The San Francisco 49ers have traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys less than three years after trading three first-round picks to draft him.

According to reports, the 49ers will receive a 2024 fourth-round pick for Lance.

Lance’s departure is not surprising after San Francisco made the decision earlier this week to give the backup job to San Darnold behind starter Brock Purdy.

Still, the choice to move on from Lance is stunning since the 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to Miami in 2021 to move up from No. 12 and draft the untested quarterback third overall.

Lance only made 17 starts at FCS-level North Dakota State before he was drafted, and never gained much experience in the NFL.

Handed the starting job last season, Lance played less than five quarters before he broke his ankle in Week 2, sidelining him for the rest of the season.

Purdy, meanwhile, came on late in the season and won his first seven starts to take over the starting job heading into this season.

In his brief time with the 49ers, Lance completed 56 of 102 passes for 797 yards with five touchdowns, three interceptions and an 84.5 passer rating. He also rushed for 235 yards and one score on 54 carries.

Cooper Rush has been the backup most of Dak Prescott’s career in Dallas, including last season when he went 4-1 filling in after Prescott broke his thumb in the opener.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could miss the start of the upcoming NFL season after injuring his right hamstring in Thursday's practice.

An MRI taken on Jeudy's hamstring revealed a moderate injury that is expected to sideline the 2020 first-round pick multiple weeks, according to NFL.com. The Broncos begin their season in 17 days with a home game against the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 10. 

"Hopefully it's not anything long term," Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters after Thursday's practice.

The Broncos are already thin at the wide receiver spot after projected starter Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this month. Denver also waived slot receiver KJ Hamler early in camp after he was diagnosed with a heart condition, though the team has indicated it could bring him back if medically cleared.

Jeudy, who led Denver in receptions (67), receiving yards (972) and touchdown catches (six) last season while recording career highs in all three categories, has had trouble staying healthy in the past. He missed seven games in 2021 with a severe high-ankle sprain and two last season with another ankle injury.

The former University of Alabama star finished his 2022 campaign strongly by averaging 91.6 receiving yards over the final five games, which ranked fourth in the NFL over that time frame. Jeudy began that stretch with three touchdown catches against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. 

Jeudy's injury leaves veteran Courtland Sutton as possibly Denver's lone established wide receiver for the season opener, and could force 2023 second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. into a prominent role right away in his rookie season. 

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft is now No. 3 on the San Francisco 49ers' depth chart at quarterback.

Sam Darnold has been named the 49ers' backup QB ahead of Trey Lance in the battle of former third overall draft picks.

Kyle Shanahan's decision to go with Darnold as Brock Purdy's backup was reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media on Wednesday.

Lance's future in San Francisco is now uncertain, as the 49ers are reportedly exploring various options with the QB they drafted just over two years ago.

San Francisco paid a hefty price to draft Lance, trading three first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Miami Dolphin in 2021 to move up from No. 12 to select Lance after the Jacksonville Jaguars made Trevor Lawrence the top overall selection and the New York Jets picked Zach Wilson.

As Jimmy Garoppolo's backup in 2021, Lance appeared in six games as a rookie before being named the 49ers' starting quarterback for 2022, but he suffered a season-ending fractured right ankle in Week 2.

In eight career games, he's completed 54.9 per cent of his passes for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions for an 84.5 QB rating. He has also rushed for 235 yards with a score.

He got the start in the preseason opener, and completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and a pick while being sacked four times in two exhibition games.

Darnold started the second preseason game, and has completed 16-of-22 passes for 193 yards while being sacked twice in two games.

The 49ers acquired Darnold in March to add depth at quarterback behind Purdy, who famously suffered a torn elbow ligament on the first offensive series for the 49ers in the 2022 NFC championship game.

Purdy, the final pick in last year's draft, won all five of his starts in the 2022 regular season after taking over for an injured Garoppolo in Week 13 to lift the 49ers to a 13-4 record and the second seed in the NFC. He has been cleared to start the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10.

Darnold was the third overall pick of the 2018 draft by the New York Jets, and hasn't enjoyed much success in his five NFL seasons.

He did put together some encouraging performances last year with the Carolina Panthers, however, throwing for 1,143 yards with seven TDs and three interceptions for a 92.6 passer rating while going 4-2 as a starter.

In 56 career games, he has completed 59.7 per cent of his passes for 11,767 yards with 61 touchdowns and 55 picks.

Since his rookie season, his 78.2 passer rating ranks last among the 42 quarterbacks with a minimum of 750 attempts.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones remains absent from Kansas City Chiefs training camp with the defending Super Bowl champions' season opener approaching two weeks away.

Based on comments from the All-Pro and head coach Andy Reid on Wednesday, Jones' holdout doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.

Jones told a fan on social media he's contemplating sitting out until midseason over a dispute regarding his contract, while Reid told reporters Wednesday the team has had no recent conversations with the standout pass rusher as it continues preparation for the Sept. 7 opener against the Detroit Lions.

After posting a photo of a sign that read, "If it's out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind also," Jones hinted he may not rejoin the Chiefs until Week 8 in response to a question asking when he plans to end his holdout.

Jones would need to report by Week 8 to accrue a full season and become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection is due a $19.5 million base salary in 2023 in the final season of a four-year, $80 million extension he signed in 2020. Jones' deal was the second largest for an interior defensive lineman at the time of the signing, but now ranks eighth in average annual value after four defensive tackles - Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets, Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons, Washington's Daron Payne and the New York Giants' Dexter Lawrence - all signed extensions this offseason.

Jones has been accruing daily fines of $50,000 for missing camp, and implied he's willing to forfeit game checks as well if an agreement can't be reached.

"I can afford it," he answered when a social media user commented on the large amount of money Jones would give up by missing games.

Reid said following Wednesday's practise he has not been involved in any negotiations between Jones and the team and remains unsure of how long the stalemate will go on.

“There's been no communication so I don't know what's going to happen there,” Reid said. “The game goes on. That's how it works.”

Jones finished third in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season while playing a major role in the Chiefs' second Super Bowl title in four years. The 29-year-old tied a career high with 15.5 sacks in 17 regular-season games and registered two more sacks in Kansas City's win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game.

The seven-year veteran has been named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive seasons, while his 56.5 sacks since 2018 are the fourth most in the NFL over that five-year stretch. 

Baker Mayfield has his first win of the season, securing the starting quarterback job for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles named Mayfield the starter over Kyle Trask on Tuesday.

While Trask, a second-round pick in 2021, played well in the preseason, the Bucs opted to go with experience for their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 10.

Mayfield, the top overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, has made 69 regular-season starts and takes over the reins at quarterback for Tampa Bay after the future Hall of Famer Tom Brady retired 

Acquired in March as a free agent on a one-year deal, Mayfield started Tampa Bay's first preseason game, completing 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards with a touchdown before giving way to Trask.

Mayfield did not play in the second exhibition game, while Trask got the start. In the two games, Trask completed 26-of-38 passes for 317 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Mayfield began last season as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback but struggled with injuries and inefficient play, and was eventually benched in midseason. He later requested and was granted his release after appearing in six games for the Panthers.

Claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield showed improved play with his new team, completing 63.8 per cent of his passes while throwing for three touchdowns with two interceptions in four starts.

In 12 overall games in 2022, Mayfield finished with 2,163 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions and a 79.0 passer rating that ranked 30th out of 33 qualified quarterbacks.

For his career, the 28-year-old has compiled 16,288 passing yards, 102 passing touchdowns and 64 interceptions along with a passer rating of 86.5.

His best season came in 2020, when he threw for a career-high 26 touchdowns and produced a 95.9 quarterback rating while leading Cleveland to an 11-5 regular-season record and a win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts have granted disgruntled running back Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade as the team and the 2021 NFL rushing champion remain locked in an ongoing contract dispute, multiple outlets reported Friday.

Taylor, the runner-up for the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, initially requested a trade upon reporting to training camp in late July with the Colts unwilling to discuss a contract extension. The fourth-year pro is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is scheduled to earn $4.3 million in 2023.

According to ESPN, the Colts are seeking a package equivalent to a first-round pick for Taylor, who ran for a franchise-record 1,811 yards in 2021 to become the first Colts player to lead the NFL in rushing since Hall of Famer Edgerrin James did so in back-to-back seasons in 1999 and 2000. 

The Colts' reluctance to extend Taylor seems to stem from injuries that lessened his production this past season. The 24-year-old is currently on the physically unable to peform list while recovering from ankle surgery that ended his 2022 campaign in December.

Taylor also briefly left camp last week for what the Colts said was an excused absence to attend to a personal matter. He previously was away from the team for a short period to undergo therapy on his ankle through an outside source. 

Ankle issues limited Taylor to 11 games last season, which he finished with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.

Taylor averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his superb 2021 season in which he also tied for the NFL lead with 20 total touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.

Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick of the Colts in 2020, Taylor's 33 rushing touchdowns are tied for second in the NFL and his 3,841 rushing yards are the fourth most of any player, trailing only Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb. 

Aaron Rodgers spent the New York Jets' first three preseason games on the sideline.

That will change in their exhibition finale.

Rodgers will reportedly make his Jets debut on Saturday against the New York Giants in the team's final tuneup before the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills on September 11.

Brian Costello of the New York Post reported the Jets' decision to start the future Hall of Famer against the Giants on Sunday.

Rodgers hasn't appeared in a preseason game since 2018, but had spent his entire 18-year NFL career with the Packers prior to joining the Jets in April so had a familiarity with Green Bay and its system.

After being acquired by New York, the four-time league MVP has spent all training camp working on chemistry with his new teammates, but has yet to see game action with backup quarterback Zach Wilson starting the first three preseason games.

Jets coach Robert Saleh made it clear early in camp that Rodgers would sit out the first three exhibition games but left the door open for the 39-year-old to play in the finale.

While many NFL teams rest most of their starters in the final preseason game to avoid the risk of injury, the Jets are expected to start many of their first-stringers with Rodgers in the mix.

Newly signed running back Dalvin Cook, fellow running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson have yet to appear in a preseason game, but appear likely to face the Giants as the Jets will try to get their first-team offense some work together in game action before Week 1.

Aaron Rodgers spent the New York Jets' first three preseason games on the sideline.

That will change in their exhibition finale.

Rodgers will reportedly make his Jets debut on Saturday against the New York Giants in the team's final tuneup before the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills on September 11.

Brian Costello of the New York Post reported the Jets' decision to start the future Hall of Famer against the Giants on Sunday.

Rodgers hasn't appeared in a preseason game since 2018, but had spent his entire 18-year NFL career with the Packers prior to joining the Jets in April so had a familiarity with Green Bay and its system.

After being acquired by New York, the four-time league MVP has spent all training camp working on chemistry with his new teammates, but has yet to see game action with backup quarterback Zach Wilson starting the first three preseason games.

Jets coach Robert Saleh made it clear early in camp that Rodgers would sit out the first three exhibition games but left the door open for the 39-year-old to play in the finale.

While many NFL teams rest most of their starters in the final preseason game to avoid the risk of injury, the Jets are expected to start many of their first-stringers with Rodgers in the mix.

Newly signed running back Dalvin Cook, fellow running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson have yet to appear in a preseason game, but appear likely to face the Giants as the Jets will try to get their first-team offense some work together in game action before Week 1.

New England Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden was released from the hospital the morning after being carted off the field in an NFL preseason game that prompted the exhibition against the Green Bay Packers to be called off.

In a statement released by the Patriots on Sunday, the team said Bolden was kept overnight in a Green Bay-area hospital for observation and after undergoing a series of evaluations, he has been discharged and cleared to travel with the team back to Massachusetts.

In Saturday's game at Lambeau Field, Bolden appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Malik Heath of the Packers.

The 23-year-old then was motionless on the turf as medical officials tended to him. Bolden, a seventh-round pick by New England out of Jackson State, was eventually carted off the field and the Patriots said after the game that he had feeling in all his extremities. 

Following the injury, the NFL made the decision to call the remainder of the game, with New England up 21-17 with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter.

Also in the wake of Bolden's injury, the Patriots have decided to alter their training schedule for the week.

They will no longer hold joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nashville. After practising in Foxborough this week, the team will fly to Tennessee on Thursday ahead of its preseason game on Friday.

The New England Patriots preseason game against the Green Bay Packers was called off Saturday night after rookie Isaiah Bolden was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter.

Bolden, a seventh-round pick by New England out of Jackson State, appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Malik Heath of the Packers.

Bolden lay motionless on the field as medical officials tended to him. He was eventually carted off the field and the Patriots said after the game that Bolden had feeling in all his extremities. Bolden will be held overnight at a hospital in Green Bay for observation.

The teams conferred and decided not to continue the game with the Patriots leading 21-17 with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter.

The incident came more than seven months after Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field on what appeared to be a routine tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

Hamlin has since returned to the Bills and played in his hometown of Pittsburgh earlier in the day and had three tackles in a loss to the Steelers.

New Orleans Saints veteran tight end Jimmy Graham was arrested Friday night in California following a medical episode that caused him to become disoriented, the team said in a statement on Saturday.

According to reports, police stopped Graham after he was wandering in traffic. He was booked on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and taken to a hospital, where he was met by Saints team doctor John Amoss.

Graham, 36, spent the night at the hospital for testing, with Amoss believing he likely suffered a seizure. He was discharged Saturday and is back with the Saints as they prepare to visit the Los Angeles Chargers in a preseason game on Sunday.

Graham is in his second stint with New Orleans after signing a one-year contract on July 25.

The Saints selected Graham in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft and he spent his first five seasons with New Orleans, going to the Pro Bowl three times.

He was traded to Seattle in March 2015 and went on to earn two more Pro Bowl selections in three seasons with the Seahawks before playing two years each with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

Graham did not play in the NFL last season, telling his agent “that if I don’t retire as a Saint that I wasn’t going to play again.”

Graham is now happy to be back with New Orleans, and he enters the 2023 season fourth all-time among NFL tight ends in touchdown catches (85), seventh in receptions (713) and eighth in receiving yards (8,506).

“I’m feeling better than ever. I’m still 6-(foot)-7 and I like the red zone,” Graham said. “I definitely came into this with a chip on my shoulder and with something to prove.”

The Baltimore Ravens made a move to address an uncertain pass rush by agreeing to a contract with three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney on Friday.

NFL.com reports Clowney's deal is for one year.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft by the Houston Texans, Clowney will remain in the AFC North after spending the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. The 30-year-old brings proven experience to a Baltimore defence that moved on from two of its best pass rushers from 2022, Justin Houston and Calais Campbell, during the offseason.

Clowney has amassed 43 sacks in 109 career games over nine NFL seasons and has had nine sacks or more in three of the last six campaigns, including his first season with the Browns in 2021.

The veteran is coming off a disappointing 2022 season, however, in which he recorded only two sacks in 12 games and clashed with the Browns' coaching staff at times. Cleveland benched Clowney for the season finale after he commented that the organisation showed favouritism to All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett.

Clowney joins a Ravens' outside linebacker corps that was expected to give increased roles to a pair of young and less proven players, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo.

Oweh, a first-round pick in 2021, has flashed talent with eight sacks in 32 career games. Ojabo, a second-round selection in 2022, played in only two games as a rookie.

Clowney, who spent his first five seasons with the Texans and has also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans, is the second veteran defensive addition made by the Ravens in as many days. Baltimore signed cornerback Ronald Darby on Thursday after announcing starter Marlon Humphrey underwent foot surgery and will miss the beginning of the season. 

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera announced Friday that second-year pro Sam Howell will begin the season as the team's starting quarterback.

Howell beat out veteran Jacoby Brissett to start Washington's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10.

The 2022 fifth-round pick started the Commanders' final game of last season and entered the offseason as the favorite to win the job, though the team added the more experienced Brissett in March to provide competition.

Howell won the battle with a strong performance in the Commanders' preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns last week. The 22-year-old completed nine of 12 attempts for 77 yards and threw a 26-year-old touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in Washington's 17-15 win.

"He's basically met the challenge that we've talked about, and that was seeing the growth and improvement from (offseason training activities) and minicamp," Rivera told reporters before Friday's practise. "And then (we) talked about going into training camp and continue to grow and show us what he's capable of.

"We've been very pleased with (his progression), to the point where I decided (Thursday) we were going to name him the starter going into the regular season."

After spending much of his rookie year as the Commanders' No. 3 quarterback, Howell got the nod for the team's 2022 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys and helped Washington to a 26-6 win. The North Carolina product completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while adding 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Howell will be the seventh different quarterback in the last seven seasons to start an opener for Washington, which is coming off an 8-8-1 season but finished last in the competitve NFC East division.

Brissett, who's started a total of 48 games with four teams over a seven-year career, gives Washington a capable alternative should Howell struggle in his first opportunity as a full-time starter.

The 30-year-old spent most of last season as the Browns' starting quarterback with Deshaun Watson serving an 11-game suspension. Brissett finished the campaign with 2,608 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and was intercepted just six times to go along with a 64 per cent completion percentage. 

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey will miss the start of the upcoming season due to a lingering foot injury that will require surgery. 

NFL.com reported Wednesday that Humphrey, Baltimore's top cornerback, is expected to miss about a month and likely will be unavailable for the Ravens' first two games.

Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Humphrey will have surgery Wednesday, but was optimistic the seventh-year veteran wouldn't miss a large amount of time.

"It's not going to be a long-term deal," Harbaugh told reporters following Wednesday's practice. 

"It's been a lingering thing," Harbaugh said of Humphrey's injury. "It's something we want to take care of now instead of waiting."

The Ravens have already been hit hard by injuries at the cornerback spot this summer.

Damarion Williams, a candidate to be the team's primary slot defender, underwent left ankle surgery earlier this week and is expected to be out until October. Rock Ya-Sin, the projected outside starter opposite Humphrey, has not practised for nearly two weeks due to a knee injury but is expected to be fine for the season's start.

"We have guys ready to play, and we'll see what we can do," Harbaugh remarked. 

Humphrey earned his third career Pro Bowl nod in 2022 after recording 71 tackles, three interceptions and three sacks while starting all 17 games. The 27-year-old has started at least 12 games for the Ravens in each of the past four seasons.

Dalvin Cook is teaming up with former NFC North rival Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets on a one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The former Minnesota Vikings running back can earn up to $8.6million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Vikings cut Cook in June for salary cap space, making him an unrestricted free agent.

While Cook, a former star at Florida State, had previously discussed signing with the Miami Dolphins, he visited a Jets practice on July 30 and later told NFL Network that New York was “right at the top of the list” of prospective teams.

“It’s a unique situation because I think [the Jets] are building something special over there,” Cook told NFL Network. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.

“That’s what I’m looking to do.”

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Cook joins a backfield that also includes Michael Carter and talented second-year man Breece Hall.

Hall led the Jets in rushing last season despite suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 7. He remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list and has not resumed practising.

Cook, 28, has rushed for at least 1,100 yards in each of the last four seasons, peaking in the 2020 campaign, when he produced 1,918 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns.

Over the last four seasons, Cook’s 6,423 scrimmage yards are second only to Derrick Henry’s 6,914.