Schefty: Texans hosted Terrion Arnold for visit

The preseason officially gets underway on Thursday when the Panthers and Cardinals kick things off for the annual Hall of Fame game. Pickett, who is expected to earn the backup job behind Bryce Young, will draw the start and should see significant playing time, with rookie Haynes King being the only other quarterback on the team who is expected to play.

When asked what his absence is about, Gibbs offered a thoughtful “I don’t know” and said “only time will tell” about when we could first see him on the field. Despite Gibbs saying his absence isn’t contract-related, multiple reports have suggested it is the main reason he hasn’t taken the field in training camp. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Gibbs remained sidelined until he either received a new deal or at least made major progress in negotiating a new deal. Rapoport also said that talks between Gibbs and the Lions are “not as active” as the ones going on between the Falcons and Bijan Robinson, who is also holding in while awaiting a new deal. We will continue to monitor both situations until they are resolved, but it doesn’t sound like Gibbs is anywhere close to returning to the field at this time.

Asked if the big-bodied Gordon would function as a short-yardage banger in 2026, Hafley said he would rather see Gordon “compete” to be an “every-down back.” “I think he’s capable of doing it,” Hafley added. “Ollie has flashed and knows what he’s doing. He has great speed, he has great size, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield too.” Hafley also complimented Gordon’s pass blocking. Gordon is coming off a disastrous rookie campaign in which he totaled 199 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries, good for 2.8 yards per rush. Gordon ranked 56th out of 65 qualifying backs in rushing success rate last year. He ranked 58th in missed tackles forced per rush. Gordon, an extremely productive college rusher, will compete with Jaylen Wright for RB2 duties behind De’Von Achane this month.

We are still waiting for more details on this one, but according to reporters who were at the field, Bryant could be seen grabbing at his left knee as he made his way off the field. The 27-year-old safety signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Bears this offseason after spending the previous four seasons with the Seahawks. Bryant totaled 66 tackles and four interceptions with the Seahawks last season and is expected to see a significant role for the defense this season. We will check back in when we learn more about Bryant’s injury.

The drumbeat continues to grow louder for Likely, who has been rumored multiple times throughout the offseason as the player the team was planning to feature. In June, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan said Likely was Jaxson Dart’s “favorite target” in practice, so this latest piece of news hardly comes as a surprise. According to Hughes, Likely has “displayed clear early chemistry with Dart” in training camp, and the 26-year-old tight end “appears to be the No. 2 option behind Nabers.” Currently going around the 10th round in fantasy drafts, Likely could emerge as a solid late-round option for fantasy managers who pass on the elite tight end options early in drafts.

According to Hughes, Skattebo is “the first up in almost every running drill,” and he has also handled the majority of carries in practice. While it’s certainly an encouraging sign for Skattebo’s usage, Hughes also notes that the preferred options in the passing game are Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary. If the Giants were to dial back Skattebo’s role in the receiving game, it could deal a bit of a blow to his fantasy stock. He was on a 17-game pace to catch 51 passes last season, and his work in the passing game made up 43.7 percent of his fantasy scoring in PPR leagues last year. Skattebo’s role as an early-down grinder and goal-line back should be more than enough to satisfy fantasy managers this season, but a reduced role in the passing game would put a bit of a cap on his ceiling.

Rodgers didn’t take a preseason snap for the Steelers last season, but it sounds like the 42-year-old vet will be on the field for each of the Steelers’ first two preseason games this year. Interestingly, they are against the Packers and Jets. Speaking with The Athletic’s Michael Silver, Rodgers didn’t seem particularly excited about taking preseason snaps, but said, “If (McCarthy) wants me to, I will.”

We still don’t know the specifics of Monangai’s injury, but Johnson said the team is “taking it day-by-day” with the second-year back and that his absence “should be on the shorter side.” While it doesn’t sound like the team is overly concerned at this point, it is worth pointing out that Monangai hasn’t practiced since last Wednesday. We’ll see if he can return to the field before the end of this week.

Breer believes Mendoza is proving the Raiders’ scouting reports right. The young quarterback is “living in the building as a tireless, football-obsessed worker.” Although he is only working with the second team right now, Breer thinks Mendoza has a chance to earn first-team reps over the next couple of weeks. Breer celebrates Mendoza’s “unteachable traits,” noting his ability to monitor the pass rush and pass catchers simultaneously, even when all five eligibles are out running routes, and his ability to bounce back from bad plays. That said, Mendoza is still learning to play from under center and “with his back to the ball,” but the early signs are “good.” He believes Kirk Cousins “is still clearly the best guy at running coach Klint Kubiak’s offense.” Mendoza’s odds of starting this season are still unknown, but promising No. 1 overall picks don’t sit for long.

Per Breer, Jeanty “is showing explosion and violence running without pads on.” Assuming those traits carry over to padded practices and the regular season, coach Klint Kubiak “will have a pretty valuable centerpiece for the run game that serves as the foundation for his scheme.” It’s been months since we heard talk of a split backfield. The idea is seemingly a thing of the past after May and June reports indicated Jeanty could serve as a featured three-down player. Treat him as a locked-in RB1 with upside.