The final week of the NFL preseason kicks off tonight, and teams are taking dramatically different approaches with their starters in Week 3. Some are sitting their first units after extensive joint-practice work, while others are planning one final dose of game action before the regular season.
We're tracking the latest NFL preseason lineup updates and most important game-time decisions throughout the weekend to assist with your NFL preseason picks for Week 3.
Latest NFL preseason Week 3 lineup updates
Updated at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 27.
- Josh Allen will sit, but Buffalo won't rest everyone: Allen will not play against Pittsburgh, while the Bills still plan to give some starters game reps. Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele will handle the quarterback work.
- Patriots regulars expected out; Browns starters officially out: Drake Maye and New England's top regulars are not expected to play, while Cleveland has formally ruled out its starters, including starting QB Deshaun Watson and backup Shedeur Sanders. Todd Monken said he and Mike Vrabel initially discussed playing the starters for a series or two before deciding against it.
- 49ers expect to sit almost everyone; Ashton Jeanty's status remains unclear: Kyle Shanahan said he'd be surprised if more than a couple of regular starters play against Las Vegas. Jeanty, meanwhile, has not received a game-status update since leaving Sunday's practice; Klint Kubiak said only that he's “on the mend”.
- Justin Herbert will start against the Rams: Jim Harbaugh plans roughly six to nine plays for Herbert and the Chargers' first-team offense, while Khalil Mack and Derwin James Jr. will sit. The Rams have confirmed Ty Simpson will play, but Sean McVay has not finalized the rest of his quarterback rotation.
Who will play in NFL preseason Week 3?
Here are the latest updates on the top players entering Week 3 of the NFL preseason. For more information on every game, scroll down to our full matchup breakdowns.
| Game | Player(s) / unit | Status | Latest update |
|---|---|---|---|
 PIT at  BUF |
Josh Allen |
Out | Allen will rest the preseason finale, although Buffalo plans to give some other starters game reps. |
 NE at  CLE |
Starters |
Expected out | New England's top regulars are not expected to play after Vrabel and Monken discussed using the starters for a series or two before deciding against it. |
| NE at CLE |
Starters |
Out | Cleveland will rest its starters, with Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green set to handle the quarterback work. |
 SF at  LV |
Most starters |
Expected out | Shanahan expects almost all of San Francisco's regular starters to sit with the Australia opener approaching. |
| SF at LV |
Ashton Jeanty |
TBD | Jeanty has been sidelined since leaving Sunday's practice, and Kubiak has only said the running back is “on the mend”. |
 LAR at  LAC |
Justin Herbert |
Playing | Herbert will start and lead the first-team offense for roughly six to nine plays. |
 WAS at  BAL |
Lamar Jackson |
Out | Jackson got his final opponent work in Wednesday's joint practice and will sit Friday night. |
 HOU at  CAR |
Starters |
Out | DeMeco Ryans said Houston's starters are done for the preseason after Wednesday's joint practice. |
| HOU at CAR |
Starters |
Out | Canales said the first units took roughly 75% of the joint-practice reps and will sit Friday. |
 ATL at  MIA |
Tua Tagovailoa |
Playing | Tagovailoa will start against his former team as Atlanta gives its starters varying amounts of work. |
| ATL at MIA |
Michael Penix Jr. |
Out | Penix is back in 11-on-11 work, but Atlanta won't rush him into game action after only a few full practices. |
 TB at  JAX |
Starters/key regulars |
Expected out | Tampa Bay expects to rest its established players, leaving the finale largely to players fighting for roster spots. |
| TB at JAX |
Starters |
Expected out | Jacksonville's starters are not expected to play after the first units got their work in joint practices. |
 NYG at  NYJ |
Jaxson Dart |
TBD | Harbaugh has not committed to playing Dart in the finale. |
 NO at  DAL |
Most starters |
Out | Moore said his starters got enough work from 145 joint-practice snaps and will sit Friday. |
 SEA at  KC |
Patrick Mahomes |
Out | Mahomes will rest with Garrett Nussmeier set to start and some other offensive starters potentially seeing brief action. |
 CIN at  PHI |
Starters |
Out | Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Cincinnati's other starters will rest the finale. Chase is also coming off a minor knee hyperextension that could affect his status for Week 1. |
 ARI at  GB |
Carson Beck |
TBD | Beck is still working through rib discomfort, and Mike LaFleur has left his availability for Friday undecided. |
| ARI at GB |
Most starters |
Out | Most Green Bay starters will sit after getting their final competitive work this week. |
 MIN at  DEN |
Kyler Murray |
Out | Kevin O'Connell plans to rest Minnesota's starters, including Murray, while the backup QB rotation remains unsettled. |
| MIN at DEN |
Bo Nix |
Expected out | Payton said Nix “probably won't play”, although Denver has not finalized every role for Friday. |
 DET at  IND |
Most starters |
Playing | Shane Steichen plans to give most starters eight to 12 snaps before turning the game over to the reserves. |
| DET at IND |
Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor |
Out | Jones and Taylor are the two notable exceptions to Indianapolis' starter plan and will sit Saturday. |
 CHI at  TEN |
Starters |
Expected to play | Saleh's published plan calls for 30-plus starter snaps; Tennessee has not announced a post-joint-practice change. |
Thursday, Aug. 27
Steelers vs. Bills lineup updates (7 p.m. ET)
Steelers: Mike McCarthy has not announced a complete starter plan for Pittsburgh. In the Steelers' latest camp update, McCarthy said he had not decided who would play or for how long, while Drew Allar said he was preparing as if he would start.
Bills: Josh Allen will not play, while Buffalo plans to use Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele at quarterback. Joe Brady has confirmed that both backups will see the field Thursday, with some other Bills starters also expected to get work.
➡️ Check out our full Steelers vs. Bills predictions.
Patriots vs. Browns lineup updates (8 p.m. ET)
Patriots: New England's top regulars are expected to sit. Browns coach Todd Monken said he and Mike Vrabel initially discussed giving their first units one or two series before deciding that both teams were too thin — particularly up front — to justify the extra exposure.
Browns: Cleveland's starters will sit, including Deshaun Watson. Shedeur Sanders won't play either, leaving Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green to handle the quarterback work.
➡️ Check out our full Patriots vs. Browns predictions.
49ers vs. Raiders lineup updates (8 p.m. ET)
49ers: Expect few, if any, San Francisco starters. Kyle Shanahan said he'd be surprised if any regular starters played, while leaving open the possibility of a couple of exceptions. The 49ers have a shortened turnaround before opening the regular season in Australia.
Raiders: Las Vegas has not announced a blanket participation plan for its starters, so its overall first-unit workload remains TBD. Ashton Jeanty is also worth monitoring after leaving Sunday's practice early; Kubiak said Tuesday that the running back was “on the mend”.
➡️ Check out our full 49ers vs. Raiders predictions.
Rams vs. Chargers lineup updates (10 p.m. ET)
Rams: Sean McVay has confirmed that rookie quarterback Ty Simpson will play. The Rams have not finalized whether Stetson Bennett IV will appear or exactly how the quarterback reps will be divided, with McVay also interested in finding an opportunity for Matthew Caldwell.
Chargers: Justin Herbert will start, with Jim Harbaugh targeting roughly six to nine plays for Herbert and the first-team offense. Khalil Mack and Derwin James Jr. will not play.
➡️ Check out our full Rams vs. Chargers predictions.
Friday, Aug. 28
Commanders vs. Ravens lineup updates (6 p.m. ET)
Commanders: Washington has treated its joint practice with Baltimore as the more important work for the starting units, while framing Friday's game as a final evaluation opportunity for players fighting for roster spots. The Commanders' own preview points toward Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman handling the quarterback work.
Ravens: Lamar Jackson will not play. Baltimore used Wednesday's joint practice as Jackson's final work against another defense before the regular season.
➡️ Check out our full Commanders vs. Ravens predictions.
Texans vs. Panthers lineup updates (7 p.m. ET)
Texans: Houston's starters will not play Friday after getting their meaningful work during Wednesday's joint practice with Carolina.
Panthers: Bryce Young and Carolina's starters will also sit. Canales said the first units took roughly 75% of the team snaps during Wednesday's joint practice. Haynes King remains unavailable with a hamstring injury, leaving Kenny Pickett and Kyle Trask to handle the quarterback work.
Falcons vs. Dolphins lineup updates (7 p.m. ET)
Falcons: Tua Tagovailoa will start against his former team as Atlanta gives its starters varying amounts of work. Michael Penix Jr. will not play despite recently returning to full-team drills; with only three full 11-on-11 practices behind him, the Falcons don't want to rush him into game action. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are also in line for quarterback reps.
Dolphins: Miami has not announced a blanket participation plan for its starters, leaving the broader first-unit workload TBD.
Buccaneers vs. Jaguars lineup updates (7:30 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers: Tampa Bay's starters and key regulars are expected to sit. The Bucs' official Thursday preview says the finale will instead serve largely as a final audition for players battling for the last spots on the 53-man roster.
Jaguars: Jacksonville is taking a similar approach. Liam Coen has consistently emphasized joint practices for his established players, and the Jaguars have said their starters are not expected to play Friday.
➡️ Check out our full Buccaneers vs. Jaguars predictions.
Giants vs. Jets lineup updates (7:30 p.m. ET)
Giants: Jaxson Dart's status remains TBD. Harbaugh has not committed to playing him in the finale, leaving the Giants with one of the week's more notable unresolved quarterback decisions.
Jets: Aaron Glenn has also stopped short of announcing a final starter plan. In the Jets' Thursday preview, Glenn was still described as weighing the “right decision” for his first units.
Saints vs. Cowboys lineup updates (8 p.m. ET)
Saints: Most New Orleans starters will not play. Moore said his first units logged 145 joint-practice snaps across sessions with Jacksonville, Dallas, and the Rams, giving him enough work to shut most of them down for the finale.
Cowboys: Dallas' backup quarterback competition remains unsettled. Brian Schottenheimer has not named a winner between Joe Milton III and Sam Howell, with the competition continuing into Friday's finale.
Seahawks vs. Chiefs lineup updates (8 p.m. ET)
Seahawks: Seattle's regular starters are expected to sit again after being held out of the team's first two preseason games. Seahawks.com noted this week that the starters “figure to do the same” Friday, especially with Seattle going from a Sunday preseason game to Friday's finale and then a Wednesday regular-season opener.
Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes will not play, with Garrett Nussmeier set to start at quarterback. Kansas City could still give brief work to some other offensive starters before turning the game over to its reserves.
➡️ Check out our full Seahawks vs. Chiefs predictions.
Bengals vs. Eagles lineup updates (8 p.m. ET)
Bengals: Cincinnati's starters will not play, including Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Chase hyperextended his left knee during Tuesday's practice and sat out Wednesday, although he downplayed the injury and said he would have been able to play if Cincinnati had a regular-season game.
Eagles: Philadelphia has not announced a detailed participation plan for its first unit. The team's own preview frames Friday's finale primarily as one last evaluation opportunity before roster cuts.
Cardinals vs. Packers lineup updates (8 p.m. ET)
Cardinals: Carson Beck remains TBD as he works back from the rib discomfort that has limited him since the Hall of Fame Game. Mike LaFleur said Beck's recent throwing session went well but stopped short of committing to him for Friday. LaFleur has likewise declined to make a blanket declaration on Arizona's other starters.
Packers: Most Green Bay starters will sit. Matt LaFleur had planned for the first units to get their final game reps in Denver before using Wednesday's joint practice with Arizona for their remaining competitive work.
Vikings vs. Broncos lineup updates (9 p.m. ET)
Vikings: Minnesota plans to rest its starters, including Kyler Murray. The quarterback plan behind Murray remains unsettled as J.J. McCarthy works through an ankle injury that kept him out of Wednesday's practice.
Broncos: Bo Nix is expected to sit. Payton said Nix “probably won't play”, although Denver had not finalized every role for the finale when the decision was discussed.
➡️ Check out our full Vikings vs. Broncos predictions.
Saturday, Aug. 29
Lions vs. Colts lineup updates (1 p.m. ET)
Lions: Detroit has not announced a defined starter workload for Saturday, so the first-unit plan remains TBD. The Lions are finishing their training-camp work with an intrasquad scrimmage Thursday before turning their attention to the finale.
Colts: Indianapolis plans to play most starters for roughly eight to 12 snaps. Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor will sit, while Anthony Richardson Sr. will start and play the first quarter before Riley Leonard takes over in the second.
Bears vs. Titans lineup updates (6 p.m. ET)
Bears: Chicago has not announced its final starter plan. Ben Johnson addressed the media before Thursday's joint practice with Tennessee, but the Bears have yet to commit publicly to a Saturday workload for Caleb Williams and the first unit.
Titans: Saleh's published preseason progression called for Tennessee's starters to play more than 30 snaps Saturday. The Titans have not announced a post-joint-practice change, so that remains the working plan rather than a fresh reconfirmation.
