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Football! Sure, it's August preseason football, but as Tom Wambsgans once said, "a man of dying of thirst can't suddenly be a mineral water critic."
The ink on training camp storylines is still wet, and these preseason tilts can help dry it (or make teams perhaps start thinking about a whole new piece of parchment to write on). I looked at the crop of games for the first week of preseason (apologies to the Hall of Fame Game) and picked out the battles, storylines, and players that I'll be keeping an eye on as the 2026 NFL (pre)season has its opening flourish.
The Lions' offensive line has been the tip of the spear for the entire franchise since Dan Campbell arrived in Detroit. After Frank Ragnow was forced into an early retirement because of a litany of injuries, Graham Glasgow was tabbed as the next pivot up. After shaky results in 2025, the Lions added (relatively big) free agent signing Cade Mays from the Panthers to hold the fort down in the middle. Now Mays is slated to miss an extended period of time after injuring his wrist. And Juice Scruggs, acquired in the offseason David Montgomery trade, is also battling an injury in training camp. So now it's Seth McLaughlin as the next behind for Jared Goff to put his hands under with the Lions first team offense. McLaughlin, who has recovered from a late college career Achilles injury, along with first round selection Blake Miller at right tackle, will be two of the new faces that we will see upfront in the preseason who will have a big part in deciding how far the Lions will go this season.
Maybe we'll see Isaac TeSlaa pull off a cool catch or two, too.
I gotta be honest, no Max Iheanachor is a bummer. For the Packers, though, I'll be watching MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd has had a brutal run of injuries to start his NFL career, but is slated to play this preseason, and an opportunity is forming for him the Packers backfield with injuries cropping up for Josh Jacobs and an off-field incident as well. Any momentum Lloyd builds up this preseason can easily continue into the regular season, with plenty of touches available because of dearth of options in the Packers running back room.
The Colts will be displaying their wares in the first preseason game for the rest of the NFL to see. Anthony Richardson will be making the start against the Colts before Riley Leonard takes over in the second half (the Colts will flip the rotation next week against the Falcons). The Colts are still protecting Daniel Jones and his Achilles, so this much playing time to both backups has a benefit of creating a contingency plan in case Jones' recovery doesn't somehow go as planned (consider me a skeptic about where Jones is actually at on the recovery timeline and what that means for his actual play level in 2026, especially early in the season). It also gives the Colts the ability to showcase Richardson to the rest of the NFL. The Colts have quite obviously cooled on Richardson, and his stock league-wide is seemingly also at its nadir, but he could be worth a very interesting dart throw (at least more interesting to me instead of the usual veteran or former washout that teams like to swap spit over) for a team attempting to have semblance of a project to work with or a high variance backup to trot out there in case of emergency.
The Patriots also have interesting rookies that I'm keeping an eye on. We could get our first glimpse at Caleb Lomu's early development as well as Eli Raridon, a tight end I'm particularly high on who could help the Patriots' offense be more dangerous, and yes, I'm going to say it, multiple, with their personnel groupings. Raridon has blocking chops and has the size and athletic ability to be a plus pass catcher, too. He's reportedly been a training camp standout so far and I'm interested to see how well his blocking has translated from college to the pros. The Patriots could have a real find in the third round if so.
Any hint of what this new Chargers offense will look like under Mike McDaniel? Or this Chargers defense under Chris O'Leary? O'Leary used a more attacking style of defense while at Western Michigan, and I'm curious if that was because of the lack of high-end talent for the Broncos, or if he continues to use more blitzes than his predecessor, Jesse Minter. For a simple comparison, Minter blitzed at a 30th percentile rate in his last year at Michigan in 2023. He then proceeded to prefer more creeper and simulated pressures, which only bring four pass rushers, and was more selective with his blitzing (he was very successful as a play-caller, mind you). O'Leary, on the other hand, blitzed at an 80th percentile rate in his lone season in Kalamazoo. The structures of their defenses are similar, but the knobs appear to be turned differently.
Alas, it's preseason. Time for the vanilla schemes of Day 1 and Day 2 install plays. So this might all be for naught anyway. If you're looking for more specific players to watch: First rounder pick Akheem Mesidor and second-round selection Jake Slaughter can both help swing this season for the Chargers as an injection of pass rush ability and as the starting left guard. Positive performances from both would be an exciting first step for the Chargers.
Two of the top 3 picks! And I was going to include the early preseason starlet Carson Beck, but he got ruled out of Thursday's game with a rib injury. No. 1 selection Fernando Mendoza might not be starting the regular season for the Raiders, but he sure is starting the preseason. His skill set should translate nicely to Klint Kubiak's offense, and we get our first glimpse of that pairing.
Jeremiyah Love didn't play in the Hall of Fame Game last week, but he is slated to make his Cardinals (preseason) debut. I'm interested in the Cardinals offense under Mike LaFleur and think he will do a good job of highlighting the actually pretty strong group of skill players that Arizona has. This offense wants to hide its tendencies by having a running back that can stay on the field for all four downs, and Love can do that in spades.
The quarterback battle eats up a lot of the bandwidth when the Browns are discussed, but there's some real things brewing in Cleveland right now.
On the offensive side of the ball, it hasn't been hard to hear the "ooo's" and "ahhh's" that have been coming out of Browns training camp when Denzel Boston has been on the field and making plays on the football (buy stock now before it's too late!). And there have been similar sounds with the plays KC Concepcion has been making. Both are already earning playing time with the first team, which shouldn't have been too hard given what else the Browns have in the wide receiver room, but it's also not a bad sign both have earned their roles so early. A couple of snatches in their first preseason action will only bolster the confidence Browns coaches have in Concepcion and (especially in) Boston.
The newly shaped Browns offensive line will also be compelling to watch this season, and could make for an even tastier situation for a young quarterback to be dropped into. No matter the snap count, any glimpses at Browns rookie linemen Spencer Fano, Austin Barber, and Parker Brailsford will be fun for the offensive line aficionado to watch in real time and upon film review.
And, yes, there is the quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Watson will start this weekend against the Bears and get the first half before the quarterbacks switch at halftime. (they will swap roles in their second preseason game next week, and I can't help but notice Sanders got the start at home in Cleveland, by the way). I think the Browns' offensive ceiling is capped with either quarterback playing for them in 2026, but maybe their performances under the lights in the preseason will help create a little more optimism at the position. Because I can't help but get excited when looking at all of the young talent the Browns are accumulating (the rookies, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., kinda fun!).
Also look for the heat-seeking missile known as Emmanuel McNeil-Warren when the Browns defense is on the field.
Strictly watching what Jim Leonhard does during his first time as a defensive play-caller in the NFL. Again, VANILLA SCHEME SEASON, but even just the deployment of personnel will be some nice indication of what should be a much more creative scheme in Buffalo.
Do we get to see the newly anointed starting quarterback Kyler Murray in the Vikings' offense? There hasn't been any indication otherwise of Murray not playing, so we will potentially see No. 1 in purple this weekend. It's the beginning of one of the more fascinating pairings and, in my opinion, interesting storylines in the NFL this season. (I wrote about Murray's fit with Kevin O'Connell this spring, and I have real optimism of how it might all work out. Consider it like a square peg, rectangle hole fit).
I'm most interested in seeing what O'Connell really plans on how to deploy Murray and the rest of the Vikings offense with him, as O'Connell will tweak his concepts based on his quarterback's preferences. But we will unlikely see much during the month of vanilla schemes. Especially if Justin Jefferson isn't even on the field (Jefferson has quite literally never taken a preseason snap since he's entered the NFL).
Also take a peek at the young defenders for the Vikings and Giants (if they play). It's hard to miss Caleb Banks, and Domonique Orange isn't exactly small, either. Jake Golday could be a fun tool for Brian Flores to play with. And the Giants have this guy named Arvell Reese, who should be an absolute weapon for Dennard Wilson to deploy, especially moving him (and Abdul Carter) around on third down.
Continue reading...
The ink on training camp storylines is still wet, and these preseason tilts can help dry it (or make teams perhaps start thinking about a whole new piece of parchment to write on). I looked at the crop of games for the first week of preseason (apologies to the Hall of Fame Game) and picked out the battles, storylines, and players that I'll be keeping an eye on as the 2026 NFL (pre)season has its opening flourish.
Lions vs. Bengals
The Lions' offensive line has been the tip of the spear for the entire franchise since Dan Campbell arrived in Detroit. After Frank Ragnow was forced into an early retirement because of a litany of injuries, Graham Glasgow was tabbed as the next pivot up. After shaky results in 2025, the Lions added (relatively big) free agent signing Cade Mays from the Panthers to hold the fort down in the middle. Now Mays is slated to miss an extended period of time after injuring his wrist. And Juice Scruggs, acquired in the offseason David Montgomery trade, is also battling an injury in training camp. So now it's Seth McLaughlin as the next behind for Jared Goff to put his hands under with the Lions first team offense. McLaughlin, who has recovered from a late college career Achilles injury, along with first round selection Blake Miller at right tackle, will be two of the new faces that we will see upfront in the preseason who will have a big part in deciding how far the Lions will go this season.
Maybe we'll see Isaac TeSlaa pull off a cool catch or two, too.
Packers vs. Steelers
I gotta be honest, no Max Iheanachor is a bummer. For the Packers, though, I'll be watching MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd has had a brutal run of injuries to start his NFL career, but is slated to play this preseason, and an opportunity is forming for him the Packers backfield with injuries cropping up for Josh Jacobs and an off-field incident as well. Any momentum Lloyd builds up this preseason can easily continue into the regular season, with plenty of touches available because of dearth of options in the Packers running back room.
Colts vs. Patriots
The Colts will be displaying their wares in the first preseason game for the rest of the NFL to see. Anthony Richardson will be making the start against the Colts before Riley Leonard takes over in the second half (the Colts will flip the rotation next week against the Falcons). The Colts are still protecting Daniel Jones and his Achilles, so this much playing time to both backups has a benefit of creating a contingency plan in case Jones' recovery doesn't somehow go as planned (consider me a skeptic about where Jones is actually at on the recovery timeline and what that means for his actual play level in 2026, especially early in the season). It also gives the Colts the ability to showcase Richardson to the rest of the NFL. The Colts have quite obviously cooled on Richardson, and his stock league-wide is seemingly also at its nadir, but he could be worth a very interesting dart throw (at least more interesting to me instead of the usual veteran or former washout that teams like to swap spit over) for a team attempting to have semblance of a project to work with or a high variance backup to trot out there in case of emergency.
The Patriots also have interesting rookies that I'm keeping an eye on. We could get our first glimpse at Caleb Lomu's early development as well as Eli Raridon, a tight end I'm particularly high on who could help the Patriots' offense be more dangerous, and yes, I'm going to say it, multiple, with their personnel groupings. Raridon has blocking chops and has the size and athletic ability to be a plus pass catcher, too. He's reportedly been a training camp standout so far and I'm interested to see how well his blocking has translated from college to the pros. The Patriots could have a real find in the third round if so.
Chargers vs. Texans
Any hint of what this new Chargers offense will look like under Mike McDaniel? Or this Chargers defense under Chris O'Leary? O'Leary used a more attacking style of defense while at Western Michigan, and I'm curious if that was because of the lack of high-end talent for the Broncos, or if he continues to use more blitzes than his predecessor, Jesse Minter. For a simple comparison, Minter blitzed at a 30th percentile rate in his last year at Michigan in 2023. He then proceeded to prefer more creeper and simulated pressures, which only bring four pass rushers, and was more selective with his blitzing (he was very successful as a play-caller, mind you). O'Leary, on the other hand, blitzed at an 80th percentile rate in his lone season in Kalamazoo. The structures of their defenses are similar, but the knobs appear to be turned differently.
Alas, it's preseason. Time for the vanilla schemes of Day 1 and Day 2 install plays. So this might all be for naught anyway. If you're looking for more specific players to watch: First rounder pick Akheem Mesidor and second-round selection Jake Slaughter can both help swing this season for the Chargers as an injection of pass rush ability and as the starting left guard. Positive performances from both would be an exciting first step for the Chargers.
Cardinals vs. Raiders
Two of the top 3 picks! And I was going to include the early preseason starlet Carson Beck, but he got ruled out of Thursday's game with a rib injury. No. 1 selection Fernando Mendoza might not be starting the regular season for the Raiders, but he sure is starting the preseason. His skill set should translate nicely to Klint Kubiak's offense, and we get our first glimpse of that pairing.
Jeremiyah Love didn't play in the Hall of Fame Game last week, but he is slated to make his Cardinals (preseason) debut. I'm interested in the Cardinals offense under Mike LaFleur and think he will do a good job of highlighting the actually pretty strong group of skill players that Arizona has. This offense wants to hide its tendencies by having a running back that can stay on the field for all four downs, and Love can do that in spades.
Browns vs. Bears
The quarterback battle eats up a lot of the bandwidth when the Browns are discussed, but there's some real things brewing in Cleveland right now.
On the offensive side of the ball, it hasn't been hard to hear the "ooo's" and "ahhh's" that have been coming out of Browns training camp when Denzel Boston has been on the field and making plays on the football (buy stock now before it's too late!). And there have been similar sounds with the plays KC Concepcion has been making. Both are already earning playing time with the first team, which shouldn't have been too hard given what else the Browns have in the wide receiver room, but it's also not a bad sign both have earned their roles so early. A couple of snatches in their first preseason action will only bolster the confidence Browns coaches have in Concepcion and (especially in) Boston.
The newly shaped Browns offensive line will also be compelling to watch this season, and could make for an even tastier situation for a young quarterback to be dropped into. No matter the snap count, any glimpses at Browns rookie linemen Spencer Fano, Austin Barber, and Parker Brailsford will be fun for the offensive line aficionado to watch in real time and upon film review.
And, yes, there is the quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Watson will start this weekend against the Bears and get the first half before the quarterbacks switch at halftime. (they will swap roles in their second preseason game next week, and I can't help but notice Sanders got the start at home in Cleveland, by the way). I think the Browns' offensive ceiling is capped with either quarterback playing for them in 2026, but maybe their performances under the lights in the preseason will help create a little more optimism at the position. Because I can't help but get excited when looking at all of the young talent the Browns are accumulating (the rookies, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., kinda fun!).
Also look for the heat-seeking missile known as Emmanuel McNeil-Warren when the Browns defense is on the field.
Panthers vs. Bills
Strictly watching what Jim Leonhard does during his first time as a defensive play-caller in the NFL. Again, VANILLA SCHEME SEASON, but even just the deployment of personnel will be some nice indication of what should be a much more creative scheme in Buffalo.
Vikings vs. Giants
Do we get to see the newly anointed starting quarterback Kyler Murray in the Vikings' offense? There hasn't been any indication otherwise of Murray not playing, so we will potentially see No. 1 in purple this weekend. It's the beginning of one of the more fascinating pairings and, in my opinion, interesting storylines in the NFL this season. (I wrote about Murray's fit with Kevin O'Connell this spring, and I have real optimism of how it might all work out. Consider it like a square peg, rectangle hole fit).
I'm most interested in seeing what O'Connell really plans on how to deploy Murray and the rest of the Vikings offense with him, as O'Connell will tweak his concepts based on his quarterback's preferences. But we will unlikely see much during the month of vanilla schemes. Especially if Justin Jefferson isn't even on the field (Jefferson has quite literally never taken a preseason snap since he's entered the NFL).
Also take a peek at the young defenders for the Vikings and Giants (if they play). It's hard to miss Caleb Banks, and Domonique Orange isn't exactly small, either. Jake Golday could be a fun tool for Brian Flores to play with. And the Giants have this guy named Arvell Reese, who should be an absolute weapon for Dennard Wilson to deploy, especially moving him (and Abdul Carter) around on third down.
Continue reading...
