Can NFL preseason Week 1 losers turn it around? Outlooks for Shedeur Sanders, Tua Tagovailoa, Quinn Ewers

The preseason is just that: before anything really counts. As Aaron Rodgers said last week, "It's not real football."

And that may be true. Many teams not only rest their starters, but they avoid the "real football" Rodgers is talking about -- the exotic defensive looks, the full breadth and depth of the offensive playbook, etc. Rather, it's a time for evaluation of players, not plays, as teams try to figure out their roster.

But there's also an idea that while the games don't count, they do matter. They once even mattered for Rodgers, back when he was a young backup and starter. He's obviously long removed from those days, which may contribute to his disdain for the preseason now. But for those looking to make a roster, the preseason is one of their best chances to impress.

Plus, no one ever wants to look bad on a football field, preseason or not. That's especially true for those in a battle for a job or for playing time. And several players who fall into those categories failed to impress in preseason Week 1.

The good news is that there's still plenty of time. The season is still nearly a month away. Roster cut day is over two weeks away. A rough outing can be fixed with a good week of practice and a good preseason Week 2.

It can also be a sign of things to come. As such, we're looking at some preseason Week 1 losers and assessing their chances to make up for it.

Tua Tagovailoa and the Atlanta Falcons

I've already given my thoughts on the Falcons being a major Week 1 loser, given their Friday consisted of ...

• the NFL suspending James Pearce Jr. for eight games (roughly a week after their other 2025 first-round EDGE, Jalon Walker, tore his ACL);
• Tua Tagovailoa fumbling his second snap of the game and generally underwhelming;
• losing 27-7 to the Broncos, who completely their way with both teams' starters on the field (even though Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle didn't play);
• and, finally, getting dumped on by Sean Payton for having no fans.

The Falcons are still without Michael Penix Jr. in game settings as his knee rehab continues, meaning Tagovailoa is the de-facto QB1 in a pretty dismal quarterback competition. None of Tagovailoa's five throws went more than 4 yards downfield. He posted a -0.442 EPA per dropback. Obviously it is a teeny, tiny sample size, but the worst EPA per dropback last year was Cam Ward at -0.15.

The Falcons will be better than this. If they look like this, they'd be the worst team in NFL history, which I don't anticipate happening. But this is a glimpse at what it could be like this year. Neither Tagovailoa nor Penix were even ready, physically, to open training camp, leaving Atlanta with two healthy quarterbacks: Veteran Cooper Rush and UDFA Jack Strand. Both of their quarterback options struggle to stay healthy and struggle even when healthy.

The sad thing is there is a lot of talent here: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, a good offensive line, some promising young defenders around stud veteran safety Jessie Bates III. But this team is still paying for the sins of the last regime, and will be doing so all season.

Chances to bounce back: Medium, but the ceiling is so low given the quarterback situation and the defensive absences that it probably won't matter. If anything, Penix is a big winner here.

Shedeur Sanders

The Browns as a whole could be lumped in here, but it was to be expected that Cleveland would have major growing pains this year. Shedeur Sanders' first disappointment was not earning the start, which went to Deshaun Watson. Todd Monken has maintained he wants both players to get a start this preseason, but Watson getting the first one is a boost for him.

Watson was fine. The baseline stats -- 11-for-15 (with two drops), 126 yards, one sack, three rushes for 4 yards -- aren't special, but they're fine. He wasn't asked to do much and still has pocket presence issues, but he led both of the team's only scoring drives. He didn't hurt his cause too much.

Sanders did. He went 6-for-11 for 79 yards and an awful pick on a throw he said "slipped."

After the game, Todd Monken said it was "awesome" to see Watson play. Watson has been first in line in every practice rep since the spring, per The Athletic's Zac Jackson, and has improved during camp (though it's still not particularly pretty).

Chances to bounce back: Medium. Sanders has his work cut out for him in a joint practice and preseason Week 2 matchup with the Bills. Time is beginning to run short to be the Week 1 starter, but I'd expect both Watson and Sanders to play a lot this year regardless.

Deshaun Watson outplays Shedeur Sanders in preseason opener, but Browns QB battle leaves plenty to be desired

Jordan Dajani

Cam Ward

Cam Ward's numbers weren't particularly flattering: 5-for-12 for 57 yards, translating to a rough 4.8 yards per attempt. Plus, 56 of his 57 yards came via YAC, and he had a potential interception dropped.

Ward, who showed positive signs down the stretch of last year, was mostly tasked with getting the ball out quickly. Again, this is where the preseason is a balance of putting your players in a position to succeed while not calling your best plays. The Titans produced a 95-yard touchdown drive on their opening series. Their second series was derailed by an intentional grounding penalty -- better to have those in the preseason than the regular season -- and the third series wasn't inspiring at all. A Wan'Dale Robinson drop could have changed that, though.

There are still concerns about Ward's accuracy, mechanics and ability to manage the pocket. But one game into a new system with several new top targets -- all while running a vanilla playbook -- isn't time to be overly worried.

Chances to bounce back: High. It will still take time given all the newness, and preseason Week 1 showed that. Expect improvements heading into and during the regular season.

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Tyler Sullivan

Mike LaFleur and the Arizona Cardinals

In a game that doesn't count for anything, Mike LaFleur gave Jeremiyah Love 14 touches, the last of which resulted in a high ankle sprain that will likely keep him out the rest of the preseason and has put his Week 1 availability in doubt.

Keep in mind, the Cardinals also lost second-round pick Chase Bisontis (knee) for the entire season during the game, had third-round pick Carson Beck (ribs) sitting out and had already lost fourth-round pick Kaleb Proctor (knee) for the season.

LaFleur had his reasons for giving Love a heavy workload, but they frankly weren't good enough. Now a first-time head coach, entering what is already expected to be a very difficult season, is dealing with an injury to a top player that never should have happened.

Chances to bounce back: High for LaFleur, who has likely already learned a valuable lesson. Medium for Love, as high ankle sprains often result in decreased production in the first few weeks back, and he's also missing out on crucial practice reps.

Quinn Ewers

It's been a tough fall for Quinn Ewers, once a prized recruit, then the face of one of the nation's premier college football programs (Texas) who won multiple CFP games and now a backup without much hope to be more than that with the Dolphins. The 2025 second-round pick got three starts at the end of last year, but with a new regime moving in from Green Bay, he quickly, predictably reverted to backup status when Malik Willis arrived.

With a chance to at least impress as Willis' backup, Ewers went 1-for-8 for 27 yards with an interception and a sack. Yes, that's one completion on eight attempts. Ewers was the victim of multiple drops and also had miscommunications, but this isn't what you want to see:

Chances of bouncing back: Medium. He'll still be Willis' backup, only playing if Willis gets hurt. But in terms of being an NFL starter or even a high-end backup, the chances keep getting lower.