NFL joint practice primer: One thing to watch from every team participating ahead of Week 2 of the preseason

Joint practices are all the rage in the NFL these days. While fans can argue that it hurts the preseason product because all the stars get most of their work done during these sessions, teams view this as an invaluable piece of their preparation for the regular season. There, they can better simulate specific situations while going up against a true opponent.  

Already, clubs have come together across the country to share the practice field, but it's about to expand significantly leading into Week 2 of the preseason. In all, 22 teams will be taking part in a joint practice before the second week of exhibitions. Initially, it was supposed to be 24 teams, but the Chargers and Rams canceled their session due to injuries mounting with the Chargers. In any event, we're going to highlight all of these sessions (excluding Tennessee and Atlanta's joint practice that has already occurred) and identify one item to watch for each club. 

New York Giants and New York Jets

• When: Tuesday and Wednesday
• Location: Florham Park, NJ (Aug. 12), East Rutherford, NJ (Aug. 13)

One Giants item to watch for: Does Jaxson Dart continue to surge? Dart was wildly impressive in his preseason debut last week, and I ranked him as the top rookie QB to step onto the field over the weekend. As he continues to look to endear himself to the Giants coaching staff, he'll go up against one of the toughest defenses in the league in the Jets. If he can perform well against a unit that was tied for the second-fewest yards per play allowed in the league last season, his stock will only continue to skyrocket. 

One Jets item to watch for: How does the young O-line fare against Giants front? The Jets have invested quite a bit along the offensive line in recent years. Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (2021), tackle Olu Fashanu (2024) and tackle Armand Membou (2025) are all former first-round picks and will be tested this week against a highly talented front of the Giants. Similarly, New York (Giants) have deployed first-round picks on the D-line like Kayvon Thibodeaux (2022), Dexter Lawrence (2019), and Abdul Carter (2025). They also have Brian Burns, so this will be quite the battle in the trenches. 

Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles

• When: Wednesday
• Location: Philadelphia

One Browns item to watch for: Will Shedeur Sanders get meaningful reps? Sanders was arguably the biggest story to come out of Week 1 of the preseason. After getting the start and performing well, the perception is that he has created some momentum for himself to possibly move up the depth chart. But is that the reality? Checking in to see if he gets any work with the first-team offense during this period will be telling. 

One Eagles item to watch for: Josh Uche vs. Azeez Ojulari battle. While Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are Philadelphia's top two pass rushers, there's an interesting battle for who is the third man up in that unit. Ojulari was penciled in as the third option throughout the offseason, but reports out of Philly note he's been quiet during camp. Conversely, Uche has impressed and has seen time with the first team when Smith and/or Hunt have been off the field. If Uche flashes against the Browns, it'll keep his summer surge going. 

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Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions

• When: Wednesday
• Location: Allen Park, MI

One Dolphins item to watch for: How does the secondary hold up vs. Lions receivers? Miami has seen a lot of turnover in the secondary. Jevon Holland left in free agency, and Jalen Ramsey was traded to Pittsburgh, while Kader Kohou suffered a season-ending ACL tear. That said, head coach Mike McDaniel did note that corner Cam Smith and safety Dante Trader Jr. -- who have both been sidelined due to injury -- will participate in Michigan this week. They'll be tested going up against the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. 

One Lions item to watch for: How does the offense look? One of the storylines coming out of Lions camp has been a rather sluggish look from the offense. Given that Ben Johnson left the organization this offseason for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, seeing the offense struggle a bit out of the gate this summer isn't exactly the most encouraging sign. That said, it'll have an opportunity to ease some of those concerns when it goes up against the Dolphins. While Miami has seen key figures either leave this offseason or get hurt during camp, it would still be nice to see the Lions show out against a different NFL defense other than their own. 

New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings

• When: Wednesday
• Location: Eagan, MN

One Patriots item to watch for: Can the O-line handle Vikings pass rush? This reshaped offensive line will be tested against an extremely talented Vikings pass rush. Last season, Minnesota was fourth in the NFL in sacks and sixth in the league in pressure rate. Specifically, how rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson handle this pressure will be the key storyline. They are earmarked to start at left tackle and left guard, tasked with protecting Drake Maye's blindside. If they hold up in this spot, it provides optimism that the unit won't face the issue it did a season ago, where Maye was running for his life. 

One Vikings item to watch for: J.J. McCarthy continuing to gear up as full-time starter. On paper, New England's defense looks like it's going to be pretty good in 2025. While McCarthy won't have to worry about going against All-Pro corner Christian Gonzalez during the joint practice as he's dealing with injury, there are still plenty of pieces that could make his life difficult, including defensive tackle Milton Williams. McCarthy was passable in his brief preseason showing over the weekend, but how he does with a longer leash here against the Patriots will be worth keeping an eye on. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers

• When: Thursday
• Location: Pittsburgh

One Buccaneers item to watch for: Will Emeka Egbuka continue to shine? The Buccaneers first-round rookie receiver has been drawing rave reviews throughout the summer. He logged just one catch in the preseason opener, but it was a contested 21-yard reception, so his stock continues to rise. It's unclear how many targets he'll carve out in a crowded Tampa Bay wide receiver room, but if he puts together some eye-popping catches against the Steelers, he may force the issue. 

One Steelers item to watch for: Can Aaron Rodgers build chemistry with his pass catchers? Rodgers didn't participate in Pittsburgh's preseason opener, and it's unclear if he'll play at all this summer. That puts even more of an emphasis on him to see extended time against the Buccaneers, so he can further build a rapport with his pass catchers in the closest thing he'll get to game action. Reports out of Steeler camp have suggested that Rodgers and Metcalf have slowly started to gain chemistry. If they can connect against the Bucs, that may suggest they'll be able to hit the ground running once the regular season rolls around. 

Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos

• When: Thursday
• Location: Englewood, CO

One Cardinals item to watch for: How does Kyler Murray look vs. stout Broncos defense? Even though Murray completed all but one of his eight throws in Arizona's preseason opener, the miss was a doozy. After rolling out to his left, Murray set his feet, delivered a throw intended for Marvin Harrison Jr., but it was way short and picked off. The inability to get the ball down the field was alarming. How alarming it may be could be determined by whether or not he can rebound against a very good Broncos defense during the joint practice. 

One Broncos item to watch for: Marvin Mims. This offseason, Denver brought in skill position players like tight end Evan Engram and rookie running back RJ Harvey. They have garnered most of the attention throughout the summer, but I have my eyes on Mims. He emerged down the stretch last season and is set to be the WR2 opposite of Courtland Sutton. I'd monitor his rapport with Bo Nix and see if he makes any splash plays against the Cardinals secondary. 

Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans

• When: Thursday
• Location: Houston

One Panthers item to watch for: Can Jalen Coker push for playing time? Coker is coming off a solid preseason showing in the opener, where he caught two of his four targets for 17 yards, including a five-yard touchdown from Bryce Young. The Panthers have a crowded receiver room, but when asked if Coker is on the bubble this week, head coach Dave Canales said if "he keeps showing us like that, he's gonna be on the field playing." A strong showing against the Texans should further solidify the former undrafted free agent's status. 

One Texans item to watch for: How does the backfield look? Joe Mixon continues to be sidelined with a foot/ankle injury, and veteran backup Nick Chubb has just returned after dealing with a concussion. It remains to be seen if Chubb takes part in the joint session against Carolina or the preseason exhibition, but how this unit looks will be a situation to monitor. Last week, Dare Ogunbowale got the start and rushed for 29 yards on five carries. 

Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts

• When: Thursday
• Location: Westfield, IN

One Packers item to watch for: How is Matthew Golden progressing? The Packers will be without starting quarterback Jordan Love as he recovers from a procedure done on his left thumb. That said, one key piece on offense worth watching is first-round rookie Matthew Golden. He caught Love's long completion in the preseason opener and has been making waves throughout camp. If he continues this against a revamped Colts secondary, it'll only add more people to the hype train, especially with Malik Willis now throwing him the football. 

One Colts item to watch for: Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones continues. The Indianapolis QB battle wages on, despite a lackluster showing last week with Richardson departing due to a dislocated pinky and Jones not exactly lighting the world on fire when he stepped in. While most of us will only be able to see these QBs perform in the preseason, someone could pull away during their reps in this joint practice. Can Richardson stay healthy long enough to state his case? Or can Jones flash and give the offense some stability under center? Someone has to win this job, right? 

San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders

• When: Thursday
• Location: Henderson, NV

One 49ers item to watch for: Can Ricky Pearsall hold up the WR room? San Francisco's wide receiver room is already pretty banged up. On top of Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from his torn ACL, Jauan Jennings has been on the shelf with a calf injury as well. This puts a ton of pressure on the 2024 first-rounder to keep this unit afloat until reinforcements arrive. Reports out of the Bay Area have highlighted the chemistry Pearsall and Brock Purdy have developed this summer, and if he shows out against the Raiders, the Niners will be able to exhale just a bit. 

One Raiders item to watch for: How does Ashton Jeanty fare against 49ers run defense? Jeanty's preseason debut was a dud, as the first-round rookie rushed for -1 yard on three carries. He'll have an opportunity to bounce back during joint practice against the 49ers, who allowed fellow rookie RJ Harvey to rush for 25 yards in his brief showing last week with the Broncos. 

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Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears

• When: Friday
• Location: Lake Forest, IL

One Bills item to watch for: Does James Cook participate? The Bills running back had been holding in throughout the summer, but was back on the field to begin the week. Getting him on the field against the Bears should do wonders in shaking off the rust and getting him up to speed before the start of the regular season. 

One Bears item to watch for: Is Caleb Williams advancing in Ben Johnson's offense? The Bears quarterback has reportedly had an up-and-down summer as he learns his new head coach's offense. He particularly struggled in the team's in-stadium practice a few weeks ago. Williams did not play in the preseason opener, so this joint practice (Chicago's second of the summer) will be a valuable time to see how he's progressing in what is the closest thing he's gotten to a game setting.