For the first time since January, we’re about to take in a full slate of NFL action, with [Preseason Week 1](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2026/by-week/preseason-week-1) kicking off on Thursday. Let’s celebrate by exploring some key storylines!
As usual, a lot of teams will be sitting starters, but there’s still plenty of intrigue at this time of year, following the sweeping changes an offseason brings. Now, for every player who first breaks out in the preseason before going on to star in the league — like Victor Cruz in 2010 — there are a slew of guys who flash before never being heard from again. So, keep a grain of salt with you as the games begin, but keep an eye on these narratives, as well.### Preseason Week 1 schedule and how to watch
**Thursday, Aug. 13 (all times ET)**
* Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals | [7 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/lions-at-bengals-2026-pre-1?tab=overview) | NFL+
* Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers | [7 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/packers-at-steelers-2026-pre-1) | NFL Network, NFL+
* Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots | [7:30 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/colts-at-patriots-2026-pre-1) | NFL+
* Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans | [8 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/chargers-at-texans-2026-pre-1) | NFL+
* Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders | [8 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/cardinals-at-raiders-2026-pre-1) | NFL+
* Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers | [9 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/titans-at-49ers-2026-pre-1) | NFL Network, NFL+
**Friday, Aug. 14**
* Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons | [7 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/broncos-at-falcons-2026-pre-1) | NFL+
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets | [7 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/buccaneers-at-jets-2026-pre-1) | NFL Network, NFL+
* Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders | [7 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/dolphins-at-commanders-2026-pre-1) | NFL+
**Saturday, Aug. 15**
* Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills | [1 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/panthers-at-bills-2026-pre-1?tab=overview) | NFL+
* Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears | [1 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/browns-at-bears-2026-pre-1) | NFL Network, NFL+
* Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants | [1 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/vikings-at-giants-2026-pre-1?tab=overview) | NFL+
* Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs | [4 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/rams-at-chiefs-2026-pre-1) | NFL Network, NFL+
* Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints | [4 p.m](https://www.nfl.com/games/jaguars-at-saints-2026-pre-1). | NFL+
* Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens | [7 p.m.](https://www.nfl.com/games/eagles-at-ravens-2026-pre-1) | NFL+
* Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks | [8 p.m](https://www.nfl.com/games/cowboys-at-seahawks-2026-pre-1). | NFL Network, NFL+
*Live preseason games are subject to local and other geographic blackouts. [Subscription required for NFL+](https://www.nfl.com/plus/learn-more). Terms and conditions apply.***1) Who wants the Browns’ QB job?** The Vikings’ QB tussle [has already ended](https://www.nfl.com/news/vikings-name-kyler-murray-starting-week-1-quarterback-for-2026-season) and the competition between [Tua Tagovailoa](https://www.nfl.com/players/tua-tagovailoa/) and [Michael Penix Jr.](https://www.nfl.com/players/michael-penix-jr/) can’t really begin until Penix is cleared for 11-on-11 work, but Week 1 of the preseason could play a role in Cleveland’s quarterback derby.
How will [Deshaun Watson](https://www.nfl.com/players/deshaun-watson/) fare in his first game action in nearly two years when the Browns visit the Bears on Saturday? Can [Shedeur Sanders](https://www.nfl.com/players/shedeur-sanders/) close whatever gap exists between him and Watson? As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport recently reported, it feels like Watson is likely to win the job, but head coach Todd Monken says he isn’t shutting the door on anyone yet. *(**EDITOR’S UPDATE:** The Browns [announced after publishing](https://www.nfl.com/news/qb-deshaun-watson-to-start-browns-first-preseason-game) that Watson will start Saturday’s game and Sanders will start for Cleveland in Week 2 of the preseason.)*
**2) How does [J.J. McCarthy](https://www.nfl.com/players/j-j-mccarthy/) respond?** As I mentioned, the Vikings’ QB battle didn’t even make it to the preseason, so while we know what the future holds for [Kyler Murray](https://www.nfl.com/players/kyler-murray/), the path forward for McCarthy feels far less certain. The 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft has made just 10 career starts, but his value is at an all-time low, given how poorly his time as the starter went. Minnesota could give him extended playing time against the Giants on Saturday with the hope that he performs well and starts to push his price up on the trade market. [Carson Wentz](https://www.nfl.com/players/carson-wentz/) is waiting in the wings to become Murray’s primary backup if the Vikings do part ways with McCarthy.**3) [Fernando Mendoza](https://www.nfl.com/prospects/fernando-mendoza/32004d45-4e51-6487-98a2-f3a9ce2f5835), fellow rookie QBs take the big stage.** We’ve been projecting how these newbies will perform in the pros for months. Finally, we have our first chance to see them in NFL game action, even if it’s only the preseason.
All signs point toward [Kirk Cousins](https://www.nfl.com/players/kirk-cousins/) starting for the Raiders come Week 1 of the regular season, but Mendoza could at least make things more interesting if the first overall pick shakes off some training camp struggles and lights up the Cardinals’ defense on Thursday. And hey, the Arizona-Las Vegas tilt will serve as a rematch of sorts between the two QBs who went head to head in [last season’s national championship game](https://www.nfl.com/news/indiana-defeats-miami-in-college-football-national-championship). Can [Carson Beck](https://www.nfl.com/players/carson-beck/) stay hot after a [sensational showing](https://www.nfl.com/news/panthers-cardinals-2026-hall-of-fame-game-what-we-learned-from-carolina-s-33-30-win) in last week’s Hall of Fame Game? Like Mendoza, he’s not in line to start from the jump, but he has the opportunity to put pressure on incumbent [Jacoby Brissett](https://www.nfl.com/players/jacoby-brissett/) earlier than expected.
Given the shockwaves the Rams sent around the league by drafting [Ty Simpson](https://www.nfl.com/players/ty-simpson/) in the first round this year, there will be plenty of eyes on the Alabama product when he takes the field against the Chiefs on Saturday. It would take an injury to [Matthew Stafford](https://www.nfl.com/players/matthew-stafford/) for the 13th overall pick to see any meaningful regular-season snaps in 2026, but Simpson has been running with the third-team offense in camp, behind backup [Stetson Bennett IV](https://www.nfl.com/players/stetson-bennett/). It would at least be reassuring to Rams fans if Simpson were to put on a good show versus Kansas City.
**4) Will Mike McCarthy play [Aaron Rodgers](https://www.nfl.com/players/aaron-rodgers/) versus the Packers?** It appears we have our first public disagreement of the McCarthy-Rodgers reunion tour. Rodgers told The Athletic McCarthy [wants him to play](https://www.nfl.com/news/mike-mccarthy-wants-aaron-rodgers-to-play-in-steelers-preseason-games) in the preseason, but the 42-year-old quarterback has said that he sees no advantage to taking any exhibition snaps. To top it all off, the Steelers are hosting Green Bay — the team McCarthy and Rodgers won a Super Bowl with before their messy divorce several years later — on Thursday night.
Is this a power struggle and a sign of things to come in Pittsburgh? Or should we all just R-E-L-A-X? *Deep sigh*.
**5) How do Commanders regroup?** The new Washington offensive line — sans five-time Pro Bowl left tackle [Laremy Tunsil](https://www.nfl.com/players/laremy-tunsil/) — could be tested right off the bat. The Dolphins are visiting the Commanders this week, with a joint practice on Wednesday before Friday’s preseason opener, and new Miami head coach Jeff Hafley has said all of his players should be prepared to play in the game. That doesn’t mean all starters will see time, of course, but unlike a lot of teams, he’s not ruling it out.
Losing Tunsil for the foreseeable future due to a [triceps injury during Saturday’s practice](https://www.nfl.com/news/commanders-lt-laremy-tunsil-suffered-torn-triceps-likely-to-miss-significant-portion-of-season) is a massive blow, one that puts immense pressure on third-year pro [Brandon Coleman](https://www.nfl.com/players/brandon-coleman-2/) to protect [Jayden Daniels](https://www.nfl.com/players/jayden-daniels/)’ blind side. The good news is Coleman has started 18 games at left tackle, including the playoffs, with some success. The bad news: Coleman was benched at guard last season and has durability concerns of his own.
Head coach Dan Quinn has said the team does not intend to look outside the franchise for a left tackle. However, as we all know, plans can change quickly in the NFL, and keeping Daniels upright has to be the ultimate priority for the Commanders.**6) Can the Bears avoid further damage in the secondary?** No unit has been bitten by the injury bug in training camp quite like Chicago’s defensive backfield. Nickelback [Kyler Gordon](https://www.nfl.com/players/kyler-gordon/), who missed all but three games last season due to injury, is on the PUP list with a calf ailment and there’s no clear timeline for his return. Starting safety [Coby Bryant](https://www.nfl.com/players/coby-bryant/) — one of the team’s top pickups of the offseason — is [expected to miss 4-6 months](https://www.nfl.com/news/bears-safety-coby-bryant-expected-to-miss-4-6-months-after-undergoing-knee-surgery) after undergoing surgery for a knee injury he suffered in camp. Backup safety [Elijah Hicks](https://www.nfl.com/players/elijah-hicks/) — who played in every game last season, though mostly on special teams — is also on the PUP list, while backup CB [Dallis Flowers](https://www.nfl.com/players/dallis-flowers/) is out for the season with a right leg injury he suffered in camp.
Cue Lloyd Christmas.
Suddenly, rookie [Dillon Thieneman](https://www.nfl.com/players/dillon-thieneman/) is one of the most tenured healthy safeties on the team! Given the scope of the injury woes, the Bears have had to turn to players like CB [Beanie Bishop Jr.](https://www.nfl.com/players/beanie-bishop-jr/), who spent all of last season on practice squads and is suspended for the first three games of the season, to try patch things together. It will be considered a victory if they escape from Saturday’s game against the Browns without more losses to the back end of the defense.
**7) Rookie WR showcase.** Thursday’s nightcap between the Titans and 49ers will feature the debuts of two top rookie wide receivers. There’s understandably a lot of excitement about Tennessee’s [Carnell Tate](https://www.nfl.com/players/carnell-tate/), the first pass catcher drafted this year, but the buzz about San Francisco’s [De’Zhaun Stribling](https://www.nfl.com/players/de-zhaun-stribling/), the first pick in Round 2 (33rd overall), seems to only grow, even with a few missed practices due to hamstring tightness. It sounds like both will see their share of playing time in the preseason opener. While Tate’s lofty draft billing as the fourth overall pick came with the expectation that he’d be playing right away, injuries at receiver have opened a clear lane for Stribling to claim a starting spot from the slot. It will be interesting if the friskiness between the two squads in joint practice this week — with teammates coming to Tate’s defense after one hit that apparently didn’t sit well with Titans players — carries over to the game.**8) New bullies on the block?** After months of talk about John Harbaugh building a new culture with the Giants, will all the chatter translate to the field? For a team with one winning season in the last nine campaigns, there certainly seems to be a newfound confidence. Harbaugh favorite [Patrick Ricard](https://www.nfl.com/players/patrick-ricard/), the fullback who followed the Super Bowl-winning coach from Baltimore to Big Blue this offseason, told NFL Network this week that the Giants want to “[bully](https://www.nfl.com/videos/patrick-ricard-on-harbaugh-wanting-to-build-a-bully-in-new-york-inside-training-camp-live)” any team that comes into MetLife Stadium. That would be a major departure from the G-Men we’ve come to know over the past decade, and first up in 2026 are the Vikings on Saturday. Remember, the Ravens didn’t do enough bullying in the final season of Harbaugh’s 18-year tenure with the team, which is why he was available this offseason. Will a fresh start lead to different results right away?
**9) Is [Ja’Kobi Lane](https://www.nfl.com/players/ja-kobi-lane/) *elite*?** As for Harbaugh’s old team, it might have struck gold in the third round of this year’s draft. Lane, the 80th overall pick in April, has longtime Ravens scribes beaming like we’ve never seen before. He’s become the star of training camp, easing concerns about whether Baltimore has enough complementary pieces around [Zay Flowers](https://www.nfl.com/players/zay-flowers/) at wide receiver. While there’s never been any doubt about Lane’s length and red-zone prowess, there were questions this spring about his ability to separate in the pros, especially against press coverage. It will be worth keeping an eye on how well he counters if the Eagles are physical with him on Saturday night.
**10) Will a WR1 emerge for the Dolphins?** I know the fantasy heads among us are anxious for someone to break through in Miami’s wide-open race at wide receiver. With the franchise in rebuilding mode and facing one of the league’s toughest schedules, there’s an expectation that [Malik Willis](https://www.nfl.com/players/malik-willis/) and Co. will be playing from behind a lot in 2026, and therefore, chucking the rock around the field on a regular basis as they try to play catch-up. There’s no penalty for garbage-time production in fantasy football. So, which pass catcher will show early chemistry with Willis against the Commanders on Friday? Will it be rookie [Caleb Douglas](https://www.nfl.com/players/caleb-douglas/), a third-round pick who’s become a training camp darling? Holdover [Malik Washington](https://www.nfl.com/players/malik-washington/)? Free-agent addition [Jalen Tolbert](https://www.nfl.com/players/jalen-tolbert/)? Will someone lower on the depth chart pop when the reserves enter the game? We can only glean so much from one preseason contest, but it’s all we have for now aside from practice, friends.
