If we're being technical, the preseason is already underway with the Hall of Fame Game under our belts, but the full exhibition season is still on the horizon. Most of the action starts to unfold on Saturday, Aug. 10 with nine preseason games on the docket, but it'll be the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots along with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants who get Week 1 rolling on Thursday.
As we are about to embark toward the preseason, it's important to know what we're getting into. Sometimes, teams don't put much stock in these exhibitions, which means that the superstars that we'll soon watch on Sundays in the regular season will be missing in action for the most part. However, that doesn't mean there aren't storylines to follow. Those mostly surround position battles and rookies adjusting to the league, which can prove to have a serious impact on the year.
In that spirit, we'll touch on the top 10 biggest storylines to follow as we go through the preseason.
10. Jim Harbaugh's NFL return
Arguably the biggest splash this past hiring cycle was the return of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. After winning the national championship at Michigan, Harbaugh hightailed it out of Ann Arbor and headed west for the head-coaching job of the Los Angeles Chargers. While Harbaugh won't empty his bag of plays throughout the preseason, having him cemented back on an NFL sideline and setting the foundation to help turn the Chargers around is a noteworthy storyline to watch develop this summer.
9. Broncos QB battle
In the team's first unofficial depth chart, the Denver Broncos have listed veteran Jarrett Stidham as the starting quarterback. Meanwhile, Zach Wilson is the backup with first-round rookie Bo Nix sitting at third string. Of course, these are unofficial and it could stand to reason that the team is simply opting for seniority out of the gate. In any event, it will be interesting to see how Sean Payton divvies out the playing time for all three of these quarterbacks and whether or not Nix, the No. 12 overall pick, has what it takes to unseat these veterans to start in Week 1.
8. Sam Darnold vs. J.J. McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings have Sam Darnold listed as the team's starting quarterback on their initial unofficial depth chart. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is listed as one of the primary backups alongside veteran Nick Mullens. While it's only a matter of time before McCarthy does ascend as the Vikings starter, Darnold could fend him off longer than many may assume. According to reports out of Minnesota's training camp, Darnold has taken nearly all of the first-team reps this summer. With that in mind, McCarthy would likely need to light it up this preseason to apply enough pressure to make Darnold's seat heat up.
7. Drake Maye's development
For those who have seen Patriots training camp up close (like me), this is Jacoby Brissett's job. Throughout the first couple of weeks of camp, the veteran seems to have a stiff grip on the Week 1 job, so New England won't get to see its No. 3 overall pick at least early in the regular season. Maye has endured an up-and-down camp but has flashed his potential at times. How that looks in a game with opposing defenders flying around him will be a key indicator to judge if/when we may see him in the regular season.
6. Caleb Williams era begins in Chicago
The Chicago Bears named Caleb Williams their starting quarterback back in May, leaving zero room for any controversy this summer. The No. 1 overall pick didn't play in the Hall of Fame Game, but we should see him at some point this preseason. While the stakes of earning a starting job may not be on the line, when Williams does suit up and lines up under center for Chicago will be a significant event, which we'll get a full view of thanks to HBO's "Hard Knocks" series. It'll kick off what the franchise hopes to be its long-awaited top-flight quarterback. How he performs this preseason will also be an indicator of just how high the Bears' ceiling for 2024 could be.
5. How rookie WRs are progressing
Seven wide receivers were taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and three of them came off the board inside the top 10. How much they play and how they perform not only will be a key storyline for their respective teams, but -- for you at home -- also someone to keep an eye on during your Fantasy Football drafts in the coming weeks. Arizona's No. 4 overall pick, Marvin Harrison Jr., has already stated that he wants to play this preseason. His chemistry with Kyler Murray this summer could be an indicator of how they'll start come Week 1. The same can be said for Malik Nabers and Daniel Jones in New York, Xavier Worthy and Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs, and the rest of the lot.
Of course, as we learned from Ja'Marr Chase and his drop-filled summer in 2021, you may have to take these performances with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, these wideouts deserve your attention.
4. Can Jayden Daniels push to start Week 1?
Outside of Caleb Williams in Chicago, the rookie quarterback that arguably has the most likely chance to start Week 1 is Jayden Daniels. The No. 2 overall pick is going to start in Washington's preseason opener against the Jets and coach Dan Quinn told reporters that he's the starter on the unofficial depth chart.
"I had high expectations for him coming in, but I would say he's definitely surpassed even my expectations of the readiness, the command," Quinn said, via NFL.com. "I knew he was gonna be cool, knowing the system. He's just got that way about him. You do see the other players gravitate toward him. They recognize how hard he's worked at it."
Daniels is currently battling with veteran Marcus Mariota for the Week 1 job but, judging by Quinn's recent comments, a strong showing in the preseason opener could very well shut this camp competition down.
3. Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson
One of the non-rookie QB storylines that we're following this summer is the battle between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh. The Steelers signed Wilson after he was released by the Denver Broncos. At the time, it looked like he was earmarked to be the starter, but a trade with the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields in the spring set the stage for a training camp showdown. So far, Fields has had the upper hand due to Wilson dealing with a calf strain. That has allowed fields to take a chunk of reps with the first-team offense but, as Wilson has worked his way back, he has seen time with the top unit. This competition could very well come down to how they perform in these upcoming preseason exhibitions.
2. How do teams handle the new kickoff rules?
For those who didn't watch the Hall of Fame Game, they'll be introduced to the NFL's new kickoff rules when they tune in for Week 1 of the preseason. For those who need a refresher, our John Breech has a detailed look here. As a brief summation, 21 of the 22 players on the field will now be lined up in the receiving team's territory and cannot engage until the returner fields the kickoff. Most of the receiving team will be lined up at the 35-yard line, while the coverage team will be at the 40-yard line. Whether it is different wrinkles that teams try to exploit or even if it's an unmitigated disaster, how this drastic change is handled will be interesting.
1. Does Michael Penix Jr. make things awkward for Kirk Cousins?
Maybe the most shocking move of the entire offseason came when the Atlanta Falcons used the No. 8 overall pick to draft Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., particularly after just signing Kirk Cousins in free agency. The move was even a surprise to Cousins and does create somewhat of a ceiling for how long his tenure in Atlanta will last. After all, the franchise will want to see Penix at some point, especially if he lights it up this preseason. If that proves to be the case, it could further make this situation awkward in Atlanta. We should point out that Cousins' Week 1 job is not in jeopardy this summer, but the stage is set for fans to clamor for Penix if he puts together a strong preseason and the Falcons -- under Cousins -- stumble at any point this year.
