The National Football League (NFL) 2025/26 pre-season is in its second week and while it might be considered routine to some, there are gridiron athletes battling for roster spots and for most, this is the closest they will come to a career in football. Unfortunately, with all this effort, there have been a few injuries already in the pre-season, and there is no telling what will happen between now and the next couple of weeks. That said, the matchups are definitely not void of effort and JustBet offers odds on the outcome of every game, including these ‘exhibition’ games, and everyone is pushing for a win.

The NFL pre-season is the period each year during which teams play three weekends of exhibition games before the regular season starts. The selected starters don’t normally play or play very few snaps in pre-season games, but teams normally schedule joint pre-season practices, where first-team players can play against other first-team players in a controlled environment, protected from full-force contact.

Pre-season games are therefore primarily used for players who are selected in the draft or players trying to make an impression, for a possible selection in a team’s roster. NFL teams are allowed to carry up to 90 players through training camp and the pre-season, but only 53 are allowed on the roster for each team going into the regular season. With that in mind, between the NFL draft and off-season alterations, all teams have made adjustment in their roster and now need to whittle away some of the proverbial fat. Here is the second of a three-part look at some of the major moves, trades and signings that were made in the off-season, in no order of importance.

Deebo Samuel Sr (wide receiver): At the beginning of March, the San Francisco 49ers dealt wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. Samuel Sr gives Washington a sizable upgrade at wide out, opposite Terry McLaurin, and he will likely see the ball on screen plays, fly sweeps and backfield touches just as he did in San Francisco. The 29-year-old’s speed and production dipped last season, but he had a strong 2023 campaign with 12 touchdowns and over 1,000 all-purpose yards. The overwhelming positive for Washington, and for second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, is the fact that Samuels Sr is a multifaceted runner and receiver, making it a major win for the Commanders heading into the new season.

DK Metcalf (wide receiver): One of the first big moves of the 2025 off-season took place just before the start of free agency, the Seattle Seahawks announced the start of their roster rebuilding when they traded Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have acquired a receiver who had three 1,000 yards seasons and totalled only 48 touchdowns through six years in Seattle, but they are banking on his physical presence to attack the top of routes on play-action and isolation plays, targeted by newly acquired quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Metcalf still has explosive, straight-line speed, before and after the catch, and will be an upgrade at the wide receiver position for Pittsburgh, but he will have to produce better than his 992 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season, to make a difference for the Steelers this year.

Sam Darnold (quarterback): Despite registering the best numbers in his six years as a professional (4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns) last season and making his first Pro Bowl, Darnold was released by the Minnesota Vikings and signed by the Seattle Seahawks. The 28-year-old’s performance last season was facilitated by a talented supporting cast, but his arm strength is beyond question and has the mobility required for the modern NFL quarterback. The Seahawks may not have hit a home run with this signing, but he has the talents of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the newly signed Cooper Kupp to aim at, and that could be all Darnold needs to be successful in Seattle’s system.

George Pickens (wide receiver): Pickens had three roller-coaster years in Pittsburgh and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, after the Steelers bagged Metcalf. Maybe it was the system in Pittsburgh, but Pickens has been one of the most explosive receivers in the league over the past two seasons, with 35 receptions of 20 or more yards, tied for fifth most in the league over that period. He will operate opposite CeeDee Lamb, who is no slouch, giving quarterback Dak Prescott multilevel targets in the pass game.

The Cowboys head into every season with overinflated aspirations and have fallen short for a long time, winning only four play-off games in the last 25 years. Pickens, who never had less than 800 receiving yards in a season, is not necessarily the answer, but he could be an excellent No 2 receiver in Dallas, plus they really had nothing to lose, all things considered.

Travis Hunter (wide receiver/defensive back): Hunter, coming off a very successful final year at the University of Colorado Boulder (15 touchdown catches, with 23 receptions of 20 or more yards, both tied for second in the nation), along with nine interceptions over his entire college career, was selected at No 2 in the 2025 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner possesses the rare skill of playing both ways and is the only player in college football history to win both the Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikoff Awards.

The 22-year-old enters the professional ranks with All-Pro potential, with the ability to impact both offence and defence, but it’s unlikely that he will be able to take on both aspects full time. Maybe the coach can be convinced to inject an exciting wrinkle here and there, but not since Hall of Fame center and linebacker Chuck Bednarik retired after the 1962 season has anyone played on both sides of the ball, as full-time positions. Will be interesting to see how his talents are utilised.

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