NFL preseason schedule and live updates (2024)

Check out scores and coverage from the weekend's preseason games as well as what's on tap for Sunday.

Thursday's games

Patriots 17, Panthers 3 — FINAL

• With Panthers starters sitting, some players help themselves, others don’t
• Patriots stock report

Giants 14, Lions 3 — FINAL

• Takeaways from Brian Daboll’s 2024 debut as play caller
• Lions stock report

Friday's games

Dolphins 20, Falcons 13 — FINAL

Texans 20, Steelers 12 — FINAL

Eagles 16, Ravens 13 — FINAL

Saturday's games

Jets 20, Commanders 17 — FINAL

Bears 33, Bills 6 — FINAL

Vikings 24, Raiders 23 — FINAL

Packers 23, Browns 10 — FINAL

Jaguars 26, Chiefs 13 — FINAL

Titans 17, 49ers 13 — FINAL

Buccaneers 17, Bengals 14 — FINAL

Seahawks 16, Chargers 3 — FINAL

Saints 16, Cardinals, 14 — FINAL

Sunday's games

Broncos at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (NFL Network)

Cowboys at Rams, 4:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)

FULL PRESEASON WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

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He had the defensive play of the game for San Francisco late in the second quarter when he stonewalled Titans running back Hassan Haskins at the 2-yard line on fourth down.

The 49ers drafted Mustapha in the fourth round this year because they liked his combination of smarts and aggression, especially near the line of scrimmage. That’s what happened when the Titans tried to punch the ball in from two yards out. Mustapha, who was lined up six yards deep in the end zone, read the play, drove forward and hit the 228-pound Haskins so hard, he was knocked backward two yards.

Mustapha essentially has been the team’s third safety in training camp behind Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum. Another safety, Talanoa Hufanga, might get worked into practices next week following his recovery from a Nov. 19 ACL tear. The 49ers also recently signed veteran Tracy Walker III, making safety one of the deeper units on the team.

Read more for other 49ers standouts here.

Fourth-round rookie safety Jaden Hicks has been one of the most consistent players among the seven-member rookie class throughout training camp. He has done well with first-team repetitions in camp, and he was rewarded Saturday by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Hicks was the lone rookie defensive starter.

Before halftime, Hicks produced several memorable moments. He led the Chiefs in the first half with three solo tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage in a one-on-one matchup on the perimeter. C.J. Beathard completed a short pass to running back Tank Bigsby on third-and-10, and Hicks flashed his speed to tackle Bigsby for a 1-yard loss, forcing the Jaguars to kick a field goal.

“I thought Hicks stepped up and did a nice job in there,” Reid said. “I liked what I saw. He’s big and he’s fast, and he did a good job on special teams.”

Later in the second quarter, Hicks made a perfectly timed diving tackle on receiver Austin Trammell while on punt coverage. Trammell didn’t gain a yard after punter Matt Araiza’s 42-yard boot.

Hicks’ lone mistake was on a blitz in the final minute of the second quarter. He generated pressure on Beathard, but he committed a roughing-the-passer penalty by hitting the quarterback’s helmet with his left forearm. The play resulted in a 35-yard touchdown for the Jaguars, who accepted the penalty to move the ball to the 1-yard line for their two-point attempt, which was successful.

Read more from Chiefs preseason here.

If rookie Dominick Puni earns the starting nod at right guard (there seems to be a good chance that he will, based on how these first three weeks of training camp have gone), the 49ers started three of their first-string offensive linemen on Saturday. That was Puni, left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Colton McKivitz.

Nick Zakelj replaced first-string center Jake Brendel, who’s managing his workload this preseason as he deals with knee tendinitis. And with Jaylon Moore not dressing, veteran Chris Hubbard started at the usual place of star left tackle Trent Williams.

Williams’ absence has been overshadowed by the ongoing contractual saga of receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but it’s obviously worth paying attention to. The 49ers remain confident they’ll reach a new contract agreement that ends Williams’ holdout.

“I feel good about that,” Shanahan said. “I feel optimistic about it, but nothing’s changed there.”

Nothing has changed — except for the growing cost to Williams. He’d already been fined $650,000 for missing the first 13 days of training camp (that’s $50,000 per day in fines that the 49ers cannot forgive, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement). He incurred an additional $1.11 million fine for missing this first preseason game (the CBA dictates a mandatory fine of one game check for a missed preseason game).

Yes, the 49ers and Williams can make up for this lost money in the new contract they’re working on. But the team would still like Williams back in the building sooner rather than later. He’s one of the best players in football.

That said, the 49ers’ first-team line held up well in its brief appearance against the Titans, who were playing most of their starters to begin Saturday’s game. Banks broke down in protection on the game’s first snap, but the unit held sturdy on the rest of the opening touchdown drive — including a third-and-9 straight-drop situation that saw quarterback Brandon Allen connect to move the chains with receiver Ronnie Bell.

The front’s work was also solid in the run game, as running back Jordan Mason — who grew up about 30 minutes north of Nashville and had about 40 friends and family members in attendance — finished off a string of impressive runs with a rumble into the end zone.

A key blocker on the play was Puni, whom the 49ers tasked with pulling from right guard. And after executing his assignment, the rookie chased down Mason and helped push him across the goal line.

“Oh, I felt (Puni), 100 percent,” Mason said. “Because I was short until he came and pushed me.”

Read more from 49ers preseason here.

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar has more on the Seahawks’ promising start on defense under Mike Macdonald. It's only the preseason, but the Seahawks squeezed the life out of the Chargers' offense, and their first-round rookie impressed. That and other notes from their win over the Chargers:

Read more here.

Will Levis kept it simple and smart, except when it came to his own body. Levis engineered two touchdown drives in two tries, one of 15 yards and one of 64, though apart from the Ridley catch-and-run he had just 13 yards passing. The fans never got to see him let one fly. They did see him lunge for the end zone on a scramble and take a gigantic shot from linebacker Dee Winters.

Three weeks of preseason camp have seen Levis make strides, despite a familiar Titans issue — pass protection — but he can still further his embrace of self-preservation. Plays like that should be saved for crucial moments in games that count. Titans first-year coach Brian Callahan said Levis’ decision to go for it there “wasn’t anything egregious,” but Levis said: “Third down, I was trying to make something happen, but I’ve got to be smart.”

Read more from the Titans' preseason here.

J.J. McCarthy did Saturday what he’s done since he arrived at training camp: exceed expectations. His stat line was solid enough. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The arc that led to those statistics, though, is what impressed O’Connell the most.

In the second quarter, McCarthy threw an interception on his third pass of the game. McCarthy dropped back on third-and-8 and felt pressure from the interior as running back Kene Nwangwu was blasted backward in pass protection. Rather than sidestepping and resetting, McCarthy escaped to his right and flung a ball toward the right sideline in the direction of wide receiver Trishton Jackson.

Raiders cornerback Jack Jones undercut the pass and picked it off.

“I’ve got to go back and watch it,” O’Connell said, “but it felt a little bit like he could’ve put his foot in the ground and delivered the ball to Trishton a little faster.”

McCarthy jogged to the sideline and spoke to O’Connell. What was he thinking at the time?

“Have that goldfish memory,” McCarthy said afterward, “and just have that sling-it mentality, which is what I needed.”

From then on, he was nearly perfect. He hummed passes over the middle with heat. He absorbed interior pressure and completed passes.

On Friday, he had been talking with Jackson about trying to get him a deep ball in a one-on-one situation. This opportunity surfaced in the third quarter, and McCarthy not only identified the coverage but feathered a perfect pass over the top to Jackson for a 45-yard touchdown.

“Clearly, everybody can see the arm talent,” O’Connell said afterward. “I just love seeing him come right back after the interception, still be aggressive and stay true to footwork, timing, rhythm, where his eyes should be.”

McCarthy’s second touchdown was a layup of sorts. Trent Sherfield Sr. teleported past the Raiders secondary, and McCarthy found him wide open.

Maybe the most notable were the plays before both of those scores. Before finding Jackson, McCarthy converted a third-and-9 pass to tight end Nick Muse. Before the Sherfield touchdown, McCarthy converted a fourth-and-1 ball to Jackson for 10 yards.

O’Connell would not go so far as to say that this performance escalated McCarthy’s development process or timeline to start. The head coach called the preseason reps “another glorified singular step in the process.”

The turnaround happens fast. A few days from now, McCarthy will arrive in Cleveland for joint practices against the Browns. It’s unclear at this point how many reps he will receive with the No. 1 unit.

For now, his training camp success is not confined to practice fields at the TCO Performance Center. And the fans adore him. Late in the game, as the Vikings were marching back, they showed his statistics on the video screen. The crowd roared.

Read more from McCarthy's preseason debut and other Vikings takeaways here.

Second-year defensive end Lukas Van Ness makes at least one standout play most days in camp. On Saturday, he made a couple more as he continues to show why the Packers used a first-round pick on him last year. Not only did Van Ness finish a sack aided by defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt’s initial pressure early in the game, but Van Ness had two tackles for loss against the run on consecutive plays later in the first quarter.

One on second-and-2 and another on third-and-3 to set up a fourth-and-4 that Cleveland failed to convert. He also ran a twist against guard Javion Cohen to pressure quarterback Tyler Huntley, which led to a sack by defensive tackle Colby Wooden. Van Ness played about 33 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie, but he should see an increased role behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith and is one of the players eager to rush with his hand in the dirt in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s new scheme.

Read more Packers preseason takeaways here.

It’s a newsy Sunday in East Rutherford, NJ. Backup quarterback Drew Lock won’t practice the next few days (at least), but they’re not adding another QB (as of now), Brian Daboll said Sunday. Lock injured his hip in Thursday’s preseason opener. The plan is to play Daniel Jones in Saturday’s preseason game at the Houston Texans. But the team will be giving TE Tyree Jackson reps under center as a precaution. Jackson played QB in college at Buffalo.

Not only was there QB news: There’s major offensive line updates with right tackle Evan Neal coming off the PUP list (ankle) and center John Micheal Schmitz (shoulder) returning to practice. Both will ramp back up slowly and are just doing individual drills.

Turns out, it was all Maxx Crosby’s fault.

The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback battle at training camp was as exciting and appealing as oatmeal, but now we see that it was because Crosby kept disrupting plays at practice with his hair-on-fire pass rushes.

Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II played very well in the Raiders’ preseason opener, a 24-23 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. O’Connell started and drove the team 83 yards in 15 plays, settling for a field goal after a third-down sack. Minshew came in for the second quarter and led two touchdown drives, hitting DJ Turner for a perfect 20-yard over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone on the first.

“I thought the quarterbacks responded well,” coach Antonio Pierce told reporters after the game.

Minshew finished 6-of-12 for 117 yards and the touchdown, plus had a 7-yard scramble for a first down. He also hit Tre Tucker twice for 77 yards, as the speedster put a training camp full of drops behind him. O’Connell was 7-of-9 for 76 yards in his lone drive. The Raiders led 20-7 at halftime before Anthony Brown Jr. and Carter Bradley ran the clock out in the second half.

“We moved the ball well the whole first half,” Minshew told reporters. “It was good to get the ball in the end zone a couple of times. We did some different things, running it, play action, dropback … awesome to see guys step up and make plays.”

It will likely be Minshew’s turn to start in the next preseason game Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys in Las Vegas. Pierce is not expected to announce a starter anytime soon, but at least now the Raiders have something positive to build off. This week, there will be no wincing when discussing the Raiders quarterbacks.

Read more Raiders takeaways here.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year was held out of the first week of camp as a precaution. Myles Garrett started wrecking the offense the first time he got a chance, and it appeared as if the coaching staff limited his reps in a couple of last week’s practices to minimize the damage.

In the big picture of a pretty loaded roster trying to tune things up and eventually play into January, training camp and the preseason paces aren’t going to reveal a lot. Garrett being a weather-changing force isn’t new, but seeing it in camp serves as a reminder that he can change, save, or even win a game when Cleveland needs him to.

Garrett and tight end David Njoku have been the best players in camp. Maybe Denzel Ward deserves a mention and consideration in that department. Teams across the league are trying to dodge injuries and refine details at this stage, so jumping to any kind of conclusion based on fewer than three weeks of training camp can be dangerous. But the Browns still have the makings of a scary-good defense, one that’s capable of making enough splash plays to keep things afloat if the offense needs time to find itself.

Read more here from the latest Browns stock report.

As informative as training camp practices can be, there is always more mixing and matching with personnel usage than if it were an actual game. What makes the preseason so intriguing is the team’s actions on snaps — how many there are, who they come with and when they occur — can provide the context you don’t always get at practice.

With how up in the air it has been, entering Saturday the wide receiver room was the big question regarding how the reps would shake out, particularly with rookie Keon Coleman. Coleman easily got the most snaps over the Bills’ first two offensive series. Those two drives were the most important because they were the only ones involving Allen, and Coleman didn’t leave the field. As positive as that may sound, it was somewhat predictable and perhaps less translatable to how things will be in the regular season.

That’s because Coleman had no competition for his snaps at X receiver. From what we’ve seen at camp, none of the other players who could have factored in with Allen at Coleman’s position were available to play due to injury. That includes Mack Hollins, who will likely play a substantial role in the offense. Chase Claypool and second-year player Justin Shorter are also X receivers in the Bills’ scheme, and neither was available. The only other receiver who has consistently gotten time at X this summer is Bryan Thompson, but he’s deep down the pecking order. So, while it’s promising that Coleman got a bunch of time with Allen, it’s more important to see if it’s sticky when Hollins returns.

Beyond Coleman, three other receivers took snaps with Allen: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Shakir’s usage was the most interesting, as he was an immediate starter with Allen — and in 12 personnel, no less. As the team’s primary slot receiver, working into two-receiver sets is essential for Shakir to take the next step. Also of note, he was the first receiver the team shut down, perhaps signifying his lofty spot within the offense. He took the first three snaps after Allen left the field, and that was the end of his evening.

Samuel and Coleman played until the end of that second drive, and Valdes-Scantling played the remainder of the first half. Samuel wound up with the same number of snaps with Allen (four) as Shakir and even had a pair in two-receiver formations. Valdes-Scantling, who isn’t as versatile as Hollins and is really only a Z receiver, may be why Samuel and Shakir have eaten into each other’s snaps. Valdes-Scantling’s usage well into the second quarter does make one wonder how big of a role he would have had with Allen if Hollins were healthy. The Bills’ usage continued to tease a pretty firm rotation among their top four receivers.

Read more from the Bills' preseason game vs. the Bears here.

Jayden Daniels needed only one possession in his preseason debut to display the football acumen his head coach touts, as well as a successful maverick mentality.

The heralded rookie quarterback joined the Washington Commanders’ first-team offense Saturday afternoon for the opening possession against the New York Jets. Three plays in, the Commanders faced third-and-6 from their 36-yard line. Knowing starters don’t typically play much in a preseason opener, and with the team’s top three offensive tackles unavailable, an incompletion might have ended Daniels’ day.

The play call from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury had five receiving targets spread out with Dyami Brown wide right. On his third professional snap, Daniels decided there was a better way.

“He made a check mid-play,” right guard Sam Cosmi said during an in-game interview with the team’s radio broadcast. “It turned out to be a big gain.”

Read more from Daniels' debut here.

On the first snap in their opening preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs sustained their first major injury of the 2024 campaign. Wide receiver Marquise Brown left Saturday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a left shoulder injury, one in which he appears to have damaged his collarbone, putting his status in doubt for the start of the regular season.

Read more here.

*Jamin Davis’s transition from linebacker to playing with his hand in the dirt continued. On the second defensive series, he fought off the Jets’ left offensive tackle to help stop the running back on consecutive plays. Davis was then stoned on the third-down outside pass rush. The 2021 first-round pick later allowed himself to get moved inside as New York’s running back broke containment outside for a solid gain.

*Davis and 2022 second-round defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis played deep into the fourth quarter, a sign of their potential roster peril. It's actually possible they are playing for one spot should Washington covet an outside rusher or a run-stopper as the ninth or 10th defensive linemen.

*Second-round tight end Ben Sinnott, relatively quiet in the passing game during camp, made his biggest play of the summer. His catch-and-run catch off a Driskel pass totaled 44 yards, Washington’s longest offensive play of the day. The 247-pounder went the final 20 yards after contact. Sinnott is the third TE behind Zach Ertz and John Bates. It's likely offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury hasn’t shown all the ways he'll use the versatile rookie.

*Another recent first-round pick, Emmanuel Forbes, surrendered New York’s first touchdown, a vertical end zone pass from Andrew Peasley to receiver Jason Brownlee. Forbes struggled to keep up with the Tyrod Taylor-Garrett Wilson combo in the joint practice. Peasley and Brownlee are much further down the depth chart.

*Undrafted free agent QB Sam Hartman followed Daniels, Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel, finishing 8 of 13 for 83 yards. However, the former Notre Dame and Wake Forest standout left the game in the second half with an apparent shoulder injury.

*The lone sack allowed by the makeshift offensive line combinations occurred in Mariota’s solo drive.

*Jeremy McNichols, the most experienced of the running back reserves, entered first after Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler to the bench. Chris Rodriguez's quiet summer continued (six carries, zero yards) while UDFA Michael Wiley led Washington with 34 yards on eight carries and scored from one yard out for the Commanders’ second touchdown

* Kickers Riley Patterson and Ramiz Ahmed each attempted one field goal. Patterson’s 39-yard try hit the right post. Ahmed made hit from 40. The competition continues with the unknown front-runner on another team's roster. Washington will monitor the waiver wire.

*Olamide Zaccheaus handled punt returner duties on the first two kicks, returning the second for 19 yards. If the staff is fine with the wide receiver in that role, Washington won't need to hold a separate roster spot for a returner.

Carson Steele, the undrafted rookie fullback, has been the biggest winner among the group of players who are trying to earn one of the final spots on the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster. Steele’s first NFL touch was a memorable one, too.

In the second quarter, Steel gained 20 rushing yards while breaking three tackles, a highlight reminiscent of former six-time Pro Bowler Mike Alstott. Each time Steele touched the ball, he gained positive yards, including a five-yard gain that featured him breaking a tackle near the line of scrimmage.

The Chiefs’ 16-play drive ended with a perfect scenario for coach Andy Reid to evaluate Steele in an ideal short-yardage situation: a fourth-and-goal snap from the Jaguars 1-yard line. Steele reached the end zone for the rushing touchdown and was congratulated by several teammates, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, when he reached the sideline.

Browns backup center Luke Wypler suffered a broken ankle in Saturday's preseason opener vs. the Packers.

Wypler will need surgery, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. The Browns already were thin on available players on the offensive line, and now they might need to move rookie guard Zak Zinter to center. Zinter has only played right guard to this point.

With Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio resting and veteran backup Michael Dunn injured, undrafted rookie Javion Cohen started in Bitonio's place at left guard Saturday. Dunn can also play center, and Wypler played some guard as a rookie but has mostly been at center this summer.

Wypler was a sixth-round pick in 2023 and was slated to take over the backup center job this season after Nick Harris went to Seattle via free agency.

MINNEAPOLIS — J.J. McCarthy's first NFL showing was as good if not better than what the Vikings would have hoped. He entered the game at the end of the first quarter and played until the third. All in all, he completed 11-of-17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

More than anything, head coach Kevin O'Connell was happy with McCarthy's response after his interception. It was a 3rd-and-9 situation in the second quarter, and McCarthy bailed from the pocket, hurling a pass late in the direction of receiver Trishton Jackson. Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones undercut the pass and snagged it. O'Connell said that McCarthy immediately knew what had happened.

McCarthy's two touchdown passes were deep shots. The first was a 45-yard strike to the left in the direction of Jackson. The second was a 33-yard toss to the right to receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. Both required quick recognition; McCarthy had no trouble. O'Connell downplayed the chance that this performance would escalate the Vikings' overall development plan, it was evident that O'Connell was impressed.