The 2026 NFL preseason kicked off with a bang on Aug. 6, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers coming down to the last second. Carson Beck established himself as a name to watch in the Cardinals’ quarterback room, while Haynes King marched down the field to lead the Panthers to victory in the clutch.
With the preseason now underway, Week 1 will allow the remaining 30 NFL teams to enter the fray. Each of their respective fanbases has plenty to look forward to as their preseason opener approaches. But what are the biggest storylines to keep an eye on across the league?
Join us as we rank the five most notable storylines heading into Week 1 of the 2026 preseason.
How Will the Browns’ QB Battle Play Out?
Arguably the biggest positional battle in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation is notable not so much for the caliber of talent involved, but more so for the notoriety of the names in the mix.
Shedeur Sanders has been a headline grabber since his early college days at Jackson State, and Deshaun Watson’s reputation across the league needs no explanation.
Neither quarterback was all that remarkable the last time they started for the Browns; Sanders ranked No. 37 among 38 qualified NFL quarterbacks in PFN QB Impact Scoring in 2025, while Watson came in dead last among the 40 quarterbacks who qualified for a score in 2024. Preseason will allow both passers to show they’ve developed and are worthy of taking over Cleveland’s starting job.
Will Jeremiyah Love Play a Role in Arizona’s backfield?
Jeremiyah Love didn’t play in the Cardinals’ preseason debut in the Hall of Fame Game, with the likes of Bam Knight and Corey Kiner taking the lion’s share of carries last Thursday. The 2026 first-round pick has been the subject of drama in recent weeks after Cardinals offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett claimed that he “looks like a rookie,” opting to praise other running backs on the roster instead.
Given that the Cardinals used the No. 3 overall pick on Love, there’s no denying they view him as an integral part of their rebuild. However, they have a loaded backfield with James Conner and Tyler Allgeier both expected to fight for touches in 2026. If Love plays in their Week 1 preseason matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, he’ll need to show out in order to direct more touches his way early in the regular season.
How Will Fernando Mendoza Translate to the NFL?
That Cardinals-Raiders matchup will also be the proving ground for Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Though Kirk Cousins has been taking the reps with Las Vegas’s starting offense, the hope within the organization is that Mendoza will eventually take over the reins as their franchise quarterback.
How early will Mendoza take over the starting job, though? Will he be able to replicate the success he had in his undefeated, national championship-winning Heisman campaign with Indiana in 2025? Those questions will loom large, and his preseason debut could be a glimpse of what’s to come for the Raiders.
What Will Mike McCarthy Bring to the Steelers That Mike Tomlin Couldn’t?
During his 19 seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach, Mike Tomlin didn’t have a single season with a losing record. That well-documented streak is the longest in NFL history.
In spite of their consistent winning ways, they hadn’t won a single playoff game since 2016. After Tomlin resigned from the role, the Steelers brought in Mike McCarthy as his replacement.
McCarthy has faced similar issues to Tomlin as an NFL head coach; he’s only had five losing seasons in 18 years, between stints coaching the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. However, he faced playoff inconsistencies with the Packers and was 1-3 in playoff games during his five years with the Cowboys.
Will he be the guy who can get Pittsburgh out of NFL purgatory? Thursday’s preseason opener against the Packers will be the first glimpse into what McCarthy’s Steelers will look like.
Can the Eagles’ Offense Bounce Back in 2026?
The Philadelphia Eagles’ season as the defending Super Bowl champions didn’t quite live up to their expectations. Though they won the NFC East, making them the first team to repeat as champions of that division in over 20 years, they were bounced in the Wild Card Round.
A big part of that was because of offensive regression; after three consecutive seasons with a top-ten PFN Offense Impact Score, they dropped to No. 23 in 2025.
Sean Mannion is stepping in as the offensive coordinator, replacing Kevin Patullo after a rocky 2025 season. The preseason opener won’t be the end-all, be-all in determining whether the Eagles’ offense will return to form or not. However, their Saturday game against the Baltimore Ravens will be the first we’ll see of Mannion’s offensive philosophy.
It will be interesting to see if he can help get Philadelphia back among the NFL’s elite.
