NFL preseason Week 1 watch guide: Schedule for Thursday, Friday and Saturday games

After a surprisingly awesome Hall of Fame Game, the NFL preseason officially gets underway. Let’s all cross our fingers and knock on wood for three days of injury-free football.

A preseason game can be so many things at once. It’s a languid summer tune-up for veterans and stars, and a fierce proving ground for those on the fringes of rosters. Owners use it as a blunt tool to boost revenues; coaches use it as a lab to experiment with personnel and play calling. Each of the 32 teams gets its own Rorschach scrimmage.

Even though the final scores don’t hold much weight, there’s still a lot to look for across this slate. Both first-round rookie quarterbacks are expected to make their debuts: No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday and Ty Simpson with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. Meanwhile, backup Anthony Richardson Sr. has been tapped for reps on Thursday night, even as he asks for a trade from the Indianapolis Colts.

Some starting QBs plan to suit up as well, from the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love to the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young to the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow. And in Western New York, the Buffalo Bills welcome crowds into their brand-new stadium.

We’ve compiled the full TV listings for all 16 matchups, including regional channels and national access. Check out the upcoming schedule below.

You can watch in-market and national preseason games on Fubo (Stream Free Now).

NFL preseason Week 1 schedule

All times are ET. NFL+ is only available for mobile viewing, and ESPN Unlimited access is included with some pay TV subscriptions.

Thursday, Aug. 13

• Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m. on Fox 2 (Detroit), Fox 19 (Cincinnati) and NFL+ (out of market)
• Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7 p.m. on NBC 26 (Green Bay), CBS 2 (Pittsburgh) and NFL Network (national)
• Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots, 7:30 p.m. on Fox 59 (Indianapolis), CBS 4 (Boston) and NFL+ (out of market)
• Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans, 8 p.m. on CBS 2 (Los Angeles), ABC 13 (Houston) and NFL+ (out of market)
• Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders, 8 p.m. on CBS 5 (Phoenix), Fox 5 (Las Vegas) and NFL+ or ESPN Unlimited (out of market)
• Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers, 9 p.m. on ABC 2 (Nashville), CBS 5 (San Francisco) and NFL Network (national)

Friday, Aug. 14

• Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m. on NBC 9 (Denver), Fox 5 (Atlanta) and NFL+ or ESPN Unlimited (out of market)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets, 7 p.m. on NBC 8 (Tampa), CBS 2 (New York) and NFL Network (national)
• Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders, 7 p.m. on CBS 4 (Miami), CBS 9 (Washington, D.C.) and NFL+ (out of market)

Saturday, Aug. 15

• Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. on ABC 9 (Charlotte), CBS 4 (Buffalo) and NFL+ (out of market)
• Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. on ABC 5 (Cleveland), Fox 32 (Chicago) and NFL Network (national)
• Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants, 1 p.m. on Fox 9 (Minneapolis), NBC 4 (New York) and NFL+ or ESPN Unlimited (out of market)
• Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs, 4 p.m. on CBS 2 (Los Angeles), NBC 41 (Kansas City) and NFL Network (national)
• Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints, 4 p.m. on Fox 30 (Jacksonville), Fox 8 (New Orleans) and NFL+ or ESPN Unlimited (out of market)
• Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens, 7 p.m. on NBC 10 (Philadelphia), NBC 11 (Baltimore) and NFL+ or ESPN Unlimited (out of market)
• Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. on CBS 11 (Dallas), NBC 5 (Seattle) and NFL Network (national)

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