NFL ROUNDUP: JOSH ALLEN, BILLS OPEN UP HIGHMARK STADIUM IN STYLE
Josh Allen passed for 111 yards and one touchdown and the Buffalo Bills opened Highmark Stadium with a 29-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers in a preseason game at Orchard Park, N.Y., on Saturday afternoon.
Allen tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman in the first quarter and completed 6 of 8 passes in the club’s preseason opener. It also was Buffalo’s first game since Sean McDermott was fired as coach and replaced by Joe Brady.
The new stadium is located right next to where the former one resided, and the Bills made themselves comfortable as Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr. scored on fourth-quarter runs to boost Buffalo’s lead to 29-7.
Bryce Young played sparingly for the Panthers (1-1) and was 3-of-5 passing for 18 yards. Kenny Pickett and Kyle Trask threw touchdown passes and Trask also was picked off once.
Bears 34, Browns 10
Case Keenum completed 9 of 10 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns to help Chicago roll past visiting Cleveland in the preseason opener for both teams.
Bears starting quarterback Caleb Williams didn’t play and Tyson Bagent (169 yards) and Keenum helped Chicago recover from an early 10-0 deficit. Jamree Kromah had two sacks and a fumble recovery for the Bears.
Deshaun Watson, who missed all of last season due to an Achilles injury, completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and guided Cleveland to all of its points in the first half. Watson is competing for the starting job with Shedeur Sanders, who completed 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards and one interception.
Vikings 13, Giants 10
Carson Wentz threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Myles Price in the third quarter and Kyler Murray made a brief appearance as Minnesota staved off New York in both teams’ opener.
Murray is the Vikings’ new quarterback after playing seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 10 yards. Minnesota defender Jamal Adams was carted off with an apparently serious knee injury.
Jaxson Dart threw a touchdown pass to Malachi Fields for the Giants, who were playing their first game under new coach John Harbaugh. Jameis Winston completed 8 of 9 passes for 89 yards.
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SEAHAWKS, CB DEVON WITHERSPOON AGREE TO 4-YEAR, $132 MILLION DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Devon Witherspoon have agreed to a four-year, $132 million contract extension, with $101 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract, which would make Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, hasn’t been finalized.
On March 26, the Seahawks exercised their fifth-year option on Witherspoon, but elected to sign him to a long-term deal on the same day they started preseason play against the Dallas Cowboys.
Witherspoon, 25, was selected No. 5 overall by the Seahawks in the 2023 draft. In the same round of that draft, the Seahawks selected wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who in March agreed to a four-year, $168.8 million contract with $120 million guaranteed.
In three seasons with Seattle, Witherspoon has been selected to the Pro Bowl each season. He also made the second-team All-Pro team and helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl last season.
Witherspoon appeared in all three of Seattle’s playoff games during its Super Bowl run, making 17 tackles and four passes defended.
In 43 regular-season games, Witherspoon has 249 tackles, 32 passes defended, 16 tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks and two interceptions.
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TEXANS SIGN QB BRETT RYPIEN, PLACE QB GRAHAM MERTZ ON IR
The Houston Texans signed veteran Brett Rypien to a contract on Saturday and placed fellow quarterback Graham Mertz on season-ending injured reserve.
The move comes two days after Mertz tore his ACL during the Texans’ 27-7 preseason loss to the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.
Rypien, 30, will be the third quarterback on the depth chart behind starter C.J. Stroud and veteran backup Davis Mills.
Rypien has made four NFL starts since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 with the Denver Broncos. He has passed for 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions in 11 games with the Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.
Rypien played college football at Boise State and holds the Mountain West career passing yardage record of 13,578. He is the nephew of Mark Rypien, who played 11 NFL seasons (1988-97, 2001) for five teams and was MVP of Super Bowl XXVI for Washington.
A sixth-round draft pick in 2025, Mertz sustained a knee injury during a scramble late in the second quarter. Before leaving, he completed 4 of 7 passes for 23 yards.
Mertz, 25, spent most of his rookie season on the injured list. He dealt with a leg injury during his senior season at Florida.
Mertz, who played at Wisconsin (2019-22) and Florida (2023-24), did not appear in a regular-season game in 2025.
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BENGALS VETERAN DT B.J. HILL CLEARED TO START PRACTICING
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill passed a physical exam and was cleared to return to practice Saturday.
The 31-year-old veteran was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list on July 25 following offseason ankle surgery.
Hill, who is entering his sixth season with the Bengals, started all 17 games last season and recorded four sacks, nine quarterback hits and 66 tackles.
He has posted 27.5 sacks, 75 QB hits, 407 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 129 career games (84 starts) with the New York Giants (2018-20) and Bengals. New York drafted him in the third round in 2018.
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SEAHAWKS DE DEMARCUS LAWRENCE: ‘THIS WILL BE MY LAST YEAR’
Seattle Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence plans to retire following the 2026 season, his 13th in the NFL.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection told a Yahoo Sports reporter on Friday that “this will be my last year.”
Lawrence, 34, won the Super Bowl with Seattle last season following 11 campaigns with the Dallas Cowboys.
He made 16 starts in 2025, recorded six sacks and recovered three fumbles — two of them for touchdowns.
Lawrence said he wants to spend more time with his wife and six children back in Dallas, and that he thought about retiring after last season.
“It was a tough process,” he said. “But through the grace of God, I’m able to play another year and soak it all up one more good time before I hang it up.”
Lawrence has 67.5 sacks, 503 tackles, 146 QB hits, 24 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 157 career games (139 starts) with the Cowboys (2014-24) and Seahawks. Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2014 and he made the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2025.
Lawrence signed a three-year, $32.5 million deal with Seattle in March 2025. He is due a base salary of $8.15 million in 2026 and $9.65 million in 2027, per Spotrac.
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REPORT: STEELERS DT KEEANU BENTON SIGNS 4-YEAR, $72M EXTENSION
The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly signed defensive tackle Keeanu Benton to a four-year, $72 million extension.
ESPN reported Friday night that the deal would make Benton the highest-paid interior defensive lineman in franchise history at $18 million per season.
Benton, 25, started all 17 games last season and set career highs with 5.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits and 51 tackles.
He has 7.5 sacks, 28 QB hits, 123 tackles, nine passes defensed, one interception, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 51 games (40 starts) since being drafted by the Steelers in the second round in 2023.
The 6-foot-4, 309-pound Benton becomes the third member of Pittsburgh’s 2023 draft class to land an extension this offseason, joining outside linebacker Nick Herbig and tight end Darnell Washington.
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