Week 1 of the preseason began on Thursday night, with six matchups taking place across the NFL. Is it hard to get too excited about exhibition football? Sure, but the action did give us a look at some highly anticipated rookies making their debuts.
For starters, we saw Raiders quarterback and 2026 No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza throw his first professional touchdown to wide receiver Jack Bech before finishing the night 10-for-16 passing for 96 yards in a loss to the Cardinals.
FERNANDO MENDOZA TOUCHDOWN!
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 14, 2026
First one in a Raiders uni 😤
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/KwcGPCNUa3
Speaking of the Cardinals, their own first-round pick—running back Jeremiyah Love—also took the field for the first time on Thursday. He carried the ball 11 times for 58 yards with a long of 16, notched an average of 5.8 yards per carry and broke out a pretty sweet hurdle to boot.
Jeremiyah Love broke out a hurdle 😯
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 14, 2026
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/rDHlfD14cD
Overall, the night that was saw several other rookies make an immediate impact as well. Steelers quarterback Drew Allar went 10-for-13 passing and scored three total touchdowns, 49ers wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards in the first half alone and Texans safety Kamari Ramsey tallied two pass deflections and an interception off Chargers quarterback Trey Lance.
And there was plenty more where that came from. So with that, here’s a look at what you may have missed from another busy week in the NFL.
Jayden Daniels battles with LSU over jersey No. 5
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is going head-to-head with his alma mater.
As reported by ESPN, the 2024 No. 2 pick and former LSU Tiger has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the university—via an attorney—informing them that they can no longer use his name, image and likeness. According to a spokesperson for Daniels, the dispute stems from the Tigers allowing cornerback DJ Pickett to wear jersey No. 5, the same number the signal caller wore during his time in Baton Rouge.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” reads a statement from Daniels’ spokesperson, via ESPN. “Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university.”
Daniels led the Tigers to a 19–7 record over his two seasons as their starting quarterback. In 2023, he accounted for nearly 5,000 total yards and scored 50 total touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. The quarterback himself has since released a statement on the NIL dispute via his Instagram.
“I’ve been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus,” Daniels wrote. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately. My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”
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