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5 things to watch for during Week 3 of NFL preseason

The 2025 preseason concludes this week with games ranging from Thursday-Saturday. Players around the league are starting to separate themselves, with some shooting up depth charts and others finding themselves on the roster bubble. Here are our top five things to watch for during preseason Week 3.

Chiefs, Bears to play starters: Kansas City will host Chicago on Friday, and we’ll get a look at each team’s starting units. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has thrown just one pass during the preseason, which went for a one-yard touchdown.

K.C. is hoping to get into a bit of a rhythm heading into the regular season after sitting most of its starters on both sides of the ball last week. As for the Bears, their starters played in Week 2 of the preseason and impressed. QB Caleb Williams led an opening-drive TD as he threw for 107 yards during two series.

Dolphins’ backup QB competition: Miami’s QB play while starter Tua Tagovailoa was on the shelf last year was downright putrid. The Dolphins addressed that during the offseason by acquiring veteran Zach Wilson and drafting Quinn Ewers.

The two have been battling it out during training camp and preseason to be Tagovailoa’s backup. Both looked good last week, as Wilson completed 15 of 23 passes for 151 yards and one TD, and Ewers went 11 of 17 for 116 yards and two TDs. Their matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday could tip the balance in their competition.

WR Mitchell Tinsley’s emergence: Entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Tinsley came into Bengals training camp as a dark horse to make their roster. However, he impressed during camp, and carried that momentum into the preseason — catching six passes for 88 yards and two TDs.

Tinsley isn’t a lock for Cincinnati’s roster, but is certainly making a strong case. If he has another strong showing on Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts, it will be tough to deny him.

TreVeyon Henderson making a case for RB1: The Patriots’ 2025 second-round draft pick has put the league on notice throughout the first two weeks of preseason, averaging 7.6 yards per carry with one rushing TD and one kickoff return TD.

Rhamondre Stevenson, who by all accounts is a solid RB, may not be able to fend off Henderson atop the depth chart for long. New England’s offense desperately need Henderson’s big-play ability, and he definitely has a higher ceiling than Stevenson.

Ravens may have another great kicker: Rookie Tyler Loop was officially named Baltimore’s kicker after a huge performance against the Dallas Cowboys last week, going a perfect 5 for 5 on field goal opportunities.

Loop went 1 for 2 the week prior, but his miss was from 50 yards, then he came right back in hit a 52-yard FG. If he can carry that success into the regular season, Loop could establish himself as one of the best kickers in the league.

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2 QB battles decided, 1 remains

There were a few quarterback controversies around the NFL when training camps opened. A couple of them have been decided, but one still looms. Let’s take a look.

Daniel Jones named Colts’ starting QB: Indianapolis officially made the decision to go with the veteran Jones over third-year man Anthony Richardson.

“He’s our starting quarterback for the season,” coach Shane Steichen said of his decision. “I don’t want to have a quick leash on that. I feel confident in his abilities.”

Jones is probably the safer choice of the two when it comes to taking care of the football and accuracy, but there could be loads of untapped potential with Richardson. Perhaps Richardson will be used in special wildcat type packages, but it’s clear that the Colts feel like Jones gives them the best chance to win.

Joe Flacco named Browns’ starting QB: Despite drafting both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel this past spring, Cleveland is playing it safe with the veteran Flacco.

“He’s the same guy every single day,” coach Kevin Stefanski said of Flacco. “I think that’s one of the things you admire about Joe is how he approaches his business.”

The Browns are going to take their time with Sanders and Gabriel to set themselves up the best they can for the future. We’ll see how well Flacco holds up throughout the course of the season as he enters his 18th year. Fourth-year QB Kenny Pickett also remains on the roster.

Spencer Rattler/Tyler Shough still battling it out: Statically, Rattler is barely edging out Shough during the preseason, completing a higher percentage of his passes (71.4 vs. Shough’s 70.6) and throwing for more yards (252 vs. Shough’s 231).

Coach Kellen Moore has yet to name a starter, making Saturday’s preseason finale against the Denver Broncos crucial for both players.

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