NFL Preseason Week 3 – Who’s Playing and Starting? Full Guide

• The final week of the 2026 NFL preseason runs Thursday, Aug. 27 through Saturday, Aug. 29, with 16 games and roster cuts right behind them.
• One starting quarterback gets a dress rehearsal in the building that paid a record amount to let him go.
• Read below for the full game-by-game guide to who’s playing and starting in NFL preseason Week 3.

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Week 3 used to be the dress rehearsal. Now it is the week most teams hide everybody, with rosters getting cut to 53 next week and the regular season opening Sept. 9.

A few coaches are still putting starters on the field, and a lot of backup jobs get settled over these three days. Here is who is playing, who is out, and what each game is actually about.

Jump to a day: Thursday, Aug. 27 | Friday, Aug. 28 | Saturday, Aug. 29 | Backup QB Battles

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Which NFL Starters Are Officially Out for Week 3?

Add the usual names to that list. Sean McVay never plays his starters, Dak Prescott has not appeared in a preseason game since 2019, and Lamar Jackson has not played one since 2021.

The most interesting exception is in Miami. Tua Tagovailoa starts for Atlanta against the team that swallowed a record $99.2 million in dead money to release him this offseason. If you want to bet any of it, our list of the best NFL betting apps covers where to sign up and which books post the earliest preseason lines.

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Thursday, Aug. 27

Steelers at Bills (7:00 PM ET, NFL Network)

Josh Allen is officially out. Joe Brady decided the joint practices against Cleveland gave him everything he needed, so Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele run the offense.

Pittsburgh goes back to Drew Allar and Will Howard, who combined to go 21-of-38 for 144 yards with two picks last week. Expect this to lean toward Allar, since Howard is a longshot to stick even on the practice squad. Mason Rudolph might get a series, and Aaron Rodgers is not playing.

See the full Steelers vs Bills odds

Patriots at Browns (8:00 PM ET, Prime Video)

Cleveland named Deshaun Watson the Week 1 starter Monday, then Todd Monken said neither Watson nor Shedeur Sanders plays here. That leaves Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green trying to win a practice squad spot in front of a home crowd that has made its feelings clear.

Mike Vrabel spent the weekend complaining about New England’s depth, which tells you how this one is shaping up. Tommy DeVito needs the reps to be a trusted backup, and TreVeyon Henderson left Monday’s practice after some slick field conditions.

See the full Patriots vs Browns odds

49ers at Raiders (8:00 PM ET, NFL+)

Klint Kubiak still will not name a Week 1 starter. Kirk Cousins has played exactly one series all preseason and is somehow still the guy, while Fernando Mendoza sits at 8-of-15 for 86 yards with a pick. Mendoza should get plenty of work alongside Aidan O’Connell, and Jacob Clark might finally see the field.

Brock Purdy played the first series last week and went 4-of-6. Kyle Shanahan has reason to be careful now with George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and Christian Kirk all banged up, since the depth guys suddenly matter more.

See the full 49ers vs Raiders odds

Rams at Chargers (10:00 PM ET, NFL Network)

McVay confirmed Ty Simpson definitely plays, though Stetson Bennett IV looks like the one with the inside track at QB2. Bennett threw 31 times last week to Simpson’s 12 after Simpson got 25 attempts to Bennett’s six in the opener. Each playing a half would settle it.

Justin Herbert played one drive last week and should get even less here. The Chargers lost center Tyler Biadasz for the season, so the offensive line is a mess and Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei handle most of the night.

See the full Rams vs Chargers odds

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Friday, Aug. 28

Ten games squeeze into Friday night, headlined by Bengals at Eagles on CBS.

Commanders at Ravens (6:00 PM ET, NFL Network)

Jayden Daniels went 0-for-1 with a sack against Detroit last week, and Dan Quinn said the joint practices get skewed so Daniels and the starters take extra reps. That points to him watching. Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman keep fighting for the backup job while Marcus Mariota heals.

Baltimore is 2-0 and has allowed only two scoring drives all summer. There is some history here too, since Washington is the team that snapped the Ravens’ 24-game preseason winning streak back in 2023.

See the full Commanders vs Ravens odds

Texans at Panthers (7:00 PM ET, NFL+)

Dave Canales said his starters will not play, which came after an ugly joint practice for the Carolina offense on Wednesday. Haynes King is out again but trending toward being available for Week 1, and Kyle Trask gets a showcase with his roster spot in doubt.

Houston runs the same script as last week. C.J. Stroud takes a series or two before Davis Mills and Brett Rypien split the rest. The Texans also added Kayshon Boutte in a trade with New England after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL.

See the full Texans vs Panthers odds

Falcons at Dolphins (7:00 PM ET, NFL+)

This is the best story of the week. Kevin Stefanski ruled out Michael Penix Jr. and gave Tua Tagovailoa the start in the stadium he used to call home. Miami released him this offseason and ate an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead money to do it.

Atlanta is treating this as a dress rehearsal, with Cooper Rush and Jack Strand following Tua. Those two went 22-of-28 for 297 yards last week. Miami has scored 10 points in two games under Jeff Hafley, and Malik Willis starts with Quinn Ewers expected back after a groin injury.

See the full Falcons vs Dolphins odds

Giants at Jets (7:30 PM ET, NFL+)

John Harbaugh stayed non-committal on Jaxson Dart, though the Giants have been preparing as if he plays. Jameis Winston went 15-of-21 for 150 yards last week, so this could be more Brandon Allen and Jake Haener.

Geno Smith looked sharp on his one drive last week and should lead things off again. Cade Klubnik came in behind him and looks like the leader for QB2 over Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook.

See the full Giants vs Jets odds

Buccaneers at Jaguars (7:30 PM ET, NFL+)

Baker Mayfield is not playing, so Todd Bowles picks between Jake Browning and Jalon Daniels. That one got interesting when Daniels took snaps ahead of Browning in Tuesday’s joint practice. The undrafted rookie has led Tampa Bay to five scoring drives in a little over three quarters this summer.

Trevor Lawrence still has not played a preseason snap and might get a series or two here. Behind him, Joey Aguilar and Carter Bradley are the ones to watch as they fight for the third job.

See the full Buccaneers vs Jaguars odds

Saints at Cowboys (8:00 PM ET, NFL+)

Dak Prescott has not played a preseason game since 2019 and that is not changing now. Joe Milton III looks like he has pulled ahead of Sam Howell after a three-touchdown game against Arizona, though Brian Schottenheimer still calls it neck and neck. Each should play about a half.

New Orleans is a mess at the position. Spencer Rattler threw a 100-yard pick-six in a 34-0 loss to the Rams backups and Zach Wilson added an ugly interception of his own. Tyler Shough still has not taken a preseason snap. There is some bad blood here too, since both teams were fined $500,000 for fighting during their joint practice last week.

See the full Saints vs Cowboys odds

Cardinals at Packers (8:00 PM ET, NFL+)

Mike LaFleur takes on his brother Matt at Lambeau, which is a fun setup for a game neither will take seriously. The teams practice together this week, so Jordan Love and Jacoby Brissett get their work there. Kyle McCord should handle most of Green Bay’s snaps.

Carson Beck did not practice Wednesday and is highly doubtful, which means a lot of Kedon Slovis. Gardner Minshew has thrown plenty this preseason with Beck out.

See the full Cardinals vs Packers odds

Seahawks at Chiefs (8:00 PM ET, NFL+)

Patrick Mahomes told reporters he wanted to play Friday night. Andy Reid said no. Mahomes is officially out as he keeps working back from last season’s knee injury, and Reid has not committed to his availability for the opener either.

Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier, and Chris Oladokun split the work. Seattle has been simpler than that, with every preseason pass so far thrown by either Drew Lock or Jalen Milroe.

See the full Seahawks vs Chiefs odds

Bengals at Eagles (8:00 PM ET, CBS)

Zac Taylor confirmed his starters are done for the summer. Joe Burrow got his work in Week 1, and Joe Flacco did not even play last week while Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford took every snap.

Nick Sirianni is unlikely to risk Jalen Hurts, which leaves Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton to keep sorting out the backup job against Dalton’s old team. Watch Ty Robinson on the other side of the ball too. He has three sacks and six pressures in two games after Vic Fangio said he had been on life support all camp.

See the full Bengals vs Eagles odds

Vikings at Broncos (9:00 PM ET, NFL Network)

Kyler Murray sat out Week 2 and is not expected to play at elevation here. The story is J.J. McCarthy, who may have lost the backup job to Carson Wentz after a rough outing against Baltimore. Kevin O’Connell should give him extended run to answer it.

Sean Payton said Bo Nix will probably not play after a strong return last week, when he went 6-of-9 with a touchdown. That turns this into Sam Ehlinger against Jarrett Stidham for the Denver backup job, which is a closer call than it sounds.

See the full Vikings vs Broncos odds

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Saturday, Aug. 29

Lions at Colts (1:00 PM ET, NFL Network)

Shane Steichen laid out the whole plan. Anthony Richardson starts and plays the first quarter, Riley Leonard takes the second, and Easton Stick handles the second half. Daniel Jones does not play.

Detroit sits its starters as always. Josh Dobbs and Luke Altmyer split time again, and Dobbs had a 50-yard touchdown run last week even though he did little through the air.

See the full Lions vs Colts odds

Bears at Titans (6:00 PM ET, NFL Network)

The last game of the preseason. Caleb Williams went 2-of-5 for 28 yards against Cincinnati and should get something similar if he plays at all. Tyson Bagent returned to practice Tuesday after sitting out last week, with Case Keenum and Miller Moss battling behind him.

Robert Saleh takes these games seriously, so Cam Ward plays again. Keep an eye on Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick, who has run 22 routes with five targets and no catches so far. He faces his childhood team here.

See the full Bears vs Titans odds

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Backup QB Battles Getting Settled This Week

Those jobs get decided over these three days, and the losers become somebody else’s problem after cuts. That is what makes a week full of backups worth watching.