NFL announces full 2021 preseason schedule, nationally televised games

NFL preseason games are making their triumphant return this summer after taking a year off due to COVID-19 safety protocols. The NFL announced the full 2021 preseason schedule on Thursday, including all of the nationally televised preseason games.

Nationally televised games

If you want to watch NFL games that don't count toward anything related to the regular season, here are the five times you can do it.

• Thursday, Aug. 5: NFL/Hall of Fame Game, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8 p.m. ET on Fox

• Friday, Aug. 20: Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

• Monday, Aug. 23: Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

• Sunday, Aug. 29: Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals, 4 p.m. ET on CBS

• Sunday, Aug. 29: Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons, 8 p.m. ET on NBC

Eight out of 32 teams are getting a nationally televised preseason showcase, and while none of them include the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there's one game that everyone will likely be eager to see: the Aug. 23 game between the Jaguars and Saints, which could feature the Jags' No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence.

Every team's full preseason schedule was also released

The regular season is set to begin Thursday, Sept. 9 with the Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Twenty-eight teams will play their first games on Sunday, Sept. 12, and the final two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders, will play on Monday, Sept. 13.

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