At long last: NFL action, again.
While the 2026 Hall of Fame game got the show on the road, the remainder of the league joins preseason fun starting on Thursday, Aug. 13, with more games on Friday and Saturday to wet your proverbial whistle.
On Thursday, 11 teams enter the fray (while the Arizona Cardinals play their second preseason game), some playing starters and some not, as the NFL season quickly approaches. A total of six games will be played on Thursday night, with one something of a treat: No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will take the field as the Las Vegas Raiders and Cardinals meet in the desert.
Other notable quarterbacks will be on the field: Pittsburgh Steelers passer Aaron Rodgers is expected to play come Thursday night, as is his
Green Bay Packers successor Jordan Love.
Joe Burrow could take the field as the Cincinnati Bengals start their preseason slate, and Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans look to show off a new era when they take the field.
Otherwise, practices, news and other NFL updates will come your way Thursday. USA TODAY Sports will track the latest happenings from training camp and preseason right here. All times are Eastern.
NFL games on TV today
There are six preseason games scheduled for Thursday night. Here are the NFL games today, with only two being nationally televised:
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions, 7 p.m. ET
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers, 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
- New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans, 9 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Watch preseason NFL games with Fubo (free trial)
When does the NFL regular season start?
07:45 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraWeek 1: Wednesday, Sept. 9 - Monday, Sept. 14
The Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots on Sept. 9 in the NFL Kickoff Game to begin Week 1. The game will mark the second time the season has started on a Wednesday – it last happened in 2012 to avoid conflicting with the Democratic National Convention.
The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will kick off this year's international schedule on Thursday, Sept. 10 from Melbourne, Australia. The remainder of the opening week's slate continues Sunday and concludes Monday.
Is Aaron Rodgers playing preseason?
07:03 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraSteelers head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Rodgers “prefers to play,” but later in the day, Rodgers told reporters something a bit different.
"It’s preseason, it’s not real football," Rodgers said. "If I do, great. If not, great."
The four-time NFL MVP is not playing in tonight's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
NFL power rankings
06:45 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraUSA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis recently released his latest batch of NFL power rankings. Where does your favorite team rank?
Below is a full look at the top 10 teams on Davis' list:
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Houston Texans
- San Francisco 49ers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Dallas Cowboys
- Detroit Lions
See where all 32 teams rank as the NFL preseason gets underway.
2026 NFL record predictions
06:30 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraUSA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis projected the record for all 32 NFL teams before the 2026 season. How will each team fare? Here's a look:
Check out Davis' full breakdown of record predictions for 2026.
Jordyn Tyson injury update
05:47 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraThe Saints' rookie wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury in Thursday's practice and did not return. The severity of the strain is not yet known. It's an early setback for the No. 8 overall pick, who is likely to miss valuable snaps in the preseason, though head coach Kellen Moore previously said starters are not expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Jaguars.
Chuba Hubbard injury update
05:45 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraThe Panthers running back suffered a hamstring injury and is now considered week-to-week. Still, Head coach Dave Canales told reporters Thursday that he's "very confident" Hubbard will be ready for Week 1. Jonathon Brooks is expected to see increased looks in practice and the preseason while Hubbard rehabs.
Carson Beck injury update
05:40 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom Viera and Nick BrinkerhoffCarson Beck's NFL preseason encore will have to wait after it was revealed that the quarterback is dealing with a rib injury. The rookie will be out for the Arizona Cardinals second preseason contest as he continues to recover, according to ESPN's Ian Rapoport.
Beck suffered the injury during the Hall of Fame game, but it isn't considered serious.
Fans figured to get a glimpse at Beck and fellow rookie, Fernando Mendoza, during Aug. 13's preseason contest that was going to serve as a rematch between the signal-callers from the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship game.
Titans starters playing, including Cam Ward, vs. 49ers
05:35 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraThe Tennessee Titans will play "everyone" in today's preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Robert Saleh said on Aug. 11.
Bengals starters, including Joe Burrow to play today vs. Lions
05:32 PM ET, August 13 2026, Tom VieraHead coach Zac Taylor said Aug, 11 that most starters, including Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, will play in the preseason opener against the Lions on Thursday. Starters will play on a limited basis, Taylor added.
Deeper insight, expert analysis from USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell
08:20 AM ET, August 13 2026, Joe RiveraMadden NFL 27 is out. Here's how it was made
07:30 AM ET, August 13 2026, Jack McKessyEA SPORTS has long said, “It’s in the game.” But what goes into getting "it" into the game in the first place?
By now, everyone interested in the latest editions of the Madden NFL and College Football video games has gotten an extended look at the games. “College Football 27” has been out for more than a month, and some players have participated in a closed beta for “Madden NFL 27.”
They know who the cover stars are for each game, what new features have been implemented, and – generally – what to expect from a game that has released a new iteration annually since 1990.
Less familiar are the intricacies of developing a game like Madden. What are the challenges of making an annual release? How has game development changed for EA SPORTS as technology has developed? More generally, what does the making of Madden look like from the developer chair?
USA TODAY Sports spoke with two EA SPORTS executives – Evan Dexter, vice president of brand strategy and marketing, and Scott O’Gallagher, senior creative director for Madden and College Football – in one-on-one interviews about how they got this year’s releases ready for store shelves.
What's next for J.J. McCarthy?
07:00 AM ET, August 13 2026, Jack McKessyMcCarthy's time in Minnesota is likely running out. Though the Vikings' commitment to Murray is only officially for the 2026 season, the decision to name the more veteran signal-caller the starter is a sign the team may be moving on from McCarthy.
The question that remains is whether Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell and new general manager Nolan Teasley envision keeping McCarthy around as a backup or if they will let him seek opportunities elsewhere. With Wentz on a one-year, $3 million contract with the Vikings, it's plausible that the team would prefer to retain the former Eagles quarterback as the QB2 behind Murray.
Given that McCarthy competed for the starting job in training camp, he'll remain as the No. 2 quarterback on Minnesota's depth chart for the time being. How the Vikings choose to deploy him (and Wentz) during their three preseason games could offer insight into their future plans for the former No. 10 overall pick.
As for what could come next, McCarthy could end up with one of several teams around the league with an aging starter and no clear succession plan.
AI makes win-loss picks for all 32 teams
06:30 AM ET, August 13 2026, Joe RiveraThe 2026 NFL season is rapidly approaching, and prognosticators everywhere are beginning to release their predictions for how the campaign will unfold.
The exercise isn't an easy one given the league's general unpredictability. The 2025 season reminded fans of that, as few would have projected the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots to be the final teams standing in Super Bowl 60.
With that in mind, USA TODAY Sports decided to give Microsoft Copilot – an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot – a crack at predicting the results of the 2026 NFL season.
- Buffalo Bills: 13-4
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
- Houston Texans: 12-5
- Dallas Cowboys: 9-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 13-4
Here's the complete list.
NFL preseason schedule: Week 1
06:01 AM ET, August 13 2026, Joe RiveraWeek 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason is here in full:
Thursday, Aug. 13
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions, 7 p.m. ET
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers, 7 p.m. ET
- New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans, 9 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 14
- Atlanta Falcons vs. Denver Broncos, 7 p.m. ET
- New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m. ET
- Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 15
- Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
- Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
- New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4 p.m. ET
- New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4 p.m. ET
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m. ET
- Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8 p.m. ET
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL preseason live updates: Joe Burrow starts, news, where to watch
