With the NFL releasing the dates and times for all 65 of its preseason games, we can feel football in the air.
The preseason kicks off in early August with the Hall of Fame Game between the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts scheduled to take place at Sunday, Aug. 7 at 8:00 pm in Canton, Ohio.
Following the Hall of Fame Game, Week 1 of the preseason begins on Aug 11. This is when fans will get to see some of their favorite starters in action when they typically participate through the first quarter.
Some top-end Week 1 matchups include Carolina at Baltimore, New Orleans at New England and Denver at Chicago.
Week 2 takes place Aug. 18-20 when we should still see starting fan-favorites in action. Some noteworthy games during this stretch include a outing between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Seattle hosting Minnesota.
While the preseason primarily includes rookies hoping for roster spots and veterans hanging on by their bootstraps, it’s real-live NFL football.
At the conclusion of the preseason, NFL rosters will be required to be trimmed to a final 53-man count.
The exhibition slate will give into the start of the regular season with the defending champion Denver Broncos hosting the Carolina Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50 on Thursday Night Football.