Week 1 of the NFL preseason has finally arrived, and we have six matchups on Thursday night to kick things off. Even though the preseason games have no bearing, they matter to players fighting for a roster spot, and most fans are excited to see their team back on the field. But what most people want to know is how many of the teams playing tonight will feature their starters.
Every team and coaching staff is different when it comes to playing starters in the preseason; some find it valuable to get game reps, while others see no need to risk injury. If you plan on watching the games Thursday night, here are the teams that plan to play their starters in some capacity.
Schedule for Thursday’s Preseason Games
Here is the full list of games tonight:
- Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals
- Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans
- Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers
Teams With Their Starters Lined Up to Play
Cincinnati Bengals
One team that should be full of excitement this season is the Cincinnati Bengals; they should have one of the most explosive offenses in football, and we will get to see them in Week 1 of the preseason.
According to Yahoo Sports, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are expected to play. Also, their star of the offseason acquisition, Dexter Lawrence, is expected to see the field for the first time as a Bengal.
It remains to be seen how many series they will play, but you can bet it will be exciting while those players are on the field.
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Green Bay Packers
Another team that plans on playing its starting quarterback is the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Matt LaFleur has stated that Jordan Love will start the game and play a limited role.
Another player many are excited to be back on the field is running back MarShawn Lloyd. He has a chance to make a case for the RB2 job, and he should see plenty of work.
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Arizona Cardinals
Another team that will play some of their starters is the Arizona Cardinals. They will have quarterback Jacoby Brissett and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love both on the field for their preseason opener.
You can expect the rest of the Cardinals’ starters to see the field for a series or two. All eyes will be on Love, though, as he was the third overall pick in the NFL draft and a player worth the hype.
Las Vegas Raiders
There may not be a more exciting team to watch this week than the Las Vegas Raiders. They will play their starters, and we will see the first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, in an NFL game for the first time. Along with Mendoza, we will also see Kirk Cousins, Brock Bowers, and Ashton Jeanty on offense.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are one of the teams hoping for a much better season. They have quarterback Cam Ward entering his second season, and he has a new coaching staff leading him. Ward and rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate will both start for the Titans on Thursday, along with the rest of the Titans’ starters.
Ward struggled mightily as a rookie, so he needs to get off to a good start in the preseason. He had an impact score of 61.6 last season, ranking last among quarterbacks on PFN’s QB Impact Metric. It will be interesting to see what Ward looks like under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
