Panini Instant Recap: Preseason Week 1 Brought Dashing Debuts

Written by: Connor Zimmerlee

We’re officially back, folks. After months of waiting and reading any news coming out of rookie minicamps, OTAs and training camp, NFL football is here. The preseason has officially begun. No, it isn’t regular-season action, but it is football. Football that offers our first glimpses at some of the most exciting rookies.

Keeping up with dozens of standout newcomers across the league can be overwhelming. We’ve got you covered with a recap looking at some of the best performances from first-year players this past weekend. Starting us off are a pair of electric quarterbacks: Cleveland’s Shedeur Sanders and New Orleans’ Tyler Shough.

Earning the start in his preseason debut against the Panthers, Sanders looked like a game-changing signal-caller. He navigated the pocket confidently and had no issues slicing up coverages. Slinging dimes to all levels of the field, the Colorado product racked up 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead a 30-10 win. Meanwhile, Shough flexed his remarkable accuracy. The Saints’ rookie completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 165 yards – including a gorgeous 54-yard touchdown strike.

Perhaps the debut with the most hype surrounding it was that of Jacksonville’s Travis Hunter. Taken with the No. 2 overall pick, the playmaker is known for his status as a two-way phenom capable of providing winning plays on both sides of the ball. Against the Steelers, his focus was primarily on offense, where he snagged two passes for nine yards in limited action. He was not the biggest star of the night, however. That honor went to Cam Little and his cannon of a leg. While Little is a sophomore, not a rookie, he provided the play of the weekend by drilling a would-be NFL record 70-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Other standout performances worthy of a mention include New England’s TreVeyon Henderson and Detroit’s Isaac TeSlaa.  Henderson displayed his game-breaking speed with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown vs. Washington, while TeSlaa hauled in an 11-yard score during a 17-10 win over Atlanta.

All the players mentioned above, as well as a handful of other stars, earned Panini Instant cards for their top-tier showings. Keep an eye on Panini’s webstore and socials for when these drop, as well as future cards every week throughout the upcoming NFL regular season.