NICK MULLENS

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made play-calling wristbands a big topic of conversation in the NFL after saying they were one reason for Geno Smith's surprising season following Russell Wilson's trade to the Broncos.

The Las Vegas Raiders have waived offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood.

The Minnesota Vikings have acquired backup quarterback Nick Mullens from the Las Vegas Raiders for a conditional 2024 seventh-round draft pick.

Nick Mullens completed 7 of 9 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown, and the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 26-20 in a preseason game.

The Las Vegas Raiders concluded organized team practices with all four quarterbacks on the roster participating but the buzz surrounding the franchise was about Colin Kaepernick, who has gotten a workout with the club.

Colin Kaepernick is getting his first chance to work out for an NFL team since last playing in the league in 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield moved a step closer to playing against Aaron Rodgers on Christmas.

Daniel Carlson’s 48-yard field goal as time expired sent the Las Vegas Raiders to a 16-14 win over the COVID-19-depleted Cleveland Browns in a game pushed back two days by the NFL amid an uptick of virus cases across the league.

Several asymptomatic, vaccinated NFL players tested positive for COVID-19 on the first day of “targeted” testing, a person familiar with the results told The Associated Press on Monday.

A person familiar with the Cleveland Browns' situation tells The Associated Press that quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't clear COVID-19 testing in time to be activated and play Monday, so third-stringer Nick Mullens will start against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The matchup between the Bengals and Broncos had no touchdowns scored in the first half.

Gifted two days by the NFL to maybe get healthier, the Browns prepared for a game they expected to play Saturday.

The Browns got a welcomed reprieve after days of positive COVID-19 tests.

A person familiar with the situation tells the AP that Browns backup quarterback Case Keenum, who was slotted to start Saturday with Baker Mayfield sidelined after testing positive with COVID-19, has also tested positive for the virus.

Minshew Mania is on the move.

Jamison Crowder was a bit surprised when the New York Jets approached him during the offseason about taking a pay cut.

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game in Seattle. Jimmy Garoppolo isn't expected to take another snap this season for the San Francisco 49ers as a pair of high ankle sprains derailed most of his campaign. (AP Photo/Scott Eklund, File)Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t expected to take another snap this season for the San Francisco 49ers as a pair of high ankle sprains derailed most of his campaign. Despite the lost season, the 49ers remain publicly committed to Garoppolo as their quarterback for 2021, even tough he has remained healthy only once in three seasons as starter. But he points to the success San Francisco has had when Garoppolo has been healthy with a 22-8 record in those games since he arrived in 2017.

San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson (30) celebrates his touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals with quarterback C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes, Jeff Wilson ran for 183 yards, and the San Francisco 49ers dealt a brutal blow to the Arizona Cardinals' playoff hopes by defeating them 20-12 on Saturday. If the Chicago Bears win their final two games, they will reach the playoffs because of a tiebreaker over the Cardinals. The 49ers (6-9) pulled ahead 14-6 in the third quarter on Beathard’s 9-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Cardinals: LB Haason Reddick (hamstring) left the game in the first quarter, but returned early in the second quarter.

Rookies Chase Young and Kamren Curl scored defensive touchdowns as Washington grabbed sole possession of first place in the division after a gritty 23-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He missed the second half with soreness in his surgically repaired right leg. “We were not clean today offensively,” San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. Dwayne Haskins, the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft, replaced Smith in the second half. San Francisco: travels to the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday.

The Bills are one game ahead of the Miami Dolphins with four games left for both teams. San Francisco (5-7) lost in its first game at its adopted home in Arizona. “As long as it correlates to team success, it means we’re doing the right thing, making the right decisions and we’re winning football games," Allen said. But San Francisco got the ball back one play later on a fumble by Allen and the 49ers took advantage. The town is about a 3-hour drive from San Francisco, and Allen went to games as a kid with his family.

“When I came out in the second half and started throwing the ball (to warm up), it became really apparent that I wasn't going to be effective,” Brees said. Brees said he didn't expect the injury to be “a long-term thing," but added, ”it's just a matter of how long it's going to be. “We couldn’t get anything going in the second half and didn’t get much out of our running game," coach Kyle Shannahan said. Tight end Josh Hill also left the game with a concussion in the second half. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore left with an oblique injury, but could be seen standing on the sideline without his helmet in the second half, urging on teammates and even dancing at times.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, bottom left, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrate after connecting on a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Aaron Rodgers took advantage of the undermanned San Francisco 49ers rather than sympathizing with the team that dominated his Green Bay Packers twice last season. Rodgers threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns and the Packers overwhelmed the depleted 49ers 34-17 on Thursday night. DEPLETED ROSTERThe run of injuries and coronavirus rules left the 49ers with a shell of a roster, especially on offense. 49ers: CB K’Waun Williams (ankle) and S Jaquiski Tartt (toe) left the game and didn’t return.

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers will be without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and All-Pro tight end George Kittle for an extended period of time after they got hurt against Seattle. A person familiar with the injuries said Monday on condition of anonymity that Garoppolo’s ankle injury and Kittle’s foot injury will sideline them indefinitely. San Francisco already has been forced to play without defensive ends Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Solomon Thomas; top cornerback Richard Sherman, No. He hurt his shoulder in New England in 2016 and had a season-ending injury for San Francisco in 2018. San Francisco also traded linebacker Kwon Alexander to New Orleans on Monday in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round draft choice.

Wilson threw four more touchdown passes, two to Metcalf, and the Seahawks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a resounding 37-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Wilson and Metcalf tormented San Francisco and its banged up secondary as the top-scoring offense in the league continued to pile up points. Wilson found rookie DeeJay Dallas on a 2-yard TD pass after San Francisco went three-and-out to open the second half for a 20-7 lead. The momentum from two straight wins for San Francisco (4-4) evaporated in a hurry as more injuries continued to pile. San Francisco played without starters Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson Jr., Kwon Alexander and safety Jaquiski Tartt.

(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Carson Wentz hit Travis Fulgham on a 42-yard touchdown pass with 5:50 remaining to lift the Philadelphia Eagles to their first win of the season, 25-20 over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. TAKE IT AWAYThe Eagles got their first defensive takeaway of the season thanks to a poor decision by Mullens. With the Niners in the red zone, Mullens threw a ball up for grabs while under pressure and Rodney McLeod came up with it. INJURY REPORTEagles: RT Lane Johnson left the game in the first half with an ankle injury but later returned. 49ers: DL Ezekiel Ansah left the game in the first half with an arm injury and didn’t return.

Start with running back, where Giants star Saquon Barkley is believed to have torn the ACL in his right knee early in their loss at Chicago. The 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo tried to play through a right ankle injury before Nick Mullens took over for the second half. Tevin Coleman also left San Francisco's win over the Jets with a late knee injury. Along with Lock and Sutton, the Broncos lost defensive end Dre'Mont Jones to a knee injury in their defeat at Pittsburgh. Washington guard Brandon Scherff, who left early in Arizona with a knee injury, was among the offensive linemen hurt around the NFL on Sunday.

Still, short-handed San Francisco had enough to beat the inept New York Jets. Defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas were both carted off the field two plays apart with left knee injuries in the first quarter. Two plays later, Thomas was carted off — also with a left knee injury — after an 8-yard reception by Chris Hogan. San Francisco ended the 14-play possession with an 18-yard catch by Jordan Reed for the first of his two TD grabs. ... San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a first-round draft pick, had two catches for 21 yards in his NFL debut.