Author: nfltalk

With just over two minutes left to play during Saturday’s preseason game between the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams, Shedeur Sanders thought he was going to get a chance to lead a game-winning drive, but instead, he got sent to the bench. 

With Cleveland trailing 17-16 and just 2:03 left to play, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski made the decision to take out his rookie quarterback in favor of Tyler Huntley, who just signed with the team less than three weeks ago. 

If Sanders would have stayed in the game, it would have given him a prime opportunity to lead a potential game-winning drive in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, but instead, he had to watch as Huntley led the Browns to a game-winning field goal that gave Cleveland a 19-17 victory. Following the game, Sanders said he was surprised to learn that he was being pulled. 

“I didn’t know I was out,” Sanders said after the game. “Yeah, I didn’t know. I was on a bike, I was powering up. I was powering up for that two minute drive because that’s just a situation every quarterback dreams for. That’s many situations I’ve been in before, and I thought I was in, so then he told me I wasn’t in and I was like, ‘OK.’”

After he was told that he was being taken out, Sanders actually went up to Stefanski and requested to stay in the game. 

“Yeah, I definitely did,” Sanders said about whether he asked to keep playing. 

LOOK: Shilo Sanders ejected after punching Bills player in Buccaneers preseason finale

Bryan DeArdo

Sanders was so sure that he…

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Steelers first-round defensive lineman Derrick Harmon saw his rookie season flash before his eyes. He revealed Saturday that in Thursday night’s preseason finale that he initially got hit in the knee the play before he was carted off the field.

That was when the injury apparently occurred.

He played through it the next play before he was twisted to the ground awkwardly when he and Panthers offensive lineman Brandon Walton got tangled. Harmon didn’t get up, requiring a ride to get off the field.

“I thought it was serious, but it wasn’t that serious,” Harmon said, via Teresa Varley of the team website. “But still something I’ve got to be in the training room to get my rehab. That’s my focus right now — to attack rehab and do what I have to do to get back on the field.”

Coach Mike Tomlin reiterated Saturday that Harmon sprained his knee and is week-to-week. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that it’s a sprain to Harmon’s MCL, an injury that will keep him out only 4-6 weeks.

The Steelers will not place Harmon on injured reserve, Dulac reports, with the season opener still 15 days away.

“Definitely frustrated,” Harmon said. “Last preseason game and really excited to get out there in the regular season and compete at a high level. It sucks, but it’s part of the game we play, so just got to attack this rehab.”

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Yes, the Dallas Cowboys did play their preseason finale Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons. 

However, the football itself took a backseat to the drama of All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons’ drawn out contract negotiations with team owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Parsons walked into AT&T Stadium pregame munching on a plate of nachos, and Jones caught up with the All-Pro’s mother Sherese pregame. 

Postgame, Parsons exited the locker room with teammate and Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs, his BFF on the Cowboys. After slowly walking just ahead of a small handful of gathered media, Diggs turned and crossed his arms to block the gathering from speaking to Parsons, but he did serve as the 26-year-old’s spokesman and answered questions on his behalf for a couple minutes. Parsons was spotted laying by himself on a training table during a portion of the Cowboys’ 31-13 preseason victory, which is why Diggs began talking about his teammate’s back. Jones spoke at training camp about how he believes Parsons’ back injury is contract related. 

“I don’t know, his back is kind of tight. He had to get an MRI today. I don’t know,” Diggs said of Parsons’ Week 1 availability. “It depends on how his back feels. I know he was really sore this morning. He went to get it checked out, so that’s the last thing I heard from him.”

Diggs, who was able to sign a five-year, $97 million extension in training camp of the 2023 season, obviously laments how Parsons’ negotiations with Dallas have unraveled. 

“I wish everything could be handled and everything could be taken care of,” Diggs said. “He’s one of our star players. You know he’s the heart and soul of this team. I just wish things weren’t how they are, different circumstances. You know everybody has to do what’s best for them at the end of the day. I feel like just leave it in God’s hands, and God will figure it out for…

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Officially, the Sunday Ticket package begins with Week 1 of the regular season. Unofficially, it began during the preseason.

Via David Rumsey of FrontOfficeSports.com, the Sunday Ticket package has made multiple preseason games available on the Sunday Ticket service.

Apparently, the NFL has allowed YouTube and YouTube TV to stream several preseason games each year, since YouTube acquired the package from DirecTV in 2023. The purpose, per the report, is to test the service in advance of the regular season. The preseason games have not been promoted.

This year, Sunday Ticket streamed Dolphins-Lions in Week 2 of the preseason. Some users also had access to Patriots-Vikings last Saturday.

On Saturday, Texans-Lions is scheduled to be streamed by Sunday Ticket in “several markets.”

Neither the NFL nor YouTube provided a comment for the story.

A separate test for YouTube will happen two weeks from tonight, when the service streams the Week 1 Chiefs-Chargers game from Brazil. Given that the game is available at no charge, it will likely be the most-streamed NFL game to date.

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Earlier this week, NFL Media reported that the Minnesota Vikings were exploring veteran wide receivers on the trade market with Jordan Addison suspended for three games and the rest of their wide receiving core bitten by the injury bug. There was one potential target that immediately came to mind, and we now know Minnesota trading for that player is a legitimate possibility.  

The Vikings have reached out to the Carolina Panthers and inquired about trading for wide receiver Adam Thielen, per ESPN. Thielen is a Vikings legend that spent nine years in Minnesota, and he currently ranks third in franchise history in receptions (534), fifth in receiving yards (6,682) and third in receiving touchdowns (55).

The Detroit Lakes native, who played his college ball at Minnesota State, signed a three-year deal with the Panthers in 2023, and immediately made an impact with 103 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. Thielen played in just 10 games this past season after injuring his hamstring while making a touchdown catch in Week 3, but returned later in the year and put up two 100-yard performances as Bryce Young finished out the season in strong fashion. 

Thielen may have turned 35 years old on Friday, but he has proven that he is still a reliable target. The question is what would Carolina want in return for one of its top wide receivers, and what is Minnesota comfortable giving up for a 35-year-old on a one-year deal? Regardless, reuniting the dynamic duo of Thielen and Justin Jefferson to help out new quarterback J.J. McCarthy is an exciting thought for Vikings fans. 

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