The 2025 NFL Preseason: A Look at the Rookies
The 2025 NFL preseason kicked off this Thursday, marking the debut of several rookies on the gridiron. Week 1 of the preseason games offers the first opportunity to observe the new talents of each team, both rookies and offseason acquisitions.Featured Results of the Day
Here’s a summary of the most notable debuts:Ravens 24, Colts 16
LaJohntay Wester, a sixth-round pick for the Ravens, injected energy into the kick return game, scoring a touchdown after an 87-yard run in the first quarter.Wester, whose college coach was Deion Sanders at Colorado, demonstrated his agility by dodging three Colts defenders before running down the right sideline.
Baltimore’s kick return game was a problem last season. The Ravens used four kick returners who averaged 9.7 yards, ranking 16th in the NFL, and failed to achieve a kick return of more than 22 yards.
Wester also led the team with two receptions for 41 yards, with a longest reception of 30 yards.
Rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, but scored a 52-yard one in the final quarter. Loop is the only kicker on the roster, but coach John Harbaugh stated that Loop must prove his worth in the preseason. In training camp, Loop has a 93.5% success rate (58 of 62).
Next game: vs. Cowboys, Saturday, August 16.
Tyler Warren, the Colts’ tight end, selected 14th overall in this year’s draft, had a promising debut. Warren caught all three passes he was targeted on, accumulating 40 receiving yards. On his longest play, a 23-yard reception from Daniel Jones, Warren showcased his talent, cleanly catching the ball and running for 14 more yards after the catch.
The Colts also evaluated new kicker Spencer Shrader, who had a high workload with four field goal attempts in the first half. He connected from 53, 33 and 39 yards, but missed one from 52. Shrader, who kicked for three teams last season as a rookie, is replacing veteran Matt Gay, whom the Colts released earlier this year.
Next game: vs. Packers, Saturday, August 16.
