NFL Preseason Week 1: Key Takeaways on Top Players and Schedule

The 2024 NFL preseason is now underway, with the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Detroit Lions set to kick off on Thursday. The rest of the league continues with games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (full schedule below).

The first week of preseason action provides a first look at each team’s new players, both rookies and offseason additions. To keep you up to date on how each player performed in their first game, our NFL Nation reporters are rounding up the best debuts below.

Thursday games

Patriots:2024 third overall pick Drake Maye entered the game on the second series, following veteran starter Jacoby Brissett. He played seven snaps in total, which were broken down as follows: three rushes, three passes, one false start penalty. Two of the passes were screens — the first a 13-yarder to RB Antonio Gibson on a third-and-12. Maye finished 2 of 3 for 19 yards. Head coach Jerod Mayo said after the game that Maye’s limited playing time was because he wanted him to play behind the top offensive line.

Some fans in attendance booed when Maye wasn’t sent down for a third series, with Bailey Zappe taking over until late in the third quarter when rookie Joe Milton III capped off the four-QB rotation. Milton brought some excitement to the lackluster game with a 12-yard run that covered a lot of ground as he initially dropped back, and later with a 13-yard run and a 38-yard TD pass to WR JaQuae Jackson. Undrafted punt returner David Wallis of Division III Randolph-Macon was also one of the big winners of the night with a 23-yard effort to set up the first TD. –Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. Eagles (7 p.m. ET, Thursday)

Panthers: Thirty-three players were inactive, including the entire starting defense — with the exception of cornerback Dane Jackson. General manager Dan Morgan fought to sign Jackson from Buffalo in 2020 and brought him to Carolina on a two-year deal that could pay him as much as $14.5 million. The idea was that Jackson could start opposite the injury-plagued Jaycee Horn. The fact that he played could be an indication that he’s still in “prove himself” mode. It could also mean Morgan is still in the market for veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Jackson had three tackles against the Patriots, but the fact that he was on the field could be telling.

It was also clear that undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Plummer wasn’t a threat to beat out veteran Andy Dalton (hamstring) for the backup job. To be fair, he played behind a second-team line that didn’t perform well in the preseason. He also had back-to-back passes dropped by receivers Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr., which is concerning since both have looked good in camp. Mingo is listed as the starter ahead of first-round pick Xavier Legette (foot). — David Newton

Next game: vs. Jets (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)

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Eric Gray scores on a 48-yard rushing TD

Eric Gray runs for a 48-yard touchdown to give the Giants a 7-3 lead.

Giants:The Giants have had all of their rookies play in NFL games, including first-round pick Malik Nabers. The young receiver, who has dominated throughout training camp and general practices, played 12 snaps Thursday night against the Lions, mostly with the second-team offense. He ran eight routes and wasn’t targeted by backup quarterback Drew Lock, though he was open on several occasions.

Quarterback Daniel Jones and the starting offensive line sat out the game. It was a largely uneventful night for Nabers at MetLife Stadium, aside from being the last player introduced to the home fans during pregame warmups. While Nabers, the sixth overall pick earlier this year, escaped physically unscathed, the same couldn’t be said for Lock. He left the game late in the first quarter with a hip injury and did not return. It didn’t appear to be serious as he remained sidelined, but it’s something that bears watching closely given that the Giants only have three quarterbacks (Jones, Lock and Tommy DeVito) on their roster. The Giants seemed confident afterward that Lock would be fine, even if he was “sore,” according to coach Brian Daboll. –Jordan Raanan

Next game:to the Texans (1 p.m. ET, Saturday, August 17)

Lions:After an intense week of joint practices against the New York Giants, which included plenty of scuffles, most of the Lions’ starters did not play in the preseason opener. Rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. looked good in their debuts despite limited action. Arnold, the 24th overall pick, was done for the day after three series while Rakestraw, a second-round pick, recorded two tackles while making solid defensive plays.

Sophomore Hendon Hooker played in his first game since college after recovering from a torn ACL. Entering the game after halftime, Hooker eventually found his groove, going 5 of 9 for 36 yards passing and a team-best 34 yards rushing — including a 16-yard gain where he dropped his shoulder for a first down late in the third quarter. Hooker’s night ended early when he went to the locker room and didn’t return early in the fourth quarter due to a concussion. — Eric Woodyard

Next game:at the Chiefs (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, August 17)

Preseason Week 1 Schedule

Friday Games

Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m. ET

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens, 7:30 p.m. ET

Saturday Games

Washington Commanders vs. New York Jets, 12 p.m. ET

Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings, 4 p.m. ET

Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m. ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m. ET

San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans, 7 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 7 p.m. ET

Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 7:05 p.m. ET

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET

Sunday games

Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4:30 p.m. ET