The first week of the NFL preseason wrapped up on Sunday, the unofficial kickoff of the 2025 season. There were some noteworthy showings by players like Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell. However, there were just as many bad performances.
Let’s dive into the worst performances from Week 1 of the NFL preseason. Our list is composed of three quarterbacks, one wide receiver, one running back, two offensive linemen and two defensive players.
Graham Mertz, QB, Houston Texans
Selected by the Houston Texans with the 197th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterback Graham Mertz was abysmal in the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Even if you discount his final interception, which was the result of a tipped pass, he threw two others. Mertz also completed just 50 percent of his 14 pass attempts, easily being outduelled by teammate Kedon Slovis (11-for-15, 71 yards). While Mertz didn’t take any sacks in the game, which he had a penchant for in college, he still led the NFL with 3 interceptions thrown. He’ll get the rest of the preseason to prove himself, but the 24-year-old might be better suited for the UFL.
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Tim Boyle, QB, Tennessee Titans
Tim Boyle legitimately might be one of the worst quarterbacks in NFL history, at least among those who played 20-plus games. Heading into the 2025 NFL preseason, Boyle has a career 5-13 TD-INT ratio with a 58.1 QB rating. Among qualified quarterbacks in NFL history, that would be the sixth-lowest ever. He looked just like that in his preseason debut with the Tennessee Titans.
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Coming in as relief for first-overall pick Cam Ward, who went 6-for-8 with 67 passing yards and led a scoring drive, Boyle completed just 4-of-13 pass attempts. Most alarmingly, he had nearly as many negative plays (two interceptions and one sack) as passes completed to his teammates on 14 dropbacks. So, why is Boyle on an NFL roster? He’s been around the league, giving him insight into a lot of offensive systems, and he’s well-regarded for his football IQ. In short, he’s effectively another coach in the quarterback room. He’s likely helping Ward behind the scenes, but at some point, NFL teams need to convince Boyle to retire and get into coaching.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Miami Dolphins and the Dolphins’ Backup OL
Many questioned months ago why Quinn Ewers left college behind, where he had a multi-million-dollar NIL offer on the table from a Power 5 program, to be a Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Maybe his experience in his first preseason action with the Miami Dolphins made him realize that he made a mistake. In a 24-24 tie versus the Chicago Bears, Ewers completed just 5-of-18 pass attempts. Not only was he alarmingly inaccurate, but he was strip-sacked twice and finished the game by averaging 5.1 yards per attempt (91 net passing yards on 18 dropbacks). Of course, we can’t entirely fault Ewers for this performance.
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There’s an obvious talent gap in the NFL between backup defensive linemen versus backup offensive linemen. That’s a story for another day. What should be mortifying for Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is what will happen to this Dolphins’ offense if any of its starting five linemen get hurt. Miami’s backup tackles were turnstiles in the preseason opener, getting pancaked by pass rushers multiple times. The lack of depth on the offensive line is a poor reflection on both the front office and the coaching staff. If injuries strike, it will completely derail this offense.
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Blake Freeland, OT, Indianapolis Colts
Not all of the worst performances from Week 1 of the NFL preseason are reasons for teams to worry heavily. In the case of the Indianapolis Colts, offensive tackle Blake Freeland is depth behind long-term starters Bernard Raimann and Braden Smith. However, his performance in the preseason opener raised questions about his ability as a swing tackle and potential injury replacement. Freeland, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, reportedly allowed the most pressures (six) among all players in Week 1. He also recorded the lowest Pro Football Focus grade (27.4). In fact, Freeland was one of just three linemen, along with Yosh Nijman and Laekin Vakalahi, to record a sub-30 PFF grade. Indianapolis can only hope its tackle tandem stays healthy because there is already enough uncertainty with new starters Tanor Bortolini (center) and Matt Goncalves (guard).
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Myles Hinton, OT, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a machine when it comes to developing offensive linemen, thanks in large part to the legendary work of coach Jeff Stoutland. Hinton has his work cut out for him with rookie Myles Hinton. A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Hinton has great size at 6-foot-6 and 323 pounds. The prototypical bulk and length are some of the reasons why Philadelphia drafted him. There’s long-term upside. In his preseason debut, Hinton allowed two sacks and ranked 282nd in PFF’s run-blocking grade (53.5). There’s no real concern here right now since Hinton is a third-string tackle, but he did perform very poorly in Week 1.
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Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Including Ashton Jeanty among the worst performers in Week 1 of the NFL preseason isn’t meant to express any concern about the rookie running back. That’s not just because he’s a generational talent at the position, but it’s also because of his rare work ethic and level of preparation. With that acknowledged, it’s also fair to admit that Jeanty was just not good in his Las Vegas Raiders debut. Jeanty’s longest carry went for 3 yards and his other two rush attempts resulted went for no gain and -4 yards. He’ll rebound from this.
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Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
As is the case with Ashton Jeanty, there’s no reason to be even a bit concerned about Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan after one preseason game. After all, C.J. Stroud was dreadful during the preseason in his first year and he’s turned into an NFL star. This was just not the greatest showing for the first wide receiver picked in the 2025 NFL Draft. While McMillan finished the game with 43 receiving yards on two receptions, he was also credited with two drops. One of those came in the end zone, caused by running a bad route. With the bad came some good, that being more reps to build rapport with Bryce Young and a great over-the-shoulder catch he made in tight coverage by the sideline. The arrow is pointing up for McMillan.
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Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB, Green Bay Packers
Nearly the entire showing by the Green Bay Packers roster in the preseason opener was ugly. However, the worst performer was rookie linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson. A UDFA out of Kentucky, Johnson got plenty of playing time in his first NFL game. It was a day to forget. Pro Football Focus tracked him missing four tackles, the most in Week 1 in 25 snaps, and he received the lowest grade (25.3) among all linebackers. There are some very intriguing UDFA standouts on the Packers roster right now. JDJ isn’t one of them.
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Kelee Ringo, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
It feels like now is the appropriate time for the Eagles to start getting a little concerned about cornerback Kelee Ringo. He entered NFL training camp with the team hoping to win the competition for the starting job on the outside. Instead, he got off to a very slow start. Philadelphia seemed to send a message to him with the Jakorian Bennett trade, bringing in more competition at cornerback. In his first preseason game this summer, Ringo responded to the Bennett trade by allowing a perfect QB rating (158.3) in coverage when targeted, surrendering 47 receiving yards and a touchdown on two targets, per PFF. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ringo starts losing a few of his first-team reps, with Vic Fangio opening up the competition.
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