The NFL’s second exhibition week is currently in progress, with five matchups already completed ahead of the weekend.
Exhibition football mirrors Forrest Gump’s famous box of chocolates description: “You never know what you’re going to get.” This unpredictability stems from the fact that certain teams keep their primary players sidelined entirely, others give them just a handful of snaps, and some let them play for up to two quarters. Trying to spot genuine future contributors amidst the chaotic nature of August football is difficult because of the widely divergent talent levels sharing the gridiron simultaneously, yet we can still discern which athletes capitalized on their chances and which ones desperately need a second chance.
Let us start the weekend action by highlighting the biggest winners and losers from Week 2 of the 2026 preseason.
Winners
De’Zaun Stribling
The standout sensation of this year’s exhibition slate is undoubtedly De’Zhaun Stribling, the San Francisco 49ers’ 2026 second-round draft choice and 33rd overall pick from Ole Miss. Following a stellar Thursday night showing against the Los Angeles Chargers where he hauled in four of five targets for 46 yards, the rookie receiver has accumulated 11 receptions for 109 yards on 13 total targets. According to data from CBS Sports Research, Stribling is the sole player since at least 2017 to rack up a minimum of 11 receptions during the opening 20 minutes of back-to-back preseason matchups. While numerous exhibition standouts fail to secure significant roles beyond special teams once the games matter, Stribling has almost certainly earned a spot in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s early-season game plans. This is particularly crucial given the rash of injuries currently plaguing the 49ers’ receiving corps.
The Houston Texans defense
Even though Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley Jr., and the remaining starting members of the league’s top-ranked defense from 2025 (which permitted only 277.2 yards per contest) watched from the sidelines on Thursday, the Houston Texans’ signature defensive aggression was fully on display.
They completely overwhelmed Fernando Mendoza, the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie signal-caller selected first overall, during the opening two quarters, forcing an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown by fourth-round rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz and securing an 11-yard sack courtesy of second-round rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
Witnessing McDonald showcase this kind of pass-rushing ability is bound to terrify offensive coordinators across the NFL. Interior defensive line was the primary spot Houston needed to reinforce, and they addressed it by selecting McDonald, whom many analysts—myself included—rated as the premier defensive tackle prospect of the 2026 draft. At 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, McDonald served primarily as a run-stopper during his collegiate career at Ohio State, but if he can consistently generate pressure on opposing passers early in his career, this Houston defense will become an even more formidable nightmare for their opponents.
Jermod McCoy
Prior to medical concerns about his knee deterring several franchises, Tennessee’s All-SEC cornerback Jermod McCoy was widely projected as an opening-round talent in the 2026 NFL Draft. After tearing his ACL back in January 2025, lingering anxieties regarding joint inflammation and potential arthritis caused him to slip significantly, eventually falling to the fourth round as the 101st selection overall.
During the Raiders’ narrow 22-20 win against Houston on Thursday, McCoy demonstrated excellent mobility and stayed glued to his assignments when playing man-to-man coverage downfield. If he manages to earn playing time with Las Vegas’ first-team defensive unit, he might very well prove to be the absolute biggest steal of the entire 2026 rookie class.
Geno Smith
Aside from Minnesota Vikings passer J.J. McCarthy, Geno Smith arguably endured the most disheartening 2025 campaign of any quarterback in the league. The two-time Pro Bowl selection topped the NFL in both sacks absorbed (55) and interceptions thrown (17) last year while running the offense of former Raiders coordinator Chip Kelly. These numbers cemented Smith as only the sixth quarterback since the 1970 merger to top the league in both negative categories simultaneously. Following the disastrous year, Kelly returned to the collegiate ranks to serve as the offensive coordinator at Northwestern.
Smith, whom the Jets originally selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, made his return to New York after the franchise traded a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for him and a 2026 seventh-round selection. He initiated his second tenure in New York with a flawless opening drive, guiding the starting unit down the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night before head coach Aaron Glenn shut down the 35-year-old veteran for the evening.
During that lone series, Smith was perfect on all seven passing attempts, culminating in a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jelani Woods. He also targeted New York’s top receiving duo, finding Garrett Wilson once for 10 yards and hitting Adonai Mitchell twice for 29 yards, ending his brief outing with 65 passing yards. It is highly possible that Smith’s struggles in 2025 were simply a reflection of an incompetent offensive coaching staff run by Kelly and Pete Carroll—who was dismissed after only a single season leading Las Vegas.
New York Jets defense
The 2025 New York Jets carved out a regrettable place in the record books as the only defense in NFL history to go an entire regular season without a single interception. That historic drought came to an unofficial conclusion during Week 2 of the exhibition schedule, when safety Andre Cisco stepped in front of a Will Howard pass intended for Roman Wilson to secure a turnover.
Veteran defensive back Samuel Womack III, 27, later grabbed New York’s second turnover of the match by picking off Howard once again. It is already evident that the Jets possess a far superior ball-hawking secondary compared to their historically unproductive 2025 roster.
Bo Nix
Prior to this week, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s most recent game action ended with a fractured ankle suffered during an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional playoffs. Making his return in Week 2 of the preseason, he looked outstanding across two drives, directing Denver to 10 quick points. Nix fired a pass up the middle to newly acquired top receiver Jaylen Waddle, who outpaced Green Bay’s All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney for a 35-yard pickup, showcasing the explosive vertical threat that Denver desperately missed throughout 2025.
He finished off that possession by delivering a beautifully placed 21-yard touchdown throw to running back RJ Harvey on a wheel route along the right boundary. Broncos head coach Sean Payton called it a night for Nix after a 53-yard field goal capped his second series, leaving the quarterback with 76 passing yards, one touchdown, and a 6-of-9 completion rate—an excellent return to form after his severe ankle injury.
Packers special teams
The third phase of the game has been a constant headache for Green Bay since their legendary franchise leading scorer, Mason Crosby, departed following the 2022 campaign. However, those kicking struggles may finally be resolved with the arrival of sixth-round rookie Trey Smack. After converting two 58-yard attempts in the preseason opener (one being negated by a penalty), Smack lived up to his name in Denver by splitting the uprights from 51, 59, and 43 yards out, with the final kick coming as the first half expired. Watching from home, Packers All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons—who is rehabbing from an ACL tear suffered on this very field last year—couldn’t contain his excitement over the rookie’s leg strength.
The spectacular special teams play extended well beyond the kicking game. Veteran receiver Skyy Moore brought the game-opening kickoff back 30 yards to the Packers’ 37-yard line, while experienced tailback Pierre Strong Jr. exploded for a 68-yard return deep into Denver territory at the 32. It appears that Green Bay’s newly hired special teams coordinator, Cam Achord, is already making a major impact with his unit.
Jonathan Brooks
As the first running back taken in the 2024 draft (46th overall in round two by Carolina), Brooks finally secured his inaugural professional touchdown. After tearing his ACL during his final year at Texas, he was forced to miss the entire 2025 campaign due to a subsequent knee injury sustained in 2024. Now fully healthy and back on the gridiron this August, the Panthers running back successfully muscled his way into the end zone from one yard out during their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Losers
Fernando Mendoza
The draft’s top pick, rookie passer Fernando Mendoza, experienced some harsh realities of professional football on Thursday against an aggressive Houston defense, throwing an 80-yard pick-six and absorbing an 11-yard sack. His final stat line on the night featured only 86 passing yards and the costly interception while completing 8 of his 15 attempts.
“On that particular play-action design, I worked through my reads and in hindsight, I should have targeted the flat receiver. I noticed the defender arriving late to cover him,” Mendoza explained to the media when discussing the intercepted pass returned for a score. “At that moment, I retreated and attempted a dump-off pass to Mike Washington. The throw was off-target, our timing was misaligned, and it ended up being picked off.”
Still, Mendoza flashed potential on several plays, such as a sharp 22-yard completion over the middle to wideout Jalen Nailor, threading the needle perfectly within Houston’s zone coverage. While he rarely attempted such complex intermediate throws during his college career, these concepts are fundamental components of head coach Klint Kubiak’s Shanahan-style offensive system.
Ultimately, it was a rough outing for the rookie quarterback, despite showing brief glimpses of his high ceiling.
Punter JK Scott
Allowing a special teams touchdown is always a tough pill to swallow for a specialist, but Los Angeles Chargers punter JK Scott lands on the negative side of this list due to his effort on an 83-yard return touchdown by San Francisco 49ers wideout Jacob Cowing. Scott was positioned to make a play on Cowing near the 49ers’ 45-yard line, but rather than putting up a fight to stop the returner, he simply stepped aside, virtually welcoming him into the end zone.
Considering Scott is set to turn 31 in late October during his ninth year in the league, his choice to avoid a collision in a meaningless exhibition game is somewhat logical. Still, he might have masked his intentions a bit better and at least tried to disrupt the play, which could have saved a touchdown.
Will Howard
After the 2025 New York Jets made history as the premier defense to record zero regular-season interceptions, Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Will Howard kindly broke their drought on Friday night. Howard threw a pair of interceptions directly to New York’s defense on passes meant for wideout Roman Wilson over the middle. It was an unfortunate showing for the veteran as he attempts to defend his starting role from third-round rookie Drew Allar.
Liam Coen
While Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales gave football fans some excitement by playing quarterback Bryce Young and the first-string offense for two possessions on Friday, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen declined to match that energy. Instead, Coen kept star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his fellow starters sidelined in casual wear, making for a far less entertaining matchup.
