Darnold to be 49ers’ No. 2 QB; Lance’s status in limbo
Sam Darnold will open the season as San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s backup, putting Trey Lance’s status with the 49ers in doubt two years after the team traded three first-round picks to draft him. Coach Kyle Shanahan said “all options” are being considered with Lance, including a possible trade. Lance started 17 games at North Dakota State before being drafted third in 2021, and injuries have limited him to eight NFL games, including four starts.
■ Jets: Wide receiver Corey Davis said he is stepping away from football for an indefinite time. The 28-year-old was entering the final season of a three-year, $37.5 million deal after starting his career with Tennessee as the 2017 draft’s No. 5 pick. Also, left tackle Duane Brown was activated from the physically unable to perform list. The 37-year-old five-time Pro Bowl pick had offseason surgery to repair a torn left rotator cuff sustained last summer.
■ Texans: Coach Demeco Ryans said rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will start the team’s preseason finale Sunday but stopped short of anointing the No. 2 draft pick from Ohio State as the Week 1 starter. Stroud started each of the first two preseason games and has worked almost exclusively with the first team throughout camp.
■ Giants: Tight end Tommy Sweeney was in stable condition after collapsing Wednesday because of a “medical event” during practice, the team said. The 28-yearold Boston College product, in his first season with New York after three with Buffalo, was diagnosed with myocarditis — an inflamed heart — in 2020.
■ Cowboys: Frisco (Texas) police arrested defensive end Sam Williams on charges of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon. The team declined comment. The 24-year-old 2022 second-round draft pick had 22 tackles, four sacks and three fumble recoveries as a rookie.
■ Saints: Tight end Jimmy Graham returned to practice for the first time since his arrest Saturday following what team officials described as a “medical episode” in which Los Angeles-area police found the 36-year-old five-time Pro Bowl pick wandering in traffic.
■ Hall of Fame: Randy Gradishar and Steve Mcmichael, key members of dominant defenses in the 1970s and ’80s, and gamebreaking AFL receiver Art Powell are senior finalists for the class of 2023.