The NFL’s preseason starts Thursday night with the Hall of Fame Game, and 30 teams won’t have their first preseason game until next week.
And already, some clubs are probably wishing training camp and the preseason was over.
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August is necessary for NFL teams but also can be costly. Some franchises have already taken on season-changing injuries. The 49ers have lost receiver Ricky Pearsall for the season with a recurring knee problem. The Panthers saw young pass rusher Nic Scourton suffer a torn ACL and rookie receiver Chris Brazzell II also suffer a season-ending knee injury. The Falcons lost last year’s first-round draft pick, edge rusher Jalon Walker, to a torn ACL. Their NFC South rival, the Saints, lost a key defensive piece when tackle Bryan Bresee tore his ACL. There have been many other injuries, significant and minor. And there’s still more than a month to go before the season starts.
Ricky Pearsall is one of many key players who have already suffered an injury in training camp. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Thearon W. Henderson via Getty Images)
There’s not much teams can do to avoid it. Practices will continue so teams can get ready for the season, and preseason games will be a big part of preparation too. Everyone will hold their breath hoping their team isn’t affected next. But nothing will stop the injuries from coming before the season even starts.
Here are the pre-preseason power rankings. You can read an in-depth preview for each team by clicking on the team name below:
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Linebacker Jordyn Brooks signed a three-year, $51.3 million extension, a sign of respect from a new regime. It says something about the 2026 Dolphins that Brooks, who is 28 years old and plays a lower value position, is probably Miami’s second-best player behind De’Von Achane.
The Jets might be better than expected, especially on offense if Geno Smith bounces back. There are questions about whether Frank Reich is the right fit at coordinator, but there’s talent. Perhaps the Jets can be more exciting than anticipated.
We can already see that Marvin Harrison Jr. will have a lot of pressure on him. Every drop and highlight in camp is being dissected already. It’ll be a long season in Arizona, and all eyes will be on whether Harrison establishes himself as a true WR1.
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The quarterback battle in camp hasn’t seen many highlights. Dillon Gabriel seems to be creeping back in the race with Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. The Browns have a lot to like, but their quarterback play won’t be pretty.
There have been some fun camp highlights from rookie receiver Carnell Tate. Cam Ward needs the help at receiver, but perhaps more important, he needs the offensive line to come together before the start of the season.
Fernando Mendoza has had ups and downs in camp, which should be expected. There’s still the question over when he’ll take the starting job, which is why he’s one of the top players to watch in the NFL this preseason.
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Early in camp, undrafted rookie Jack Strand from Minnesota State Moorhead was taking first-team reps at quarterback with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa out with injuries. Someone will get healthy before Week 1, but it’s a fragile QB room. Then the defense took a hit when 2025 first-round draft pick Jalon Walker tore his ACL. Not a good start.
Malik Nabers isn’t in the clear from his ACL recovery, but being back on the field for Week 1 seems to be a realistic goal. If the Giants can get Nabers back anytime in September, and he looks like his normal self, it would be a huge boost.
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The Saints had a solid defense last season without many headlining stars, and that approach will be challenged further after losing defensive tackle Bryan Bresee to a torn ACL. That’s a big injury for a team that has hopes of building off last season’s second-half success.
The Panthers have been hit hard already. Edge rusher Nic Scourton and rookie receiver Chris Brazzell II suffered season-ending injuries, and offensive tackle Taylor Moton has a blood clot in his lung that could keep him out at the beginning of the season. The Panthers can’t afford to take on many more losses.
Baker Mayfield isn’t happy that the Buccaneers didn’t offer him a better deal, which is fine for a player who uses perceived slights to fuel him. Realistically, the Bucs aren’t wrong to be wary of Mayfield’s extreme ups and downs, which includes an awful second half to last season.
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The big news in Colts camp is that quarterback Daniel Jones looks great coming back from a torn Achilles. There should be skepticism until we see how he moves in game action, but all signs are positive so far.
There has been a focus on Mike McCarthy’s training camp not being as taxing as Mike Tomlin’s camps. Maybe that helps the Steelers stay fresher later in the season. Regardless, after 19 seasons under Tomlin, every change with McCarthy will draw attention.
J.J. McCarthy seems to be making it a true quarterback competition in training camp, when it seemed like Kyler Murray had a big edge. Perhaps some positive reviews of McCarthy is also a reflection on Murray.
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The Commanders had a question about their No. 2 receiver, since any Brandon Aiyuk plan went sideways with Aiyuk’s behavior this offseason. They believe Stefon Diggs can be the answer. Diggs, who agreed to a deal with Washington on Wednesday, is declining but still put up a 1,000-yard season with the Patriots. He was better than the in-house options.
The Bengals are making a push to have Joe Burrow under center more, and reports from camp say it’s not going well. Presumably Cincinnati will work it out this month. This is worth monitoring.
Travis Hunter has clearly put on muscle and the Jaguars seem to have a more streamlined plan for him on offense. Hunter is a unique talent and again will be one of the players to watch this season.
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It’s always uneasy to rely on a rookie kicker, and Packers sixth-round draft pick Trey Smack has had his issues early in camp. They’ll need to see some better results because the Packers don’t want to go into the season with that issue looming.
Ladd McConkey’s production went from 1,149 yards as a rookie to 789 last season. Offensive line issues played a role in that drop in output. How McConkey bounces back could be the key to the Chargers’ season.
Start the electrical substation jokes. The 49ers have had numerous injuries already, including a big one to receiver Ricky Pearsall, who is already on season-ending IR. That puts more pressure on second-round rookie De’Zhaun Stribling.
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Rookie fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen was the talk of camp, then he got hurt and will miss valuable practice time. The Chiefs again have questions at receiver, though the positive news is Patrick Mahomes looks good coming off a torn ACL.
The Bears have endless breakout candidates on offense, but their defense is a question. Safety Coby Bryant’s knee injury, which is expected to keep him out at least through September, makes that unit even thinner.
Jadeveon Clowney is back with the Texans, and that’s a fun feel-good story. Since he left the Texans in 2018 he has been with six teams over the past seven seasons. He provides depth on the edge for the Texans, whose defense already looked great.
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Jalen Carter’s four-year, $152 million deal is partially for what he’s done, but also a projection to the future. At his best, Carter is a game-wrecking defensive tackle. Now, the Eagles need to see that form consistently.
Jerry Jones has made big proclamations before and not followed through, but his statement that he wants to make a big trade seems genuine. At the very least, the Cowboys are talking a lot about the Super Bowl for a team that was under .500 last season.
Zay Flowers got a four-year, $140 million deal, which puts him in the upper echelon of NFL receivers. Flowers has been good through three seasons but the Ravens now need him to play at the level of a top five receiver, which is how he’s being paid.
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Jahmyr Gibbs is holding in as he seeks a contract extension. Bijan Robinson ending his hold-in to sign a deal with Atlanta has to be good news for Detroit. The market has been set and Detroit can follow it. It’s not the worst thing for Gibbs to miss a little time; he’ll get plenty of work this season.
Drake Maye will have a hard time maintaining his level from last season simply because he was so good. It’s hard to improve again after nearly winning MVP. But A.J. Brown might help him get there, assuming his knee is healthy.
Bo Nix is fine after ankle surgery that ended his season and kept him from starting the AFC championship game. With Jaylen Waddle aboard, Nix could have a very strong third season.
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So far, it seems DJ Moore is having a good first camp with the Bills. If Moore can play like he did at his peak with the Bears, that would be a massive boon for a good Bills team that has been operating without a true No. 1 receiver for Josh Allen.
Rashid Shaheed had only 15 catches for 188 yards in nine games after a midseason trade to Seattle. It’s hard to change teams during a season. The Seahawks seem to be making a goal of getting Shaheed the ball more this season, and that could be a big help to the offense.
Will Aaron Donald return? We might not know for a while. It’s also fair to keep expectations realistic considering he’s 35 and hasn’t played in two seasons. But it’s hard to imagine the greatest defensive tackle ever wouldn’t have some impact.
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