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Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason kicked off Thursday, giving us more insight into position battles and the push to make 53-man rosters before the cut-down deadline Aug. 30. Action began with two games Thursday before Friday’s three games, with severe weather rolling through Jacksonville late in the fourth quarter — causing league and team officials to end the game because of lightning at the two-minute warning. Things will continue with 10 on Saturday before the first Sunday night game of the season to wrap things up.
What are the biggest questions for the teams after each game? What have we learned about how the depth charts are shaping up? And what solutions could present themselves based on preseason play in Week 2?
Our NFL Nation reporters picked out what you need to know about big roster decisions and more coming off Week 2 of the preseason.
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Jets: Who’s the No. 2 quarterback? Rookie Cade Klubnik could’ve erased any doubt with another strong game, but it was a middling performance — five drives, no points and only four plays in Pittsburgh territory. Klubnik (10-for-14, 75 yards) got a taste of real football, as the Steelers played many of their starters for two series. The organization probably will choose Klubnik as Geno Smith’s backup. If the Jets explore outside options, now would be the time.
In other battles, incumbent safety Andre Cisco, battling Dane Belton for the starting job, helped his chances with an interception, but it came with the second-team defense. Belton got the start and made four tackles. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. and Isaiah Williams are locked in a close battle for the WR3 position. Cooper got the start this week, but had only one catch for 9 yards. Williams had a fumble that was recovered by the Jets. — Rich Cimini
Next game: vs New York Giants (Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Steelers: Which position gets reduced to accommodate four quarterbacks? Mason Rudolph seemingly solidified his spot as QB2 without playing a snap as Will Howard struggled, and rookie Drew Allar failed to replicate his explosive preseason debut. Unless the Steelers try to sneak Howard through on the practice squad, it seems more and more likely that they’ll keep four quarterbacks, and that would mean numbers have to be reduced somewhere else on the roster. Two potential groups to watch are the offensive linemen and safeties because of the position flexibility of veterans such as Brock Hoffman and Jalen Ramsey. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Buffalo Bills (Aug. 28, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network)
Panthers: Is there a second starting-caliber inside linebacker on the roster? Carolina didn’t play Devin Lloyd, so Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus both started Friday. Neither defender has gained an advantage in their position battle this summer, and the depth behind Lloyd could be upgraded before Week 1.
Similar to tight end, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Panthers search for a veteran free agent linebacker before or after the cut-down deadline next week. — Mike Kaye
Next game: vs. Houston Texans (Aug. 28, 7 p.m. ET)
Jaguars: What will they do at running back? LeQuint Allen Jr. is out for the rest of camp because of a soft tissue injury. If that lingers into the regular season, the Jaguars will need someone behind Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten. That’ll be either veteran Ameer Abdullah, who ran for 45 yards and had three catches for 37 yards against the Panthers, or undrafted rookie J’Mari Taylor. Taylor, who ran for 78 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, had little success Friday (3 yards, 4 carries). Both have had their moments in camp, so it might come down to which player the Jaguars believe they can risk adding to the practice squad. — Michael DiRocco
Next game: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Packers: Do they have to find a way to keep four running backs? Even if Josh Jacobs’ legal issues don’t lead to a suspension by the NFL, the Packers might want to keep four running backs because Pierre Strong Jr. could be their best option as a kickoff returner. He ripped off a 68-yard return in the first half and showed he can handle some carries, too. He rushed for 37 yards on eight carries (a 4.6-yard average), including gains of 12 and 7 yards on consecutive plays. Behind Jacobs, the Packers will keep MarShawn Lloyd, and they like Chris Brooks as a third-down back because of his pass blocking. If Jacobs gets formally charged and/or suspended before the opener, they will almost certainly keep Strong.
One question that appears to be answered is whether rookie kicker Trey Smack can handle the job. Despite some shaky days in practice — he has nine missed kicks on the Ray Nitschke practice field this summer — he has been successful in the preseason games. After going 3-for-3 last week (including a 58-yarder and not including another 58-yarder that was wiped out by a penalty), he made field goals of 51, 59, 43 and 38 yards against the Broncos to stay perfect in two games. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: vs. Arizona Cardinals (Aug. 28, 8 p.m. ET)
Broncos: What will they decide to do at safety? In an attempt to add some experience behind starting safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones, the Broncos signed veteran safety Taylor Rapp this week. Rapp’s arrival indicates that the Broncos want to bolster the depth chart on defense. Among the reserve safeties, Devon Key — an All-Pro special teams selection last season — has been the most consistent in game/practice snaps on defense. Two of the other backups — JL Skinner and Tycen Anderson — project as largely special teams players and haven’t been nearly as consistent. And some of the defense’s issues that happened when Jones was out of the lineup last season are still fresh in the coaches’ minds. The Broncos have difficult decisions behind the starters at inside linebacker and the offensive line as well. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Aug. 28, 9 p.m. ET, NFL Network)
49ers: What is the state of the receiver and guard depth charts? The battle for receiver roster spots has been hard to decipher, but Jacob Cowing helped his cause significantly Thursday night due to his special teams contributions. Cowing returned a punt 83 yards for a score and is the most reliable punt return option on the roster. That should help him land on the initial 53-man roster, even if it means saying goodbye to a more proven veteran.
Elsewhere, it’s still unclear whether the Niners have a starting-caliber left guard, with rookie Carver Willis getting the start against the Chargers. Willis, Connor Colby and Robert Jones have been competing for that spot, but none of them has done enough to separate from the others. Austen Pleasants also entered the mix Thursday, creating more questions at the position. — Nick Wagoner
Next game: at Las Vegas Raiders (Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited)
Chargers: Is Jake Slaughter ready to be the starting center? The biggest news of the week for the Chargers was the injury to center Tyler Biadasz, who suffered an ACL injury to his left knee Tuesday and is out indefinitely.
Slaughter, a second-round rookie, will likely begin the season as the Chargers’ starting center, where he played all his college snaps. He got his first shot at that job Thursday night, playing nine snaps. He allowed zero pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. — Kris Rhim
Next game: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Aug. 27, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network)
Raiders: How much confidence do the Raiders have in their secondary? Las Vegas’ secondary has potential, but will that lead to success in 2026? Second-year cornerback Darien Porter is still learning the position after spending most of his college career as a wide receiver. He started 10 games as a rookie, but he has a lot more growing to do. Fourth-round rookie corner Jermod McCoy hasn’t played football in more than a year because of a knee injury, so it will take time before he feels like his true self. Fifth-round rookie corner Hezekiah Masses is also learning. Second-round safety Treydan Stukes has the best chance of making a positive impact as a rookie, but the Raiders are taking his development slowly because they are asking him to play deep safety and nickel.
The Raiders have struggled in coverage in two preseason games. Cardinals quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II combined for 16 straight completions in the first half last week, and Texans backup Davis Mills completed 11 of 15 passes for 93 yards in the first half Thursday night. The Raiders’ young secondary could be quite good in a season or two, but asking it to fix last season’s pass-coverage issues immediately might be too tall a task. — Ryan McFadden
Next game: vs. San Francisco 49ers (Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited)
Texans: What will Houston’s offensive line eventually look like? Houston’s starting tackles Thursday were Trent Brown and Aireontae Ersery. First-round pick Keylan Rutledge started at left guard instead of center, where he has played for most of training camp, and Evan Brown took first-team snaps instead. Ed Ingram started at right guard, leaving two free agent signees (right tackle Braden Smith and guard Wyatt Teller) running with the second unit.
The Texans signed Smith to a two-year, $20 million deal and Teller to a two-year, $16 million contract, with the expectation that both would start and boost the team’s frequently problematic offensive line. So how will Houston decide which linemen to start Week 1? And do the Texans want $36 million worth of offseason signings on their backup unit? — DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: at Carolina Panthers (Aug. 28, 7 p.m. ET)
Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions, noon ET
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams, 4 p.m. ET
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins, 4 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots, 7 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals, 10 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans, 8 p.m. ET
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