2026 NFL preseason Week 1: Game takeaways, analysis

The first week of the 2026 NFL preseason kicked off Thursday, giving us our first have a look at rookies and gamers making debuts with new groups. It continued with three video games Friday.

How did gamers in new uniforms carry out? Who stood out? Which first-year gamers confirmed promise?

Our NFL Nation reporters picked out what it’s essential find out about prime debuts and extra because the NFL returns.

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Friday’s video games

Buccaneers: As he has completed all through camp, undrafted free agent rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes made essentially the most of his second, selecting off Bailey Zappe‘s move and returning it 47 yards for a landing. Second-round draft choose Josiah Trotter recorded two tackles. Outside linebacker David Walker, a 2025 fourth-round draft choose who missed all preseason final 12 months due to a torn ACL, registered two quarterback pressures.

Third-round choose Ted Hurst III hauled in two catches regardless of poor quarterback play from Connor Bazelak; Jalon Daniels confirmed much better command of the offense. Tight finish Bauer Sharp went 4-of-5 on targets, and vast receiver Dean Patterson went 5-of-7.

First-round choose Rueben Bain Jr. will make his debut subsequent week. — Jenna Laine

Next sport: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Jets: Fourth-round QB Cade Klubnik was the shock starter after Geno Smith (ankle) was dominated out as a precaution. Klubnik strengthened his case for the No. 2 job, main the beginning offense to a subject purpose and landing in his solely two sequence — a curiously quick outing. Coach Aaron Glenn arguably ought to have let the previous Clemson star play the complete half. Facing the Bucs’ backups, Klubnik (5-for-7, 56 yards) did not make any huge errors and saved the chains transferring, hitting Garrett Wilson for 2 third-down conversions.

It was a nondescript debut for edge rusher David Bailey, the No. 2 choose. Playing with the starters, he registered one deal with and one QB stress in eight snaps, getting double-teamed on three of his six move rushes.

First-round vast receiver Omar Cooper Jr. bought into the open subject for a 26-yard reception whereas taking part in with the backups. He was leapfrogged on the depth chart by Isaiah Williams. It was a quiet evening for the veteran newcomers, most of whom acquired restricted motion. — Rich Cimini

Next sport: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Aug. 21, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network)

Broncos: On a group that returns 20 of twenty-two starters from the AFC Championship Game, there usually are not loads of roster spots in play, however in Denver’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, rookie fourth-round RB Jonah Coleman confirmed off his decisive working type with 24 yards on 4 carries. He additionally displayed the physicality the Broncos wished to see whereas taking part in with the starters within the first half.

Undrafted rookie vast receiver Cameron Ross, who has flashed athleticism in camp, had a 24-yard carry within the first half when the first- and second-team offense was on the sphere, an indication that he has already gotten the coaches’ consideration. Undrafted cornerback Sam Fresch prevented what would have been a Falcons landing when he knocked away a move by Jack Strand with 1:54 to play within the sport. — Jeff Legwold

Next sport: vs. Green Bay Packers (Aug. 21, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Falcons: All eyes have been on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in his first begin of any form with the Atlanta Falcons. It was not an auspicious starting.

Tagovailoa appeared uncomfortable and did not get a lot assist from his offensive line. He accomplished 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards. All 4 targets went to tight finish Kyle Pitts Sr., a end result fantasy soccer fanatics would possibly discover attention-grabbing.

It did not get significantly better for the Falcons as soon as Tagovailoa left the sport. Veteran quarterback Cooper Rush, a latest signee, was 7-of-19 for 62 yards and two interceptions, together with a 96-yard pick-six by Jahdae Barron. — Marc Raimondi

Next sport: at Indianapolis Colts (Aug. 22, 1 p.m. ET)

Commanders: Linebacker Sonny Styles performed within the first sequence, a 14-play Miami landing drive. Styles wasn’t a lot of an element, although he wore the inexperienced dot and referred to as the performs. He completed with three tackles however appeared like a rookie taking part in his first sport, nonetheless getting comfy.

A couple of rookies had sturdy video games. Undrafted free agent working again Robert Henry Jr. confirmed juice on his runs and scored from 22 yards out. He completed with 75 yards on 12 runs. Henry hit the holes quick and used good imaginative and prescient to knife by way of slender openings. Center Matt Gulbin confirmed some energy inside within the second quarter. Third-round receiver Antonio Williams caught one move for 16 yards and did not play till the third quarter. Running again Kaytron Allen does not have Henry’s burst however managed 85 yards on 23 carries and a 1-yard landing. — John Keim

Next sport: at Detroit Lions (Aug. 22, midday ET)

Dolphins: Wide receiver Caleb Douglas shot up the depth chart through the Dolphins’ first two weeks of coaching camp and confirmed why in his solely snaps of the sport. On third-and-5, quarterback Malik Willis hit Douglas on a slot fade. The rookie shook off defensive move interference, tipped the ball to himself with one hand and corralled it in for a 28-yard reception.

Second-round rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez completed with a deal with and a stress in 13 snaps, and defensive finish Max Llewellyn recorded half a sack.

Willis, who signed a three-year take care of the Dolphins this offseason, was sharp in his lone sequence of the sport — a 14-play, 93-yard landing drive that spanned greater than seven minutes. He accomplished 4 of 5 passes for 43 yards, including 9 extra yards on the bottom. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next sport: vs. New York Giants (Aug. 22, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Thursday’s video games

Cardinals: No. 3 draft choose Jeremiyah Love showcased his fast toes and energy working throughout his time on the sphere Thursday evening. It resulted in 11 carries for 58 yards, a median of 5.3 yards per carry. He showcased his capability to search out holes and the energy to tackle hits. He additionally had three catches for 14 yards with a protracted of seven yards.

Second-round choose Chase Bisontis left the sport within the third quarter with a knee damage and didn’t return. He went down holding the again of his left knee and was rolling in agony as he was attended to by trainers.

Wide receiver Reggie Virgil, Arizona’s fifth-round choose, made a powerful one-handed catch for a 24-yard achieve. — Josh Weinfuss

Next sport: vs. Dallas Cowboys (Aug. 22, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network)

Raiders: The Raiders’ quarterback battle between Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza was on full show. Cousins performed solely the opening drive, which resulted in a landing. After he accomplished a 10-yard move to Jack Bech and a 16-yard move to Tre Tucker, he discovered tight finish Michael Mayer for a 13-yard landing, which capped off a 10-play, 68-yard drive to start the sport. Cousins accomplished 5 of 6 passes for 50 yards.

As for the No. 1 choose, Mendoza, he confirmed off his resilience, a trait admired by the teaching workers. His first drive wasn’t nice — he had two incompletions and the Raiders have been pressured to punt. His second was a distinct story. He accomplished a 19-yard move to rookie vast receiver Malik Benson, becoming the ball by way of a good window. Rookie working again Mike Washington Jr. then rushed for 53 yards earlier than Mendoza zipped the ball over the center to Bech for a 6-yard landing move on third down.

His third drive resulted in a three-and-out. But his fourth and ultimate drive of the night ended with him placing the Raiders into subject purpose vary. He completed the evening finishing 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards. Mendoza did wrestle towards stress. He was pressured on 38.9% of dropbacks, going 2-for-6 with 11 yards and a 42.4 passer ranking. He was sacked as soon as. — Ryan McFadden

Next sport: at Houston Texans (Aug. 20, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Steelers: Welcome to the NFL (type of), rookies! The Steelers’ rookie class had a strong exhibiting in its preseason debut behind quarterback Drew Allar, who led the group to a few touchdowns in his first look.

The third-rounder’s first got here on third-and-7 within the third quarter when he linked with fourth-round receiver Kaden Wetjen for a 74-yard catch-and-run. Two performs later, Allar saved the ball on a read-option and ran it into the top zone for a 3-yard rating. Allar and Wetjen linked once more halfway by way of the fourth quarter, this time ultimately zone on a 5-yard landing. Allar put a bow on the evening with a 3rd landing on a 4-yard move to rookie FB Riley Nowakowski.

Playing with the primary group, second-round vast receiver Germie Bernard additionally confirmed off his yards-after-catch capability with a 25-yard catch-and-run within the first half. Defensively, sixth-round defensive finish Gabriel Rubio stood out with six tackles. — Brooke Pryor

Next sport: vs. New York Jets (Aug. 21, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network)

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Drew Allar shines with 3 TDs in Steelers’ preseason debut

Packers: Rookie second-round choose Brandon Cisse appears to be like comfy as a beginning cornerback. New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is not afraid to blitz. And veteran free agent receiver Skyy Moore appears to be like like an improve as a punt returner (and he may also be capable of assistance on offense). But maybe extra importantly, after some shaky practices, rookie kicker Trey Smack got here by way of in a giant method on this sport. Officially, Smack made subject objectives of 37, 58 and 38 yards. He additionally nailed one other 58-yarder, however a Steelers penalty gave the Packers a primary down, so coach Matt LaFleur took the factors off the board. First-year QB Kyle McCord (12-for-14, 102 yards) had a robust exhibiting. — Rob Demovsky

Next sport: at Denver Broncos (Aug. 21, 9 p.m. ET, NFL Network)

Bengals: Of all of the newcomers who performed within the preseason opener, a few rookies had very vibrant moments. DE Cashius Howell, the group’s second-round choose, took benefit of a slick ball and recovered a fumble on a botched handoff. And WR Colbie Young, the group’s fourth-round choice, had a few good catches within the first half towards the Lions. Howell has had a robust camp and had one QB stress in his 9 snaps Thursday, per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Ben Baby

Next sport: vs. Chicago Bears (Aug. 22, 7 p.m. ET)

Lions: After the sudden retirement of veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater throughout coaching camp, all eyes turned to rookie Luke Altmyer, who bought the beginning in his preseason debut.

Altmyer, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois, went 13-for-21 for 130 yards with a landing and two interceptions in a strong efficiency.

The Lions additionally signed backup QB Joshua Dobbs to a one-year deal earlier this week, within the wake of Bridgewater’s retirement, because the backup returns for a second stint in Detroit. Dobbs entered the sport within the second quarter, splitting snaps with Altmyer within the first half, and ended with 32 passing yards. He accomplished 4 of 8 makes an attempt as the 2 compete for the QB2 spot behind Jared Goff.

Blake Miller, the seventeenth choose of the draft, additionally made his debut, beginning at proper deal with, the place he bought off to a robust begin this preseason. — Eric Woodyard

Next sport: vs. Washington Commanders (Aug. 22, midday ET)

Patriots: Seventh-round RB Jam Miller (Alabama) was the rookie headliner, which was well timed because the competitors for the group’s No. 3 working again took an sudden twist when the Patriots positioned main candidate Terrell Jennings on injured reserve earlier than the sport. The 5-foot-10, 209-pound Miller began and ran exhausting, totaling 55 yards on 14 carries (3.9 YPC), and now may need the within observe on the RB3 function. Elsewhere, first-round choose Caleb Lomu began at proper deal with and was referred to as for a borderline ineligible man downfield penalty that negated a giant play. — Mike Reiss

Next sport: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Aug. 22, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network)

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Patrick Taylor Jr. finds his method up the center for TD

Colts: Rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher (three tackles) made an apparent influence in his first professional motion, exhibiting he can deal with tasks whereas nonetheless bringing the physicality he has displayed all through camp. The fourth-round choose’s continued improvement is a good signal for a linebacking corps with many questions.

Fifth-round choose George Gumbs Jr. had two tackles and a sack as he continues his bid to carve out a task within the defensive finish rotation. Caden Curry, one other rookie move rusher, had a sack on a powerful inside transfer, a team-high 5 tackles, two tackles for loss and two move deflections as he makes a bid for a roster spot.

Finally, third-round choice A.J. Haulcy performed quick from his security place, exhibiting versatility in taking part in the single-high function and at sturdy security within the deal with field. — Stephen Holder

Next sport: vs. Atlanta Falcons (Aug. 22, 7 p.m. ET)

Chargers: Rookie left guard Jake Slaughter fared nicely, selecting up a stunt throughout his time at left guard and looking out comfy below stress. First-round edge rusher Akheem Mesidor did not flash a lot, taking part in solely eight snaps. Undrafted rookie Nadame Tucker led the skin linebacker group with two pressures, exhibiting the pass-rush capability that is flashed all through coaching camp. Wide receiver Brenen Thompson was principally quiet however completed with two catches for 30 yards.

Overall, it was a strong opening evening for the Chargers’ rookies, with Slaughter delivering essentially the most spectacular efficiency. — Kris Rhim

Next sport: vs. San Francisco 49ers (Aug. 20, 10 p.m. ET)

Texans: Rookie middle Keylan Rutledge performed just one drive, which speaks to the first-rounder’s standing as a starter. The drive ended with a landing throw from quarterback Davis Mills to wideout Jared Wayne. During the possession, Mills discovered rookie tight finish Marlin Klein on a seam route for a 31-yard reception. Klein additionally was restricted to at least one possession, revealing that Houston is happy with each of their performances all through camp. Defensive deal with Kayden McDonald shortly displayed what made him beneficial in faculty by producing a run stuff throughout his 21 performs of motion. Overall, a strong outing for the Texans’ 2026 rookie class. — DJ Bien-Aime

Next sport: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (Aug. 20, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Titans: First-round picks Carnell Tate and Keldric Faulk bought the beginning towards the 49ers. Tate was focused twice, and each fell incomplete. Faulk began as a result of veteran defensive lineman Jacob Martin (knee) was inactive. Faulk performed into the third quarter and bought a few pressures, certainly one of which got here through a spin transfer he had been engaged on with assistant line of defense coach Tanzel Smart earlier than apply. Fifth-round choose Fernando Carmona took a giant step towards securing the appropriate guard spot. Carmona began the sport after working with the primary group over the previous three practices.

Free agent cornerbacks Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott did not impress. Taylor gave up a 17-yard catch on third down, but it surely was referred to as again for holding. Flott bought overwhelmed by rookie De’Zhaun Stribling for a 34-yard achieve and was flagged for move interference on working again Patrick Taylor Jr., which arrange a 49ers landing. — Turron Davenport

Next sport: at Seattle Seahawks (Aug. 23, 8 p.m. ET)

49ers: Second-round receiver De’Zhaun Stribling has been one of many stars of 49ers coaching camp, and that translated to his first preseason sport. Stribling performed the primary three sequence, all towards beginning Titans defensive backs, and posted seven catches for 62 yards earlier than calling it an evening. That included a powerful over-the-shoulder seize for 32 yards and an 11-yard catch-and-run for a primary all the way down to arrange San Francisco’s first landing.

Rookie defensive deal with Gracen Halton additionally constructed on his sturdy camp, getting previous Titans guard Peter Skoronski for a sack (that was referred to as again for defensive holding elsewhere) and a run cease. Stribling and Halton have made sturdy circumstances for roles immediately and solely bolstered them Thursday evening. — Nick Wagoner

Next sport: at Los Angeles Chargers (Aug. 20, 10 p.m. ET)

Saturday’s video games

Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills (1 p.m. ET)
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants (1 p.m. ET)
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET)
Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs (4 p.m. ET)
Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints (4 p.m. ET)
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens (7 p.m. ET)
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks (8 p.m. ET)