COLTS SIGN VETERAN CBS TRE HERNDON, DUKE SHELLEY
The Indianapolis Colts addressed their thinning secondary by signing free agent cornerbacks Tre Herndon and Duke Shelley on Thursday.
Indianapolis also placed cornerback David Long Jr. on injured reserve and released tight end Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.
In addition to Long’s groin injury, the Colts have been navigating training camp hamstring injuries to cornerbacks Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents.
Herndon, 29, saw action in one game for the New Orleans Saints last season. He has 243 tackles, 32 passes defensed and three interceptions in 84 games (34 starts) for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2018-23) and New Orleans.
Shelley, 28, appeared in one game for the New York Giants last season. He has 93 tackles, 14 passes defensed and one pick in 53 games (11 starts) with the Chicago Bears (2019-21), Minnesota Vikings (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023) and New York.
Long, 27, played in 13 games (no starts) with the Colts in 2024. He has 96 tackles and one interception in 79 career games (12 starts) with the Rams (2019-22), Las Vegas Raiders (2023), Carolina Panthers (2023), Green Bay Packers (2023) and Colts.
Okwuegbunam, 27, spent part of last season on the Indianapolis practice squad and last appeared in an NFL game in 2023. He has 54 catches for 546 yards and four touchdowns in 30 career games (seven starts) with the Denver Broncos (2020-22) and Philadelphia Eagles (2023).
LANCE TOSSES 2 TDS TO LEAD CHARGERS PAST LIONS IN HALL OF FAME GAME
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — On his third team in his fifth season, Trey Lance played like a No. 3 overall pick.
Lance threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Detroit Lions 34-7 in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL’s preseason Thursday night.
“Big night for Trey. Just played calm, cool, collected, ran the operation, threw the ball really well,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said.
The game opened with a moment of silence for the four people killed earlier this week by a shooter who was targeting league headquarters in New York.
The gunman also wounded a league employee in the shooting Monday night. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC he visited the employee for an hour on Wednesday and said the man was improving.
There was increased security around Tom Benson Stadium and the Pro Football Hall of Fame village.
Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Penei Sewell and the rest of Detroit’s star-studded offense didn’t see any action against Los Angeles.
Coach Dan Campbell’s Lions, who went one-and-done in the playoffs last season after winning a franchise-record 15 games, also sat their top two draft picks.
“It’s the first one out of the gate,” Campbell said. “We turned it over five times and had zero takeaways. That’s hard. Can’t put the defense in that kind of a position. It’s hard to get a rhythm when you turn the ball over.”
Justin Herbert was among many of the Chargers starters rested by coach Harbaugh, who led the team to a six-win turnaround and a playoff berth in his first season. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, a first-round pick, carried twice for 9 yards.
The Chargers recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff at the Lions 28 and converted the short field into a 7-0 lead.
Lance made a perfect touch pass on fourth-and-2 to Will Dissly, who caught a 5-yard touchdown over a defender’s outstretched hand.
“I feel good. Some good. Some bad. Left some plays out there,” Lance said.
After undrafted rookie cornerback Nikko Reed stepped in front of Kyle Allen’s sideline pass and returned it 60 yards to the Lions 6, Kimani Vidal ran in from the 2 to make it 14-0.
Allen threw another pick on the next possession to Tony Jefferson after driving the Lions to the Chargers 23.
Craig Reynolds’ 3-yard TD run cut Detroit’s deficit in half.
But Lance fired a 19-yard pass to Tucker Fisk to the Lions 19 and connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a 15-yard TD pass for a 21-7 halftime lead.
Lance has started just five games in four NFL seasons after playing in only 19 games at North Dakota State. He spent just two seasons with the 49ers, who selected Brock Purdy with the last pick the same year they traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up to get Lance.
After two years with Dallas, Lance joined the Chargers to compete with veteran Taylor Heinicke for the backup job. He completed 13 of 20 passes before giving way to rookie DJ Uiagalelei.
“I’m excited to play,” Lance said. “Every place is different. Every coaching staff is different. Every team is different. It’s been fun to be here. I’ve really enjoyed being here, just the joy the guys around the building have. It’s a joyful place to be.”
Allen and Hendon Hooker are battling for the Lions’ backup job behind Goff. Allen was 9 of 14 with two picks. Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023, has thrown nine passes in his first two seasons. He also tossed an interception against the Chargers.
“You get caught in needing to see some of these guys getting put out there and want them loose and also want to win and play well. We didn’t do it,” Campbell said.
Detroit’s sloppy special teams turned it over again in the third quarter. Jakobie Keeney-James dropped a punt inside the 10 and the Chargers recovered at the 5. But Los Angeles had to settle for Cameron Dicker’s 23-yard field goal.
The Chargers capped the scoring on Vidal’s 2-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter.
Hutchinson’s return
Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson told NBC in the second half he can’t wait for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Hutchinson had 7 1/2 sacks in five games last season before he went down with a leg injury.
Before the game, Hutchinson spent time signing autographs for Lions fans who made the trip.
Preseason rust
Dicker, who was 39 of 42 on field goals last year and 9 of 11 from 50 yards or beyond, hit the left upright on a 50-yard try. He made his next two field goals.
Gold jackets
Cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Up next
Chargers: Host the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 10.
Lions: Visit the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 8.
CHARGERS-LIONS 2025 HALL OF FAME GAME: WHAT WE LEARNED FROM LOS ANGELES’ 34-7 WIN
(NFL RELEASE)
CANTON, Ohio — Lance produces quality tape. Trey Lance’s NFL journey has been anything but memorable to this point, but on Thursday night, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh gave him three quarters to prove he’s worth a roster spot. Lance unquestionably delivered, completing 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns, including a beautiful rollout toss to tight end Will Dissly on fourth-and-goal and a 15-yard pass on a hard slant to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Lance performed surprisingly well from the pocket, reading coverage and finding open receivers while also accepting checkdowns when necessary. He was rarely frazzled by the rush and sustained Chargers drives deep into Lions territory, and while they struggled to finish off a pair of red zone trips, Lance exceeded expectations in total, earning respect while producing evidence in his case to be Justin Herbert’s backup.
The Lions’ backup quarterback situation isn’t looking pretty. Kyle Allen was first up in the order and delivered a very up-and-down performance, completing 9 of 14 passes for 91 yards, but throwing two horrendous interceptions that tanked any goodwill he’d built up with his arm. Making matters worse, Hendon Hooker didn’t fare any better, struggling with accuracy (he sailed a pass down the middle of the field that nearly resulted in an interception and tossed a pick late in the fourth quarter) and failing to find a rhythm while playing with a cast of roster bubble candidates. We’ll see if Dan Campbell reverses the rotation next week and if that helps Hooker, because he could use it — and in another highly anticipated season, the Lions would feel much better if a quality, reliable backup emerged.
Reed backs up his camp buzz. Nikko Reed has been one of the stars in Chargers training camp so far and made an excellent, instinctive play that further bolstered his case for a roster spot Thursday night. Amid a promising Lions drive, Allen dropped to pass and spotted receiver Tom Kennedy running an out toward the sideline at the sticks. Allen planted and fired, but instead of gaining a first down for his Lions, he watched Reed read the play the entire way, sliding underneath Kennedy to snatch Allen’s pass out of the air before taking off down the sideline in the opposite direction, nearly scoring a touchdown. With a number of unproven candidates vying for roster spots at cornerback, Reed has a legitimate opportunity to earn a place on the final 53-man roster. Plays like that will certainly help him.
Veteran defensive backs step up. Detroit has already learned how fleeting defensive backfield depth can be in the last week after Terrion Arnold suffered a hamstring injury in camp and Kerby Joseph exited practice with a knee issue. With this in mind, they need players located further down the depth chart to prove they can be counted on. Rock Ya-Sin did that twice Thursday night, proving to be an excellent run defender. He cut down an off-tackle run by rookie Omarion Hampton that appeared to be destined to finish in the end zone and instead finished at Detroit’s 5-yard line, then one-upped himself by stonewalling Kimani Vidal on a similar run, keeping him out of the end zone at Detroit’s 2. On the other sideline, Tony Jefferson is in his second year after unretiring and joining the Chargers. He managed to make a great play in the first quarter Thursday, closing the gap from his spot as one of two deep safeties and erasing Allen’s attempt to lob a touchdown pass to rookie Isaac TeSlaa, tracking the ball, leaping and snagging it out of the air for an interception. As every NFL team knows, depth is vital for those pursuing a Lombardi Trophy. Each team received a reason to consider keeping seasoned defenders on Thursday night.
REPORT: MCLAURIN REQUESTS TRADE FROM COMMANDERS
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin requested a trade, sources told NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
McLaurin, who earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024, is entering the last year of his contract and hasn’t reached an agreement on an extension.
Multiple teams have considered acquiring McLaurin, but Washington has no interest in dealing its leading pass-catcher, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Commanders general manager Adam Peters said in March that he wanted to sign McLaurin to a long-term deal, but negotiations haven’t progressed the way both sides expected.
McLaurin, who’s said he wanted to play for Washington his entire career, skipped minicamp and missed the start of training camp amid the stalled contract talks. The 29-year-old joined the team at camp Sunday, but the Commanders later placed him on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury designation while the two sides continued to negotiate.
A two-time Pro Bowler, McLaurin has a base salary of $15.5 million in 2025.
The Ohio State product has led Washington in receiving yards every year since being drafted in the third round in 2019. He has five 1,000-yard seasons under his belt.
McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns last year en route to earning his first All-Pro selection and helping the Commanders reach the NFC title game with Jayden Daniels under center.
BENGALS EXPECTED TO SIGN TIGHT END NOAH FANT
CINCINNATI (AP) — Tight end Noah Fant is expected to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team has not announced the signing, but coach Zac Taylor said before Thursday’s practice “we potentially have a good signing there” when asked about reports of a deal. ESPN reported the sides were working on a one-year contract.
“You’ve got a player that’s really a plus player in both the run and the pass. At the point of attack blocking, back side of blocking. Protection, can help you. Also really explosive as a receiver,” Taylor said about Fant. “Great size, great explosiveness, really good hands. Tough to bring down. We really feel good about where our tight end room will be.”
Fant visited the Bengals last week after being released by the Seattle Seahawks on July 20. He had 48 receptions for 500 yards and a touchdown in 14 games last season. Fant also visited New Orleans and Miami after his trip to Cincinnati.
The addition of Fant will give quarterback Joe Burrow a solid tight end duo. Mike Gesicki is expected to the starter.
Fant will be going into his seventh season. He was a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2019 and spent three seasons there before going to Seattle.
BILLS BACKUP OFFENSIVE LINEMAN ALEC ANDERSON WEEK TO WEEK AFTER KNEE SURGERY
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills backup offensive lineman Alec Anderson is listed week to week after having surgery for a knee injury, the team announced Thursday.
Anderson was hurt during practice on Monday. Though a backup, Anderson played an extensive role last year in being used as a tackle-eligible when Buffalo went to a six-lineman formation. He finished with four starts in 17 games, while also contributing on special teams.
He first signed with the Bills in 2022 as an undrafted rookie free agent following four years at UCLA.
Second-year safety Cole Bishop did not practice Thursday because of a quadriceps injury sustained in practice on Tuesday.
Buffalo also signed defensive end Kameron Cline, who rejoins the Bills after spending much of the previous two seasons on the team’s practice squad. Cline filled the roster spot left open after defensive end Hayden Harris was waived because of a hamstring injury.
JETS’ QUINNEN WILLIAMS LEAVES PRACTICE AFTER TWEAKING CALF, BRAELON ALLEN SITS OUT WITH SORE KNEE
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams left practice early Thursday after tweaking a calf muscle.
Williams was participating in individual drills when he felt discomfort in his lower leg. He walked into the facility under his own power, but sat out the rest of the practice session.
There was no immediate update from the Jets on Williams’ injury or if he might miss any time. Coach Aaron Glenn wasn’t scheduled to speak to reporters until Friday morning after practice.
The 27-year-old Williams is a key part of New York’s defense and a three-time Pro Bowl selection who was also an All-Pro during the 2022 season. He had six sacks last season, giving him 39 for his career since being drafted with the third overall pick in 2019 out of Alabama.
Williams anchors a new-look D-line for the Jets, who also have Micheal Clemons, Will McDonald, Rashad Weaver, Jay Tufele, Derrick Nnadi, Byron Cowart and youngsters such as Payton Page, Leonard Taylor and Eric Watts competing for spots.
Second-year running back Braelon Allen missed his second consecutive practice with soreness in his left knee.
Allen, who ran for 334 yards and two touchdowns last season as a complement to Breece Hall, was having a standout camp before the knee issue.
Glenn said Tuesday the Jets held him out that day since the team had off Wednesday and that would give Allen two days to rest “and then we will reevaluate as we go forward and see when he will be available for practice.” Allen spent Thursday on the sideline with his left leg in a sleeve.
Good Folk
Nick Folk, reunited with the Jets after signing Wednesday, had a perfect practice debut.
The 40-year-old kicker, who played for the franchise from 2010 through 2016, made all six of his field goal attempts during practice. He’s competing with Harrison Mevis, who missed two of his six tries.
Folk, nicknamed “Folk Hero” by former coach Rex Ryan for his penchant for making big kicks, looked right at home back in New Jersey except for one thing: his jersey number. After wearing No. 2 throughout his previous stint with the Jets, Folk is wearing No. 18 this time around because backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor is wearing No. 2.
