We're about two-thirds of the way through the NFL preseason and we've seen some unheralded rookies emerge, some QB competitions produce more questions than answers and some free agent signings already look like slam dunks.
Warning: there are positive New York Giants words ahead, so proceed with caution.
Winner: WR Efton Chism III, New England Patriots
Perhaps no player in football has seen their stock rise in preseason more than Patriots UDFA Efton Chism III, who has caught a touchdown in each of the team's two preseason games and is playing like the next great slot receiver in Foxborough.
Making the team is no longer a question; he's going to be on the roster. Now the question is how much Chism can contribute in year one as an under-the-radar weapon for second-year Drake Maye.
Loser: QB Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
This doesn't even have that much to do with how Gabriel himself played in his debut last weeked. He fumbled and threw an interception, but he wasn't god-awful. Instead, this is about the other 25 QBs on Cleveland's roster, and how such a cluttered room — plus a strong debut from Shedeur Sanders — makes Gabriel's future tough to predict in Cleveland.
Joe Flacco has been named the starter, Kenny Pickett has lots of starting experience, and Sanders might be further along in his development than we thought. For a third-round pick, Gabriel has a lot of hills to climb before he'll ever have a chance to start a regular season game.
Winner: WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Yes, I am aware Nabers has not played in the preseason for the Giants. That hasn't stopped him from being one of the biggest winners of the summer, though, because... quarterbacks!
Russell Wilson has looked ultra sharp in the snaps he's gotten, and Jaxson Dart has been phenomenal as well. Wilson is the obvious starter in 2025 and after that, it might be Dart's team. So, Nabers gets a reliable veteran this year and then starts a potentially dangerous QB / WR duo for the next decade starting in 2026. That's not a bad setup for the Giants' bright spot from last year.
When was the last time the Giants had a quarterback they were this confident in heading into Week 1, much less two quarterbacks who might be able to lead a good offense. At least five years, right?
The worst-case scenario for the Giants QB room this year feels like league-average production. And that's not even that bad!
Loser: Indianapolis Colts fans
Are we having fun yet, Colts fans? Is the Daniel Jones vs. Anthony Richardson QB competition everything you had ever hoped for and more? I don't know what you hoped it would be, to be fair, but... It's been about what most of us expected it to be, I think.
For the record, I am not ready to move on from Anthony Richardson. As long as he can make passes like this, I can't abandon hope. Still, the fact that he's not separating himself from Daniel Jones in the competition in Indy is concerning. So, for now, it seems that no matter who wins in Indy... fans lose.
Winner: Howie Roseman
The Eagles GM won a Super Bowl... and then got to work. Free agency signing Azeez Ojulari, first round pick Jihaad Campbell and trade acquisition Jakorian Bennett all impressed against the Browns and all look like they'll play big roles on a defense that lost some key pieces after it BTA'd the rest of the league in 2024.
Roseman has become somewhat of a cult hero in Philadelphia, and for good reason. He isn't afraid to take risks but doesn't do so recklessly. Every move is rooted in a real plan and a vision for how whoever he acquires can fit into the Eagles' scheme.
Winner: QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The Bears' second-year signal caller looked pretty dang good against the Bills, so he's a winner because of his on-field play. But more broadly, Williams is a winner because he has Ben Johnson in his corner, a change that could well remind everyone why Williams was widely perceived as one of the best QB prospects in years when he was taken No. 1 overall last year.
Also... it's not like Williams' rookie season was woeful, either. The perception of Williams — that he was a huge disappointment in year one and is approaching bust status — doesn't at all match up with his actual production last year, even in a Matt Eberflus system that left plenty to be desired.