Previewing the top storylines for 2025 NFL training camps

They say Christmas is in December and it’s 12 days long. Codswallop, say I. Christmas starts in July, is four weeks long and comes with a present nearly every single day: That your favorite third-string receiver made a tough snag over the middle in double coverage; that the undersized, small-school undrafted pass rusher is once again terrorizing the backup offensive line; that everybody — and I mean everybody — is in the best shape of his life.

It’s NFL training camp, folks. And it’s right around the corner, with veteran players for the Chargers and Lions reporting to camp later this week, ahead of the Hall of Fame Game on July 31.

There’s little I look forward to more than the first video to hit my timeline of a few star players jogging out onto the practice field. Perhaps the only thing I cherish more are answers to the following questions, winners of the following positional battles, health for the following injuries and updates on the following rookies. Let’s get into it.

Jump to:
Questions | Battles
Injuries | Rookies

Five unanswered questions that could be answered

What will the second act of Dan Campbell look like?

Campbell is one of the best coaches in the league. There is no question about this, none at all. Two of his best acts with the Lions have been as follows: hiring Aaron Glenn as defensive coordinator, and promoting Ben Johnson to offensive coordinator after his first hiring (Anthony Lynn) didn’t work out.

Those are the only moves Campbell has needed to make at coordinator over his four years in Detroit — a rare thing for a team as successful as the Lions have been. After years of interest, both Glenn and Johnson have finally taken head coaching jobs elsewhere, which raises a few questions. The first: Just how good is Campbell’s eye for coaching talent? New DC Kelvin Sheppard was promoted from the linebackers coaching job, but Campbell first worked with him back in 2014-15, when Sheppard was still a player on the Dolphins. He’s been the defensive coordinator-in-waiting for a while now. What does Campbell see in him? And will that vision be realized?

On the offensive side of the ball, where plenty of candidates for internal promotion were available (Hank Fraley, Tanner Engstrand, Antwan Randel El), Campbell went for an external hire in John Morton. There is some familiarity there, as Morton spent the 2022 season as the Lions’ senior offensive assistant. Does he have a particularly strong relationship with Jared Goff, who will need to shoulder a greater load now that Johnson has left the building? Can Morton bring the same creativity, the same situational excellence that powered the Lions’ fourth-down approach of seasons past?

The Lions are transitioning from a rebuilt upstart to a bona fide force, and that means they must combat brain drain. This is Campbell’s first crack at replacing key staff departures, and getting it right is critical to completing the total team turnaround.

What does Justin Fields do with this (last) chance?

When Fields finally got out of Chicago last season, I was thrilled for him. Few franchises have been worse at QB development over the past several seasons than the Bears. The Steelers are another such candidate, as they have struggled to modernize their offensive approach or flood their roster with pass catchers for a young quarterback. Of course, Fields joined Pittsburgh as a backup behind Russell Wilson, and he started only six games while Wilson recovered from a calf injury.

Rather surprisingly, the Jets gave him a starter’s deal and an unimpeded path to the QB1 job. The Jets are another candidate for our “even worse than the Bears at quarterback development” list, but it’s a new staff in New York — namely, head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Both came from Detroit, and Glenn in particular watched his defenses get ravaged by Fields’ legs twice a season. Fields’ last three games as a Bear against Glenn’s defense: 12 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown; 10 carries for 132 yards; 13 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, the Jets have few pass catchers behind Garrett Wilson, but they have a pretty solid offensive line. I don’t think they’ll tip their hand (and put Fields in harm’s way) too much during training camp, but I’ll be watching the reports closely. And I won’t be surprised if we see a 2022-like season for Fields. Back then, he posted 160 carries for 1,143 yards, the second most all time for a quarterback. If he can replicate that season with his legs, while getting more passing game help from Engstrand and Wilson than he ever got in Chicago, there just might be something there.

There isn’t a training camp question with a bigger range of outcomes than the McCarthy question in Minnesota. I can draw two parallel universes for you. In the first, a year of rehab gave McCarthy the opportunity to prepare mentally, and he is accordingly as sharp as a tack under center — no rookie mistakes. Fully physically recovered, he offers more on the boot than Darnold ever did, creating a new layer in the already dangerous Vikings offense. Minnesota hits the ground running.

In the other, Minnesota really does hit the ground running because McCarthy isn’t ready. He is uncertain on the knee and still adjusting to NFL speed, and it’s not like he was a pass-heavy maven in college either. The Vikings heavily rely on a retooled offensive line, as well as a running back by committee with Jordan Mason joining Aaron Jones. They keep as much off their young passer’s shoulders as possible as he works his way to NFL ball.

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These two worlds, and every world in between, feel possible for the Vikings. We shouldn’t overreact to anything we get in training camp, especially negative. The McCarthy we get in August won’t be the McCarthy we see in December, as a season’s worth of NFL action teaches some big lessons. But the Vikings are in a competitive division and harbor deep playoff aspirations. They only have so much leash to give a rookie, especially when you consider how easily Kevin O’Connell has made veteran quarterbacks shine in this offense. McCarthy’s health and confidence are about as big of a July storyline as you get in the NFL.

I remain confident that the two most obvious things will happen in Cincinnati: The Bengals will reach an extension with Hendrickson that makes him a top-three highest-paid defensive player in football, and they will give Stewart the rookie contract language he seeks so he can start practicing.

However, there’s a not-insubstantial (excellent writing there; I’m a professional) chance at least one of these takes a left turn. Hendrickson seems to have more internal locker room support for a prolonged holdout than any other player I can remember. Everyone in a Bengals uniform knows he has carried that defense for a long time, and in no season was that more obvious than last year. If Hendrickson flatly rejects every offer the Bengals give him and tries to reinvigorate trade markets as other teams reevaluate their rosters during training camp, I will be surprised. But not shocked.

The Stewart situation feels tied to the Hendrickson situation. If Hendrickson is holding out (or holding in, as that’s the method these days), then the Bengals will swiftly revert their rookie contract language and get Stewart practicing — they need him even more than they thought. But what if the Hendrickson deal gets done before camp? I can see the Bengals “losing” the Hendrickson negotiation (i.e., paying him a bajillion dollars), and digging their heels in on the Stewart contract as a result.

Again: I still strongly believe we’re going to get the expected outcome on both of these deals, but I’m not counting my chickens just yet.

Can Nick Caley get it going? And can Josh Grizzard keep it going?

With every offseason, it feels like new offensive coordinators have bigger and bigger leverage in surprising team outcomes. Compare the 2024 Eagles to the 2023 Eagles if you don’t believe me — a playcaller can just as easily tank a humming offense as he can resurrect a fallen one.

In the latter case this season, we have new Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who inherits a Texans offense that fell from lofty expectations in 2024. Houston’s approach to pass protection proved far too rudimentary, and opposing defenses easily found pressure schematically. They found it against personnel as well, so the Texans retooled their offensive line accordingly.

It’s easy to poke holes in the 2025 Texans’ offensive personnel. Rookie receivers fill the depth chart behind Nico Collins. Christian Kirk is returning from a collarbone injury; Tank Dell might not be back this season at all. The offensive line is young and shuffled. But I remember how explosive this offense was in 2023 when the playcalling was sharp, and the core of that success — C.J. Stroud and Collins — remains. I’m bullish on a Texans offensive bounce-back, so long as Caley is as billed.

On the other hand, Josh Grizzard isn’t looking to rebound, but sustain. The new offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, Grizzard steps into Liam Coen’s shoes as the playcaller for Baker Mayfield and a Bucs offense that returns every single starter from last season (and adds Emeka Egbuka, a first-round wide receiver from Ohio State). But Grizzard has never called plays before, and he was a fast riser through the Dolphins’ offensive ranks before his one season as the Buccaneers’ passing game coordinator last season. What’s his DNA?

The Bucs were one bounce away from a wild-card win over the Commanders last season, and that was with an injury-riddled defense. If they are healthier on that side of the ball, they look like a bona fide NFC contender … so long as you assume the offense doesn’t take a step back with Coen’s departure. A huge responsibility is on Grizzard’s shoulders.

Training camp battles to watch

Colts quarterback

The key fulcrum of this battle could have been in a later section, as the fight between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson for the starting quarterback job in Indianapolis is complicated by Richardson’s lingering shoulder injury. Richardson initially injured his throwing shoulder in 2023 on a scramble and aggravated that AC joint during practice in May. Coach Shane Steichen put no timetable on a return, but reports indicate he’ll be ready for training camp.

If Richardson can throw unimpeded during training camp, we have ourselves a real battle. Jones, who signed a one-year deal in March, is a known commodity — a low-end starting quarterback with some rushing ability but little arm talent to elevate a passing game. Richardson, who has missed 17 games with injuries in his first two seasons, still has the requisite physical talent to not just win the starting job but also become a highly dangerous NFL QB. Since he’s younger (23) and far more naturally skilled, the Colts want him to win the job.

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But the Colts’ commitment to Richardson is clearly thin, especially following the peculiar tap-out/benching fiasco last season. And if the oft-injured passer misses time in August, Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard can easily hand the starting job to Jones in an argument for continuity and stability.

Jones did play under a strong offensive mind in Brian Daboll while starting in New York, but he never enjoyed such a talented cadre of pass catchers as he does now: Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell and rookie tight end Tyler Warren. While it’s unlikely Jones suddenly becomes a top-tier quarterback, he can be a capable point guard for such a dangerous group.

Chiefs left tackle

Poor left tackle play seemed like it was going to sink the Chiefs’ offensive ship for months of the 2024 season, but nevertheless, that stubborn and incremental offense made it all the way to Super Bowl LIX before the bill finally came due.

With 2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia kicked into the left guard spot vacated by Joe Thuney, the Chiefs redoubled their investment at the key spot. They grabbed Jaylon Moore in free agency and Ohio State’s Josh Simmons in April’s draft.

Both options come with risk — Moore was only ever a spot starter with the 49ers, and Simmons is coming off a patella injury and still recovering from surgery. Simmons is expected to be full-go at training camp, which opens the job up to a true battle.

Chiefs fans will be familiar with the uncertainty, as the left tackle job was up for grabs last season, too. The hope is that Simmons proves healthy and capable, such that Moore can serve as a swing tackle. I imagine Simmons will take the first snaps at left tackle accordingly — but he needs to be (and stay) healthy to actually win that job.

Cowboys running back

What, precisely, are the Cowboys up to at running back? It’s unclear. After producing a 1,000-yard season, Rico Dowdle left in free agency for a mere one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Panthers. Dallas gave more to former Bronco Javonte Williams, who hasn’t looked explosive since a major knee injury in 2022. The team also signed Miles Sanders to a one-year deal and drafted Jaydon Blue out of Texas in the fifth round.

This is a worryingly weak room. The ideal outcome is that Williams suddenly returns to his pre-injury form, though it’s worth remarking that even his career-best season (2021, rookie year) was only 4.4 yards per attempt and a 46.3% success rate. But Blue is a speedy change-of-pace back, so steady production from Williams — an excellent pass catcher — could be complemented by some big Blue plays. That is still two big “ifs” just to get to a functional committee. Lotta squeeze for not a lotta juice.

This camp battle is one to watch less for the touch distribution — all three backs will inevitably get usage this season — and more for the overall quality. The Cowboys feel like a prime candidate for a running back trade acquisition, especially if their rushing game lags again behind an improved passing game with George Pickens at receiver. Which brings us to our other backfield to watch.

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Jaguars running back

A three-headed battle is underway in Jacksonville. The presumed starter is Travis Etienne Jr., a 2021 first-round pick who has started 46 of a possible 53 games since entering the league. But last season, he lost touches to Tank Bigsby, a 2023 second-rounder who shined when Etienne missed time with a shoulder injury. From Week 5 on in 2024, Bigsby outrushed Etienne 147 to 103 and was statistically superior by almost all measures: 0.01 EPA per rush to Etienne’s minus-0.13, 38.8% success rate to Etienne’s 35.9% and 2.33 yards after contact per rush to Etienne’s 1.36.

Now, the offensive staff in Jacksonville has been overhauled, and new coach Liam Coen used a two-headed backfield well when he was coordinating the Buccaneers’ offense last season. So why not just play Etienne and Bigsby in a committee? Because a third back has entered the fray in fourth-rounder Bhayshul Tuten, whom the Jaguars drafted in April.

I’m fairly certain Tuten will play a solid role in the backfield, as he is the recent acquisition relative to the two veterans this new staff is inheriting. But there aren’t enough touches to feed three backs, which means Etienne and Bigsby will contend for the 1A role.

Given what we saw last season, I think Bigsby will win that battle in a fair fight — the decision might come down to which back returns more capital in a trade.

Patriots wide receiver

In this pass-loving era of the NFL, it’s quite rare to find a team with a receiver room in which every single role, from X to Z to slot, is up for grabs. But that feels like the case in New England, where new coach Mike Vrabel must field a functional group of pass catchers around second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

The leading candidate for a WR1 role is Stefon Diggs, signed to a three-year, $69 million deal this spring. On paper, he is the most talented wide receiver in New England. But he’s 31 years old, coming off an ACL tear and has already enjoyed some off-field shenanigans this offseason. Last year’s leading receiver was DeMario Douglas, who put up 621 yards on 66 catches as a primary slot receiver. (Technically, tight end Hunter Henry led the Patriots with 674 yards, but that’s rather depressing, and we’re only talking about the receiver room right now.)

Douglas is just OK at slot receiver. Among 27 players who ran at least 60% of their routes from the slot last season, he ranked 17th in yards per route run and 19th in first downs per target. That’s not prolific enough to have a stranglehold on that role, and any smart usage of Diggs includes a decent diet of slot routes. There’s also the wrinkle of rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound speedster who — you guessed it — deserves some snaps in the slot.

Diggs and Williams can play on the outside, and probably should to some degree. How much will be decided by Kayshon Boutte — who got the lion’s share of snaps at X receiver last season but failed to impress (he’ll have another shot with a new coaching staff) — and second-year man Ja’Lynn Polk, who fell out of favor with last year’s offense but was a top-40 pick in 2024.

There are hundreds of targets up for grabs in the Patriots offense, no exaggeration. Someone needs to emerge in August if this offense is going to take a step in the right direction.

Five injuries to monitor

Against the Chiefs last October, Aiyuk tore both the ACL and MCL in his right knee. That’s a major injury and a tight turnaround for a Week 1 return this season. In May, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on his podcast that he “would think [Aiyuk’s] ready to play by midseason” even with his recovery going well.

While Aiyuk was present for minicamp in San Francisco, no reports out of the building indicate any change to that timeline. General manager John Lynch echoed that rehab is going well, but he “wouldn’t put a timeline” on Aiyuk’s return. Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that Aiyuk would likely start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Critically, inclusion on the PUP list during training camp does not force Aiyuk to miss any regular-season games. If he remains on that list after the 53-man roster cut deadline in late August, then he’ll be required to miss at least the first four games of the season.

We almost certainly will not see Aiyuk in pads running routes and taking hits this summer, but how much work he does on side fields could help predict his availability for that first month of the season — and maybe beyond.

When the Bears took Loveland with the 10th overall pick in April, they made him the earliest-drafted tight end since Kyle Pitts (fourth) in 2021. But they also knew he was rehabbing from AC joint surgery after playing through the injury for much of his final season at Michigan.

According to new coach Ben Johnson, Loveland is doing well to stay engaged in walkthroughs and meetings. But it’s tough for rookies to hit the ground running when they miss time during their first offseason. He needs reps on the field.

His status for training camp is still uncertain, as Johnson said Loveland will be cleared “at some point” during camp. With such significant draft capital spent on the tight end, it’s reasonable to expect that Johnson plans to feature Loveland in the offense. Remember, Johnson is inheriting DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet, but he hand-selected Loveland. Expect to see plenty of 12 personnel sets — and even Loveland on the field instead of Kmet in 11 personnel — once Loveland proves he’s ready for NFL action during padded practices.

Another rookie, another shoulder injury. After his breakout season at Alabama, Campbell had offseason labrum surgery, and concerns surrounding that shoulder contributed to a small draft day to fall. The Eagles, ever the risk-takers in the NFL draft, snagged Campbell anyway at No. 31 overall.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio revealed that the Eagles don’t expect Campbell to hit the practice field until August. This is doubly tricky for Campbell, who is a hybrid edge/LB, and will need to learn how to play on- and off-ball at the NFL level. Fangio and the Eagles would also benefit from seeing the rookie play multiple roles in camp, so they can determine where his best NFL future may be.

The good news for the Eagles is that they went through a similar issue last year. Rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean, another highly versatile player drafted at No. 40 overall, missed much of training camp with a hamstring injury and only saw game action in Week 6. DeJean immediately elevated the Eagles’ defense to Super Bowl levels. It’s unreasonable to expect the same from Campbell, of course, but the staff has proven their ability to handle a rookie’s limited onboarding.

One of the breakout stars of the 2024 season, Overshown started 12 games and collected 90 tackles along with five sacks, three pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. Then, in Week 14, he tore the ACL, PCL and MCL in his right knee — less than two years after an ACL tear in his left knee robbed him of his rookie season.

Overshown should be one of two starting linebackers under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, but when exactly he gets back on the field is something to monitor. He gave a bullish update on his health to the Cowboys team site in May: “I think it really couldn’t be any better. If it was better, I’d probably be out there playing right now. Where I’m at in my rehab, in my process, it’s where I’m supposed to be plus some.”

That sounds rosy, but expect the Cowboys to be cautious with Overshown (as one should be with a player who tore three ligaments in one knee). Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in April the team does not expect Overshown to start the season, and local reporters have tagged November as a likely window to return. I’d be stunned if we see him do much during camp, but if he really is ahead on his rehab, we could see the rumblings in August of an early return to action.

Johnson played his way into the Pro Bowl with a breakout 2023 season, and expectations were sky high for 2024. Instead, a torn Achilles in Week 2 ended the encore before it could begin, and the Jets defense crumbled in his absence. Only Will McDonald IV offered much of a pass rush off the edge.

Johnson is expected to return in Week 1 (against his old teammate, quarterback Aaron Rodgers), but could start training camp on the PUP list, according to new coach Aaron Glenn. Because of the scheme switch from Robert Saleh to Glenn, it’s important that Johnson gets at least some time to knock the rust off in August.

Athletes returning from Achilles tears can also struggle for months to reclaim their old explosiveness. To accurately gauge how he might impact the game in September, if and when he’s back in Week 1, it’s important to get a good look at him on the move during camp.

Five rookies to watch

Let’s connect some dots. There was heavy reporting during the 2024 draft that the Rams were interested in moving up for a playmaker on offense, specifically tight end Brock Bowers. There was heavy reporting during the 2025 draft that the Rams were interested in moving up for a playmaker on offense, specifically wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. This was after signing Davante Adams to a solid deal in free agency to replace Cooper Kupp.

So Rams coach Sean McVay has been sniffing around for a young, impactful pass catcher for the past couple of drafts. He finally got one in the second round, using a pick they acquired as part of their enormous first-round trade with the Falcons. Ferguson was clearly an important target for the team, and that job is wide open as 32-year-old veteran Tyler Higbee deals with substantial injury. Don’t be surprised to see early first-team snaps for Ferguson come August.

The retirement of Frank Ragnow is a huge blow to the Lions’ offensive identity and locker room — no two ways about it. Even if they took a generational center with their top pick, there would still be concerns about losing a franchise cornerstone like that. But the position is now doubly tenuous with Ratledge as the expected replacement.

A high school tackle who played guard at Georgia, Ratledge only ever practiced at center in college — he never saw game action there. There’s a substantial increase in the mental ask for a center relative to guard, not to mention the mental leap from collegiate to professional play. The Lions desperately need their second-round rookie to get up to speed, fast.

After a strong debut season for Bo Nix and a well-earned playoff berth, the Broncos had one big objective this offseason: Get more dangerous on offense. Their lack of playmakers in the backfield and at pass catcher hurt them down the stretch, as manufacturing touches for Marvin Mims Jr. and Javonte Williams can only take a team so far. Many are focused on second-round running back RJ Harvey, but I’m more interested in Bryant, who was picked in Round 3.

Bryant is a big, physical pass catcher who landed with a perfect playcaller — Sean Payton — for his skill set. Expect Bryant to split his time between the slot and out wide. If he wins balls in traffic as easily as he did in college, he’ll quickly vault Mims as the WR2 and add another layer to this offense in need of more viable options.

A likely first-rounder if not for a series of hip injuries at Notre Dame, Morrison has the talent to beat out Jamel Dean for the CB2 job in Tampa Bay. He would have to stay healthier than Dean, who missed four and five games in each of the past two seasons, and tapped out mid-game in other contests, including the Buccaneers’ playoff loss to the Commanders.

Dean became a bit of a mark for opposing quarterbacks as he played at less than 100% last season, so the Buccaneers double-dipped at corner with Morrison and third-rounder Jacob Parrish (Kansas State). With the length and ball skills to produce turnovers in the Buccaneers’ blitz-heavy scheme, Morrison will have the first crack at winning the job from Dean in camp. I’d expect him to rotate in for first-team reps over the first couple of weeks.

A big opportunity awaits the third-round rookie, who will almost certainly see starting reps when the season begins, as Trevon Diggs is still recovering from a January knee surgery and could start the season on the PUP list. Only DaRon Bland is emphatically above Revel on the depth chart, but Bland might be destined for the slot position vacated by Jourdan Lewis. Beyond Bland, Revel is fighting with trade acquisition Kaiir Elam and 2024 fifth-rounder Caelen Carson for outside snaps.

Like Morrison, Revel fell in the draft for injury concerns. But before his 2024 season was cut short by an ACL tear, Revel was a dominant small-school corner with 16 pass breakups and three interceptions over 15 games. If Revel looks healthy in camp, expect to see him starting against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the first game of the 2025 season.