The second week of the NFL preseason is in the books. If past exhibition seasons are any guide, most teams will use the third and final week to evaluate the back end of their roster and make decisions on players Nos. 50 through 53.
Before we move on to Week 3, let’s take a look back at last weekend’s action. Which quarterbacks made their starting cases in Week 2? Did any 2024 rookies stand out?
Here’s whose stock is up and whose stock is down after the second week of the 2024 preseason.
NFL Preseason Week 2 | Stock Up, Stock Down
Stock Up | Steelers QB Justin Fields
Neither Justin Fields nor Russell Wilson took a commanding lead in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback battle in Week 2. Head coach Mike Tomlin said Pittsburgh’s QB competition remains an “incomplete study” after Saturday’s game
“You know, still not what we’re looking for,” Tomlin said. “It was better in some areas but still JV in too many others.”
While Wilson hit several nice throws (including a deep pass to George Pickens that was eventually ruled incomplete), he managed just 47 yards on 10 attempts and eight completions. He also took three sacks, although Tomlin seemed to blame the Steelers’ offensive line for incoming pressure on Wilson.
Fields was more dynamic, adding 42 yards on eight rushing attempts, including a 20-yarder. He passed for 92 yards on 17 attempts. In the fourth quarter, Fields bounced off a would-be tackler, escaped pressure, and found Dez Fitzpatrick waiting open downfield.
ABSOLUTE DOT 🎯
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/iu7bDTXJ4C pic.twitter.com/RK2UIo9pVN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 18, 2024
Fields was far from perfect. He overthrew wide receiver T.J. Luther on what should have been a long touchdown pass, misplaced other throws, and took a sack.
But the former first-round pick is far more explosive than Wilson. At 25, Fields is a decade younger than his elder counterpart. While Tomlin is a conservative head coach who’s tended to favor veterans, Fields’ upside will be difficult to ignore.
Stock Up | Patriots QB Drake Maye
The New England Patriots strangely gave Drake Maye just one drive in their Week 1 preseason game against the Houston Texans. Fortunately, New England allowed the No. 3 overall pick to stay on the field for four series against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.
Maye’s statistics belie his confidence and calm in his second NFL action. Playing with most of the Patriots’ starting offensive line, Maye wasn’t besieged by oncoming rushers; pressured five times, the UNC product took just one sack.
Maye layered several throws over defenders to find his intended receiver and showed off his mobility with 15 rushing yards and a rushing score on a zone read near the goal line. His best throw will show up as an incompletion in the box score, as fellow rookie Javon Baker couldn’t haul in a gorgeous vertical shot.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett is still in line to be the Patriots’ Week 1 starter, according to Pro Football Network’s Dakota Randall. Maye still isn’t practicing with New England’s first-team offensive line, a clear indication that Brissett is the favorite for starting duties when the Patriots face the Cincinnati Bengals to open the 2024 campaign.
Stock Up | Broncos QB Bo Nix
Bo Nix started his first preseason game as a Denver Bronco on Sunday night. Based on how the No. 12 overall pick played against the Green Bay Packers, it’s fair to expect Nix to be under center when Denver plays the Seattle Seahawks to open the regular season.
Nix handled two series in Week 2, both of which ended in Broncos scores. On Denver’s first series, Nix appeared to have hit running back Javonte Williams for a 15-yard touchdown after several improvisational moves but was ruled to have crossed the line of scrimmage before getting the pass off.
Bo Nix TD throw! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/lyCOsb0YOa
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 19, 2024
On his next drive, Nix converted a 3rd-and-9 after stepping up in the pocket, firing an accurate pass into tight coverage, and finding wideout Tim Patrick, who’d sat down in zone coverage.
After an offensive holding call put the Broncos in a 1st-and-20, Nix got 10 yards back with a first-down scramble, then hit Courtland Sutton on a 23-yard strike to Denver 1st-and-goal from Green Bay’s four-yard line. On the next play, Nix used play-action and avoided pressure, quickly hitting Patrick for a TD while falling away from an incoming pass rusher.
Nix’s over-the-line throw was his only incompletion. Admittedly, Nix was facing the Packers’ backup defense. But he was efficient and deliberate on Sunday night and looked far more comfortable than in Denver’s preseason opener. Sean Payton likely saw enough to name Nix the Broncos’ starting quarterback.
Stock Down | Giants QB Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones didn’t play in the New York Giants’ preseason opener, making Saturday’s Week 2 matchup against the Texans his first live action since tearing his ACL last November.
Things didn’t exactly go well. Jones threw two first-quarter interceptions, including a horribly ill-advised throw that Texans safety Jalen Pitre easily picked off and ran back for a short touchdown.
While Jones bounced back and led two scoring drives before halftime, Saturday was a preview of what might be a challenging 2024 campaign for the Giants’ offense. New York carries enough financial risk on Jones’ contract that a midseason benching isn’t out of the question.
Stock Down | Raiders QBs Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew II the team’s starting quarterback over Aidan O’Connell this week — but it’s not as if either passer grabbed the bull by the horns during the preseason.
Minshew and O’Connell started one game each. Minshew completed 16 of 33 attempts for 212 yards (6.4 YPA) and one touchdown. O’Connell went 21-of-29 for 172 yards (5.9 YPA), one TD, and one interception.
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“A lot of things went into it. It wasn’t based off of last night,” Pierce said Sunday. “There’s a lot of factors. We feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start.”
Minshew always seemed like the favorite for Las Vegas’ starting duties after inking a two-year, $25 million deal this offseason. While he almost took the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs in 2023, Minshew won’t have play-caller Shane Steichen with the Raiders.
Las Vegas has the NFL’s worst quarterback depth chart. Minshew will open the season as the Raiders’ starter, but O’Connell will almost surely make starts later this year.
Stock Down | Eagles QB Kenny Pickett
The Eagles traded for former Steelers starter Kenny Pickett this offseason, hoping the former first-round pick would be an affordable backup option behind Jalen Hurts.
Pickett’s results through two preseason games have been anything but encouraging. Facing the Patriots on Thursday, he threw for only 67 yards on 17 dropbacks while taking four sacks. As Pro Football Network’s Anthony DiBona explored, Pickett hasn’t been able to hit anything downfield.
Fellow Philadelphia backup QB Tanner McKee was much more productive against New England, completing 15 of 19 passes for 140 yards (7.4 yards per attempt). Perhaps most importantly, McKee wasn’t sacked despite being pressured five times.
While head coach Nick Sirianni indicated that Pickett remains the Eagles’ QB2, McKee may have opened some eyes in Philadelphia this preseason.
Stock Up | Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy
The NFL somehow let the NFL Combine’s all-time fastest prospect land with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Xavier Worthy, who ran a Combine record 4.21-second 40-yard dash in March, hauled in two passes from Mahomes on Saturday before catching a 22-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Carson Wentz.
Worthy, whom Kansas City traded up to draft 28th overall, is set to give the Chiefs’ offense something it lacked during the club’s Super Bowl run: explosive plays.
Xavier Worthy first NFL Touchdown🔥 pic.twitter.com/L8ISXQXUIM
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 17, 2024
According to TruMedia, just 12.2% of Mahomes’ attempts went for 16+ yards in 2023. Mahomes finished 22nd in explosive play rate, ranking only slightly better than Wilson. Mahomes’ 6.8-yard average depth of target was second-worst in the NFL; only Cincinnati Bengals backup QB Jake Browning aimed at nearer targets on average.
While Worthy’s 172-pound stature might have led some teams to shy away in the draft, he couldn’t have found a better landing spot than Kansas City. Head coach and offensive play-caller Andy Reid demonstrated in Week 2 how he’ll scheme Worthy open, using alignment and motion to ensure the speed demon isn’t pressed at the line.
Stock Down | Steelers RB Jaylen Warren and OT Broderick Jones
Steelers RB Jaylen Warren suffered a hamstring injury in the club’s Week 2 preseason game. He’s facing a multi-week absence, putting his availability for the start of the regular season in question. Najee Harris will handle a bell-cow workload if Warren can’t suit up at the beginning of the year.
Meanwhile, 2023 first-round offensive tackle Broderick Jones had a miserable day for Pittsburgh, allowing three pressures (including two sacks) on 20 pass-blocking snaps. Jones has been shifting between left and right tackle since the Steelers drafted him last year. His most recent performance could lead Pittsburgh to roll with Dan Moore Jr. and 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu as its starting tackles.
Stock Up | Cardinals RB Trey Benson
After running tentatively in his Week 1 preseason debut, Cardinals rookie RB Trey Benson looked significantly improved in Arizona’s Week 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Benson showed strong vision and burst, attacking holes more urgently than in Week 1. The third-round pick finished with nine carries for 43 yards.
Benson only played on first and second downs and profiles as an early-down complement to Cards veteran James Conner. While he’s still raw and needs more reps before being trusted as a passing-down option, Benson is back on track after a rough first outing.
Stock Up | Ravens LB Trenton Simpson
The Baltimore Ravens identified Trenton Simpson as their replacement for fellow linebacker Patrick Queen, who signed with the division-rival Steelers during the offseason. Simpson had made good on Baltimore’s confidence, shining during training camp and making plays during the preseason.
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Facing the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, Simpson flew around the field, proving he’s ready to start alongside All-Pro Roquan Smith. The 2023 third-round pick hit Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke on Atlanta’s opening series, then brought him down on a third-down scramble on their next drive.
Simpson’s best play might’ve come on the Falcons’ third offensive series. He played tight coverage on Atlanta tight end John FitzPatrick, smoothly gliding with the pass catcher before getting his head around to break up the pass.
Stock Up | Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey
Realistically, Brandon Aubrey’s stock can’t really go any higher than it already is. The former USFL star earned first-team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL in scoring during his 2023 rookie campaign.
But hitting a 66-yard field goal (even if preseason statistics don’t count) makes Aubrey a winner in our book.
#Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey was made in a lab! He drills a 66 yard FG 🔥pic.twitter.com/AIPyQi1qqK
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 18, 2024
Aubrey’s mega-kick unofficially tied Justin Tucker’s 66-yard NFL record — and it might have been good from 70.