AP Photo/Chris Carlson
The 2023 NFL season is getting closer after the league released the full preseason schedule for all 32 teams.
As is tradition, the preseason slate will begin on Aug. 3 with the Cleveland Browns playing the New York Jets in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
While there will certainly be a lot of attention on the Jets, fans hoping to get their first glimpse of Aaron Rodgers in green and white will likely be disappointed. The four-time NFL MVP hasn't played in a preseason game since 2018.
Here's the full list of preseason contests that will be on national television:
Aug. 3: Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets (8 p.m. ET on NBC)
Aug. 21: Baltimore Ravens at Washington Commanders (8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Aug. 24: Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles (8 p.m. ET on Prime)
Aug. 25: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers (8 p.m. ET on CBS)
Aug. 27: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints (8 p.m. ET on Fox)
Full team-by-team preseason schedule available at NFL.com.
The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will open their 2023 exhibition schedule against the New Orleans Saints.
Things in the AFC look extremely competitive on paper, with the Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens all potential contenders for the Lombardi Trophy.
The Ravens have to be feeling good about things after finally working out a long-term extension with Lamar Jackson in April.
There are other potential sleeper teams in the AFC, like the Denver Broncos, that could rebound after a rough 2022 season. They still have a lot of talent and should be much better at fundamental things that were missing last year with Sean Payton taking over as head coach.
Even though the Chiefs are bringing back virtually every key contributor from their title team after having an outstanding rookie class in 2022, the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles look like they have a much easier path to getting back to the big game.
The NFC behind the Eagles is a mess right now. The Dallas Cowboys are probably the second-best team, but their big decision to upgrade the offense was to let head coach Mike McCarthy take over as the play-caller.
The San Francisco 49ers, who lost to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, might be the biggest wild card in the NFL right now. They signed Javon Hargrave away from Philadelphia in free agency to boost a defense that finished first in yards and points allowed per game last season.
But all of the attention in preseason for the 49ers is going to be at quarterback. Brock Purdy's recovery from elbow surgery would seem to have opened the door for Trey Lance to get back in the mix for a starting role, but signing Sam Darnold in free agency has led to speculation he might take significant snaps during the season.
The New Orleans Saints are banking on Derek Carr to get them back to the playoffs in an NFC South that didn't have a team finish over .500 last season.
After all the player movement in trades last year resulted in additional intrigue in the preseason to see how new faces would look in their new surroundings, there weren't as many big moves outside of the Rodgers deal.
However, there's still going to be a big spotlight on a number of players this preseason, particularly the rookies. No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young's first game with the Carolina Panthers will be against the New York Jets.
The Houston Texans will unveil their rookie class, led by C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., and new head coach DeMeco Ryans against the New England Patriots.
Anderson's development, especially, is going to be a critical storyline to follow this season. The Texans gave up a lot to the Arizona Cardinals to move back up to No. 3 to select the Alabama star.
Mina Kimes @minakimesOn one hand, if Will Anderson is incredible, no one will care in three years.<br><br>But let's say the Texans struggle this year nonetheless. How good would Will Anderson have to be to be worth picks 12, 33, and--let's say--a top ten pick next year? <a href="https://t.co/L67W9Pc354">https://t.co/L67W9Pc354</a>
Even with the additions of Stroud and Anderson, the Texans still have a deeply flawed roster and could end up sending a top-10 pick to the Cardinals in next year's draft.
Perhaps the most intriguing rookie to watch is going to be Anthony Richardson for the Indianapolis Colts. The Florida alum will likely make his NFL debut against the Buffalo Bills.
The Colts haven't announced who their starting quarterback will be to open the season, but owner Jim Irsay told NFL Network's Judy Battista after the draft the 20-year-old will start at some point in 2023.
Whether it's Richardson or Gardner Minshew under center in Week 1, this will mark the eighth consecutive year the Colts have had a different starting QB from the previous season.
Staying in the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans might have a quarterback competition before too long. Ryan Tannehill is the incumbent starter entering the final season of his contract, but they traded up to draft Will Levis with the second pick in the second round (No. 33 overall).
Fans will get their first look at how Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is going to handle things at quarterback in Week 1 of the preseason against the Chicago Bears.
These are just a few of the many storylines for all 32 teams that will be worth paying close attention to when the preseason schedule begins on Aug. 3.
