2026 NFL preseason Week 2: Game takeaways, analysis

ByNFL Nation ESPN logo

Friday, August 21, 2026 5:25AM

Week 2 of the2026 NFL preseason kicked off Thursday, giving us more insight into position battles and the push to make 53-man rosters before the cut-down deadline Aug. 30. Action began with two games Thursday, and that will be followed by three games Friday, 10 on Saturday and the first Sunday night game of the season to wrap things up.

What are the biggest questions for the teams after each game? What have we learned about how depth charts are shaping up? And what solutions could present themselves based on preseason play in Week 2?

Our NFL Nation reporters picked out what you need to know about big roster decisions and more coming off Week 2 of the preseason.

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Thursday's games

49ers 41, Chargers 17

49ers:What is the state of the receiver and guard depth charts?The battle for receiver roster spots has been hard to decipher, but Jacob Cowing helped his cause significantly Thursday night due to his special teams contributions. Cowing returned a punt 83 yards for a score and is the most reliable punt-return option on the roster. That should help him land on the initial 53, even if it means saying goodbye to a more proven veteran.

Elsewhere, it's still unclear if the Niners have a starting-caliber left guard, with rookie Carver Willis getting the start against the Chargers. Willis, Connor Colby and Robert Jones have been competing for that spot but none of them have done enough to separate from the others. Austen Pleasants also entered the mix Thursday, creating more questions at the position.--Nick Wagoner

Next game: atLas Vegas Raiders(Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited)

Chargers:Is Jake Slaughter ready to be the starting center?The biggest news of the week for the Chargers was the injury to center Tyler Biadasz, who suffered an ACL injury to his left knee on Tuesday and is out indefinitely.

That means Slaughter, a second-round rookie, will likely begin the season as the Chargers' starting center, where he played all his college snaps. He got his first shot at that job on Thursday night, playing nine snaps. He allowed zero pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.--Kris Rhim

Next game: vs.Los Angeles Rams(Aug. 27, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network)

Raiders 22, Texans 20

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Raiders:How much confidence do the Raiders have in their secondary?Las Vegas' secondary has potential, but will that lead to success in 2026? Second-year cornerback Darien Porter is still learning the position after spending most of his college career as a wide receiver. He started 10 games as a rookie, but he has a lot more growing to do. Fourth-round rookie corner Jermod McCoy hasn't played football in more than a year because of a knee injury, so it will take time before he feels like his true self. Fifth-round rookie cornerHezekiah Massesis also learning. Second-round safety Treydan Stukes has the best chance of making a positive impact as a rookie, but the Raiders are taking his development slowly because they are asking him to play deep safety and nickel.

The Raiders have struggled in coverage in two preseason games. Cardinals quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II combined for 16 straight completions in the first half last week, and Texans backup Davis Mills completed 11 of 15 passes for 93 yards in the first half Thursday night. The Raiders' young secondary could be quite good in a season or two, but asking it to fix last season's pass-coverage issues immediately might be too tall a task.--Ryan McFadden

Next game: vs.San Francisco 49ers(Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited)

Texans:What will Houston's offensive line eventually look like?Houston's starting tackles Thursday were Trent Brown and Aireontae Ersery. First-round pick Keylan Rutledge started at left guard instead of center, where he has played for most of training camp, andEvan Brown took first-team snaps instead. Ed Ingram started at right guard, leaving two free agent signees (right tackle Braden Smith and guard Wyatt Teller) running with the second unit.

The Texans signed Smith to a two-year, $20 million deal and Teller to a two-year, $16 million contract, with the expectation that both would start and boost the team's frequently problematic offensive line. So how will Houston decide which linemen to start Week 1? And do the Texans want $36 million worth of offseason signings on their backup unit?--DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: atCarolina Panthers(Aug. 28, 7 p.m. ET)