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NFL preseason's top 10 storylines as we roll into Week 2

frank schwab
Senior writer
·7 min read

Blame Sean McVay for devaluing the preseason.

The Los Angeles Rams head coach was the first to treat preseason games like a nuisance and sit his starters. Other teams followed suit. We'll see some teams use their starters in the preseason but the list seems to shrink every year.

There are still plenty of things to watch this preseason. You can watch live out-of-marketing preseason games on the NFL+ app, as well as live local and primetime games on mobile, and 24/7 NFL Network coverage including seven exclusive live games in the 2024 NFL season.

Here are the top 10 storylines as the preseason continues with its second week of games:

Andy Reid is one of the coaches who still takes the preseason seriously. We already saw Patrick Mahomes and some of his new teammates, which includes first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy and free-agent addition Marquise Brown. Worthy, who didn't have a catch last week, has record-breaking speed and should be a fun piece for the Chiefs, but it's hard for any rookie to get a full snap allotment in Reid's offense. We'll see how far along Worthy is from his first outing, or hopefully at least a highlight or two. More eyeballs will be on him as the Chiefs will have to cope without Brown, who suffered a dislocated clavicle that could sideline him "for some time," Reid said. Brown is a former first-round pick who brought speed and big-play ability to the offense.

 

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Williams should get 45-55 snaps this preseason. We got a short glimpse of it Saturday as the No. 1 overall draft pick led two first-quarter drives, his first action in the preseason.

It was fun for Bears fans who are likely eager to see more before the Week 1 opener against the Tennessee Titans. Up next for Chicago in the preseason: the Bengals, whom the Bears faced in joint practice sessions this week, which could mean Williams sits out this coming preseason game.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have maintained that Wilson will be their starting QB. Fields can at least make it interesting with a big preseason. Wilson didn't play well with the Broncos over the past two seasons and the Steelers have almost nothing invested in him. Fields is much younger and had his moments with the Bears. Maybe there's nothing Fields can do to win the starting job by Week 1, because Mike Tomlin seems set on his decision, but a good preseason could leave an impression for early in the season if Wilson struggles. In his first preseason outing, Fields went 5-of-6 for 67 passing yards, but didn't lead any scoring drives in three Steelers drives.

There are eight new head coaches in the NFL (we're counting Antonio Pierce, who was the Las Vegas Raiders' interim coach last season). Jim Harbaugh with the Los Angeles Chargers will get the most attention. But keep an eye on Macdonald and the Seahawks. Macdonald has a great reputation as a defensive mastermind, and the Seahawks have a lot of talent. Can Seattle pick up his defensive schemes quickly? Macdonald might not show too much in the preseason, but it will be interesting to see if Seattle is energized by its new coach.

The message from the Minnesota Vikings was clear: Sam Darnold will start the season at QB. It became clearer in wake of rookie J.J. McCarthy's knee injury to his meniscus, which means he's out for the season. It's unclear how long the injury will sideline McCarthy, but it's certainly a setback in his early development. Darnold has never been an effective NFL starter and the Vikings moved up to the 10th pick of the draft to select McCarthy. Can he show the first glimpses of leading a promising roster back to the playoffs?

One of the reasons for the Denver Broncos to draft Bo Nix 12th overall is he should be ready to start right away as a rookie. He started an NCAA-record 61 games between Auburn and Oregon. And it's not like the Broncos have anyone else to get excited about at quarterback. Still, Nix has to earn the job in preseason. The Broncos have Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson if Nix fails in the preseason and Sean Payton can't justify making him the Week 1 starter. Nix seems to be the likely choice but that will be determined in August. Stidham got the first preseason start. Nix gets the nod to lead Denver on Sunday evening against Green Bay in the Broncos' second exhibition game. In backup duty in the first preseason game, Nix completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.

Entering preseason, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn hasn't said much about the preseason plan for Jayden Daniels, or even if he'll begin the season as the starter. Let's assume the No. 2 overall pick will be Washington's Week 1 starter. We saw him impress Quinn in an outing against the Jets. Last season's Heisman Trophy winner was electrifying at LSU and could transform the Commanders franchise. It'll be fun to see how his game translates in the NFL. We got a glimpse of it already. Perhaps there will be more when the Commanders face the Dolphins on Saturday.

If the Las Vegas Raiders know who will start at quarterback in the regular-season opener, they've hid it well. Aidan O'Connell got the first chance to start in the preseason and completed 7-of-9 passes for 78 yards on his lone drive, though he took a third-down sack near the goal line. Gardner Minshew II took over and played well, with 117 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders scored touchdowns on his first two series. The Raiders' stated goal is to pick a quarterback after the second preseason game. It seems too close to call after the preseason opener.

It seems like Maye, the third overall draft pick, will begin the New England Patriots' season behind veteran Jacoby Brissett. It makes sense for Maye to sit a while. The Patriots aren't in any shape to win right away and they don't want to set Maye back as he plays with a bad supporting cast. But a good preseason could influence the decision on when Maye gets his shot, and perhaps even if he can win the starting job for Week 1. Maye has the talent to do it; there's a reason the Patriots passed on trade offers for that third overall pick. Maye saw limited action last week, playing in only one series against the Panthers.

If everything goes right for the Atlanta Falcons, we'll see Penix this month and rarely after that, at least until next August. The Falcons made one of the more debated picks in NFL Draft history, picking Penix No. 8 overall a little more than a month after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal. Cousins indicated he has been told he won't play this preseason, as he comes off an Achilles injury. That presumably means plenty of Penix. We saw the rookie go 9-of-16 for 104 passing yards; the longest completion was a pretty 41-yard toss. Take a long look because you might not see Penix play very often this regular season, or next one either.