With the preseason now underway after the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans played in a weather-impacted Hall of Fame Game on Thursday evening, it won’t be too long until we see the NFL’s other 30 teams in action.
Each team has spent the offseason trying to improve their roster and that means plenty of familiar faces will be pulling on new helmets for the first time this preseason.
Here’s a look at five notable veterans in new spots that we’re looking forward to seeing in action this preseason.
Kirk Cousins - Atlanta Falcons
The biggest quarterback move of the offseason also has a host of subplots around it.
The Falcons believed that they were a quarterback away from being a true contender last season, so they will be hoping that the signing of Cousins will be the final piece of a championship-winning jigsaw.
But, throw in the fact that Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last year, plus the Falcons moving up in the draft to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at number eight overall and you have plenty to chew on.
Cousins wants to play in preseason, but said last week that his request to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris ‘fell on deaf ears’, so we’ll see if the 35-year-old is able to change the boss' mind over the next couple of weeks.
Tyron Smith - New York Jets
Just how much we’ll see off the 33-year-old tackle in the preseason remains to be seen, but he will be a key piece of the Jets’ rebuilt offensive line this season, as the team looked to address a problem position that led to Aaron Rodgers’ season ending on the Jets’ first offensive series last year.
Rodgers has fully recovered from his Achilles surgery and it would make sense to give this new-look unit a preseason runout before they head to San Francisco for their Week 1 Monday Night Football clash against the defending NFC champion 49ers.
Russell Wilson - Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson’s 2023 campaign was a marked improvement on his 2022 debut season in Denver, but still wasn’t enough to prevent the Broncos from calling time on the failed trade from Seattle.
Now, he faces a tussle for the starting job in Pittsburgh with Justin Fields in one of the most interesting QB training camp battles. Former Super Bowl winner Wilson should be the favourite to win out, but a recent injury has seen Fields step in and make the most out of his first-team reps. Preseason performances from both could be vital in Mike Tomlin’s final decision.
Danielle Hunter - Houston Texans
The most eye-catching defensive addition this offseason was the Texans adding Danielle Hunter to their young, hungry defense. The Texans enjoyed a brilliant first season under new head coach DeMeco Ryans and look to be in win-now mode.
Hunter registered 16.5 sacks with the Vikings last season and putting him on the other side from last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. is frankly unfair.
Derrick Henry - Baltimore Ravens
After eight seasons with the Titans, seeing Derrick Henry in a different uniform this preseason will take a fair bit of getting used to. King Henry was one of a host of big-name running back moves in free agency but it felt like one of the best, as Henry’s unmatched physical running style should be a perfect fit in Baltimore.
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