One more sleep until the NFL preseason kicks into high gear.

Thursday’s NFL games see 12 teams in action as the preseason schedule gets underway, but before the games begin, there’s another day full of practices and news to know across the league.

The road to Super Bowl 61 is underway, and all 32 teams are using this time on the calendar to build momentum toward a potential trip to SoFi Stadium in February.

A number of stars have already cashed in with lucrative contract extensions, including Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jonathan Taylor.

The injury bug has also taken an early toll. Several players have suffered season-ending injuries, including San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, Carolina Panthers rookie Chris Brazzell, Panthers edge rusher Nic Scourton and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. More setbacks have followed in recent days, with the Detroit Lions losing starting center Cade Mays to a fractured hand and running back Isiah Pacheco to an MCL tear. The Washington Commanders were also dealt a blow when left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps.

Meanwhile, several quarterback competitions are beginning to come into focus. The Vikings officially named Kyler Murray their starter over J.J. McCarthy on Aug. 11. Elsewhere, battles remain unresolved between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland, Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa in Atlanta and veteran Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas.

Here’s the latest news and updates from around the NFL:

Sign up for USA TODAY’s NFL newsletter