- All 32 teams play once in NFL preseason Week 2, with 16 games running Thursday, Aug. 20 through Sunday, Aug. 23.
- More starting quarterbacks are playing this week than last, and one of them has never started a preseason game before this year.
- Jump to any day below for the full NFL preseason Week 2 starting lineups, QB rotations, and confirmed sits.
NFL preseason Week 2 is the middle game of a three-game schedule, which is usually where coaches loosen up. Teams that hid everybody in Week 1 are now trading joint practices for real snaps, and a few first-team offenses will finally take the field.
Saturday carries 10 of the 16 games. Here is the day-by-day rundown of who is playing, who is sitting, and which quarterback battles get decided this weekend.
Jump to a day: Thursday, Aug. 20 | Friday, Aug. 21 | Saturday, Aug. 22 | Sunday, Aug. 23 | Who’s Sitting
Which NFL Starters Are Confirmed to Play in Week 2?
Herbert is the headliner. He had never appeared in a preseason game until last year, and Jim Harbaugh is treating Thursday as a dress rehearsal for the opener. If you want to bet any of it, our list of the best NFL betting apps covers where to sign up and which books post the earliest preseason lines.
Thursday, Aug. 20
Raiders at Texans (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
Klint Kubiak has been rotating all three quarterbacks with the first team in practice, so all three should play. Kirk Cousins is still the guy, but he will not be out there long, and Aidan O’Connell figures to take a big share of the middle snaps.
Fernando Mendoza gets a look here, though the bigger showcase makes more sense in Week 3 at home. Houston managed only 98 net passing yards last week, and C.J. Stroud should get a series or two in the preseason home finale. Graham Mertz is out for the year, so Brett Rypien is the new arm on the roster.
See the full Raiders vs Texans odds
49ers at Chargers (10:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
This is the best matchup of the week for anyone who wants to see real starters. Harbaugh confirmed Herbert starts and the first team plays exactly one series before the backups take over.
It also doubles as the first live look at Mike McDaniel’s offense in Los Angeles. San Francisco answered Wednesday when Kyle Shanahan called Brock Purdy likely to play and said fans will see a number of guys out there. Kurtis Rourke is worth tracking with a chest injury, which could mean more Adrian Martinez.
See the full 49ers vs Chargers odds
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Friday, Aug. 21
Jets at Steelers (7:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
Pittsburgh named Will Howard the starter Wednesday. Mike McCarthy said he wants to max out the opportunities for Howard and Drew Allar, which means Mason Rudolph sits this week and probably next.
Aaron Rodgers is not playing. McCarthy also does not envision DK Metcalf or Michael Pittman Jr. suiting up. Aaron Glenn says he wants his starters out there for the Jets, though Geno Smith and his sore ankle may not be part of that group. Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, and Bailey Zappe are all still chasing the backup job.
See the full Jets vs Steelers odds
Panthers at Jaguars (7:30 PM ET, Local TV)
Liam Coen said his starters will get a couple of drives potentially, so Trevor Lawrence should appear in front of the home crowd. Do not expect much more than that. Nick Mullens sits this week, which hands important reps to Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar with practice squad spots on the line.
Carolina keeps splitting time between Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, and Kyle Trask. Hall of Fame Game hero Haynes King will not play.
See the full Panthers vs Jaguars odds
Packers at Broncos (9:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
Bo Nix finally makes his preseason debut after sitting out the opener. Sean Payton said Nix gets a workload similar to what his starters got last week, which puts him around 10 to 15 snaps. Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger follow.
Matt LaFleur confirmed Tuesday that Jordan Love and the Green Bay starters play a bit again, and they will likely be done for the summer after this. Tyrod Taylor and Kyle McCord handle the rest.
See the full Packers vs Broncos odds
Saturday, Aug. 22
Ten games, four kickoff windows, and a full day of football. Here is the quick view before the game notes.
Ten games, four kickoff windows, and a full day of football. A handful of these are locked in by coaches, while the rest are best reads based on practice reps and Week 1 usage.
Commanders at Lions (12:00 PM ET)
Dan Campbell does not play his starters in the preseason, so Jared Goff watches again. Joshua Dobbs should see a lot more work this time after Luke Altmyer took 22 of Detroit’s 30 pass attempts last week. Dobbs joined the roster recently and needs the reps following Teddy Bridgewater’s retirement.
Washington is without Marcus Mariota. Any snaps for Jayden Daniels get followed by Sam Hartman and Athan Kaliakmanis, and Hartman was on the field for all three Commanders scoring drives in the first half last week.
See the full Commanders vs Lions odds
Bills at Browns (1:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
Shedeur Sanders gets the start for Cleveland. Todd Monken lined this up in advance after Deshaun Watson opened Week 1, and both should see the field. Monken said most starters would play, though he also said he and Joe Brady might agree to sit most of them if the joint practices go well.
Josh Allen is not expected to play. He threw eight passes for 111 yards against Carolina, and this one belongs to Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele.
See the full Bills vs Browns odds
Falcons at Colts (1:00 PM ET)
Kevin Stefanski said his starters will not play, which means no Tua Tagovailoa. Michael Penix Jr. is still working back and should be limited to 7-on-7 work in the joint practices. Jack Strand was taking first-team reps over Cooper Rush early in the week, so he has a good shot at the start.
Indianapolis flips its script from last week. Riley Leonard starts with Anthony Richardson backing him up, the reverse of Week 1. Daniel Jones will not play at all this preseason.
See the full Falcons vs Colts odds
Ravens at Vikings (1:00 PM ET)
Jesse Minter said a similar group plays for Baltimore, which points to another heavy night for Joe Fagnano. He took 28 pass attempts in the opener next to seven for Tyler Huntley and two for Austin Reed.
Minnesota used four quarterbacks in Week 1, with Carson Wentz leading the way and Kyler Murray throwing just three passes. Expect more J.J. McCarthy this week while Wentz gets showcased for other teams.
See the full Ravens vs Vikings odds
Saints at Rams (4:00 PM ET)
Tyler Shough sat out the opener while Spencer Rattler, Zach Wilson, and Hunter Dekkers split the work. He should get some run now, though the Rattler and Wilson battle for QB2 is the thing New Orleans still needs to sort out.
Matthew Stafford is not playing, and Sean McVay is unlikely to use many players of consequence. Ty Simpson threw 25 passes last week to just six for Stetson Bennett IV, so a more even split makes sense with Bennett fighting for the backup job.
See the full Saints vs Rams odds
Giants at Dolphins (4:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
New York signed Jake Haener this week and he could feature heavily, even without much of the playbook. Brandon Allen has struggled this summer and Joe Webb retired. Offensive line problems make Jaxson Dart a question mark as things stand.
Miami might be thin at the position. Quinn Ewers missed Monday’s practice while Malik Willis had a good day, and Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski could handle most or all of the snaps.
See the full Giants vs Dolphins odds
Bears at Bengals (7:00 PM ET)
Joe Burrow surprised everyone with two series and 13 snaps in the opener. He took a couple of hits, so a similar limited workload is the bet here. Joe Flacco might get a little time, with Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford handling most of it.
Caleb Williams may get a small taste for Chicago. The bigger issue is Tyson Bagent, who hurt his hamstring against the Browns and has missed practice time. He is questionable, which puts more on Case Keenum.
See the full Bears vs Bengals odds
Eagles at Patriots (7:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
Neither Jalen Hurts nor Drake Maye played last week, and both are longshots to play here. Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton are a solid duo even after combining for only 55 yards on 16 attempts, and Cole Payton led Philadelphia with 37 passing yards against Baltimore.
New England used Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton exclusively in its tie with the Colts. Maye has been getting good practice reps, so plan on very little of him or none at all.
See the full Eagles vs Patriots odds
Chiefs at Buccaneers (7:30 PM ET)
Andy Reid said the more reps Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier get, the better. Patrick Mahomes is still coming back from a major injury, so those two carry the load. Chris Oladokun sat last week and may again while Kansas City figures out Nussmeier.
Todd Bowles confirmed his starters play, Baker Mayfield included. Emeka Egbuka will not be out there, so Mayfield builds chemistry with other targets. Jalon Daniels looked sharp in the opener and should get another shot, and Jake Browning could handle a good chunk of the first half if he is healthy.
See the full Chiefs vs Buccaneers odds
Cowboys at Cardinals (10:00 PM ET, NFL Network)
Dak Prescott sits, which leaves the Joe Milton and Sam Howell backup battle as the main event. Howell started last week, and the way the two have alternated in practice points to Milton opening this one.
Arizona is already on its third preseason game after the Hall of Fame Game, so Mike LaFleur may not risk much. Jeremiyah Love is out. Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Kedon Slovis all played last week in that order.
See the full Cowboys vs Cardinals odds
Sunday, Aug. 23
Seahawks at Titans (8:00 PM ET, FOX)
The lone Sunday game closes the week on national TV. Cam Ward did not look sharp in his preseason debut, and Robert Saleh should give him another run at home. Will Levis figures to get heavy work with Mitch Trubisky banged up, though Trubisky did practice Wednesday after getting hurt Monday.
Seattle leans younger. Expect some Drew Lock and a lot of Jalen Milroe, with Sam Darnold getting a series or two if he plays at all.
See the full Seahawks vs Titans odds
Biggest Names Sitting Out NFL Preseason Week 2
Week 2 Storylines Worth Following
- Pittsburgh’s backup job: Will Howard and Drew Allar are now the only two quarterbacks getting preseason work, so one of them ends up behind Rodgers.
- Cleveland’s competition: Sanders gets his turn to open a game after Watson took Week 1.
- Dallas at QB2: Milton and Howell keep trading halves behind Prescott.
- Denver’s ramp-up: Nix taking his first snaps of the summer is a useful data point for a team that returns most of its starters.
- Herbert in a real game: One series against San Francisco is the first live look at McDaniel’s offense in Los Angeles.
Coaches stay careful with their best players this deep into camp, so the middle of the week gives you the most first-team football. Check back Thursday morning for any late changes to the rotations.
The post NFL Preseason Week 2 – Who’s Playing and Starting? Full Guide appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.
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