Overview

• The Jets and Giants completed the first of two joint practices, with Justin Fields going 7-for-12 and scoring a red-zone touchdown, rookie Abdul Carter earning high praise and Malik Nabers continuing to rehab a toe issue.
• Philadelphia will host Cleveland for back-to-back sessions ahead of Saturday’s preseason game, as Vic Fangio challenges his edge rushers to ‘surface’ and left guard Landon Dickerson prepares for meniscus surgery.
• San Francisco has been without 23 players in recent drills, prompting Kyle Shanahan to curb starters’ reps and weigh the risk-reward of fielding key contributors during Thursday’s work with the Raiders.
• Coaches are using scripted, live drills against unfamiliar opponents to accelerate assessments of rookies and depth players in ways that brief preseason games cannot match.
• With roster decisions looming before the regular season, teams are balancing the need for competitive evaluation against the imperative of preserving players’ health.