NFL today brings the first full slate of preseason football since January, with games running Thursday through Saturday and several quarterback competitions taking center stage as teams begin trimming their rosters toward the regular season.
Preseason Week 1 opened Thursday with six games, according to NFL.com, including Detroit at Cincinnati, Green Bay at Pittsburgh, Indianapolis at New England, the Los Angeles Chargers at Houston, Arizona at Las Vegas and Tennessee at San Francisco. Friday's slate features Denver at Atlanta, Tampa Bay at the New York Jets and Miami at Washington. The weekend closes out Saturday with eight matchups, among them Carolina at Buffalo, Cleveland at Chicago, Minnesota at the New York Giants, the Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City, Jacksonville at New Orleans, Philadelphia at Baltimore and Dallas at Seattle. Most games are streaming on NFL+, with select contests also airing on NFL Network.
The most closely watched storyline centers on Cleveland's quarterback derby. Deshaun Watson is making his first game appearance in nearly two years when the Browns visit the Bears on Saturday, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport has reported it feels like Watson is likely to win the starting job. Head coach Todd Monken, however, said this week he isn't closing the door on any of his quarterbacks. In an update after NFL.com's initial preview published, the Browns confirmed Watson will start Saturday's game against Chicago, with rookie Shedeur Sanders getting the starting nod in Cleveland's second preseason game the following week. That arrangement gives both passers a clear window to make their case before roster decisions firm up.
In Minnesota, the Vikings' quarterback competition has already been decided in favor of Kyler Murray, but J.J. McCarthy's path forward remains murky. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft has made just 10 career starts, and NFL.com notes his trade value is at a low point after a difficult stint as the starter. Minnesota could give McCarthy extended snaps against the Giants on Saturday in hopes he plays well enough to boost his standing on the trade market. Carson Wentz is positioned to become Murray's primary backup should the Vikings ultimately move on from McCarthy.
Washington enters its preseason opener against Miami on Friday dealing with a significant line problem. Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a triceps injury in practice Saturday and is out for the foreseeable future, according to NFL.com, putting pressure on third-year lineman Brandon Coleman to protect quarterback Jayden Daniels' blind side. Coleman has started 18 games at left tackle, including playoff action, but was benched at guard last season and has had durability concerns. Head coach Dan Quinn has said Washington does not intend to look outside the organization for a replacement tackle, though plans can shift quickly this time of year. The two teams held a joint practice Wednesday ahead of Friday's game, and new Miami coach Jeff Hafley has said all of his players should be ready to see the field, even if not every starter plays.
Chicago, meanwhile, is trying to hold its secondary together entering Saturday's game against Cleveland. Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who missed all but three games last season to injury, is on the physically-unable-to-perform list with a calf issue and has no clear return timeline. Starting safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss four to six months after knee surgery stemming from a camp injury, backup safety Elijah Hicks is also on the PUP list, and backup cornerback Dallis Flowers is done for the season with a right leg injury. Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman has suddenly become one of the more experienced healthy players in that unit, and the Bears have turned to depth pieces such as cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. — who spent last season on practice squads and is suspended for the first three games of the regular season — to fill gaps. Getting through Saturday's game without further injuries to the secondary would count as a win for Chicago.
On the betting side, Fox News previewed two of Saturday's marquee preseason matchups. In the Rams-Chiefs game, backup quarterbacks are expected to dominate the snaps since neither Matthew Stafford nor Patrick Mahomes is likely to play. Fox News projected Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson would handle most of the Rams' offensive work while battling for the backup role, and backed the Rams to go over 16.5 points given their weapons and motivated reserves. Justin Fields, now Kansas City's backup quarterback, is also expected to see time in Andy Reid's offense.
For Carolina's trip to Buffalo — the Bills' first game in their new stadium — Fox News noted the Panthers leaned heavily on Haynes King, who threw 34 passes in Carolina's preseason opener, with Kenny Pickett adding 11 more attempts and the team running the ball 22 times overall. The Bills are expected to give Josh Allen a series or two of work, partly tied to the new venue, with Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele otherwise handling quarterback duties. Fox News picked the Panthers to cover the spread, reasoning that Carolina's backups appear further along and better adjusted to game speed than Buffalo's.
As always with the preseason, evaluators are urged to keep expectations in check. NFL.com pointed out that for every player who breaks out in August and goes on to stardom — as Victor Cruz did in 2010 — there are many more who flash briefly before fading. Still, with quarterback battles unresolved in Cleveland and Minnesota, a line rebuild underway in Washington and a secondary crisis in Chicago, this weekend's slate carries more real stakes than a typical Week 1 exhibition schedule.
