There is a lot to digest in the NFL world with Week 1 of the preseason behind us and another week of football approaching as the regular season draws near.
From Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Ty Simpson going off in his preseason debut and the Seattle Seahawks rewarding cornerback Devon Witherspoon to some notable injuries around the league, here is what you should know in the NFL.
Ty Simpson makes an early statement
While there were some players who came out of the opening week of preseason football with major question marks, Simpson wasted no time showing why the Rams selected him 13th overall in the draft to the surprise of many.
Simpson put together an outstanding performance in his NFL debut, going 21-of-25 for 190 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Sure, it was a preseason game that had little meaning in the grand scheme, but it also showed the high upside that Simpson brings and why the Rams drafting him so highly may not have been the reach that it initially appeared.
While Pittsburgh Steelers rookie QB Drew Allar also impressed by going 10-of-13 for 153 yards with two TDs and an additional score on the ground, it is hard to ignore Simpson’s debut performance, especially after all the attention he received as the No. 13 pick.
Seahawks sign Devon Witherspoon to record extension
Months after making wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba the highest-paid wide receiver in the league, the Seahawks reset the cornerback market when they agreed to a four-year, $132M extension with Witherspoon that also includes more than $101M in guaranteed money, a record for the position.
The No. 5 pick from the 2023 draft has earned a Pro Bowl nod each of his three seasons in the league, as well as being named a second-team All-Pro and winning the Super Bowl last season. As someone who finished with the fourth-most total tackles on the entire team in 2025 (72), the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense from one year ago made sure to keep him around for the long haul.
Notable injuries after Week 1 of preseason
Of all the injuries to monitor coming out of the opening week of preseason games, Minnesota Vikings defensive back Jamal Adams suffered the most devastating one. The team confirmed on Sunday that he will miss the entire 2026 season with a knee injury, putting his injury-plagued career in doubt.
Elsewhere, New York Jets running back Breece Hall suffered a groin injury during a recent practice, although an estimated timeframe of 2-3 weeks from head coach Aaron Glenn does not sound too concerning for a player coming off his best season to date.
New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is expected to miss “roughly two months” with a hamstring injury suffered during training camp practice on Aug. 13, while Arizona Cardinals third overall pick Jeremiyah Love suffered a high-ankle sprain and could potentially miss the team’s Week 1 opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Those are just a few of the injuries that are already piling up around the league with two more weeks of preseason action still to come. Unless a position battle still needs to be settled, it may benefit some teams to use caution with their star players if they don’t want to fall into the same trap.