NFL Preseason Takeaways

Although the NFL preseason may not seem like the biggest deal to many fans, every game is an opportunity for players to show out and make a 53-man roster for the regular season.

It’s also the time of year where quarterback battles will be decided, decisions on who makes the first team are made and contract negotiations will be done before the season starts.

Many notable undrafted free agents made their team’s 53-man rosters, including Jets wide receiver Jason Brownlee, Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross and Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks.

In San Francisco, Sam Darnold won out the No. 2 quarterback spot over Trey Lance after head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Brock Purdy would be the starter for the year.

Just days after the announcement, Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick, where the former No. 3 overall pick has the opportunity for a fresh start.

With the retirement of Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, the starting quarterback battle between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask was close throughout training camp. However, Mayfield pulled away at the end and was declared the week one starter for the Buccaneers by head coach Todd Bowles.

We also got a sneak peek at the top three quarterbacks selected in this year's draft, who had a chance to prove themselves in their first real NFL experiences.

While they may not have had the most impressive preseason games, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, Texans quarterback CJ Stroud and Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson all showed flashes at times, and they all look to have promising rookie reasons.

After a roller-coaster season last year, quarterback Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders won the starting position over quarterback Jacoby Brissett as he had a very impressive preseason. Howell formed a tight connection with Terry McLaurin and showed that the Commanders are poised to make some noise this season.

Additionally, another team that will aim to mix things up in the wild AFC is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had an impressive preseason with quarterback Kenny Pickett at the helm, as he and George Pickens continue to have a dynamic connection.

While there was some concern about the New York Jets being on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” after the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, Coach Robert Saleh and company ensured that they would embrace it and they sure have.

The Jets have not only had a relatively healthy and solid preseason for the first time in a while, but they also managed to have an extremely enjoyable hard knocks show.

While there is a large amount of excitement associated with the NFL preseason, this year many players are feeling the negative side of things and are holding themselves out of training camp to wait for a new deal to come their way.

Most notably, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones and Colts running back Jonathan Taylor have all made it clear that they’re unwilling to play until they receive a larger contract extension or are traded to a team who will give them one.

The NFL 2023 regular season should be a great one, filled with high-quality rookies who are hungry for action and teams who are looking to make a name for themselves and get to the playoffs.

Michael Landis is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpl5930@psu.edu.