The 2025 NFL preseason schedule is officially out. There are a total of 97 preseason games being played this year, and since no one has time to watch all of those, I’ve decided to rank the top five games on the schedule so that you can mark your calendar accordingly.
Now, before we get to this list, let me just say that it’s not easy to rank preseason games and that’s mostly because we have NO IDEA who’s going to actually play. To some coaches, like Sean McVay, the preseason might as well not even exist. He never plays his starters, so you won’t see any Rams‘ games on this list.
Although we will see quite a few starters around the NFL spend the entire preseason on the bench, that doesn’t mean there won’t be several entertaining games. When you’re looking at the preseason, there are really two keys when it comes to trying to figure out which games could be good:
- Is there a quarterback battle happening?
- How many high-profile rookies will be playing?
If there’s a quarterback battle that involves a high-profile rookie, that’s even better.
With that in mind, let’s get to our ranking:
All times ET.
- Saturday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. (NFL Network)
This game will fall during Week 2 of the preseason, and it should give us an interesting quarterback matchup. With Justin Fields heading into his first season with the Jets, he’s going to have to learn the offense and build some chemistry with his receivers, so you have to think he’s going to be playing in this game. It won’t be surprising if this is the game where the Jets give Fields his first extended playing time in the preseason: It’s at home, it’s in prime time and no one wants to lose the Snoopy Bowl.
As for the Giants, their quarterback situation is arguably even more intriguing. The top player on the depth chart right now is Russell Wilson, so we could see him in this game, but he is 36 years old, so there’s certainly a chance head coach Brian Daboll could keep him on the bench. Even if that happens, the Giants will still likely make sure to give plenty of playing time to both Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart.
As fun as it is to watch Winston, all eyes in MetLife Stadium will likely be on Dart, who would potentially be playing in his first preseason game. The Giants traded up to 25th overall in the draft to land Dart, so he’s definitely going to have some pressure on him as soon as he steps on the field.
- Saturday, Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. (NFL Network)
Let’s be honest, I could have put EVERY Browns’ preseason game on this list, because they are going to be must-see TV. The Browns’ plan this year is to hold a four-way QB battle between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. I’m not sure if that’s a good plan, but I certainly will be watching to see how things play out. Sanders is certainly the most intriguing name on the list, and we should find out quickly just how fast he’s coming along if he’s forced to go up against the defending Super Bowl champions. The Eagles likely won’t be playing very many starters here, but they won’t be why anyone is watching this game.
Besides Sanders, this game will also give Pickett a chance to get some revenge on his old team (assuming Pickett is still with the Browns at this point and hasn’t been traded). On Gabriel’s end, one knock on him is his height — he’s just 5-foot-11 — and we’ll find out if that gives him any issues.
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Jeff Kerr
- Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. (NFL Network)
To me, the most fascinating quarterback battle going down in the NFL this year is the one in Indianapolis. It’s Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones in a battle of the busts, which kind of seems like a suitable name since the loser of this battle is likely going to be hit with the “bust” label for the rest of time. You have Jones, who’s trying to salvage his career after six rough seasons with the Giants, and you have Richardson, who hasn’t really proven he’s a capable starter in two years on the job in Indy. You have two players who were both drafted in the top six, they both had high expectations, and let’s be real, there’s a good chance the loser of this battle won’t get another chance at a starting job in their career (barring injury).
The pressure is on both quarterbacks. Richardson is going to have get his accuracy up if he wants to win the job and Jones is going to have to cut down on his turnovers. I will have the popcorn out as I watch every throw from this game. The Ravens are an interesting opponent here because John Harbaugh loves to win in the preseason. The Ravens head coach has led his team to a 20-5 record in Baltimore’s past 25 preseason games.
- Sunday, Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. (NFL Network)
If there’s one player you want to make sure you get to watch at least once this preseason, it’s Travis Hunter. The Jaguars made a massive move in the draft to trade up and get him with the second overall pick. It’s still unclear if the Jaguars will be asking their two-way star to play more offense or defense, but we should get an idea of that based on how they use him in the preseason. We might also find out what position Hunter is better suited for in the NFL. Although he dominated the college game as both a receiver and a corner, it’s certainly possible he only becomes dominant at one of those positions in the NFL.
This game is already must-see thanks to Hunter, but it will also be worth watching due to the quarterback battle that’s going on in New Orleans. With Derek Carr now retired, the Saints have decided to hold a three-way competition between Jake Haener, Spencer Rattle and rookie Tyler Shough, who was selected in the second round. At 25 years old, Shough might end up being the starter, but he’ll have to defy history if he wants to succeed. Very few quarterbacks have entered the NFL as a rookie after turning 25 and found success.
- Friday, Aug 22 at 8 p.m. (CBS)
Look, I know what you’re thinking, and no, this game isn’t ranked at the top just because it’s on CBS, although that certainly didn’t hurt. This game is ranked at the top because it could give us one of the most compelling quarterback matchups of the preseason: Cam Ward vs. J.J. McCarthy.
Ward was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and this will be the only home game he gets to play during the preseason. Titans head coach Brian Callahan is likely going to want to get him out on his home turf and make sure he’s comfortable. Also, it won’t be surprising if the Titans’ play several starters because they have a completely revamped roster. From Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson at wide receiver to Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler on the offensive line, Tennessee has plenty of players who will need to get used to their new surroundings.
As for the Vikings, we’ll finally get a chance to see if the team’s gamble on McCarthy is going to pay off. After Sam Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record last season, Minnesota could have tried to keep him for 2025, but instead, the team is putting its full faith in McCarthy. The 10th overall pick in 2024 did see one game of preseason action last year and he was actually impressive, throwing for 188 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 passes in a 24-23 win over the Raiders last August.
If McCarthy does play against the Titans, you can bet the Vikings starting offensive line will also be out there, which is definitely notable, because Minnesota has a completely revamped line that will likely feature three new starters (rookie Donovan Jackson at left guard, Ryan Kelly at center and Will Fries at right guard).
The good news for everyone is that all five of these games will be available nationally. Not only will Vikings-Titans be on CBS, but the other four games will be on NFL Network.
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Author: John Breech
June 5, 2025 | 2:06 pm
