Chairshot NFL News Report (8/29/2026): McCarthy Hurt, Trayanum Hospitalized & Tua Makes His Case

J.J. McCarthy suffers an ankle injury, Chip Trayanum is hospitalized after a neck injury and Tua Tagovailoa finishes Atlanta’s preseason strong.

The final preseason weekend is doing exactly what NFL teams hoped it would not do.

Minnesota has another injury concern involving J.J. McCarthy, Jets running back Chip Trayanum left Friday’s game for a hospital evaluation, and Denver saw Marvin Mims Jr. leave with a foot injury.

Atlanta, meanwhile, finally got the kind of performance it needed from Tua Tagovailoa.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for August 29, 2026!

J.J. McCarthy Sidelined With Ankle Injury

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy did not play Friday against Denver because of an ankle injury. The Vikings reportedly do not believe the issue represents a long-term concern as the regular season approaches.

That last sentence is considerably more important than missing the preseason finale. Minnesota does not need McCarthy proving anything in late August. It needs its quarterback available when September starts producing actual standings.

If sitting Friday gives the ankle another week to settle down, there should not be much debate. The problem only changes if “no long-term concern” eventually becomes “not ready for Week 1.”

Chip Trayanum Taken to Hospital After Neck Injury

New York Jets running back Chip Trayanum was taken to a hospital for evaluation after suffering a neck injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Giants. The Jets said Trayanum was awake and alert and had movement in his extremities.

Everything about roster competition becomes irrelevant when an ambulance enters the conversation. The update from the Jets is encouraging. That is enough for now.

Trayanum was fighting for an NFL job Friday. Hopefully the next update allows everybody to return to worrying about football instead of something considerably more serious.

Tua Tagovailoa Finishes Atlanta’s Preseason Strong

Tua Tagovailoa completed 7 of 8 passes for 95 yards during Atlanta’s 17-12 victory over Miami, including a short completion to Kyle Pitts that became a 37-yard gain. Tagovailoa did lose a fumbled snap, while Michael Penix Jr. was held out as Atlanta continues evaluating its starting quarterback situation.

This was probably the preseason performance Tua needed. Not spectacular. Not transformative. Efficient.

Atlanta has spent weeks waiting for Penix to become healthy enough for a legitimate competition, which meant Tagovailoa had every opportunity to make the decision uncomfortable while Penix recovered.

Friday finally provided some useful evidence. Now Kevin Stefanski has to decide how heavily preseason availability matters against what Atlanta originally believed Penix could become.

Marvin Mims Jr. Suffers Foot Injury

Denver Broncos receiver Marvin Mims Jr. left Friday’s preseason game against Minnesota with a foot injury and was initially listed as questionable to return. This is another one where the timing makes everything worse. There are no meaningful preseason repetitions left to gain.

Denver’s only concern should be discovering whether Mims can safely prepare for Week 1. The Broncos already know what role he can play. Anything that threatens his September availability matters considerably more than whatever Denver planned to learn Friday night.

Giants Get Good News on Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was evaluated for a head injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Jets but was cleared following the examination. That is about the best outcome available after seeing a player leave for a head evaluation.

Tracy does not need another preseason carry. The Giants should consider his August complete.

Najee Harris was added to provide another experienced option in the backfield, and there is no reason New York needs to squeeze another evaluation out of Tracy before the games count. Healthy is enough.

Steelers Could Keep Four Quarterbacks

Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy said it is “very accurate” to assume the Steelers could carry four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster. Pittsburgh currently has multiple quarterbacks competing for spots as Sunday’s roster deadline approaches.

Four quarterbacks feels excessive until you consider how often NFL teams spend the fall desperately searching for one. The downside is obvious. Every extra quarterback consumes a roster position that could otherwise belong to a defensive back, lineman or special-teams contributor.

McCarthy apparently believes the value of preserving quarterback depth outweighs that cost. Sunday will tell us whether he actually follows through.

Bryan Thomas Jr. Makes One Final Jacksonville Statement

Undrafted Jacksonville defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. recorded four tackles, four pressures and 2.5 sacks during the Jaguars’ 19-0 win over Tampa Bay. Thomas entered the game with five pressures and a sack through Jacksonville’s first two preseason contests. This is why the final preseason game exists.

Trevor Lawrence does not need it. Established starters do not need it. Bryan Thomas Jr. absolutely needed it. Undrafted players cannot control how many roster spots exist.

They can make releasing them uncomfortable. Thomas spent Friday night doing exactly that.

Friday’s NFL Preseason Results

Ten preseason games were played Friday, leaving Detroit-Indianapolis and Chicago-Tennessee as the final games on Saturday before roster decisions take over the league.

• Baltimore Ravens 41, Washington Commanders 3
• Carolina Panthers 16, Houston Texans 13
• Atlanta Falcons 17, Miami Dolphins 12
• Jacksonville Jaguars 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
• New York Giants 23, New York Jets 6
• New Orleans Saints 27, Dallas Cowboys 24
• Seattle Seahawks 9, Kansas City Chiefs 9
• Cincinnati Bengals 30, Philadelphia Eagles 13
• Green Bay Packers 42, Arizona Cardinals 38
• Denver Broncos 34, Minnesota Vikings 6

This scoreboard is immediately irrelevant. Friday’s injury report is not.

Minnesota has to protect McCarthy. Denver waits on Mims. The Jets are hoping Trayanum’s hospital evaluation brings reassuring news. At the other end of the roster, players like Thomas just put one final argument on film before teams start choosing their 53.

Saturday is the final day of pretending these are preseason rosters. Sunday starts deciding who actually gets to stay.

This report includes information from: NFL.com.