2:57 PM ET CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers expect to be without backup quarterback Sam Darnold for an extended period of time with what coach Matt Rhule described as a “significant” high ankle sprain suffered in Friday night’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. The typical recovery time is four to six weeks. “It

12:28 AM ET Brady HendersonESPN The Seattle Seahawks have decided which quarterback will face their former one when Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos come to Lumen Field for the Monday night opener Sept. 12. Yes, Geno Smith is an NFL starter once again. Coach Pete Carroll made the announcement Friday night, calling Seattle’s quarterback

5:38 PM ET Alaina GetzenbergESPN Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza, who was accused in a lawsuit Thursday of gang raping a 17-year-old girl when he was at San Diego State last year, did not dress for Friday night’s 21-0 preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers. Coach Sean McDermott said after the game that it

12:47 AM ET NEW ORLEANS, La. — New Orleans quarterback Jameis Winston only played one series in his preseason debut against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night, but it was enough for Saints coach Dennis Allen. Winston went 4-for-4 for 59 yards, driving the Saints down the field on the first series of the

6:52 PM ET The Los Angeles Rams said any discipline for star defensive lineman Aaron Donald and other players involved in Thursday’s brawl during a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals will be handled by the team. “The incident will be addressed internally, and any discipline will remain in-house,” a Rams spokesperson said Friday when

5:36 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens made two significant moves on Friday, activating offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley off the physically unable to perform list and placing outside linebacker Tyus Bowser on the reserve/PUP. With two weeks before the start of the regular season, there’s now hope that the Ravens will get

7:15 AM ET ASHBURN, Va., — The bi-annual checkups for cancer continue to provide positive results. That doesn’t prevent Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera from playing the what-if game before every visit. It’s been two years since he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma during his first training camp with Washington. That means it’s been

6:00 AM ET Alaina GetzenbergESPN ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It took Josh Allen all of six plays in three minutes and 24 seconds to go 70 yards and prove to everyone in dramatic fashion that he is ready to go for the 2022 season. That drive in a Week 2 preseason game against the Denver

6:41 AM ET Tristan H. Cockcroft There are few worries during fantasy football draft season that unnecessarily weigh on managers’ minds more than the annual selection of your draft position. We fret this chore to a degree we shouldn’t, perhaps because of the perceived importance of that precious first-round pick. It’s important, and we certainly

10:05 PM ET ESPN staff While cutdown day is just around the corner, cuts and free-agent signings aren’t the only moves that happen during August in the NFL. Teams also utilize trades, as they are not only useful in shoring up inconsistent position groups, but also a way to get value from players who might