NFL schedule release: Shedeur Sanders vs. Cam Ward is the young QB matchup we all want to see

One year ago at this time, it was one of the easiest games to circle on the schedule and know that as a fan of young quarterbacks, you were going to want to see it: Week 8, Chicago Bears at the Washington Commanders — pitting the No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, against the No. 2 overall pick, Jayden Daniels.

Little did we know that game would change the trajectories of both franchises, with Daniels throwing a game-winning Hail Mary. Neither team was the same after that moment. The Commanders became a collective that believed it was never out of any game, finishing 12-5 and flying all the way into the NFC championship game. The Bears? They went into that matchup sitting at 4-2 and coming off what would be Williams’ best game of the season in a 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. But when Daniels broke them with that Hail Mary, it triggered a 10-game losing streak that would end with the coaching staff being swept out the door.

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That Week 8 game is the stuff that makes the schedule release such an exciting event. It gives everyone an opportunity to circle the games that could end up making or breaking seasons. Or in the case of that Bears-Commanders tilt, provide a window into the future of two young quarterbacks.

With that in mind, here are the five “young quarterback” games I’ve circled after Wednesday night's schedule release.

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns, Week 14: Cam Ward vs. Shedeur Sanders?

Like Caleb Williams versus Jayden Daniels a year ago, this is the game I want to come to fruition. If only because it pits two quarterbacks against each other who were compared for months leading up to the draft. Sanders’ draft slide initially takes the air out of the tires in this one … but that air will get pumped right back in if he wins the Browns’ starting quarterback job. Which he might, given how wide open the quarterback spot sounds right now in Cleveland.

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For months, I stared at the Titans and Browns sitting at No. 1 and No. 2 in the draft, wondering if their 2025 matchup would again pit the top two quarterback choices against each other. Things went dramatically off the rails in the draft, but we still may get a Ward vs. Sanders game anyway. And I’m absolutely rooting for it to happen when these teams meet on Dec. 7.

Joe Milton’s first (exhibition) start as a Dallas Cowboy

OK, this one might seem a little oddball given that Milton isn’t going to be the starter in Dallas next season unless something goes terribly wrong for the Cowboys. But I’m anticipating it anyway, largely because I was in attendance for Milton’s first preseason game with the New England Patriots last year, when he made a mini-highlight reel against a terrible Carolina Panthers defense. Milton didn’t start that game, but he definitely ended it with a flourish.

This time around, Milton’s first Cowboys start should come in the exhibition opener at the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 9. The question is how much he’ll end up playing in the preseason. As Dak Prescott’s backup, Cooper Rush played sparingly in the preseason last year. The majority of the reps ended up in the hands of Trey Lance — but that was as much through design as simply giving Rush protection. Rush had plenty of experience and the Cowboys needed to get a good test run out of Lance, which certainly impacted how the two players were used. Despite Milton being slotted as Prescott’s backup this year — and still leaning into caution — Milton will likely get more run than Rush (who's now in Baltimore) did in exhibition games.

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Part of that is because of necessity, since Milton will still be learning the offense and needs the game reps to measure his progress. But part of it will also be getting a handle on what’s possible with Milton’s exceedingly high ceiling when it comes to the tools he possesses. Given that Prescott has missed games in three of the past five seasons — including two significant season-ending injuries — there’s a solid chance that Milton will be needed for an extended period of time. Dallas needs to know whether it has a reliable backup on a rookie contract for the next three seasons, or a project type of player similar to Lance. If it’s the latter, the Cowboys may need to bring in another veteran who can slide Milton into the third chair.

Jaxson Dart taking the reins after the bye week

One of the first things many New York Giants fans will do is try to figure out the window in the schedule that opens up for Dart to take the starting job from Russell Wilson. And let’s be real … unless Wilson suddenly recaptures his mojo and transforms the Giants into playoff contenders, the Dart era is coming.

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The Giants get a break with the bye week not coming until Week 14, which gives them a solid window to see how Wilson performs and how Dart progresses ... if they can wait that long. If not, it means the Giants have either collapsed with Wilson as their starter or that Dart has quickly picked up an NFL offense that is far more complicated than what he ran at Mississippi and translated that onto the practice field. If he gets the nod after the bye, he'd make his first NFL start at home against the Commanders on Dec. 14.

The inclination of the fan base is going to be getting Dart into the saddle at the first sign of Wilson struggling. But Dart’s readiness is going to be a far bigger factor determining when he steps in. Particularly if the Giants' offensive line shows any signs of having protection issues. The last thing the franchise needs is to put Dart onto the field when they can’t protect him, jeopardizing his confidence at a time when he’s still trying to absorb the scheme. Remember Sam Darnold running around seeing ghosts with the New York Jets? Or Zach Wilson looking completely crushed? There’s merit to waiting for a guy to be ready to go and for your team to be ready to play well around him.

The rookie third-round draft pick coming out of Alabama will definitely have some running packages worked into the offense, which should guarantee him regular-season snaps this season. But the preseason is where he’ll get most of his “live” work in as a passer, with Milroe expected to jockey for the backup job with Drew Lock. That should start with Seattle’s first exhibition game, where the Seahawks should get their first detailed view of what Milroe can do in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme. The plan will be to bring Milroe along slowly as a passer, with most of that part of his game pushed in the preseason, then shifting into his ability to add a dynamic running element to the scheme in the regular season.

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Of course, if Milroe speeds up his timeline and Sam Darnold struggles in Seattle, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he could see some passing snaps late in the season. For that to happen, the season will have had to essentially fallen apart for Darnold as the starter — either due to an injury or simply struggling without the weapons that surrounded him in Minnesota. Conversely, Milroe will have needed to showcase something to convince the coaching staff that throwing the rookie into the fire is the right move.

The Trey Lance reboot with the L.A. Chargers … but with a coach who may be able to turn him around

OK, so Lance isn’t exactly fresh-faced. But he is still young. And the Lance reboot should begin with the Chargers’ first exhibition game, which will likely feature a lot of playing time for the former No. 3 overall pick. Technically it’s the second Lance reboot, after his past two seasons in Dallas, which included a Week 18 start (and loss) against the Washington Commanders that wasn’t very inspiring. While it’s seemingly getting a little late to contemplate whether Lance can ever get himself another shot at starting job, it’s notable that he signed with the Chargers in free agency on a one-year, $2 million contract. That salary technically slots him as the team’s third quarterback behind Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinicke, but he should get an opportunity to challenge for the backup spot in training camp.

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The underlying importance of this crossroads: Lance has been in the league four years, but turned just 25 this month. And while he has the look of a permanent backup, he’s now playing for a head coach in Jim Harbaugh and an offensive coordinator in Greg Roman who helped light a fire under Alex Smith’s career. This after Smith had struggled significantly through his first six years in the NFL, tallying 53 interceptions and 34 fumbles in only 54 games. Harbaugh and Roman dramatically reduced Smith’s mistake-prone play, getting him onto a track to becoming an efficient and reliable starter for the remainder of his career. Lance and Smith share some athletic similarities, too. Now we’ll see if Lance can get some career traction under the direction of Harbaugh and Roman.