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Posted Jul 31, 2025 7:30 am EDT
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More than five months from the conclusion of Super Bowl 59, NFL football makes its long-awaited return tonight. While it may only be in the form of the Hall of Fame Game, a live presentation of a football matchup is hard to beat — and only the beginning of a long odyssey.
Training camps provide glimpses into players’ performances and new coaching staffs, but preseason games, even if they don’t really count, are where competition intensifies and skills are put to the test. These five storylines are among the most fascinating as the August slate kicks off.
The NFL’s 2024 quarterback class was one of the overarching storylines of the season. With Jayden Daniels (90.6 PFF overall grade) propelling the Commanders to the NFC Championship game and Bo Nix (78.3 PFF overall grade) erasing the Broncos’ lengthy playoff drought, first-year men under center provided immediate dividends. Now, the rest of the group will look to make its mark.
The spotlight will likely be the brightest in Chicago, as Caleb Williams seeks to make a second-year leap following a disappointing inaugural campaign. As a rookie, the No. 1 overall pick generated only a 63.5 PFF passing grade with a 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate. With the Bears upgrading both their offensive line and receiving corps — and adding one of the NFL’s premier offensive play callers in Ben Johnson — expectations are through the roof for Williams. He may need to quiet doubters as early as the preseason.
Sticking within the NFC North, J.J. McCarthy’s play will define the Vikings’ season. McCarthy provided optimism based on his lone preseason game in 2024, posting an 84.0 PFF passing grade with one big-time throw and one turnover-worthy play on 19 dropbacks against the Raiders. Early reports suggest that last year’s 10th-overall selection has had a topsy-turvy first few practices, and the preseason will be critical to assess both his play and health following knee surgery.
Drake Maye (64.9 PFF passing grade) will also be under a microscope in New England, with the Patriots returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and upgrading both their receiving corps and offensive line. Further, Michael Penix Jr. (87.6 PFF passing grade on 114 dropbacks) will hope to prove that his late-season run as the Falcons’ starter wasn’t a fluke.
Player Team PFF Overall Grade J.J. McCarthy Vikings 81.6 Jayden Daniels Commanders 81.0 Bo Nix Broncos 80.4 Austin Reed Bears 74.0 Carter Bradley Raiders 73.9
The distribution of first-team reps during camp practices is one of the more concrete takeaways from a period when things can be cloudy. Preseason games themselves only help refine individual competitions, particularly based on snap counts and orders.
For multiple teams, an open battle remains under center — and three preseason games will play a massive role in shaking that out. The Browns have to decide between Joe Flacco (70.7 PFF passing grade), Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett, who is potentially on the outside looking in as he nurses a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the Colts will pick a starter between Anthony Richardson (62.2 PFF overall grade) and Daniel Jones (72.0 PFF overall grade). Coaches may have initial renderings for how they want to allocate snaps, but a player can easily force his hand by excelling.
Quarterback contests innately snatch most headlines, but other position groups around the league have multiple starting-caliber options with only a handful of roles. For instance, the Chiefs’ primary left tackle (Josh Simmons versus Jaylon Moore), the Broncos’ RB1 role (J.K. Dobbins versus RJ Harvey), the Eagles’ right guard spot (Matt Pryor versus Kenyon Green) and the Steelers’ second safety starter (Juan Thornhill versus Chuck Clark) will all have to be ironed out over the course of the preseason schedule. Whichever option performs better in actual games, as opposed to just practice, may gain an advantage.
The scores of preseason contests may not carry much gravity, but what can translate to Week 1 and beyond is under-the-radar players garnering playing time and starting reps. Seemingly every preseason, a handful of names flourish, which leads to unexpected players making rosters and even commanding snaps.
Perhaps one candidate could be 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson, who now finds himself in a deep defensive line room following the Cardinals’ additions of Calais Campbell, Walter Nolen and Dalvin Tomlinson. Robinson compiled only a 48.4 PFF overall grade on 184 snaps last year as he dealt with a calf injury but seemingly has wreaked havoc in Arizona’s preliminary practices.
Past preseasons indicate that good play is nearly impossible to ignore. For example, Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig was unblockable last preseason, registering a 92.6 PFF pass-rushing grade on 33 snaps. That production, coupled with injuries to teammates, led to his snap count nearly doubling in his sophomore year. Jordan Mason (86.3 PFF rushing grade) vaulted himself into the 49ers’ backup role due to a stellar preseason, eventually amassing 153 carries. Rams linebacker Omar Speights (90.6 PFF overall grade) also set a good foundation in August, paving the way for a starting role by the end of 2024.
If history is any indication, at least a few rookies or unheralded players will play a tier above everyone else. Watching this year’s contingent materialize will be fascinating.
Player Team PFF Overall Grade Ben VanSumeren Eagles 91.0 Jake Hummel Rams 90.7 Omar Speights Rams 90.6 Kristian Welch Packers 90.1 Justin Strnad Broncos 89.9
NFL teams fluctuate based on how much run time they grant their ordinary starters in the preseason. Some veterans hardly play more than a handful of snaps, while others progressively ramp up snap counts to prepare themselves for the rigorous regular season. In particular, the availability of those returning from major injuries is always worth watching.
Christian McCaffrey (90.3 PFF overall grade in 2023) suited up for only 167 snaps last season, enduring Achilles and knee injuries. Will the 49ers even let the two-time All-Pro see the field this preseason, considering he hasn’t played in the preseason since 2019? A healthy McCaffrey is dazzling in any setting, although aggravating an injury in August would be unwise.
Other players to keep an eye out for actually touching the field in the preseason include Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin (86.3 PFF overall grade on 397 snaps), Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby (74.3 PFF overall grade on 766 snaps), Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence (89.9 PFF overall grade on 551 snaps) and Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb (88.8 PFF overall grade in 2023; zero snaps in 2024).
The preseason offers fans a legitimate first look at players donning new uniforms. With an avalanche of trades and big signings occurring over the past few months, we could see players like Aaron Rodgers, D.K. Metcalf and Geno Smith debut with their new organizations. But what’s especially compelling is gleaning how some flexible pieces may align in new schemes.
The Steelers pulled off a late-summer stunner when they landed Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Dolphins in June. Ramsey (76.9 PFF overall grade) seems likely to mostly play in the slot, where 18% of his snaps occurred last year — and where he registered a 61.3 PFF coverage grade (65th percentile). But will Ramsey command any snaps at outside cornerback, safety or even along the defensive line? Meanwhile, how will offensive coordinator Arthur Smith weaponize Smith after a career season (83.4 PFF receiving grade), especially working in tandem with Pat Freiermuth?
Much of the same applies to Commanders receiver Deebo Samuel (72.1 PFF receiving grade), Falcons rookie defender Jalon Walker (249 snaps along the defensive line and in the box in 2024), Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (career-high 379 slot snaps with Miami in 2018) and Bears rookie receiver Luther Burden III (80.2 PFF receiving grade). Coordinators probably don’t want to show their hands this early, but how they implement newfangled assets could be revealing.
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