The first week of the 2026 NFL preseason is officially in the books. It was an entertaining stretch of games from start to finish, and each fanbase is surely excited to have football back on television.
There are still two more games for each NFL team to play in the preseason, but one game can be enough to determine which players came out the best, and which ones are now worse for wear. These are the biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of this year’s NFL preseason.
Winner: Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams
With a 79.7 PFN QB Impact Score, Ty Simpson had the third-best score of the 32 quarterbacks who qualified for a score in the opening week of the preseason. He completed 21 of his 25 passing attempts for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He gained 0.32 EPA per dropback against the Kansas City Chiefs, and his 84.0% completion percentage was 14.4% above expected.
If all goes according to plan, the Los Angeles Rams will turn the keys over to Simpson to be their franchise quarterback whenever Matthew Stafford retires. There were some NFL fans who doubted taking Simpson as high as the Rams took him in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the former Alabama quarterback sure looked the part on Saturday.
Loser: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders is currently in a heated quarterback battle with Deshaun Watson for the Cleveland Browns’ starting job. Though neither quarterback was phenomenal in their loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday, Watson certainly came away better after that game than Sanders did.
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s Free NFL Playoff Predictor
In 11 passing attempts, Sanders completed just six passes for a completion percentage of 54.5%. He threw for 79 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception to finish with a measly passer rating of just 39.6. He did so against Chicago’s backup defense, which is also concerning for his prospects as a starting-caliber NFL quarterback.
Winner: Jalen Brooks, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Including the Hall of Fame Game, Jalen Brooks has two of the three highest PFN WR Impact Scores from any wide receiver in the NFL this preseason. His 77.2 score in the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the Carolina Panthers was commendable, but he built upon that with a stellar 80.1 score in Week 1 that leads all wide receivers coming out of the week.
Brooks ended the Cardinals’ game against the Raiders by catching all six of his targets for 52 yards, a touchdown, and five first downs. His EPA gained over the course of the game was 7.08; for reference, Puka Nacua led the NFL in PFN WR Impact Scoring last year, and he gained 7.23 EPA per game. That’s not a bad pace for someone like Brooks, who’s battling to make the roster.
Loser: Bobby Hart, OT, Seattle Seahawks
When you’re a veteran player in the NFL, the expectations for you to perform in the preseason are naturally higher than those for players who have never taken a professional snap before. But when you put together an underwhelming outing like Bobby Hart did in the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener, questions begin to swirl.
In the Seahawks’ preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Hart was responsible for allowing two sacks and four quarterback pressures across 26 pass-blocking snaps. It was a tough outing for the 12-year veteran, who started eight games for the Los Angeles Chargers last year but could now be on the outside looking in on Seattle’s 53-man roster.
Winner: Beanie Bishop Jr., CB, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears signed Beanie Bishop Jr. on Aug. 9. Just six days later, he became the only player in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason to tally two interceptions in the same game. One of those picks was the aforementioned interception that Sanders threw, while the other came from Dillon Gabriel.
DIVE IN: PFN’s Free NFL HQ — Team and Player Stats, Info, and More
Bishop was targeted three times in coverage in the Bears’ win on Saturday, and he intercepted two of those targets. He will be suspended for the first three games of the season for undisclosed reasons, but once he returns, his preseason debut was as strong a claim as any for him to be in the running for a spot as a backup on Chicago’s 53-man roster.
Loser: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Detroit Lions
It’s been a rough go for Ennis Rakestraw Jr. since the Detroit Lions made him their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, though much of it isn’t his fault. He played in just eight games as a rookie and missed the entirety of 2025 due to injury. Such a journey can surely build a lot of character, but the early returns from Rakestraw in his 2026 preseason debut didn’t look incredible.
On five targets in coverage in the Lions’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, Rakestraw allowed four receptions for 44 yards. His targeted passer rating allowed was 103.3, and though three of those catches came in zone coverage, his outing still wasn’t quite up to par for a former second-rounder. There’s still plenty of time for him to turn things around this preseason, though.
Winner: Will Mallory, TE, Indianapolis Colts
Among 30 tight ends who qualified for PFN TE Impact Scoring in the first week of the NFL preseason, Will Mallory led them all with an 81.5 score. He ended the Indianapolis Colts’ matchup against the New England Patriots by catching six of his seven targets for 80 yards, picking up four first downs in the process.
Mallory gained 5.06 EPA over the course of the game, which marks an incredible pace if sustained over the rest of the preseason. A fifth-round pick by the Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft, Mallory only played in two games last season and now figures to be fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. Putting up tremendous numbers in his preseason debut is a great way to improve his chances of making the team.
