2025 NFL preseason, Week 1: What We Learned from Thursday's tripleheader 

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• READ: Colts QB Richardson day to day with dislocated pinky
• READ: Ravens RB Mitchell shines in preseason opener

Grant Gordon's takeaways:

1. Mitchell looks all the way back. With a dash of burst and a surge of explosiveness, Keaton Mitchell was a dynamo in the making as a rookie in 2023. All that optimism went to the wayside when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. After seeing sparse snaps in 2024, Mitchell’s first 2025 preseason showing -- nine carries for 68 yards (7.6 average) with a 22-yard touchdown -- was a solid statement. He looked tough on some early carries and then bounced right to the outside and weaved for a 23-yard gain in the first quarter. Two plays later, he got loose for his TD. If Mitchell, who also had three kick returns for 64 yards, is indeed all the way back, he’ll push Justice Hill for playing time behind Derrick Henry and could be a stellar change-of-pace option to King Henry. His fellow RB/KR, Rasheen Ali, also had a TD and some burst. The backfield is strong in Baltimore.
2. Colts’ first-round TE makes good first impression. Though the biggest news for Indianapolis Thursday was the early exit of 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson, perhaps the brightest news was the first showing of 2025 first-rounder Tyler Warren. Warren played, ran and caught hard. His first catch was on a screen and he bulled for seven yards, though it was negated by a penalty. Then he caught a ball for six yards over the middle in traffic from Richardson. Daniel Jones threw his first pass of the game to Warren, as well, this one going for 11. Obviously, it’s just a sample size, but Warren portends to be a very important cog in the Colts offense from the jump.  

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• READ: Burrow downplays preseason performance: 'Today was average'

Grant Gordon's takeaways:

1. Burrow, Chase start fast. Looking to remedy the ills of past slow starts to the regular season, the Bengals sent Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and their big hitters out for the preseason opener. They looked to be in prime form, as Burrow played the opening two drives and hit tight end Tanner Hudson and Chase for touchdowns. Preseason or not, Burrow was brilliant in completing nine of his 10 passes for 123 yards in just the third preseason game of his career. All told, he played 15 snaps, which equaled the amount he’d turned in throughout all his previous years -- which saw him limited due to the pandemic, appendix surgery and a calf injury, along with coaching decisions to sit him. His go-to target and the NFL’s reigning triple crown receiver, Chase, was likewise marvelous. Chase hauled in four of Burrow’s passes on just as many targets for 77 yards and a 36-yard score (he had a 6-yard catch in the end zone on the first drive, but it was called back on a chop block, giving way to Hudson’s TD). It was Chase’s first preseason action since his 2021 rookie season. Whether their preseason snaps will lead to a fast start is the focus. Burrow’s 1-9 record as a starter in Weeks 1-2 in the second-worst by any signal-caller (minimum 10 starts) since 1950, according to NFL Research. So far, Thursday night provided some highlights. We’ll see if it provides some future victories.
2. McKee solidifies standing as Hurts’ backup. Tanner McKee captained an Eagles offensive machine on Thursday night, leading Philadelphia to scores on five of his six drives, capping four with touchdowns. Since his rookie year of 2023, McKee has looked good enough in the preseason to earn a groundswell of backing from Eagles fans to be Jalen Hurts’ backup. Whether it was Marcus Mariota or Kenny Pickett who was the No. 2, McKee had his supporters. The job is his now and he showed out from the start of the preseason opener. Before handing QB duties to Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the third quarter, McKee completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two scores while adding a 1-yard tush push for six. His highlights were plenty, but the most impressive was a beautiful ball to Darius Cooper for a TD with just 35 seconds left in the first half, his second scoring pass in less than a minute. Doing much of his work against Bengals defensive starters was another feather in his helmet -- and cause for concern for Cincy.

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• READ: Horton hype train builds steam with TD in debut

Christian Gonzales' takeaways:

1. Seahawks RB, WR take advantage of opportunity. With Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III and other offensive starters not playing in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Raiders, second-year running back George Holani and rookie wideout Tory Horton shined. In the first quarter, Holani had seven carries for 61 yards (8.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. The former Boise State RB and teammate of the Raiders' Ashton Jeanty bounced outside toward the sideline and showcased his quick feet as he was shoved near the end zone and initially ruled out. Fortunately for Holani, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald challenged the play and Holani got the 24-yard touchdown. Meanwhile, the training camp hype surrounding Horton came to fruition Thursday night. Drew Lock certainly wanted to get Horton involved, as the fifth-round pick received seven targets. Horton’s moment came in the second quarter when he somehow managed to slip past two Raiders defenders and did a quick spin to avoid Chris Smith for a 10-yard TD. Horton finished the night with three catches for 31 yards and a score.
2. Raiders' preseason debuts fall flat. In his return to Seattle, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith had a forgettable, albeit very brief, showing. To begin the Raiders’ first drive, Smith completed his first pass to Tre Tucker for 15 yards. On the next play, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty got a 3-yard gain. After that, Smith’s night was over following two straight incompletions. As for Jeanty, he played the next series and was met by Seattle’s defensive line every time he touched the ball. The No. 6 overall pick from April’s draft recorded three carries for -1 rushing yard. Las Vegas trailed, 16-3, at halftime against head coach Pete Carroll and Smith's former squad. It wasn't a memorable debut for Smith or Jeanty, but then again, the Raiders did rally to tie it, and it’s only the preseason, so no need to panic in Vegas just yet.