The smell of freshly cut grass is in the air. The tackling dummies are being rolled out onto the practice field by equipment staffs around the NFL. Players have reported to NFL training camps around the league, and practices are underway.
Training camp has opened with some big deals, like the Green Bay Packers re-signing offensive tackle Zach Tom to a four-year, $88 million extension, and some hold outs — like the Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher duo of All-Pro Trey Hendrickson and first-round rookie Shemar Stewart, as well as Washington Commanders Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Yes, we’re only handful of days into training camp, and the pads haven’t come on just yet, but there’s still enough action going on to take stock of who is showing out early, who’s off to a rough start, what’s the latest with a few holdouts and who, if anyone, has suffered notable injuries. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Standouts
The Cowboys All-Pro top target held out of training camp last year while in the middle of contract negotiations, but he’s back at camp in Oxnard, California, looking to embarrass Dallas’ entire defense. Lamb was a second-team All-Pro in 2024 after a slow start to the season after missing camp, but he led the NFL in catches (135 in 2023) the last time he participated in camp. He certainly looks capable of doing that after weaving his way through Dallas’ entire defense on Tuesday.
Former top 10 pick Isaiah Simmons, whom the Packers signed to a one-year contract this offseason, made a strong first impression upon Green Bay Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs.
“First, he can run. He can run. He’s kind of a unicorn at that position,” Jacobs said of Simmons, via USA Today, on Tuesday. “He can run. We can put him out on guys in the slot, and he can cover guys. Really man, I can’t wait to see him in pads. I want to see how physical he is. Obviously I’ve played against him a couple times, so I know what kind of player he is. But it’s different when you see it on a day-to-day basis.”
There’s a vacancy at the Cowboys starting edge rusher spot opposite Parsons following the free agency departure of four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence to the Seattle Seahawks. A lot of attention about who could fill that void has been given to 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku and free agent signee Dante Fowler Jr. Marshawn Kneeland, Dallas’ 2024 second-round pick, is flashing early in that position battle at training camp. He intercepted starting quarterback Dak Prescott on a screen pass, and he registered multiple pressures/would-be sacks on him as well across the first two days of camp.
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The Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles’ 2025 first-round pick is off to a fast start at training camp in Philadelphia. Here’s what CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr noted about Jihaad Campbell while out at practice Wednesday:
“Campbell wasn’t even supposed to be practicing on Day 1 of training camp. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said earlier in the summer the first-round draft pick would be out until August while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Imagine the surprise when Eagles general manager Howie Roseman announced linebacker Nakobe Dean would start the season on the PUP list and not Campbell.
Campbell was a limited participant in the first practice, lining up with the second team at off-ball linebacker. Paired with fellow rookie Smael Mondon Jr., it didn’t take long for Campbell to make a standout play. Taking meaningful snaps in the 7-on-7 drills, Campbell broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Danny Gray as the rookie was trailing in coverage. Tanner McKee was the quarterback, and the pass was a little bit behind Gray, but that’s a completion in a game if not for the Campbell breakup. Campbell showed his athleticism on the pass breakup, and what he can provide for this defense as he grows into his role over the summer.”
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The New England Patriots have notoriously struggled to draft the wide receiver position throughout the 21st century, but CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan reports they have something in rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams:
“First, during one of the 11-on-11 periods, quarterback Drake Maye hit Williams with a quick throw in the flat, and the rookie then showed his eye-popping speed. He caught the ball around the hashes and suddenly hit a new gear, easily scooting past his nearest defender to pick up a chunk of yards after the catch. Just two plays later, Williams made arguably the play of the day, beating 2024 All-Pro corner Christian Gonzalez on the sideline for a completion.
“I think he was backside one-on-one with Gonzo,” Maye said of his rookie wideout. “He made a big-time catch, strong hands. I told him to maybe sell it a little more, just try to give him a go-route feel. But I think he’s coming along. He’s looking good. I told Gonzo earlier, I’m going to come at Gonzo. I’m not going to, you know, backside. I’m not going to leave him out here bored at practice. So good for a rookie to make a play like that. And I think he is just going to get better and better.”
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Off to a rough start
ESPN reported that Anthony Richardson completed just 4 of his 11 passes in team drills during the first practice of training camp. It’s worth noting he is shaking off some rust related to a shoulder injury, and that it was reported that dropped passes were also a factor in that stat line.
Daniel Jones was more efficient overall than Richardson, completing six of his eight passes, but defensive back Kenny Moore intercepted his pass when he was late throwing to wide receiver Josh Downs.
“I think, like any Day 1, you’re getting started. Some good, some bad,” Jones said Wednesday, via ESPN.
Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen told ESPN he won’t put a date on when he will name a starting quarterback, so both Jones and Richardson are still alive in one of the more dubious quarterback camp battles the NFL has seen in recent memory.
“The consistency of the operation,” Steichen said, via ESPN. “Just moving the ball up and down the field. No timetable on this thing. Let those guys compete, let the process play out and we’ll go from there.”
Giants first-round pick Jaxson Dart couldn’t have had a worse start to his work in team drills at his first training camp. He threw a pick-six on his first pass. He locked on to tight end Greg Dulcich, who was running a curl route on the left half of the field. Nickel corner Nic Jones saw exactly where Dart wanted to go with the football and easily took it back to the house. The Athletic reported that Dart completed just one of his five throws in 11-on-11 drills, but the lone completion was a touchdown to tight end Theo Johnson.
“I just felt like I could beat him with the throw,” Dart said, via The Athletic. “Obviously going back you want to try to put it a little on the outside shoulder. That’s just the closing speed of the NFL. You do your best to try to get used to it because there are a lot of really, really good athletes out here. It’s definitely something to learn from, but we’ll get better from it and move forward.”
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Holdouts
Commanders Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin’s holdout from training camp is well underway. McLaurin opted to take a yoga class away from the team facility Wednesday instead of participating in practice while vying for a new contract. The 29-year-old, who turns 30 on Sept. 15, set a Commanders single-season record for receiving touchdowns with 13 in 2024. That figure ranked as the second-most in the NFL last season behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. McLaurin is set to enter the final season of a three-year, $68.364 million extension, so he’s looking for security following Washington’s NFC championship runner-up finish in 2024.
Entering a contract year after consecutive seasons with at least 17 sacks, 30-year-old All-Pro Trey Hendrickson expects to get paid. Hendrickson is just one of five players since 1982, when sacks became an officially tracked stat, to have back-to-back years with at least 17 sacks. Across the past five seasons, Hendrickson’s 70.5 sacks are the third-most in the NFL, and he trails only T.J. Watt (73.5) and Myles Garrett (72.0) in the 2020s.
|
Trey Hendrickson (CIN) |
2023-2024 |
|
JJ Watt (HOU) |
2014-2015 |
|
Reggie White (PHI) |
1986-1988 |
|
Richard Dent (CHI) |
1984-1985 |
|
Mark Gastineau (NYJ) |
1983-1984 |
* 1982 is when sacks became an officially individually tracked statistic
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Bengals rookie first-round edge rusher Shemar Stewart, the insurance policy for Hendrickson, is also holding out. Cincinnati owner Mike Brown said earlier this week that the hang-up in Stewart’s rookie deal being signed is haggling over the team potentially being on the hook for his contract guarantees should the edge rusher get into legal trouble.
“His agent wants it to be so that if he acted in a terrible fashion — this is all hypothetical — something that rises to the level of going to prison, that we would be on the line for the guarantees for the future years that haven’t been paid,” Brown said. “And our position is no, if that happens, we’re not going to be. We’re not going to be paying someone who’s sitting in jail. That’s not what we’re going to do.”
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Injury updates
Giants Pro Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers missed both organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp with a toe injury. Even though the Pro Bowler, who set a Giants single-season record with 109 catches in 2024, is cleared, he revealed he may need surgery down the road.
“The toe is good, you know. This spring, we had a great rehab to try and get me back. So I’m back, feeling good, feeling a little bit better, healthy out there running around. I feel good,” Nabers said Wednesday, via USA Today. “That’s [surgery] up in the air, but decisions will be made when the time is right. But right now I’m just focusing on locking in and getting ready for the season. Being out there with my guys, it felt good to be out there and run around. There’s been talk about it, I just never really came to a complete thought for me to do it. But I’ve been managing it well, I’ve been running around, feeling pretty good. Everything’s been going well with the rehab, so the toe is feeling better, and I’m just happy to be out there with my guys now.”
Cardinals defenders
The Cardinals ended up placing three defensive linemen on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Wednesday to begin training camp, including 2025 first-round defensive tackle Walter Nolen (calf). Nolen suffered a calf injury while training at the Cardinals’ facility, per NFL Media. Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (neck) and 2023 second-round pick BJ Ojulari (knee) were the others who joined Nolen on the PUP list.
Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos suffered a serious injury at the end of the practice on Wednesday, and he was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in a helicopter. The team did not disclose what injury Matos suffered, but it did reveal he was stable.
