NFL PRESEASON ROUNDUP: FERNANDO MENDOZA UNDERWHELMS IN RAIDERS’ LOSS
Las Vegas rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza struggled on Thursday as the Raiders dropped their preseason finale 18-12 to the visiting San Francisco 49ers.
Mendoza, the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft, completed 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards. He threw one interception and was sacked twice.
Veteran Kirk Cousins started the game for the Raiders (1-2) and hit on 8 of 11 passes for 51 yards. He led a pair of early drives that resulted in field goals.
The game featured 10 field goals, as San Francisco’s Eddy Pineiro connected on 6 of 6, including a 59-yarder, a 51-yarder and a 54-yarder. Matt Gay made 4 of 5 for Las Vegas, with a long of 53 yards.
The Raiders’ Mike Washington Jr. led all ball carriers with 49 yards on eight attempts.
Mac Jones played two series at quarterback for San Francisco (2-1) and completed just 1 of 5 pass attempts for 7 yards. The 49ers’ regular quarterback, Brock Purdy, didn’t play.Stream Football Games
Bills 28, Steelers 27
Ian Wheeler ran for a 2-yard touchdown with 1:06 remaining and Dante Pettis caught the subsequent two-point-conversion pass from Shane Buechele as Buffalo rallied for a win over Pittsburgh in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Buechele played the entire game in the preseason finale for the Bills (3-0), completing 26 of 38 passes for 196 yards.
Buffalo led 14-3 after one quarter, but Pittsburgh (1-2) was ahead 27-20 midway through the fourth quarter before the Bills bounced back.
Buffalo’s regular quarterback, Josh Allen, sat out. He appeared in just one of the team’s preseason games, playing two series on Aug. 15 against the Carolina Panthers.
Bills wide receiver Skyler Bell made seven receptions for 49 yards, and his lone carry went 28 yards for the touchdown. Frank Gore Jr. ran 10 times for 27 yards and added five catches for 45 yards.
Pittsburgh kept quarterback Aaron Rodgers out of action, meaning he didn’t get a single preseason snap. Will Howard started in his place, and he connected on 9 of 15 passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Drew Allar played the second half and wound up 9 of 18 for 88 yards. Eli Heidenreich had a team-high 10 carries for the Steelers, producing 35 yards and a TD. Max Hurleman hauled in three passes for 50 yards.
Browns 37, Patriots 13
Dillon Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns as host Cleveland overwhelmed New England in the final preseason game for both teams.
Gabriel connected on a 6-yard strike to wide receiver Luke Floriea on the game’s first possession. After the Patriots responded with a touchdown drive, the second-year quarterback found Floriea again from 14 yards out. The Browns (1-2) took a 27-10 lead when Gabriel connected with Ahmani Marshall on a 7-yard completion with 2:32 to play before halftime.
Browns No. 4 quarterback Taylen Green played in the second half and picked up 66 yards on eight carries to lead all rushers. He threw for 27 yards on 5-of-7 passing.
The Patriots (1-1-1) started Tommy DeVito, and the former New York Giant played two series and connected with Kyle Williams on a 45-yard touchdown strike. DeVito wound up 2 of 4 for 55 yards, and Kyle Dixon caught a game-high eight passes for 71 yards.
New England’s top quarterback, Drake Maye, and Cleveland’s top two QBs, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, did not play.
Rams 20, Chargers 18
The Los Angeles Rams, despite playing none of their starters in the preseason, completed a 3-0 run by holding off the host Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.
Ty Simpson got the start at quarterback for the Rams and threw for 119 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-23 passing. Brennan Presley caught six passes for 32 yards and a score, while Dean Connors (18 carries, 69 yards) and Jordan Waters (15 carries, 53 yards) spurred the Rams’ ground game.Stream Football Games
The Chargers’ starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, produced wildly different results on his two series. He lost a first-quarter fumble, then threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston. Herbert completed 2 of 3 passes for 74 yards.
Chargers running back Gregory Desrosiers notched 118 yards on nine carries, including a 34-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Gary Jennings added seven catches for 44 yards for the Chargers (1-2).
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SEAHAWKS GIVE 3-TIME PRO BOWL DT LEONARD WILLIAMS A $90 MILLION, 3-YEAR EXTENSION, AP SOURCE SAYS
Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed on a three-year, $90 million contract extension that includes $56 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the extension.
The 32-year-old Williams was a second-team AP All-Pro last season when he helped the Seahawks win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
Williams has 22 sacks in 2 1/2 seasons with Seattle and 61 1/2 in an 11-year career spent with the Seahawks, Giants and Jets.
Williams signed a three-year, $64.5 million deal with Seattle in 2024, after the Giants traded him to the Seahawks in October 2023. He was set to become a free agent in 2027.
During training camp earlier this month, Williams said joining the Seahawks “lit a fire within me.”
“It just restored all my energy and love for the game. Just being in a new environment in general changed my perspective. When Mike (coach Mike Macdonald) got hired, it even heightened it because of his principles and things that he has brought to the team. His first year was my first year under contract as well, and I think we were able to build a defense together and be a big part of it,” he said.
Williams was the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Jets out of USC. He had seven sacks during the regular season last year and another in the playoffs.
In 2024, he returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown in addition to getting 11 sacks.
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PACKERS ADD DEPTH AT TIGHT END BY SIGNING VETERAN JONNU SMITH TO 1-YEAR DEAL
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have addressed their depth issues at tight end by signing veteran Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract.
Rosenhaus Sports, which represents Smith, announced the signing in a social media post on Thursday.
Smith, 31, caught 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns last season in 17 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who released him in March. He has 345 receptions for 3,529 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career.
Green Bay expects starting tight end Tucker Kraft to be available for the start of the regular season after he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament last November, but the Packers lacked proven options behind him while Luke Musgrave recovers from a neck injury.
Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2024 while catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns with the Miami Dolphins, setting or matching career highs in all three categories.
Green Bay will be his fifth team in as many seasons. He played for New England from 2021-22 and was with Atlanta in 2023 before going to Miami two years ago and Pittsburgh last season.
He spent his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, who selected him out of Florida International in the third round of the 2017 draft.
Smith now gets a chance to back up Kraft, who caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games before getting injured last season.
Green Bay also returns Josh Whyle, who caught five passes for 36 yards and one touchdown in eight games for Green Bay last season. Another Green Bay tight end is Drake Dabney, who played two games in 2025.
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BENGALS ROSTER BATTLES IN THE SPOTLIGHT HEADING INTO FRIDAY’S PRESEASON FINALE AT EAGLES
CINCINNATI (AP) — For three seasons, when the Cincinnati Bengals needed an offensive tackle to step up off the bench, the answer was Cody Ford.
On Monday, when the Bengals cut Ford, they decided to go in a different direction with their backup offensive tackle spot this season.
Heading into Friday’s preseason finale at Philadelphia, the first backup offensive tackle spot on the Bengals’ bench remains a competition.
“It’s still pretty open,” coach Zac Taylor said. “There are guys we’re still looking at.”
Second-year player Jalen Rivers has received the most extensive opportunities at offensive tackle over the past two weeks. He had an up-and-down performance in the second preseason game, which was his first game experience at tackle this summer.
Rivers spent his entire rookie season as a guard but then was recently thrown into the tackle competition with other players struggling.
“I’m still getting adjusted,” Rivers said. “It’s been one week of me being there. I’m getting into the groove of things. I feel like the more reps I get, the more comfortable I get. Today, some things I’ve got to work on. Some things that can’t happen. But I felt pretty good.”
The other candidate for the backup offensive tackle spot is Javon Foster. He was a fourth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, got cut at the end of training camp last year and spent the 2025 season on the Bengals’ practice squad.
The Bengals have another intriguing competition at returner. While wide receiver Dohnte Meyers was in the Canadian Football League last season, he has made a name for himself in training camp and is making a charge for a roster spot with impressive performances as a receiver in training camp and in the preseason.
The preseason finale will be an important opportunity for him to show that he can be counted on as a returner.
“I don’t think pressure is something I think about or focus on,” Meyers said. “My father raised me to think about controlling what you can control. That’s been preached here. ‘Preparation’ is something we have on the wall in this facility. That’s what you can control. Don’t focus on pressure. Focus on preparation.”
His competition includes two established standout returners in Charlie Jones and Ke’Shawn Williams.
Seventh-round pick Landon Robinson has played well in each of the Bengals’ preseason games with his pass rush, but defensive tackle is already the team’s deepest position group.
Since the Bengals already have a lot set on the defensive line, the decision of whether or not to keep Robinson may come down to comparing him versus a player at another positon for one of the final roster spots.
He has made the most of his opportunities this summer.
“I’ve played to the scheme,” Robinson said. “I’ve worked my technique, my push-pull and used my quickness to make an impact on the game.”
The Bengals have significant depth this year at receiver, tight end and defensive tackle, which creates difficult decisions.
In recent seasons, the Bengals have aggressively perused the waiver wire at the end of August for back of the roster reinforcements. This year, that may not be necessary at most positions with the exception being offensive tackle.
The Bengals also don’t appear to have finalized their plans for linebacker and safety.
At linebacker, waiver claim Swayze Bozeman has made a strong case to be the team’s fourth linebacker. The Bengals typically carry five linebackers, and Joe Giles-Harris and Shaka Heyward have been splitting snaps. Giles-Harris was one of the most productive special teamers in the NFL last season, and special teams is a significant responsibility for a fifth linebacker. Heyward has shown more flashes on defense during his limited regular-season opportunities over the past three years.
At safety, Daijahn Anthony, Russ Yeast and PJ Jules have been sharing reps. Jules was on the roster as the fourth safety for all of last season, offers the most on special teams and has impressed with his physical tackling.
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REPORTS: BROWNS TO RELEASE WR CEDRIC TILLMAN
The Cleveland Browns are set to release wide receiver Cedric Tillman, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday.
The Browns fortified the wide receiver position when they selected KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston within their first three picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. Concepcion was selected with the 24th overall pick out of Texas A&M, while Boston was chosen with the 39th overall pick out of Washington.
Tillman has yet to play in the preseason while dealing with an undisclosed injury. He returned to practice this week and was listed behind both rookie wide receivers and Jerry Jeudy on the depth chart.
The Browns will need to trim their roster to the 53-man limit by Sunday afternoon’s deadline.
Tillman, 26, had 21 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games (10 starts) for the Browns last season.
He has totaled 71 receptions for 833 yards and five TDs in 38 games (19 starts) since Cleveland selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Tennessee.
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LIONS RB ISIAH PACHECO DEALING WITH BACK INJURY
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco is nursing a back injury in addition to his existing issue with his knee, head coach Dan Campbell said on Thursday.
When Pacheco sprained his MCL earlier this month, Campbell said he expected him to be ready for the Sept. 13 season opener against the visiting New Orleans Saints.
Now, that outlook apparently has changed.
“I can’t give you anything definitive,” Campbell said. “He is feeling better as of (Wednesday). It’s been a little touch and go right now. He’s had a little bit of a back, and we’re hoping he’s coming out of this as of (Wednesday) a little bit.
“The knee is not the concern.”
Campbell’s comments come on the heels of the Lions meeting with free agent running back Kareem Hunt earlier this week.
Pacheco, who signed a one-year, $1.81 million deal in March to back up Jahmyr Gibbs, played his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and won two Super Bowls.
He rushed for 462 yards and one touchdown and caught 19 passes for 101 yards and a score in 13 games (12 starts) last season for the Chiefs, who picked him in the seventh round (251st overall) in 2022.
Pacheco, 27, has accumulated 3,091 yards from scrimmage (2,537 rushing and 554 receiving) with 17 touchdowns in 51 games (42 starts). He has rushed for 547 yards and four TDs in 10 postseason starts, including victories in Super Bowls LVII and LVIII.
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REPORTS: PACKERS SIGN VETERAN TE JONNU SMITH
The Green Bay Packers are signing former Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
Smith will provide depth at the position behind Tucker Kraft, who had surgery last November to repair a torn right ACL. Kraft was activated off the physically unable to perform list on July 31.
Fellow tight end Luke Musgrave sustained a neck injury this offseason and hasn’t returned to practice.
Smith, 31, had 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games (seven starts) last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was acquired by the Steelers from the Miami Dolphins on June 30, 2025 in the trade involving defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
In 141 career games (91 starts) for the Tennessee Titans (2017-20), New England Patriots (2021-22), Atlanta Falcons (2023), Dolphins (2024) and Steelers (2025), Smith has 345 receptions for 3,529 yards and 30 TDs. He was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
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2026 NFL 53-MAN ROSTER DEADLINE: CUT CANDIDATES, TRADE TARGETS
Roster reduction time is a brutal reality around the NFL.
With clubs going from 90-man rosters to an initial 53-man crew, roughly 1,184 players will lose their jobs before Sunday’s cut-down deadline. Yes, each team will bring back players to the practice squad, and others will be re-signed over the next few weeks as IR spots are used. However, for a large chunk of players, this is the end of the line in 2026.
We’ve already seen clubs begin to churn their rosters. The Patriots traded away Kayshon Boutte in a long-expected move. The Cardinals cut running back Trey Benson. More are coming. Let’s take a gander at some notable players who could be released or traded in the coming days.
READ MORE: https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-53-man-roster-deadline-cut-candidates-trade-targets
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COLTS ACTIVATE TOP RECEIVER ALEC PIERCE FROM PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM LIST AFTER ANKLE SURGERY
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts activated receiver Alec Pierce from the physically unable to perform list Thursday, two days before their final preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
Pierce had surgery on his left ankle in March after signing a four-year contract extension worth $114 million. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection, which uses a person’s blood to accelerate healing, prior to the start of free agency. But Pierce told reporters in June when that didn’t work after two months, he opted for surgery.
“We talked with the doctors, and I think we determined surgery was the smartest play for the long term,” Pierce said then. “They kind of were saying I was going to have to do it at some point, and then when I asked him what the time frame was, they said like four to six months. It was late March, so then I was like, ’OK, four months gets me basically to camp, kind of somewhere in there I should be back.’”
Pierce said the injury bothered him in 2024 and he continued to play through the pain last season.
In late July, general manager Chris Ballard told reporters he expected Pierce to miss up to two weeks of training camp as he continued to rehab. But Pierce missed all three weeks of camp and each of Indy’s first two preseason games, prompting speculation about his recovery and whether it could linger into the regular season.
He now has more than two weeks to ramp up his activity before the Colts host the Baltimore Ravens in the Sept. 13 season opener.
Coach Shane Steichen said he plans to play most of his starters in Saturday’s preseason finale with the exception of starting quarterback Daniel Jones and 2021 NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor. Pierce is likely to join Jones and Taylor on the sideline.
Pierce’s new deal and Indy’s subsequent trade of Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers has him as the team’s No. 1 receiver. Pierce finished each of the past two seasons with the league’s highest yards per catch among all qualifiers.
He caught 37 passes for 824 yards, 22.3 yards per catch, and a career-best seven touchdowns in 2024 then emerged as one of Jones’ favorite options last season when he had 47 receptions and 1,003 yards, both career bests, for an average of 21.3 yards with six TDs.
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The Colts on Thursday signed punter Rigoberto Sanchez to a contract extension.
The 31-year-old is entering his 10th season with the Colts, and Sanchez is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. Sanchez in 2025 had a net punt average of 44.7 yards, setting a new career high and a Colts franchise record. Sanchez finished second in the NFL in net punt average at just 0.2 yards behind the Ravens’ Jordan Stout.
Since 2023, only 3.9 percent of Sanchez’s punts have gone for touchbacks, which stands as the lowest rate in the NFL among players with at least 100 punts.
Sanchez in 2025 also threw and completed his first career pass, a 16-yard toss to tight end Mo Alie-Cox on a fourth down fake punt in Week 18 against the Houston Texans.
In 2024, Sanchez set a Colts record with a 49.7 yard gross punting average.
The Colts originally signed Sanchez as an undrafted free agent in 2017, three months after Pat McAfee announced his retirement. Sanchez is tied with defensive tackle Grover Stewart as the second-longest tenured member of the Colts behind only long snapper Luke Rhodes.
Sanchez is tied for 49th on the Colts’ all-time games list with 130 appearances and could rise as high as 26th if he appears in all 17 games this season.
COLTS COACH SHANE STEICHEN: https://www.colts.com/video/hc-shane-steichen-on-alec-pierce-s-return-saturday-s-expectations-2026-media-availability-august-27
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