NFL Weekly Roundup: Week Ending August 10th, 2025

The Ten Stories That Reminded Us That Preseason Football Matters

Right, then. Just when you thought last week’s NFL drama was enough to fill your gossip quota until Christmas, this past week decided to hold our collective beers and show us what proper mayhem looks like. From rookie debuts that belonged on SportsCenter’s top plays to kicks that defied the laws of physics, Week 1 of the preseason delivered more genuine excitement than most regular-season games.

So pour yourself something appropriately caffeinated (or stronger, we’re not judging), settle into your favourite armchair, and let’s dive into the ten stories that reminded us why we pretend to care about games that don’t actually count for anything.

1. TreVeyon Henderson’s Hollywood Debut

Sometimes the stars align perfectly, and sometimes they align for TreVeyon Henderson on his very first NFL touch. The New England Patriots’ rookie took the opening kickoff of their preseason game against Washington and promptly returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, because he’d rather skip the whole “easing into professional football” thing entirely.

Henderson fielded the kick at his goal line, found a gap down the left sideline, cut back through traffic like he was threading a needle while blindfolded, and cruised into the end zone untouched. It was the kind of debut that makes fantasy football managers immediately start googling “Henderson dynasty value” at 8:01 PM on a Friday.

The Patriots went on to demolish Washington 48-18, but let’s be honest – nothing else in that game mattered after Henderson’s opening act. Sometimes the perfect start to an NFL career writes itself, and sometimes it involves making an entire special teams unit look like they forgot how to tackle.

2. Cam Little Attempts to Break Physics

In what can only be described as “hold my beer” energy taken to its logical extreme, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little decided to close out the first half against Pittsburgh by attempting a 70-yard field goal. Not only did he attempt it – he absolutely drilled it, sending the ball through the uprights with room to spare and leaving everyone wondering if gravity had temporarily taken a holiday.

The kick would have broken Justin Tucker’s NFL record by four yards, but since it happened in preseason, it doesn’t officially count. Which is roughly equivalent to setting a world record for the 100-meter dash but having it happen during warm-ups – technically meaningless, but absolutely bonkers nonetheless.

“It does suck,” Little said afterwards about the kick not counting. “That means we just have to go out there and make it again.” Spoken like a man who casually boots 70-yarders and considers it a mild inconvenience that it wasn’t televised during the regular season.

3. Anthony Richardson and the Finger of Doom

The Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback competition took an unexpected turn when Anthony Richardson suffered a dislocated pinkie finger during their preseason opener against Baltimore. Ravens linebacker David Ojabo delivered a blindside sack that left Richardson’s finger pointing in directions that fingers generally shouldn’t point.

The good news? X-rays came back clean, and Richardson avoided serious injury. The less good news? This is roughly the fifteenth time in his short career that we’ve had to write “Anthony Richardson injury update,” and we’re starting to think his middle name might actually be “Day-to-Day.”

Daniel Jones took over and managed to look thoroughly unimpressive (10-of-21 for 144 yards with no touchdowns), which probably isn’t the sort of audition that screams “give me the starting job.” Richardson should be back in action soon, though his finger might need a stern talking-to about staying in its proper anatomical position.

4. Joe Burrow Remembered He’s Rather Good at Football

After spending most of the offseason wondering if Joe Burrow would look like his old self again, the Cincinnati Bengals star reminded everyone why they pay him the big bucks by looking sublime in limited preseason action. Burrow completed his passes like he was playing catch with his mum in the back garden, including touchdown strikes to Tanner Hudson and Ja’Marr Chase.

It was Burrow’s first meaningful snaps since his injury-plagued 2024 season, and he looked every bit the quarterback who led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. Chase, meanwhile, looked like his usual “I’ll catch anything thrown in my general vicinity” self, hauling in four passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals are hoping this chemistry translates to actual wins from September, considering Burrow’s 1-9 record in the first two weeks of the season. Sometimes being brilliant in August means precisely nothing come the regular season, but it’s certainly encouraging for their fans.

5. Justin Fields Made Jets Fans Believe (Briefly)

In what might be the most dangerous development for long-suffering Jets supporters, Justin Fields looked genuinely impressive in New York’s preseason action. The former Bears quarterback marched the Jets down the field on a 10-play, 79-yard drive, capping it off with a 13-yard scramble for a touchdown that had Jets fans momentarily forgetting the decades of quarterback trauma.

Fields completed three of four passes for 42 yards on the drive while also showing off the mobility that made him such an intriguing prospect. It’s far too early to declare the Jets’ quarterback problems solved, but for one shining moment, their fans could dream of competent quarterbacking.

Of course, this is the Jets we’re talking about, so there’s roughly a 73% chance this optimism will be crushed by Week 3 of the regular season. But hey, at least they have this one preseason drive to cling to.

6. Jordan Love Forgot How to Play Quarterback

Meanwhile, in Green Bay, Jordan Love appeared to have temporarily misplaced his ability to complete forward passes. The Packers quarterback looked decidedly ordinary in his preseason outing, which is the polite way of saying he was roughly as accurate as a stormtrooper with a blaster.

There’s no reason to panic about Love’s performance – it’s preseason, after all, and even the best quarterbacks occasionally look like they’ve never seen a football before in August. But there’s also no reason to be particularly happy about it, especially when your division rivals are out there looking like world-beaters.

Love’s struggles serve as a reminder that preseason form is about as reliable as British weather forecasts, but Packers fans would probably prefer their franchise quarterback to look at least moderately competent against practice squad defenders.

7. Travis Hunter Continues His Two-Way Experiment

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ ambitious plan to use Travis Hunter on both offense and defense continued to unfold during preseason action, with the rookie showing flashes of the brilliance that made him such a unique prospect. Hunter caught his first NFL pass from Trevor Lawrence while also taking snaps at cornerback, because apparently playing one position at the professional level is for mere mortals.

Early snap counts showed Hunter taking 83 total snaps through four practices (36 on offense, 47 on defense), suggesting the Jaguars are genuinely committed to this two-way experiment. Whether it’s sustainable over a full NFL season remains to be seen, but the early returns suggest Hunter might actually pull off this football unicorn act.

If successful, Hunter could redefine what’s possible for NFL players. If unsuccessful, well, at least we’ll have some entertaining highlights while the experiment crashes and burns.

8. Rookie Quarterbacks Made Their Debuts

Several highly-touted rookie quarterbacks got their first taste of NFL action, with varying degrees of success. Shedeur Sanders took snaps for Cleveland (though his performance was overshadowed by his finger-pointing teammate’s injury), while several other rookies around the leaguealso got a few snaps in.

The general consensus? They looked like rookies, which is to say a mixture of “wow, that was impressive” and “did he just throw that ball to the other team on purpose?” Such is the nature of quarterback development – one moment you’re completing a perfect touchdown pass, the next you’re wondering why NFL defenders are so much faster than college ones.

Most of these young quarterbacks won’t see meaningful regular-season action in 2025, but preseason games offer valuable learning opportunities. Plus, they give us something to overanalyze while we wait for games that actually matter.

9. Carson Schwesinger Dominated for Cleveland

While everyone was focused on the Browns’ quarterback drama, second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger quietly turned in a dominant performance against Carolina. The UCLA product racked up six tackles in just 12 snaps, which is the defensive equivalent of a video game performance where you accidentally left the difficulty setting on “easy.”

Schwesinger is expected to start at middle linebacker for Cleveland, and his preseason debut suggests he might be ready for that responsibility from Day 1. Sometimes the best rookies are the ones who don’t generate massive headlines but simply go about their business with quiet competence.

Cleveland’s defense could use all the help it can get after last season’s struggles, and if Schwesinger can maintain this level of play, he might be exactly what they needed.

10. The Preseason Reminded Us Why We Love Football

Look, we can pretend all we want that preseason games don’t matter, but this week provided a perfect reminder of why we’re completely addicted to this sport. From spectacular individual performances to jaw-dropping athletic feats to the simple pleasure of watching football return to our screens, these meaningless games somehow managed to feel incredibly meaningful.

Sure, half the players who starred this week will be cut before the regular season starts, and none of these results will matter come September. But watching TreVeyon Henderson take a kickoff to the house on his first touch, or Cam Little boot a 70-yarder into orbit, or Travis Hunter continue his quest to revolutionize football – these moments reminded us why we spend our Sundays glued to our televisions for six months a year.

The regular season starts in less than a month, but this week of preseason action served as the perfect appetizer. Sometimes the starter course is just as satisfying as the main event.

The Bottom Line

Week 1 of the preseason delivered everything we could have asked for: spectacular debuts, record-breaking kicks, injury scares that turned out fine, and enough storylines to keep us busy until the real games start. Yes, these results will be forgotten by October, but the memories of 100-yard returns and 70-yard field goals will last considerably longer.

The best part? We’re just getting started. Three more weeks of preseason action await, which means three more weeks of overanalyzing everything and convincing ourselves that what happens in August definitely predicts what happens in January.

Still not convinced preseason matters? Just wait until your favourite rookie does something spectacular and see how quickly you change your tune. We’ll be back next week to help you make sense of whatever madness unfolds next.