NFL Preseason Week 1: The Rookies Who Turned Heads

The wait is over. After six months without football, all 32 teams took the field for the first week of the 2026 preseason, and while most stars watched from the sideline in baseball caps, the games belonged to someone else entirely: the rookies. The 2026 draft class got its first taste of NFL action, and a handful of first-year players did more than just show up. They announced themselves. Here is what we learned about the most-watched rookies from an opening weekend that lived up to the hype.

Fernando Mendoza Looked the Part in Las Vegas

All eyes were on Allegiant Stadium for the debut of the number one overall pick, and Fernando Mendoza did not disappoint. The Raiders quarterback completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown with zero turnovers in his first professional action, taking over after veteran Kirk Cousins handled the opening drive. The highlight was a six-yard scoring strike to Jack Bech in the second quarter, the kind of decisive, accurate throw that made Mendoza the consensus top prospect in the class.

It was not flawless. Mendoza was pressured on nearly 39 percent of his dropbacks and struggled when the pocket collapsed, a reminder that even a polished rookie has NFL speed to adjust to. But the poise was evident, and Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak praised how his rookie handled a heavy game plan, noting that Mendoza executed the way he does in practice rather than freezing up when the lights came on. For a first look, it was exactly the kind of outing that keeps the excitement building in Las Vegas, where the Cousins-to-Mendoza bridge plan is officially underway.

Jeremiyah Love Was Electric Before an Early Exit

If Mendoza was steady, Jeremiyah Love was electric. The Cardinals running back and number three overall pick made his preseason debut against the Raiders after sitting out the Hall of Fame Game, and it took him only a quarter to show why Arizona spent premium capital on him. Love piled up 14 touches for roughly 72 total yards, but the box score undersells it. He made a pair of Raiders defenders miss on a third-down conversion, then hurdled clean over a defender on a draw play, the kind of highlight that goes viral before halftime.

The one sour note was an ankle tweak that ended his night early and is expected to keep him out of the next preseason game. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur downplayed the severity, and the team is expected to have him ready for the regular-season opener. For a back drafted to be the centerpiece of a new-look Arizona offense, the flashes were more than enough to validate the pick, even if the durability question is worth monitoring.

Ty Simpson Was the Surprise of the Weekend

Not every standout was a top-five pick. The most polished rookie quarterback performance of the weekend arguably belonged to Ty Simpson, the Rams’ first-round selection at number 13, who completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Chiefs. Facing a live pass rush for the first time as a pro, Simpson settled in after a slow start and delivered a remarkably sharp outing, posting a 125.0 passer rating and showing the poise to operate on the move as Sean McVay tested him with rollouts and tight-window throws.

Simpson landed in an enviable situation, sitting behind veteran Matthew Stafford with no pressure to play before he is ready. But a debut like this one accelerates the timeline of the conversation, and he made a real case to climb the depth chart sooner rather than later. In a quarterback class that was thin at the top, Simpson’s performance was a reminder that draft position and pro readiness do not always move in lockstep.

Drew Allar Stole the Show in Pittsburgh

With Aaron Rodgers resting against his former team, the Steelers handed extended run to their young quarterbacks, and third-round rookie Drew Allar seized the moment. The former Penn State standout led Pittsburgh to three touchdowns in a 28-9 win over the Packers, including a 74-yard catch-and-run connection with fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen and a three-yard rushing score on a read-option keeper two plays later. For a Day 2 pick in a crowded room, it was the kind of debut that forces a coaching staff to take notice.

Allar’s night is a useful case study in why preseason reps matter so much for rookies outside the first round. A highly drafted quarterback gets time; a third-rounder has to make his own. Allar did exactly that, turning limited opportunity into the loudest rookie showing of Thursday’s slate and giving Steelers fans a genuine reason to pay attention to the quarterback room behind Rodgers.

The Ohio State and Two-Way Stories to Watch

Not every debut was a triumph, and that is part of the value of preseason football. Fourth overall pick Carnell Tate, the latest in Ohio State’s remarkable pipeline of first-round receivers, had a quiet night, failing to haul in any of his three targets against the 49ers while catching passes from a struggling Cam Ward. It was a forgettable line, but a single quiet preseason game means little for a receiver of Tate’s pedigree, and the Buckeye track record suggests patience is warranted.

The most fascinating rookie storyline remains Travis Hunter, the two-way star whose usage is unlike anyone else’s in football. Hunter continues to log snaps on both offense and defense, the experiment the Jaguars promised when they traded up for him, and how Jacksonville manages his workload will be one of the defining subplots of the season. For a player attempting something the modern NFL has essentially never seen sustained over a full year, every rep is a data point worth tracking.

The Quarterback Battles Took Shape

Preseason Week 1 is also where the summer’s position battles start to resolve, and a few came into sharper focus. In Cleveland, the Browns’ quarterback competition tilted toward veteran Deshaun Watson, who played a clean, conservative game while rookie-season signal-caller Shedeur Sanders struggled through the third quarter, finishing 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception. The rooms in Las Vegas and elsewhere will keep sorting themselves out, but the first live reps gave coaches real evidence to weigh rather than the controlled looks of practice.

That is ultimately what makes this weekend so valuable. The games do not count, the starters barely play, and the final scores are forgotten by Monday. But for the rookies trying to prove they belong, and for the fans dreaming on what a new favorite might become, preseason Week 1 is the first real glimpse of the future. Some of these first-year players will fade; others are the breakout stars of tomorrow. The fun is in watching it start to sort itself out.

The Bottom Line

The 2026 rookie class passed its first test with flying colors, led by Fernando Mendoza’s poised debut, Jeremiyah Love’s electric flashes, and a pair of surprise standouts in Ty Simpson and Drew Allar. There are cautionary notes too, from Love’s ankle to Tate’s quiet night, and a full slate of position battles still to be decided. But the overriding takeaway from preseason Week 1 is that this rookie class arrived ready to make noise, and the coming weeks will only raise the stakes as the regular season draws near.