NFL preseason storylines: Rams’ all‑in moves and the Patriots’ scandal dominate conversations
With the Hall of Fame Game complete and the second round of preseason games under way on August 14, 2026, NFL attention has focused on the Los Angeles Rams’ aggressive roster construction and a scandal involving New England coach Mike Vrabel.
The defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, enter the preseason in a position to attempt a repeat after returning 21 of their 22 starters from the title team; Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and pass-rusher Boye Mafe moved to the Cincinnati Bengals. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak left to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach and the Seahawks hired Brian Fleury, formerly the San Francisco 49ers’ run game coordinator and tight ends coach, who has said he’ll keep most of Kubiak’s passing concepts. First-round pick Jadarian Price is being counted on as a replacement for Walker, and Jeramiyah Love recently told the author that “Price can do everything he can do … and in some cases, better.” Head coach Mike Macdonald told the author over the summer that “it’s all about running it forward instead.”
The Rams have responded to last season’s shortcomings by addressing cornerback and pass-rush concerns: they traded for Trent McDuffie, signed Jaylen Watson, and sent Jared Verse, a first-round pick and additional draft compensation to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Myles Garrett. Garrett, 30, tied the NFL single-season sack record in 2025 and joins a defensive line that was already highly regarded; the roster could also include Aaron Donald if he ends a two-year retirement. General manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay again pursued short-term upgrades as they have with past trades for Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey, though the plan depends on Stafford, now 38, remaining healthy and the team avoiding reliance on a thin quarterback depth chart.
The Los Angeles Chargers remain a recurring preseason headline mostly because of quarterback Justin Herbert’s talent and persistent high expectations around him. The franchise moved from offensive coordinators Joe Lombardi, Kellen Moore and Greg Roman to hire Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator; McDaniel’s Miami offenses emphasized explosive plays and were constrained when Tua Tagovailoa was the primary quarterback, while Herbert is described in the piece as “physically in a different universe.” New head coach Jim Harbaugh talked of the “awesome responsibility” of coaching Herbert after taking the job.
Buffalo replaced Sean McDermott after a 98-50 regular-season run from 2017-2025 — a span in which only the Kansas City Chiefs had more wins (106) — with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, amid criticism of McDermott’s 8-8 postseason record. The Bills also hired Jim Leonhard as defensive coordinator; the article notes Leonhard’s Wisconsin defenses through the 2022 season displayed line stunts and coverage switches now common in the NFL, and that observers consider him schematically advanced and a potential future head coach.
The Patriots face off-field turbulence after Mike Vrabel was caught up in an offseason scandal: “We are not here to cast aspersions on Vrabel’s dedication to his job; some things are more important.” New England bolstered its receiving corps with AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs to give quarterback Drake Maye, identified as a 2025 NFL MVP candidate, stronger targets after a season that featured one of the league’s easiest 2025 schedules. In Dallas, the 2025 Cowboys defense allowed 511 points — the sixth-most any team has allowed in NFL history — and replaced defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus with former Philadelphia passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Christian Parker, 34. New defensive lineman Rashan Gary said of Parker: “To be a great defensive coordinator, you have to have confidence and swagger, and that’s two things he has,” and the article reports internal hopes Parker’s approach will lift a team that won one playoff game across three consecutive 12-5 seasons from 2021-2023 under Mike McCarthy.
Houston’s season hinge centers on whether its offense can match a defense the piece ranks second in FTN’s opponent-adjusted metrics behind only the Seahawks; the Texans went 12-5 in 2025 but quarterback CJ Stroud struggled at times, including a four-interception game against the Patriots in the divisional round and a two-game playoff performance described as perhaps the worst in recent NFL history. The Texans added veterans Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith to the offensive line, selected Keylan Rutledge in the first round, signed running back David Montgomery, and are monitoring Tank Dell’s recovery from a gruesome knee injury in December 2024 as they try to improve Stroud’s development and consistency.
With the second round of preseason games in progress, roster construction in Los Angeles, coaching and off-field questions in New England, and quarterback development in Houston are among the developments likely to influence teams’ title prospects. If Stroud can elevate the offense to a better place, the Texans are as Super Bowl-compliant as anybody.