It was a busy weekend in and around the NFL, as many teams saw their first live action of the preseason. Injuries, new contracts, rookie performances - NFL preseason Week One had just about everything. Let's take a look at what went down...
-The San Diego Chargers announced late Saturday that they had signed quarterback Philip Rivers to a contract extension that will keep the tough, talented signal-caller with the franchise through 2019.
The deal is worth $83.25 million with $65 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed a recent contract extension with approximately $64 million guaranteed. Russell Wilson's new deal with the Seahawks carried about $61.5 million in guarantees. Rivers has now set the new high water mark for quarterbacks.
At 33, Rivers is still playing at a very high level and despite the team's reported interest in Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL Draft and talk of Los Angeles relocation, his time in a Chargers uniform won't come to a close any time soon.
-Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace announced that the team's recent first-round pick and the first pick of the Pace-John Fox era, former West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White, will be forced to undergo potentially season-ending surgery on his injured shin. White has been dealing with a stress fracture in his left shin.
Pace announced that White will begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, which will sideline him for at least the first six games of the regular season, but that he could miss the whole season depending on the outcome of the procedure.
"If I can come back and am able to play a little bit in the season, we'll do it, if I'm feeling OK," White said, via ESPN. "But just following through. If they want me out there, then I'll try my best to get out there. I want to come back as soon as possible. ... If it's this season, then great. If it's next season then I'll just have to wait."
-With Adrian Peterson back in the fold and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looking to continue his development, the strength of the Minnesota Moving Company is an important factor for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. It was bad news then for fans of the team when shortly into the Vikes second preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, right tackle Phil Loadholt went down, limped off and didn't return.
After the game, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer announced that Loadholt is set for an MRI, but the team fears a torn Achilles.
"We think it's a torn Achilles. It's not 100 percent sure yet, but we're pretty sure," Zimmer said, via ESPN. "It's disappointing for Phil, because he worked so hard and because he's a great person,"
While the team does have fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings in place to take Loadholt's spot in the lineup, it's unlikely he'll be able to provide the same level of impact right away.
-A couple of high draft picks got their first start in the league. Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston saw his first NFL action and looked very much like a rattled rookie. Winston finished with nine completions on 19 attempts for 131-yards and one touchdown. There was also a couple of fumbled snaps, one of which led to a sack.
The second pick in the first round, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota had a similar debut. He looked good at times, very much like an NFL neophyte at others. Mariota was able to complete all eight of the passes he tossed, only one of them landed in the arms of an Atlanta Falcons defender. The 2014 Heisman Trophy-winner also fumbled, which was returned for a touchdown, though that seemed to be a function of the Titans leaky offensive line and not Mariota's own performance.
