The NFL’s preseason opener slate kicks off Thursday, and while these games rarely mean much on the scoreboard, this week is loaded with quarterback storylines that actually matter. In Cleveland, Deshaun Watson will get the start against Chicago on Saturday, with Shedeur Sanders lined up to start the second preseason game as Todd Monken continues sorting out the Browns’ quarterback competition in real time. Pittsburgh’s situation is flipped — Aaron Rodgers is expected to sit out the matchup against his former team in Green Bay, seeing little reason to play, which shifts the spotlight onto the Steelers’ backup reps Thursday night. Green Bay, meanwhile, is taking the opposite approach with Jordan Love expected to see the field despite a thumb injury that cost him time in last year’s preseason opener. And in one of the more consequential decisions of the week outside the preseason games themselves, Minnesota has officially named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy heading into the regular season.
Beyond the quarterback drama, there’s plenty of roster movement worth tracking as teams round into shape. Las Vegas made an offensive-line swap, signing Braeden Daniels while waiving/injuring guard Justin Pickett just ahead of preseason action, and Atlanta released its first unofficial depth chart of the summer ahead of its opener against Denver, giving fans their first real look at how the Falcons plan to structure their roster. Baltimore, on the other hand, is dealing with an injury to cornerback Nate Wiggins that could shake up secondary plans as games begin. All of it sets the stage for a jam-packed opening weekend, with Week 1 of the preseason running August 13–16 across all 32 teams — headlined by Packers-Steelers, Lions-Bengals, Colts-Patriots, and Cardinals-Raiders on Thursday, followed by the rest of the league jumping in Friday and Saturday.
