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The 2025 NFL preseason kicked off with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. It was a mostly one-sided affair between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance among the most notable players to headline the contest. Now comes the fun part: the first full slate of exhibition action, which begins Thursday.
Plenty of contenders, like the reigning Super Bowl foes in the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, are expected to rest most, if not all, of their best talent in advance of the regular season. Still plenty of others are set to intensify summer roster battles, and/or try to foster team chemistry in the lead-up to September.
So which NFL teams need this preseason the most? Which clubs could especially stand to get key players and position competitions into live game settings? Here are eight teams that fit the bill, including at least one Super Bowl hopeful, as well as key questions that each team hopes to have answered in the coming weeks of play:
Key questions:
- Will Michael Penix Jr. build enough momentum to gain legitimate internal and external trust as the Falcons’ new full-time starting quarterback?
- How will Kirk Cousins’ ongoing presence as Penix’s backup play out in preseason action, and how might his performance change what’s left of his trade market?
- Does Raheem Morris’ defense, which now features a pair of rookie edge rushers in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., have enough talent to make a sizable leap?
Key questions:
Key questions:
Key questions:
- Can Anthony Richardson stay upright and showcase improved accuracy as a passer for coach Shane Steichen, reclaiming his job as the top quarterback?
- Alternatively, can Daniel Jones earn a new lease on a first-team gig by outdoing Richardson as a more efficient operator of the preseason offense?
- How will new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo sort out a secondary currently battling injuries to Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents?
Key questions:
- Can Trevor Lawrence, who’s out to rebound from a turnover-marred start to his career, steady himself in his first live action under new coach Liam Coen?
- How much chemistry, if any, can Lawrence build with new wide receiver Travis Hunter during exhibition action and/or carry into the real schedule?
- Will Tank Bigsby continue to push Travis Etienne Jr., who’s entering a contract year, for the right to serve as Coen’s top multipurpose ball carrier?
Key questions:
- Is J.J. McCarthy, the new starting quarterback, capable of moving the chains against a live pass rush after an offseason program dominated by the Vikings defense?
- Can coach Kevin O’Connell find reason to trust his backup situation under center, with both Sam Howell and Brett Rypien producing mixed results this summer?
- Which of the club’s new cornerbacks, including Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers, will emerge as a clear Day 1 starter for defensive coordinator Brian Flores?
Key questions:
- Which young quarterback will new coach Kellen Moore actually gravitate toward in the rotation: rookie Tyler Shough or holdovers Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener?
- How will new left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. hold up in all areas of protection, serving as the expected cornerstone of New Orleans’ present and future front?
- Can new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley settle the back end of the Saints’ secondary with new veteran safeties Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon?
Key questions:
- Will Aaron Rodgers actually want, or be granted, legitimate preseason playing time? Because the clock is ticking on the 41-year-old adapting to another new program.
- Can a downfield threat emerge opposite DK Metcalf out wide, ensuring Rodgers has someone other than young Roman Wilson to target on deep shots?
- How will Mike Tomlin’s new-look secondary shake out with Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay added to a defensive back group now missing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick?