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The hype for the 2024 NFL season is growing after the league unveiled the full preseason schedule for all 32 teams on Wednesday.
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will host the preseason opener on Aug. 1 between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. This is a game that Bears fans will be keeping a very close eye on because it could be their first chance to see rookies Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze on the field together.
Here is the full list of nationally-televised preseason games:
Aug. 1: Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans (ESPN/ABC)
Aug. 18: New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers (Fox)
Aug. 22: Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Prime Video)
Aug. 25: New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders (NBC)
Aug. 25: Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos (CBS)
Coming off a memorable draft that saw six quarterbacks come off the board in the first 12 picks, there will likely be a lot more intrigue around the preseason to see how all of those young signal-callers look in their first taste against NFL defenses.
No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels will play his first game as a member of the Washington Commanders against the New York Jets.
The New England Patriots will send No. 3 pick Drake Maye to the field for the first time against 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. J.J. McCarthy (10th pick) will debut for the Minnesota Vikings against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton will get the first on-field look at his own Patrick Mahomes on Aug. 11 when Bo Nix makes his first appearance against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Of all the first-round quarterbacks, it wouldn't be a surprise if Michael Penix gets the most playing time in preseason. The Atlanta Falcons rookie doesn't figure to get many reps in the regular season with Kirk Cousins set to start, so he will need a lot of time on the field during the exhibition season.
Other notable debuts to look forward to in the preseason include Jim Harbaugh's return to the NFL as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, Marvin Harrison Jr. establishing a connection with Kyler Murray on the Arizona Cardinals and Malik Nabers adding some juice to the New York Giants' skill position group.
Harbaugh's first pick with the Chargers was Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt. He got ahead of the questions about the team's receiving corps with a quote that only Harbaugh would think to give.
Kris Rhim @krisrhim1"I know the question is gonna come up about weapons… we look at offensive lineman as weapons" - Jim Harbaugh <a href="https://t.co/SH9NoeGn2j">pic.twitter.com/SH9NoeGn2j</a>
The Chargers did eventually add receivers in the draft, starting with Georgia's Ladd McConkey in the second round.
Arizona and New York didn't want to wait to find their wideouts. Harrison and Nabers have the potential to be the No. 1 receiver for their teams right away. Frankly, it would be a little disappointing if they weren't the top options on their clubs in 2024.
Jeremy @PopesFFHThe 1st round is behind us and here are how the Wide Receivers stack up in career Yards Per Route Run (YPRR): <br><br>Marvin Harrison Jr.— 2.98<br>Malik Nabers— 2.83<br>Rome Odunze— 2.5<br>Xavier Worthy— 2.21<br>Ricky Pearsall— 1.99<br>Brian Thomas— 1.95<br>Xavier Legette— 1.75<br><br>Which WR are you… <a href="https://t.co/76tFrhtXLt">pic.twitter.com/76tFrhtXLt</a>
Other teams to keep an eye on in the preseason are the Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are unlikely to play Jordan Love a lot in the preseason, but after making the NFC Divisional Round with the youngest roster by snap-adjusted age last season, it will be fascinating to see how all of those players look with more experience.
The Steelers' 2024 draft class earned rave reviews and has them set up well for the short- and long-term future. Their ultimate success this year will depend on what type of production they get from the quarterback position.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has said Russell Wilson will enter training camp as the starter, but they added a high-level insurance plan by acquiring Justin Fields from the Bears. It wouldn't be a surprise to see this turn into a competition throughout the preseason.
The Panthers are in a spot where you almost feel bad for everyone in the organization working for this owner. The most significant attention they got during the draft was when David Tepper walked into a Charlotte restaurant because he didn't like the sign out front that read, "Please let the coach and GM pick this year."
WBTV News @WBTV_News'LET THE COACH AND GM PICK' 🏈: Surveillance footage captured the moment <a href="https://twitter.com/Panthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Panthers</a> owner David Tepper walked into a Charlotte restaurant after a sign was put up prior to the NFL Draft.<br><br>Full story: <a href="https://t.co/tYPhlekttU">https://t.co/tYPhlekttU</a> <a href="https://t.co/tc0eihPAkT">pic.twitter.com/tc0eihPAkT</a>
Carolina's front office did the best it could to improve the roster given the limited draft resources stemming from last year's trade with the Bears. Diontae Johnson was acquired in a trade with the Steelers and Xavier Legette was drafted with the final pick of the first round to add some speed at wide receiver.
Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis and Yosh Nijman were signed in free agency to upgrade the offensive line and protect Young.
If Young looks more comfortable behind that revamped O-line and better pass-catchers on the outside in the preseason, it will go a long way toward shifting the vibes in Carolina under first-year head coach Dave Canales.
There are endless storylines for all 32 teams that are going to be tracked all summer as the wait for preseason matchups begins now that we know when games will begin.
