Former Cincinnati Bengals players popped up in headlines around the NFL during the final cuts process as teams formed initial 53-man rosters and practice squads.
There were controversial former Bengals free agents making moves. And some fresh Bengals releases quickly got chances with other teams before the season, too.
Ahead of Week 1, here's a quick rundown of some former Bengals players during final cuts.
Released by Buffalo Bills, signed to practice squad
Released by Tennessee ******* ans

#bengals #players

A major age-fraud crackdown has hit Bengal cricket, with the BCCI suspending leg-spinner Rohit Yadav from domestic cricket for two years after discrepancies were found in his age-related documents.

The action comes shortly after Rohit was picked for India's Under-19 ******* ignments against Australia. The youngster had also featured in India's U-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July, where he took six wickets and helped the team secure victory in the final Test.

Rohit, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, had recently been part of India's U-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July. He claimed six wickets on the tour and played a key role in India's victory in the final Test. The spinner was subsequently selected for India's U-19 home ******* ignments against Australia, with multi-day and one-day matches scheduled to be played in Rajkot and Ahmedabad later this month. However, his selection came under scrutiny after inconsistencies were found in his age-related documents during the Sri Lanka tour.

According to the PTI report, Rohit has three birth certificates that list different years of birth - 2007, 2009 and 2010. The discrepancies make him ineligible for age-group cricket and prompted further verification of his records.

The 19-year-old, who has represented Bengal in age-group cricket, was found to have an age discrepancy of 27 months, according to the CAB. The ban is effective immediately, with all BCCI-affiliated state ******* ociations notified of the decision.
Rohit's case is part of a much wider crackdown by the CAB on age and documentation irregularities. The ******* ociation has declared 62 players ineligible for registration or transfer for competitions during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.

The CAB has also barred 62 other players over similar age discrepancies. Among them is former India Under-19 World Cup-winning pacer Ravi ******* ar, who played a key role in India's ******* le-winning campaign in the 2022 edition in the Caribbean.

Ravi, a left-arm pacer, made his senior debut for Bengal in 2022 but last featured for the state in 2023. His age-group records from his debut through the 2025-26 season will now be considered invalid. His age discrepancy is understood to be more than 40 months.
133763750

#bengal #lanka #discrepancies

The Cincinnati Bengals could enter New Year's Eve with a lot riding on their final matchup of 2026.
CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo named Cincinnati's Week 17 home game against the Baltimore Ravens among 10 matchups that could define the upcoming NFL season. The AFC North rivals meet Dec. 31 at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
"The league couldn't have picked a better game to show on New Year's Eve," DeArdo wrote. "It's a showdown between division rivals whose games against each other always seem to go down to the wire."
DeArdo pointed to potential playoff ramifications along with the star power of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. He also noted the matchup could tilt the scales of an NFL MVP race if Burrow and Jackson are both in contention late in the year.
Slotting between a Week 16 trip to Indianapolis and a Week 18 home finale against Cleveland, it will be Cincinnati's second meeting with Baltimore after the Bengals travel to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 7.

#deardo #rivals

Report: Nearly 10-year age fraud uncovered as Bengal cricket bans 65 players including an India U-19 World Cup winner originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cricket ***** ociation of Bengal banned 65 players over age fraud and documentation issues.
2022 U-19 World Cup winner Ravi ***** ar was flagged with a 45-month age discrepancy spanning five domestic seasons.
India U-19 leg-spinner Rohit Yadav received an immediate 2-year BCCI ban following the discovery of a 27-month birth record irregularity.
Indian domestic cricket's chronic struggle with age manipulation has hit a massive administrative wall in Kolkata. According to a report from RevSportz, the Cricket ***** ociation of Bengal (CAB) has unleashed a sweeping crackdown, barring 65 players from registration and transfers across the 2026–27 and 2027–28 domestic seasons due to severe documentation flaws and systemic date-of-birth discrepancies.

#players #India #fraud

LEXINGTON, Va. (WFXR) – Facing Virginia Tech for the first time since 1984, the VMI football team will renew the all-time series with the Hokies after a 42-year hiatus.
VMI looks to bounce back from last week's 38-10 loss to Idaho State in Pocatello, Idaho. The Keydets trailed just 10-0 at halftime, but the Bengals pulled away in the third quarter with four touchdowns en route to the win.
Virginia Tech is eager to start the season under First-year Head Coach and former Penn State Head Coach James Franklin, who takes over a team that finished 15th in the ACC last season with a 3-9 record overall and 2-6 mark in conference.
Although the landscape of college football has changed dramatically since 1984 – the last time the two schools played each other – the Keydets do own 25 all-time wins in the series dating back to 1894.
The Hokies have won the last three matchups which were played in 1982, 1983 and 1984. The last time the Keydets took down the Hokies was November 21, 1981, a 6-0 win in Blacksburg.
The Keydets (0-1) and Hokies (0-0) will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Lane Stadium.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.

#hokies #keydets #Tech

With the 2026 NFL season almost here, the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to hammer out new deals for three of their top impending free agents.
A recent report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggests that the team is unlikely to get a contract extension done for fourth-year cornerback DJ Turner before Week 1. Because the team typically doesn't get big extensions done in-season, this would likely mean Turner plays out the final year of his rookie contract.
He's not the only cornerback up for a new deal. Former first-round pick Dax Hill is set to play this season under the fifth-year option, and there hasn't been anything to suggest that the team is close to signing him to an extension either.
Finally, there's Chase Brown, one of the NFL's best running backs who's still on a rookie contract. Back in January, there was a report from ESPN's Ben Baby that Brown and the Bengals were working on a new deal, but since then, it's been mostly crickets.
With Week 1 vs. Tampa Bay kicking off soon, it appears there's a very real chance that none of these three key players will get a new deal.

#team #deal #turner #brown

Myles Garrett is coming off a historic season, yet a new ESPN projection for the Los Angeles Rams star has produced one of the more surprising predictions ahead of 2026. The elite pass rusher is forecast to finish well below the sack total that established him as the NFL's most dominant quarterback hunter last season.
Garrett recorded 23 sacks in 2025, setting the league's single-season record and delivering the kind of campaign few defensive players can match. His performance placed him at the center of the NFL's defensive conversation, making his projected total for the upcoming season particularly difficult to overlook.
Sep 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) is introduced before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The statistical forecast has Garrett finishing fifth among the league's pass rushers with a projected average of 10.1 sacks. Four players are expected to finish ahead of him, including Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson Jr. and Nik Bonitto, despite Garrett entering the season as the reigning record holder.
Several factors contributed to the lower projection. Garrett is now 30 years old, while the Rams relied on one of the NFL's lowest blitz rates last season, reducing some of the opportunities that can create favorable one-on-one matchups for edge rushers.

#defensive #projection

The Cincinnati Bengals dodged a serious disaster to start training camp when Shemar Stewart went down with a scary-looking injury.
Since, it's been nothing but good news on that injury front. Word broke that the 2025 first-round pick would not, in fact, miss the season. Even better, the rumblings suggested that Week 1 might be on the table.
About that.
Wednesday practice footage from Local 12's Yanni Tragellis revealed that Stewart had officially returned to practice for the first time since July 29.
After, Stewart himself told Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News that he thought he heard something pop at the time of injury, so he's just happy to be back out there after a hyperextension.

#stewart #since #practice

CINCINNATI (AP) — Last year, wide receiver Dohnte Meyers was just hoping to get established in the Canadian Football League.
Now, he's on the Cincinnati Bengals' 53-man roster to start the regular season.
"He has earned his way, that is for sure," coach Zac Taylor said. "He just continued to make plays over and over again. We weren't dialing stuff up for him. That is how you make it, really. When the opportunity comes your way, you have to make the most of it."
Meyers started his career at FCS Presbyterian College on an academic scholarship. After having success at that level, he transferred to Division II Delta State University. Meyers did enough at Delta State to earn an invite to Atlanta Falcons rookie camp in 2023, but that was only three days and a few reps here and there. He couldn't get his foot back in the door in the NFL at the time, so he went to every workout for every league he could find.
Meyers ended up paying his way to work out in the Canadian Football League.

#meyers #Football #last

A football roster is always in the process of being adjusted. However, the degree of roster change in late August and early September is particularly notable. Things are no different in Minnesota.
Yesterday, the Vikings snagged a pair of newcomers. Consider what the team's official social media had to say: "The #Vikings have signed TE Cam Grandy and DL Naquan Jones to the practice squad. TE Marshall Lang has been released from the practice squad."
Note that Minnesota went into these decisions with an open spot on the practice squad. As a result, going +2 with new players alongside just a -1 made the math work.
In Cam Grandy, the Vikings are welcoming a tight end who boasts good size. He's a sturdy 6'5″ and 253 pounds (but a spot like PFF lists him as being a touch larger, coming in at 260 on there). For comparison, T.J. Hockenson is listed as being 6'5″ and 248 pounds. Josh Oliver, meanwhile, is a hulking 6'5″ and 264 pounds.
Dec 15, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Cam Grandy (85) makes a catch during pregame against the Tennessee ***** ans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

#Vikings #grandy #squad #spot

The Denver Broncos are running it back.
Denver's front office prioritized re-signing in-house free agents this spring, and the Broncos were the last team in the NFL to sign an outside free agent from another club. That signee happened to be former Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson, a special teams ace who made Denver's 53-man roster over the weekend.
The Broncos' big (and only) splash of the offseason came when they traded multiple draft picks to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in March. He obviously made Denver's 53-man squad and figures to have a key role on offense this fall.
Waddle and Anderson are the only new veterans on the Broncos' roster this season. Four members of Denver's draft class also made the 53-man roster, but the Broncos had very little turnover this offseason.
WR Jaylen Waddle (trade)

#only #draft

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has established himself among the NFL's elite at his position, but three former stars stand above the rest when it comes to his personal favorites.
Asked to name his top three receivers of all-time, Chase went with Randy Moss, Julio Jones and Antonio Brown.
The inclusion of Brown was the most intriguing selection, and Chase acknowledged that some might question the choice.
"And I know people might be like AB?! But if you look at his stats at the top of his game, he was far and above everybody with yards and touchdowns. It was crazy," Chase wrote to USA Today Sports in conjunction with the release of his Fabletics collection.
Brown's peak helps explain Chase's admiration.

#cincinnati #asked #randy

Some young men made the most of the spring and summer months, supplanting other familiar names on the latest version of the team's final roster. Even after the weekend rolled by, Cincinnati continued to make other moves to fine tune things ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Buccaneers.
John and Anthony discuss the makeup of this new roster, the roles some of the new faces will have and much more. Join the duo live on Tuesday at 6:45 pm ET, or else catch it on your favorite platform afterward!
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#john #only #show #available

By the time Cincinnati Bengals players returned to their lockers post-practice on Sept. 1, they were well into the countdown toward the Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 13. The excitement of setting what's expected to be a deeper, more talented 53-man roster, plus the 16-player practice squad, had mostly faded.
Only two days earlier, several Bengals players were basking in the achievement of earning a spot on the initial 53-man roster, which teams across the NFL set Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. EDT. Other veteran players and coaches were savoring the depth, which was anticipated prior to training camp on the defensive side but eventually grew to include offensive players, too.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who anticipated a tense and challenging weekend of sifting through difficult personnel decisions to arrive at his 53-man roster, said he ended up enjoying the cut-down process.
"It was ultimately fun to put together because we feel like we're really deep, even going out to the practice squad," Taylor said. "Yes, it was very challenging letting guys know that in other years maybe they would have made the 53, maybe would have made the practice squad, that they weren't going to get that this year or come back. But top to bottom, I feel like it's a really good group, and excited to get these guys."
The excitement around the group the organization ****** embled was still evident during and after the Bengals' Sept. 1 practice.

#excitement

With Cincinnati's season opener approaching, Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase remains hampered by a knee injury that he sustained at practice last week.
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters Tuesday that Chase will be limited at practice this week as the Bengals turn the page from the preseason to preparing for their season opener.
Taylor also said that wide receiver Tee Higgins is dealing with a heel contusion. He expects that both of them "will be good at the end of week." The Bengals will open their season on Sept. 13 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Here's the play from practice on Aug. 25 in which Chase injured his left knee. He fell down clutching his knee after landing awkwardly on it while attempting to make a catch. He stood up briefly after initially crawling on it, then immediately sat down on the sideline.

#chase #taylor #opener #receiver

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their initial 53-man roster in place.
After trimming the roster throughout the week, Tampa Bay finalized its first regular-season group ahead of Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bucs kept two quarterbacks, six wide receivers and 10 offensive linemen on offense, while the defense features a young group that includes first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr., Josiah Trotter and Benjamin Morrison.
Here is the Buccaneers' initial 53-man roster, broken down by position:
Jalon Daniels
Baker Mayfield

#roster #initial #first

BENGALURU: In 118 minutes and 81 ******* , Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offered a glimpse of the raw talent that has made him one of Indian cricket's most sought-after prospects. The southpaw backs his big-hitting ability irrespective of the format and his fearless approach was on full display as the East Zone opener smashed 92 (7x4, 7x6) against Central Zone on Day 2 of their Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday.

At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a 50 in the tournament, breaking Central Zone's Laxman Singh's record of 16 years and 23 days, set in January 1969.

The innings was more than just a record. Since his Ranji Trophy debut in 2024, the teenager had managed 215 runs from nine first-class matches. While he has built strong credentials in white-ball cricket, the longer format remains a stern test. Sooryavanshi was in no mood to let a red-ball challenge pass without making a statement.

The first session was all about his attacking display. After getting off the mark with a risky single, the left-hander struck his first boundary with a stylish square drive. That was merely an appetiser, as he repeatedly looked to score in the V against the pacers, including Yash Thakur, whom he deposited over the bowler's head for his first six. His 18 singles were as much a sign of maturity as his seven sixes were of his power.

His domination helped East Zone race to 64 in the first 10 overs. On 40, Sooryavanshi was handed a reprieve when Yash Rathod dropped a straightforward catch off Saransh Jain. The batter made the most of it, bringing up his half-century off 42 ******* with a six over long-on.

What stood out was not just the power, but the range. One particular ******* ault on pacer Aryan Pandey was striking. Charging down the track, Sooryavanshi smashed the ball straight back over the bowler's head for his fourth six.

Such was his command that it seemed to matter little who was bowling. Off-spinner Saransh Jain, who recently made his India Test debut, was dealt with equal confidence, conceding a four and a six as Sooryavanshi raced towards the nervous nineties in the 25th over.

However, he was left distraught when another attempt at a maximum landed in Arshad Khan's hands at deep mid-wicket off Harsh Dubey, leaving him eight runs short of his maiden first-class hundred.

Along with Abhimanyu Easwaran's 69, Sooryavanshi's 92 formed the backbone of a 161-run opening stand that helped East Zone reach 266, exactly matching Central Zone's first-innings total. Central were 45/3 at stumps.
Brief scores: Central Zone 266 & 45/3 in 20 overs (Mukesh ******* ar 2-14) vs East Zone 266 all out in 57 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 69, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 92; Aryan Pandey 3-43, Yash Thakur 3-66, Harsh Dubey 4-66).

#central

Cincinnati Bengals running back Kendall Milton is being added to the team's practice squad, according to multiple reports.
Milton was among players the Bengals cut to finalize their 53-man roster.
Milton has played in three games over the past two seasons for the Bengals, totaling two carries for two rushing yards.
Before the Week 11 game in 2025 against Pittsburgh, Milton was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. He carried the ball for no gain on the play in which Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey got into a fight that resulted in Ramsey's ejection and Chase's suspension.
Milton was among players released by the team as it reached its 53-man roster in August 2025, but he was signed a short time later to the Bengals' practice squad.

#practice #squad #back #cincinnati

MUMBAI: When the Duleep Trophy semifinals began at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday, 19-time champions West Zone were conspicuous by their absence.

West crashed out after a 52-run defeat to North Zone in a low-scoring quarterfinal, with North posting 251 and 222, while West managed 187 and 234.

Former Mumbai first-class cricketer Amit Dani, who coached West Zone this season, believes the tournament's knockout format needs a rethink.

"I suggested to the BCCI that it should seriously consider not having knockout matches until the final in the Duleep Trophy. It's the first tournament of the season and players are often a bit rusty. Even if North Zone had been knocked out after just one game, it wouldn't have been fair on their players either," Dani told TOI.

Dani argued that the current format limits opportunities for players and selectors alike.

"The selectors wanted to watch Tanush Kotian, but they got to see him in only one match. It was a difficult wicket where the ball was gripping and turning, making batting tough. Players need more games. With the final scheduled only on Sept 6, there is room for one more league match," he said.

Despite the early exit, Dani found plenty of positives in West's campaign. He reserved special praise for Musheer Khan, whose 96 in the fourth innings was the highest score of the match.

"On that wicket, it was a top-quality knock. It wasn't easy to bat there, but Musheer showed superb temperament and skill," Dani said.

He felt Anshul Kamboj's brisk 60 in North's first innings and Ruturaj Gaikwad's run-out while batting on 66 in the chase proved decisive.

"For us, Musheer, Tanush and Tushar Deshpande stood out. Tushar bowled with real fire and intensity. I hope all three are considered for India A or the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup," Dani added.

#west #musheer #first

The Cincinnati Bengals revealed the initial 53-man roster at the NFL's deadline.
Those Bengals produced some big snubs in the process.
Among the surprises were the Bengals going super light at linebacker with just four names, while also keeping just three running backs.
Granted, the roster will change as waiver wire claims and other possible moves happen over the next couple of days.
For now, though, these are the biggest early snubs from the Bengals' roster.

#deadline #produced

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi captain watch: How did the 15-year-old fare as East Zone's stand-in skipper in Duleep Trophy semi-final? originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took over as East Zone's stand-in captain on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy semi-final.
The 15-year-old India star replaced Ishan Kishan, who left the field with a thumb injury.
The Central Zone were bowled out for 266 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has spent the past 18 months collecting records **** ody his age had any business holding, and Bengaluru has produced another. The 15-year-old has taken charge of East Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone, his first captaincy role in senior first-class cricket.

#sooryavanshi #zone #semi

The Cincinnati Bengals have made their cuts and released the first version of their final roster on Sunday. They cut down from around 90 players to the 53 that will hopefully win the Bengals their first Super Bowl.
Of course, the Bengals will take a look at who was cut by the other 31 teams, and odds are they could put in a waiver claim or two. Until that happens, though, here are some winners and losers from the Bengals' initial 53-man roster.
Starting with….
Dohnte Meyers
There might not be a cooler story this season than Meyers'. From getting no D1 offers out of high school and having to pay $100 to try out for a CFL team to making a 53-man roster at 26 years old is the kind of stuff they make movies about. Meyers earned his spot too, catching 11 passes on 13 targets for 121 yards. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards this preseason, and will now take his spot on the most talented wide receiver corps in the NFL.

#first #take #sunday

Sunday was the date on which NFL 53-man rosters had to be set, and we're always interested in which former Ohio State players make the cut and who gets left out in the cold, searching to continue their dreams in another way. As you would expect, there's a slew of scarlet and gray littered across NFL teams, and in fact, 59 former Buckeyes are officially on rosters across the League.
Of note, only five teams in the NFL do not have at least one former Ohio State player on their roster. And by former players, we are only considering those who finished their careers in scarlet and gray, not elsewhere. Only the Bengals, Chargers, Eagles, Packers, and Ravens don't have a former Buckeye on the roster. There would be an even 60 players if not for Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper being placed on the commissioner's exempt list because of two domestic violence charges. We'll follow where that news leads.
The Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals lead all teams with six former Ohio State players each. As always, however, with the news of players making NFL rosters, some did not. Eight former Buckeyes were released from rosters on Sunday:
San Francisco 49ers: CB Eli Apple
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Xavier Johnson

#sunday

The Cincinnati Bengals' 2026 roster is officially set, and while there were plenty of predictable decisions, there were also some genuinely difficult cuts.
Cincinnati finished the preseason 3-0, capped by a 30-13 demolition of the Philadelphia Eagles, and that created something of a problem for Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin. Several players who performed well throughout training camp and the preseason simply couldn't fit into a 53-man roster that has considerably more depth than some recent Bengals teams.
The Bengals ultimately kept all seven of their 2026 draft picks, five tight ends, six wide receivers, and 11 defensive linemen. That meant some talented players were inevitably going to be left out.
Here are some of the best players who didn't make Cincinnati's initial 53-man roster but could be candidates for the 16-man practice squad.
This one hurts. Foskey wasn't merely decent during the preseason. He was good. Really good at times.

#preseason #players #cincinnati #Eagles

I'll keep this one short: The Green Bay Packers target their pre-draft visitors at a high clip, whether it's the draft, as initial undrafted free agents or further down the line. For example, last cutdown cycle the team traded a pick for offensive linemen Darian Kinnard and picked up tight end Josh Whyle to the practice squad. Whyle eventually ended up winning a roster spot and made this year's initial 53-man roster.
So, who was just made available to the Packers all at once? Good question. So far (every team hasn't officially announced their roster yet), these are the players who just hit the market and were brought to Green Bay during their draft cycle (since 2022, when the team started targeting more draft picks).
Hendon Hooker, **** ans
Sean Clifford, Bengals
Can I interest anyone in Sean Clifford as a QB3 again?

#team #initial

Today is the NFL deadline for teams to cut rosters to the 53-player maximum before 6 p.m. The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2026 NFL season with high expectations and have the second-best odds to win the AFC North.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor is the only coach returning in the division this season and Cincinnati added veteran defensive players including defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, safety Bryan Cook and defensive end Boye Mafe, among others.
The Bengals made it through training camp and the preseason with limited injuries to starters. Defensive end Shemar Stewart was injured on the first day of training camp and defensive back Dax Hill also was injured.
Buy Bengals tickets
Follow live to see which players make the 53-man roster:

#cincinnati #injured

After the Chicago Bears' preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, there were questions about how they would respond in their preseason finale against the Tennessee **** ans. They answered that question very quickly with a 97-yard score.
That 97-yard touchdown was the start of an incredible night for rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas and quarterback Tyson Bagent. Bagent only had one incompletion out of 17 pass attempts and threw two touchdowns. Thomas had 140 receiving yards and another 39 yards on a punt return and 22 yards on a kick return.
With the preseason wrapped up and roster cuts on deck, head coach Ben Johnson was satisfied with how Chicago played in their final preseason game this year.
"I thought they brought it tonight," Johnson said. "Defense did a great job playing [the] physical brand that we pride ourselves on and to see a few of those three and outs there in the second half, that was great to see. And then offensively, when Tyson starts the game like that, I think he had one incompletion, 16 to 17. He was on fire. And so you felt like our offense was really rolling when that happened. It was good to see a guy like Zavion get some time and have some production from it, both in the receiving game but also as a punt returner. And then the other guy I highlighted to the team was Maurice Alexander. Just a guy that's selfless."
Wide receiver Maurice Alexander's performance probably flew under the radar with how well Thomas did. But, how Alexander played may prove to be more significant. Bagent and Thomas were not in danger of getting cut, but with how deep Chicago's wide receiver room is, Alexander was not guaranteed a spot on the team and this performance gave him a fighting chance to make the roster.

#bagent #wide #receiver

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear prepared for an undrafted free agent to back up QB Baker Mayfield.
The Bucs have released backup Jake Browning, who was signed early in free agency this offseason to be Mayfield's backup. That means undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels, who has impressed all summer, is currently the QB2 behind Mayfield.
The 6-foot, 208-pound Daniels, who played six years in college at Kansas, completed 27-of-44 passes for 239 yards and a TD pass, also rushing 14 times for 37 yards and one more score in three preseason games this summer. He was especially sharp in the first two exhibitions, helping spark second-half comebacks against the Jets and Chiefs.
Daniels might have initially been viewed as a longer-term project, but he started impressing the coaches as early as OTAs and minicamps, and he earned praise from the Bucs coaches for his off-schedule playmaking and quick recognition skills, which earned him QB2 reps in camp. Even with a shakier effort in the third preseason game, losing a fumble and completing 8-of-15 passes for 57 yards, the Bucs have been impressed with the rookie.
The Bucs still could look to add a veteran quarterback, with several expected to be released on cutdown day. But for now, Daniels is the next man up. Tampa Bay opens the season at the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.

#tampa #mayfield #agent

The Green Bay Packers appear to have made their choice at long snapper to start the 2026 season. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers are releasing long snapper Cal Adomitis on Sunday, leaving Matt Orzech as the lone long snapper on the roster.
Adomitis, a former member of the Cincinnati Bengals, was signed early in training camp and operated as the Packers long snapper throughout camp and during all three preseason games. Orzech, the team's long snapper since 2023, has been on the PUP list since the start of training camp due to a lingering calf injury.
Releasing Adomitis strongly suggests that the Packers believe Orzech will be healthy and ready to go come Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. The regular season opener is still two weeks away.
Adomitis played 29 snaps on special teams -- snapping for 12 punts and 17 field goals -- over three preseason games. The snaps weren't consistently perfect but there were no major errors, and rookie kicker Trey Smack was perfect on his 17 kicks -- nine field goals and eight extra points.
However, the fact that the Packers kept Orzech on the roster despite a multi-week injury always pointed to the team's desire for Orzech to be the snapper come Week 1.

#snapper

Amid the chaos of final cuts, the Cincinnati Bengals figure to keep an eye on players shaking loose via league-wide cuts.
Zac Taylor and the Bengals, after all, have plenty of needs remaining on the roster, no matter what the "final" 53 looks like.
Spots like third running back and offensive tackle depth come to mind as potential depth issues. With trades, free agency and the waiver wire available to the Bengals, the front office figures to link with the coaching staff and review those options in the coming days and weeks.
Zooming out, the following early release players from other teams might interest the Bengals.
The situation behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine hasn't been all that encouraging this offseason. If the Bengals see a veteran option that might be an upgrade over Tahj Brooks, they might just take it. Hassan Haskins, 26, is a former fourth-round pick with some versatility to his game and plenty of experience as a thirdish back in a rotation.

#cuts #plenty #depth