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The NFL preseason is like a war re-enactment or a wedding rehearsal: It’s not real, but you should still pay attention. Today:
- 🤝 Falcons’ new additions
- 🔥 Preseason standouts
- 🎙 Dianna on draft-day drama
- 💰 Could Dak fetch $60M?
Atlanta’s Fired Up: And so are Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons
On back to back days last week, the Falcons acquired veteran stars in pass rusher Matthew Judon (via New England) and Justin Simmons (formerly in Denver). Josh Kendall explored why they are thrilled in Atlanta. Two things stood out:
1. There’s no contract controversy with Judon. “We didn’t want to have some of those unfortunate situations other teams have,” said HC Raheem Morris, who ensured Judon would be happy in Atlanta without a new contract before acquiring him. “Other teams” of course means the Jets, who are still without holdout Haason Reddick after trading a 2026 third-round pick for him.
2. Simmons was sold after the Falcons added Judon. “We were already in talks so when the Judon thing happened. I pretty much called my agent and said, ‘We’ve got to get this done,’” the 30-year-old safety remarked, adding “I didn’t want to go to a spot where they just know they are going to walk into the playoffs. These guys here are hungry.” Like Judon, Simmons is on a one-year deal that gives both the team and player flexibility.
Entering the twilight of their careers, both Judon and Simmons were impressive when last on the field. With an on-paper roster that could contend for an NFC title, all that’s left is for Kirk Cousins to win in the playoffs.
Preseason Standouts: Remember these names
With the preseason concluding this weekend, a few names have emerged as standouts. These are players you’ll want to watch:
Rams WR Jordan Whittington. After Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the player expected to fill the WR3 role was Demarcus Robinson. Whittington, the sixth-round rookie, might change that. In four quarters of preseason action, he has 11 catches and 126 yards, plus strong run blocking. To see if he passes your eye test, watch every target from last weekend.
Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey. As mentioned in Monday’s newsletter, Aubrey — a former Major League Soccer player turned All-Pro rookie kicker — continues to shine after leading the NFL in field goals made (36) last season. After he hit a 66-yarder this weekend, Jon Machota asked him about the longest kick he’s hit: Yes, he has made a 70-yarder “messing around on his own.”
49ers WR Jacob Cowing. As Matt Barrows writes, the 49ers’ fourth-round pick was a relative unknown until recently. After impressing in practice, the lightning-fast Arizona Wildcat continued to show speed off the line and quickness to separate against the Saints on Sunday, leading the team in receiving yards and recording its longest run in the game.
Seahawks RB Kenny McIntosh. He’s led Seattle in rushing yards this preseason, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and giving himself the leg up for the team’s RB3 role. Explosive runs illustrate his burst. He’s a riser in the Seahawks stock report.
Vikings WR Trishton Jackson. As Alec Lewis noted in his risers and fallers, “few Vikings are having a better training camp and preseason than Jackson.” The 26-year-old hopes to earn the WR4 role, as Jalen Nailor appears to be the WR3. Beautiful, toe-tap catches help.
On the opposite end, some players are notable for their poor start. That’s the case for:
- Broncos WR Troy Franklin. As Nick Kosmider explains in his Broncos stock report, it’s been rough. “Franklin has run 24 routes across two preseason games, according to TruMedia, and he’s only been targeted once. He hasn’t caught a pass.” If they hadn’t traded up for him (remember he’s Bo Nix’s former college teammate), he would likely be on the roster bubble. Yikes.
Now, over to Dianna for more from Denver.
What Dianna’s Hearing: The draft-day drama that sent Nix to Denver
So far, Bo Nix has been everything the Broncos hoped he would be.
In Monday’s newsletter, we covered how Sean Payton and the team’s brass fell for the QB. But, for those who love draft-day tension, Payton also detailed the final moments before they landed their guy. Hanging over his head throughout the night: The time in 2017 when the Chiefs came seemingly out of nowhere to leapfrog Payton’s Saints and snipe Patrick Mahomes. As Payton describes the Nix pick:
“You try to simulate what you think’s going to happen. We felt the Giants were going to be an at-large team, not necessarily for Bo, but for a quarterback. Are they taking one or not? And then they didn’t. Pretty soon there were three teams with a need: the Vikings, Broncos and the Raiders. And then Atlanta (taking Michael Penix Jr.) out of nowhere, no one saw that coming. Now there’s still three teams, but two quarterbacks.
“Minnesota is right ahead of us. The Raiders behind us. Minnesota moves up one (spot) and then they draft J.J. (McCarthy). Now there’s one.
“The Jets are on the clock, and I said to George (Paton, Broncos GM), ‘Call the Jets.’ We don’t want to move up unnecessarily. But I don’t want anything happening like Kansas City (in 2017). I think the Jets said to George, ‘You called us, what do you want?’ And he said, ‘just checking in.’
“Our concern was the Raiders, right behind us. So then it was like, ‘Call the Raiders, tell them we might want to move back to see if (they were looking to move up).’ They didn’t want to move up. Then there’s that minute you wait, the Jets make their pick, and then here we are.”
For more from Payton, listen to the full Scoop City podcast.
Ask The Athletic: Dak Prescott, the first $60 million QB?
Would a team outside Dallas really pay impending free agent Dak Prescott $60 million per year?
💬 Mike Sando: “Yes, absolutely, Dak Prescott could command $60 million per year if he hit the open market.
“Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love just signed deals worth $53-55 million per year even though none of them had any viable options besides showing up to play for their current teams. These players had zero real leverage and still got paid!
“Prescott would be the rare upper-tier quarterback reaching the market in his prime. He would do very well.”
Just as importantly, would Dak want to leave?
💬 Mike: “My opinion is that Prescott would prefer to remain with the Cowboys. I don’t know how much he cares about maximizing his earning potential on this next contract, but with nearly $200 million in career earnings through this season, he’s facing zero financial pressure to take a deal. The Cowboys cannot use the franchise tag on him or trade him, so if he wants to maximize his leverage, he’s in prime position to do so. He’s the one in control of the situation.”
Around the NFL
The Athletic’s NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler shared his initial NFL Draft 2025 Big Board, which evidences a shift back to defense and has QB Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, at No. 18 (with a note that he could pull an Eli Manning). 👀
A fire broke out at the hotel where the Cowboys are staying for the team’s training camp in Oxnard, Calif. No one was injured.
Following Tua Tagovailoa’s critical comments, Vikings DC Brian Flores spoke about growing from his (mis)handling of the Dolphins quarterback while Flores was in Miami.
In case you missed it, former Ravens OT Michael Oher spoke with The New York Times about his court case against the Tuohy family, best known for their depiction in “The Blind Side.”
Yesterday’s most-clicked: Travis Kelce’s epic offseason.
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(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
