Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason kicked off Thursday, giving us more insight into position battles and the push to make 53-man rosters before the cut-down deadline Aug. 30. Action began with two games Thursday before Friday's three games. Things will continue with 10 on Saturday before the first Sunday night game of the season to wrap things up.
What are the biggest questions for the teams after each game? What have we learned about how depth charts are shaping up? And what solutions could present themselves based on preseason play in Week 2?
Our NFL Nation reporters picked out what you need to know about big roster decisions and more coming off Week 2 of the preseason.
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Friday's games
Jets 17, Steelers 0
Jets: Who's the No. 2 quarterback? Rookie Cade Klubnik could've erased any doubt with another strong game, but it was a middling performance -- five drives, no points and only four plays in Pittsburgh territory. Klubnik (10-for-14, 75 yards) got a taste of real football, as the Steelers played many of their starters for two series. Chances are, the organization will ride with Klubnik as Geno Smith's backup. If the Jets decide to explore outside options, now would be the time.
In other battles, incumbent S Andre Cisco, battling Dane Belton for the starting job, helped his chances with an interception, but it came with the second-team defense. Belton got the start and made four tackles. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. and Isaiah Williams are locked in a close battle for the WR3 position. Cooper got the start this week, but had only one catch for 9 yards. Williams had a fumble that was recovered by the Jets. -- Rich Cimini
Next game: vs New York Giants (Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Steelers: Which position gets reduced to accommodate four quarterbacks? Mason Rudolph seemingly solidified his spot as QB2 without playing a single snap as Will Howard struggled and rookie Drew Allar failed to replicate his explosive preseason debut from a week earlier. Unless the Steelers try to sneak Howard through on the practice squad, it seems more and more likely they'll keep four quarterbacks, which means numbers have to be reduced somewhere else on the roster. Two potential groups to watch are the offensive linemen and safeties because of the position flexibility of veterans like Brock Hoffman and Jalen Ramsey. -- Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Buffalo Bills (Aug. 28, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network)
Other games:
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7:30 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, 9 p.m. ET
Thursday's games
49ers 41, Chargers 17
49ers: What is the state of the receiver and guard depth charts? The battle for receiver roster spots has been hard to decipher, but Jacob Cowing helped his cause significantly Thursday night due to his special teams contributions. Cowing returned a punt 83 yards for a score and is the most reliable punt return option on the roster. That should help him land on the initial 53-man roster, even if it means saying goodbye to a more proven veteran.
Elsewhere, it's still unclear whether the Niners have a starting-caliber left guard, with rookie Carver Willis getting the start against the Chargers. Willis, Connor Colby and Robert Jones have been competing for that spot, but none of them has done enough to separate from the others. Austen Pleasants also entered the mix Thursday, creating more questions at the position. -- Nick Wagoner
Next game: at Las Vegas Raiders (Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited)
Chargers: Is Jake Slaughter ready to be the starting center? The biggest news of the week for the Chargers was the injury to center Tyler Biadasz, who suffered an ACL injury to his left knee Tuesday and is out indefinitely.
Slaughter, a second-round rookie, will likely begin the season as the Chargers' starting center, where he played all his college snaps. He got his first shot at that job Thursday night, playing nine snaps. He allowed zero pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. -- Kris Rhim
Next game: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Aug. 27, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network)
Raiders 22, Texans 20
Raiders: How much confidence do the Raiders have in their secondary? Las Vegas' secondary has potential, but will that lead to success in 2026? Second-year cornerback Darien Porter is still learning the position after spending most of his college career as a wide receiver. He started 10 games as a rookie, but he has a lot more growing to do. Fourth-round rookie corner Jermod McCoy hasn't played football in more than a year because of a knee injury, so it will take time before he feels like his true self. Fifth-round rookie corner Hezekiah Masses is also learning. Second-round safety Treydan Stukes has the best chance of making a positive impact as a rookie, but the Raiders are taking his development slowly because they are asking him to play deep safety and nickel.
The Raiders have struggled in coverage in two preseason games. Cardinals quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II combined for 16 straight completions in the first half last week, and Texans backup Davis Mills completed 11 of 15 passes for 93 yards in the first half Thursday night. The Raiders' young secondary could be quite good in a season or two, but asking it to fix last season's pass-coverage issues immediately might be too tall a task. -- Ryan McFadden
Next game: vs. San Francisco 49ers (Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited)
Texans: What will Houston's offensive line eventually look like? Houston's starting tackles Thursday were Trent Brown and Aireontae Ersery. First-round pick Keylan Rutledge started at left guard instead of center, where he has played for most of training camp, and Evan Brown took first-team snaps instead. Ed Ingram started at right guard, leaving two free agent signees (right tackle Braden Smith and guard Wyatt Teller) running with the second unit.
The Texans signed Smith to a two-year, $20 million deal and Teller to a two-year, $16 million contract, with the expectation that both would start and boost the team's frequently problematic offensive line. So how will Houston decide which linemen to start Week 1? And do the Texans want $36 million worth of offseason signings on their backup unit? -- DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: at Carolina Panthers (Aug. 28, 7 p.m. ET)
Saturday's games
Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions, noon ET
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams, 4 p.m. ET
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins, 4 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots, 7 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals, 10 p.m. ET