Eagles backup QB Tanner McKee dominates preseason opener; Chargers lose Pro Bowl LT for entire season

Happy Friday! This is Bryan DeArdo, jumping into your inbox to give you the updates following a fast-paced Thursday in the world of sports. As you’re about to see, football season is definitely upon us.  

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

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EAGLES’ TANNER McKEE SHREDS BENGALS IN PRESEASON OPENER

Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee went 14 of 17 for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of Philadelphia’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also rushed for a score against Cincinnati’s starting defense. 

McKee’s performance stands as further evidence that the Eagles knew what they were doing when they traded Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns back in March. McKee has shown considerable promise during his time with the Eagles, so much so that you could argue that he is one of the NFL’s top-32 quarterbacks as this point. 

While he won’t get a chance to start for the Eagles, McKee proved that he is more than capable of filling in for reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts if the situation calls for it. 

👍 Honorable mentions 

• Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter will play both receiver and cornerback during Jacksonville’s preseason opener Saturday night against the Steelers. Hunter flourished at both positions in college; he won the Heisman Trophy last year after catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also picked off four passes while breaking up 11 more last season for the Buffaloes. 
• Thursday marked Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby‘s 38th birthday. To help celebration the occasion, we came up with a ranking of his top-10 moments as a professional hockey player. As expected, the list included moments from his three successful Stanley Cup runs. The top spot, however, went to a moment that USA hockey fans would rather forget. 

😢 And not such a good morning for … 

CHARGERS PRO BOWL LT RASHAWN SLATER 

The Chargers‘ two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater will miss the entire 2025 season after he suffered a torn patellar tendon during Thursday’s practice. The injury occurred during an 11-on-11 period and another player appeared to fall on Slater’s left leg. 

The team just gave Slater a four-year contract that made him the highest-paid offensive linemen in NFL history. Now, Los Angeles will have to act fast to find an adequate replacement at left tackle. One in-house option is Trey Pipkins, a 2019 third-round pick with 56 career starts under his belt. But the majority of Pipkins NFL snaps have come at right tackle, so don’t be surprised if the Chargers look for outside help at left tackle. 

👎 Not so honorable mentions 

• Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson left Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Ravens early after dislocating his pinky finger. Richardson is trying to win a position battle over former Giants‘ first round pick Daniel Jones. This injury certainly won’t help his cause.
• What’s wrong with the Yankees? New York has been reeling, but Mike Axisa explains.
• The Steelers‘ two longest-tenured players, Cam Heyward and Chris Boswell, are both looking for new contracts. Heyward, who signed his most recent extension less than a year ago, isn’t practice as he is hoping to get a restructure of said extension. Boswell, a 2024 Pro Bowl kicker, is also hoping for a new deal as he was the AFC North’s lowest-paid kicker last season. 
• Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue left Thursday’s practice early after sustaining an injury. Blue had been enjoying an impressive camp prior to getting injured. 
• A cryptocurrency meme coin group has taken responsibility for a series of recent disruptions at WNBA games involving sex toys being thrown onto the court during play. 

🏈 Archie Manning sends message to NFL teams 

Archie Manning, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback, father of Super Bowl MVPs Peyton and Eli Manning and grandfather or Texas quarterback Arch Manning, sent a message to NFL teams who may consider tanking to improve their odds of drafting Arch, who still has two years of college eligibility. 

“Arch isn’t going to do that,” Archie said while alluding to his grandson declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. “He’ll be at Texas.”

Arch enters this season with a ton of hype. He’ll get his first chance to show what he can do when the Longhorns take on defending national champion Ohio State in Columbus on Aug. 30. 

But just in case Manning does declare early we came up with a list of NFL teams that will likely try to acquire him. Our list includes the Steelers and the Rams, two teams who currently employ aging future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. 

🏈 Top 10 NFL preseason storylines to watch 

Tyler Sullivan recently ranked the Top 10 storylines during the 2025 NFL preseason. Not surprisingly, the No.1 storyline on Sullivan’s list was Micah Parsons and his ongoing hold-in with the Cowboys. When writing about the situation, Sullivan said that Dallas basically has two options: give Parsons a deal that’s comparable to Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt or trade him to someone that will.

Sullivan’s list also included Bills running back James Cook‘s ongoing holdout and the Browns‘ interesting situation at quarterback that includes rookie Shedeur Sanders, whose preseason debut comes tonight.

 🏈 College football’s Top 25 storylines