Football is finally here! The 2024-2025 NFL season is about to kick off for its annual preseason, our first chance to get a look at all 32 teams on the field heading into the new season.
Are we in for another yet another season of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs dominating the top of the standings? Will top-pick quarterbacks Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) and Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) live up to the hype? Will we finally get to see the legendary Aaron Rodgers play more than four snaps as a New York Jet?
Dig out your favorite jersey, throw some wings on the grill and get ready to find out! Here’s your guide to catching every moment of the NFL preseason.
What is the NFL Preseason?
The NFL preseason is a three-week-long series of exhibition games between the NFL’s pro clubs that don’t count towards their records in the regular season. These games give the teams a chance to get back into the swing of things before they have to take to the gridiron for real.
This means players can warm up against real opponents instead of their teammates in a practice setting, and coaches can make final decisions about their rosters after observing play in a more real-world environment. You’ll get to watch as they work out the kinks in their systems and see some of the lesser-known players in action.
How to Watch NFL Preseason Football
First, let’s take a look at how to watch preseason games.
There are plenty of options for catching every NFL preseason game, and every regular season and playoffs game, on DIRECTV. The possibilities are only limited by blackout restrictions and the number of TVs you can set up at once!
Here are some places to catch NFL football:
REGIONAL SPORTS LINEUP (only available in some areas)
NFL Red Zone provided by NFL Network
*Some blackout restrictions apply.
When Does the NFL Preseason Start?
The 2024 NFL Preseason kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024 with the NFL Hall of Fame Game. This game will pit C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans, the subject of one of last season’s most surprising underdog stories, against number one overall pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
Then, the New England Patriots, the Carolina Panthers, the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants will all hit the gridiron on Thursday, Aug. 8 for the official start of preseason play.
Full NFL Preseason Schedule
We all love watching as much of our favorite team as we can get, but for the true football diehards out there, here’s the complete list of every single NFL preseason game being played before the regular season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5 with an AFC Championship game rematch between the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL Hall of Fame Game
Thursday, August 8, 2024
- Houston Texans at Chicago Bears – 8 p.m. on ESPN – Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio
Week One
Thursday, August 8, 2024
- Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots – 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Detroit Lions at New York Giants – 7 p.m. ET – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Friday, August 9, 2024
- Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins – 7 p.m. ET – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers – 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens – 7:30 p.m. ET – M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Saturday, August 10, 2024
- Washington Commanders at New York Jets – 12 p.m. ET – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills – 1 p.m. ET – Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Las Vegas Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – 4 p.m. ET on NFL Network – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns – 4:25 p.m. ET – Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals – 7 p.m. ET – Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans – 7 p.m. ET – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars – 7 p.m. ET – EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers – 7:05 p.m. ET – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – 8 p.m. ET – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Sunday, August 11, 2024
- Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts – 1 p.m. ET – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams – 4:30 p.m. ET – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Week Two
Thursday, August 15, 2024
- Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots – 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Saturday, August 17, 2024
- Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens – 12 p.m. ET – M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears – 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- New York Giants at Houston Texans – 1 p.m. ET – NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – 4 p.m. ET – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns – 4:25 p.m. ET – Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans – 7 p.m. ET – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts – 7 p.m. ET – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Washington Commanders at Miami Dolphins – 7 p.m. ET – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers – 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- New York Jets at Carolina Panthers – 7 p.m. ET – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers – 7:05 p.m. ET – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars – 7:30 p.m. ET – EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Dallas Cowboys at Las Vegas Raiders – 10 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday, August 18, 2024
- Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos – 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers – 8 p.m. ET on FOX – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Week Three
Thursday, August 22, 2024
- Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals – 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video – Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs – 8:20 p.m. ET on NFL Network – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Friday, August 23, 2024
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons – 7 p.m. ET – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 7:30 p.m. ET – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders – 10 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday, August 24, 2024
- Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills – 1 p.m. ET – Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions – 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network – Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers – 1 p.m. ET – Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – 1 p.m. ET – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Los Angeles Rams at Houston Texans – 4 p.m. ET on NFL Network – NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys – 4 p.m. ET – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- New York Giants at New York Jets – 7:30 p.m. ET – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks – 10 p.m. ET – Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Sunday, August 25, 2024
- Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints – 2 p.m. ET – Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos – 4 p.m. ET – Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- New England Patriots at Washington Commanders – 8 p.m. ET on NBC – Commanders Field, Landover, Maryland
Watch NFL Football All Season Long on DIRECTV
With your DIRECTV subscription, you won’t miss a single snap, pass, kick or penalty flag of the 2024-2025 NFL preseason or regular season.
Don’t have DIRECTV yet? Get your subscription today!
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the NFL Preseason start?
NFL preseason starts August 8, 2024.
How many weeks are in the NFL Preseason?
The NFL preseason is three weeks long.
What is the point of the NFL preseason?
The NFL preseason is a series of exhibition games that allow players to warm up and get reps in real game conditions and coaches to finalize their roster decisions ahead of the regular season.
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