The final week of the NFL preseason has brought starter announcements, more injury updates and a historic decision regarding the Pro Bowl on Wednesday.
Kansas City confirmed Patrick Mahomes will sit out the Chiefs’ preseason finale, while a starting quarterback decision could be on the way in Atlanta with the competition intensifying. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson discussed how his injuries impacted his rushing production last season.
Meanwhile, New York Giants camp saw a heated practice altercation started by running back Cam Skattebo. In bigger league news, the NFL officially announced it is completely scrapping the Pro Bowl after 75 years.
Here is the latest on Wednesday from around the league.
NFL Eliminates Pro Bowl
The NFL is officially ending the yearly Pro Bowl event, first reported by The Athletic. After decades of format tweaks and noncompetitive play, the NFL is officially ending the Pro Bowl as a standalone event once and for all.
On Wednesday, league executives presented a new vision to team owners that folds the festivities directly into Super Bowl week. Under the new format, 88 players are expected to receive Pro Bowl honors without alternates.
Even with the traditional Pro Bowl game no longer being played during the annual event, players will still receive recognition and honors. This will continue to impact potential contract incentives throughout the offseason.
The NFL’s first All-Star Game was played in Los Angeles in 1939. Decades later, the Pro Bowl made Hawaii its annual home before switching locations on a yearly basis in recent years.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will not play in Friday’s preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks, marking the first time in his career he will sit out an entire preseason.
Mahomes, who is returning from December knee surgery, remains on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on September 14.
“It’s the amount of time they’ve said from the beginning, that if I did everything the right way, I would be ready to play Week 1,” Mahomes said. “I’m someone, if you put a target in front of me, I want to go out and get it and maximize every single opportunity.”
Mahomes shared more about his process leading up to his return.
“You know, this week we’ve kind of treated it more like a game week, being able to go in that same process — have Wednesday practice and then a Thursday practice, take my notes the same and watch the same film that I’ll usually watch. I think that’s kind of how I prepare,” Mahomes continued.
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With backup Justin Fields unlikely to play and Chris Oladokun in concussion protocol, rookie seventh-round pick Garrett Nussmeier is expected to handle the bulk of playing time.
“He’s done a nice job, thrown right in the fire with the first group,” head coach Andy Reid said of Nussmeier.
A disastrous 2025 season led the Baltimore Ravens to move on from head coach John Harbaugh, sending shockwaves that directly impacted two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Beyond missing time, Jackson’s health reshaped how the Ravens offense had to play.
Jackson told reporters Wednesday afternoon that last season’s nagging hamstring injuries limited his rushing ability and he couldn’t play like himself.
“I believe you know … a lot of people know [that] I was hurt last year, so I really could not do anything like I wanted to,” Jackson said. “It really would not [have] put my team in a good position if I was just running hurt…losing yards, things like that [were] happening.”
Jackson played only 13 games last season and put together a solid year, though not quite up to his usual standards. He posted the second-lowest completion percentage of his career, throwing for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
In those 13 games, Jackson averaged just 5.15 rushes per game compared to his career average of 9.31. However, despite those lower rushing numbers, Jackson remained elite as a passer, ranking ninth in the league with a 62.7 QBR.
Under newly hired offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, Jackson is primed to put together a strong bounce-back season. His aggressive, downfield scheme paired with Jackson’s explosive dual-threat ability creates a massive upside for head coach Jesse Minter’s offense.
Falcons QB Competition Intensifies
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback competition has flown under the radar this offseason, but the dynamic is about to shift. With third-year Michael Penix Jr. closing in on a return, Tua Tagoliova takes the snaps for the third preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night.
Tagoliova has played in both preseason games so far, but needing to play in the third week is rarely a good sign. Penix Jr. won’t play against the Dolphins and said only putting together three practices is just far too soon to put him on the field.
However, Penix Jr. said he’ll be ready to start Week 1 physically and mentally if he is named the starter by head coach Kevin Stefanski. If Penix Jr. wins the starting job, it will be the first time in his career that he’ll start in the season opener.
Penix Jr. appeared in nine games for the Falcons last season before missing time due to injury. During his action on the field, he threw for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and just three interceptions while completing 58.1% of his passes.
With Penix Jr. getting closer and closer to a return to the field, all eyes shift toward Stefanski and to make it official on who will start the season opener.
A scuffle broke out at New York Giants practice on Wednesday after running back Cam Skattebo slid near defensive backs during a non-contact drill. Safety Jevon Holland and cornerback Greg Newsome confronted Skattebo after the play, escalating an ongoing issue after Skattebo previously made physical contact with linebacker Zaire Barnes during a non-contact session, according to reporters in attendance.
Head coach John Harbaugh addressed Skattebo’s physical demeanor and a late 15-yard penalty following practice.
“Did you see that? Yeah, it’s infectious,” Harbaugh said. “It can be infectious the other way, an infectious disease type of thing. We want it to be in a positive way.”
Skattebo is working his way back into the offense after missing the second half of his 2025 rookie season with an ankle injury.
Injury News & Notes
- San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans plans to play Week 1 despite dealing with consistent hamstring injuries in camp, ESPN reported.
- Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters he would love to reach an extension with Tucker Kraft before Week 1, but knows negotiations could take time and be complicated.
- The NFL and HBO officially announced that Hard Knocks will return in 2027 focusing on the offseason, replacing the recent “in-season” format to focus on an entire four-team division.
- NFL owners voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve the sale of the Seattle Seahawks to the Khosla family.
- Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that running back Kenneth Walker III has shoe-related ankle swelling but is expected to be fine.
- The Indianapolis Colts announced that wide receiver Josh Downs is dealing with a calf injury. Downs spoke to reporters after practice and said it was “very minor” and more just precautionary.
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