A joint training session between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals was ended early on Thursday after multiple fights broke out.

Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald reportedly swung Bengals helmets amid one of the skirmishes, with pictures circulating on social media putting the spotlight upon the 31-year-old, leading to calls for a suspension.

In training sessions, clubs, and not the league, are responsible for overseeing the players' conduct in practice and a suspension would therefore be unlikely, though there could be disciplinary action.

The teams elected to end their joint practice session early and Rams coach Sean McVay played down the significance of the fracas later in the day.

"I just see guys swinging and some guys have helmets on, some don't. There's a scrum. You just never know what can occur," he said.

"And my biggest concern is just unnecessary injuries for people that we're counting on, whether it's for our team or the other team."

Bengals coach Zac Taylor made it clear the premature end to the session was not a major loss, with just a few snaps remaining.

"We just called it. We were in the last [practice] period. We got two really good days of work. So was it worth getting the extra couple of plays? No. So we called it," he explained.

The two teams will meet in their final pre-season match on Saturday.

JC Tretter, president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), has called time on his playing career.

Tretter, who was a fourth-round pick for the Green Bay Packers in the 2013 draft, was released by the Cleveland Browns in March after spending five seasons with the team.

The 31-year-old was elected president of the NFL's labour union in March 2020, winning a second term earlier this year after playing a key role in negotiating the league's latest collective bargaining agreement and in creating health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The center, who played 81 games for the Browns, told his social media followers he would now be looking to focus on his off-pitch responsibilities. 

"In May 2011, I wrote myself a letter. Today, May 7, 2011, 2:35am you decided that you will become a professional athlete. You will get drafted and you will play in the NFL until you want to stop," he posted in a message on Twitter.

"I have decided to fulfil the second part of my letter, to stop playing when I wanted to – on my own terms.

"I feel like if my 31-year-old self could talk to my 20-year-old self, I could earnestly tell him that we did it. We did everything we said we'd do and more.

"My time on the field may be over, but I'm not stepping away from football.

"I'm looking forward to doubling down on my work as NFLPA president and pushing for more progress on behalf of the great players of our game, past, present, and future."

Tyron Smith will be out indefinitely after the star left tackle suffered a torn left hamstring during Dallas Cowboys practice, according to reports.

Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowler, sustained the injury when he went to make a block on linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on Wednesday.

Initial scans have revealed Smith does not have an anterior cruciate ligament issue, which had been feared at first, though ESPN now claim that he suffered a hamstring tear that could leave him facing months, rather than weeks, out of action.

Smith will undergo more tests on Thursday, though seems likely to miss the Cowboy's season opener against Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Team-mate Connor McGoven spoke to Smith after practice.

"He gave me a nice reassuring grunt like he usually does," McGovern quipped. "That's the one thing playing next to him for so long, I can decipher his grunts. I think he's all right."

Smith's deal with the Cowboys runs through 2023, though the 31-year-old has not managed to play a full season since 2015.

Knee, ankle, neck and elbow injuries have plagued the last six seasons, while he also contracted COVID-19 last year.

Len Dawson, one of the American Football League's most renowned players who quarterbacked the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title, died Wednesday at the age of 87.

Dawson's family announced his death in a statement released through Kansas City television station KMBC. No cause of death was given, though the Pro Football Hall of Famer was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991 and had entered hospice care earlier this month.

"With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson," the statement read. "He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers."

Following an unsuccessful five-year stint in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Dawson jumped to the upstart AFL with the Dallas Texans in 1962 and found immediate success when reunited with head coach Hank Stram, a former assistant during the quarterback's collegiate career at Purdue. 

The Texans won the first of the franchise's three league titles in Dawson's debut season and he was named the AFL's MVP after leading the league in touchdown passes (29) and yards per pass attempt (8.9).

Dawson led the Chiefs to two more AFL titles in 1966 and 1969 following the franchise's move from Dallas to Kansas City, and that latter season would be capped by a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in which he was named the game’s MVP.

With the AFL merging with the NFL the following season, Dawson finished as the league's all-time leader in passing touchdowns (182) and ranked fourth in passing yards (18,899). He led the AFL in passer rating six times, topped the league in touchdown passes four times and was selected to the AFL's All-Time team. 

Dawson remained with the Chiefs until his retirement in 1975 and still holds franchise records for passing yards (28,507), touchdown passes (237) and games started by a quarterback (157). The Ohio native was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.

"Len grew up only a few miles from where the Pro Football Hall of Fame later was built, and fans in the area have always taken a special pride in seeing one of the greats from this region enshrined in Canton," Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. "Fans connected with Len's story of perseverance, appreciating how he gave the game one more try after five nondescript seasons when many others would have quit.

"The American Football League, and Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, gave Len a true opportunity, and he made the most of it, building the Chiefs into a Super Bowl contender, and eventually a world champion."

Dawson remained ingrained in the Kansas City community after his retirement and gained further notoriety as a broadcaster, serving as the co-host of HBO’s 'Inside the NFL' programme from 1977-2001 and working as an analyst on AFC games for NBC from 1977-82. He provided color analysis for the Chiefs' radio broadcasts from 1985-2017 and was KMBC-TV's sports director – a role he began while still a player in 1966 – until stepping down on a full-time basis in 2009.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame later inducted Dawson as a broadcaster in 2012.

"My family and I are heartbroken," Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs. Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. You would be hard-pressed to find a player who had a bigger impact in shaping the organisation as we know it today than Len Dawson did."

Dawson was born in Alliance, Ohio on June 20, 1935 as the ninth of 11 children and starred locally in high school before embarking on a standout collegiate career at Purdue, where he led the nation in passing efficiency as a sophomore in 1954 and guided the Boilermakers to No. 1 Notre Dame that season.

The Steelers selected Dawson with the fifth overall pick of the 1957 NFL draft, though he never broke through as a starter in three seasons with Pittsburgh and had similar results with the Browns after being traded following the 1959 campaign. 

Dawson is survived by his second wife, Linda, and two children from his previous marriage. He was married to his first wife, Jackie, from 1954 until her death in 1978

Tom Brady could have ended up joining the Las Vegas Raiders, but their quarterback Derek Carr is not focusing on what might have been.

UFC president Dana White claimed last weekend he had previously set up a deal for Brady and Rob Gronkowski to join the Raiders, who made the move from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.

White claimed he had worked on a deal for Brady to head to the Raiders, rather than join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after the veteran left the New England Patriots.

In an appearance on the UFC With the Gronks broadcast on ESPN, White said: "I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders. It was almost a done deal. And at the last minute, [Jon] Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn't want him and all hell broke loose, man. It was crazy.

"And Brady was already looking at houses. It wasn't said yet that Gronk was going to be coming. So Las Vegas would have had Brady and Gronk the year that the Bucs won the Super Bowl except Gruden blew the deal up."

A move for Brady might have signalled the end of the road with the team for Carr, who was drafted by the Raiders in 2014 and has been their starting quarterback since.

Carr, though, is paying little attention to what could have happened, and is instead focused on the here and now.

"It was a moment to put things in perspective," the 31-year-old told reporters. "It really doesn't matter.

"At the end of the day, anything I say will just be blasted out there so I'm just going to completely remove myself and just keep trying to play football. It's been nice just answering football questions.

"Hopefully, no more drama in the city."

Carr signed a three-year contract extension with the Raiders in April, a deal that includes a no-trade clause.

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback and prized free agent acquisition J.C. Jackson underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday.

The 2021 Pro Bowl selection is expected to miss two-to-four weeks, the team announced, giving him a chance to suit up for the Chargers' season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 11.

After starting his NFL career with the New England Patriots, Jackson signed a five-year, $82million contract with the Chargers this offseason.

Jackson, who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2018, had 25 interceptions in his four seasons with the Patriots, the most in the NFL over that span.

Jackson, 26, was signed by the Chargers in an effort to improve on last year's bottom-five scoring defense that allowed 27 points per game.

This offseason, Los Angeles also traded for Khalil Mack to rush the quarterback opposite Joey Bosa, while the interior defensive line should be bolstered by the acquisitions of Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson.

The Chargers made Derwin James the highest-paid safety in NFL history when they signed him to a $76.5m contract extension earlier this month.

With a talented, new-look defense and with blossoming star Justin Herbert under center, the Chargers are looking to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in a highly competitive AFC West.

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera had said all along the team would not rush defensive end Chase Young back from last November's ACL tear.

Now the earliest Young can suit up for the Commanders is Week 5 after officially placing the star pass-rusher on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Tuesday.

Young is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee sustained in Week 10 of last season and Rivera had already ruled him out for the 2022 opener against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11, while also hinting he could wind up on the PUP list.

Under the new rules for the PUP list, a player must sit out at least four games, meaning the first game Young will be eligible to play is against the Tennessee Titans on October 9.

After capturing Defensive Rookie of the Year honours and earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 with 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to help Washington win the NFC East, Young's production dipped last year before his season-ending injury.

In nine games in 2021, Young finished with just 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles without recovering a fumble as Washington ended the season in third place in the division.

Placing Young on the PUP list was a necessary move as all teams must trim their rosters to 80 players by Tuesday's deadline.

The new NFL season is right around the corner and, amid the battle for the playoffs and eventual success in the Super Bowl, there's also the fight that nobody wants to admit they may like the idea of.

The team with the worst record in the NFL in the 2022 season will secure the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft – theoretically allowing the worst teams to pick the best players, continuing a cycle of maintaining competitiveness across the league.

For the past two seasons, that opportunity has fallen to the Jaguars but, while 2022 may not be a fully enjoyable season in Jacksonville, there is at least hope that they can rise off the bottom after two seasons with a combined record of 4-29.

So, if not the Jaguars, then who? Stats Perform has crunched the numbers and given an assessment of four teams who could be in the hunt for the number one pick.

Houston Texans

There are few teams who head into 2022 with such a bleak picture across the entire team and Davis Mills, the quarterback tasked with helming the offense, has weak wide receiver options and an offensive line unable to provide him with much safety.

Last season, Houston were ranked dead last for the total number of first downs (266), and red-zone drives (37), as well as holding the worst yards-per-game average at 278.1 and the highest percentage of three-and-out drives (28.2)

Their first down efficiency, the percentage of first downs picking up four or more yards, was 42.9 per cent, again the worst across the league.

Defensively, things were not much better. When it came to stopping big plays where opponents gained 10 or more yards, the Texans were bottom of the class with 257 given up and allowed the most successful plays in the red zone with 55.9 per cent.

The Texans' opponents averaged 384.4 yards per game in 2021, which was the second-worst tally in the NFL - and Houston also ranked 31st for the average margin of defeat (17.15 pts).

Atlanta Falcons

Having traded away the greatest quarterback in their franchise history in Matt Ryan, the Falcons head into unchartered territory in 2022, but the signs are far from promising.

Marcus Mariota, entering his seventh year in the NFL, has been named as the Falcons' starting quarterback for the forthcoming season ahead of rookie Desmond Ridder, but has enjoyed limited playing time in recent years.

Getting up to speed with the offense will be even harder without Calvin Ridley, handed an indefinite suspension for betting during the 2021 season, though tight end Kyle Pitts and rookie receiver Drake London offer him two physically imposing targets.

Atlanta have also had problems retaining the ball, with the Falcons recording 30 fumbles last season, the most in the NFL - conceding possession on 11 occasions.

Things are worse on defense. In the 2021 season, the Falcons gave up an average of 364.4 yards per game and conceded an average of 27 points per game - the third-worst mark in the NFL behind only the New York Jets (29.6) and the Detroit Lions (27.5). Atlanta's is a talent-poor roster that looks primed to put them in contention for the first pick and a potential shot at a franchise quarterback.

New York Jets

The Jets' situation looks bleak before even diving into the stats, with the franchise 0-6 against division opponents in 2021 and having an overall record of 4-13 last season – only the Jaguars and the Lions held a worse return.

Positive moves were made in the 2022 NFL Draft, New York landing cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the first round – but getting immediate contributions from all three may be asking too much.

The Jets were comfortably the worst defensive team in the NFL last season, conceding an average of 397.6 yards per game, the highest in the NFL, and 29.6 points per game totalling 504 overall – the most by some distance ahead of the porous Lions (467).

Vulnerabilities were present across the field, with the Jets giving up an average of 138.3 rushing yards per game in 2021, the fourth-highest in the league, and 259.4 receiving yards per game, the third-highest total.

The Jets will be desperate to improve a turnover differential of minus 13. Doing so will be contingent on 2021 second overall pick recovering from his preseason knee injury and staying healthy and avoiding the poor decisions that were prevalent in his rookie year. He threw 11 of the Jets' 20 interceptions last season. 

If Wilson fails to make those strides, the Jets could be debating whether to replace him with one of 2023's top quarterback prospects with the number one pick.

Seattle Seahawks

Losing Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos is a hit likely to send the Seahawks to the NFC cellar, as their 2012 third-round pick was responsible for moments of magic that kept Seattle's head above water in recent years.

The strength of Pete Carroll's defense had defined his reign in Seattle, but the Seahawks have gradually declined to become one of the league's worst teams on that side of the ball. Seattle conceded an average of 379.1 yards per game in 2021 – the fifth-most in the league.

Seattle have particularly struggled defending the pass, giving up 265.5 yards per game through the air in 2021 – putting them behind only the Baltimore Ravens.

Neither of Wilson's replacements have previously shown any indication of elevating an offense to a level to mitigate the defensive struggles as the franchise legend did so often during his storied spell in Seattle.

Indeed, neither Drew Lock nor Geno Smith can be considered capable of filling the void left by the nine-time Pro Bowl QB.

Lock's interception percentage of 2.8 since entering the NFL in 2019 is the ninth-worst in the league in that time. Both Lock (6.54) and Smith (5.88) were among the five worst quarterbacks (min. 50 attempts) by pickable pass percentage last season.

Simply put, the Seahawks do not possess the quarterback play to allow for the defense to be as bad as it is. It's a transition year in Seattle, and the Seahawks could soon be transitioning to Wilson's long-term replacement with the top pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles explained Tom Brady's return to training camp after a planned absence has been a seamless one.

Brady left training camp on August 11 for an absence Bowles said was planned in advance so he could "deal with some personal things".

The seven-time Super Bowl champion returned to practice on Monday, as the Bucs step up their preseason preparations ahead of the new NFL campaign.

"Anytime you have all your guys back you feel good, you know, especially after the injury bug has hit lately. We're happy to have him back," Bowles told reporters.

Asked if Brady's attitude was a problem, or if his absence had in any way proved a distraction for the team, Bowles said: "He's been great. He's been great, same as when he left. He's been fine.

"We pretty much keep distractions out of our locker room. It wasn't a big deal to us because everybody knew what was going on."

As for what Brady has missed over the course of his break, Bowles added: "Probably just conditioning for the most part. He's a film junkie – I'm sure he's watched tape of everything.

"So [it's] him coming back in, picking up where he left off, just getting used to the mechanics again.

"He's very familiar with the offense, so him coming back in and us getting back to work is kind of normal. Just getting used to the heat and getting used to the guys, but he ran the offense well." 

Bowles might not believe Brady's team-mates were in any way distracted, but tight end Cameron Brate conceded it was "weird" not to have the 45-year-old around.

"It was definitely weird," Brate said. "Tom is such an omnipresent being, he's like the unquestioned leader of the team. For him to not be there for 11 days it was kind of a good opportunity for other guys to step up and fill that void.

"It was different, Tom is usually kind of cussing guys up and down the field when we're messing up, but we didn't really have that. It was different, but I thought some of the other veterans stepped up. I thought Blaine [Gabbert] did a good job commanding the first team offense while Tom was out.

!I'm sure wherever Tom was, he was working out still and getting his reps in. If anyone can get away with an 11-day break during training camp, it's Tom. He came back firing on all cylinders. We are all excited he's back, and we are ready to move on with that."

New York Giants rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is expected to miss around three weeks after sustaining a sprained right MCL in Sunday's 25-22 preseason win against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, was hurt on a cut block from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss on a running play early in the second quarter. 

An MRI revealed the MCL sprain, leaving the door open for Thibodeaux to potentially play when New York open their season with a visit to the Tennessee Titans on September 11. 

"Fingers crossed," first-year Giants coach Brian Daboll said. "Hopefully his rehab goes well." 

New York selected Thibodeaux with the first of two top-10 choices in this year's draft following a standout three-year career at Oregon.

The 6ft 5in, 258-pound edge rusher amassed 19 sacks in 32 games for the Ducks, earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honours and was a unanimous All-American in 2021. 

Thibodeaux has been running with the first-team defense during training camp and is being counted on to boost a unit that tied for 22nd in the NFL with 34 sacks last season. 

The competition for the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback job for the season opener is complete. 

Baker Mayfield will start in Week 1 when the Panthers host his former team – the Cleveland Browns – on September 11. 

"When we started this process, we were looking at three things," Carolina coach Matt Rhule said on Monday. "Number one, mastery of the offense, number two, situational football excellence, and number three, moving the ball and getting guys involved. That's been our focus all along. 

"Baker has made a lot of improvement, a lot of growth in all three areas in a short amount of time."

Mayfield and Sam Darnold had been battling for the starting job since the Panthers acquired Mayfield in a trade with the Browns in July. 

"All along, we've felt like we need to have a really strong quarterback room, and have every quarterback ready to play," Rhule said. "The reality of this league is most teams will play multiple quarterbacks. Sam has worked incredibly hard, played really well for us during training camp, and will be ready to go if and when it's needed."

Rhule was not ready to name a starting QB after the Panthers’ 20-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Friday – a game in which neither Mayfield nor Darnold played – but with rookie third-round draft pick Matt Corral suffering a Lisfranc ligament tear in his foot in that game and the season opener now less than three weeks away, he is ready to give Mayfield the opportunity to lead the offense in Week 1. 

"Like I said all along, when we know we know," Rhule said on Friday, "And we’ll announce something when it’s right."

Rhule did not say anything about the starting job being Mayfield’s all season, so it’s certainly possible Darnold could take over if the 27-year-old struggles or the losses pile up and the team needs a spark. 

The two signal-callers will be forever linked as the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2018 draft, with Mayfield going first overall to the Browns and Darnold being chosen third by the New York Jets. 

Mayfield started 59 games in his four seasons in Cleveland and helped lead the Browns to their first playoff victory since the 1994 season in 2020. 

He battled injuries in 2021, however, and his production on the field dipped as he posted an 83.1 passer rating – fourth lowest among the 30 QBs with at least 350 pass attempts – as Cleveland struggled to an 8-9 record, prompting the team to pursue Deshaun Watson in the trade market. 

Darnold spent three seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Panthers for draft picks last April. He won his first three starts with Carolina last season before finishing 4-7 with nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and a 71.9 QB rating – one spot worse than Mayfield. 

New York Giants rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux left Sunday night’s 25-22 preseason win against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter after apearing to suffer a knee injury when a blocker took out his legs.

Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, was hurt on a cut block from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss on a running play early in the second quarter. The 21-year-old was able to walk off the field under his own power and to the team’s sideline medical tent before being taken to the locker room.

The Giants later announced Thibodeaux would not return to the game, though Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports the team’s initial belief is that he avoided a major injury. After the game when walking through the tunnels, Thibodeaux responded to reporters saying "I'm good... good news".

New York selected Thibodeaux with the first of two top-10 choices in this year’s draft following a standout three-year career at Oregon. The six-foot-five, 258-pound edge rusher amassed 19 sacks in 32 games for the Ducks, earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honours and was a unanimous All-American in 2021.

Thibodeaux has been running with the first-team defense during training camp and is being counted on to boost a unit that tied for 22nd in the NFL with 34 sacks last season.

Tom Brady's return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is imminent. 

Just days after saying he didn't have a definitive return date for the future Hall of Fame quarterback, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles told reporters Sunday he will be back with the team early this week. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported he is expected to return on Monday. 

Brady left training camp on August 11 for an absence Bowles said was planned in advanced so he could "deal with some personal things" and he was scheduled to re-join the team after their preseason game against the Tennessee Titans this past Saturday.   

Two days before the Bucs' second preseason game, however, Bowles admitted he didn't know exactly when Brady would return.  

"We'll see. We'll talk about it next week," Bowles said on Thursday, via The Athletic. "I'm not concerned about it right now. We're trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime after Tennessee. There's no definitive date for me. We'll keep in touch and find out." 

His noncommittal update seemed to contradict what he said the previous week about Brady's scheduled absence, and his uncertainty about when he would return created a bit of a stir. 

A few days off wasn't entirely shocking for a 45-year-old quarterback who has had plenty of practice reps over a pro career that began in 2000, but an extended absence without a definite return date was more unusual. 

Bowles, though, seemed to quell any concern on Sunday by saying he will be back with the team shortly.  

Brady famously retired briefly this offseason before announcing in mid-March that he would return for a third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in the NFL after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.   

He led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.  

Tampa Bay begin this season at the Dallas Cowboys on September 11, and Bowles said last week Brady's absence would not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for the opener.  

The Los Angeles Rams will be without their top draft pick for the 2022 season after Logan Bruss tore his ACL and MCL against the Houston Texans.

Bruss headed to Los Angeles as a third-round selection from Wisconsin and arrived with great potential as a right guard, starting the first two preseason games as competition for places heated up.

However, the 22-year-old will not feature in the upcoming campaign after sustaining a season-ending injury to his right knee in the second quarter on Friday against the Texans.

"We obviously drafted him with confidence that he could be a guy that could potentially contribute for us this year," Rams coach Sean McVay said.

"Unfortunately now, as a result of what's occurred, that won't be the case. But [you] put your arm around him, you help him attack the rehab the right way.

"And I trust that he's going to do everything in his power to come back better next year than he was this year."

Bruss had been competing with Coleman Shelton for the starting right guard spot, though it will be the latter who appears in Week 1 at home to the Buffalo Bills on September 9.

While McVay believes Shelton's versatility will help the Rams, the Los Angeles coach expects his other players to step up and seize their opportunities in the absence of Bruss.

"It's an unfortunate thing for Logan, but guys have to be able to step up," McVay added.

"And that's the unfortunate part about this business and this game is that injuries do occur and let's go ahead and respond the right way with the way we attack our rehab.

"I hate it for Logan, but I am encouraged and very excited and optimistic about what we can be up front this year."

Tremayne Anchrum Jr., AJ Jackson and Bobby Evans were all cited by McVay as those who have shown development in preseason and could excel in 2022.

"I've seen incredible strides from Tremayne Anchrum, he's been outstanding in the preseason," McVay said.

"I think he's really done an outstanding job in these first two preseason games of showing that he absolutely belongs and he's a guy that could play and be ready to go if need be. And then the same thing with AJ Jackson.

"Those guys have stood out, and then you've got a guy in Bobby Evans that has started at guard, he's started at tackle in meaningful games that we've won over the last couple of years.

"And then you've got some young intriguing prospects in guys that have been here."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dealt another blow to their offensive line after Aaron Stinnie suffered a knee injury in preseason on Saturday.

Ryan Jensen had already sustained a serious knee issue as Tampa Bay began their preseason camp, and Pro Bowler Tristan Wirfs soon joined him in the treatment room with an oblique injury.

The Bucs have already lost Ali Marpet to retirement, with Alex Cappa also becoming a free agent, and Stinnie gave his franchise more reason for concern after limping off against the Tennessee Titans.

Stinnie has been making a case for the starting left guard spot in quarterback Tom Brady's offensive line, but sustained the issue to his left knee after colliding with Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Adrian Colbert.

With Shaq Mason making the starting right guard spot his own, Luke Goedeke, Nick Leverett and Stinnie are fighting for the position on the opposite side.

Stinnie was said to have a strong chance at securing the role, having started three postseason games for the Bucs in 2020, but coach Todd Bowles now has another injury problem to contend with.

"We won't know until we get X-rays. But Goedeke – I've got to see the tape and looked like we couldn't move the ball at all, regardless of who was in there," Bowles said after Saturday's 13-3 defeat to the Titans.

"We'll look at the tape. My concern isn't as great right now. I'll see the tape and I'll go from there."

The Bucs have one preseason game to go against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday before their NFL campaign starts on the road at the Dallas Cowboys on September 12.