Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy rips NFL after Week 1 performances

The opening week of the NFL season produced plenty of excitement, but it also produced plenty of sloppy football. From missed tackles and penalties to mental mistakes that changed the outcome of games, several teams looked like they were still working through preseason issues.

Hall of Fame coach and Super Bowl champion Tony Dungy believes the league’s current approach to preseason preparation deserves some of the blame.

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Tony Dungy believes NFL needs a real preseason

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NBC Sports commentator Tony Dungy after the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Dungy took to social media following Week 1 and made his position clear, arguing that the NFL needs a more substantial preseason.

“After watching Week 1 of the NFL season, I believe we need a real preseason,” Dungy wrote. He pointed specifically to players and teams appearing unprepared for the speed and physicality of regular-season football, while highlighting tackling, penalties, and mental errors as problems that changed games.

Dungy also emphasized that defenses are particularly difficult to prepare without live contact.

The argument comes after a Week 1 slate that featured plenty of mistakes across the league. NFL.com noted that many teams held starters out of preseason action, and several clubs appeared to have significant kinks to work out, particularly teams implementing new offensive systems.

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Week 1 provided plenty of evidence for Dungy’s argument

Aug 8, 2026; Canton, OH, USA; Tony Dungy during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Grand Parade. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There were several examples of the types of issues Dungy referenced.

The Patriots, for example, surrendered a 10-0 lead to Seattle while committing seven second-half penalties and throwing three fourth-quarter interceptions. The Seahawks ultimately rallied for a 13-10 victory.

Monday night’s Broncos-Chiefs game provided another striking example on defense. Denver reportedly missed 28 tackles and allowed 247 yards after missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats.

At the same time, Week 1 produced the highest-scoring opening week since the AFL-NFL merger, averaging 49.4 points per game. That means the league’s offensive fireworks came alongside some obvious defensive and fundamental issues.

Dungy isn’t suggesting teams should panic after one game. In fact, his message was the opposite: don’t get too high or too low on a team based on Week 1 alone.

He expects the quality of football to improve as players regain their timing, conditioning, and comfort with game-speed contact. And if that happens, the NFL landscape could look considerably different by October.

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