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The Minnesota Vikings will have Jaren Hall start at quarterback for their last preseason game. With J.J. McCarthy recovering from surgery and Sam Darnold confirmed as the regular-season starter, Hall will take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned that Hall might be replaced by Matt Corral during the game.

Nick Mullens, who was the primary backup last season, does not need more preseason play. Hall, in his second year after being drafted in the fifth round from BYU, has already made two starts for the Vikings due to Kirk Cousins’ season-ending injury.

McCarthy, drafted 10th overall this year, recently had surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and is out for the season.

With the roster cut deadline approaching, the Vikings have signed former Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim. Ibrahim spent most of 2023 on the practice squad with the Detroit Lions and had an impressive college career with the Gophers, setting a record as the program’s all-time leading rusher.

Russell Wilson will start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their preseason finale against Detroit on Saturday.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Wilson and all the healthy starters will play against the Lions, though he did not specify how long they would be on the field.

Tomlin also mentioned there has been “no change” in the quarterback depth chart, with Wilson still listed ahead of Justin Fields. Wilson has had limited availability due to a calf injury.

So far, neither Wilson nor Fields have managed to score a touchdown during their game time. Both are aiming to fix this before the regular season starts in Atlanta on Sept. 8.

Tomlin wants to see their hard work from practice reflected in the game. “We’ve had some really awesome practice days and shown really good consistency and fundamentals and splash play ability, but I haven’t seen it in the stadium yet,” he said.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith had earlier reduced the play calls for Wilson in a 9-3 loss to Buffalo to protect his calf. Tomlin doesn’t expect any play-calling restrictions for Wilson in the game against Detroit.

Tomlin has hinted that Wilson is in the “pole position” for the starting job, but has not officially declared a winner. Fields is focusing on his performance rather than the competition, believing his mobility provides a unique advantage. His main challenge has been finding the right balance between being aggressive and playing it safe with his passing.

Last season, despite many struggles for the New York Giants, one bright spot emerged that fans really appreciated.

Local quarterback Tommy DeVito became a favorite story. The undrafted rookie from Illinois grew up in New Jersey, not far from MetLife Stadium. After a spring tryout, he joined the team, was cut, and then signed to the practice squad.

When injuries sidelined starter Daniel Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor, DeVito got his chance and made the most of it.

DeVito started six games during the Giants’ 6-11 season, winning three of them and earning NFC offensive player of the week honors for leading a victory over Green Bay. He completed 17 of 21 passes, including 10 of 11 in the second half, for 158 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.

He maintained a quarterback rating above 100 for three consecutive weeks. His love for chicken parmesires became well-known, earning him the nickname “Tommy Cutlets” and even leading to a trademark filing.

Now, DeVito is back for his second season, and things are looking positive. The 26-year-old has played five quarters in preseason games against the Lions and Texans, and he is likely to play the entire game on Saturday in the final preseason match against the Jets.

Jones is expected to sit out, and veteran Drew Lock (oblique) may only be used in an emergency.

As the Giants prepare to finalize their roster by Tuesday, DeVito could secure a spot on the 53-man roster. Jones is the starter and recovering from ACL surgery, while Lock is a veteran backup but has been injured. The Giants might keep more than two quarterbacks in this situation.

DeVito, who had eight touchdowns and three interceptions last season, is confident. He said Thursday that he doesn’t feel “worried” about the final roster decisions.

Scott Huff was starting his new job, far from his previous coaching position, when he got a chance to stay in the Pacific Northwest and face a new challenge.

The Seattle Seahawks have consistently struggled with their offensive line, which has sometimes limited their performance on that side of the field.

Now, it’s up to Huff, who was known as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football during his time at Washington, to improve the NFL line for the Seahawks.

“He really reminds me a lot of my college coach. He’s a great guy, very detail-oriented and he brings a lot of energy,” said Seattle left tackle Charles Cross.

The Seahawks have the skill players to be a strong offense. With Geno Smith, Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, they have the talent to score points and gain yards.

However, the big question for the team is whether their offensive line, which has been a concern for years, can at least be decent or even above average.

Huff’s job is to build and coach a line that will help Seattle’s offense reach its full potential.

“I’m still pretty fresh into this, but I think the guys want to be coached,” Huff said.

Huff staying with the Seahawks is noteworthy. After Washington’s season ended with a loss to Michigan in the national championship game, Huff expected to move to Alabama to coach offensive linemen under Kalen DeBoer, who had just been hired by the Crimson Tide.

Huff was far enough along in the process that his family had started buying a home in Alabama when the chance to stay with the Seahawks came up.

“I’ve been so lucky my whole career. I’ve been so happy wherever I’ve been, whether it was at Boise State where I played for a long time, at Washington with three different head coaches, or even my short time in Alabama,” Huff said.

“Then obviously being here, it was always the ‘if it just made sense.’”

And it did make sense, especially since Huff got to stay with Ryan Grubb, the same offensive coordinator he worked with the past two seasons at Washington.

Last year, Huff and Grubb coached an offensive line that was considered the best in the country and won the Joe Moore Award.

“When you have another person who’s responsible for a lot of the offense and pass protection, run scheme, getting that understanding throughout the staff and getting things started quickly and effectively is crucial. Huff has clearly been a big part of that,” Grubb said.

This means Huff’s decision to stay brings expectations that he can replicate his college success with the Seahawks’ offensive line.

Huff should feel good about the left side of his line with Charles Cross at left tackle and veteran Laken Tomlinson at guard. The center position got a boost with the signing of Connor Williams, assuming Williams is healthy after recovering from a torn ACL last December.

Houston’s C.J. Stroud was thrilled to chat with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on Thursday.

After the Texans and Rams practiced together before their Saturday preseason game, Stroud approached the group of quarterbacks, greeting everyone before talking to Stafford.

“I’ve been a fan of Matthew Stafford for a long time,” he said. “But I wasn’t trying to be a fan boy.”

Stroud took the chance to ask Stafford, who is in his 16th NFL season, for advice.

“I asked him a lot of questions,” Stroud said. “I tried to just learn, and he was really honest with me and wasn’t mean, which I appreciate. I’m definitely a huge fan of his. He’s one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time. Sharing a field with him was really cool.”

Both Stafford and Stroud got a lot of practice in during their two-hour joint session on Thursday. Neither quarterback is expected to play in Saturday’s final preseason game for both teams. Stafford, who has missed some practice with a tight hamstring, also has a cut on his left thumb.

“I’m not going to go into details,” Stafford said. “I cut it at my house, like a normal human being, and I have to protect it for a little bit. I’ll be fine.”

Stafford finds it humbling to have young quarterbacks like Stroud and Chicago’s Caleb Williams admire him. He recalls how he felt when he looked up to Brett Favre and Peyton Manning early in his career.

“I’ll never forget playing against Brett when he was in Minnesota and I was in Detroit. He came up to me and said: ‘Hey man, I’m a big fan,’” Stafford said. “I’m like: ‘You can’t say that to me. I’m the fan of you. I’ve been watching you play forever.’ So, it’s cool.”

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love feels the Packers are ready for the season.

The Packers had a good showing in their joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, performing well on both offense and defense. This came just two days before they play each other again in their preseason finale.

“I like where we’re at offensively,” Love said. “I think we’re ready to go, get the season started.”

Packers coach Matt LaFleur didn’t say if he planned to play his starters on Saturday. The Ravens usually don’t play their starters in preseason games.

So, this might have been the last chance for key players on both teams to compete before the season starts. This made for a focused practice without the usual fighting that sometimes happens in these joint sessions.

“That’s just being a pro,” Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely said about the lack of pushing or shoving.

The Ravens open their season on Sept. 5 against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, while the Packers face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For the Packers, this was a chance for the offense to improve after a disappointing performance in Denver last week. Green Bay’s starters admitted they didn’t perform well in a joint practice with the Broncos. They then rested during the exhibition game, and Green Bay’s backups lost 27-2.

Green Bay performed much better on Thursday.

Love threw an early interception to Roquan Smith but bounced back by throwing four touchdown passes — two to Romeo Doubs and one each to Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft — in red zone drills.

Backup quarterback Sean Clifford, who had a tough game against Denver with 6 completions out of 10 attempts for 43 yards and an interception, managed a good long pass to Malik Heath.

“I think we were a little sloppy in Denver, just a lot of small details that can make a play good or bad,” Love said. “Being focused on those little details really helped us today. We did a great job with that and were able to make some plays and get the ball to the playmakers. We aimed to have a better start today.”

For the Ravens, this practice was an opportunity for their new offensive line to test how well it could protect reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens lost guards Kevin Zeitler to the Detroit Lions and John Simpson to the New York Jets in free agency, and they also traded tackle Morgan Moses to the Jets.

While the Packers managed to put a lot of pressure on the Ravens, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he was pleased with how his linemen performed.

“I can’t wait to see the tape, but I was happy with how firm the pocket was 90% of the time,” Harbaugh said.

An encouraging sign for Green Bay’s defense came from rookie safety Evan Williams. The fourth-round pick from Oregon continued his strong training camp performance by intercepting a pass from Ravens backup quarterback Josh Johnson.

“I definitely feel pretty good, pretty confident about my play,” Williams said. “I try to block out all the noise. You’ll hear good and bad feedback, and while it feels great to be praised, it doesn’t matter if you can’t keep it up and perform the next day.”

With the offensive line still unsettled and the rookie quarterback being a major focus, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has been under the spotlight this summer.

Van Pelt talked about the state of the offense on Thursday as the team prepared for their last preseason game.

Most of the questions were about Drake Maye, the quarterback picked with the No. 3 pick in the April draft.

How is he improving? Does he still have a shot to replace veteran Jacoby Brissett and start the season opener on September 8 against Cincinnati? “He’s making progress every single day,” Van Pelt said about Maye.

“That’s the important thing. There’s no step back. He’s taking what he learned from one practice and using it in the next. He’s really pushing forward.”

In his 20th NFL season and first with the Patriots, Van Pelt mentioned that Maye has been impressive in recent weeks. Maye only played six snaps in the preseason opener but saw more action in the second game, playing two quarters.

He performed well, leading New England to two of their three scoring drives in a 14-13 loss to Philadelphia.

“That was the plan all along,” Van Pelt said when defending the decision to limit Maye’s field time in the first preseason game.

“Quarterback is the toughest position in sports, especially for a rookie. It takes some time, and we’re going to be patient with the process.”

Maye is one of four quarterbacks on the current roster. Along with projected starter Jacoby Brissett, Joe Milton, and Bailey Zappe, he is expected to play in Sunday’s final preseason game against Washington.

Brissett’s experience has been a major factor in his competition with Maye. Brissett is entering his ninth NFL season and previously worked with Van Pelt during his one season with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.

Brissett hasn’t been very impressive in the first two preseason games. He didn’t complete any passes in the opener and threw an interception along with two three-and-outs in the game against the Eagles last week.

Van Pelt pointed out that Brissett’s interception happened because a receiver ran the wrong route.

“He’s a solid guy and a solid leader,” Van Pelt said about Brissett. “He puts in the effort and has been great with Drake.”

No matter if it’s Brissett, Maye, or someone else, their performance will be limited if the offensive line doesn’t do its job.

The offensive line has struggled and has been under scrutiny, especially after issues during joint practices with Philadelphia. Van Pelt mentioned they are still looking for the right solution.

“That’s a work in progress as well,” Van Pelt said about the O-line. “You’ll see different lineups. Each practice, you’ll see players switching positions, like moving from guard to tackle or from right tackle to left tackle. We’re trying to find the five best players who work well together.”

Even though Van Pelt has been an offensive coordinator before with the Browns and the Buffalo Bills, this season is the first time he will be the main decision-maker for play-calling on game days.

Head coach Jerod Mayo has repeatedly praised Van Pelt as the head coach of New England’s offense.

“The experience is vital. I’ve been doing this for a long time and have seen and solved many issues,” Van Pelt said. “Being able to lead the group and run the offense is special and different. I haven’t had that chance in a while.”

The Kansas City Chiefs and Creed Humphrey have agreed on a four-year, $72 million extension, making him the highest-paid center in NFL history, according to a source who shared details with The Associated Press on Thursday night.

The source, who asked to remain anonymous because the contract has not been finalized, said Humphrey will be guaranteed $50 million. This surpasses the five-year, $60 million deal that the Saints gave Erik McCoy and the $42 million in guarantees that Frank Ragnow received from the Lions on his four-year, $54 million contract.

“We’ve had a lot of good talks, and we’re pretty sure we’ll finalize the deal soon,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Thursday night during a preseason game against Chicago.

“We’re very excited to keep Creed with us. He’s been fantastic for our team, and we’re hopeful to get more work done with other young players as well.”

Humphrey was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2021 draft and quickly became a starter, helping to strengthen the offensive line and forming a strong connection with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

He has shown reliability, starting all 51 regular-season games over the past three seasons. The last two years have included Pro Bowl selections for Humphrey, though he missed the Pro Bowl while contributing to the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

Anthony Richardson led a touchdown drive on his first series against Bengals backups on Thursday night, but had a tough time after that.

The Colts quarterback, who was drafted fourth overall in 2023, played a significant amount of time with the starting offensive players in the last preseason game. He struggled with accuracy and consistency.

Richardson completed 8 of 14 passes for 86 yards in Indianapolis’ 27-14 win over Cincinnati. Most of his success came on the first drive after a Cincinnati punt. He led an 80-yard drive, hitting 7 of 8 passes for 65 yards and ending with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell.

However, he missed an easy throw to tight end Drew Ogletree in the end zone, and things went downhill from there. Bengals safety Jordan Battle intercepted one of Richardson’s passes and returned it 9 yards for a touchdown.

On the third drive, Richardson missed Mitchell on a third-and-6 play and then missed him again on a deep throw, leading to another punt. On his last drive before Sam Ehlinger took over, Richardson struggled with a sack and fumble and only gained 3 yards on a scramble.

Despite the difficulties, Richardson remained positive.

“It’s always fun when I get to play football. As far as the game, stuff is going to happen,” he said. “Stuff is not always going to go our way. There’s going to be incomplete passes. I’m going to miss some passes, receivers are going to drop some. Stuff like that is going to happen.”

Richardson, who had an injury-plagued rookie season and only started four games, needs to stay healthy and prove he can be the impact player the Colts expect him to be.

Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported in an ambulance from Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night after making a tackle on the Chiefs’ Cornell Powell at the start of the second half of their preseason game.

The 26-year-old Coleman was attempting the tackle near the Chiefs sideline when his neck twisted awkwardly. He fell to the ground, motionless, as trainers from both teams quickly came to his aid, and a medical cart arrived on the field.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus saw Coleman moving his arms and legs as medical staff removed his facemask and strapped him to a backboard. He was then placed on the cart and taken up the tunnel.

“When I was on the field, over there on the Chiefs sideline, he was moving his limbs and gave us a thumbs-up,” Eberflus said. “So that was good to see. I don’t have anything more. He’s at the hospital right now being evaluated.”

The Bears won their preseason game 34-21.

Coleman played college football at Texas Tech, where he was a freshman in 2016, while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was a junior on his way to being a first-round NFL draft pick. Coleman switched to safety as a senior and earned All-Big 12 honors.

Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent scored a touchdown on the Bears’ first drive against the Chiefs on Thursday night, leading Chicago to a 34-21 win in their preseason finale. Both teams rested most of their starters for the game.

Bagent completed 3 of 6 passes for 57 yards and ran for a touchdown. He is competing with Brett Rypien, who took over late in the first quarter, for the backup spot behind first overall draft pick Caleb Williams.

Chicago’s Reddy Steward intercepted two passes, returning one 48 yards for a touchdown, and Velus Jones had 13 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown, making a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster.

“The guys performed tonight. They performed not only in games but in practice,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “I’ve always said that, you see in the games what you see in practice every single day out there, and the guys are giving tremendous effort.”

The game was paused briefly in the second half when Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was injured after a tackle and remained motionless on the field. Medical staff attended to him, and he was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher.

“When I was on the field, over there on the Chiefs sideline, he was moving his limbs and gave us a thumbs-up,” Eberflus said. “So that was good to see. I don’t have anything more. He’s at the hospital right now being evaluated.”

For the Chiefs, undrafted rookie Carson Steele from UCLA had a standout performance. He ran four times for 50 yards, including a 31-yard run that set up his own touchdown.

Before the game, the Chiefs and Creed Humphrey agreed on a four-year, $72 million extension, which includes $50 million guaranteed, though the deal had not yet been signed.