’s 30.8%).
The Saints, of course, will have their own method of choosing a starter. Saturday’s preseason finale against the Broncos will likely be a major factor.
Falcons Conduct First Wave Of Roster Cuts
With Tuesday’s roster deadline approaching, the Falcons have begun making required cuts. These 12 players were let go on Saturday:
Released:
- DL Morgan Fox
- CB Lamar Jackson
- LB Caleb Johnson
Waived:
- OL Matthew Cindric
- QB Ben DiNucci
- RB Elijah Dotson
- TE Nikola Kalinic
- LB Nick Kubitz
- WR Jesse Matthews
- OLB Ronnie Perkins
- WR Quincy Skinner Jr.
- S Josh Thompson
Fox signed with Atlanta early in free agency, and the veteran appeared to be slated to handle a role along the defensive line as a result. Somewhat surprisingly, though, he has been released. Fox played in all three of the team’s preseason contests, a sign he was on the roster bubble. The 30-year-old will now hit the market in search of his next opportunity (which will no doubt present itself after final cuts are made and teams sort out their initial rosters).
DiNucci signed on Monday and by doing so provided the Falcons with a contributor under center for their preseason finale. Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins sat out the contest in preparation for their respective roles as starter and backup in 2025. Unless he is retained via the practice squad, DiNucci will need to look elsewhere while aiming to latch onto an NFL roster.
As a result of today’s moves, the Falcons are down to 77 players on their roster. Like every other team, they will need to bring that total to 53 by Tuesday afternoon.
Jets Begin Roster Cuts
The Jets are the latest team to unveil an early round of roster cuts ahead of the upcoming deadline. Per a team announcement, the following six players have been waived:
- CB Mario Goodrich
- T Samuel Jackson
- TE Neal Johnson
- WR Dymere Miller
- DT Fatorma Mullbah
- WR Ontaria Wilson
Each member of the list will now hit the waiver wire. Usually, a one-day period exists for a claim to be made. At this point on the NFL calendar, however, that timeframe lasts until Wednesday (the day following final roster cuts). As such, each player listed will need to wait several days to learn their fate.
Johnson signed a futures deal with New York in January, whereas Miller and Mullbah were part of the team’s UDFA class. They each received a lengthy look in the organization, but today’s move obviously comes as little surprise as the journey to 53 continues in New York’s case. A spot on the practice squad will of course be possible for any players not claimed next week.
Wilson’s situation will be worth watching. The Florida State product enjoyed a strong campaign in 2024 with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers before attempting to land an NFL roster spot. Provided he reaches free agency by means of not being claimed or signing with the Jets’ practice squad, a trip north of the border could once again be in store.
Saints’ OL Depth Hurting
After a year in which two offensive line positions were essentially revolving doors for starters, the Saints entered their offseason program with a strong plan. Unfortunately, their emergency plan may have required an emergency plan of its own as New Orleans has watched injuries ravage their offensive line depth.
The Saints have a preliminary starting five that sees Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz return to their roles last year at center and right guard, respectively. Trevor Penning, last year’s starting right tackle, has bumped in to the left guard spot, allowing last year’s left tackle, Taliese Fuaga, to return to the position he played in college after starting his rookie year at left tackle. Finally, filling the vacated left tackle spot will likely be rookie first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr.
However, as mentioned above, the Saints have been bitten before, so they made sure to stock up on depth for their offensive line. Those pieces included free agent addition Dillon Radunz, centers Will Clapp and Shane Lemieux, guard Nick Saldiveri, tackle Landon Young, and a few others. Despite the team’s efforts, a number of those players have already gotten injured in the preseason, leaving New Orleans extremely thin along their offensive line with just over two weeks until their regular season opener.
Clapp and Saldiveri are already done for the season, and Radunz has stepped in for Penning as he deals with turf toe, per Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune. To make matters worse, Young was carted off the field during Saturday’s preseason game with an ankle injury, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. Lemieux appeared to be making a push for the Saints’ backup center job until he, too, left Saturday’s game with an ankle injury (via Paras). That could give bolster the roster chances of depth interior linemen Torricelli Simpkins and Luke Fortner, the latter of whom was acquired in a trade last week.
New Orleans’ OL woes could have them scouring the waiver wire over the coming days to shore up their depth in the trenches. A quicker recovery from Penning would also allow Radunz to serve as a versatile backup after playing every position except center in Tennessee.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh Hit With 10-Year Show-Cause Penalty By NCAA
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has been hit with a 10-year show-cause order from the NCAA stemming from the University of Michigan sign stealing scandal, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Harbaugh was specifically punished for failure to monitor Michigan’s football program, failure to comply with NCAA rules, and failure to cooperate with the resulting investigation.
A show-cause order technically isn’t an outright ban or suspension, though that is the intended effect. If any school were to hire Harbaugh, he would not be eligible to participate in any athletic-related activities without seeking the approval of the NCAA, according to Chris Vannini of The Athletic.
The 10-year penalty will begin on August 7, 2028, at the conclusion of a four-year show cause order that Harbaugh is currently serving for recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic (via an NCAA press release). He will also face a one-year suspension should he returns college football during that time, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
Harbaugh’s NCAA infractions could subject him to discipline from the NFL. In 2011, the league suspended Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor after he declared for the draft while facing a five-game suspension from the NCAA, according to a 2023 report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The Colts, who had hired former Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressell as a consultant that offseason, sidelined him for six games in accordance with his own suspension after consultation with the league office. If the NFL believes that Harbaugh left the NCAA to avoid accountability for his conduct at Michigan, they could levy penalties of their own.
Michigan’s sanctions include recruiting penalties and a significant fine that could eclipse $20MM, per Thamel. Head coach Sherrone Moore received a two-year show-cause order and an additional one-game suspension for the 2026 season on top of the self-imposed two-game suspension this year. Former staff members Conor Stallions and Denard Robinson (also an ex-NFLer) received show-cause orders as well.
Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet Earned Bigger Role For 2024
The running back situation in Seattle has been frustrating for years as young, talented rushers continuously seem to experience bad luck with injuries. At the moment, Kenneth Walker‘s injury issues from last year are frustrating as he has practiced sparsely so far this summer, but the real frustration may be with fans of last year’s RB2 Zach Charbonnet, who has more than shown he can carry the torch in Walker’s absence. 
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, regardless of how healthy Walker is in 2025, the Seahawks expect to utilize Charbonnet in a much bigger role this year. This doesn’t quite indicate that either running back has secured the RB1 role or that the RB1 role is up for grabs at all, but it’s becoming clear in Seattle that they need to get Charbonnet more opportunities, whether Walker is healthy or not.
Walker was an immediate hit as a second-round rookie out of Michigan State in 2022, rushing for over 1,000 yards and notching nine scores in 11 starts after initial starter Rashaad Penny went down with injury. In 2023, the team added Charbonnet, another second-round running back, and the UCLA back proved to be an immediate improvement behind Walker over Seattle’s Miami (FL) duo of DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer had been in 2022.
Though Walker started all but two contests in 2023, Charbonnet (108 carries) cut quite a bit into Walker’s 219 carries. While Walker got first touches and goal line responsibilities, Charbonnet did more with his carries as a rookie, averaging slightly more yards per carry than Walker. Both backs played equal roles as receivers.
Last year, the picture changed significantly. Injuries forced Walker to miss three different two-game stretches. In those six games, Charbonnet proved to be perfectly capable as a replacement starter, totaling 433 yards and six touchdowns on 91 carries in those games, alone. Once again, Charbonnet outpaced Walker in yards per carry, but this time it was by a significant margin. Despite having 18 fewer carries than Walker, Charbonnet was only four yards short of him on the season and finished with one more touchdown than Walker.
This year, George Holani, an undrafted rookie on last year’s team, and seventh-round rookie (a third Hurricanes back) Damien Martinez don’t stand much of a chance at poaching carries, so it will be the Walker-Charbonnet show, though with what ratio, we don’t yet know. Walker is clearly a talented rusher, but injuries killed his third season in the league, and he has not been on the field much as the team implements a new offense.
Charbonnet, on the other hand, has shown maturity and patience as he waits for his name to be called. He’s been impressive in his spot starts, and perhaps more importantly, he’s only been inactive for a single game through his first two seasons in the NFL.
Keep in mind, also, that Walker will be playing on the final year of his rookie contract, and front offices tend to think running backs age like lettuce. If Walker doesn’t prove to be as effective as he was in his first two years of play, the Seahawks may just decide to see if Charbonnet can handle a full-time RB1 role moving forward and start looking towards future options at the position with no plans of extending or re-signing Walker.
Either way, it’s expected that we’ll see plenty of both backs in 2025. As long as he’s healthy enough, Walker should start the year as RB1. Charbonnet will likely rotate in off the bench as the team works on ways to get him more snaps throughout the games, or perhaps, they’ll alternate possessions. It’s all speculation at this moment, but Charbonnet has shown enough on the field to leave very little room for error for Walker in a contract year.
Eagles, Chiefs Pursued Calais Campbell
The Eagles and the Chiefs both wanted to sign Calais Campbell this offseason, according to former teammate and ESPN analyst Sam Acho.
Acho revealed the two teams’ interest during a preseason broadcast, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. He played with Campbell in Arizona from 2011 and 2014. Years later in 2018, Acho and Campbell served as NFLPA representives for the Bears and the Jaguars, respectively. Given the pair’s relationship, it’s safe to assume that Acho wasn’t speaking out of turn when referencing Campbell’s free agency process.
Interest from the Eagles and the Chiefs means that at least four other teams were pursuing Campbell before he decided to return to Arizona. The Ravens and the Dolphins also made offers, but a strong signing bonus from the Cardinals was enough to motivate a reunion. Campbell’s move out west also represents a homecoming of sorts, as Phoenix is much closer to his hometown of Denver than his previous teams on the East Coast.
Signing with the Eagles or the Chiefs, last season’s Super Bowl participants, would have been a clear sign that Campbell was chasing a ring to end his Hall of Fame career. A reunion with the Ravens would have offered similar upside.
Instead, the 17-year veteran seems poised to retire a Cardinal without a championship. Though Arizona is expected to improve after two losing seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon, they are not considered a serious Super Bowl contender.
Cardinals CB Garrett Williams, LB Zaven Collins To Play Hybrid Roles In 2025
The Cardinals are planning to use cornerback Garrett Williams in a hybrid slot-outside role this year, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.
Williams, a 2023 third-round pick, carved out a role as Arizona’s primary nickel defender by the end of his rookie season. He emerged as one of the NFL’s best slot corners in 2024, allowing a league-low 0.77 yards per coverage snap, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Williams is now set to step into a full-time role that will likely see him line up on the outside in base formations and slide into the slot for nickel and dime sets. That was already the plan before Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered knee injuries, but their absences will put more pressure on Williams to stay healthy and perform in both spots.
Williams only has 21 NFL snaps on the boundary, but he primarily played there in college. He said in July (via Weinfuss) that his thre years of starting experience at Syracuse will help him transition between outside and slot corner throughout the season.
Cardinals 2021 first-rounder Zaven Collins is also expected to play a hybrid role in Arizona’s defense. He started 22 games at inside linebacker in his first two seasons before moving to the edge under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis in 2023. He started every game over the next two years and led the defense with 8.5 official sacks and 61 total pressures (via PFF).
Collins lined up at inside and outside linebacker at the beginning of camp, per Weinfuss. Rallis complimented his improvements as a pass rusher this week (via Howard Balzer of CardsWire), suggesting that the 26-year-old will primarily line up as an edge rusher while moonlighting as an off-ball linebacker.
Giants Will Look For Safeties On Waivers
For one reason or another, the Giants had only two safeties active in their final preseason game Thursday night. Because of this, the team will reportedly be looking to add some quality safety depth on waivers, according to Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post Sports. 
While presumed starters Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin, and likely third safety Dane Belton, were probably unavailable due to their importance to the Week 1 roster, Raheem Layne and Anthony Johnson Jr. were unavailable, presumably, for health reasons. This left Makari Paige and K’Von Wallace to play the entire game as the only two active safeties, leading them to the waiver wire.
NFL Players with fewer than four accrued seasons under their belt (and some injured players) are subject to the waiver wire, while vested veterans immediately become free agents that can sign a new contract at their own whim. This is a unique time of year to utilize the waiver wire, though.
Usually, waivers claims are processed at the end of a 24-hour period, claimed players are awarded to new teams, and teams with successful waivers are sent to the back of the priority list. What makes this time of year unique is that, from the final week of preseason games to the day after the roster cut deadline, any waived players will remain on the waiver wire, potentially for days, available to be claimed.
This gives the New York brass ample time to examine the young safeties available to be claimed. With the waiver order on Wednesday being based on 2024 records, the Giants should boast the third-highest waiver priority when claims begin processing.
The Giants should be pretty secure in their group of three safeties at the top of the depth chart. Holland came in this offseason from Miami on a sizeable three-year, $45.3MM deal. He had alternating seasons of outstanding and average play in Miami, which, if the pattern stays true, means the New York should expect the best from Holland in 2025. He should be the easy answer to slide in next to Nubin, the returning starter from last year, replacing Jason Pinnock, who now resides in the Bay Area. Belton has been a frequently used third safety in New York, rotating in often, and starting as an injury replacement as needed in his first three years with the team.
Of the safeties currently in the building, Wallace probably stands the best chance at staying as a fourth safety. After three seasons as a rotation safety in Philadelphia, Wallace started 12 games in a 2023 season that he spent with both the Cardinals (seven games) and Titans (10 games). Unfortunately, neither opportunity led to further contracts, and in 2024, he had a regressive year as an injured depth piece in Seattle.
Layne and Johnson have been depth pieces so far in their short time in New York, and Paige is an undrafted rookie out of Michigan. If the Giants decide that they don’t believe any combination of the four can effectively fill out their 53-man roster, they will have the next four days to evaluate the litany of players who end up on waivers.
NFL Injury Updates: Fisher, 49ers, Samuel
Texans right tackle Blake Fisher is dealing with a mild ankle sprain that will sideline him for an indeterminate amount of time, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Fisher suffered the injury in last Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Panthers and missed practice this week. His absence, if it extends into the regular season, will add another wrinkle to Houston’s plans at tackle.
The Texans already overhauled the position this offseason. They traded Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders and replaced him by aqcuiring Cam Robinson from the Vikings. Houston also signed veteran Trent Brown in free agency and drafted Aireontae Ersery in the second round of April’s draft. Along with Fisher and Tytus Howard, who combined to play every snap at right tackle in 2024, the Texans have a variety of options on either end of their offensive line.
Robinson returned to the field this week after missing a few practices with a minor leg injury. He has been splitting first-team LT reps with Ersery. The rookie has been cross-training at right tackle as well, but only lined up on the blind side during the preseason. With Brown still on the physically unable to perform list, Howard has been playing right tackle in camp and sat out both preseason games, suggesting he will start in Week 1. Fisher started both preseason games at right tackle; if his ankle has recovered by the start of the regular season, he’ll likely be the Texans’ swing tackle.
As teams prepare to finalize their initial 53-man rosters by the Tuesday deadline, here is the latest from the injury front:
- 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner) that defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos may start the season on the PUP list as he recovers from a knee injury. San Francisco has been hoping that the five-year veteran could get back on the field during training camp, but it now appears that his absence will extend into the regular season.
- Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee injured his finger on Monday and missed practice for the rest of the week. He won’t need surgery, per Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, but head coach Nick Sirianni could only offer a “we’ll see” when asked about McKee’s status for Week 1.
- Free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. visited multiple teams this offseason with repeated links to the Dolphins given their lack of cornerback depth. However, one of Samuel’s agents “declined to say Sunday whether he has been cleared medically from a neck injury,” according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Steelers rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon had an injury scare on Thursday night, but the first-round pick will not go on IR and may only miss one game, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.