Five games to circle on the 2017 NFL preseason schedule
The NFL released its 2017 preseason schedule on Monday afternoon.
The preseason kicks off on Aug. 3 with the Hall of Fame Game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys.
Here are five other highlights to look out for:
• Rookie quarterbacks dominate the preseason discussion every year, and the 49ers and Chiefs could both be breaking in first-round picks when they meet in Kansas City in Week 1. Alex Smith may only play a few snaps against his former team before giving way to the backups.
• In the only 2016 playoff rematch on the slate, the Patriots travel to Houston for a Week 2 matchup with the Texans and Bill Belichick protegé Bill O'Brien.
• The Browns host the Giants for the first calendar-correct Monday Night Football telecast of the year on Aug. 21, which should double as the first national exposure for whichever quarterback Cleveland selects at some point in the draft at the end of April.
• The first Battle of Los Angeles will be on Aug. 26, when the newly relocated Chargers take on the Rams at the Coliseum (8 p.m. ET, CBS).
• The defending NFC champion Falcons will break in their brand-new digs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a Week 3 date with the Cardinals.
The complete week-by-week schedule is below.
Week 1: Aug. 10–14
Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts
Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills
New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns
Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals
Tennessee Titans at New York Jets
Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
Week 2: Aug. 17–21
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles
Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans
Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins
Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
New England Patriots at Houston Texans
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers
New York Giants at Cleveland Browns
New York Jets at Detroit Lions
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 3: Aug. 24–27
Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans
Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos
Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles
New England Patriots at Detroit Lions
New York Jets at New York Giants
Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Week 4: Aug. 31–Sept. 1
Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos
Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers
Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants at New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers
Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs
Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The regular season schedule is expected to be released later this month.
