NFL fans are among the most level-headed people on the planet. They're the kind of people who understand how to properly react to every player's preseason performances.
I'm just kidding. NFL fans love to overreact, which I know because I love to overreact. After months without football, seeing your team out there for the first time just gets your mind spinning, and suddenly you're two series into the preseason opener and you've decided you're either winning the Super Bowl or going 2-15.
But not all overreaction is built equally. Certain fanbases tend to overreact more, and certain players — by which I mean quarterbacks — tend to solicit more overreactions than other positions.
Here are five players who fans and definitely going to overreact to this preseason.
Shedeur Sanders - QB - Cleveland Browns
Despite having way too many quarterbacks on the roster, Shedeur Sanders is set to start the team's preseason opener with Joe Flacco resting and both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel injured.
The 2025 fifth-round pick was viewed as the potential No. 1 overall pick for months before the emergence of Cam Ward as the draft class's best quarterback, but most still expected him to go off the board early. Instead, he improbably dropped so far that by the time the Browns drafted him, the team had already taken another quarterback earlier in the draft.
So if Sanders goes out there and looks really good against the Panthers on Friday, people are going to overreact. And if he goes out there and struggles, they'll loudly feel vindicated by his fall. Regardless of how Sanders' first game goes, people are going to be talking about it.
Jaxson Dart - QB - New York Giants
Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will open the preseason as the No. 3 quarterback behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, but you already know a lot of people will be clamoring for Dart to take over as the team's starter. After years stuck in the purgatory that was the Daniel Jones era, Giants fans probably aren't excited to see Wilson as a stopgap. They want to see their quarterback of the future.
But Dart still needs a little time to learn NFL concepts and figure out the pro game. The Giants need to be patient with him, which will likely be tough to do if he has a strong showing against the Bills on Saturday.
J.J. McCarthy - QB - Minnesota Vikings
Last year's first-round quarterback class was a deep one, with all but one of the first-round quarterbacks getting a chance to start at some point. The only one who didn't was J.J. McCarthy, as he missed his rookie year with a knee injury.
The Vikings turned to Sam Darnold and won 14 games, but Darnold signed elsewhere this offseason, thrusting McCarthy into the starting job for a very, very good team.
It's not often that a team with Super Bowl aspirations turns to a guy who is this much of an unknown. Every single snap from McCarthy is going to be scrutinized because his play is one of the biggest wildcards in the NFL this season.
Luther Burden III - WR - Chicago Bears
The Bears loaded up on young playmakers in the draft to help second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, adding wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland.
Ben Johnson's offensive system really emphasizes the slot receiver spot, and Burden profiles best for the slot, so there are a lot of eyes on Burden's preseason debut to see two things. First, if he's going to be that primary slot guy with the starters on the field, and second, if he'll actually be good in that role.
Let's also not forget that Bears fans are Bears fans. It's a fanbase that feels especially prone to overreaction. In my 50ish person Twitter group chat, no one — except the one Browns fans — feels more pessimistic and ready to declare their team's season over than the Bears fans.
Shemar Stewart - DE - Cincinnati Bengals
If Shemar Stewart looks fine in his preseason debut, no one's really going to say much. But if he struggles out there against the Eagles on Thursday night? Oh boy.
Why would there be an overreaction to a bad game? Because of Stewart's holdout, which stretched into training camp. Considering most people view Stewart as a project player who has a lot to still figure out before his production matches his talent, missing camp days is a bad look, even if Stewart's holdout was entirely reasonable.
But regardless of whether or not you agree with Stewart's motivations, one thing we can all agree on is that if he disappoints on Thursday night, the people who were on Cincy's side in this ordeal are going to feel massively vindicated.