The defending champions, the Eagles, opened their new campaign earlier this week with a preseason matchup against the Bengals, edging out a win in a closely contested game. The offense put up 34 points, but the spotlight wasn’t on Jalen Hurts; it was on Tanner McKee. The Oklahoma alum didn’t even suit up, as the Eagles opted to give all the snaps to their other quarterbacks.
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Meanwhile, the Super Bowl runner-ups, the Chiefs, kicked off their preseason today against the Cardinals, and Kansas City’s QB1 took a different route. Patrick Mahomes suited up, played a few snaps, and made them count. He attempted just one pass, but it was a perfectly placed back-shoulder touchdown to Jason Brownlee. After that, Mahomes left the game, giving Bailey Zappe and Gardner Minshew the reins.
Patrick Mahomes to Jason Brownlee for a beautiful back shoulder TD!
Stream on @NFLPLus pic.twitter.com/hCRwwx9Uoy
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2025
Any time Mahomes is on the field, it’s a positive for the Chiefs. That early touchdown could be a confidence booster heading into the regular season, especially after a year where he didn’t find the end zone as often as he’d like.
In contrast, Hurts’ absence is nothing to worry about. There was no injury or anything. The decision was purely strategic. Head coach Nick Sirianni has a long-standing approach of resting his star QB in the preseason.
Hurts hasn’t played a preseason snap since 2022, when he took one series against the Jets before a late hit from Quincy Williams left Sirianni furious. Since then, the Eagles have kept him out of preseason action to minimize injury risk. It’s simply part of a calculated plan, and the Eagles seem content to stick with it.
For Patrick Mahomes, playing in these preseason games could help him start the year on the front foot. It gives him a chance to build stronger chemistry with his receivers and iron out the mistakes that plagued him last season.
The two-time MVP struggled early in 2024, frequently throwing interceptions in the first half of the year, while the offense as a whole lacked its usual firepower. Getting live reps in the preseason might be exactly what he needs to correct those issues before the regular season kicks off.
The Chiefs, however, did end up losing to the Cardinals, 20-17.
