The beginning of August means that NFL football is back... well, sort of. Though fans will have to wait until September to catch their team in action for their first meaningful game, the excitement is going to amp up when the 2024 NFL preseason rolls around on August 1.
Over a four week stretch, 2 NFL teams will play four games (including the Hall of Fame game) while the remaining 30 teams will play exhibition games in three straight weeks to close out August and prepare for the regular season.
Many of these games will be nationally televised and broadcast live for the nation to see. Those that don't go live will air as reruns on NFL Network during the following week. Because there are so many overlapping games, not every contest is going to hit the national spotlight.
The first matchup of the preseason is the annual Hall of Fame Game on August 1. This will feature the Houston Texans against the Chicago Bears. The preseason will conclude in Week 3 of exhibition action when the Washington Commanders host the New England Patriots on August 25.
Most nationally televised preseason games in 2024 will air on NFL Network with select games on ESPN, ABC, FOX, CBS, and NBC. Here is the full list of nationally televised preseason games this year:
Full list of 2024 Preseason Games on National TV
Hall of Fame Game
- Houston Texans @ Chicago Bears, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN & ABC
Preseason Week 1
- Carolina Panthers @ New England Patriots, Aug. 8, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Aug. 9, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Chicago Bears @ Buffalo Bills, Aug. 10, 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Las Vegas Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings, Aug. 10, 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Denver Broncos @ Indianapolis Colts, Aug. 11, 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams, Aug. 11, 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Preseason Week 2
- Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots, Aug. 15, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Cincinnati Bengals @ Chicago Bears, Aug. 17, 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs, Aug. 17, 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Aug. 17, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Dallas Cowboys @ Las Vegas Raiders, Aug. 17, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. ET, FOX
Preseason Week 3
- Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals, Aug 22, 8 p.m. ET, Prime Video
- Chicago Bears @ Kansas City Chiefs, Aug 22, 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons, Aug. 23, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders, Aug. 23, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions, Aug. 24, 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Los Angeles Chargers @ Dallas Cowboys, Aug. 24, 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- New York Giants @ New York Jets, Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Cleveland Browns @ Seattle Seahawks, Aug. 24, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Tennessee Titans @ New Orleans Saints, Aug. 25, 2 p.m. ET, NFL Network
- Arizona Cardinals @ Denver Broncos, Aug. 25, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
- New England Patriots @ Washington Commanders, Aug. 25, 8 p.m. ET, NBC