The first full day of NFL action for the preseason delivered as multiple rookies and veterans with new teams made successful debuts on Saturday.
It started with New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart impressing in the first game of the day in a 35–25 win over the Buffalo Bills at Orchard Park, New York.
Dart, the No. 25 pick in the draft out of Ole Miss, went 12–19 for 154 yards and a touchdown.
Besides Dart, No. 1 pick Cam Ward made his first start with the Tennessee Titans, and quarterback Justin Fields succeeded in his New York Jets debut.
Here’s a look around the league at who stood out.
Travis Hunter
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ two-way rookie and No. 2 pick had two receptions on offense, and he played on defense for eight snaps in a 31–25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Colorado, is seeking to be the first regular two-way player since Chuck Bednarik between 1949 and 1962.Abdul Carter
The Giants rookie linebacker and No. 3 pick pressured the Bills on two of six snaps in his first game. Carter also recorded a tackle in his limited playing time against the Bills.J.J. McCarthy
While the Minnesota Vikings quarterback enters his second year, Saturday marked a debut of sorts for him after his first season was cut short so quickly. McCarthy played briefly in the preseason last year and then missed the season due to meniscus surgery. On Saturday, he went 4–7 for 30 yards and led the Vikings to a field goal in a 20–10 win over the Houston Texans at US Bank Stadium.Cam Ward
Ward went 5–8 for 67 yards on a scoring drive capped by running back Tony Pollard in a 29–7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition to that drive’s success, Ward notably rebounded from a three-and-out on his first drive.Shilo Sanders
While the Buccaneers rookie defensive back made NFL legend Deion Sanders happy for a second-straight day. The younger Sanders recorded a tackle and made physical plays on defense in his debut a day after his brother, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, shined for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.Emeka Egbuka
The Buccaneers rookie wide receiver is as talented as advertised. Egbuka leapt for a 21-yard reception in his first NFL game out of Ohio State University. Tampa Bay took Egbuka with the No. 19 pick despite established veteran stars in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the team.Justin Fields
The new Jets starter showed promise as he led a 79-yard scoring drive on his team’s first possession during a 30–10 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Fields capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, and he finished with 3–4 passing for 42 yards plus 14 yards rushing on two carries.Josh Simmons
The Kansas City Chiefs rookie left tackle showed why the defending AFC champions selected him in a first-round pick. Simmons made things easy for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jason Brownlee on the first drive of the game.Kansas City fell short, however, in a 20–17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
