What Is the NFL Preseason?

The NFL preseason is a series of four exhibition games each team plays before the regular season officially opens. These games do not count toward a team’s official win-loss record. No playoff seeding comes from them. No division titles are at stake.

What is at stake? Jobs. Fifty-three of them, to be exact. Every roster spot on every NFL team gets decided during this window. Coaches use these four weeks to evaluate talent, test game plans, and build chemistry — particularly among players who are fighting to make the final 53-man roster.

The NFL preseason typically runs from early August through late August, giving teams roughly four weeks of live game action before Week 1 of the regular season kicks off in September. The league added a 17-game regular season in 2021, and that change also trimmed the preseason from four games to three for some scheduling formats — though the traditional four-game structure still applies for many matchups.

2025 NFL Preseason Schedule

The 2025 NFL preseason follows the league’s standard format: four weeks of games spread across August, with the Hall of Fame Game opening the slate. Here’s how the general structure maps out across the league:

Week 3 carries the most weight for analysts and coaches alike. Many teams treat it as a genuine dress rehearsal for the regular season — starters play into the second half, game plans get tested, and the evaluation intensity peaks. If you’re watching one NFL preseason game all summer, make it Week 3.

NFL Preseason Standings Breakdown

NFL preseason standings exist — Fox Sports, ESPN, and NFL.com all track them — but they carry zero official weight in determining playoff positioning or division rankings. They’re a casual reference point, nothing more.

That said, preseason records do tell a story. Teams that consistently win preseason games tend to have strong depth. Winning a preseason game usually means your second and third-string units outperformed the opponent’s. Here’s how conferences typically sort their preseason standings:

Complete NFL Preseason Stats Reference Table

Understanding what metrics coaches and scouts actually track during the NFL preseason helps fans watch games with sharper eyes. This table outlines the key statistical categories, what they measure, and why they matter during exhibition play:

Does the NFL Preseason Record Actually Matter?

No — and also, kind of yes. The direct answer is that a team’s NFL preseason record has no statistical correlation with regular season success. Multiple studies, including analysis published by FiveThirtyEight and Football Outsiders, confirm that preseason wins predict regular season wins at essentially a random rate.

Where preseason results do matter: injuries. A star player going down in a meaningless August game can reshape an entire season. That’s the real risk-reward calculation coaches make when deciding how long starters play.

The secondary value is confidence. A backup quarterback who plays well across three NFL preseason games goes into Week 1 with proven composure under real game conditions — and that has value, even if the scoreboard never reflects it in the standings.

What Coaches Actually Watch For

Head coaches and coordinators don’t watch preseason games the way fans do. They’re not tracking touchdowns or final scores. Here’s what genuinely moves the needle in their evaluations during the NFL preseason:

• Decision-making speed: Does the quarterback go through his progressions correctly, even under pressure from backup pass rushers?
• Pad level and technique: Offensive linemen who play high get flagged immediately in film sessions.
• Route precision: A receiver who runs sloppy routes doesn’t get open, no matter how fast he is.
• Special teams effort: Many roster decisions come down to who hustles on kickoff coverage — pure effort, no talent excuse.
• Play recognition: Defensive backs who identify formations quickly and align properly before the snap stand out on film.
• Situational football: How does a player respond after making a mistake? Does he stay focused or fall apart?

The best evaluation happens not on highlight plays but on the routine downs — the third-and-three run blocks, the coverage on a throwaway screen, the chip block on a stunting tackle. Coaches rewind those plays dozens of times.

Roster Cuts and the Bubble Players

The NFL preseason culminates in one of the most emotional days in professional sports: final roster cut day. Every team must trim from 90 players down to 53 before the regular season starts. That means 37 players per team — roughly 1,200 players across the league — lose their jobs in a single 24-hour window.

Teams go from 90 to 80 players after the first preseason game, giving coaches an early look at who clearly doesn’t fit. The final cut from 80 to 53 comes after the final preseason game.

Players cut from the 53-man roster often land on a team’s practice squad or get signed by another organization within days. The waiver wire after roster cut day is one of the most active periods in the entire NFL calendar.

How Long Do Starters Play in NFL Preseason Games?

This question defines the fan experience of watching any NFL preseason game. Starters play very little — and intentionally so. Here’s the general breakdown by week:

• Week 1: Most starters sit entirely, or play a single series (approximately 5–7 plays). Head coaches protect their investment.
• Week 2: Starters get a half, roughly 15–20 plays, to shake off rust and sync up with receivers.
• Week 3 (Dress Rehearsal): Starters play the most — sometimes deep into the second half. This is the most valuable evaluation week of the entire NFL preseason.
• Week 4: Starters almost universally sit. This game belongs entirely to players on the roster bubble fighting for their careers.

Some head coaches — notably Bill Belichick during his Patriots tenure — famously sat their starters for nearly the entire preseason and still opened the regular season in championship form. Others, like Sean Payton, prefer heavier starter reps to install complex offensive systems. Philosophy varies wildly by coaching staff.

NFL Preseason Betting — What You Should Know

Betting markets for the NFL preseason exist, and they attract serious action. But they operate differently from regular season wagering in several important ways.

Because starters play limited snaps, the outcome of an NFL preseason game rests heavily on backup quarterbacks and third-string units. Coaching style matters enormously here — a coach who runs his starters deep into Week 2 gives his team a structural advantage over a conservative opponent who sits everyone after one series.

• Point spreads are tighter: With less information and unpredictable starter usage, sportsbooks keep lines narrow.
• Sharp money follows coaching tendencies: Bettors who track each coach’s preseason philosophy find edges the casual public misses.
• Player props are unreliable: A star receiver might play three snaps. Avoid props on starters.
• Totals (over/under) are volatile: Backup quarterbacks throw more interceptions, which slows scoring drives and crushes overs.

Notable NFL Preseason History

The NFL preseason has its own rich history — some moments of it genuinely changed how teams approach the summer schedule:

• Kevin Ware-style injuries: Multiple high-profile preseason injuries over the decades — including star players tearing ACLs in meaningless August games — pushed coaches toward drastically limiting starter exposure.
• Tom Brady’s debut (2001): Brady saw his first NFL action during the preseason. Coaches who watched his poise in those early snaps knew something special was developing.
• The Chicago College All-Star Game (1934–1976): For decades, the NFL champion played a team of college All-Stars in a summer exhibition. The NFL eventually ended it, but it shaped early preseason culture.
• American Bowl series (1986–2005): The NFL staged preseason games in international cities — London, Tokyo, Berlin — to grow the global audience. This later evolved into the International Series.

The Hall of Fame Game itself traces back to 1962, making it one of the oldest consistent events on the NFL preseason calendar. Canton, Ohio has opened the football season for over six decades.

Fantasy Football and NFL Preseason Stats

Fantasy football managers treat the NFL preseason as a critical scouting window — and with good reason. Several clues emerge from these games that signal breakout candidates and injury concerns before the draft:

• Target share among receivers: When a second-year wide receiver draws 8 targets in a single preseason game, that’s not random — the coaching staff is testing a real connection.
• Running back carries: The back who leads the team in carries across Weeks 2 and 3 often opens the regular season as the feature back, even if depth charts don’t confirm it yet.
• Offensive line cohesion: A quarterback who operates clean and moves comfortably in the pocket during preseason usually has a well-gelled offensive line heading into the season.
• Injury news from camp: Preseason is when training camp injuries become public. A star running back nursing a hamstring issue will see limited preseason snaps — and that pattern matters for Week 1 projections.

Sites like FantasyPros and The Athletic publish detailed preseason snap count analyses after every NFL preseason week. These are among the most useful data points available before fantasy drafts lock in.

Full NFL Preseason: Teams, Format & Key Data Overview