The NFL preseason is right around the corner, and football fans won't have to wait until the regular season kicks off to get their gridiron fix. The 2026 campaign officially begins when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots on Sept. 9 in a Super Bowl 60 rematch, but the action starts much sooner.

The preseason gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 6, with the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, featuring the Arizona Cardinals against the Carolina Panthers. From there, 48 more exhibition games will be played over the following weeks, giving each of the league's 32 teams at least three chances to take the field.

While teams have increasingly limited their starters' playing time in recent preseasons, these games remain a crucial proving ground for rookies and roster hopefuls. Fans will be eager to see how their favorite squad's recent draft picks perform, especially mid-to-late-round quarterbacks looking to prove they belong in the NFL.

Among the top signal-callers to watch this preseason are first-round picks Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, Day 2 selections Carson Beck and Drew Allar, and New York Jets fourth-rounder Cade Klubnik. These young guns will be battling for roster spots and trying to impress coaches before the real games begin.

Whether you're scouting your team's future stars or just craving live football, mark your calendars for Aug. 6. The road to the regular season starts here, and there's plenty of excitement to come before the Seahawks and Patriots take center stage in September.