Football is back! The NFL's first game of the year kicks off tonight in Canton, Ohio. After a long summer, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel: the preseason opens with the Hall of Fame Game, our first live football since winter.

This week I'm leaning into the football theme, continuing my Countdown to Kickoff series with a look at the coaching carousel that reshaped the league this offseason. Elsewhere, baseball rolls on following the trade deadline, and golf has its regular season finale before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The stakes: Football is back. Although it won’t be the most exciting game you’ll watch, at least we get something. The Hall of Fame Game kicks off the NFL preseason every year in Canton, Ohio, and the teams are usually picked for their ties to that year's Hall of Fame class. This year Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers legend Luke Kuechly are both being inducted, having both spent their entire careers with the teams that drafted them. They'll be recognized on the field pregame alongside the rest of the Class of 2026.

For the game itself, don't expect to see many starters. This game is really a first look at backups, rookies, and fringe players trying to make the roster. Kenny Pickett will get the start for Carolina with Bryce Young sitting, and Carson Beck will start for Arizona.

What to watch for: Watch how Carson Beck looks in his first NFL start. Beck transferred to Miami for his final college season and led the Hurricanes all the way to the championship game. Now he gets his shot with a rebuilding Arizona team, which actually makes this a real opportunity for him.

Jacoby Brissett is the presumed starter, but he's viewed as a stopgap rather than a long term answer, and a rebuilding team has every incentive to find out what it has in Beck sooner rather than later. A strong showing tonight is the kind of thing that builds momentum toward him establishing himself as the starter at some point this season.

Skin in the Game: If you need some additional incentive to watch, back the Cardinals Moneyline (-105). This one comes down to who's actually on the field. Carolina's most experienced quarterback, Kenny Pickett, will likely only play a few series before the Panthers hand it to Georgia Tech's Haynes King, a dangerous runner whose game has leaned more on his legs than his arm.

Arizona's Carson Beck should get a longer look, and he was decisive and able to make quick reads in college, a skillset that translates well at this level. With the total in the mid-30s, one good drive probably decides it, and at essentially even money you're backing the better quarterback likely playing the most snaps. Remember this is for fun, not your rent money.

With the first preseason game kicking off this week, my weekly countdown to the season continues breaking down the offseason moves shaping the year ahead. Last week we looked at the skill players who changed teams. This week we're heading to the sideline, because it's the end of an era for two of the league's longest tenured coaches

John Harbaugh to the Giants: After 18 seasons and a Super Bowl in Baltimore, Harbaugh and the Ravens parted ways and he quickly landed with the Giants, signing a five-year deal. He brings stability to a franchise that badly needed it, and he's already the early favorite for Coach of the Year.

Jesse Minter takes over the Ravens: Baltimore replaced Harbaugh by hiring Jesse Minter, who spent four seasons on Harbaugh's staff before following Jim Harbaugh, John's brother, to Michigan and later the Chargers as defensive coordinator. Minter turned that Chargers defense into a top unit last season, and now he inherits a roster built to win now in his first head coaching job.

Mike McCarthy to the Steelers: A true end of an era. For the first time since 2007, someone other than Mike Tomlin is coaching Pittsburgh after Tomlin stepped down following 19 seasons. He’s replaced by Mike McCarthy, a Super Bowl winner and Pittsburgh native getting the chance to reunite with Aaron Rodgers after many successful seasons together in Green Bay. Few coaching jobs come with more pressure than replacing Tomlin in Pittsburgh.

Yankees vs. Braves | Sunday, 1:35 PM (YES): Two teams jockeying for playoff position meet in the Bronx. Atlanta leads the NL East, while New York is fighting to hold its spot in a crowded AL Wild Card race. Now that we’re in August every series like this one starts to carry real playoff implications.

Wyndham Championship | Today-Sun (CBS): The PGA Tour's regular season finale, and the last chance for players outside the top 70 to punch their ticket into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Keep an eye on Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau, both sitting deep outside the cut line and needing something close to a top-five finish to survive, and Keegan Bradley, who just needs one more solid week to keep his season alive.

Aces vs. Lynx | Saturday, 1:00 PM (CBS): This is a measuring stick game between the league's two best teams. Minnesota sits atop the standings behind Olivia Miles, the runaway Rookie of the Year, with Napheesa Collier still working back to full strength after ankle surgery. Las Vegas comes into this one as the defending champs, winners of three titles in the last four years. This one gives us a glimpse of a deep playoff matchup we're likely to see again later this season.

Must-watch:

Worth tuning in:

— Zach Blumenstein

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