NFL Preseason TV Schedule 2024: Dates, Start Times, Live Streams, Channels, and More

The third (and final) week of the 2024 NFL preseason is about to get underway. Fringe players have one more game to prove they deserve a roster spot and position battles will be determined very soon. We’ll also see some bigger names take the field during Week 3 of the preseason, as teams try to get their key players some reps before the regular season kicks off. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 preseason schedule.

2024 NFL Preseason Schedule

*All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.

When Was the First 2024 NFL Preseason Game?

Every year since 1962, the NFL preseason has kicked off with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. This game is held on the same weekend as the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

This season, the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears traveled to Canton to face off in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1. Chicago defeated Houston, 21-17, in the condensed contest, which was suspended in the third quarter due to heavy rain and lightning.

Bears WR Collin Johnson was the game’s standout player, finishing with three catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns. He also had another near-incredible catch called back upon review.

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Bears quarterback Brett Rypien threw for 166 yards and three touchdowns, posting a 148.9 passer rating. For the Texans, QB Davis Mills led the way with 102 passing yards and one touchdown.

For the first time in the Hall of Fame Game’s 52-year history, the 2024 contest was broadcast on ESPN. Previously, the game was always broadcast on NBC.

This was Chicago’s seventh appearance in the Hall of Fame Game, while Houston was making its second appearance in the Canton classic.

When Does the 2024 NFL Preseason End?

The NFL preseason will wrap up on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Ever since the NFL transitioned to a three-week preseason schedule, teams get a full week of rest before the regular season begins.

The 2024 regular season gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 5, with the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game.

Once the preseason concludes, NFL teams will have 48 hours to trim their roster to 53 players. This year, the NFL’s roster cutdown day is on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m. ET.

The league used to have three cutdown dates: one deadline for teams to trim their roster from 90 to 85 players, a second deadline for teams to reduce their rosters to 80 players, and a final deadline for teams to reach the 53-man limit for the regular season.

However, the NFL’s owners recently decided to make a change and now there’s only one roster cutdown deadline. While teams are still free to release players sooner if they’d like, this means the majority of cuts happen at the same time and a ton of players hit the free-agent pool at once. Teams then have a small window to evaluate their own depth and take calculated risks on the available free agents.

How Many Preseason NFL Games Are There?

When the NFL adopted an 18-week schedule (with each team playing 17 games) in 2021, the league also decided to reduce the preseason schedule from four games to three. The only exceptions are the two teams who play in the Hall of Fame Game, as they play four exhibition contests.

The 2024 preseason slate will feature 49 games (including the Hall of Fame Game). The complete preseason schedule is available above.

Week 3 will have fairly evenly distributed action from Thursday to Sunday before teams have a week off.

Do NFL Players Get Paid During the Preseason?

Like all things related to the salary cap, the answer to whether NFL players are paid during training camp and the preseason is spelled out in the league’s most recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was ratified in 2020.

According to Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to per diem payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the final day of camp. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.

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During the 2024 season, veteran players will earn $3,200 per week during training camp and the preseason. That figure will increase to $3,500 per week during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $1,850 in 2024. That will jump to $2,000 per week in 2025 and 2026.

The CBA also mandates that every NFL player receive room and board during training camp. Additionally, “players who have not yet established residence in the team city” must receive housing between training camp and the Tuesday before their team’s first regular-season game.