Redskins designate Keenum as Week 1 starting quarterback
ASHBURN, Va. — Case Keenum, Colt McCoy and Dwayne Haskins entered training camp in consideration for the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback job.
Keenum won the job, with coach Jay Gruden saying Sunday the veteran would start Week 1 on the road at Philadelphia.
It is not that Keenum dominated during his first offseason, training camp and preseason games with Washington. With McCoy’s lingering leg injury and Haskins adjusting to the NFL game, Keenum’s experience — and availability — won out.
“As it stands right now, we’ll start with Case at the opener and then Dwayne will get himself ready to play and we’ll go from there,” Gruden said after the tam’s first practice since Thursday’s 19-7 victory at Atlanta.
The Redskins ended the 2018 season with its top two quarterbacks — Alex Smith and McCoy — sidelined with leg injuries. Before spending the 15th overall selection in April’s draft on Haskins, the strong-armed passer from Ohio State, the team acquired Keenum from Denver in March in a low-risk trade involving late-round picks.
Undrafted in 2012, the same year Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went 1-2, the former University of Houston star developed into a starter for four teams over his first seven seasons. The journeyman shined during Minnesota’s 2017 run to the NFC Championship Game and started all 16 games for the Broncos last season.
“I’m excited. I really am. I don’t take it lightly, the opportunity, the position I’m in to be the Week 1 starter,” Keenum said. “I’ve been there before. I know it’s a tough job and there are only 32 of them. . I’m excited to continue to earn the right to be the quarterback for this team.”
Roethlisberger looks like he’s ready to go
Ben Roethlisberger needed three short series to show he is ready for the regular season.
Roethlisberger capped his night with a 17-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Tennessee Titans 18-6 at Nashville, Tenn., to remain perfect this preseason.
Pittsburgh (3-0) came up with four of seven sacks by halftime and had a turnover as it pummeled all three quarterbacks for the Titans (1-2).
Roethlisberger made his preseason debut and was a bit rusty with two short series. After Stephon Tuitt sacked Marcus Mariota in the end zone for a safety, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 48 yards after the free kick and finished with the TD pass to SmithSchuster.
He nearly gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead but Jaylen Samuels fell down after catching the pass on a two-point conversion attempt. Roethlisberger spent the rest of the night watching and was 8-of-13 for 63 yards passing.
A night after Andrew Luck retired, the Titans played safe with their starting quarterback and pulled Mariota after he was sacked for the safety on his second series. Mariota was 0-of-3, including an uncharacteristic drop by veteran Adam Humphries. That proved a smart move with backup Ryan Tannehill was sacked on his third play.
Veteran WR Thomas close to being back
Demaryius Thomas says he’s close. He can feel it.
“I can feel it certain days and certain days I can’t,” the veteran wide receiver said. “It’s a thing that I feel when I play.”
Thomas, entering his 10th NFL season but first with the New England Patriots, might be another tantalizing option for veteran quarterback Tom Brady if he is fully recovered from the second Achilles’ tendon injury of his career. But Thomas was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list only a week ago, and with the preseason finale against the New York Giants on Thursday looming in the immediate future, time is short for him to prove his worth amid a position group seemingly laden with talent.
Thomas posted five consecutive seasons in a row with 1,000 or more receiving yards among his eight-plus years with the Denver Broncos. But he was dealt to the Houston Texans midway through the 2018 season and finished the year with his lowest statistical totals since 2011, catching 59 passes for 677 yards and scoring five touchdowns before suffering the Achilles’ injury late in the season.
New England signed him to a one-yearcontract in April.
Odds and ends
Miami Dolphins safety T.J. McDonald, who started 14 games for the team last season, was released. McDonald, a six-year veteran with 75 career starts, was due to make $5 million this year. He spent two seasons with the Dolphins but fell behind safeties Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain on the depth chart this summer under new coach Brian Flores. …The Oakland Raiders placed running back Doug Martin on injured reserve and signed former Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget. The nature of Martin’s injury was not immediately known, but he was used sparingly in the preseason after leading the Raiders with 723 yards rushing last year. Liuget played his first eight years with the Chargers. He has 24 career sacks, 274 tackles, 20 passes defensed and six forced fumbles.