Sophia
Good news, football fanatics! We’re officially halfway through the work week and inching ever closer to the glorious return of the NFL regular season. Just one week from tomorrow, the highly anticipated opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will kick off, and I, for one, am practically vibrating with excitement. It’s an agonizing wait, yet incredibly thrilling!
While our colleague John Breech is likely still ironing his Joe Burrow jersey, I, Tyler Sullivan, am here to guide you through all the latest NFL happenings this Wednesday. And trust me, there’s a boatload of news to unpack – from roster cuts and quarterback clarity to the dazzling carats of Taylor Swift’s engagement ring from Travis Kelce. Don’t forget to tell all your friends to sign up for the Pick Six newsletter to stay ahead of the game this season. Let’s dive in!
1. NFL Cutdown Day: Highs and Lows Across the League
Cutdown Day is always a pivotal, albeit bittersweet, moment on the NFL calendar. While it reveals the initial 53-man rosters and gives fans a clearer picture of their Week 1 lineups, it also means hundreds of players from the 90-man squads are suddenly out of a job. Our own Jeff Kerr meticulously dissected the day’s events, identifying a handful of winners and losers, including a surprising Browns rookie quarterback.
Winner: Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns QB
The Browns’ quarterback room saw significant shifts. Initially, Dillon Gabriel appeared to be the QB3 behind Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. However, Cleveland’s trade of Pickett to Las Vegas for a fifth-round pick opened the door for Gabriel to ascend to the QB2 role. After a strong preseason, where he capitalized on injuries to Pickett (hamstring) and Sanders (oblique), Gabriel solidified his position as the top backup to Flacco. This move sets him up for the first shot at the starting role when the Browns eventually transition from Flacco.
Loser: Washington Commanders WR Room
Concerns are mounting in Washington regarding their wide receiver depth. While Terry McLaurin has signed an extension, he hasn’t practiced all summer. Beyond McLaurin, the unit lacks proven talent. Deebo Samuel still has much to prove, and the veteran additions brought in during the summer, like Michael Gallup and Chris Moore, failed to make the team. The remaining receivers—Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane—form a thin group of just five wideouts. The Commanders clearly need an upgrade at the position.
2. Saints Name Spencer Rattler as Week 1 Starter
Amidst the flurry of roster cuts, the New Orleans Saints finally named their starting quarterback. Coach Kellen Moore announced that Spencer Rattler has won the job, beating out second-round rookie Tyler Shough. New Orleans was the last team to declare its Week 1 starter, opting for Rattler, who started six games for the franchise last season.
Here’s a closer look at the Saints’ new QB1:
- Rattler was a fifth-round pick (No. 150 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
- The 24-year-old played his final two collegiate seasons at South Carolina after transferring from Oklahoma.
- Last season, Rattler went 0-6 as the Saints’ starter, completing 57% of his passes for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions.
- In this preseason, Rattler completed an impressive 30 of 43 pass attempts (69.8%) for 295 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
“Really, really excited for him,” Moore said of Rattler. “He’s done an awesome job this offseason. He’s just been consistent. He’s made some really good decisions throughout this whole entire process. His ability to make plays with his arm and his feet have certainly shown up. Really, really excited about Spencer. He’s earned this opportunity and is going to do a tremendous job for us.”
Rattler and the Saints will host the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 1 opener on September 7.
3. Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Are Engaged!
Now for the news that has sent shockwaves through both the sports and entertainment worlds: TRAVIS KELCE AND TAYLOR SWIFT ARE ENGAGED! The Kansas City Chiefs’ superstar tight end popped the question, and the power couple made the joint announcement on social media with the charming caption, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
Pictures from the engagement reveal a romantic garden setting, with the couple surrounded by an exquisite array of flowers framing a grand arch. Following the announcement, Kelce’s father, Ed, shared more details during an interview with News 5 Cleveland on Tuesday, revealing that the proposal took place either on August 9 or 10, near Kansas City.
This heartwarming development comes roughly two years after Kelce famously mentioned on his “New Heights” podcast that he attempted to meet the Grammy-winning singer while attending one of her Era’s Tour shows. Their romance has been a captivating storyline, blending the worlds of football and pop culture in a way few relationships ever have.
4. Ranking the Best Available Quarterbacks After Roster Cuts
One of the most intriguing aspects of cutdown day is seeing which players hit the open market. Our expert, Cody Benjamin, compiled a list of the best available quarterbacks following roster cuts, identifying a dozen notable names who could serve as valuable depth pieces around the league.
Here’s Cody’s top five quarterbacks:
- Tyler Huntley (formerly of the Cleveland Browns)
- Tommy DeVito (formerly of the New York Giants)
- C.J. Beathard (formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Desmond Ridder (formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals)
- Easton Stick (formerly of the Atlanta Falcons)
Outside of the top five, former Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord’s release was a notable surprise, especially given that Philadelphia drafted him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Benjamin commented on McCord: “Again, the Eagles aren’t quick to part with meaningful quarterback prospects, so McCord’s uninspiring summer as a sixth-round rookie is a concern. Still, he’s 22 years old, fresh out of Syracuse as a mercurial but confident pro-style passer. Someone will—and should—bite on the potential, even as a deep reserve or practice-squad project.”
5. Predicting Last-Place Teams in Each NFL Division for 2025
As the regular season approaches, much attention is given to a team’s potential ceiling. However, every team also has a floor. Our own Garrett Podell took on the challenging task of predicting which teams will finish last in their respective divisions. While many of his predictions are unsurprising, he also threw out some curveballs, including two playoff teams from last year!
Minnesota Vikings: A Risky Bet on McCarthy
Podell highlights concerns surrounding Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy: “… The problem is McCarthy’s draft profile entering his rookie year was that of a bust, and then he became the first quarterback taken in the first round in the common draft era (since 1967) to miss his entire rookie season with an injury. McCarthy tearing his meniscus last preseason prevented him from developing while on the bench as a rookie. He is also the first first-round quarterback drafted with zero collegiate seasons with either 3,000 passing yards or 500 rushing yards since these Vikings selected Christian Ponder 12th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Florida State. The most recent passer selected in the top 10 like McCarthy without either such season at the college level was Detroit Lions 2002 third overall pick, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington—he was a complete bust. The NFC North is one of the best divisions in football, and having an unproven passer who didn’t produce at a high level in college could spell a last-place finish for Minnesota in 2025.”
Denver Broncos: Stiff Competition in the AFC West
Regarding the Broncos, Podell notes: “Yes, 2024 first-round pick quarterback Bo Nix produced an outstanding regular season as a rookie, joining 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels as the only rookies with 10 or more wins (10), 4,000 (4,207) or more total yards and 30 or more total touchdowns (34) in a season. However when the lights became bright in the postseason, they froze in a 31-7 blowout defeat at the Buffalo Bills in the opening round. Perhaps the Bills put something on tape about how to defend Nix that the rest of the league can latch on to in his second season. Also, the Las Vegas Raiders aren’t a doormat anymore after acquiring two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith, running back Ashton Jeanty and hiring Super Bowl champion coach Pete Carroll this offseason. The 2025 AFC West is way more challenging than the 2024 AFC West, and Denver made the fewest improvements to its roster of any squad in the division this offseason.”
6. Extra Points: Veteran Returns and Rookie Setbacks
It was a whirlwind 24 hours in the NFL, and keeping track of every development is a challenge. Here’s a quick roundup of other significant news:
- Adam Thielen Returns to Minnesota: The Vikings have reacquired veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota will receive Thielen, a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick, and a 2027 fifth-round pick, while the Panthers get a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick. Thielen, who signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2013, played nine seasons for the team before his release after the 2022 season.
- Bills First-Round Corner Lands on IR: As part of their roster cuts, Buffalo placed rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston on injured reserve. The team has designated him to return, meaning he is not out for the season but will miss at least the first four games due to a knee injury suffered early in training camp. Hairston was the 30th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Lions Trade Tim Patrick to Jaguars: Detroit traded veteran receiver Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Patrick joins a Jaguars receiver room featuring Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, and Dyami Brown atop the depth chart, likely serving as a depth piece. This move appears to pave the way for rookie wideout Isaac TeSlaa to become the WR3 in Detroit after an impressive summer.
