The first weekend of the NFL preseason handed us the usual reminder: don’t get too comfortable with anything you just saw. Teams hide different things, starters barely play in some cases, and the whole exercise can fool you fast. Still, once the games are over, it’s hard not to take a few swings at what might actually matter.
A few of the loudest takeaways from Week 1 are already pushing people toward big conclusions. The trick is figuring out which ones have teeth.
The Steelers are one of the clearest examples. They’ve spent much of the offseason getting tagged as a prime regression team, and that idea has been floating around for good reason. But Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network Draft changed the lens a bit with a post on Twitter/X before Pittsburgh even rolled past Green Bay in its preseason opener:
Steelers fell into mediocrity because their drafts fell short of their standard. That has been drastically improved with the last 4 draft classes.
You can tell by the number of extensions being handed out. They have built a talented, young foundation along both lines.
That’s the kind of point that sticks, because it gets past the easy stuff. Yes, the Steelers have aging pieces in important spots, especially at quarterback.
But they’re not just Aaron Rodgers and a collection of old names. The Packers game showed real depth, and it also hinted that Pittsburgh may have more than one answer at quarterback beyond this season.
The young quarterbacks in that game looked the part, and even a player like 4th-round rookie Kaden Wetjen is another reminder that this roster has more life in it than the lazy version of the preseason narrative suggested. The preseason can lie, sure.
But it’s a lot more encouraging when the young guys are flashing than when they’re drowning. Right now, the Steelers look more interesting to me than they did a week ago.
The Titans, meanwhile, may need more patience than anyone wants to admit. Cam Ward’s first look against the 49ers was rough from start to finish. He finished 5-of-12, struggled with accuracy, and never really seemed settled.
That’s not what people were hoping to see after Tennessee’s offseason overhaul. The Titans brought in Robert Saleh as head coach, added Brian Daboll at offensive coordinator, drafted Carnell Tate, and signed Wan'Dale Robinson. With that kind of movement, the expectation was that Ward would show immediate progress.
Maybe that was too much to ask. But even with the built-in reality that rookie quarterbacks can take time, Ward’s debut was still below the bar most people had in mind. The bigger takeaway might be that this rebuilding project under Saleh and Daboll is going to require more than a quick jump in Week 1.
And then there’s the Giants, who may already be the most volatile team in the league. Jaxson Dart’s preseason work against the Vikings captured both sides of that coin in a hurry.
At one point, the hits he took made the whole thing look shaky. At another, the throws he made were enough to make you think the Giants could be a real factor in the NFC East.
Dart has become one of the most divisive players in the NFL almost overnight, and he’s impossible to ignore whether you buy the projection or not. The upside is obvious if he stays healthy. The danger is obvious too, especially if the protection breaks down and free runners keep getting to him.
That’s the fork in the road for New York. If Dart keeps taking those kinds of hits, it could be another long season. If he’s on the field and upright for most of the year, this could turn into a very different kind of Giants team.
In Other News...
Titans Backup Quarterback Battle Suddenly Feels Very Different Behind Cam Ward
The Titans backup quarterback race has already been one of the more watchable camp storylines behind Cam Ward, with Mitchell Trubisky and Will Levis both trying to separate in a competition that matters more than usual for a team trying to settle its depth chart. Trubiskys presence had been an important part of that battle, giving Tennessee another experienced option while Ward continues to get the first-team work.
Mitchell Trubiskys day took an uneasy turn at practice when he was seen favoring his throwing shoulder before heading to the locker room with a trainer. Tennessee has not yet said what the issue is or how serious it might be, and for a position battle that was still taking shape, even a brief absence can change the feel of the competition in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Get A Harsh AFC South Reality Check Before 2026
The Titans are heading into a new era under Robert Saleh, with offseason additions and the hope that a fresh coaching voice can help finally turn the page on a string of losing seasons. Tennessee is also banking on quarterback Cam Ward taking a step forward in his second year, which will be a major part of whether the roster starts to look more competitive in 2026.
Still, the early national picture is not especially flattering. NFL.coms preseason power rankings slot Tennessee at No. 24, and the more uncomfortable part for the Titans is where they land within the AFC South, below each of their division rivals. For a team trying to close the gap quickly, that kind of standing serves as an early reminder that the climb back to relevance will not be easy. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Secondary Just Took An Early Hit Fans Didn't Expect
The Titans secondary took an unexpected early-season hit when safety Nazeeh Johnson was sidelined under the leagues performance-enhancing drug policy. Johnson said the positive test came after he took fertility medication while trying to conceive with his wife, and the situation has left Tennessee without a depth piece it had counted on heading into the opening stretch of the season.
Johnson is eligible to return for the Oct. 25 game against Cleveland, but the absence still forces the Titans to adjust their back-end rotation in the meantime. It is a difficult development on both a football and personal level, and it leaves Tennessee waiting for more clarity on how it will manage the spot until he is back in uniform. [Read more 🡒]