Daily News 19

Tag: NFL quarterback trade

  • Browns May Have Ideal QB Trade Partner After Injury Scare

    Browns May Have Ideal QB Trade Partner After Injury Scare

    Browns May Have Ideal QB Trade Partner After Falcons Injury Scare

    Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will not be the starter for Week 1. GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – AUGUST 27: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Huntington Bank Field on August 27, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) GettyKevin Stefanski’s quarterback problems in Atlanta could give the Cleveland Browns a familiar trade partner before the season gets rolling.

    Falcons Face Quarterback Uncertainty Ahead of Steelers Matchup

    The Falcons were already preparing to open without Michael Penix Jr. when Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during Thursday’s practice. Cooper Rush took all the first-team reps, leaving Atlanta facing the possibility of another quarterback change ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    Tagovailoa is considered day-to-day, so the Falcons do not yet know whether they have a temporary scare or a problem that requires outside help. Penix, meanwhile, has returned to full practices following knee surgery but is not ready for game action.

    “You can get cleared for 11-on-11 or you get cleared for a game, but then you have to be able to do your job,” Stefanski said Monday.

    If Atlanta decides to explore the trade market, Cleveland would be a logical place to call. Stefanski coached both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel as rookies last season. He knows their strengths, their limitations and how they handle his offense — useful background when a team needs help quickly.

    Rush gives Atlanta an experienced fallback. But if the injuries linger, Stefanski’s old quarterback room could be worth a closer look for Atlanta.

    Shedeur Sanders Makes the Most Sense for Falcons

    Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will not be the starter for Week 1.

    For an immediate need, Sanders is the Browns quarterback who best fits the discussion. Gabriel is on injured reserve with a back injury and must miss at least the first four games. Whatever trade value he might have later, he cannot solve Atlanta’s early-season availability problem.

    Deshaun Watson has Cleveland’s starting job. Rookie Taylen Green has yet to take a regular-season snap and did not play for Stefanski. Sanders offers both familiarity and some experience after making seven starts under the former Browns coach last season.

    Sanders went 3-4 in those starts, finishing his rookie season with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. There has already been fresh trade speculation around Sanders, although most of it is unfounded.

    The harder question is whether Cleveland would entertain an offer. Sanders spent training camp competing for the starting job and now provides the Browns with their most reliable available alternative to Watson. Trading him would leave Green as the only healthy quarterback behind the Watson — who comes with significant durability concerns — unless Cleveland added someone else.

    Browns Open With Deshaun Watson Under Pressure

    Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Huntington Bank Field.

    Cleveland’s first unofficial depth chart lists Watson first, Sanders second and Green third heading into Sunday’s opener at Jacksonville. Coach Todd Monken also indicated Sanders will be active against the Jaguars.

    “I do,” Monken said when asked Wednesday.

    That clarification followed a discussion of a possible package for Green, whose running ability could add another wrinkle in specific packages. However, Sanders remains the more experienced choice if Cleveland needs someone to take over the full offense.

    Watson has appeared in just 19 games for the Browns since arriving in 2022 and missed all of last season following two Achilles surgeries. Monken has entrusted him with the offense, but Watson still must show he can stay on the field and make that decision pay off.

    The Browns begin with road games against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay before their home opener against Carolina. A productive start from Watson would give Cleveland more room to consider its options. An injury or early struggles would make Sanders considerably harder to spare.

  • Sources: Dolphins Acquire QB Kyle McCord in Trade With Packers

    Sources: Dolphins Acquire QB Kyle McCord in Trade With Packers

    The Miami Dolphins have acquired quarterback Kyle McCord from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

    McCord will become the new backup to Dolphins starting quarterback Malik Willis. Miami traded Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday and waived Cam Miller on Sunday, a source told Schefter.

    Dolphins acquire Kyle McCord from Packers

    The sixth-round pick sent to Green Bay is the same selection Miami received in the trade that sent Ewers to Jacksonville.

    McCord signed with the Packers in January after spending the 2025 season on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. Philadelphia drafted him in the sixth round last year.

    Green Bay signed veteran Tyrod Taylor during the offseason to back up starting quarterback Jordan Love. McCord started and played the entire preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday, leading the Packers to a 42-38 victory with a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.

    McCord threw four touchdown passes without an interception in the preseason finale.

    “He did a heck of a job, man,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “He was so just poised in his ability to operate and function. I think he’s, he definitely has the demeanor, no doubt about it. He’s in total control out there, and he’s willing to stand in the pocket, deliver in the face of pressure. And yeah, I thought he did an outstanding job.”

    When training camp began, McCord split time with Kyron Drones as the Packers’ third- or fourth-string quarterback. After a strong performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason opener, Green Bay released Drones and gave McCord all of the No. 3 reps behind Love and Taylor.

    “That was the big goal this preseason, like I said in Pittsburgh, to prove that I could play at this level,” McCord said after the Cardinals game. “I feel like the NFL, what we saw tonight, being down two possessions late in the game, being able to come back and make the most out of those drives is huge. Every single game in the NFL comes down to those situations. Like I said earlier, situational football this preseason has been really good. Yeah, I definitely think I accomplished that this preseason.”

    The Packers will need to add a third quarterback, likely to their practice squad. They could have attempted to bring McCord back if he cleared waivers, but doing so would have risked losing him without receiving compensation.

    ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.

  • Quinn Ewers Fails to Impress Dolphins, Joins Jaguars Alongside Travis Hunter for Fresh Start

    Quinn Ewers Fails to Impress Dolphins, Joins Jaguars Alongside Travis Hunter for Fresh Start

    Quinn Ewers has another opportunity to redirect his NFL career after the Miami Dolphins traded the former Texas quarterback to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

    Jacksonville sent Miami a sixth-round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft for Ewers, who joins an offense led by Trevor Lawrence and featuring Travis Hunter.

    Dolphins move on from Quinn Ewers

    The trade follows an uneven preseason for Ewers, who also suffered a groin injury while competing for a place in Miami’s plans.

    Ewers showed promise late in the 2025 season after replacing Tua Tagovailoa as the Dolphins’ starter. He appeared in four games and made three starts, completing 55 of 83 passes for 622 yards and three touchdowns.

    However, his 2026 preseason began poorly. Ewers completed just one of eight passes for 27 yards and an interception against Washington before the groin injury kept him out of Miami’s next two preseason games.

    Reports later indicated that Dolphins officials held differing views about whether Ewers should remain on the roster.

    “Yeah, I think so. Quinn really hasn’t been able to go very much,” Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said earlier in the week when asked whether the backup quarterback competition remained open.

    “There were mixed views internally about keeping him. There was sentiment in front office for a different no. 2,” Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson wrote.

    Jaguars add Ewers to quarterback room

    Jacksonville had been looking for additional depth behind Lawrence and ultimately decided that Ewers was worth acquiring.

    “The Jaguars have been quietly calling around on backup QBs and land one with Ewers, who has starting experience,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.

    Ewers joins a quarterback room that also includes Nick Mullens, Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar. The trade could still lead to further roster changes before the season begins.

    His arrival also puts him on the same roster as Hunter, giving Jacksonville another young player with significant college pedigree.

    Miami originally selected Ewers 231st overall in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft after he led Texas to consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances.

    After just one season with the Dolphins, Ewers now gets a fresh chance in Jacksonville to show that his brief spell as an NFL starter was not the ceiling of his professional career.