NFL Preseason Week 4: Predictions and News

Last Updated on Agosto 24, 2026 3:44 pm by Erwin Noguera

Cleveland has named Deshaun Watson its Week 1 starter. Shedeur Sanders is the backup.

That is the biggest decision of the week, and it arrives alongside a cutdown deadline the NFL has quietly moved forward. Rosters must go from 90 players to 53 by 6:00 pm ET on Sunday, August 30; the Sunday immediately after the final preseason weekend, rather than the traditional Tuesday. Waiver claims are due by noon CT on Monday, August 31.

Roughly 1,180 players lose their jobs within about 24 hours. That is what this week is actually about.

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A note on the lines: spreads and totals for the final preseason weekend had not been posted at the time of writing. Books typically release them within 48 hours of kickoff, so check the numbers closer to game time rather than relying on anything published early.

Here are the four games worth watching.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills

The most interesting roster decision in football gets its final piece of evidence.

Pittsburgh may keep four quarterbacks on the 53. Mason Rudolph sat out last week, which reads as confirmation that he is Rodgers’s primary backup. Drew Allar was excellent on debut: 10 of 13 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and a rushing score… then completed under 50% in the 17-0 shutout by the Jets. Will Howard threw two interceptions the outing before.

Neither young arm looks ready to start a regular-season game, which is precisely the argument for keeping Rudolph and carrying four. ESPN’s reporting suggests Pittsburgh would then have to trim the offensive line or safety group to make room.

What to watch: Will Howard. If Pittsburgh cannot sneak him onto the practice squad, he is the name most likely to hit waivers, and a sixth-round pick with flashes will not last long there.

Prediction: Bills 24, Steelers 17. Buffalo has the deeper roster and a longer list of bubble players who need tape.

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns

Two teams with the opposite problem.

Cleveland has resolved its quarterback competition: Watson starts, Sanders backs up. Watson went 11 of 15 for 126 yards with no turnovers in his one meaningful preseason appearance, which was enough given he has missed 66 games across five seasons. Whether that decision survives contact with September is a different question.

New England’s issue is depth, and Mike Vrabel said so himself. “I do not think we have a very deep team,” he told reporters, explaining why he protected his starters through the preseason. The Patriots added A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Dre’Mont Jones, and Kevin Byard to the first eleven, but behind that group there is very little experience outside the receiver and offensive line rooms.

What to watch: New England will likely be among the most active teams claiming players after cuts. Vrabel has effectively announced it.

Prediction: Browns 20, Patriots 13. Cleveland has more players who need snaps and no reason to protect anyone.

San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders

Two teams with fresh problems in the backfield.

Ashton Jeanty sprained his ankle at practice on Sunday. He left the field unable to put weight on his right leg after going down awkwardly while reaching for a ball. The early word is that he avoided anything significant, but there is no return timetable.

The beneficiary is rookie fourth-rounder Mike Washington Jr., who took most of the carries in Jeanty’s absence and had already earned a larger role: 15 carries for 119 yards across two preseason outings. Las Vegas may add to the backfield regardless.

San Francisco, meanwhile, has the longest injury list in the league and a Week 1 assignment in Melbourne against the Rams. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Nick Bosa have all been managing issues, and Bosa and Kittle may not practise before the opener.

What to watch: whether Fernando Mendoza plays extended snaps. The first overall pick posted a 100.3 rating on debut, and Las Vegas has no obvious reason to keep protecting Kirk Cousins on a roster this thin.

Prediction: Raiders 21, 49ers 17. San Francisco will dress almost nobody who matters.

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers

Carson Beck’s last opportunity, if Arizona gives him one.

Beck has played one half of football all summer: 15 of 19 for 188 yards, a touchdown, and a 125.4 rating in the Hall of Fame Game, before a rib injury cost him the next two games. He has resumed throwing. Gardner Minshew started against Dallas in his place.

Green Bay arrives in unexpectedly good form after beating Denver 33-13 as a six-point underdog, a result that embarrassed a Broncos side unbeaten at home in preseason since 2020.

What to watch: whether Beck dresses at all. If Arizona holds him again, a third-round pick who looked like a genuine answer enters the season with a single half of NFL tape.

Prediction: Packers 27, Cardinals 20. Green Bay at Lambeau against a team missing its most interesting player.

THE NEWS

Cleveland Settles Its Quarterback Room

Watson is QB1 for Week 1 against Jacksonville, with Sanders backing up. Todd Monken had said both would start one of the first two preseason games, and the veteran won it on efficiency instead of granting an upside.

Minnesota’s McCarthy Problem

Kyler Murray was named the starter early. The question now is whether J.J. McCarthy is even the backup; Minnesota also has Carson Wentz, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has raised the possibility of trade calls.

McCarthy completed 57.6% of his passes last season and managed 50% against Baltimore, throwing a pinpoint 50-yard laser to Tai Felton and then missing a wide-open Myles Price in the end zone. Kevin O’Connell says he has “a future with the organization.” The depth chart may say otherwise.

Cincinnati Wants a Tackle

Zac Taylor on the swing tackle competition: “I think that’s still pretty open.”

The numbers explain the rush. Orlando Brown Jr. allowed nine sacks over 733 pass-blocking snaps last season. Amarius Mims allowed 35 pressures over 694. Both start; neither is being benched, and Cincinnati needs somebody reliable behind them to protect Burrow. Expect them to shop the waiver wire.

Buffalo’s Free Agents Are on the Bubble

The Bills signed safety Geno Stone and outside linebacker Mike Danna to one-year deals. Both have started in recent seasons; Danna at defensive end in Kansas City, Stone for Baltimore and then Cincinnati.

Both are now cut candidates on a stacked roster. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia left Danna off his latest 53-man projection despite over $1 million guaranteed, and has Damar Hamlin edging Stone for the final safety spot. If released, neither will be unemployed long.

The Strangest Story of the Week

Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright could become the first NFL player to return to college. Undrafted, signed by Philadelphia, waived on August 10, claimed by Cleveland, waived again on Sunday, and now agreed to play at LSU this term.

Monken’s reaction, via USA Today: “Man, isn’t this crazy? I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out to me a week ago; now I know. I didn’t call him back. I guess I should have.”

Expect more undrafted rookies to explore that route.

What Actually Matters This Week

The deadline moved. Sunday, 30 August at 6:00 pm ET, not the Tuesday teams are used to. That compresses everything (evaluations, trade calls, waiver strategy) into a much tighter window.

The waiver wire is the real event. Around 1,180 players hit the market at once. New England has publicly admitted it lacks depth. Cincinnati needs a tackle. Seattle needs a running back. Washington needs help at left tackle. Las Vegas may need a back if Jeanty’s ankle lingers.

Starters will barely play. Treat every prediction on this page accordingly; these are games decided by men fighting for the 53rd roster spot, which makes them unreliable and, occasionally, the best football of the summer to watch.

The regular season opens on September 9.