Two out of three quarterback battles have been settled, with Joe Flacco being named the starter for the Cleveland Browns and Daniel Jones winning the Indianapolis Colts' starting job. That being said, there is still plenty of news and one more quarterback battle to examine! With so many unanswered questions across several different teams, let's dive into the NFL News & Rumors This Week!

 

 

 

Top NFL News & Rumors This Week: 

Today's top NFL News and Rumors feature a Tyson Bagent contract extension, trade rumors surrounding several players around the league, and much more!

Chicago Bears QB Tyson Bagent Receives Contract Extension

This might not be the NFL contract extension that people were expecting in the news today, with several holdouts and hold-ins still occurring around the league, but the Chicago Bears have signed backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to a two-year $10 million deal worth up to $16 million. Bagent is now the first Chicago Bears quarterback to sign an extension with the team since Jay Culter. Head coach Ben Johnson was ecstatic to get the deal done, as he believes Bagent could be a starter in the NFL, and he helps make up what Johnson thinks is one of the most talented quarterback rooms he has ever gotten to coach. Tyson Bagent is entering year three with the Chicago Bears and his second year backing up starting quarterback Caleb Williams.

Wide Receiver Trade Market Heats Up - Vikings, 49ers, & More

With several teams dealing with injuries, suspensions, holdouts, or lackluster training camp performances, the trade market for the wide receiver position has begun to heat up across the National Football League. Teams that have been monitoring the trade market include the Minnesota Vikings, the San Francisco 49ers, and the New York Jets. The Minnesota Vikings are going to be without wide receiver Jordan Addison for three games, on top of their other two top receivers, Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor, dealing with injuries. The San Francisco 49ers also have some injury issues at receiver, with Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings missing most of the offseason. Jennings is also seeking a new contract. Finally, the New York Jets have been seeking a receiving weapon to emerge alongside Garrett Wilson.

Additionally, it has been reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking into New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk. The Patriots are among a few teams that could be looking to move one of their players prior to roster cutdowns on Tuesday, August 26th.

New England Patriots Safety Kyle Dugger - Potential Trade

On top of potentially moving on from Ja'Lynn Polk, the Patriots have reportedly expressed interest in moving on from safety Kyle Dugger. While Dugger signed a four-year extension with the Patriots last year, the veteran has been primarily working with the second-team defense. A change of scenery could be a good idea for Dugger, as he works his way back from an injury-riddled 2024 season. 

 

 

 

Fantasy Football News & Rumors

We are currently in peak fantasy football draft season, which means it is essential to keep up with all the latest news and rumors that could shake up your fantasy football targets and fades! Check out our latest Fantasy Football News & Rumors below, including 

Daniel Jones Named Indianapolis Colts Starting QB - Fantasy Football Implications

Yesterday, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen officially named Daniel Jones as his QB1 to start the 2025 NFL season. While Daniel Jones may be the last “flashy” option at quarterback, Jones finished with better fantasy points per game than Richardson in their respective best seasons (Jones being QB11 in 2022 and Richardson being QB13 in 2023) and led the New York Giants to the playoffs in 2022 with a relatively lackluster receiving group. Jones could be a good streaming option at quarterback in deeper fantasy leagues, still being listed as the QB34.

All that being said, Jones has been noticeably worse in the deep passing game than Richardson, meaning players like Alec Pierce (WR76) should be avoided, while checkdown targets like Jonathan Taylor (RB10) and Tyler Warren (TE10) could be good targets.

New Orleans Saints QB Competition Update - Fantasy Football Implications

Despite there only being one week left of the NFL preseason, there is still one unresolved quarterback battle with massive fantasy football implications. New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore recently acknowledged that the Saints quarterback battle is still too close to call and that Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough are neck and neck in just about every possible aspect, from the statistics to the “eye test.” The Saints wrap up the preseason against the Denver Broncos on August 23rd in a game that could decide the Saints' starting quarterback once and for all.

While neither Saints quarterback will likely find your starting lineup this year in fantasy football, the winner of the battle could provide some insight into who else on the New Orleans Saints you should be targeting. For example, Spencer Rattler has been more willing to throw the deep ball thus far in the preseason and has a higher yards per attempt than Tyler Shough, meaning the speedy Rasheed Shaheed might be a more appealing fantasy option at WR54 if Rattler were to win the job. Meanwhile, Tyler Shough has been more adverse to taking risks and more willing to look to his checkdown, making Alvin Kamara seem like a value at RB15 when he has already proven to be a monster in PPR leagues.

 

 

 

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