Surprise: It's a player-for-player swap in Saints-Jaguars Khalen Saunders trade
Fortner tallied more than 2,400 snaps in the Jaguars offense during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but he saw a reduced role last year, and is probably at his best coming in off the bench rather than manning a starting position. But that's an improvement in depth for a Saints offensive line which sorely needed it. They already lost Will Clapp to a season-ending injury, and he had been signed as a preferred backup behind Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy.
New Orleans hosted a group of free agent centers for a tryout last week and settled on All-UFL lineman Mike Panasiuk, who got some snaps in during Sunday's preseason game behind rookie backup Torriceli Simpkins III. But Panasiuk drew a penalty and the Saints could look into playing Simpkins at guard with Trevor Penning and Cesar Ruiz both managing injuries. Stay tuned.
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Bears Week 1 takeaways: Johnson steals 3
Chicago shut out Buffalo 38-0 after New Orleans came back to tie Jacksonville 17-17 in Week 2 of the NFL preseason Getty Images Week 2 of the 2025 NFL preseason continued with the Bears drubbing the Bills in Chicago on Sunday night after the Saints rallied to tie the Jaguars in New Orleans. Bears QB Caleb Williams impressed in his first taste of game action in the Bears' revamped offensive system under new head coach Ben Johnson. Williams capped the game's opening drive with a touchdown pass and racked up 107 pass yards on six completions. Backup Tyson Bagent and the Bears' second-strong offense picked up right where the starters left off as Chicago pulled away for a 38-0 rout against a Josh Allen-less Bills team that scuffled all night. Earlier, Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough showed flashes of potential under center as the Saints' quarterback battle continued. But Rattler may have separated himself late by leading a 9-play, 82-yard touchdown drive in the game's final three minutes with the Saints trailing by eight. He then scrambled into the end zone for a successful two-point conversion to eventually force a 17-17 tie. The end of the first half provided Ben Johnson with an opportunity to get some experience managing the clock. With 1:57 left, Johnson used his first timeout on defense following a Dolphins first down. Miami scored on the ensuing play, giving backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and the offense 1:40 to play with. Bagent's two-minute drill lasted seven plays and ended with an interception. Normally, the offense wouldn't get the ball back, but the Dolphins ended up going four-and-out while using only 21 seconds. The Bears got the ball back at their own 48-yard line with just six seconds left on the clock. If you're wondering how much can be accomplished in six seconds, that's how much time was on the clock when QB Jayden Daniels got the Washington Commanders 13 yards closer to the end zone before his Week 8 Hail Mary. Bagent threw it to rookie receiver Luther Burden underneath, and the rookie got out of bounds with one second left, enough time for Cairo Santos to drill a 57-yard field goal. (Getty Images) Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 18 of 24 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown with one interception for a 95.7 rating. Rattler led the key drive that eventually tied the game, a nine-play, 82-yard drive ending with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis. Rattler also ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game. OK, so that may not have been the prettiest NFL contest you'll ever see, even by preseason standards. At least we got an exciting finish! Let's see what you had to say: John W: Saints record this year 2-15. Jeff B: It's not a lock that Shough will be the starter. Feel free to head over to the "Discuss" tab at the top of your webpage or app, or send us an email at live@ with your thoughts! Getty Images First downs: Total plays: Total yards: Total passing yards: Total rushing yards: Turnovers: Imagn Images In a Saints quarterback competition that needed some life today, Spencer Rattler provided it. He bounced back from an interception and capped that last scoring drive off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis. What was a morbid day for the Saints offense actually ends on a decent note. Will it make a difference in this battle with Tyler Shough? That remains to be seen. But the Saints needed to put something positive on tape. Q4 0:00 - Jaguars 17, Saints 17 What a wild end to the game! Seth Henigan, who was under center for Jacksonville, throws a costly interception to Jonas Sanker, the Saints' 2025 third-round draft pick. Sanker runs back 39 yards out of bounds, ending the game in a tie. New Orleans outscores Jacksonville 14-0 in the second half to tie the game at 17 apiece. Q4 0:21 - Jaguars 17, Saints 17 Oh my goodness! What a drive for Spencer Rattler, who overcame a couple of penalties on offense. He finds Dante Pettis for the 20-yard completion to get the touchdown. On the two-point conversion, Rattler scrambles out to his right, running into the end zone to tie the game at 17. What a comeback for the Saints. Can Jacksonville find a way to win? Q4 0:59 - Jaguars 17, Saints 9 Huge opportunity for Spencer Rattler here. With under a minute to go, the Saints QB has a chance to lead his team down the field and score. New Orleans is down eight, needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie. Getty Images Spencer Rattler was 11-of-16 on the day for 123 yards but the interception he just threw leaves a sting. Tyler Shough finished earlier today, completing 9-of-12 passes for 66 yards. The Chris Olave drop would've made the quarterback's line much better. Both quarterbacks have flashed, but not enough to reach the end zone so far, as New Orleans only has three field goals on the board. This is one QB battle that will go down to the end of the preseason. Either way, Saints fans haven't been too pleased at the options. Could either Shough or Rattler surprise? It's possible. But there hasn't been much progress today against the Jaguars. Q4 4:42 - Jaguars 17, Saints 9 If the Jaguars hold on to win this game, they'll have to thank Kenhi Lovely. The cornerback picks off Spencer Rattler, who was orchestrating a likely scoring drive for the Saints. Now the Jaguars restart on offense, with under five minutes away from a preseason victory on the road. Lovely! Imagn Images Q4 9:40 - Jaguars 17, Saints 9 It's another empty drive for the Jaguars offense. After scoring 17 points through the first two quarters, they've been reduced to zero so far in the second half. John Wolford is in the game for Jacksonville at quarterback. On third-and-9, his pass was deflected, resulting in an incomplete pass. Can New Orleans get a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie this game? Q4 11:40 - Jaguars 17, Saints 9 The penalty was the killer for another Saints drive. This time, it was a holding penalty courtesy of offensive tackle Barry Wesley. Spencer Rattler made the drive respectable with a 17-yard completion to Dante Pettis on third-and-20. The fans at Caesars Superdome were upset that New Orleans punted rather than go for it on fourth down. Jacksonville will look for its first points of the second half on its next drive. Imagn Images Q3 0:00 - Jaguars 17, Saints 9 Through three quarters, the Jacksonville Jaguars lead by eight over the New Orleans Saints. Two field goals from the Saints in the third quarter bring them to a one-score game. Can the Jags hold on? Q3 0:17 - Jaguars 17, Saints 9 It's a one possession game. Charlie Smyth kicks his second field goal of the game, this time a 40-yarder to cut the Saints' deficit to eight points. New Orleans takes advantage of Jaylan Ford's interception of Nick Mullens. The question remains whether the Saints can score a touchdown. It sure looked like it when Spencer Rattler found Mason Tipton deep for the 45-yard pass and catch. But like every drive today, the Saints haven't reached the end zone. Imagn Images Q3 5:09 - Jaguars 17, Saints 6 That's a much-needed takeaway for the Saints. Nick Mullens throws over the middle, only to have Jaylan Ford pick him off. Ford, the former Texas Longhorn, was the Saints' 2024 fifth-round pick. The Saints restart on offense at their own 15-yard line. Q3 9:46 - Jaguars 17, Saints 6 The Jaguars went 53.85 percent last season on fourth down conversions. Today, they convert their first fourth down of the game. On fourth-and-1, Bhayshul Tuten, who already has a touchdown today, gets a great second effort to pick up the first down. Jacksonville's drive continues! Q3 11:07 - Jaguars 17, Saints 6 The Saints start the second half with points. Spencer Rattler, despite a positive start to the drive, couldn't get the offense into the end zone. He throws two incomplete passes inside the 10, including on third-and-goal, resulting in a fourth down. New Orleans placekicker Charlie Smyth converts a 23-yard chip shot field goal to bring the Saints within 11. Q3 15:00 - Jaguars 17, Saints 3 The second half is underway from New Orleans as the Saints get the ball. Spencer Rattler is in the game under center for Tyler Shough. Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence: 8-of-10 passing for 76 yards, 1 TD. 8-of-10 passing for 76 yards, 1 TD. Nick Mullens: 10-of-11 passing for 87 yards. Saints: Tyler Shough: 9-of-12 passing for 66 yards. Page 2
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
3 Chargers players on the roster bubble who helped themselves vs. Rams
The Chargers lost to the Rams, 23-22, in their third preseason game. Despite the outcome, several players boosted their chances of earning a spot on the 53-man roster or practice squad with strong performances. Following the game, here's a look at which roster-bubble players helped their cause: WR Luke Grimm Backend of the roster spots can be won on special teams, and Grimm stood out in that department on Saturday. Grimm, the undrafted rookie out of Kansas, returned a punt for a 66-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Chargers a 22-17 lead. He almost had another punt return TD the weekend before against the Saints, but he was tripped up. It'll be a tall task to beat out WR Derius Davis for return duties, but plays like this could at least warrant a spot on the practice squad. DT TeRah Edwards Edwards might have had the best play of the preseason, as he picked off Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett and returned it 27 yards. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter dropped the former Illinois product into coverage. He secured the football into his chest and truck-sticked Bennett along the way before being brought down. Like Grimm, he will likely be a practice squad candidate. But plays like this will carry on with him forever. S Tony Jefferson Jefferson, the preseason MVP, finished with three tackles and a pass breakup at the goal line on a fourth-down play, which prevented a Rams touchdown. He also added a special teams tackle. Jefferson leans more toward a near-lock to make the roster, but RJ Mickens, the sixth-round pick, could fend him off if the Chargers choose to only carry four safeties on the initial 53-man roster.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jaguars vs. Saints highlights Preseason Week 2
Watch highlights from the Preseason Week 2 matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints during the 2025 NFL season.
