Did Odell Beckham Jr. do enough to make the Giants' 53-man roster?

The former star receiver's comeback with New York is in wait-and-see mode after Big Blue's preseason-ending win over the Jets.

"I feel like I gave everything I had," said Beckham, who was targeted six times and caught three passes for 53 yards (17.7 average) Friday at MetLife Stadium. "Super grateful for the opportunity and, at this point, it's just -- it's in God's hands, you know? I know that I have a good feeling about myself. I feel like there's ball to be played, there's plays to be made and, right now, I'm just truly grateful for that opportunity, that experience.

"It was a tough couple of years, taking a step back and deciding to go forward with life -- are you done, the mental battles that we go through -- and just push through, persevere and overcome adversity and just, like I said, I'm truly grateful."

Beckham "played well," John Harbaugh said.

"I thought he played well," Harbaugh said. "I thought he played well. Got open. Just a fingernail away from that completion and maybe a step away from a touchdown, so he looked good out there."

Beckham nearly caught what would have been a 40-plus-yard pass early in the second quarter, creating five yards of separation downfield but overthrown by Jameis Winston before an attempted diving grab fell to the turf.

"I'm pleased, but I remember when I was a 23-, 24-year-old kid and there was a play that I felt like I left on the field and it will always eat me," Beckham said. "I'll be 50 and think about a play from 2016 against the Panthers. That's just how I am. I'm always my hardest critic. But very pleased with myself, this team -- this is a real team -- and, like I said, just grateful."

Harbaugh was asked if Beckham did enough to make the team and said yes without making an official decision.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't want to say, like, exactly who's making it right now and not what the considerations are, and things can happen, so -- but I think I would answer the question, yes," Harbaugh said. "I mean, I think he has done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure. He's played well, and he's gotten better as his camp's gone along, and he deserves credit for that. He's done a really good job with it."

Beckham was told about Harbaugh's answer and reacted.

"It's great to hear," Beckham said. "Like I say, it's in God's hands. Just simply focusing on having the opportunity -- like, it means a lot to me -- and tried and I gave my best. It feels great to be back in that stadium. It's just so many good times, hard times, things that made me a man. And I'm pleased with what I did, but always looking for more."

What would being with the Giants mean to Beckham, who was New York's No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and starred for the franchise from 2014-18?

"Everything," Beckham said before Sunday's 6 p.m. cut-down deadline. "Everything. Seeing my son at the game, yelling, just looking at me, and he told one of his friends, like, 'Yeah, people always want to take a picture with my dad. He must be the best,' you know, and it just made me laugh because I'm like -- I just want to show him. I want to lead the way. I want to be a good example for him, a good man. I've grown so much, and it would mean everything to me if I made it."

This metaphor is probably only one that only the older siblings will understand but here goes: You know when you’re playing Mario Kart with your sibling and for one reason or another you try to let them win to make them feel better? Well that is exactly what happened on Friday night between the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. The only difference was that both teams appeared to want to lose.

Anytime Luis Castillo takes the mound it’s best to protect your mental health and be willing to channel surf. Enjoying life without a three-hour block of straight Sox is a much better alternative than feeling the veins in your neck bulging while Castillo “pitches.”

Friday night felt different out the gates, as the South Siders put up a four-spot in the very first inning. Surely with that kind of buffer, Castillo couldn’t completely hand it back, right? Unfortunately, I set the bar low for Castillo in the game thread, and somehow he still found a way to limbo right under it.

Gifted a massive lead, he immediately gave up three runs in the first before the Twins tied it in the second. It was a weird night for Castillo, where the meatballs he threw went largely unpunished while his few actual decent pitches were taken for rides.

Luckily, for the White Sox, Dean Kremer is also bad at baseball, and it almost looked like he realized that the Twins are essentially out of the playoff race and should be tanking at this point. Two doubles from the White Sox in the third gave the Sox the lead back, 5-4; Chicago had its first two batters reach in the fourth before the White Sox also remembered for whatever reason they did not want to win, and immediately grounded into a double play.

It was at that time Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers saw the White Sox slamming on the brakes and responded by driving right into the path of his own green shell by letting a wild pitch get by, allowing Tristan Peters to score and give Chicago a two-run pad. Unfortunately for the few fans that the Twins have left, Jeffers would allow the same thing to happen again later in the game, allowing a crucial insurance run to score.

It was still anybody’s game with Castillo still “pitching,” but he was able to gather himself enough to keep the lead intact. Still, using 75 pitches to get through four innings meant the White Sox bullpen was going to be taxed heavy in the game — and that’s only slightly better than having Castillo out there.

Luckily, the bullpen went out and took care of business. A ton of credit goes out to Grant Taylor, who was absolutely lights-out in 2 ⅔ innings of high-leverage work. Will Venable asked a lot of him, and Taylor Grant-ed a win and a sigh of relief.

Because the White Sox are the White Sox, they had to put themselves in harm’s way in the ninth inning, only for the Twins to squander the opportunity like they’ve squandered everything good they’ve had since the late 90’s.

The Twins were shut out over the last seven innings of the game, although it didn’t seem like it with the amount of base runners they put on the base paths. Fortunately for the South Siders, Minnesota went just 1-for-11 with RISP, grounded into two double plays, and stranded eight base runners.

Thanks to horrible pitching and an insane amount of delays, the game that was hard to watch from the bottom of the first inning was finally decided after three hours. It was the odd game where a win feels like a loss, but no matter how it may feel, the White Sox gained an important game on the Guardians. The Sox pushed themselves to a three and a half game lead. The magic number is down to 25, and that’s all that matters.

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MVP
Grant Taylor: 2 2/3 IP, H, 3 Ks

Runners-Up
Colson Montgomery: 2-for-4, 3 RBIs, R, 2 Ks
Andrew Benintendi: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, R
Ryan Jeffers: 2 runs allowed on wild pitches to help put the game away, 0-for-5, 2 Ks

Cold Cat
Luis Castillo: 4 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, BB, K

Runners-Up
Sam Antonacci: 0-for-4, BB, SB
Tristan Peters: 1-for-4, R, K

The Yankees starter walked five Red Sox batters on Friday night. The Red Sox scored zero runs. That’s the whole story, and it’s an ugly one.

Cam Schlittler was not sharp. He walked five, put traffic on base constantly, and gave Boston every opportunity to cash in. They left ten men on. In a different game—in almost any other version of this game—five free base runners are enough to win. Tonight they weren’t, and the way the Red Sox wasted them made it worse than just a bad night at the plate.

Ceddanne Rafaela had two baserunning blunders that each one capable of changing the score. The double play off the Abreu fly ball in the 5th was painful. Getting thrown out at home with the bases loaded in the 7th was a gut punch. Both mistakes killed rallies that could have given this team the lead. Rafaela stood up and took credit for both after the game, which is the right way to handle it. It still doesn’t change the math. The Sox had the opportunities and didn’t convert, and Rafaela’s legs cost them at least one run they desperately needed.

Ceddanne Rafaela took accountability postgame for his base-running mistakes tonight

On the 5th-inning blunder: "It's a bad read, really bad… No excuses; that can't happen."

One being thrown out at home in the 7th: "[Chad Epperson] tried to hold me. So that's on me…… pic.twitter.com/bIKmLUD9Qz

— NESN (@NESN) August 29, 2026

On the pitching side, it’s hard to ask for anything more. Patrick Sandoval was everything you want from your fifth starter in a tight road game—kept the Yankees in check, gave the offense time to work, left with the team still in it. Only one run allowed, but he eliminated most every threat otherwise. The bullpen was even better. Greg Weissert, Tyron Guerrero, and Wyatt Olds threw combined under 30 pitches and nailed the Yankees to the wall. New York finished with three hits. Three. The Red Sox pitching staff held the Yankees to three hits all night and still lost.

That’s because one of those hits went over the fence. A solo shot in the third from Paul Goldschmidt, one swing, one run, final score. That’s baseball sometimes—empirically bad game, one moment, and it’s over.

1-0 losses are the worst kind. The pitching was fine. The defense was fine, except for two specific moments from Rafaela. The offense just couldn’t score. Five walks and ten men left on base and nothing to show for it. The Yankees don’t need much when your offense goes quiet like that.

Three more games in this series. Shake it off. Even with the horrific pitching matchups on paper.

Studs

Patrick Sandoval

Everything you can ask from a starting pitcher in a 1-0 game. Held the Yankees to minimal damage, kept the offense in a position to win, and gave the bullpen a manageable situation to work with. The result isn’t on him.

The Bullpen

Three hits. The Yankees offense combined for three hits all night. All the arms Tracy used out of the pen, they were outstanding—and they’re the reason this game stayed 1-0 instead of becoming something uglier.

Duds

Ceddanne Rafaela

The double play off the fly ball. Thrown out at home with the bases loaded. Two baserunning mistakes in one game, each one directly killing a rally that could have changed the outcome. He said the right things after the game—owned both of them completely. But in a game decided by a single run, those two moments are the loss.

The Offense (10 LOB)

Schlittler walked five Red Sox hitters. Five. And the team scored zero runs. You can’t be handed that many free runners and go home with nothing. The 10 men left on base isn’t a number, it’s a verdict.

Play of the Game

Can there be none? In a game that was so unremarkable, I can’t pick one for the life of me.

With the preseason on the books, the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league will now turn their focus to getting under the league mandated 53-man roster limit. We could see me a multitude of trades made around the league with all of this roster movement and the Cowboys could be both buyers and sellers. Here are a handful of players they should attempt to acquire via trade.

OT Blake Fisher, Houston Texans

From top to bottom, Dallas’ OT position is arguably their biggest roster concern. It’s unlikely they trade for a plug-and-play starter, but attempting to upgrade the swing tackle position makes a ton of sense after Nate Thomas’ regression/struggles and at the nonexistent options behind him on the depth chart.

Fisher, a 2024 second-round pick, has two years remaining on his rookie deal and 15 starts under his belt in two seasons with the Texans. He’s currently competing for the swing OT job, but has been outplayed by his competition. He’s a young, affordable option who could upgrade Dallas’ swing OT position.

C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Buffalo Bills

Other than T.J. Bass, the Cowboys current backup guard/center options are less than ideal. And, considering Bass hasn’t had much experience snapping the ball, it might be wise for the Cowboys to attempt to upgrade things behind Cooper Beebe after letting Brock Hoffman walk in free agency.

Van Pran-Granger, a 2024 fifth-round pick, looks to have lost the backup center job to Lloyd Cushenberry in Buffalo, potentially making him available via trade. He’s another young, affordable option who would fit in nicely in Klayton Adams’ zone/gap blocking scheme.

DT DeWayne Carter, Buffalo Bills

Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Otito Ogbonnia an impressive DT Trio for the Cowboys, but behind them the depth is questionable at best. Because of that, it wouldn’t be at all surprising in Dallas attempts to upgrade this position via trade to acquire a savvy vet or a young player with the upside.

Carter, a 2024 third-round pick, is a victim of unfortunate circumstances. After missing his entire rookie year with a season-ending injury he now finds himself on the outside looking in at Jim Leonhard’s defensive scheme. The Cowboys may prefer a more seasoned vet to upgrade things, but Carter’s youth/upside makes him an intriguing trade target.

LB Junior Colston, Los Angeles Chargers

If DeMarvion Overshown can stay healthy, he along with Dee Winters and Jaishawn Barham are all upgrades from what the Cowboys deployed at the position a season ago. But, that doesn’t mean Dallas won’t attempt to upgrade the LB position further from either a starting four depth standpoint, acquiring another starting caliber option.

Colston, a 2024 third-round pick, is currently buried on the Chargers LB depth chart, making him a potential trade target for the Cowboys. The 23-year-old is another young, affordable player who could come in and provide a solid floor with a potential high ceiling

RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

As long as Javonte Williams stays healthy for the entire season, the Cowboys are pretty good shape at RB. But, if Williams were to miss any amount of time you don’t really have anyone else ready to step into the RB1 role, although Malik Davis could fill-in adequately a few games on a short-term basis if needed.

Johnson, a 2024 third-round pick, is someone the Cowboys showed an interest in pre-draft not long ago. He’s been in the doghouse in Pittsburgh pretty much from the get-go and isn’t faring any better under Mike McCarthy. He could push Davis for the backup job.

Very few fans called “kicker” as one of the most compelling roster battles of the New York Giants training camp, but that’s where we find ourselves.

And after the Giants’ 23-6 victory over the New York Jets, we have the answer as to who will be the Giants kicker for 2026 season: Undrafted free agent Dominic Zvada, as confirmed by head coach John Harbaugh after the game.

The Giants took the unorthodox step of releasing veteran kicker Jason Sanders way back on June 2nd, leaving the kicking competition up to Zvada and three-game veteran Ben Sauls. Both kickers had impressive performances in training camp. However, Zvada, the UDFA out of Michigan, was clearly better.

Zvada not only showed off the leg strength that could make him the kind of weapon the Giants have lacked in recent years, but he was both accurate and consistent. He rarely missed a kick in practice and was rock solid when he got the opportunity in preseason games.

That isn’t to detract from Sauls, who did a fantastic job settling the Giants’ special teams down in 2025 and was solid himself this summer.

NFL teams are loathe to rely on inexperienced special teams players, but both Zvada and (fellow UDFA) long snapper Ben Mann have proven their worth this summer. The big question now is whether the Giants can hang on to Ben Sauls and sign him to their practice squad.

It was notable that the Giants didn’t use Sauls at all in their win over the Jets — while Jason Sanders missed an extra point and a 54-yard field goal for the Jets.

The Giants would obviously love to keep two NFL-caliber kickers around, but they may be able to parlay Sauls into a draft pick for 2027 if they think he’ll be claimed off of waivers.

Meanwhile, Zvada has come a long way since he announced himself that he would sign with the Giants as an undrafted free agent.

Let’s do it!! #Giantspic.twitter.com/zzHHQhycbz

— Dominic Zvada (@dominic_zvada) April 25, 2026

Right-hander Ashton Pocol moves from the ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach

Left-hander Fenuel Jame also goes from Mesa to Myrtle Beach.

Pelicans right-hander Jhon Rosario was released.

Not going to lie. I was watching the South Bend game and had already written it up as a loss.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs dried off the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 4-3 in ten innings.

Jordan Wicks started this game and went 4.1 innings, allowing just one run but seven hits. He walked two batters, hit one and struck out two.

Gabe Klobostis pitched the ninth and tenth innings. Klobotis allowed the automatic runner to score in the tenth, but got the win after Iowa struck back for two runs in the bottom of the frame. Klobostis allowed no hits. He walked one and struck out four.

First baseman BJ Murray led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, his 15th on the campaign. Murray was 2 for 5.

Shortstop Ben Cowles walked it off in the bottom of the tenth with an RBI single, scoring Owen Miller. Cowles went 2 for 5 with a steal and also scored one run in the second inning. Miller was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle doubled home Cowles in the second. He was 1 for 3.

Murray’s home run.

BJ MURRAY LEADOFF BOMB💣 pic.twitter.com/DH6zoD9TyV

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 29, 2026

Cantrelle doubles in Cowles.

Hayden Cantrelle doubles home a run! pic.twitter.com/kUjFI5jEyf

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 29, 2026

Another caught stealing for catcher Owen Ayers.

33rd runner caught stealing of the year for Owen Ayers! pic.twitter.com/QH4jy8htVa

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 29, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies cracked open the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 3-1.

The Smokies got a good start from Dawson Netz, who allowed just one run on a one-out home run in the fifth inning. His final line was one run on four hits over five innings. Netz struck out seven and walk one.

It wasn’t pretty, but Frankie Scalzo Jr. gave the Smokies 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and ended up getting the win. Scalzo gave up no hits, but he did walk four while striking out three.

Scalzo couldn’t get the final out in the ninth, so Tyler Ras came in and got a ground ball to short from the only batter he faced to collect the save.

Catcher Ariel Armas put the Smokies on the board with a solo home run in the fourth inning. It was Armas’ sixth on the season. Armas went 2 for 4.

Right fielder Andy Garriola broke up a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth with a two-run single. Garriola was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Shortstop Alex Madera went 2 for 3 with a walk and a steal. He scored on Garriola’s single.

Armas’ home run.

@ArielArmas6 sets a new season high with his 6th bomb of the year 💣 pic.twitter.com/tviZNIiFlT

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 29, 2026

An outfield assist from right fielder Alex Ramírez.

Alex Ramirez keeps us tied up with this dart 🎯 pic.twitter.com/9flH8MtJht

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 29, 2026

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs defanged the Wisconsin TimberRattlers (Brewers), 10-7.

Alfredo Romero put the Cubs in a hole early, allowing three runs in the first inning and four more in the third. Romero’s final line was seven runs on six hits over three innings. Romero walked three and struck out two.

Edward Melendez allowed one hit on no runs over 2.2 innings to keep South Bend in the game. Then Cole Reynolds went the rest of the way and got the win with South Bend’s big ninth-inning rally. Reynolds allowed no runs on just one hit over 3.1 innings. He struck out five and walked no one.

The South Bend comeback was keyed by a three-run home run by first baseman Josiah Hartshorn in the fifth inning. It was the Cubs’ top prospect’s 17th home run and 22nd overall. Hartshorn went 1 for 4 with an intentional walk. He scored twice.

Wisconsin led this game 7-4 with two outs and no one on in the top of the ninth. South Bend then had eight batters reach consecutively and they scored six runs to pull this one out of the fire.

South Bend took the lead on a bases-loaded, two-run single by left fielder Kade Snell. Snell went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored twice.

Catcher Logan Poteet had a two-run single in the ninth to make it 10-7. Poteet went 2 for 5 with three total runs batted in.

Right fielder Geuri Lubo was 3 for 4 and scored one run.

Hartshorn’s home run. Check out the Octoberfest uniforms the Timber Rattlers are wearing.

He homered again.
He homered agaaaiiinnn.
Josiah Hartshorn.
He homered again.@HoosierLottery Home Run | #SBCubspic.twitter.com/9HAvynfMiY

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 29, 2026

Snell and Poteet both with two-run singles in that incredible ninth inning rally.

IT WAS 7-0 WISCONSIN!

IT'S 10-7 CUBS!!!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/mEMMShL9ta

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 29, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans missed the cut against the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 8-0.

Starter Luis Mata allowed a three-run home run in the second inning and that was all it took to give him the loss. Mata’s final line was three runs on two hits and three walks over two innings. He struck out two.

The Pelicans only had two hits tonight. Left fielder Derik Alcantara was 1 for 3 with a double.

The Cincinnati Bengals are getting closer to the point where offseason optimism and preseason evaluations have to give way to some very difficult decisions. With the preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles over, the Bengals will soon have to determine which players from their crowded roster have done enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster — and which ones will be looking for work elsewhere.

There is plenty of reason for optimism around Cincinnati entering the 2026 season. Joe Burrow is healthy, the offense has its familiar collection of elite weapons, and the Bengals have made significant investments in rebuilding the defense, most notably with the additions of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen.

That optimism is reflected in the current betting market, too. FanDuel currently lists Cincinnati at +170 to win the AFC North, +900 to win the AFC Championship, and +2000 to win Super Bowl LXI. The Bengals are also -196 to make the playoffs and -165 to win more than 9.5 games.

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FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest NFL odds

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Of course, none of those expectations make roster decisions any easier. The Bengals have several position groups with legitimate competition for the final few spots, and some players who appeared relatively safe entering training camp may now face a much less certain future. Below, we’ll keep track of the Bengals’ roster cuts as they happen, along with some of the more notable surprises and decisions.

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Cincinnati Bengals 2026 Roster Cuts Tracker

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Running Back

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Wide Receiver

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Tight End

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Offensive Line

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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DEFENSE

Defensive Line

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Edge Rusher

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Linebacker

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Cornerback

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Safety

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

Cut: —
Notes: —

Punter

Cut: —
Notes: —

Long Snapper

Cut: —
Notes: —

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Notable Roster Decisions to Watch

While the final cuts will ultimately determine the 53-man roster, there are already several players who have emerged as names worth watching as Cincinnati works through its decisions.

Tahj Brooks: The former Texas Tech running back hasn’t necessarily shown enough to make his roster spot feel completely secure. With competition at running back and the Bengals having other options available, Brooks could be one of the more interesting decisions.

T.J. Slaton: Cincinnati’s offseason additions along the defensive interior have created a fascinating numbers game. Slaton has plenty of NFL experience and could very well make the roster, but the Bengals have added significant competition to a position group that could force a difficult decision.

Mitchell Tinsley: Tinsley’s recent emergence has made the wide receiver competition considerably more interesting. If he continues to show the ability to contribute on offense and special teams, he could force the Bengals to make a tough decision elsewhere.

Charlie Jones: Jones has plenty of experience in the Bengals’ offense and has been a valuable return option, but the emergence of Tinsley, Dohnte Meyers, and Ke’Shawn Williams has made the receiver/returner competition one to monitor closely.

Jack Endries: Endries is another player who has made the roster conversation more interesting. The tight end competition is crowded, and the Bengals will have to determine how many players they want to carry at the position versus using those roster spots elsewhere.

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The Final Roster Is Coming Into Focus

The next several days should provide the Bengals’ coaching staff with its final opportunity to evaluate players before the regular season begins. While some roster spots have essentially been decided, the bottom of the roster is where things become particularly fascinating.

For players on the bubble, one play can make the difference between making the 53-man roster and finding themselves on the practice squad or looking for another opportunity.

And for the Bengals, those decisions could prove particularly important.

Cincinnati has legitimate aspirations of returning to the postseason — and perhaps making a much deeper run than that. With Burrow openly talking about manifesting a Super Bowl and the betting market giving the Bengals a legitimate chance to win the AFC North, the margin for error is getting smaller.

Now comes the difficult part:

Deciding which 53 players give Cincinnati its best chance to make that happen.

This tracker will be updated as the Bengals make their roster decisions.

The New Orleans Saints finished the preseason on a high note, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 27-24. The Saints found efficiency in the run game, and each backup quarterback made a final push for the QB2 job.

Saints Scoring

K Daniel Carlson – 38-yard field goal

Newly signed Saints kicker Daniel Carlson opened up scoring for the black and gold with a 38-yard field goal.

WR Barion Brown – 7-yard touchdown run

Wide receiver Barion Brown continues to shine, this time on the ground, rushing for a 7-yard touchdown.

QB Spencer Rattler – 8-yard touchdown run

Spencer Rattler adds another rushing touchdown for the Saints, reaching the end zone after an 8-yard run.

RB Zamir White – 11-yard touchdown run

For their third rushing touchdown of the day, newly acquired running back Zamir White finds the end zone on an 11-yard run.

K Daniel Carlson – 53-yard field goal

With less than two minutes remaining in the game, New Orleans looks to their veteran kicker to win the game. Carlson nails a 53-yard attempt to put the Saints over the edge.

Team Stats

3rd-down efficiency: 3-9

Total Yards: 326

Pass Yards: 157

Sacks-Yards lost: 2-15

Rushing Yards: 169

Yards per rush: 5.3

Red Zone Efficiency: 75%

Penalties: 4-39

Turnovers: 0

Players Stats

QB Zach Wilson: 9/12, 93 passing yards, 96.9 RTG,

QB Spencer Rattler: 8/10, 79 passing yards, 99.6 RTG, 1 rushing touchdown

RB Audric Estime: 4 CAR, 46 rushing yards, 11.5 AVG

RB Kendre Miller: 9 CAR, 42 rushing yards, 4.7 AVG

RB Zamir White: 4 CAR, 23 rushing yards, 5.8 AVG

WR Ronnie Bell: 6 REC, 65 receiving yards, 7 targets

WR Bryce Lance: 2 REC, 28 receiving yards, 4 targets

LB Isaiah Stalbird: 8 total tackles, 4 solo, 1 sack, 1 TFL

DL Khristian Boyd: 7 total tackles, 4 solo

DL Garrett Nelson: 1 total tackle, 1 solo, 1 sack

K Daniel Carlson: 2/2 FG, 53-yarder, 1.1 XP

P Ryan Wright: 3 punts, 128 yards, 42.7 AVG, 1 touchback, 1 within 20, 55 long

On to the regular season

After finding their first win of the preseason, beating the Cowboys 27-24, the Saints will head into the regular season with a bit of momentum. New Orleans will take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field Sunday, September 13, at 12 p.m. Central.

The Jets wrapped up their 2026 preseason on Friday with a 23-6 loss to the crosstown (and cross-conference) New York Giants. With all key starters rested, it was a game where the spots on the fringes of the Jets' 53-man roster were likely decided.

Jason Sanders didn't enter preseason in a position battle for the title of Jets kicker. However, after his dismal performance against the Giants, he might have forced the team to look for another option ahead of the Jets' season opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sep. 13.

Sanders missed his PAT after Chip Trayanum rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Then, in the fourth quarter, his 54-yard field goal attempt didn't even reach the uprights.

"I didn’t like the fact that we missed these field goals," said head coach Aaron Glenn postgame. "The thing is, we’re not going to panic, and we’re going to make sure we make the right decisions."

After seven strong seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2018 to 2024, Sanders missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a hip injury. He was released during the offseason, and was claimed off waivers by the Jets in early June of this year.

"Jason’s been good for us, he’s been good in practice, so I'm going to evaluate that and see what direction we'll go," the Jets head honcho asserted.

A first-team All-Pro in 2020, Sanders' 84.3 percent career field goal conversion rate is 14th best among all active NFL kickers with at least 100 career field goal attempts. Among that same field, Sanders' 96.6 percent career extra point conversion rate is tied for eighth best.

"Either we fix those issues, or we get the right person in here," Glenn concluded.

The Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs played to a 9-9 tie that was as ugly as the final score suggested, but it was not a totally disastrous night. There were some great moments from quarterback Jalen Milroe, such that I don’t think there should be too much discussion over whether or not he makes the 53-man roster. Rookies like Emmanuel Henderson and Andre Fuller made some nice plays, while cornerback Trevon Diggs’ Seahawks debut saw him make an immediate impact with an interception.

If there was one worrisome story from Friday’s game, it was Jason Myers. Seattle’s longtime kicker has not been his usual self all preseason, and his two misses against the Chiefs included an extra point and a game-winning walk-off field goal. Five total misses through three preseason games for Myers, is it time to worry?

Myself and The Hawks Eye Podcast host Bryce Coutts are live at 8:30 pm PT with analysis and takeaways from Seattle’s preseason finale. Are we going to talk about Jalen Milroe? Of course. But there will be other things worth discussing as we now turn our attention to roster cuts and opening day of the 2026 regular season.

Watch the video below!

Video

Subscribe to The Hawks Eye Podcast!

Memphis Redbirds vsCharlotte Knights (Postponed due to rain)
Charlotte’s date with the International League East leader has been postponed due to rain. The Knights and Redbirds will play a doubleheader on August 29.

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Birmingham Barons 3, Rocket City Trash Pandas 2
Thanks for coming out of hiding, Barons pitchers, we’ve missed you all season! It’s better late than never, as despite a terrible, 54-70 season record, Birmingham remains one game out of second-half postseason qualification, at 28-27.

Barons pitchers were shoving. Rocket City had to settle for just one run during starter Jake Palisch’s five innings, as he allowed just six hits, two walks, and that sole run while punching out five. Mathias LaCombe built off the pitching momentum and blanked Rocket City while adding three strikeouts of his own, and Liam Paddack followed in step with two whiffs and a strikeout looking in the eighth. But the ninth was a whole other ball of wax. Paddack’s no-nonsense eighth was a distant memory, as he walked two and hit two batters and gave up the tying run with two outs and the sacks packed. Though it was an admirable night on the pitching front, it came to a disappointing close.

The mostly lights-out pitching provided Bham’s offense enough leniency to survive with hits that were few and far between. Colby Shelton got a break from being an RBI workhorse, but he still scored on a Jose Colmenares sac fly in the third. Alec Briley, as expected, generated the second run with a sac fly in the fifth, scoring Dylan Campbell. For much of the game, the Barons did nothing else to produce runs, going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine on the bases. However, in the bottom of the ninth and the game knotted at two apiece with runners on the corners, Caleb Bonemer came through with a walk-off single to remind fans why he’s still the top shortstop on the farm.

MVP
Jake Palisch: 5 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 5 K

Runners-Up
Mathias LaCombe: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Colby Shelton: 2-for-3, R, BB
Alec Briley: 1-for-3, RBI
Samuel Zavala: 1-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB
Caleb Bonemer: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K

Cold Cat
Grant Magill: 0-for-4, 3 K

Runners-Up
Dylan Campbell: 2-for-5, 2 K
Ryan Burrowes: 1-for-3, BB, K

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Bowling Green Hot Rods 11, Winston-Salem Dash 7 (10 innings)
Despite the 10 1/2-game difference between Bowling Green and Winston-Salem, the battle among the South Atlantic League South leaders was an even match. Until extra innings.

The Dash needed a team-wide effort to keep up with the Hot Rods at the plate and offset their own pitching blunders. Although they did get some help from George Wolkow’s sac fly in the sixth and a bases-juiced walk in the eighth, Javier Mogollón’s exceptional three-hit evening and home run sent the game to extras:

By the start of the 10th, Justin Sinbaldi’s costly pickoff error and Drew Conover’s three-run relief outing were forgotten. But Winston-Salem wasn’t anywhere close to out of the woods.

Landen Payne, who has been exceptional this year with eight saves and 42 strikeouts, didn’t deliver the closeout everyone expected. After allowing the ghost runner to steal third, Payne secured one out before giving up the go-ahead run on a competitive pitch almost in the dirt. His confidence shaken, he was pulled from the game and replaced by Carlton Perkins, who did worse. The next three batters walked and were hit by pitches, turning the 7-7 tie into 9-7 within moments. By then, the writing was on the wall, and all the Dash could do was figure out the fastest way to end the game.

Although it ended unceremoniously and the Hot Rods pulled back ahead of the Dash in the second-half standings, notable performances by Riley Gowens and Mogollón helped Winston-Salem keep the game within arm’s reach.

MVP
Javier Mogollón: 3-for-6, 3 2 R, 3 RBI, K, HR, SB

Runners-Up
Riley Gowens: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K
Ely Brown: 2-for-6, 2 R, RBI, K
James Taussig: 2-for-5, R, K
Jackson Appel: 1-for-2, R, RBI, 2 K
Trey Cooper: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

Cold Cat
Justin Sinbaldi: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K, E

Runners-Up
Drew Conover: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, K
Blake Perkins: 2/3 IP, H, 2 R, BB, K
George Wolkow: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Landen Payne: 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K

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Hill City Howlers 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1
Hill City got the best of Kannapolis in a match where nothing went in the CBs’ favor. The lineup tallied 15 strikeouts and managed just five hits, with Efran Teran accounting for three. Jaden Fauske and Grayson Fitzwater created plenty of wind energy, the former striking out thrice and the latter earning a golden sombrero. Landon Hodge drove Jake Berkland in to score Kanny’s only run in the second, but the rest of the offense was dead. Considering only three runners got into scoring position, it’s a miracle the Ballers didn’t get blanked. While things couldn’t have gotten much worse with hitting, the pitching crew didn’t do their best, either. Fabian Ysalla exhibited another disappointing start, but at least he lasted five innings. By the time Ysalla was pulled and Andrew Berg and Frankeli Arias came into the game, it was clear the bats couldn’t rally, so surrendering two more runs didn’t make a difference for the struggling relievers.

MVP
Efran Teran: 3-for-3

Runners-Up
Landon Hodge: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Jake Berkland: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
Frankeli Arias: 2 IP, 2 H, R, 3 K

Cold Cat
Grayson Fitzwater: 0-for-4, 4 K

Runners-Up
Jaden Fauske: 0-for-4, 3 K
Fabian Ysalla: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, K
Steven Lancia: 0-for-4, 2 K
Crew McChesney: 0-for-3, 2 K

The Green Bay Packers won a thriller, if there can ever be one in August, in their preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. Mike LaFleur, trying to best his older brother, called two timeouts in the final five seconds of the game, trying to set up a Hail Mary after receiver KiSean Johnson’s second fourth-quarter touchdown for the Packers.

The Cardinals’ Hail Mary attempt fell short, though, and was batted away by a crowd of green and gold as Arizona fell 42-38 with zeroes on the clock.

The Packers did not play their best players on Friday Night, as 37 were held out. 32 of those players were among the 46 we listed as Packers “roster locks” earlier this week, with the remaining five comprising four players on Green Bay’s physically unable to perform list and tight end Thomas Yassmin, the Packers’ international exemption player who is currently dealing with an injury.

On top of that, others who were “active” were held out as reserve/emergency players, like backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor — who didn’t play a single snap in the game. Instead, it was Kyle McCord, Green Bay’s QB3, who played under center for the offense today.

The most interesting part of the game, from a players participating standpoint, was probably that the second-team offensive line was able to go for the game and mid-round picks Chris McClellan and Dani Dennis-Sutton (who was inactive for the first two preseason games) suited up on the line of scrimmage.

The second-team offensive line was made up of John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Jager Burton, Travis Glover (who hasn’t been getting work with the second-team up to this point) and Anthony Belton (from left to right). Glover was later kicked out to replace Belton, and Darian Kinnard, who was the team’s sixth offensive lineman in the second half of the Packers’ 2026 season, came off the bench to play right guard. Kinnard has had maybe the biggest drop on the depth chart of any returning player on Green Bay’s roster.

Defensively, the standout was easily Dennis-Sutton, who recorded one sack in his NFL debut, several pressures and a couple near-sacks, too. He looked like an NFL rookie playing against a group of practice squaders, so he’s checking the box there.

McCord continued a solid summer for the rising quarterback, completing 22 of 35 for 226 yards and four touchdowns versus the Cardinals. In total, his preseason has amounted to 70 passes for 37 completions, 446 yards (6.3 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Taylor was 8 of 16 for 38 yards (2.4 yards per attempt) this preseason, but it appears that Taylor will be Green Bay’s backup — barring an outside addition — as he was shielded from contact tonight.

Receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who is the most likely undrafted free agent to make the Packers’ 2026 initial 53-man roster on Sunday as a seventh receiver and special teams contributor, led the team with six receptions for 112 yards, despite Johnson hauling in one more touchdown. Meanwhile, Isaiah Neyor, who is pushing Sturdivant for a roster spot, dropped a wide-open deep ball from McCord. Will Sheppard, who has been ninth in the receiver pecking order this preseason, returned a punt for an 81-yard touchdown against the Cardinals, too.

Rookie kicker Trey Smack continues his perfect stretch of play, as he hit two more field goals and four extra points versus Arizona.

Unfortunately, the reserve defense was lunch, as they gave up 326 yards in the air (including sack yardage) and 166 yards on the ground. Obviously, an 80-point game isn’t going to have much defense played in it, but the Packers could have been much better in that department tonight. Notably, rookie cornerback Domani Jackson, who had an alright NFL debut last week after missing the preseason opener, played pretty poorly opposite Jaylin Simpson, who himself hasn’t looked good as either an outside cornerback or a slot defender this preseason.

Maybe Green Bay should just keep four true cornerbacks, if you consider Kamal Hadden a “safety” now that he’s playing in the nickel spot and” third-safety” packages on the team.

The Packers end the preseason 2-1, with more good than bad put on tape. If we’re going to crown anyone a preseason MVP this summer, it’s probably McCord, who will likely be offered a practice squad job in Green Bay this upcoming season, assuming he clears waivers on Monday. Initially, McCord battled with undrafted rookie Kyron Drones for third-team offense snaps until Drones took three sacks in four dropbacks in the preseason opener and was quickly waived — giving McCord the clear runway as the QB3.

With preseason finally over, the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league have to now get down to the nitty-gritty of roster manipulation to get under the league mandated 53-man limit. New additions via the waiver wire or trade will surely shake some things up, but as things stand right now below is a final 53-man roster prediction for the Cowboys.

Quarterback (2)

Dak Prescott, Joe Milton

Prescott is the unquestioned QB1 and a MVP candidate this year, and Milton will once again be his primary backup after outperforming Sam Howell. Ideally Howell is traded, if not, hopefully clears waivers and re-signs to the practice squad.

Running back (4)

Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Hunter Luepke

Williams and Davis are the Cowboys top two backs and Luepke will reprise his role as a Swiss Army knife FB. Blue provides an explosive element and could have a specific package just for him. Phil Mafah and Israel Ibanikanda hopefully revert to the practice squad.

Wide receiver (6)

CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown

After the top four, a tough decision will have to be made. The Cowboys are high on both Mingo and Brown, the former due to his blocking/special teams ability and the latter due to his upside. Both stick with Anthony Smith and Jordan Hudson hopefully re-signed to the PS.

Tight end (4)

Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker, Michael Trigg

Both Ferguson and Spann-Ford are the unquestioned top TEs for the Cowboys, and as such, are roster locks. We believe Schoonmaker and Trigg will round at the group. No. 86 for insurance and Trigg due to his upside and the fact he likely won’t make it through waivers.

Offensive line (9)

Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, TJ Bass, Nate Thomas, Nick Leverett,, Drew Shelton

Dallas’ starting five OL is set with Thomas backing them up as the swing OT and Bass as the backup iOL. Leverett has proven to be a solid backup C/G, but could be replaced by an outside addition. Shelton makes the cut for now purely based on his draft status, but hopefully can be stashed on IR to make way for a more proven vet swing OT.

Defensive tackle (5)

Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, LT Overton

The top three are easy predict, but after that less so. Overton and Bullard make the cut for now, but the latter could revert to short-term IR to be recalled later. Keep an eye out for an experienced vet DT to add to the mix and look for Tommy Dunn and DJ Withers back on the PS.

Outside linebacker/Edge (5)

Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Von Miller, James Houston

The top four are locked in with Houston rounding out the group. Marist Liufau or Sam Williams could force the Cowboys to go six and deep here, but neither has looked particularly impressive. A waiver wire addition or trade wouldn’t be shocking here.

Inside linebacker (5)

DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Shemar James, Justin Barron

Overshown, Winters, and Barham will rotate as the starters with James and Barron backing them up. No. 55’s pass rushing ability also helps going a little short at OLB. Adding a veteran such as Bobby Wagner to solidify things could still be very much in play.

Cornerback (5)

DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, Devin Moore, Reddy Stewart

Dallas’ top three CBs are locked in, but the depth behind them is still in question. Moore, much like Drew Shelton, makes the cut due to his draft status and we believe Stewart rounds out the group with Ameer Speed barely missing out. Hopefully Speed slips through to the PS.

Safety (5)

Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, Markquese Bell

The Cowboys love for Bell forces them to go five deep here with the top four already locked in. They would love to find a way to hold on to Julius Wood, also keep an eye on Alijah Clark to return to the PS. He was on the first team kick return unit in practice.

Special teams (3)

Brandon Aubrey, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg

Nothing new here. There’s no questioning these three are roster locks.

The Arizona Cardinals’ preseason is officially over and the regular season kicks off for them on September 13th in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

However, the first order of business for the Cardinals is to cut their 2026 roster down from 90 to their initial 53-man roster by Sunday, August 30th at 3:00 p.m. Arizona Time.

Here is something that is wild for the Cardinals even before roster cuts happen for every team in the NFL… According to our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, no team has longer odds to make the playoffs in 2026 than the Arizona Cardinals at +1600.

That is an insane number when you remember that the Miami Dolphins exist and are only +1500. In the NFC, the next team with the lowest odds is the Washington Commanders at +285.

No one believes in the Arizona Cardinals.

With the preseason over, the Arizona Cardinals will begin their roster cuts to get down to their 53-man roster on Sunday and we will update it as we get the information.

The Cardinals are historically one of the last teams to announce their cuts, but maybe this year will be different.

Confirmed cuts: