The first full week of NFL preseason action begins tonight, and there is something to watch in each matchup over the next four days.
Thursday, August 7
IND @ BAL | 7:00 PM ET | NFL Network
Colts quarterback battle. Indianapolis is having a legitimate quarterback competition between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. this month, and on-field performance will obviously be key in determining a winner. Richardson is set to draw the start tonight and play almost the entire first half before Jones gets the nod next week with the roles reversed. It sounds like Richardson has a different mindset this year, but Jones could have the edge if the coaching staff simply trusts him more to run the offense.
CIN @ PHI | 7:30 PM ET
Jihaad Campbell in the middle. The Bengals and Eagles are taking different approaches to the preseason, as Cincinnati wants to play Joe Burrow and the starters more to avoid another slow start under Zac Taylor—while Philadelphia didn’t play Jalen Hurts and others last August, so we almost certainly won’t see them until September 4 when the Cowboys come to town. Still, first-round pick Jihaad Campbell should get his feet wet, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has said he wants to see improvements from him as an inside linebacker in 11-on-11 action, so it’ll be a great opportunity for the rookie versus Burrow and company.
LV @ SEA | 10:00 PM ET | NFL Network
Jalen Milroe makes preseason debut. The No. 93 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Milroe has drawn rave reviews for his work ethic and overall progress as a passer from the spring to the summer—so tonight will be his first chance to show that the rest of the league made a mistake in letting him fall to Seattle towards the end of Day 2. Seattle isn’t playing their starters in the first exhibition, so Milroe should get plenty of reps for what is as close to must-see TV as you can get in the preseason.
Friday, August 8
DET @ ATL | 7:00 PM ET
Backup quarterbacks in Detroit. Kyle Allen (nine-of-14 for 91 yards and two interceptions) and Hendon Hooker (three-of-six for 18 yards and one interception) both struggled in the Hall of Fame Game—causing somewhat of a panic from fans thinking about what might happen if Jared Goff ever goes down. I was surprised when the Lions moved on from Jake Fromm after he impressed last year in the preseason finale, and the Lions might be wise to give him a call if Allen and Hooker don’t fare any better tomorrow night.
CLE @ CAR | 7:00 PM ET | NFL Network
Shedeur Sanders. Sanders has been running as the No. 4 quarterback for Cleveland and is listed as such on the initial depth chart, but Kenny Pickett (hamstring) and Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) won’t play tomorrow night—giving the fifth-round rookie a prime opportunity to make a statement with a start against Carolina (veteran Joe Flacco won’t suit up). We were extremely high on Sanders as a prospect, and showing well versus the starters of the Panthers will make things very interesting in a four-way quarterback battle.
WAS @ NE | 7:30 PM ET
New England’s second-year wide receivers. The Patriots remade their receiving corps this offseason by acquiring Stefon Diggs, rookie Kyle Williams, and Mack Hollins—which was almost a necessity after Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker failed to make a Year 1 impact. Despite being a top-40 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Polk needs to show something to avoid falling on the wrong side of the roster bubble.
Saturday, August 9
NYG @ BUF | 1:00 PM ET | NFL Network
No. 2 cornerback battle for the Giants. Jaxson Dart will draw the headlines this weekend, but Russell Wilson is the clear starter—and the bigger storyline for 2025 might be the winner of a competition between 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott to start across from Paulson Adebo at cornerback. New York hopes they made enough upgrades on defense led by No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter to be competitive, but Banks has been a disappointment to begin his career, and he’ll be challenged by a good group of Buffalo pass-catchers on Saturday.
HOU @ MIN | 4:00 PM ET | NFL Network
J.J. McCarthy as the clear QB1. After a 14-3 record last year, the Vikings will only go as far as McCarthy can take them in 2025, and his play in camp thus far has apparently been up-and-down. To be fair, Minnesota has a very tough defense, so McCarthy will try to show flashes like he did last August before going down—though the pressure will be higher with no Sam Darnold in front of him on the depth chart.
PIT @ JAX | 7:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh running backs. Jaylen Warren is the lone returning runner from last year, as things were remade around him with Najee Harris now in Los Angeles—headlined by the selection of third-round pick Kaleb Johnson. We were high on the Iowa product as an ideal fit for the Steelers (we compared him to Harris), but don’t forget about Kenneth Gainwell after what he showed in Philadelphia, and Trey Sermon is a good enough back to have Pittsburgh consider keeping four options on the 53-man roster.
DAL @ LAR | 7:00 PM ET
Jonathan Mingo pushes for No. 3 role at wide receiver. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will be one of the NFL’s best receiver duos this year, but Dallas sent a fourth-round pick for Mingo last year at the trade deadline—and he’s apparently had a strong camp. However, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that Jalen Tolbert has the edge right now, so Mingo proving himself in game action could change things.
TEN @ TB | 7:30 PM ET
First game action for Cameron Ward. The Titans are the rare team set to play their starters in all three preseason games, which certainly makes sense with Ward—who will face a tough Denver defense in Week 1—getting acclimated to the NFL game. Tampa Bay’s defense likely won’t be too exotic in an exhibition, but Ward could still get some different looks in what will be a good initial test as he tries to show the promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick.
KC @ ARI | 8:00 PM ET
New pieces on the Kansas City offense. The Chiefs are expected to play Patrick Mahomes and the starters for at least a series on Saturday night, and I’m excited to see first-round pick Josh Simmons at left tackle; he’s someone who could have very well been a top-five pick if fully healthy in the pre-draft process. Also, with Hollywood Brown (ankle) being out of action recently, fourth-round rookie Jalen Royals could see snaps early this weekend, and it’s difficult to fathom why he lasted as long as he did in the 2025 NFL Draft.
NYJ @ GB | 8:00 PM ET | NFL Network
Bo Melton at cornerback. Green Bay is loaded at wide receiver and has plenty of question marks at cornerback—so Melton transitioning to defense is an exciting switch that will be tested in game action for the first time this weekend. I am extremely high on Kamal Hadden, but he’s been out with a hip injury, so Melton will get a major opportunity at his new position in the preseason opener.
DEN @ SF | 8:30 PM ET
Broncos running game versus rookie defenders for the 49ers. Denver already has a top-tier defense, but Sean Payton wants to get the running game going this year to help out Bo Nix on offense. With the starters playing this weekend, it’ll be a tremendous text for both sides—with the Broncos trying to open holes for J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, and San Francisco’s rookies on the defensive line (Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West) looking to stop them.
Sunday, August 10
MIA @ CHI | 1:00 PM ET | NFL Network
Backup quarterbacks in Miami. The Dolphins made it a point to upgrade their quarterback room around Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, and the team has been impressed by Zach Wilson’s talent. Also, seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers has showed pinpoint accuracy in practice as the No. 3 quarterback, so the room is clearly the best it’s been in the Mike McDaniel era, and I want to see how the backups do in their first game action of the month.
NO @ LAC | 4:05 PM ET | NFL Network
Saints quarterback competition. New Orleans has all three of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener listed as a starter on their first depth chart of 2025, and the battle actually feels like it’s narrowing with Shough—the No. 40 overall pick in April’s draft—apparently not separating himself this far. We see how much of a challenge the Chargers were for the Lions in the Hall of Fame Game, so all three young passers will need to be on point in their bids for the QB1 spot.