The Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers will begin their 2026 NFL exhibition season on Saturday when the two teams do battle at Highmark Stadium.
As is always the case with the preseason, the Bills will have close eyes on all the action as the team make decisions on who will make the final 53-man roster. It was will be the first time Buffalo head coach Joe Brady will be in charge of that.
Leading up the kickoff, there will be few headlines to keep in mind before this matchup.
With that, here are Bills Wire's three storylines to watch for ahead of Bills vs. Panthers:
Defensive starters playing
It has already been noted by defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard that the starters will all be playing for some amount of time against the Panthers. How long? That we do not know.
It will
likely depend upon how comfortable the unit looks. Have they learned the new defensive scheme enough or nt?
Offensive line battle
On the Bills' first depth chart of the summer, it was Alec Anderson listed ahead of Austin Corbett at left guard. Corbett signed in Buffalo this offseason to battle Anderson for the starting spot left by David Edwards' departure in free agency.
Despite the depth chart saying Anderson is the starter, is he? Head coach Joe Brady has yet to indicate what starters will play.
Keon's first chance
The highlighted training camp battle of all is at wide receiver. It's a "make-or-break" season for Keon Coleman out wide. It's also an important year for Josh Palmer after his underwhelming first year in Buffalo in 2025. Considering Coleman's draft status with the Bills, will he stand out during the preseason?
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills vs. Panthers: 3 storylines to watch for ahead of preseason Week 1
