Football is finally back.
The Lions will begin their preseason slate Thursday at Paycor Stadium, taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in their first of three exhibitions ahead of the 2026 regular season.
The preseason contest will offer a first glimpse of the Lions in action, including rookies like right tackle Blake Miller, new backup quarterbacks Luke Altmyer and Josh Dobbs, and first-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
While the Bengals plan to play some of their starters in a limited fashion, how many starters suit up and see the field for the Lions remains to be seen.
Follow along here for live updates from Detroit News contributor Andrew Graham.
Lions at Bengals
▶ Kickoff: 7 p.m. Thursday, Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
▶ TV/radio: Fox/97.1
▶ Records: First preseason game for both teams
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions take on Bengals in preseason opener: live updates