The 2024 NFL preseason is underway! The Buffalo Bills will take the field for three exhibition matchups ahead of Week 1. You can find the complete 2024 NFL preseason schedule here, but today we’ll break down Buffalo’s three-game preseason slate.
Buffalo Bills 2024 Preseason Matchups
- Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 10
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channels: CBS (BUF), FOX, (CHI), NFL Network (BUF and CHI)
- Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 17
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channels: CBS (BUF and PIT), NBC (PIT), NFL Network (BUF and PIT)
- Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 24
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channels: CBS (BUF)
While the Bills have many of the same marquee names as in 2023 around the team heading into this season – HC Sean McDermott, QB Josh Allen, RB James Cook, and LB Matt Milano – the team also parted ways with several key pieces.
Gone are WR Stefon Diggs, WR Gave Davis, S Jordan Poyer, and CB Tre’Davious White. Instead, the team will be relying on a roster that is still talented but has fewer stars and proven veterans.
The 2024 preseason will provide fans and pundits with a glimpse of what a pass catching corps lead by TE Dalton Kincaid and WR Curtis Samuel will look like, as well as what to expect from a defense that is now without two high-profile defensive backs.
When Does the 2024 NFL Preseason End?
The NFL preseason will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 25.
Ever since the NFL transitioned to a three-week preseason schedule, teams now receive a full week off before the regular season begins.
The 2024 regular-season opener will take place on Thursday, Sept. 5, with the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game.
Once the preseason wraps up, NFL teams will have 48 hours to trim their roster to 53 players. This year, the NFL’s roster cutdown day is on Aug. 27 by 4 p.m. ET.
For many years, the league had three cutdown dates: one deadline for teams to trim their roster from 90 to 85 players, a second deadline for teams to reduce their rosters to 80 players, and a final deadline for teams to reach the 53-man limit for the regular season.
Now, there’s only one roster cutdown deadline, meaning the majority of cuts happen at the same time and a lot of players hit the free-agent pool at the same time.
How Many Preseason NFL Games Are There?
After the NFL expanded the regular season to 17 games in 2021, the league reduced every team’s preseason schedule from four games to three.
The 2024 preseason slate will feature 49 games (including the Hall of Fame Game). The complete preseason schedule is available above.
Do Players Get Paid During the Preseason?
Like all things related to the salary cap, the answer to whether NFL players are paid during training camp and the preseason is spelled out in the league’s most recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was ratified in 2020.
According to Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to per diem payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the final day of camp. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.
During the 2024 season, veteran players will earn $3,200 per week during training camp and the preseason. That figure will increase to $3,500 per week during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
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Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $1,850 in 2024. That will jump to $2,000 per week in 2025 and 2026.
The CBA also mandates that every NFL player receive room and board during training camp. Additionally, “players who have not yet established residence in the team city” must receive housing between training camp and the Tuesday before their team’s first regular-season game.
How To Watch and Live Stream NFL Preseason Games
There are several ways to watch NFL preseason games. NFL Network will broadcast a number of preseason games this year. Also, streaming services such as Vidgo and FuboTV allow you to live stream any of the local or national preseason contests.
NFL+, the NFL’s mobile and tablet streaming service, will also broadcast preseason games. Each matchup will also be available for replay on NFL Game Pass through NFL+ Premium.