The summer is notable time in the sports calendar for primarily baseball. While in recent years, women’s sports such as basketball and soccer are becoming part of summer as well, there is one other part of summer: NFL training camps.
This weekend, we had coverage of all 32 teams at training camp getting ready for another season of the NFL. This year, the team to beat is the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, whose high-flying offense put them on the map and back at the top of the mountain. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have lost a lot of their prestigious luster after being destroyed by the Eagles in the Super Bowl. This has left the door open for other teams in the AFC to challenge the Chiefs, obviously the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, but also from their own division.
But this is just the start where players come to camp to work off the rust and see how they can be better than last year. Let’s look at some of the highlights and storylines coming out of camp.
PATRIOTS STILL IN THE HOLE
As someone who grew up watching Tom Brady lead the New England Patriots to the longest run of dominance we’ve seen in the NFL, I’m going to be completely honest: the Patriots are still rebuilding. The eyes are on rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell. The reason is that he is being counted on to help upgrade an offensive line that ranked 31st in the league in pass block win rate (to put that in layman’s terms: 31 out of 32 is not good).
But also, the Patriots are desperate to see an improvement with Drake Maye as he enters his second year in the league. I’m going to be honest, I don’t think much of him…and that hasn’t changed. However, he did have two touchdown passes during drills on Saturday. With the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins doing some soul searching, now might be the time the Patriots have been waiting for to recapture some of their former glory.
TERRY MCLAURIN ARRIVES IN CAMP…WITH A CAVEAT
For most of Saturday, the news around the Washington Commanders was the absence of wide receiver Terry McLaurin. He did finally arrive at camp but was put on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list with an ankle injury. The main concern is that McLaurin was holding out for an extension since his current contract is on its last year. Coach Dan Quinn said that McLaurin will work out with the trainers to the side, but that’s not a guarantee that he’ll participate in full practice once he’s healthy.
This is crucial to the Commanders. Reigning Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels exceeded all expectations last season, but not having their top receiver is going to be a setback in no uncertain terms. This will be something worth monitoring for the next few weeks.
HENDRICKSON A NO-SHOW FOR THE BENGALS
McLaurin isn’t the only contract issue being watched. Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is still not in camp as he holds out for a new contract. Hendrickson is vital to the team’s defensive success as the four-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 17.5 sacks on his way to being selected for the All-Pro Team. Like McLaurin, Hendrickson is on the last year of his contract.
Last year, the Bengals’ poor start was too much to overcome, and it cost them a playoff spot. If they want to avoid that same scenario, they better figure out a way to please Hendrickson, as it would do them no favors to be without one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
YEAR TWO QUARTERBACKS
We’ve mentioned Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, but they’re not the only second year quarterbacks in the spotlight. We’re also monitoring the likes of Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. Even though he was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams’ rookie season with the Chicago Bears was a rude welcome into the NFL. Obviously, they didn’t construct a very great team around him, and that’s why there’s a new coach and staff to change things up. Saturday’s practice looked great as Williams marched his unit down 47 yards with 1:08 on the clock.
Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. found himself in the starting role for the end of last season for the Atlanta Falcons. However, the question will be if he can keep it since veteran Kirk Cousins isn’t going anywhere.
The other quarterback to watch will be Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy. Last year, McCarthy’s season ended before it began, forcing the Vikings to turn to journeyman Sam Darnold. However, Darnold is gone, and McCarthy is back in the spotlight. There are doubts about his performance as he prepares for his expected first NFL season with the Vikings (since he never played at all last year). Of course, it is much more manageable when your wide receiver corps has the talents of the league’s top receiver in Justin Jefferson.
LOCAL TEAMS INTEL
Los Angeles and Hollywood readers are probably interested to hear what’s going on with the local teams. Starting with the Los Angeles Rams, second year wide receiver Jordan Whittington got a big applause from fans after catching a deep pass during practice. Coach Sean McVay says he’s been “super impressed” with Whittington, praising how strong and “conscientious” the receiver is. If Whittington can continue to develop, that gives the Rams and Matthew Stafford a pretty good receiver corps to work with alongside Tutu Atwell, Xavier Smith, and Davante Adams.
Over to the Chargers, coach Jim Harbaugh believes the offensive line starters were set. That would be good news, as the priority for the coming season is to keep superstar quarterback Justin Herbert healthy and intact. Najee Harris sustained an eye injury due to a mishap with fireworks on July 4, so all the first team reps have gone to rookie running back Omarion Hampton. The general impression I’ve been hearing of Hampton can be described as “holy mole holes!” The rookie has been explosive and fluid, and he and Harris should make a huge impact on the Chargers’ running game. Of course, first Harris must make his way back, and the Chargers have given no timetable for his return.
OTHER NFL NEWS:
- The Denver Broncos and wide receiver Courtland Sutton have reached an agreement on a four-year, $92 million extension.
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reworked quarterback Baker Mayfield’s contract to give him $30 million guaranteed in 2026. He previously had no guaranteed money for that year. The length of the contract remains the same, but Mayfield now has financial security next year, which is the final season of his deal.
- The Tennessee Titans have waived injured wide receiver Treylon Burks, who fractured his collarbone this past weekend.
