2022 NFL Preseason Schedule Released: Opponents, Dates, Times and More

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

On the same day as the NFL schedule was released, the league also dropped the full preseason slate for all 32 teams. 

This year’s exhibition season will begin on Aug. 4 with the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars playing in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

The game will be a prelude to the 2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Aug. 6. Former Raiders standouts Cliff Branch and Richard Seymour and Jaguars legend Tony Boselli are among the inductees in this year’s class. 

Dates and times for every preseason game are still to be determined. 

Here’s the full schedule of preseason games that will be on national television or streaming, via NFL.com: 

Aug. 4: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (8 p.m. ET on NBC)

Aug. 18: Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (8 p.m. ET on ESPN)

Aug. 21: Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals (8 p.m. ET on FOX)

Aug. 22: Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Jets (8 p.m. ET on ESPN)

Aug. 25: San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans (8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime)

Aug. 28: Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (4:30 p.m. ET on CBS)

The Hall of Fame Game could be the first chance for fans to see the new-look Raiders offense, led by first-year head coach Josh McDaniels and newly acquired wide receiver Davante Adams, though it’s unclear if starters will play in that game. 

The Jaguars also have a lot at stake heading into this season. The Urban Meyer experiment was a disaster almost immediately. He was fired 13 games into the 2021 campaign with a 2-11 record. 

Doug Pederson is taking over as head coach in Jacksonville. The biggest task for him will be getting second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence on track. He tied for the NFL lead with 17 interceptions and had just 12 touchdown passes as a rookie. 

The Jaguars roster is expecting another boost from their 2022 rookie class, led by No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker. The Georgia alum was a surprise choice at that spot after recording just 9.5 sacks in three college seasons, but his physical traits could make him a much more impactful NFL player.

As was the case last year, the biggest storyline of the offseason centered around quarterback movement. 

Russell Wilson was the first major domino to fall in March when the Denver Broncos agreed to send a package including two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, Drew Lock, Shelby Harris and Noah Fant to the Seattle Seahawks for the nine-time Pro Bowler and a fourth-round pick. 

The addition of Wilson gave the AFC West arguably the most formidable group of starting quarterbacks any single division has had in NFL history. Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are established top-tier quarterbacks. Derek Carr threw for a career-high 4,804 yards last season without Adams, his college teammate at Fresno State, as his No. 1 wide receiver. 

Tom Brady initially retired on Feb. 1, but decided after 40 days that he was ready to return for a 23rd season and would return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Watson wasn’t charged by a grand jury amid allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual misconduct. He is still facing 22 civil lawsuits and a potential suspension from the NFL under the personal conduct policy. 

Cleveland’s decision to not only acquire Watson, but give him a fully guaranteed  five-year, $230 million contract was met with widespread criticism. 

One quarterback who made news without changing teams was Aaron Rodgers. The reigning two-time NFL MVP signed a new contract with the Green Bay Packers that will pay him $150.8 million over the next three years. 

Rodgers will be leading a Packers offense without his favorite target. Instead, the Packers added Sammy Watkins in free agency and Christian Watson with the No. 34 pick in the 2022 draft to replace Adams’ production. 

Given how carefully teams manage their quarterbacks throughout the preseason, it seems unlikely fans will get to see many of these players before the regular season. 

The quarterbacks to keep an eye on are the rookies. Kenny Pickett appears to be the only one with a straight line to the starting job after being selected No. 20 overall with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Desmond Ridder was the second quarterback selected, with the No. 74 overall pick by the Falcons. The Tennessee Titans may have drafted their quarterback of the future when they took Malik Willis in the third round. 

Matt Corral (No. 94 overall pick) could potentially challenge Sam Darnold to be the starter for the Carolina Panthers if he has a strong preseason. 

Enthusiasm is muted around the 2022 rookie quarterbacks. Willis is believed to have the highest ceiling of any signal-caller in this class. 

“The stretches work,” Pickett joked to reporters. “It’s the reason why I’ve been doing them. If it helped getting an eighth of an inch, I’ll take it.”